Taoist and Qigong Meditation and Standing Practices

Scope and honesty about sources

"Taoist meditation" covers many practices across many schools and centuries. This page draws on a small set of sources we could read: a philosophy encyclopedia, NCCIH's qigong page, a review of Dao Yin, a general reference on zhan zhuang and trial plans. We did not find a source we could read that describes Taoist meditation schools in depth, so we do not describe them. For the qigong family as a whole, see Qigong: history, practice and what research shows.

Background: Daoism and its texts

The two Classical texts credited to Laozi and Zhuangzi emerged in the Classical period of China (5th to 3rd century BC). [1] Historians later coined the category "Daoist" during the Han period. [1] That source describes the texts as responding to a Confucian-Mohist dispute about the correct socio-political dào, so exercise practices linked to Daoism should not be assumed to come straight from them. [1]

Qigong and Dao Yin

NCCIH describes qigong as developed in China thousands of years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine, involving regulation of the mind, breath and body posture. [2] Dynamic qigong centers on body movement. Meditative (passive) qigong can be done in any posture that can be kept for some time and involves breath and mind exercises with almost no body movement. [2] A review of Dao Yin, a related exercise form, discusses its relationship to Taoist culture and to qigong. [3]

The explanation inside the tradition is in terms of qi and its regulation, which are traditional concepts rather than biomedical findings. See qi, yin and yang and meridians as traditional concepts.

Zhan zhuang (standing practice)

Zhan zhuang means "standing [like a] post". It is a training method often practiced by students of internal martial arts such as yiquan, xingyiquan, baguazhang and tai chi. [4] The modern term was coined by Wang Xiangzhai, and it is also translated as standing qigong or "standing like a tree". [4] Some schools teach it as a way of removing blockages in qi flow; that is a traditional belief, not a tested effect. [4]

We do not give posture or timing instructions here. A source we read notes that people new to it can have severe muscle fatigue and trembling at first. [4] Learning in person from a qualified teacher is safer than learning from text.

What research shows

1. Qigong overall for pain

   Mixed

   NCCIH calls the research conflicting; some small reviews suggest less pain, a 2020 review of 5 studies (576 participants) found conflicting results [2]

2. Qigong for fibromyalgia

   Promising but limited

   Initial research with few, small studies suggested help with pain, sleep and function [2]

3. Qigong for balance and falls

   Promising but limited (a survey of reviews, as reported by NCCIH)

   A 2019 survey of reviews found sufficient evidence to support it for balance training and fall prevention [2]

4. Zhan zhuang specifically, for anxiety or insomnia

   Proper evidence not found (searched PubMed for zhan zhuang and post standing)

   We found trial plans for three-circle post standing, one for 144 anxious adults and one comparing it with a sham post-standing control in 100 students with insomnia, but no published results [5][6]

Qigong trials usually cannot hide from participants which group they are in, so expectation can affect self-reported results. The insomnia trial plan tries to address this with a sham comparison. [6] Evidence for broader qigong should not be assumed to apply to one standing posture.

Teachers and training

Qigong instructors do not have to be licensed in the United States, the practice is not regulated federally or by states, and there is no national certification standard. [2] Ask a teacher about their training and experience.

Related pages

Tai chi, tai chi vs qigong, types of meditation, Buddhist meditation traditions.