Movement is key to all longevity practices. David’s life of martial arts training, from olympic level Tae Kwon Do as a teen, Nei / Qigong (inner cultivation), gongfu (namely Liangshi Baguazhang) for the last 26 years, along with Muay Thai, Filipino martial arts, and for the last decade Brazilian Jiujitsu, has led to a unique understanding of how one moves. Within his private practice the softer aspects of internal cultivation and martial arts are incorporated into treatments or instructed privately - these include traditional stretching, guiding, and strengthening methods, inclusive of daoyin, where the body is exercised while the mind sits.

On the other hand, how many people today can truly say they know stillness? Sitting meditation is a powerful tool to better knowing self, and knowing the environment that yourself exists in. It allows for connection, true connection, to your own inner geography through guided breathing (as described below). Here the body sits while the mind is exercised. More importantly, and separately, seated work, such as zazen, is body posture work expressed in a holistic manner - here the body sits and nothing else. Both of these are vital cultivation practices and in David’s opinion, increasingly more vital for the current day, where things move very fast, where people are under pressure, and where time often slips by.

Zhanzhuang or standing stance / standing like a pole is a cultivation practice commonly found within the internal martial arts of China. This is a very important postural method for connection to appropriate breathing methods, martial technique, and of course meditative state. Standing sounds simple but requires years of dedicated practice to reap the benefits - which are numerous and will be discussed at length in our blog.

Some people don’t move, others can’t sit, while the majority don’t know how to breathe. Breathing is a natural occurrence, however, how one breathes for greater physical and mental health is something that needs to be trained. Currently there are many fads revolving around the art of breathing, many based on and diluted forms of Tibetan tummo exercises, and of course many wonderful yogic exercises. Breathing in the east-Asian traditions of Daoism, Neigong, and more revolve around guided breath, visualisation, and combining it with movement, sitting, and standing. Standing stance (zhan zhaung) is the main method employed by David in his personal practice, often done before or after seated postural work.