In stillness, there is motion. In neutrality, there is power. The Wuji posture is not merely a stance. It is the constant return to balance, the dissolution of excess, the gateway to effortless being.
The Essence of Wuji
Wuji (无极) is the state before Taiji (太极). Before duality, before movement, before division.
It is the pure potential that precedes action. In the practice of standing meditation, Wuji posture is the foundation, the empty vessel through which all energy flows naturally.
To stand in Wuji is to return to center. It is not a preparation for movement, nor a pause between motions. It is complete in itself. It is the moment where effort dissolves and the body finds its own alignment, free from tension, free from intention, yet full of presence.
How to Stand in Wuji
Feet Rooted – Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, parallel, toes pointing forward. Feel the connection to the ground as if you are rooting deep into the earth rather than floating on top of it. Like a tree.
Knees Soft – Not locked, not bent. Just comfortable in between. Available, responsive, free.
Hips Open – Relax the hips as if they are sinking into the space between your feet, but without forcing a squat. Tuck under just slightly.
Spine Naturally Aligned – Allow comfortable vertical spacing for each vertebrae. Find the most comfortable spot between collapsing together and stretching apart at each connection.
Arms at Rest – Arms set down naturally by your sides or just in front of the body, not just hanging limp but not held up either. Palms relaxed, fingers gently curved.
Breath Deep and Unforced – Let the breath find its own rhythm, neither held nor controlled. Allow the energy of each breath to seep into your cells.
Mind Empty, Awareness Expansive – Not focused on any one thing, yet aware of everything.
The Power of Doing Nothing
In Wuji, there is nothing to hold, nothing to strive for. You are simply standing, yet in this non-doing, profound transformation occurs. The nervous system recalibrates, tension unwinds, energy begins to flow where it was once stagnant. The body organizes itself in harmony with gravity, and the mind, no longer seeking, can rest in pure awareness.
This is not a journey. It is a return.
To stand in Wuji is to meet yourself as you are, without embellishment, without resistance. In the absence of effort, you find the deepest stability. In stillness, you find motion.
And in that motionless motion, the infinite unfolds.