There was an old man who was unlike any you have ever seen before.
He lived on a mountain, high above the townspeople.
Each day people would hike this mountain to ask the old man questions and listen to his stories.
The old man was almost always sitting on the ground in a humble down-to-earth position while those who came to ask him questions sat on stools.
One day, a visitor asked, “Why are you always sitting on the ground? Wouldn’t a chair be more comfortable?”
The old man smiled. “I am comfortable sitting where I am. I have no aches and pains and my body is flexible beyond my years. My tissues are soft and pliable, the same as a young child while people one-third my age are brittle to the bone.”
Another person interjected, “Does sitting on the ground have anything to do with your agelessness?”
The old man laughed, “Indeed. When I sit on the ground, I am plugged into the earth’s energy.”
“When I sit in a chair I feel tired,” another remarked.
“True,” the old man grinned. “The more time you spend connected to the ground, the more childlike you are. Children have boundless energy but they begin to lose it when sitting in chairs or desks.”
At this point a man of 40 years mentioned, “But I feel pain in my body when I sit on the floor. Is there something else I can do.”
“You feel pain when you sit on the floor because you don’t sit on the floor,” the old man said, stroking his long grey beard. “If you begin sitting on the floor for a few minutes each day, you will gradually be able to sit longer, and without pain.”
“But you sit here for long periods of time without pain,” the man remarked. “What to do when I cannot sit so long?”
“You stand still. You get into various positions and you feel the connection within your body. This then leads to a restorative effect. As you feel the connection, your body naturally responds, giving you more life. Eventually you will be able to sit without pain. And if you want, you can even lie on the floor and sleep without pain.”
The old man then jumped off the ground from a position that defied gravity. He demonstrated how to stand, how to connect, how to sink and create a rebound healing effect within the body.
The onlookers followed the old man’s positions and were amazed at the energy flowing into their hands, feet, abdomen and heart center. Their bodies felt larger than life. Each time they changed positions they were stunned at the positive effects they felt. They had never experienced these sensations before. They were shocked.
“The body knows how to heal itself when you stand in these positions,” the old man shouted, then added a “whoop” sound for emphasis, letting everyone see and feel how excited he was to be sharing this information.
“Practice a little everyday,” he added. “Soon you will be able to do more. You will begin to experience an uncanny strength building up within your body.”
The people stood a while longer, smiling from head-to-toe.
The old man talked as they stood still. “Look at the trees you see around you. The tree trunks stand still and this creates internal pressure and movement. The tree outlives all of us. Oh what we can learn from them.”
He then let out another “whoop.”
“Now go home and practice everyday,” he added. “Start with a few minutes and let your body grow into the positions. Come back in a month and let me know what you have discovered.”
A month later the same crew hiked the mountain with far greater ease than ever before. They were amazed at their strength and stamina.
Upon reaching the top of the mountain, all of them let out a “whoop” to say hello to the old man.
He whooped back to them in return.
Here endeth the lesson.
Matt Furey
P.S. To learn the standing positions that keep you feeling young no matter your age, visit PowerPostures.com
