Standing Enlightenment: Embodying the Wisdom of the Ancients
by Paul Robear

When most people think of meditation, a familiar image comes to mind: someone seated cross-legged, eyes closed, perfectly still. It’s become a kind of modern shorthand for peace and mindfulness. I used to picture that too—until I was introduced to Ritual Postures. But there are many other examples, from diverse traditions, that find spiritual power in standing postures.

There is a meditative practice, often called “standing like a tree,” that has found its way through human history in various forms. Though it’s not widely known in the West, once you begin to explore it, you realize the stillness we seek doesn’t require a cushion or a lotus position. It can be found on your feet—spine tall, arms relaxed, and feet rooted into the earth like deep roots in the soil.

It seems the early Taoist mystics knew this well. They practiced what’s often called zhan zhuang—standing postures held in stillness, yet full of internal movement. These weren’t merely exercises; they were gateways. Portals that open as the body quiets and the breath deepens. Holding one of these postures, especially as a beginner, can feel like holding up the sky. But that’s the practice: it strips away distraction and teaches patience, strength, and presence.

Even earlier, shamanic traditions stretching back to ancient China and Central Asia used standing postures in their rites and rituals. These weren’t just physical forms; they were tools for transformation. Our posture research complements growing evidence that priest-shamans used standing positions to enter trance states—accessing visions and insights from the spirit world. The body becomes an antenna, attuned to subtle energies.

This profound connection between posture and spiritual experience deeply resonated with our founder, Dr. Felicitas Goodman, the anthropologist who established the Cuyamungue Institute. Her research didn’t arise in a vacuum—it was rooted in a cross-cultural exploration of ancient traditions. She discovered that many indigenous and ancestral cultures used specific postures, often standing or semi-standing, as gateways to altered states of consciousness.

We are convinced these weren’t random poses. They were structured, practiced, and revered as sacred technologies. Dr. Goodman saw the body as a bridge—and through her work, she helped revive a nearly forgotten language of posture, one that still speaks to us today.