Three Levels to Ground is the ninth of the 18 qigong exercises that make up the Shaolin 18 Lohan Hands. Also known as 三 盆 落 地 and SAN PEN LUO DI, it is also practiced as part of the Art of Flexible Legs by Shaolin Kung Fu students — one of the few exercises in the set with roots in both qigong and kung fu training.
Important Safety Note
Avoid this exercise if you have any known heart problems. Do not practice it if you are out of breath, tired, or feeling giddy.
Key Benefits of Three Levels to Ground
When practiced as qigong — not merely as physical form — Three Levels to Ground offers the following benefits:
- Strengthens the heart
- Beneficial for the knees
- Feels restorative after a sustained Golden Bridge (Zhan Zhuang) session
- Supports the Small Universe qi flow — the harmonious flow of qi through the Ren and Du meridians, associated with freedom from illness and sustained vitality
A Note on Relaxation: The Principle Behind All 18 Exercises
Three Levels to Ground is one of the exercises in this set where the temptation to treat it as physical training is strongest — the full squatting motion looks and feels like exercise. At a physical level it does offer some benefit. But the deeper results listed above require it to be practiced as qigong.
Two words matter above all others in this practice: relaxed and gentle. Your movements are relaxed and gentle. Your breathing is relaxed and gentle. Your mind is relaxed, and any thoughts are gentle. Qi flows less freely through tense muscle than relaxed muscle — so use only as much tension as is necessary to complete the movement, nothing more.
Form is the least important of qigong’s three components — form, energy, and mind — but it is still important. Gritting through discomfort is a sign that something needs to be adjusted, not endured.
An Important Note on Form vs. Qigong
The benefits above are only available when this exercise is practiced as qigong — with a Qigong State of Mind (QSoM) and genuine energy flow. Practicing the physical movements alone — the form — will not produce these results. The form is not the art of qigong.
Learning Three Levels to Ground directly from a qualified qigong instructor is strongly recommended.
Next in the 18 Lohan Hands
The next exercise in the set is Divine Crane Starts Dancing — exercise 10 of the 18 Lohan Hands.
