What Happened During My First 7-Day Breakthrough

After Grandmaster Yu first taught me how to practice, I returned home and kept practicing every day. In the second month, I usually practiced twenty to thirty minutes, and my experience was inconsistent in a very honest way: sometimes I felt more comfort and enjoyment, sometimes not so much — only a bit of calmness. Yet gradually, my symptoms began to fade.

Grandmaster Yu recommended the seven-day immersion as the best way, and I applied.

Day 1

After a simple breakfast, Grandmaster Yu explained the practice again, and then we started to stand.

It was the morning of May 1st, 2017, in Beijing. The green was deep, the trees were growing with full vigor, the air was fresh and cool, birds were singing, and as the sun slowly rose, it warmed my back gently. At the beginning, I didn’t feel anything unusual.

Twenty minutes passed. Thirty minutes passed.

I still felt good — not like when I stood at home, where I often felt it was already time to stop. I noticed that the other students were all standing, even two who had never practiced before; it was their very first time standing.

I was enjoying it — being one with nature.

Then my heels began to feel pressure.

Gradually the pressure increased, and began to hurt. I didn’t know how long had passed — maybe just over one hour — when I saw three students take their first break and begin walking. I told myself to stay longer, to explore my body. I adjusted my posture slightly, smiled again, opened my eyes to 180 degrees, my ears to 180 degrees, and imagined I was standing in a hot spring.

The hurt remained.

I noticed my right shoulder was very low — it has usually been lower than my left — and Grandmaster Yu, walking around to check everyone, confirmed it was okay. I began to scan my body gently, relaxing and comforting it, especially the lower back, shoulders, and neck. I felt the spring in my knees return and smiled again, opening into 360 degrees once more.

Then the hurt in my heels became intense.

Around me, one student was shaking for about fifteen minutes. Another burped continuously for around thirty minutes. Another swayed back and forth. Later I learned that almost all students were experiencing some discomfort or automatic body adjustment.

The knife-cutting in my heels continued, my lower back felt tense, and finally I took a break. It had already been two hours. I walked for twenty minutes, returned to standing, felt much better — more ease, more enjoyment — and then the hurt appeared again.

Smiling. 360 degrees.

Grandmaster Yu checked and comforted me.

Lunch time.

I ate a lot, rested for one hour, took a thirty-minute nap, and started again. As the sun rose fully, I chose the shadow of a tree. I knew the uncomform might come back — that was okay. The afternoon felt a bit lazy, but I kept smiling, opening 360 degrees, enjoying.

Then heels hurt again.

Smile.360.

Time felt long. Some students took breaks. The hurt remained. I kept smiling, imagining beautiful views to soften resistance.

Finally we wrapped up.

I couldn’t imagine I had stood for eight hours.

My legs and lower back felt stiff, but after a thirty-minute walk I felt very energetic. After dinner, we gathered with Grandmaster Yu for questions, and we tasted his reserved teas — many from hundreds-year-old tea trees. A disciple helped brew and share the tea.

It was different from anything I had drunk before. You could feel the subtle layers of flavor — the comfort, the energy — something the body wanted.

That night, I slept very well.

Day 2

I woke up naturally around 5:30 AM and started practicing by myself, melting into the freshness of the morning. After about one hour I walked, ate breakfast, rested for thirty minutes, and started again.

My right shoulder was still low. My heels were still intense. I took a break in the morning, and the day felt almost the same as Day 1.

That night, students shared many experiences. I asked why my heels still hurt so much.

The answer:

Everyone is different. Consider how many years you have built your tendencies. It will take time.

Be prepared — tomorrow will be the most challenging day.

Day 3

Curious to see what that challenge would be like, I began.

The first hour went quickly, then the hurt kicked in. I smiled, opened 360 degrees, imagined the warm spring. The hurt was persistent. I took a break, walked, returned — knife-cutting again. The mind wandered, then I smiled again, opened again.

Lunch time.

Afternoon — about thirty minutes of enjoyment, then heels hurt again. Grandmaster Yu stopped beside me, patted my lower back, released my shoulder slightly, and said:

“Good. Let it be.”

I don’t remember how I completed Day 3. It felt like a drawback — though I had already been told it would be the most challenging day.

Day 4

At the beginning I felt no difference, and the heels still hurt.

But strangely, I didn’t want to take a break.

I stood until lunchtime.

The day went easier.

Day 5

Early morning practice was very enjoyable. I didn’t feel hungry, so I skipped breakfast and continued without a break. About two hours later, the heels started to hurt again — more hurt — but I already knew the pattern.

Smiling. 360 degrees. Being one with nature.

The mind drifted, then returned.

Time felt slow.

Finally, lunch time.

The afternoon was another long one.

Then wrapped.

Day 6

I didn’t want to stop the enjoyment of the early morning practice, so I skipped breakfast again. The heels still hurt, but I was okay.

By lunchtime I still felt good, so I skipped lunch — which turned out to be a smart decision, because continuing became easier afterward.

Heels still hurt somewhat. Lower back tense at times. My mind drifts sometimes.

We wrapped at 3 PM.

Total: nine hours.

At home, I could only stand thirty minutes.

Now I had stood nine hours — and I didn’t feel hungry. After a walk, I was still energetic, so I only had some soup for dinner. That was all I ate that day.

Day 7

Encouraged by the previous day, I woke again around 5:30 AM, practiced, enjoyed, and skipped breakfast and lunch.

Heels still hurt somewhat. The lower back still had tension. My mind still drifted.

But the enjoyment was different.

The smile was deeper.

I could feel the difference of being one with nature — something words cannot express.

We wrapped at 4 PM.

Total: ten hours.

My face was glowing. I was still energetic. Not hungry. Totally fulfilled.

After Returning Home

When I returned home, practice was never the same again. I could feel the difference immediately.

Thirty minutes passed quickly.

I naturally practiced around one hour — with deep, spa-like peace.

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