Levels of meditation

There are three levels of meditation we can practice using movement. There is another, which requires no movement and is
common to most forms of Indian yoga. This is where we sit cross-legged and meditate on a mantra or an object. Most westerners find this quite difficult, and can sometimes fool themselves into thinking that they are meditating. Moving meditation, although involving learning certain patterns of movement, can be easier because it does not use mind games. All we have to do is to learn and practice the movements in the correct way and the meditation will happen by itself; the mind will relax, the body will relax and as the body relaxes so too does the mind, and so on.
The first level of moving or ‘working’ meditation is where we stand in a certain position with slightly bent knees. This is the ‘work’ part of the meditation. The bent knees provide the heat necessary for certain chemical or energy changes to take place.
It is not too difficult to maintain this sort of meditation but it is a little more physically difficult than the sitting kind. We are trying to teach the mind to relax while working. In this way we do not need a nice quiet room with candles in order to relax — we are teaching the mind to relax at all times so that tension does not build up.
The basic stance for this kind of meditation (ch’i kung or Qigong) is seen in photograph 1. The legs are slightly bent with the knees not projecting any further than the toes. The toes are turned under a little, but not enough to make them turn white. Thearms are held at chest height with the fingers pointing to each other. The fingers are held slightly apart with the palms concave.
The tongue is pressed lightly onto the hard palate with the chin pulled in slightly to straighten the back. The eyes are looking straight ahead but not staring. The shoulders are relaxed with the elbows hanging. The breath is deep but natural and not forced, breathing in through the nose and out through the nose.
This posture is held for at least 15 minutes but beginners can start with 5 minutes. Older people can practice this meditation sitting in a chair.
The second type of meditation is where we start to move while still holding the same relaxed meditative state induced by the Qigong. The slow, natural movements of T'ai chi ch’uan lend themselves to meditation, as there are no fast or jerking movements. The whole set is made up of different postures linked together by circling movements. One is able to keep a relaxed calm mind while performing the T'ai Chi form which lasts up to one hour.
The movements relax the mind, this causes our movements to become more relaxed and smooth which in turn helps the mind to relax even more, so the mind and body help each other up the ladder.
The third area of meditation is where we learn to perform more normal tasks while still holding the meditation. T’ai chi has another form of exercise called pauchui form, or cannon fist form, and as the name suggests this has some fast and hard movements. This form teaches us to keep our meditation even when confronted with the worst tension out in the street. In practising this form while relaxed we are able to walk out into the big world knowing that nothing will upset us or make us tense.
From - Buddhist Meditation - Contemplation of the Mind