Zuo Chan (meditation) was practiced in China long before the appearance of Chan. The earlier masters practiced according to methods in the Hinayana sutras, which emphasized the techniques collectively known as samatha-vipasyana. Generally speaking, these were methods for achieving samadhi through three aspects: regulating one’s body, regulating one’s breathing, and regulating one’s mind.
The Dharma Drum’s Eight-Form Moving Meditation was developed by Master Sheng Yen of Dharma Drum Mountain as a means of allowing people living stressful and busy lifestyles to enjoy some of the benefits of Chan meditation. The system, based on many years of practice and personal experience, has incorporated the essence of Chan meditation into a series of simple physical exercises. In addition to physical exercise, practice of the Eight Forms helps you relax your body and mind, so that you can develop a healthy body and a balanced mind.
In 2006 the late Chan Master Sheng Yen established a new Chan Buddhist school called the Dharma Drum Lineage of Chan Buddhism(Fagu zong), which unites the two lineages of Linji (Japanese Rinzai) and Caodong (Japanese Soto) that Master Sheng Yen was heir to.