If you are anything like me you probably hate standing in santi. However santi is an extremely important posture in xingyiquan and if you don't stand in it everyday you will Never get the correct structure to maximize the force put out by your body.
So, lets discuss why santi is hard to practice and what you can do about it:
1) santi is difficult because it makes the muscles in your thighs burn and your arms ache from holding them stationary for a long time.
2) Santi is boring because you are just hanging out holding on to a posture for half an hour.
Solution:
1) switch sides every once in a while.
Say you can stand for five minutes before your legs give up the ghost, then in that case stand for five minutes on one side, switch and do it on the other side, and then when that side gets tired switch again. This gives your legs enough time to have a chill out session and stop hurting and to get your mind ready to stand on that side again. I have used this method and I find that it really helps when building up to longer standing sessions. Of course you eventually want to be able to just stand in one posture for fifteen or twenty minutes, but you have to take baby steps.
2) pay attention to body mechanics and body feelings. this goes to the heart of what santi is about, IE: developing your liuhe (six harmonies). When you focus on how your body is moving into place then you are developing you external harmonies, when you focus on the body feelings and creating feelings in your body you are working on your internal harmonies. Not only that bad focusing on those things will make standing for a longer time feel like standing for a shorter time (another great method is to count your breaths since you end up thinking about your breath and not just about how boring standing in santi is).
I know that for some of you this is old hat, but if it helps your practice then I'm happy :D
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