Qi Gung, the lost art. Part 2
BASIC QI BREATHING EXERCISES
Be peaceful and relaxed and silent in spirit. I personally like sitting Indian style, on a pillow or blanket. Sitting on a pillow or blanket will keep the back straight, which is very important for Qi to travel and circulate through out the body. Close your eyes gently, letting a little light in. Relax the shoulders and chest with the quietest of mental states. While you place the thumbs of both hands against the palms and close your fingers over them, and place each fist shape, little finger down on top of your legs. Find your Dan Tian with your minds eye. Slowly breath In through your nose, move the tip of the tongue so that it lightly touches the roof of the mouth (which will connect the CV and the GV meridians) so that Qi will travel through the core of the body imagining you are leading your breath to Dan Tian (this is physically impossible but that is why the imagination is necessary).
Then exhale by dropping the toungue from the roof of your mouth to it’s normal relaxed position. With your lips forming a kissing shape and exhale through it slowly. The air which you breath in and out should not make any sound. This is one full round of the exercise. You should try to work your way up to fifty rounds. This is a core exercise that builds Qi energy in the Dan Tian. It is necessary to perfect the breathing portion of this first piece of the brocade. Beginners may start with Natural breathing and work up to the other types. You should continue this basic exercise until you can go beyond fifty rounds in a relaxed manner. Then you will be ready for the next step.
This part of the exercise, teaches the mind how to gain Qi energy and store it in the Dan Tian. Sitting quietly can bring about peace of mind and ward off distracting thoughts, relax muscles, and soften breathing. Doing this fifty times will improve oxygen to the lungs and improve blood circulation, and (in time) Qi may build down to the cellular level. It also will prepare you for exercises yet to come. As you complete this first part, you should feel more alert and more capable, happier emotionally and more peaceful.
MASSAGING THE EARS
Take a moment to relax, then place your palm on each ear, your finger pointed out toward the back of your head. Rotate your palms over your ears in a clock-wise circular motion 18 times. The ears being a central healing station to balance Qi in the interior body.
HEAVEN’S DRUM
With your palm still placed over your ears, lift your forefingers and place it on top of your middle fingers. Now with a tapping motion ( first right then left) strike the base of the skull 24 times. You will know why they call this exercise heaven’s drum. This will wake up the central nervous system. From head to hips. It also improves lung and heart health and is a cure for head ache and dizziness.
TEETH TAPPING
Drop your hands back down (fist position) on top of the legs. Tap your teeth together lightly 36 times. Do not swallow saliva. This exercise will improve the health of the teeth and gums.
TONGUE LICKS TEETH
Move your tongue so that it rubs the upper and lower teeth, the top teeth left to right, the bottom teeth right to left. Start at the back (top) right towards the front then toward the back tooth on opposite side. Drop your tongue down to the back tooth of the jaw, run your tongue to the front and on to the left side. This is one round, continue 18 rounds. This will bring even more saliva, but don’t swallow it.
RINSE THE MOUTH
Use the saliva you’ve been collecting, to rinse the mouth in the same way you would with mouth wash, using the muscle of your jaw, and keeping your lips closed. It is like making a kiss shape then relaxing, do this 36 times. Don’t swallow yet!
SWALLOWING
Now you will sallow the saliva as you inhale than exhale three time in three small gulps one by one. You should try to imagine that you are willing it to go to the Dan Tian. The combination of exercises four -seven, will increase the secretion of gastric juice and improve digestion and appetite.
RUBBING THE NOSE
First you will rub your two hands together vigorously till they get warm. Then make a fist shape with your thumb sticking straight up, and rub your thumbs together till they are warm. As you are warming your thumbs, breath in and out normally. Quickly place your thumbs against both sides of your nose and rub back and forth 18 times on each side. Rubbing the nose, protects you from diseases of the respiratory tract, helps prevent catching a cold, and many types of nasal diseases along with cures from obstructions of the nasal passage.
EYE EXERCISE
Lightly close your eyes, with the knuckles of your thumbs, rub the eye brows 18 times. Then rub the eye lid lightly back and forth 18 times. After this, place your hand into a fist shape and place them back on your legs, and exercise the eyes by first closing them, and rotating them around 18 times, by looking up, then right, down and then left. Some time I split the number into two groups, nine clock wise and nine counter clock wise. This exercise will strengthen the eye muscles stimulate blood flow, cure and prevent eye disease and improve sight.
MASSAGE THE FACE
Rubbing your palms together to warm them, place your two hands on your forehead and rub clock wise in a downwards direction, rub the forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, and chin. Then reverse the motion, moving upwards in a counter clock wise direction for a total of 36 times. Again I split the number to 18 clock wise and 18 counter clock wise. This exercise will stimulate blood flow and nerve impulse. Making the face glow and give a more youthful look.
NECK EXERCISE
Interlock the fingers of both hands together, and place them on the back of your neck. With your eyes looking upwards, Tilt your head backwards, your finger will cause resistance against your neck. Do this exercise 3 to 9 times. This exercise will improve blood flow, relieve shoulder pain and dizziness.
MASSAGE THE SHOULDERS
Rub your palms together till warm, massage the right shoulder with the left hand in a clock wise motion 18 times. Then message the left shoulder with the right hand in the same way, 18 times.
This exercise stimulates blood flow and can cure arthritis.
ARM SWINGING
In karate there is a rare punch that is very much like the arm swinging exercise. Close both hands into a loss fist shape, palm up position and place them at each side of your rib cage, as if you were getting ready to do a punching exercise, with elbows bent at a 90 degree angle. With out turning your fists over as you punch, strike out Left than right, turning your waist with each punch so that you can reach out a distance. Alternate punching 18 times. Don’t turn your punches over, keep the palm side of your fists up, remember to swing at the waist for more reach, with each punch straighten the arm then return it to the rib cage with a 90 degree bend in the elbow. Exhale on the extension, inhale on the retraction. This exercise is good for the shoulder blades as well as the chest muscles, increases blood flow and improves the function of the internal organs.
MASSAGING THE BACK AND COCCYX
Rub the palm of your hands together making them warm, Place each palm on your lower back and rub up and down alternately, 18 times. Then warm the hands again, and massage the coccyx in the same manner, 36 times. The first of the two exercises relieves and prevents any pain or pressure of back ache, and also cures and prevents amenorrhoea. The second exercise, stimulates area nerves and cures and prevents anal fistula and hemorrhoids.
MASSAGING THE DAN TIAN
Again rubbing the palms together till warm, place the right fist back on your leg, place the left palm on the dan tian, and massage in a circular motion in a clock wise fashion 100 times. Then warm palm again and place the left hand in to a fist and place it on your leg and with the right hand in a counter clock wise fashion rub 100 times. If you have problems with emissions or premature ejaculation or impotence, you may try this exercise, hold the scrotum with the left hand and rub the Dan tian with the right hand 81 times. Then reverse the hands for another round of 81 times. The effects of this exercise maybe surprising when practice with out necessity. This exercise, promotes the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract, improves digestion, relieves abdominal distention, and cures constipation. It increases semen and strengthens the kidneys when alternative exercise is used.
MASSAGE THE KNEES
Massage the tops of the knees simultaneously, rubbing in a circular motion for a count of 100 times.
Because toxins have a way of collecting in the knees, messaging them has a way of removing it, which will strengthen the legs and prevent arthritis.
MASSAGING THE YONG QUAN POINT
NOTE; See pressure point chart on Kidney # 1.
Bring the sole of the right foot up towards you and with the left hands forefinger and middle finger, rub Yong Quan (kidney # 1) point, in a circular motion,100 times. Then reverse the process on the left foot for a count of 100 times.
WEAVING CLOTH
Stretch your legs out straight in front of you, side by side, toe pointed upwards. Bend your elbows with the hand opened and fingers together, palms facing your feet. The backs of your hand start out close to the chest. Push your hands out towards your feet bending your back and spin forwards, while you exhale. Then turn your palms over to face your chest, and return to the starting position, inhaling as you go, then turn palms out (as before) to repeat this exercise 30 times.
This exercise will do the whole body good. Also cures back aches, promotes metabolism and flexible as well as movement in the spin.
CIRCLE BODY LIKE A WHEEL
Go back to the original posture ( Indian style) legs crossed. Place your hand over the stomach with one hand held by the other. Bring top of your body towards your toes, then move your body to the right side, then to the back the to the left side and finally to the front again. Now try it in one continued motion. This time exhale in the forward and right parts of the movement and inhale on the backward and left part of the movements. This exercise is good for the back, kidneys, organs and the digestion.
MESSAGING THE FINGERS AND THE TOES
This is the final exercise, where you massage each finger also the thumbs, and toes. With your right hand take the little finger of the left hand by the side of the tip of the finger, and turn it left then right, this will loosen the joints, do this several times. Then pressing on the edges of the finger nails strongly, Pull the hand away quickly from the fingers hold it. You will hear a popping sound if done correctly. Repeat this process on all fingers thumbs and toes. Qi entrance point; These finger, thumb and toe tips are number one point of many meridian systems, In many cases it is said that, Qi can enter as well as exit from the finger tips. If there are blockages in these places, the body will become ill. To remove any blockages would restore proper flow and good health to all meridians.
(End of exercises).
SOME FACTS ABOUT QI GUNG AND THE 12 PIECE BROCADE
The Ba Duann Gin (12 piece brocade) also called, “keep fit exercises”, is the sitting method of Qi Gung ( chi kung), practiced in the martial arts of long ago. There are still schools of Qi Gung existing sometimes as separate school from the fighting types of art systems. It would be very rare to find a karate school that teaches the total Qi Gung package. In the Gung Fu schools, 12 piece brocade is a little better represented, but again it is rare to see it exercised to the full measure, other than in a school for teaching QI Gung alone. The Ba Duann Gin, has been reduce in many Kung Fu schools to eight pieces, but you will be reading and hopefully learning the entire twelve pieces in this above article. In my articles to come, you will go from basic training to intermediate to advanced and finally mastery of these breathing exercises.
Today in some Qi Gung systems, much like the practice of Tai Chi, they has been Simplified or reduced to a exercise for longevity, which is a questionable theory, Which could be calmed about any exercises program. these types of calms would be very hard to disprove, because first you would have to know how long the test subject would have lived or better still, how well the subject would have lived, with out the exercise! You may only say that an exercise program, is a beneficial art form for ones health, as long as it is practiced daily. Qi Gung, on the other hand, has been reduced to a form of exercise for health benefits mostly, or at times for simple cures for various disorders, but Qi Gung is much more than that. For improving health, and curing illness, test results have been well documented, Qi Gung, combined with any other Martial arts program, have results that are visible, improvements which can be seen by the naked eye.
Just to begin with, martial artists, who practice Qi Gung daily, along with there fighting arts, are healthier and can become two to three times faster with less concentration, with vastly greater strength, using less effort. With long term deep study and practice, over a period a decades, according to the types of breath training or method (s), healing powers may be developed. If you steadily develop your Qi Gung to this point, you will be a few simple step away from a method known as energy transitions, the adding or subtracting of energy into or away from yours or another human bodies. This is were the legendary Cavity gate, Blood gate, Poison Hand, Iron Shirt, Trembling Palm and the like, along with many forms of healing powers, are gained. It is documented that Qi Gung masters, who can ward off dozens of attacker with just a simple wave of there hands. Others with supernatural strength, who can break stone with there bare hands, bend swords against there necks and bodies and many other recorded displays of even more supernatural powers.
Of course, there are phony’s too. Some masters I’ve witnessed, have been the real article and some were not. I myself once had a karate teacher, who studied an Okinawa style of karate, and knew his fighting art well, he also knew all the promotional gimmicks too. He would demonstrate dramatic skills, but these skills were phoned, and you would never know it! Many students have in the past gone to many martial arts schools because of witnessing this type of trickery. For example, if you see a person laying on a bed of nails claiming Chi powers, He maybe a phony! He can do it because the nail are set very close together, they can not penetrate the skin. The same thing is so when they lay on glass, the glass is broken up so fine that it has no cutting edge to it, and there are many more type of tricks other than these.
On the other hand, Master Yu, from China, came to the U.S.A. to visit a friend here. I met him through my friend who was a local Acupuncturist, who lives in Boston Ma. Master Yu, lives the life of a Buddhist monk, and practices the healing arts with out touch! Master Yu, would hold his hands over a sick persons effected area of illness, from 3 to 10 inches away, as power came out from his palms or finger tips, power which could be felt! He would raise and lower his hands as he wiggled his fingers and a strange powers could be felt ( feeling kind of like a light mist falling over you).
He would not teach the secret of his art to anyone because he would need to know a persons character type first. He said, a persons heart may not be in the right place (so to speak), to put this type of power to good use. He was afraid that it would eventually be used for a bad or wrong purpose. But we did talk about Qi Gung and healing a lot and he demonstrated his powers on me personably. In short it was real, I did feel it! Sometimes with other master, heat can be felt or even cold can be felt as well, depending on the health of the individual.
Many people out there are trying to duplicate this “no touch” method with little success,Why little success? Master Yu, would find it unthinkable to squash a insect, Master Yu, I found, has the utmost respect for live things, his only approach to living life is, to help and contribute to the well being of all living things. This is a dilemma for those who would try to produce the same effects for the purpose of harming others, using a healing art in a different way for the purpose to harm people. This ability had been fostered for a singular reason, a claim to fame which of course would automatically make money. Does this power exist? Yes it does! can it be learned? maybe, Why maybe? A persons basic character has a lot to do with the outcome of there success!
There is a reason for telling you all this, Your level of virtue is directly connected to your level of success as far as Qi powers goes. You may recall, that in many oriental movies, with a martial art theme, the evil tyrant always is shown to have a high degree of martial arts ability and power, but the man with great virtue, will have a greater abilities and powers over him! The man who would learn these thing only for the purpose of hurting others, will not gain as much power as the man who would provide help and protection to living beings. So before starting this exercise, ask yourself, Why do you want to gain these powers? If your deepest desire is to heal yourself and others and to be a benefit to mankind and the time comes you must protect yourself or others and the need to harm someone is inescapable, And you use Qi as a last response only, if this is the spirit within you, you will do well in martial art as well as Qi Gung.
If your mind is set on showing off your powers or harming your enemies for the purpose of gaining fame and fortune, you will have a lesser intermittent power. Even if you have to defeat an opponent, the mind set MUST BE for the betterment of the community, not for a private secret agenda. The first thing to think about is, what you would do if you succeed with this endeavor, How would you use it? Sorry if you don’t like this philosophy, it’s not my rules, it’s natures rules Daniel San!
But if you are not so pure of heart, there will still be great benefits to practicing Qi Gung. And on the way you may have a change of heart and find no limitations to your success in Qi Gung practices. This is what that whole Shaolin temple thing was all about! Purity brings inner strength, faith and inner strength is hard to defeat, To attack a person with this kind of inner power, well, it would be like fighting with a god.
As you practice, it would be best if you picture these exercises as a life long adventure. This kind of mind set may take you places you may only could dreamed of, other wise. Start your exercises in the most relaxed comfortable way possible. Don’t rush, don’t skip steps to get to the next dimension. Develop your patience, remembering this, Many who practice Qi Gung have great fun seeing the sick, get well under there hand. I myself have healed several students along with others in my time, to me, it is was great fun. Remember this too, killing is easy to do, even the unskilled can do that! But who can heal the sick? only the skilled can do this. My students have seen me hit stone and break it in half, just using my hand, and there response was WOW. But when you make a students, shorter leg grow as long as his other leg, you have his life time gratitude! And he will speak of it all of his life.
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