8 brocades qigong pdf

Emulation of the fighting spirit helps engender courage and toughness. The Ba Duan Jin exercise set 6 is good for the muscles of your lower back and legs and for stretching your spine. It is also beneficial for the internal organs of your lower abdomen. The movements of your waist actually bring every tissue and organ of your abdomen into play. The whole exercise strengthens your kidneys, your adrenal glands, and the arteries, veins, and nerves associated with them.

Since your kidneys playa vital role in regulating the water metabolism of your entire body, this exercise helps maintain a healthy balance in your internal environment. This movement 6 can be done very slowly and one can imagine sending energy outwards, or a powerful beam of chi-light from your hand.

One of my teachers had us punch softly, but asked us to imagine our energy blasting through the brick wall of the dojo. Or, this movement can be one of really punching with some force with intense and angry eyes. Compare this movement 6 with the one described by Rachel Schaeffer in her informative and beautiful book " Yoga for Your Spiritual Muscles. She calls the movement "Hara Punches and Hara Pulls.

Focus on drawing power from this area as you imagine you are throwing away tensions with each punch. Apply your robust presence to push stress away from your physical and mental being. As you pull your hands to you belly, visualize that you are drawing into your body strength and energy from the abundance of the universe. Opening and Movements From the Wu Ji position step out with your left foot about 6" to 12".

Your stance should be comfortable. Your feet should point straight ahead. Bend the knees slightly. Relax the shoulders. Let your arms relax at your sides and the inside of your hands touch your hips. Breathe easily and deeply. Inhale through the nose and out through the nose.

Take a long, deep, slow inhale and relax and extend your abdomen as you inhale. Begin to exhale as you move down Slowly bend forward from the hips as your hands move slowly down the outside of your legs. Both hands should remain touching your body during this entire exercise movement.

Feel your body with your hands, and feel your hands with your body. Slowly exhale as you bend forward, and draw the abdomen inward. Continue to move the hands down the sides of the legs as you bend forward.

Bend your knees! Lower your head, relax your shoulders and back. Move both hands down until you reach your ankles. Hold for a few seconds in this low position. Slowly move both of your hands up the back of the legs as you unbend and lift your head and back. Keep the knees bent. Slowly trace the hands up the hamstrings and up over the glutes. Slowly inhale as you bring your hands from your ankles to your lower back. Place the hands on the lower back.

The back of the hands should touch the area in the lower back about where the kidneys are located. Massage the lower back by moving the back of the hands in semi-circles. Gently massage the area behind the kidneys. Stand up straight, but not rigidly. Enjoy this gentle lower back massage for 30 seconds or more. Breathe freely. This massage movement is also know as "Rub the Court of the Kidneys.

Look upwards and backwards as you bend backwards. Be careful, be gentle with yourself, know your limits, don't overdo, don't push allow wu wei. Lift your chest upwards and back. Your head should bend back gently. Bend your back and neck only to the degree that you feel safe and comfortable.

Hold for 20 seconds or more. Keep the backs of your hands on your lower back. Slowly unwind forward as your hands move from your back, along your sides, and to the front of the hips. Gently straighten the back and neck till you are standing up straight. Relax your shoulders. Enjoy a long, deep, and slow inhale. Rest in Wu Ji as needed.

Repeat this movement sequence 4 to 8 repetitions. Move slowly. Don't jerk. Relax , Center , Ground. Caution is advised for those with weak or out of condition muscles. Some teachers will emphasize the Meridian pathways that the fingers should follow as they move up and down the legs, or press on in the back. For example, the Kidney Meridian runs along the inside of both legs, the Gallbladder Meridian runs along the outside center of both legs, the Bladder Meridian runs along the back center of both legs, and the Stomach Meridian runs along the front center of both legs.

Following these Meridian pathways with your fingers and hands stimulates and invigorates these specific organ systems. Numerous charts of the Meridian pathways and books on the subjects are now available in English. Some do not massage the lower back in the middle of the movement.

Many emphasize lowering the torso until you can place your fingers under your toes. This is fine if you keep your knees bent sufficiently while in the forward bend. The movement then becomes more of a squat. Some recommend keeping the feet together and the knees straight when bending down. Some start the movement by drawing both hands up above the head and reaching towards the heavens, and then lowering the arms forward and then down as the torso bends forward and down.

This style is similar to the yoga movement in Uttanasana or at the start of the Sun Salutations, Surya Namaskar. In this version, for this movement sequence, we stood in a shoulder width stance. Hands would be drawn upward in front then down. The hands then turn upward, fingers pointed backwards, hands drawn backward along side the rips.

Then, massage the kidneys. Draw the hands down the back of the legs, then touch the toes. Extend the arms forward and bend from the waist to raise the arms. Breathe comfortably. Not much of a back bend in this version. Inversions bring more blood into the upper torso. Works both the quadriceps and hamstrings. Both hip flexors and abductors are challenged. Massage increases circulation and feelings of pleasure to the lower back area. Back bends strengthen both the abdominal and lower back muscles.

Stimulates various meridians in the body. Counter-indications: Persons with uncontrolled high blood pressure problems should avoid moving their head below their heart. Persons with lower back stiffness or pain should avoid bending forward or backward too deeply from the waist. Avoid bending forward with the knees locked in a straight position as this places undue stress on the lower back and hamstrings.

Heavy persons should use caution when bending with arms extended out from the body - keep the arms close to the torso to decrease the leverage stresses. Make sure you are thoroughly warmed up before doing forward bends.

This is one reason why this movement is most often placed nearly at the end 7 of the workout routine. The Ba Duan Jin exercise set 7 develops the flow of Chi from your feet through your entire body and extends it through your hands and eyes. It excites your cerebral cortex and related nerves, and speeds the circulation of blood and oxygen in your cardiovascular system.

This is not a punching exercise - it is designed to strengthen the flow of your internal power: it must be done slowly and calmly with great concentration. Each movement begins gently and the full power comes in only at the end of each extension. Touch Toes to Reinforce Kidneys. The first part of this movement is similar to the intense forward stretch posture, Uttanasana , or standing forward fold.

Movement 7 in the Eight Section Brocade keeps the hands on the legs at all times during the forward bend; while the Yoga movement is more strenuous with the hands kept out from the body.

The second part of this movement is similar to the first part of the camel posture, Ustrasana ; although that posture is done while kneeling, and advanced forms of the camel pose involve a very deep back bend.

When bending backwards, players are often advised to "tuck the hips" or "tense the butt. Similar advice is also given while performing other qigong and taijiquan exercises. This movement strengthens the pelvic diaphragm and the muscles of the pelvic floor, and is a way of "sealing" the anatomical perineum.

Martial artists also do related exercises to strengthen this area in preparation for kicking movements, and as a defensive response to being kicked in the groin area. Push the Sky and Reach Down to the Ground. Massaging the kidney area with the backs of the hands is a common self-massage technique found in many qigong sets. Starting Position: Wu J i. Here is how I was taught Movement 8 of the Eight Section Brocade Chi Kung back in Begin by standing in a relaxed and attentive manner, standing up straight, with your hands gently touching your hips.

Slowly lift your heels off the ground and bring your weight down on the front sole of your feet. Stay still and balanced. Flex the wrists and push the palms down towards the earth as you rise up on your toes. Finally lower both heels to the floor and rest. Repeat slowly rising your heels up and and down. Repeat the movement 4 - 8 times. There was no emphasis upon jolting, shaking, or bouncing of the body.

I've attended classes and workshops where self-massage was introduced and practiced. Chinese self massage includes a more robust "patting" and "tapping" the body with the open palm. When we do the exercise "Ringing the Temple Bell", we swing from the waist and allow the arms to swing and "pat" or "slap" the pectorals and lower-middle back. Self-tapping in Chi Kung has healing routines to focus on specific energy pathways in the body as per Chinese acupressure massage or Chinese acupuncture theory and treatments.

Martial artists "tap, slap, punch, grab, smack" the human body to develop martial skills, toughness, and conditioning. Ac, Internal Arts, from from San Francisco. She spoke positively about Shaking Chi Kung practices, and we practiced them. Master Robert Moore had us patting, tapping, bouncing and shaking in Chi Kung practices back in I frequently call this exercise "Cure the Ailments. The names used for Movement 8, Shaking the Body , are quite varied.

Yang Jwing-ming, R3 Lift the Rock. Kenneth Cohen, R6 Shaking the Body. The active verbs include: jolt, shake, lift, bounce, raise, lower, etc. Therefore, my version of Movement 8 is as follows:. Assume a cat stance with the right foot forward. I turn my torso 45 degrees to the right side. Place the right leg about a foot in front of the left leg.

You will adjust stances as you become more proficient with the movement skills. The right foot should be on the toes, on the front sole of the right foot. Most of the bodyweight should be on the back bent left leg. Your arms should be at your hips, with your palms facing down. Press down with your palms. Keep the wrists flexed. Bend your knees and move your torso down. Straighten your knees and move your torso up.

Always keep the knees slightly bent. Raise your body up and down. Your front heel moves up as you move up, and down as your body moves down, but does not touch the floor.

Your back left heel says flat on the floor. Do 8 to repetitions in a slow and deliberate manner, or in fast paced manner. Breathe in as you move up; breathe out as you move down.

Bouncing up and down and jolting or shaking the internal organs in the torso is the signature feature of this movement. Gaze out to infinity. Try to Loosen and Soften Sung. Stretch and lengthen your spine as you move up on your toes.

Assume a cat stance with the left foot forward. I turn my torso about 45 degrees to the left side. Place the left leg about a foot in front of the right leg.

The left foot should be on the toes, on the front sole of the left foot. Most of the bodyweight should on the back bent right leg. Keep your wrists flexed. Your back right heel says flat on the floor.

Do 8 repetitions in a slow and deliberate manner or in a fast paced manner. Your arms should be at your waist with palms down. Move up and down with your heels seven times. Flex and stretch the calf muscles and the Achilles tendon. Most qigong teachers start beginning students with their feet in a shoulder width stance for this 6th movement of the Eight Treasures.

Balancing is easier in a shoulder width stance. In this position, one is raising and lowering the heels off the ground, and not really bouncing. In the gym, with heavy weights on one's shoulders, this exercise is called toe raises for the calves.

Rise up as high as possible to stretch the calves and tendons of feet. They bounce up and down in a rapid manner. Arms can be held in any position that enables you to keep your balance while bouncing.

Some do up to repetitions. Keep your eyes focused on a point in front of you to help you keep your balance. The faster you move, bouncing and pumping up and down on your toes, the movement involves the calves and thighs more and stretching the spine less. Some do some of the bouncing with all the weight on the back leg and the front leg raised off the floor. This is for advanced players! They sink the weight into the back leg, holding one knee raised high off the floor, Cheng Man-ch'ing says,.

Gradually increase the time and little by little sink deeper. Pay attention to sinking the ch'i into the tan-t'ien and to the sole of the foot sticking to the ground. Do not use the least bit of force. Standing in the "post" position, use your middle and index fingers to steady yourself again a chair or table so as to provide stability and balance. After some practice, eliminate the middle and use only the index finger to support yourself. After time, you will develop greater stability and will be able to forego all support and naturally stand steadily.

After this, Raise Hands or Play Guitar to continue your standing practice. They circle their arms up and back down the center of the body until they are positioned alongside the hips.

They visualize the Qi energy of body and the earth interacting in a positive manner through the Bubbling Springs Yung Chuan points on the soles of the feet. In this version, for this movement sequence, we slowly raised our heels up and then would suddenly drop the heels to the ground. We would jolt the legs and body as we dropped the heels. We stood in a comfortable shoulder width stance. The calves and thighs are exercised. In Chinese medical theory, bouncing in this manner stimulates the immune system and helps rid the body of many diseases.

Vibrating, shaking, or jolting the internal organs is considered to have positive health benefits in many Chinese Chi Kung systems and will "Cure the Ailments. Stretching and lengthening the spine can align and strengthen the back. The muscles in the feet and ankles are exercised and stretched. The Achilles tendons are stretched. Leg muscles are strengthened as more work is done on one leg. The Ba Duan Jin exercise set 8 aims to refresh and regenerate all your internal organs by enabling them to massage each other.

It is also excellent for your spine, your nervous system, and your sense of balance. Stanley Wilson, R8 Cure the Illnesses. Lift your heels. By Marshall Ho'o.

Burbank, California, Ohara Publications, Inc. ISBN: He briefly describes the Nine Temple Qigong exercise set. References Refer to bibliography below for information on citations.

R9 The Complete Guide to Chi-gung. Daniel Reid, R10 Qigong Essentials for Health Promotion. Jiao Guorui, There is no universal agreement as to the sequence of the movements in the Eight Section Brocade. Research into the topic using books, videotapes, DVDs, and live instructors will reveal to you the variety of sequences used. Based upon my experiences and practice over the years, I favor the following sequence A.

This sequence begins with the upper body, loosens the shoulders and upper back before the neck turns, moves to the middle back, then to the hips, thighs, and calves.

It is a top to bottom approach. This sequence is the one I describe and discuss on this webpage. Separating Heaven and Earth Works middle and upper back, shoulders, and stretches spine. Punching with Angry Eyes Works thighs, lower back, knees, and shoulders. Touching Toes then Bending Backwards Works lower back, hamstrings, abdominals, hips.

Shaking the Body Works calves, thighs and lower back. This sequence favors a warm up phase, energetic phase, cool down phase, and resting phase. The number of repetitions of each movement are increased, the horse stances are lower, and the movements more energetic and forceful.

Shaking the Body Warmup. Thunder Chen over Earth. Separating Heaven and Earth Calming, resting on the mountain Ken 8. See also Mike's webpage on the Eight Trigrams. I find these kinds of correlations, associations, and relational charts quite inconsistent between various authors. Yoga, Western Esoteric Magic, and Qigong have many of the same kind of charts and tables of correlations. Other than the " traditions of esoteric schools", I find the associations rather arbitrary, primarily aids to remembering clusters of ideas, poetic devices, magical-metaphysical lore, and lacking in much pragmatic-scientific meaningfulness.

Contrast these charming and pre-scientific tables with the modern and justifiably famous " Periodic Table of the Elements " for a real lesson in an objective and empirical approach to understanding the world. Nevertheless, these clusters of ideas may stimulate the imagination and are fun for playing thought games. Zhan Zhuang Standing Meditation. Yang Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Chen Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Sun Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Silk Reeling Practices. Dragon Qigong. Magic Pearl Qigong.

Valley Spirit Qigong. Seated Meditation. Reading and Study. Bibliog raphy, Resources and Links. Alphabetical Index to Cloud Hands Website. By Will Johnson. Boston, Shambhala, By Alice Christensen. Glossary, index, bibliography, pages. Spiral bound. David Coulter. Foreword by Timothy McCall. Honesdale, Pennsylvania, Body and Breath, Index, bibliography, appendices, pages.

Anatomy of Movement. By Blandine Calais-Germain. Likewise, military physical conditioning techniques, and training with military weapons bow, sword , staff , saber , knife, spear, etc. Researched by Michael P.

One historical accounting reports Marshal Yue Fei molded it from a longer form in the mid s from concern for his warriors. The Song Dynasty was a tough tie in Chinese History with many wars. Yue Fei was a poor boy with a childhood filled with turmoil and poverty.

He entered the army at nine and rapidly rose within the ranks and by twenty-six he was a general. His methods proved very successful especially for poorly trained or conscripted warriors with no training. He was betrayed and killed by jealous and corrupt politicians at a young age, but his Brocades and revered history have passed down through generations.

In over years the Eight Brocades form of gigong has inevitably morphed into many variations. Some refer to it as Baduanjin gigong. Most practioners believe the importance lies not the form itself, but the theory, guidelines , and principles that cement all of gigong to its simple roots.

Other histories exist. Click here or on the link above to read more about the health benefits of Qigong and the 8 Piece s. The Baduanjin as a whole is broken down into eight separate exercises, each focusing on a different physical area and qi meridian. The Baduanjin traditionally contains both a standing and seated set of eight postures each.

The following is a short description followed by a more detail version. Many versions of the Eight Pieces exist, so I culled this printed form from www. Many 8 Brocades videos exist on YouTube. Audio Software icon An illustration of a 3. Software Images icon An illustration of two photographs. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. EMBED for wordpress. Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help!

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