What is Chi Gong?
Chi means Respiration, or Vital or Life Force, Energy
Gong means the mind steering the continuous regulation of respiration and posture.
Doing Chi Gong exercises is training the Qi and the mind. The mind leads Qi to circulate along the Acu channels, promoting and enhancing body organ functions and developing Yuan Qi (intrinsic energy).
Practise of Chi Gong cultivates intrinsic energy and strengthens the physique. This helps maintain the collateral channels resulting in good health. Regular practise can help cure illness, through regulating the blood and vital energy circulation and by balancing ying and yang.
Chi Gong lays emphasis on inner exercise. Through exercise of regulating the body, respiration, and the mind, functions of the internal organs can be improved. Hence the vital essence, energy and spirit are developed, resulting in strong physique and good resistance.
Written Records About Chi Gong
During the two Han Dynasties:
Huai Nan Zi: On Spirit says, “…Inhaling and exhaling, getting rid of the stale and taking in the fresh, walking like a bear and stretching like a bird, bathing like a wild duck and hearing like an earwig, looking around like an owl and glancing about like a tiger, this is the exercise for health preservation.”
During the two Jin Dynasties:
Bao Pu Zi: On Preserving Health says, “…Try to avoid long duration of sitting, walking, seeing and hearing. Do not eat when you’re not hungry. Do not drink when you’re not thirsty. You should do some physical labour but never get exhausted, you should eat less, but never cause hunger. When you are clear minded, you can keep genuine spirit to its place. When your Qi is gathered, you can resist pathogens….if you are indifferent to fame and free of desires, you’ll keep in the state of tranquillity and away from harmful disturbances. That is the principle of preserving good health.
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A poem on quiet meditation- Bai Ju-yi (Tang Dynasty)You sit with eyes closed and away from noise, |
Chi Gong Exercises
Ideally one should be guided by a teacher, or someone with experience.
I do not advise doing Chi Gong just after reading a little about it.
If one feels anything strange round off the practise and stop.
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One preferably needs a quiet, clean atmosphere to practise in. Practising outside in the fresh air is better although one must feel comfortable as well, i.e. wear warm but loose clothing.
Three Basic essentials
Regulate your posture to feel relaxed and comfortable.
Cease the activities of thinking, feeling and general consciousness. Especially distracting thoughts. The brain will enter into a state of tranquility, emptiness and cheerfulness.
- Respiration – Discipline of breathing.
Regulate one’s respiration.
Remember the five P’s! Practise, Patience, Posture, Perseverance, and Playfulness.
Keep relaxed, calm and natural. Maintain a positive mood and calm state of mind.
To avoid getting frightened or inducing deviations during Chi Gong, try not to take any notice of sudden occurrences, keep calm and remain practising.
If frightened by a loud noise or an appearance of illusion while in keeping with quiet meditation and concentration stop practising. Try one or more of the following:
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Drink hot tea
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Wash face with hot water
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Immerse hands in hot water for two minutes
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It’s best to take a hot bath, relaxing the muscles
Intrinsic-Nourishing Chi Gong
Compiled by Lui Gui-zhen, it’s the experience summed up and handed down from his predecessors.
It requires the practitioner to regulate posture, breathing and mind, to relax the body completely, harmonise breathing, maintain tranquility of the brain.
It will calm the mind, cultivate primordial Qi, balance Ying and Yang, harmonise vital energy and blood, clear up the main and collateral channels, co-ordinate the functions of the viscera (organs) and regulate functions of the liver and spleen.
Digestion will improve, one may appropriately increase one’s diet.
Do not practise when hungry!
Postures
Lying sideways: Usually on the right side. Bow head a little and rest it on a pillow. Close mouth and eyes gently. Place right hand just a little under face, palm up. Bend left leg 120° over the right, left hand rests on top of left thigh.
Supine posture: Lie flat on your back, head supported by a thin pillow. Close mouth and eyes gently. All limbs stretched naturally, arms resting beside body with palms down.
Sitting: On a stool with head and neck straight. Drop the shoulders. Palms rest on thighs, which should be perpendicular to the torso. Feet flat on the ground, shoulder width apart, pointing forward. Close mouth gently and drop eyes naturally.
Sitting with a back rest: As above, but leaning on the back rest. This for those who lack strength to sit steady, or are ill.
Breathing: Regulate your breathing using one of these techniques:
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Inhale – hold breath – exhale. In your mind, say: “relax”, “quietness”, “joy”, “good health” or similar words.
- Inhale – exhale – hold breath. Say the words above.
- Inhale – hold breath – inhale – exhale. Say the words above.
Mind: Concentrate gently, without effort, on the Dantian (an Acupoint two thumbs below the navel).
Practising Intrinsic-Nourishing Chi Gong in co-ordination with other forms can produce better results.
Relaxing Chi Gong
This Chi Gong requires the practitioner to relax every part of the body consciously, saying positive words in the mind. Compiled by Chen Tao in ’56, from summing up many people’s experiences.
When the mind calms down and the attention is finally focused, the vital energy and blood become harmonised, the functions of the internal organs are co-ordinated, the main and collateral channels are cleared up and the physique strengthened . With enough real practise, diseases are prevented and even cured (Hypertension, neurosis, neurasthenia, stomach and heart problems specifically).
Postures – Are the same as for Intrinsic-Nourishing Chi Gong.
Breathing: Breathe naturally (through the nose). Repeat the word “calm” in your mind whilst breathing in. Think/say the word “relax” whilst exhaling.
Mind: Direct the mind to relax the body by one of the following methods:
- Relax the body part by part.
- Relax a local section (which is hurt or ill and needs more attention).
- Relax the body as a whole.
To begin, free the mind of troubles, undo tight clothing and concentrate the mind. Lose all distracting thoughts, every part of the body must relax consciously!
The two exercises are mainly from “300 questions on Qigong exercises” compiled by Lin Housheng and Luo Peiyu, published by the Guangdong Science and Technology Press. I have done some editing, explaining of terms and englishifying (excuse my English), even though this book has been translated from Chinese already. If you wish to purchase this highly recommended book, I commercially suggest you buy it from the link on the links page (just type in the title when they ask if you wish to look for it at the chinaguide zShop).