The Benefits of Qigong Practice

Youthfulness
People have frequently tried to guess my age and got it wrong. Many of them think that I am five, seven, even ten years younger than I am. This makes me feel very pleased (who doesn't want others to think they are younger than they actually are?). It's all a result of my daily Qigong practice. First, Qigong makes my body strong and healthy. I have more energy for everyday life, -because Qigong follows the natural way to strengthen the internal body. Based on Chinese medicine, Yin and Yang, the acupuncture points and channels, and concentrating on the breathing, mind and movement, Qigong brings the body back to normal, working with nature to follow the universal rhythm. After a couple of months' practice your body will change noticeably and you will become stronger and healthier. When you are healthy your face will change. Your expression will contain more energy and your eyes will show more spirit, and so you will look younger. The condition of your skin improves as more natural oils are produced to nourish it. Even without creams and cosmetics your face will have a better colour and become smoother and softer.
Return to a healthy size and shape
Not only will you look younger, but your whole body will go back to normal. For example, if you are naturally thin and have become overweight, you will become thin again. If you are naturally big you will become big again. But you will still be healthy. It all depends on what size you inherited from your parents. If you are thin and suddenly become fat, that means you are not natural, not balanced, and so you will be ill. The same will happen if you are naturally fat and try to make yourself thin. A big tree is big and a small tree is small! Everything has its own rhythm, its own way. After many years practising Qigong my size is the same as it was when I was a young adult -not too fat and not too thin. Within Qigong practice there are many movements that exercise the joints and the waist. They help the circulation through the body and any excess fat is released. So do not worry -you won't become too fat! In some thin people, the internal organs may be weak and not functioning as well as they should. For example, a small chest means small lungs and heart, and if people have small hips it means their kidneys are weak. Through Qigong you can make these parts strong and they will become their correct size.
Improved posture and attitude
Because Qigong trains your body, skeleton and breathing, it automatically corrects your posture: your back will be straight, chest up, shoulders relaxed and waist flexible. With correct posture you will look taller and stronger. Some very tall people adopt a stooping posture which makes them tired and weak. They lack confidence, so they look smaller. In contrast, someone who is small but has a healthy posture, the right skeleton and the correct balance between body and limbs looks taller and more confident. A healthy body means that the internal organs are healthy. You will not become bad-tempered, angry, over-excited or depressed all these emotions are affected by your internal balance. A good, healthy body brings a good attitude, while a bad, unhealthy body brings a bad attitude. The mind and body are undeniably connected. Problem-solving via meditation
Meditation can help you to solve your problems. You may find, for instance, that when you are at work and need to make a difficult decision you just do not know what to do. Meditation can help you find the best answer, because it enables you to cast off all the stress and pressure of the situation so that your mind has more room to move and you can see the problem more clearly. We often panic, especially if we have lost something, and because we are too close to' the question we cannot see the answer. Stay away and forget it; then the solution will come naturally.
More energy, less stress
When your body becomes healthy, you will find you have more energy and do not tire so easily. You become aware of your body's condition and of when you are pushing yourself too hard. So you never suffer from work-related stress because you know when you are overexerting yourself. When you lose the ability to judge your body's condition, you can easily become ill or suffer from chronic conditions like ME, heart disease and even cancer. When the body is exhausted it loses its ability to release the negative and gather the positive Qi.
A positive approach to life
Through practising Qigong you do not just become physically healthy, but your mind and your emotions also become more stable. The Chinese say, 'Anything that happens on the inside shows on the outside.' We cannot hide ourselves by acting healthy and positive, because our real condition will always reveal itself. So the best thing to do is improve your health and achieve balance with nature. I have seen many people who were ill and depressed, but then started doing Qigong and changed dramatically. Day by day they became more confident, more positive, more sociable and better equipped to deal with life's changes and situations. So no matter how clever, how well educated or even wealthy
Greater opportunities
When you look healthy and positive, people are naturally attracted to you and like being close to you. With more people around you, you find that you have more opportunities both at work and socially. Many people feel that they endure a lot of bad luck, but it is actually their health that is affecting their lives. Being unhealthy affects your emotions and your balance, which makes you appear negative and so others naturally avoid you. Just your appearance can change the way people treat you. Don't miss out on the opportunities that healthy people get: it is your health that brings you luck.
Better brainpower, better judgement
Qigong optimises the functioning power of the brain, improving your memory and attention to detail. You will find that you are better able to cope with difficult subjects or skills that previously were a real struggle. When you practise Qigong you will become much more calm and relaxed, and when you are 'open' in this way you are in a far better position to judge whether a situation or person is good or bad for you. For example, when you first meet someone, you will immediately be able to tell whether to trust him or not. You are not so easily impressed by the way he talks or the way he dresses and so you are able to sense his character -his heart. When you come to a new place, you can tell whether it is good for you -a good place to work or a good place to stay; you could even sense danger before it happens. We humans still have something in common with animals -we can sense our environment and imminent problems. Qigong brings us back to nature, enabling us to stay away from what is artificial and letting the natural senses return.
Healing specific ailments
As I have already mentioned, Qigong can be used not just for improving health but also for selfhealing. The chart opposite will help you to pinpoint the exercises that are especially good for some common everyday ailments. If you wish to work with a particular condition, you should concentrate on the exercises recommended for its treatment. For more serious complaints, it is best to seek advice from your therapist as different exercises will be recommended for different individuals.

The Basic Principles of Qigong 2

Breathing training
This is another very important part of Qigong, whether you are doing movement or editation. Your breathing should be in time with your movements. Inhaling brings the positive Qi to your body and is usually accompanied with an 'opening' movement, while exhaling releases the negative Qi and accompanies a 'closing'. In doing so, we increase the strength of the breathing. And we do not breathe just with our lungs -by combining breathing with movement we can collect the energy through the skin, via the acupuncture points. For many people, breathing with the whole body will be a very new experience. There are movements other than opening and closing. In general, with rising Qigong movements we inhale and with sinking movements we exhale, whereas movements to the left or right may be done with either. There are also different ways to breathe, as described below. Whichever kind of breathing you use, don't go too far -take it step by step with natural breathing, then use normal or reverse breathing for certain purposes. In fact, if you can relax enough and just practise and forget the way you breathe, unconsciously your breathing will incorporate both normal and reverse breathing.
NATURAL BREATHING
Beginners should use what is called natural breathing. When practising, the breathing should follow your body's movements or feelings and you should not be aware of your breathing -just breathe naturally. Natural breathing is also used during meditation.
NORMAL BREATHING
When you breathe in using this method your abdomen expands, and when you breathe out it contracts. This method is connected with the Dantien, which, as mentioned before, is located in the area below the navel. Thus the expanding and contracting of the abdomen stimulates the Dantien.
REVERSE BREATHING
Reverse breathing is the opposite of normal breathing. When you inhale the abdomen contracts, and when you exhale the abdomen expands. This method of breathing is actually stronger and a slightly higher level of practice, because it makes the Dantien stronger and stimulates the Ren (front) and Du (back) channels. However, do not think that just because it is a higher level you should use it all the time. It is like sweets -one or two are nice, but if you eat too many you will get stomach ache and lose your appetite or your teeth. Reverse breathing creates fire in your body. We only use it at certain times and for a short while, particularly during meditation (perform it either twelve or twenty-four times only, inhaling and exhaling being counted as one). Body training
By 'body' we mean posture and movement, and these are very important. If we just concentrate on the mind and do not concern ourselves with movement and posture, we are not doIng Qigong. In Qigong practice your back should be straight so that the Baihui point or Sky-door (on the top of the head) and the Huiyin point (between the legs near the anus) are in line and vertical. This posture allows you to gather the 'heaven' and 'earth' Qi and allows your Qi to flow naturally. You don't lose too much energy and so you won't get tired easily, Bending forwards or backwards suppresses the lungs, causes the breath to be short and results in your losing Qi. Keeping the mouth closed lets the Qi flow down to the Dantien. It also allows the negative Qi to sink down through the legs and release out to the earth. This lets the positive Qi rise up to the lungs, heart, forehead and Baihui point. The area between the Baihui point and the forehead is connected with the brain and known as the Upper Dantien (see page 30). On the forehead is an acupuncture point known as the Sky-eye or Yintang point, which helps to calm the brain and gathers fresh Qi. Relaxing all the joints helps the Qi pass through the entire body just like keeping the motorways clear allows people to travel to different parts of the country. Relaxing the joints allows more Qi to go to the organs and allows negative Qi around a problem area to be released. And, of course, it allows the blood to circulate, which keeps the blood pressure normal. There are a number of other elements to be taken into consideration. For example, sometimes we need to close the eyes or squeeze the toes, lift up the anus, keep the head upright or bend slightly forwards, keep your weight on the left or the right, and so on. All these movements are used in different exercises under different circumstances. But the important thing is to relax your mind and your body, which will allow everything inside you to work naturally and easily.
Practice
Daily practice is extremely important. It is just like brushing your teeth -it should become a routine activity that you never miss. Many people, however, buy a lot of books or attend classes, but they never practise regularly at home and thus do not feel the full benefit. Practising Qigong is the way to apply all the knowledge you have gained and to experience how Qigong and Qi can help you. After reading this book, make a timetable for your practice. In the first week, start off with just three exercises and add another three the next week and so on. In just four weeks you can complete the movements of Balancing Gong and, in another six, you can complete the T aiji Qigong sequence. An important point to remember when practising is that when you have finished your active Qigong, you should choose a meditation to do during which you can gather Qi. Active Qigong opens the channels and meditation collects the Qi at the Dantien. So Yang goes to Yin. For more information on practising Qigong,

Mind training The Basic Principles of Qigong

This training deals with our thoughts. When practising Qigong, the mind is very important. You should not be thinking of other things, but should concentrate on what you are doing. This is particularly important during meditation, when you should be concentrating on your Dantien to ensure that the Qi will be stored there. However, this can be difficult for the beginner. You may find yourself easily distracted by your thoughts. If this is the case, start off by just concentrating on relaxing and then slowly bring your mind to the Dantien.

Some Qigong exercises require you to concentrate on special areas of the body -for example on the Yongquan point, an acupuncture point on the sole of your foot. This point is connected to your kidneys and can benefit hypertension and kidney disease. Other exercises might concentrate on the Laogong point, the acupuncture point on the palm, which is related to the heart, circulation and to releasing negative Qi. Some might concentrate on the Shangzhong point for the heart and lungs. The main thing is always to make sure that your mind is clear and calm during your practice; slowly come to concentration and aim eventually to achieve 'emptiness of mind' when you can become one with the universe, when 'heaven and man become one'. Remember that any direction of Qi through the mind could easily cause a problem which would then be hard to get rid of.

Dantien - the centre -The Basic Principles of Qigong

Then practising Qigong one part of the body is very important -the centre, known in Chinese as Dantien. It is an area within us that stores our Qi to balance our body - like the sun in our solar system, the father in a family, the capital of a country. 'Dan' means crystal or the essence of energy, while 'Tien' means field or area for the essence of energy. In the beginning when we practise Qigong the Dantien starts to store the Qi energy. At first the Qi stored in the Dantien is gas (air and Qi), which flows around the body causing warm, tingling sensations; then as you progress it becomes liquid, like blood, semen and the milk of a nursing mother. Finally, if you keep practising, the essence of liquid energy becomes crystal (solid) Dan. W'hen high-level Buddhist and Daoist monks die and are cremated, their solid Dan survives and can be found amongst their ashes. Buddhists call this Xie Li Zi. When we first practise Qigong we bring the Qi to the Dantien (see below). After a while, when the Qi becomes strong enough, it will go through the front channel (Ren Channel) and the back channel (Du Channel) to form a circle (Xiao Zhou Tien -microcosmic orbit). After this has happened, the twelve main channels will become clear. These are: the Lung Channel; the Pericardium Channel; the Heart Channel; the Spleen Channel; the Liver Channel; the Kidney Channel; the Large Intestine Channel; the Triple Warmer Channel; the Small Intestine Channel; the Stomach Channel; the Gall Bladder Channel; and the Urinary Bladder Channel. The Dantien is like a bank account: once you have opened it you can put your money in, and the more money you have the more you can deposit. In Qigong, the more energy you collect, the more you can put into your Dantien, so you become healthy and strong (see Chapter 4).Now we will look at different kinds of training within Qigong. All are aimed at developing your health by collecting Qi and bringing it to the Dantien.

Active and passive Qigong

There are two ways to practise Qigong, one active and the other passive, like Yin and Yang. Active Qigong (Dong Gong) involves movements such as those described in Chapters 8 and 9. The movements relate to our acupuncture points and channels and strengthen the internal organs. Passive Qigong (ling Gong) consists of any kind of meditation -sitting, lying or standing -which helps us to cultivate a1ergy, storing the Qi in the Dantien. It works on the internal body and clears the mind. Some people also work with visualisation. (See Chapter 10 for more on meditation).

Different types of Qigong

There are many, perhaps thousands of kinds of Qigong but normally they are classified into five schools: Daoist, Buddhist, Confucian, medical and martial art. I feel that true Qigong consists only of the Daoist and Buddhist versions. Daoist Qigong concentrates on soft, internal relaxation and steady, gentle training movements with postures moving from soft to hard. Buddhist Qigong is strong, active, dynamic and external in movement with postures moving from hard to soft. Both, however, aim to achieve an equal balance of Yin and Yang and 'emptiness' of mind. So they are similar and most Qigong follows one of these ways. Confucian Qigong is rare, and the methods are rather basic, indeed simplistic. Medical Qigong is involved with theory, not with practice -it concerns the acupuncture points and channels. Martial art Qigong (such as Taiji Quan, Shaolin Quan, Xing Yi Quan, Bagua Zhang and Wing Chun Kuen) all have their internal training that should not really be considered a separate classification anyway, since any method adopted will belong to either the Daoist or Buddhist schools.

The Basic Principles of Qigong Exercise with energy’

‘Exercise with energy’ The term Qigong is a combination of two words. The 'Qi' element (sometimes spelt 'Chi', the Cantonese way, or 'Ki', the Japanese way) is usually translated as 'energy'. I think the best way to understand Qi is to look at how the term came about. In Chinese culture rice is very important; today, as in the past, it is still the main ingredient in every meal. When we cook rice we first put it in the pot, then we add water and heat the pot up. After a while you will see steam rising up out of the rice. When the ancient Chinese people first saw this, they called it Qi. Qi is therefore something you can see, something you can smell and something you can feel, but it has no shape and no form. We use the word Qi to describe anything that is related to feelings. For example the weather, which changes all the time and affects our emotions, we call 'sky-Qi'. The air, which we might smell and feel and which also affects our health, we call 'empty-Qi'. We say that people with good morals have 'bone-Qi'. And when you are tired, we say you have 'No spirit and no Qi'. If after a meal at a Chinese restaurant you want to tell them how good the food was, you can say, 'Very good wok-Qi!' Try it -the manager will be very pleased, and you may not have to pay! So the word Qi is used to describe anything relating to 'feeling' or 'energy'. This is why it is so difficult to explain. In the Dao De ling, Lao Zi wrote that Dao cannot be defined -each time you want to

explain it, it has a different meaning. In order to understand it, you need to experience it. Qi is the same: Qi is not just energy, it is more. If you accept electricity as the embodiment of energy for modern Western society (I call it external energy), you have to accept internal energy -Qi. Qi is the vital energy that maintains our lives; without it we will become tired and ill, and die. External, internal- the principle of Yin and Yang: the one cannot exist without the other to balance it. The 'gong' part in Qigong means work or exercise. When you go to your office or factory, this is 'gong'. Work with your mind or your strength in this sense is the same as exercise. So Qigong becomes 'exercise with your vital energy'. Some people call it 'Breathing Exercise', 'Longevity Method' or 'Internal Training', but all these names mean the same thing.

Acupuncture points and channels -Martial Arts (Qigong)

In the evening, when we go outside and look up, we can see crowds of sparkling stars spread allover the dark blue sky. What a wonderful picture they make. Each star has its own orbit in which it runs, keeping the whole universe balanced and the other stars in rhythm. This keeps us safe here on our planet: if. a 'major' star loses its rhythm, it will affect us. Maybe the effects will only be slight or maybe they will be important: perhaps there will be a time change - twenty-six or eighteen hours in a day instead of twenty-four. Such changes would affect our balance. Our bodies are like the universe. We too are covered by many stars. Each star has its work to do and influences the whole body and its balance. These stars are our acupuncture points, and the orbits are our acupuncture channels.


Every acupuncture point belongs to a channel. Each channel has its own function in relation to the internal organs, nourishing and strengthening them. The acupuncture points keep the channels smooth and ensure that they are working well, bringing in the energy from outside to the body and releasing negative energy out through the skin. In Chinese medicine we say, 'Pain means it is not smooth. Smooth means there is no pain.' This is to do with the channels and acupuncture points working in the body. If you experience pain it means there is a problem. If you don't clear it up, you may become ill. In China, we have many different ways of keeping the channels smooth and the acupuncture points open. One is massage, which involves person-to-person contact. It manipulates the muscles and acupuncture points, using the hands' Qi or energy to strengthen the organs and to give relief to painful areas. Acupuncturists insert needles into acupuncture points to get rid of the problem and keep the Qi flowing. Moxibustion applies 'burning heat' and medicine to the problem areas and acupuncture points. This heat strengthens the injured areas and brings up the energy. Herbs are used to treat different kinds of problems too. Herbs which grow in the earth belong to nature so they are good for balancing the body. The Acupuncture Points The last method is Qigong. This is the most effective way, because we ourselves do the exercises that relate to our acupuncture points and channels and build up the Qi to clear the problem. By doing Qigong you build up your resistance to cure the disease. Once it has been cured completely in this way, the Chinese say it will never come back again. Your body will have built up immunity.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS AND THE EMOTIONS -Martial Arts (Qigong)

problem you will feel angry, and need to shout. By shouting you release the negative energy blocking the liver.
The Five Elements



When you have a heart problem your body is under pressure because your blood pressure is high. You will soon become over-excited and start laughing. Laughing releases the negative energy, easing the pressure on your heart but if you laugh too much, it can cause more pressure again on your heart. When your stomach has a problem you may quickly start to worry about things and lose your appetite -or you may react in the opposite way and start to eat a lot. You like to talk to people, because talking helps you to release the negative energy and balances your stomach. If you have a lung problem it will make you feel sad or depressed. This makes you cry easily - even just watching a sad TV programme or hearing about someone else's problem makes you cry,because crying helps you to release the te;nsion (negative energy) from your lungs. Also, when you catch cold, the blockage in the lungs and chest will cause coughing to release the tension. When you suffer from a kidney problem it will also affect your back. You will experience pain and feel tired. Emotionally you will feel insecure or scared. This makes you complain or moan to others or groan to yourself. But this groaning releases the negative energy from your kidneys. From observing emotions, from how someone reacts to others and the colour of their face or even their palms, you can see which organs are causing problems. So if you find your boss likes to shout at you, forgive him (or her) as he may be suffering from a liver problem and is perhaps just releasing his negative energy. Of course, it is not good to shout at others as they will take on your negative energy. It is better to go outside on your own and shout at the trees, mountains or sea, because they can stand it. (In some Qigong practice we use sounds to strengthen the internal organs.) Some people go to discos and dance until three or four in the morning. They think they are full of energy; actually it is not energy but over-excitement, which will affect the heart. If someone in the East is healthy and full of energy he will be calm and relaxed, he will smile and feel secure. Western people's attitude is different: if they do a lot of work, laugh a lot and are very active, they call themselves 'energetic'. In fact they are using a lot of energy, and the day might come when all that energy has been burnt out and they then become ill. Save your energy is the best advice. Consider the Chinese interpretation of people's behaviour. You might find that a friend of yours likes to talk and eat a lot. Maybe his behaviour arises from worry caused by a stomach problem. A lot of people like to sympathise with others and cry easily in bad situations. To me, this shows that their lungs are weak. In hospital you will find many people groaning in their beds, insecure, scared of the dark and of the unknown. This is because their kidneys are weak and their energy is low. A balanced person, however, can cope if his domestic situation or his job changes. A balanced person's mind is calm and he or she is not readily attracted by advertisements and the 'glossy things' of life. He likes nature, and knows how to relax and use his energy. The character of a healthy person is entirely different from that of an unhealthy person. A healthy person can do his job well and will be successful. Unhealthy people lose their jobs very frequeptly and change their situations very quickly because of their energy. Good energy can attract good people and opportunity to you. Bad energy attracts bad people and bad luck. As you can see, the most important thing to know is how to get and stay healthy. You cannot just act healthy -you need to do something that will change your lifestyle and your character. The secret is daily Qigong practice

THE FIVE ELEMENTS AND THE INTERNAL ORGANS--Martial Arts (Qigong)

The five elements are also associated with the five major organs that keep the entire body balanced -the liver, lungs, heart, kidneys and spleen. The main organs are all Yin and solid. They pair and work closely with the Yang organs which are hollow.
Wood is connected with the liver, and the liver with the gall bladder -they are like brothers. When you have a liver problem your face and eyes will turn green and your skin will become dry likewood. Your face will turn a greenish colour because the liver is connected with the circulation andwhen the liver or gall bladder is in poor condition the normal red colour of the blood will becomelighter, thus turning to somewhere between green and yellow.
Metal is connected with the lungs, which are related to the large intestine. When you suffer from a lung problem it will make you cough and your face will turn white (pale) and shiny as it might if you were out of breath, after running. Also your breathing will make a noise-like metal.
Fire connects with the heart. Its brother is the small intestine. When you have a heart problem or high blood pressure your face will go red and your body temperature will go up -hot like fire.
Water connects with the kidneys, whose brother is the urinary bladder. When you have a kidney
problem or backache your face will turn a dark colour and your hands and feet will feel cold -like
water. (The true colour of water is transparent, clear, but when you look at the sea it is a deep blue or closer to black.)
Earth connects to the spleen and its brother is the stomach. When you have a stomach problem,
such as a stomach ache, you will feel movement inside and your stomach will make a noise. Your
face will turn brown like soil and your stomach will move like an earthquake. For more on colour,
see page 48.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS AND THE DIRECTIONS -Martial Arts (Qigong)

The Five Elements
Wood, fire, earth, metal and water represent the Five Elements. Wood and metal form a pair: wood is Yin, soft, natural and gathering; metal is Yang, hard, polished and separating. Fire and water are another pair: water is Yin, soft, cold and flowing; fire is Yang, strong, hot and damaging. Earth is the centre, connecting all the elements, but does not belong to any of them. So earth is described as soft and wet (soil) in its Yin side, and hard and solid (rock) in its Yang side.
THE FIVE ELEMENTS AND THE DIRECTIONS
The Five Elements 'cover' the whole world. Wood represents the East, Metal the West, while Fire stands for the South and Water for the North. Earth is the centre.
The East gets the sun before the West, and so more trees and plants grow in the East. The West
gets the sun later, so the West creates more minerals, metal and iron. The South is hot and the North cold.

Small has no inside. big has no outside-Martial Arts (Qigong)

Nowadays many scientists spend a lot of their nation's money trying to extend the frontiers of
knowledge. They want to know what is 'on the inside'. They have broken things down into
molecules, atoms and electrons, smaller and smaller particles, and even sub-atomic particles. Each time they think they have found the smallest 'thing', they find another even smaller. And each time they look they find something different. It is as though these things create themselves. Modern scientists spend their working lives trying to discover new things such as the smallest or the biggest.
But four thousand years ago the Chinese said in the YiJing, 'Small has no inside, big has no outside', and also: 'From nothing comes something.'I do not know much about science, but I do know my culture Chinese culture, which has survived for thousands of years. The principles of Yin and Yang, the Wu Xing, Five Elements, and Bagua tell us the principles of the universe. I call it 'Chinese Science' and, like Chinese medicine, it is totally different from that of the West. We use herbs which come from the earth, which is where we all From nothing comes something.
come from. We use acupuncture, moxibustion and massage to stimulate different areas of the body to keep it balanced, and we practise Qigong to keep ourselves healthy, strong and vital.
We know everything must be natural. This is different from the way the West thinks. The
scientists keep looking for the smallest things only to find something smaller inside, so then they
look for the biggest things only to keep finding bigger things…So they go on and on and never stop, but they miss the principle of the universe and the relationship between big and small: 'Small has no inside, big has no outside.' What is small? What is big? It is only when you put them together that one is big and one is small.
If we understand Yin and Yang we know that if we see one side' then there must be another to
balance it, otherwise it cannot exist (unless it is the centre).
There is only one centre which is steady and stable -for example, we have only one nose and one mouth, which are at the centre of the face,but we have a pair of eyes and a pair of ears, which are not at the centre.
We live on a planet and we know that we are not at the centre of the universe. So this means there must be some other planet the same as ours in the universe, because we exist according to the principle of Yin and Yang. By developing this principle, and dividing it by two, we get the 'four images' as follows:



Together with the centre (which connects them all together) they become the Five Elements. So if one day you see a UFO or if we discover another human planet, don't be suprised!
The Yin Yang Symbol

Yin & Yang
Cold Hot
W ater Fire
Soft Hard
Dark Light
Wood Metal
Mother Father
Near Far

Chinese Philosophy and Medicine -A balanced universe-Martial Arts (Qigong)

A balanced universe
If someone asked me, 'Do you believe in UFOs and life on other planets? Is there anyone out there?'
I would say, 'Yes! I believe.' Why am I talking about UFOs and life on other planets? What have
they got to do with Qigong? I will explain the connection, step by step.
When you learn about Qigong you will come to understand the basics of Chinese medicine,
which uses natural methods to treat and heal and to balance the internal organs through herbs,
massage, moxibustion, acupuncture and Qigong. The first four types of healing skill mainly depend
on others giving you treatment, but Qigong is a way of self-healing. All five, however, are based on
the principles of Yin and Yang -a question of balance.
In the West, people take medicines or drugs, vitamins and high nutrition foods in an attempt to
make themselves healthy. Gradually the body becomes saturated with these substances -which are
already present in a healthy body -and after a while the body becomes reliant on them. As a result, if
people forget to take their pills or 'health food' or other props, they become weak and tired. The body
starts to lose its normal functions and can no longer produce its own energy. The search for different
or stronger medicines and specialist doctors continues until there is nothing and no one left who can
offer any help. What a very depressing way to try to become healthy and to treat our ailments!
Once when my mother came over to England, I took her to a fish and chip shop to try some English
food. While eating she asked, 'Whydoesn't the fish have any bones?' A good question! Fish in their
natural state obviously have bones, so why don't the fish served up in fish and chip shops have any?
The reason is that Western people remove the bones to make it easy to eat. Everything in modern
society is geared towards making life easy so we do not need to work hard to get what we want.
Eventually we will lose the natural original way to live by becoming so distanced from nature, even
in the way we eat fish. Did you know that fishbone shave all the essence of the nutrients? Chinese
people like to suck the marrow from the bones.
The Chinese philosophy known as 'Dao' is the right way. It holds that everything has its own way,
from a stone to a piece of paper to a human being. In other words, everything must be natural, and
natural means balanced.The Scripture of Change (Yi ling or I-Ching), which is 'around five thousand
years old, first laid down the concept of Yin and Yang. Since then it has played a very important part
in Chinese culture. The Yi ling says: 'Wuji creates Taiji; Taiji creates Liang Yi, two forms; two
forms create Si Xiang, four images; and four images create
________________________________________



Bagua, eight situations.' What this means is that from nothing comes something, something creates
Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang create c four images, and four images create eight situations.
The universe started from nothing. From nothing it became something. When something is
created there must be two forms, two faces or two different situations -for instance, if one is the
front there must be an opposite, the back. If one side is right, there must be a left to balance. So if
we know fire, there must also be water to balance it. Male and female balance, tall and short, dark
and light and so on -there are two different situations to balance the whole universe. If there is
only one of something it will become too strong Of too weak and will disappear by itself. For
example, if there was only fire in the world, one day the world would become too hot and burn
out.

Beyond healing: mind over matter Martial Arts (Qigong)

At the end of 1980, the famous Qigong Master Yan Xin held many lectures and healing sessions in
which he successfully treated thousands of people. He conducted scientific research into Qigong and
created a lot of enthusiasm for it. There was also a man called Chiang Bo Xing, commonly known as
'Chinese Number One Superman' who had extraordinary power. He could apparently look through
people's bodies and see their skeletons, burn paper and clothes, move objects and even remove the
contents from a sealed bottle. Everyone was quite nonplussed by this and it led to more people and
scientists concentrating on the research and practice of Qigong to discover how it could develop
human potential and abilities. A wealth- of information has been discovered. It has been found that
many masters, like Yan Xin, can also transmit their Qi to heal people. Lin Hou Sheng in 1980 even
transmitted his Qi to a patient who was undergoing an operation without anaesthetic. Master Yang
Mei Jun, over one hundred years old, can see the colours of Qi yellow, red, brown, green, white and
so on -and can transmit energy with a fragrance of flowers. Qigong practice has also been found to
develop the potential of children -it is claimed that some can read what is written on a piece of paper
by just putting the paper to their ear. Now the Chinese Government is focusing on this human
potential or supernatural power to help develop 'Human Science'. In particular Chen Ken Xin, the
Chinese National Research Chairman, has great faith in Qigong and is researching its relationship
with human development. Government research has found that these extraordinary skills are
connected with intensive Qigong practice, and are sometimes inherited. Chinese legend contains
many tales about Buddha and the 'Immortals', the ancient Chinese Gods, who use magic to move
things and to disappear -maybe there is some truth in these stories after all, and perhaps Qigong is
the link between ancient legend and present reality.
Ho Hsien-ku, one of the Immortals.

Victim of the Cultural Revolution Martial Arts (Qigong)

The development and appreciation of Qigong continued unabated until 1966, when the Cultural
Revolution began and most of China's traditional culture was outlawed. All study of Taoism,
Confucianism and Buddhism, for instance, was prohibited; some monks and nuns were forced to
abandon the religious life and were only allowed to study Marxism. Anything relating to the old way
of life in China, including Qigong, was condemned or 'sent to hell', as the Chinese would say.
But Qigong survived these terrible years: it is a diamond -even after it has been attacked it lets the
light shine through it into the darkness. In 1978, when the Cultural Revolution came to an end, I was
living in Hong Kong. I remember seeing the 'heat' spreading throughout China. Qigong was still
being practised and within three years at least five magazines devoted to Qigong were being
published there.
Once the 'Gang of Four' was overthrown the ancient culture began to grow back, like grass sprouting
up through the bare earth after spring rain. At first most people did their Qigong just for exercise,
although some combined it with their Taiji Quan and other martial arts practice. Then doctors of
traditional Chinese medicine started to join in, because their work is based on traditional medical
principles like the flow of Qi, the Five Elements, and Yin and Yang (see Chapter 2). Their patients
were introduced to Qigong to help them recover from their illnesses, and many improved more
quickly than if they had been treated with Western medicine or even Chinese herbs. Old masters of
the craft such as Yang Mei Jun, Gou Lin, Ma Li Tang and Que Ya Shui shared their families' skill to
help unhealthy people, especially those who had suffered under the Cultural Revolution. At the same
time, Taoist and Buddhist monks and nuns came forward to help and to perpetuate their knowledge.

Healing and wellbeing Martial Arts (Qigong)

Out in the moonlight, the weary peasants could wind down and relax. And it was then that they
became aware of something moving around inside their bodies -something that felt a little like
steam. This steam could move up or down, and in different places such as the legs or arms; it also
seemed to be related to their breathing and to the mind. The people noted all these various feelings
and eventually discovered that each person had a centre, just below the navel, which made the rest of
the body warm and strong. They called this centre 'Dantien'.
With continued observation they found that the flow of the steam could make the body warm and
was related to the spirit -spirit in the sense of a feeling of wellbeing rather than in the religious sense
of the word. Gradually they discovered a network of channels crossing the body, linking the internal
organs. Distributed along these channels were certain points which affected the way the steam
flowed through the body. Thus energy (Qi) and the system of acupuncture points and channels were
discovered, and people found that touching and massaging the points could heal a variety of
problems.
Movement and breathing of various kinds to create heat were thus perceived as ways of healing
physical ailments from very early times, long before the formulation of medicines. Throughout the
centuries Chinese sages and philosophers have written of the beneficial effects of this treatment.
The Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine, an ancient text of 722-721 BC which is known
in Chinese as the Huangdi Neijing, contains the following passage:
“People live in the centre [of China, along the Yellow River]. The area is damp, therefore
suffering from tiredness, depression and hot and cold illness [similar to today's ME -myalgic
encephalomyelitis or post-viral syndrome] is common. The curing method is Daoyin [breathing
techniques] and Angiao [stretching].”
Even earlier than this, about four thousand years ago, the people of this region are known to have
danced to rid themselves of damp and arthritis. Dancing made them hot, and the heat expelled the
Chapter 1
The Origins of Qigong
Part One
Background and Ideas
damp and poison from their veins and joints.
The movements and breathing patterns of animals were also regarded as valuable examples to
follow. In his book Chunway Chu, written around 600 BC and dealing with the subject of breathing,
Zhuang Zi said: 'Breathing techniques can improve metabolism; moving like a bear and a bird will
result in longevity.'
During the Three Kingdoms Period (from 280-220 BC), a famous Chinese doctor, Hwa Tou, created
'Five Animal Play'. He understood how wild animals lived and how they moved to maintain their
bodies' balance and he saw how people, living under the system of society, had lost this natural
ability. 'Five Animal Play' was designed to help people relearn this skill in order to cure illness and
strengthen the body. Hwa Tou explained that when you raised your arms above your head, as if they
were the horns of a deer, it stimulated the Qi circulation of the liver; when you stretched your arms
out like a bird spreading its wings, it was good for the heart and relieving tension; rubbing and
slapping yourself and moving like a monkey was good for the spleen; stretching your arms out in
front of you while exhaling, like a tiger, was good for releasing the tension in the lungs; and bending
forwards like the bear was good for the back and the kidneys. Hwa T ou used the names of animals
because it made the exercises easier to remember and by using wild animals, instead of domestic
ones, he made the exercises sound exhilarating.
All these movements help the Qi flow aJong the channels, strengthening the body and promoting
vitality. They also balance the circulation and stimulate the internal organs.
The famous seventh-century BC philosopher Lao Zi advised people to relax their hearts (meaning
their chests) and to firm their stomachs, by which he meant that they should concentrate their minds
on the centre (Dantien, as mentioned above).
And so these techniques continued to be used, with great effect, for hundreds of years. In the
twentieth century, while Western medicine was relying heavily on new drugs, improved surgical
techniques and so on, this ancient and proven method of healing was still highly valued in the East.
During the revolution of 1911, when China ceased to be ruled by emperors, Jiang Weigiao's Yin Shi
Zi Sitting Still Exercises became very popular in Shanghai. Nor, to begin with, did .advent of
Communism in 1949 affect the high regard in which Qigong was held. The first Qigong therapy
clinic was established at Tangshan in Heibei Province in 1955, and another was set up two years
later in Shanghai. That Qigong was taken seriously even in official quarters is evidenced by the fact
that in 1959 the Ministry for PubIic Health held the First National Meeting for the Exchange of
Qigong Experiences at Beidihe in Heibei Province; it was attended by some sixty-four groups from
seventeen provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions from within a country as large as the
USA.

The Origins of Qigong - Martial Arts

In ancient times most of the population of China consisted of peasants. The people would work in
the fields all day until sunset, and then return to their homes to rest. Some would gather together and
listen to the stories of their elders, while others would go and enjoy the cool night air after the heat
of the day. Since the people enjoyed the refreshing nights more than the stifling days, they preferred
the moon to the sun; that is why the Chinese calendar follows the moon -it is a lunar calendar, as
opposed to the West's solar calendar.