10 year old performs Chen Style Taiji

                                       Taiji - Chen Style

Qigong Confusion

Qi Magazine | Issue 73 | December 2004 

By Adam Wallace

As Qigong becomes more well known you would naturally assume that the level of understanding would also increase. However, there are still too many misconceptions among the general public regarding Qigong.

Qigong is not a martial art. Traditionally it was linked with Chinese martial arts because it enhances physical performance and mental focus, and heals the body, but it is a health exercise. Qi relates to energy and gong means work.

Qigong is not Taijiquan. With the Pinyin romanisation of Chinese you have Qi, Qigong, and Taijiquan; and with Wade Gilles you have Chi, Chi Kung and Tai Chi Chuan. The word Chi ( Ji, meaning ‘limited’ or ‘ending’) in Tai Chi Chuan is written the same as Chi (Qi, meaning energy) in Chi Kung, and therein lies the confusion. The ‘soft’ watered-down Taijiquan for health promoted today has, in essence, become similar to Qigong, but it is not quite in the same league for health.

Qigong is not a warmup exercise. Many Taijiquan teachers include basic Qigong as a warm-up to their practise but it is no substitute for deep stretching. Qigong is not a ‘quick-fix’. I once overheard two ladies discussing classes they had taken and one said to the other, “I did Qigong last Monday and it set me up for the entire week”. The effect may be immediate but it does not last indefinitely; good results only come from cumulative efforts. A‘Grandmaster’ in New York guarantees that results can be achieved from mere minutes of practising his Qigong every day, and brandishes scores of written student testimonials as ‘proof’. But, it is really simple common sense - the more you put in the more you get out!

Qigong is a Chinese skill. This may sound painfully obvious but people are currently creating (trademarking) and promoting their own Western versions. Syner Chi Sculpt (a combination of Qigong, Yoga, and weightlifting) and Aqua Chi Kung (performed in chlorinated indoor swimming pools), among others, are continually emerging.

Traditional Qigong was designed as a total balanced system of training the body and mind. When teachers must combine their Qigong with other exercise either their own studies are incomplete or else their Qigong is deficient. Mixing up disciplines without internal knowledge and experience can be hazardous to health.

Qigong is not a religion. It is based on the principles of Daoism (following nature) and Buddhism (enlightenment); the philosophy is an education in morality and does not cause conflict with any religious faith. Qigong is not a political movement.When Qigong is combined with activism here is a dichotomy as the student cannot relax, let go, and forget when so passionately involved in a cause.

Qigong is not a self empowerment/goal-achievement method. It was created for health, vitality, and longevity by Daoists and Buddhists, and not by 21st Century self-help gurus. Certain people are actually marketing Qigong as the means to cultivate financial success, land a dream job, or find one’s ‘soul-mate’.

Qigong is not a substitute for psychotherapy. As a mind-body exercise practice, it balances emotions, far better than merely talking endlessly about oneself and being ‘medicated’, but certain ‘masters’ promise a lifetime of anger or depression can be eliminated in one or two ‘treatments’.

A doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine is not indicative of Qigong skill. Knowledge of herbs and acupuncture does not replace experience with internal training, i.e. Chinese movement and deep meditation. Surprisingly, most Western TCM doctors today do not actually practice Qigong (despite having learned elementary skill as a course requirement), or have any active interest whatsoever.

Qigong has nothing to do with feeling Qi. This is no more indicative of good health than not feeling Qi being indicative of illness. Certain teachers so impress the need to feel the energy that students either begin to imagine this or else are left feeling inferior to those who can (or claim to) feel Qi sensations.

What accounts for all this confusion? Unqualified low-level teachers not fully comprehending Qigong’s capabilities who remain confused themselves, and authors writing on the subject in complete ignorance with zero experience. For example, NewYork’s Time Out magazine featured an article on Qigong in July 2004. The author recommended a “yoga-qigong hybrid class” (that she had attended) as an “easier entry point” over “Qigong in its purest form (as in Wallace’s Dayan class)” where “postures are often excruciatingly slow and it can be a challenge to stay focused”. Dayan Qigong is nothing like this! Mistaken perception or deliberate deception? The author wrote these comments even visiting the class!

The Unmistakable Force of Qi

Chronicles of Tao

by Deng Ming-Dao

It was hot in August. Even the dark summer mornings seemed warm on his skin. He stood in the black shadow cast by the pavilion's upper level and made himself absolutely still. he thought of his dan tian, a spot of concentration in his lower abdomen. According to the classics of Taiji, this was the moment analogous to the void that preceded the universe. It was wu wei, Nothingness. He held no thoughts.

The first moment of the universe, when time and energy and matter were all set into motion, was believed to have been trigged by thought. In the same way, he decided to begin. This was volition. There could be no movement without it. He inhaled, and the breath stirred the respiratory of energy in his dan tian, just as the first ray of though that flashed through the void had generated breath.

His arms rose. The energy rushed up his back and out to his hands with a tingling sensation. His fingers filled with blood. breath and blood and consciousness all flowed from his center out, as the universe had first expanded from a single point of infinity. He lowered his arms, bent his knees, and the energy sank back to his dan tian, descended to the bottom of his feet. He established upper and lower, rising and falling, expansion and return. In the movement of two arms, he distinguished yin from yang. All this occurred in the first movement of Tai Chi Chuan. It did not need discourse or philosophical speculation; it taught by doing. It taught on a level that the conscious mind did not acknowledge. 

He began to move his arms and take a variety of stances. Outwardly, the postures seemed similar to other styles of martial arts. After all, the science of footwork and strikes was already well established before Tai Chi had ever been created. It was a relatively young martial art, which had reached the zenith of its form only within the last one hundred years; it was natural that it should resemble other styles. But inwardly, it was much different. 

Other styles had features that were outwardly apparent. This was part of the reason that a fighter like Saihung could observe the patterns of a style and adapt even during the heat of battle. Taiji, however, could only be appreciated by the person doing it. 

So much of its qualities lay within the mysterious arrangement of its movements, the slowness that encouraged healthy circulation, the deep breathing that became automatic when the postures were done correctly. What was hidden in Taiji was the secret that only the practitioners knew: Energy could be circulated in a special easy if one took the trouble to keep certain alignments of the body. 

These alignments were a straight back, rounded shoulders, pelvis tilted upward, head straight, feet firmly planted, and body relaxed. This simple set of concordances set the gates of the body open; and if one had not clogged the pathways of the body by poor diet or indiscreet living, the energy would spontaneously move on its own. The first thought in the first posture set it into motion. Throughout the rest of the movements, it would flow on its own. No ordinary person could see this on the outside, but inside, the practitioner could feel the movement and enjoy the sensation of life force itself. By relaxing and letting go, he gained everything. He love feeling the movement deep beneath his skin.

Here in the process of Taiji was the sensation of life itself. It was no just blood flow. It was not just the simple tingling of nerves. It was the unmistakable feeling that a force was flowing like at tide throughout the body. Not only did this force leave one feeling fresh, alert, and renewed, but it also responded to consciousness. 

The quality that made him a living human being was not simple energy like electricity from a socket. It was something more subtle, more complex. It would respond to his thoughts, and it could be disrupted by his thoughts. That was why there was meditation. The more focused one's thinking was, the more one could direct and learn from the forces within.

When the energy flowed, the channels were purified, the organs were regulated, and the subtle channels of the nervous system were cleansed. Consciousness had set the universe in motion. The motion in Taiji did the opposite. It could affect the consciousness of the individual. Both sides of the body were moving, the eyes were following the hands, the spine was continuously being rotated and stimulated, and it was inevitable that both sides of the brain would be opened at the same time. All of this happened through the gentle movements of a set of more than on hundred postures. 

Silk Reeling: The Chen Family Way

Qi Magazine | Issue 48

By Glenn Gossling

Chan Si Gong or Silk Reeling exercises, as they are called in the West, are the foundation of Chen style taiji. These profoundly simple movements show how Qi circulates during the practice of taijiquan.

Once the principle of these moves is understood it is easy to bring clarity to the many thousands of moves that make up the taiji system, whereas without them one could easily learn many thousand moves without ever attaining a high level of skill or clarity. During his recent visit to the UK Sigong Chen Xiaowang elucidated the fundamental principle of taiji. He stated that the taiji principle is composed of one posture combined with two movements. The posture is based on the Zhan Zhuang meditation stance and the two movements refer to the two directions that the Dantien is rotated during taiji. The basic Zhan Zhuang posture provides the framework for these two movements of the Dantien to direct the Qi about the body. In the Zhan Zhuang stance the spine is upright with the head, shoulders, Dantien and feet in vertical alignment. All the joints are slightly bent and loose. It is vital that the whole body is still and relaxed. This does not mean that the body is allowed to collapse, it means that good posture is maintained but without any tension. With the body relaxed, the movement of the Dantien is able to spiral out from the centre to the periphery of the body in a logical way. The silk reeling energy spirals from the Dantien to the shoulder, to the elbow to the wrist and finally the fingers. The rotation of the Dantien takes the body from a neutral relaxed posture into a state where the body becomes yin then yang, or yang and then yin. In a sense the movement of the Dantien can only take place because of the way that stillness is able to culminate in the Zhan Zhuang posture. Therefore when movement culminates it returns to stillness. This is why taijiquan always begins by preparing posture and consciousness before starting any movements. The breath is sunk to the Dantien. By maintaining the centre of the Dantien it is possible to become still while in movement and in movement while still. This paradox is at the heart of taiji and is what gives taiji its unique spirit.

Video: Coach Jim Demonstrates the Turning Cow

Coach Jim Roselando demonstrates the Turning Cow exercise

from Year One of the MIT Qigong curriculum.

Chen Style Zhan Zhuang Tutorial (Qi Magazine)

Chen Style Zhan Zhuang

By Michael Tse

Zhan Zhuang is a very popular form of exercise. For some years now there have been a wide variety of books and videos available, and there has even been a TV series on the subject. 

A very common type of Qigong trianing is 'Standing like a tree', standing still, with your arms out as if you are holding a ball, with your eyes closed. Did you know that this standing training comes from Taijiquan? this type of training we all Zhan Zhuang and there are other styles that have similar training exercises. 'Zhan' means standing and 'Zhuang' means pole. Altogether it means 'standing like a pole'. These exercises help you to gather a lot of Qi, strengthen your muscles and bones, and make you healthy.

Orginially, taijiquan came from Chen Village, and to the Chen style, Zhan Zhuang is very important, especially if you want your taijiquan to be good since it helps you develop a stance and strong legs. Here is the Chen style Zhan Zhuang which follows the teaching of Master Chen Xiao Wang.

1) Stand still with your feet together and your head upright, as if you are listening to a sound coming from behind you. Your baihui point, huiyin point and yongquan points should be in line and your Qi will start to sink to your Dantien. Slightly bend your knees. This will help your Qi sink more and stop your body from moving. (Fig 1 & 2)

2. Start to bend your knees more, but keep your knees, shoulders, hips, back and ankles in a straight line. The shoulders and hips are connected together and your arms and ankles are connected together. More Qi will sink to the Dantien because the knees bend more. Your center of gravity also moves to your Dantien and this makes the upper body feel lighter and allows the Qi to flow more easily. 

Now shift all your weight onto your right leg and lift up your left foot. Try to keep your balance and do not allow yourself to fall over. (Fig 3)

Slowly move your left foot out to the side until your feet are shoulder width apart (Fig 4) and then shift your weight over until your weight is even on both feet. You should now feel more steady. Do not forget to keep your head up (as if you are listening to something behind you), arms and body straight. Your knees should still be bent, but do not let them go past your toes. Everything should be still and relaxed, let the Qi sink to the Dantien and stand still 'like a mountain'. (Fig 5)

3. Now you can start to slowly raise up your arms, as if you are holding something between your hands. Move slowly until your arms are at a comfortable height. Some people like them high and some like them lower. How high or low you go depends on how strong you are, and this is actually the same with the stance, but in the beginning it is better to use a hight stance and just have your hands in a comfortable positoin. (Fig 6, 7, 8)

While you are standing, you can slightly adjust your posture if you find any part of your body is tense or uncomfortable. This will help you stand for a long time so you can store a lot of Qi and let the power of the Qi develop. To begin with, your teacher will help to adjust your posture until it is right. Afterwards, you will find that heat passes through your body and this means that all the blockages are clear. 

How long you can manage depends on your standard and you will find the longer you stand, the longer you like to do the exercise.  At the end, when you feel you want to stop, slowly drop your hands down to  your sides and close your legs until you are standing in the original position. The longer you stand, the more clear you will feel, sometimes you will almost forget yourself. When you try to forget everything and relax, the Qi inside your body will flow very strongly, passing all around the body, making you feel good and relaxed. 

Gradually build up the time you can stand, from about fifteen minutes to one hour. Zhan Zhaung is a very important part of taijiquan. If you practice regularly it can help to make you strong and healthy.

Qi Magazine - Issue 27 (1996)

The Waist is the First Master

Qi Magazine - Issue 5 (1992)

By Amy Thanawalla

Ken is the 52nd hexagram in the I Ching, and has many lessons to teach us, students of Taijiquan and Qigong. This hexagram is symbolised by the mountain, the immovable and unshakable centre, surrounded by valleys, rivers, fields and forests. On the human level, Ken refers to the power of stability that resides in our gravity centre. When our movements do not originate from our centres they will become weak and ineffectual. Taiji classics say: "The waist is the first master." If our movements start at our shoulders or limbs we will appear nervous, ungrounded and easily overcome, both physically and mentally. Also, we cannot generate or store Qi unless we remain focused, calm and centered deep down.

Mountains standing close together: 
The image of keeping still
Thus the superior man does not permit 
his thoughts to go beyond the situation.

In its application to us, this image represents the spine which is the central axis of the body and which, during our Taiji and Qigong practice, we must keep still, upright and balanced. Since all the limbs hinge on the spine, the head balances on top of all the nerves, extended out from the spine. By keeping the spine still we can calm the whole nervous system, develop our centres and become less tense, anxious and ego centered. In the context of our Taiji and Qigong practice: "not permitting (our) thoughts to go beyond (our) situation) refers to two things.

Firstly it refers to not going away from our centers by not allowing our limbs or intellects to lead the movements. Our movements must be "felt" in our centers. Secondly, it refers to moving at a steady pace through our practice and not rushing ahead to learn to much to soon which we can neither remember or practice correcty.

The male principal of the hexagram (----) is on top, since by nature it moves upwards. The female principal (-- --) is on the bottom, by nature moving downwards. These concepts describe the feelings we should have in our spines through the practice. The top of the head should feel light as though extending upwards, an the Coccyx should move downwards, thus promoting ease and facilitating smooth energy flow throughout the body.

Keeping still. 
Keeping his back still so that he no longer feels his body. 
He goes into the courtyard and does not see his people. 
No blame.

All the nerve fibres that mediate movement are located in the back, so if the back is perfectly still all restlessness and ego disappears ("no blame"). When perfect stillness is attained, all external distractions disappear, this is what it means by "he goes into his courtyard and does not see his people." When the external is still then the internal, in this case, our internal Qi, can develop very powerfully.

Some people have the experience of 'feeling transparent' when doing standing Qigong exercise. This is because momentary perfect stillness is attained and we do not experience a separation of our Qi from the Qi around us. 

It is very useful to remember this hexagram as a guide 
to one of the fundamentals of Taiji and Qigong training.




More from Qi Magazine:
Qi Magazine - Issue 1 (1991): Qigong Now and Then
Qi Magazine (1997): Er Mei Sudden Enlightenment School