Chi Kung

...is the forceful expelling of toxins that increases circulation of blood and chi by using special breathing, posture, and stretching. Chi is the vital breath, the bioelectric energy that gives life to everything in nature. Chi Kung is a system of breathing that expels toxins and negative energy from the body and helps balance and improve the flow of internal energy through the body. These Taoist inspired exercises all use a special yoga technique that relaxes the muscles, especially of the arms, and stretches the tendon, by extending, to activate the energy channels.

Chi-Kung emphasizes a more forceful expelling of the breath than in Nei Kung (inner work) exercises such as standing meditation and T'ai Chi Chuan. In Nei-Kung the breath is felt but not heard. In this type of Chi Kung sounds are made on certain exhalations and the breath is definitely heard.

The effect of Chi Kung training is more dramatic for the beginner, as he or she feels energy blocks dissolve and health improve. The "Healing-Sounds" form of Chi-Kung was taught in the Taoist Monasteries. Through a coordination of breath movement, vibration, and awareness it can purify each of the major organs that are connected to the acupuncture channels.

The practice of these powerful exercises on a daily basis is very beneficial because it provides a foundation of improved body awareness and energy flow for the subtler exercises in Tai-chi and related arts. The first step in Tai -Chi practice is to loosen each joint in the arms and legs and this external Chi Kung practice is an important tool for this process. Half of the battle is to gain awareness of where your body is stiff and also to be able to feel the chi and direct it to specific areas at will.  Regular Chi Kung training helps to prevent over training and enhances any strenuous exercise routine.

Chi Kung literally means developing the skill, through repeated practice, of feeling and working with the animating energy of the universe, your chi. A literal translation is 'chi mastery exercise. Chi is the bioelectric energy that animates all living things and it circulated through the body in its own circulatory system.

Originally there were mountain recluses in the holy mountains of China who rejected societal living and moved to the mountains to attempt to find a way to harmonize with the energies and cycles of nature. Some were influenced by the yoga practices of India; others were not. Some of these recluses developed extraordinary abilities and became famous as folk healers. Some were sought after for advice by Emperors through the ages.

At the foot of the famous Taoist mountain Hua Shan, to the east of the courtyard, is Hua T'o's tomb. He was the famous second century A.D. doctor who performed brain surgery and codified herbal medicine. The History of the Later Han records that Hua T'o [born A. D. 190] realized that the best way to prevent disease and aid self-healing was through movement. He researched ancient exercises and developed five sets of exercises based on animal movements and used them by prescription as a preventative medicine. The five Animal Frolics developed by Hua T'o are the oldest form of Taoist yoga practiced in their ancient form. These root movements form the basis for several Chinese martial arts as well as being practiced in their own right.

Eventually monasteries were established on these same mountaintops where originally the recluses had lived. Each one of these monasteries developed its own practice aimed at different goals; some with a focus on martial arts, some with a focus on Chi Kung, some were more like the ecstatic experiences of shamanism. Eventually they combined a strict meditation tradition, which probably came from Chan Buddhism, with the information from the shamanistic practices. These synergistic traditions were primarily combined at the monasteries on Mount Hua and Mount Wu Tang.

Taoist monasteries have traditionally been known as Kuan (literally observatory), a place to observe nature. They were built in the side of the mountains to conform with the feng shui of the particular site. They were used to observe all the cycles of nature, from the rising and setting of the sun to the moon cycles and the habits of birds and other animals. They learned to harmonize their body's internal functions with the energy cycles they observed in nature.

The chi of each organ has an optimal vibration rate. At that vibrational rate, the organ has peak health and efficiency. The colors visualized and the sounds made in some of these exercises corresponds to the vibration rate of the organs. The sound, which represents the optimal vibration rate, is used to clear the stagnant energy from that organ's channel. Each channel is connected to another channel known as its collateral channel. For example, when you clear the lung channel with the appropriate sound, you also affect the large intestine channel, which is the lung's collateral. In this way you are able to affect all of the channels.

Not every exercise has a sound. Three of them do. However, the total effect of these 8 exercises is to enable the chi to move through the body, expel toxins and rid the body of stagnant energy. They can relieve pain that is due to blood stasis and generally reduce stress on the body and leave the practitioner feeling refreshed and invigorated, and at the same time relaxed and serene.

There are three areas of practice, the first step is to try to develop a fundamental awareness of your chi, if you can't feel it you cannot develop a skill with it. We will use some simple exercises to warm up and at the same time gain an awareness of their chi.

The second is to work on rooting so that you can remain grounded throughout your practice. This practice make your energy circulate and it must be grounded to remain balanced.

The third is to work with the breath.  The first type of breathing is balance the breath, this exercise returns breathing to normal after the other exercises. The second is the abdominal breath used in the expelling toxins phase, and the third is the circular breathing, such as used in Tai chi ruler.

1. Balance the Breath

The exercise 'Balancing the Breath' is utilized to regulate your breathing and bring it back to normal after each exercise. This is the 'Shanghai Hospital Exercise' that was proven over 20 years ago to improve the circulation and general health among elderly and hospitalized patients.

You begin by folding arms in front of chest, keeping loose through the shoulders. The arms are extended as you bend forward slightly from the waist. Initially, this is repeated 9 times to begin to effect the circulation of the chi.

The second aspect of this sequence is utilized to release stuck energy between the shoulders. When you start moving your energy, this area is where the energy is most likely to get stuck. Standing in a forward fold position while 'churning your arms' with the fists balled helps to prevent this.

Again, this sequence is utilized at the start of this Chi Kung practice and is used between each of the subsequent exercises to return the breath to normal.

2. Lion's Roar

This exercise affects the lung and the triple warmer channels. The lungs are considered the ruler of the other organs. The lung channels run from your shoulders down the arms to the thumbs. The 'triple warmer' is utilized to circulate excess energy to the other areas of your bode. The Chinese visualize the trunk of the body as a set of 'steamers' stacked one on top of another. If you have too much energy (heat) inn one steamer, then it is circulated to another steamer to help keep the distribution even. It also helps circulate the yuan chi, the 'chi of your ancestors' or the chi you were born with (as opposed to the chi you glean from food and breathing).

Inhale deeply; visualizing the 'white light of purification' filling your lungs as you squat down with the elbows dropping to your knees. You stand slowly with an exhale and the tone 'heeeeeeeeeeee', which needs to vibrate in your chest. If you are weak, then the tone and length will be weak; however, as your chi grows stronger with practice, the tone and length of the sound will become stronger and deeper.

3. Dragon

This exercise effects the heart. The color is red.

With arms outstretched above your head inhale deeply; as you squat down with the elbows dropping to your knees. You stand slowly and exhale with the tone 'haaww', which needs to vibrate in your chest. Extend the palms straight up as you exhale. If you keep the arms and shoulders relaxed you may feel the vibration in the palms also. Try to relax and inhale deeply as you squat down and then extend the tone as you slowly exhale and stand up.

4.Spleen - color yellow.

Stand with the weight in the right leg and extend the left foot in front of you in the empty step. Raise your right hand above your forehead and find the tendon stretch by dropping the shoulder. At the same time press the left palm down by your left thigh. Exhale as you twist to the left, then inhale and hold the twisted position and sink the breath to the spleen. Do not hold your breath too long or you might become dizzy or even faint. Feel warm the energy go to the palms.

5. Liver- color green

Make gentle fists with both hands and circle your arms out and around as you inhale. When you fists are over head pull your arms down, bend forward at the waist and press the ribs with the elbows as you slowly exhale while making the sound Sshhhh.

6. Kidney- color black

Place your feet wider than shoulder's width and sink down into a "horse riding stance"as you inhale to your kidneys. Holding your breath look up and away and circulate the chi in the kidneys. Exhale as you rise up a little bit and look down and focus on something close.

7. Expell toxins-

forcefully pull the toxins away from your mouth as you bend foreward and exhale. Keep your spine straight and you r knees bent to prevent low back strain.

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History

I500 BC           Lao Tze, following and expanding on the teachings of Confucius, stated  that man should not struggle against forces of nature. The Tao te Ching is full of esoteric references to Chi Kung.

Chuang Tze, another famous Chinese philosopher following in Lao Tze's footsteps, said that he practiced "breathing to his heels"which is a reference to Taoist Chi Kung.100 A.D.           Hua T'lo's [A.D. 141-208]was a famous physician who performed successful brain surgery using herbal narcotic soup to numb his patients. He systemized in Chi Kung methods based on the study of animals which had been practiced for at least 2000 years before him. They were passed down as illustrations on earthenware jars. He researched all of these and narrowed them down to five exercises which he prescribed for specific conditions. These are the precursers to modern Chinese internal kung-fu systems.

960 A.D.          Chen Bo, a mountain recluse who lived on Hua Shan, was famous for his meditation and Chi Kung skills when the soon to be Emperor Chou,S    He defeated the Emperor in a friendly chess match and then taught him T'ai-Chi Ruler, a Chi development method which was kept secret in the Chou family until the 1950's.

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