A Simple Analysis of the Meaning of Health QigongWu Qin Xi

2009-05-22 16:42:00Chinese Health QiGong Association

Legend has it that the Wu Qin Xi were invented by Hua Tuo, a famous doctor in the Han Dynasty on the basis of the health preserving theories and experience of his predecessors. Theses bodybuilding and health-preserving exercises imitate the shapes, postures, and movements of tigers, deer, bears, apes, and birds and integrate theories of traditional Chinese medicine, Qigong, and health preserving. They have been widely spread among and gained high praises from the people for hundreds of years. Health QigongWu Qin Xi were meticulously created by relevant experts, who were organized by Health Qigong Administration Center of General Administration of Sport of China, by digging and sorting out the traditional Wu Qin Xi, referring to the styles and features of the traditional Wu Qin Xi, drawing on the strong points of all schools of Qigong, and taking into account the characteristics of the modern society. The movements of Health QigongWu Qin Xi are arranged according to records in History of the Three Kingdoms Biography of Hua Tuo. They come in the order of Tiger, Deer, Bear, Ape, and Bird. Every exercise contains two movements. The entire exercises have 10

movements in total, namely: Tiger Exercise: Tiger Rising, Tiger Pouncing; Deer Exercise: Deer Wrestling, Deer Running; Bear Exercise: Bear Moving, Bear Swaying; Ape Exercise: Ape Lifting, Ape Picking; Bird Exercise: Bird Stretching, Bird Flying. These movements of the Health QigongWu Qin Xi not only provide body-building and health-preserving effects but also involve rich contents of philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine, Qigong, and health preserving sciences that need to be comprehended, generalized, and sorted out during training and practice. Here we will give a brief explanation of Deer Exercise as an example. Deer-a mascot in the ancient Chinese tradition. The deer is a well-known animal which, like the crane, is a symbol of auspice and longevity. Crane and Deer Celebrating Spring is a traditional picture used to congratulate elderly people on their birthdays in China. The crane is a heavenly bird and the deer is an auspicious beast. Combined together, they are meant to extol the beautiful scene when spring comes back to the earth and all living things are moistened. It has been recorded in many ancient books that the deer is a heavenly beast that stands for longevity. Bao Pu Zi says: The deer lives for about one thousand years and turns white at the age of 500. The deer is fond of cleanness and quietness and good at running. It is also a symbol of serenity, leisure, and vitality. Ancient poets described the extraordinary looks

of deer with verses like Wandering about with wild ducks and catching sight of deer drinking off a green pond. There is nobody in the lonesome palace and only jade flowers and water caltrops spread all over the autumn water. Characteristics of Deer Exerciselightness, serenity, and ease The tiger, deer, bear, ape, and bird all have their respective characteristics. The Fiver-animal Exercises exactly imitate the powerfulness of the tiger, the serenity and ease of the deer, the composure of the bear, the agility of the ape, and the nimbleness of the bird. The lightness, serenity, and ease of the Deer Exercise are primarily embodied in its movements. The moving course of arms and corresponding changes of fingers in Deer Wrestling, as well as the forward stride of legs, the fist-clenching and wrist-locking hand moves, the back-and-forth movement of the gravity center, the bouncing foot changes, and the flexible and smooth motions in Deer Running all reflect the characteristics of the Deer Exercise. Its characteristics are also reflected in its artistic conception, verve, and changes of breath. We can imagine this scene: the sun rises in the east, the green grass and morning dew on the field is quiet and pleasant. A herd of leisurely and carefree deer bask in the morning sunlight. They sometimes raise their heads and look around, sometimes lower their heads and look at each other, sometimes play with each other and

move back and forth for fun, sometimes run about rapidly and elegantly. Their movements are light and nimble. 2The kind nature, joy, and agility of deer are also reflected in the verve of the exercises. To play Deer Wrestling, we need to use both arms to form the shape of deer horns, take a step, turn the waist, rotate the head, and butt the horns as if two deer are wrestling each other. We need to pay undivided attention to the movements and agitate the breath. To play Deer Running, we need to act like a deer lightly running forward by bending the body and withdrawing the limbs to save up strength to start out, stretching the body to their fully lengths and relaxing the limbs, changing the steps, and then starting to run with great speed. We should coordinate the breath and movements in a nature and gradual manner without having to do it with difficulty. The deer lives a long life because when it rests, it bends its body and thus connects its Ren Channel and Du Channel. By imitating the movements and manners of the deer, we can enrich vital essence, nourish the marrow, and slow down the aging process. The Deer Exercise of the Wu Qin Xi exactly imitates the characteristics of deer such as their habit of wrestling each other, their skills in manipulating their tails, and their easy and gentle manners and effectively boosts Yang-energy and strengthens kidneys by exercising the waist, Du

Channel, and Gaohuang. Waist-rotating and kidney-tonification in Deer Wrestling Deer Wrestling is the first movement in the Deer Exercise of Health QigongWu Qin Xi. To play this movement, you need to soundly set your heels on the ground, fix the position of your lower limbs, turn the waist sideways, press the waist on one side, and move the arm on the other side to fully stretch the waist and flank of this side. This movement is focused on the rotation of the waist and the motions of the tail bones. In the theories of traditional Chinese medicine, the waist is the dwelling of kidneys. Suwen of Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine Essentials of the Channel Theory says: the waist serves as the dwelling of kidneys. If the waist cannot move freely, the kidneys will be exhausted. This means the kidneys are located in the waist. Due to the importance of kidneys in the life activities of human beings, the waist is also of great significance. Health preserving experts in all ages paid great attention to the protection and exercise of the waist because if the waist wont move freely, there may be problems with the kidney functions. Therefore but fully side-bending and rotating the waist, we can promote the blood and Qi circulation in the waist and strengthen the kidney functions. Vertical Bow and the Du Channel in Deer Running

Deer Running is the second movement in the Deer Exercise of Health QigongWu Qin Xi. To play Deer Running, you need to stretch your head forward, bend your back, and pull back your abdomen and buttocks. The body trunks will be shaped like a vertical bow. From the exterior point of view, both the waist and the back are fully stretched and elongated. From the interior point of view, the Du Channel is fully exercised. The Du Channel begins from the lower abdomen, extends downward through Huiyin, runs along the spine in the middle of the waist and back, reaches Fengfu, enters the head, and then moves along the center line of the head to the top of the head, forehead, nose, upper lip, and finally the labial frenulum. It is connected to the Ren Channel and Chong Channel and coincides with the Foot Taiyang Channel of the Urinary Ladder and the Foot Shaoyin Channel of the Kidneys. It also serves as the connection between the heart, kidneys, and brains. The Du Channel, together with the Ren Channel, Chong Channel, Dai Channel, Yinwei, Yangwei, Yinqiao, and Yangqiao, constitutes the Eight Extra Channels of the human body. All the three hand and foot channels meet the Du Channel at Dazhui, which masters all Yang channels of the body and regulates the Qi and blood in the Yang channels. This is why it is called Sea of Yang Channels. The Du Channel mainly covers 28 acupoints such as Changyang,

Yaoyangkuan, Dazhui, Baihui, Duiduan, and Yinjiao. It is mainly responsible for the reproductive functions especially of males. Diseases along this channel mainly lead to symptoms such as poker spine, opisthotonos, severe headache, rigid neck, epilepsy, uroschesis, enuresis, hemorrhoids, and female infertility. The Deer Exercise in Health QigongWu Qin Xi is used to exercise the Du Channel and stimulate the Yang energy in the body by means of Vertical Bow. Horizontal Bow and Gaohuang in Deer Running In the Deer Running movement, you need to shape the back like a horizontal bow by withdrawing the body, stretching forward both arms, and pulling back the chest. This movement fully spreads and contracts the shoulder blades and thus presses and massages Gaohuang. Gaohuang is located below the spinous process of the fourth thoracic vertebra about 3 Cun away from the center. It is one of the Nine Extra Acupoints of the human body. Gaohuang is a place not easily reached by the effects of general exercises, acupuncture, and medicine. Therefore we often use Disease in Gaohuang to describe very severe diseases beyond cure. Tso Chuan 10th Year of Chenggong recorded the following story: in the Warring States Period, King Jinggong of the Jin State was caught by a severe disease. He sent for Qin Huan, a famous doctor of the Qin State. Before this doctor came, Jinggong had a dream in which the Disease Devil transformed

into two kids. One of them said: The doctors coming. They said he is a very smart doctor. Where are we supposed to hide ourselves? The other said: Dont worry. You hide above the Gao and I hide below the Huang of this patient. He wont be able to do anything about us, however smart he is. Before long, Qin Huan arrived at the Jin State and after examining Jinggong, he told Jinggong with disappointment that: Im afraid you are seriously sick. The disease has entered Gaohuang where medicines cannot reach. Theres nothing I can do about it. What Qin Huan said perfectly coincided with the dream and Jinggong was both astonished and amazed. This method to exercise Gaohuang exists not only in Wu Qin Xi but also in other Health Qigong exercises, such as Pulling back Tails of Nine Bulls and Nine Ghosts Drawing Saber in Yi Jin Jing, Xi Trick in the Six-word Tricks, and Both Hands Heaving Heavenly Triple Warmer and Drawing the Bow with Both Hands like Shooting an Eagle. All of these movements are more or less related to Gaohuang. (Zhang Mingliang and Dai Jingang