Chinese Healing Exercises (34 page)

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Authors: Steven Cardoza

Tags: #Taiji, #Qi Gong, #Daoist yoga, #Chinese Healing, #Health, #medicine, #remedy, #energy

BOOK: Chinese Healing Exercises
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Energy Tonic

Facial Rejuvenation

Primarily for reducing the appearance of fine lines around the eyes and bags under the eyes.

Grounding

For improved connection to the energy of the earth in qigong and taiji practices, and for emotional stability and well-being.

Gynecological (various), including Female Reproductive/Sexual

Headache, General

For Migraines, add:

Hearing/Ear Problems

Heart Problems/Palpitations/Cold Hands and Feet

Immune Support

Insomnia

During the course of daytime practice:

Shortly before bedtime:

Low Back Pain

Depending on the degree of pain you are experiencing, all exercises may be modified as described in the main exercise sections. With whatever modifications may be necessary, do all of the exercises listed below.

Mental Focus/Concentration

Muscle aches and pains/sprains/trauma

Select other exercises for the affected body part(s), taking care to do them gently, especially in the case of recent injury.

Neck and Upper Back Pain

Reproductive/ Urogenital/ Sexual Health

Stress

Teeth and Gums

Tendinitis/RSI/Wrist and Hand Pain/Carpal Tunnel

Pains in the fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms almost always have contributing or causative problems farther up the arms, in the shoulders, upper back, and neck, so in the absence of a professional, thorough, and objective diagnosis, all are addressed for best results.

For Tennis Elbow/Elbow Pain, add:

Vision/Eye Problems

Weight Loss

More Serious Conditions: Cancer, Diabetes, MS

Chinese self-care exercises will not cure these serious conditions on their own, but they will provide some measure of relief, and they will also add another useful modality to move the body toward restored health. These conditions impact the body at a very deep level, so all of the exercises in chapter 11 should be practiced. They each have the broadest health effects, and of the exercises contained in this book, influence the body on the subtlest levels.

These conditions may also cause a variety of secondary problems, such as insomnia, stress, digestive disorders, and emotional upsets. You may include exercises from those protocols with those given below. You will see that some of the exercise from those protocols are already included, to address or prevent the occurrence of those secondary conditions.

Cancer

Diabetes

MS

[contents]

Glossary

Baduanjin, Ershiduanjin

Ba
is the number eight, and
ershi
is the number twelve. The remaining two syllables,
duanjin
, means “golden brocades,” implying something both beautiful and valuable. The original Eight Golden Brocades is a very old eight-movement qigong set performed while standing. It became the foundation for many subsequent qigong practices, which follow a similar sequence, but may not be named in a way that reveals that origin. There is also a seated version of the Eight Golden Brocades. That and the Twelve Golden Brocades were developed later, and have little practical connection to the Eight Brocades.

The Seated and Twelve Brocades are not true qigongs, at least not the versions I've seen, but they are useful, health-building practices, frequently taught as warm-ups or adjuncts to other practices. Some of those are included in this book. The original Eight Golden Brocades is a true qigong, but there are many versions and variations which have removed some of the components that make it such. Again, even those variations are useful, and one or two are included in this book.

Core Channels

See
Energetic Anatomy
.

Daimai

The Daimai, or Girdling or Belt meridian, is one of the Eight Extraordinary meridians. It's the only meridian that has a horizontal trajectory around the torso, intersecting all the twelve regular meridians, and the remaining seven of the Eight Extraordinary meridians. As the Girdling meridian, one of its main functions is to bind and stabilize all the other meridians, and in that capacity it has a positive effect on the entire body. It also intersects the Dantian in the front of the body, and the kidneys and the Mingmen—“the Gate of Vitality” or “Life Gate Fire”—at the rear of the body.

All of the Extraordinary meridians serve as reservoirs of Qi and Blood. Due in part to its location and intersections, the Daimai influences all reproductive health and plays a particularly beneficial role in gynecological health.

Dantian

The Dantian is one of the main energy centers in the body. Although there are three primary Dantians—upper, middle, and lower—when the word is used alone without any stipulation, it's almost always the lower Dantian being referred to. That's because the lower Dantian has the most to do with physical functions, health, and vitality, so it has most to do with everyday life and with the interests of the majority of people involved in energy practices.

It is located a couple of inches below the navel, and two to three inches in from the surface of your body. It serves as the main reservoir of the energy acquired through various qi practices. Storing qi at the Dantian is an important part of all qigong practices, and of many other energy practices, as the way to have a net gain of energy at the end of the day, held stable and secure so that it does not simply dissipate.

The word
Dantian
literally translates as “elixir field.” “Elixir” is a precious substance that imparts good health and long life, and in many cultures it is referenced as something that can maintain life indefinitely. As it is used here, “field” is synonymous with an arable pasture where nourishing crops may be planted. So, the Dantian is likened to a field in which the seeds of life and vitality may be planted, so that they may grow into an abundant source of life energy, able to be harvested and used as needed.

Daoist Yoga

There are a few practices called Daoist yoga that may be encountered today. One is less common, more in the realm of an advanced qigong and meditation practice, focusing on the Eight Extra meridians for psychic and spiritual cultivation. This book does not include anything from that practice. A couple of them are quite similar to each other, a little more common, and may superficially look like Hatha and other traditional Indian or contemporary Westernized yogas.

Those two Daoist yogas involve held stretches or a flowing series of moving postures more reminiscent of Indian yogas. Since Daoist yogas all include an aspect of qi regulation, the moving yogas come close to being qigong practices. The qi regulation and attention to the specific health goals and benefits are a couple of things that may distinguish these from their Indian counterparts. This book primarily includes stationary held-posture Daoist yoga.

In Daoist yoga any increase in a stretch only occurs through release of tight or held muscles, not through actively using even the slightest force. That release is accomplished by combining at least three factors. The first is the use of your breath, which is directed to a tight muscle or region on an inhale, and the tension is released to whatever degree is possible on the exhale, leaving your body along with the breath. Numerous directed breaths can be done to facilitate this process. The second factor is the influence of gravity. As you engage in any stretching practice, gravity will usually play a role in increasing the stretch. Its felt influence will allow it to open your body into a deeper stretch. The third factor is your mind. Some part of your mind must contact the tense, tight, or held muscle, and be used to soften and release that held tension. There is no physical effort involved by engaging your mind in this aspect, and it is significantly different than using only your breath and gravity, both kinesthetically and energetically. The stretch occurring through release and let go comes from the nervous system, releasing held tension there as well, and so is a deeper stretch than one involving muscles alone, even if the outer movement appears to be less.

Daoyin

The main purpose of Daoyin is to get the qi to move, and to direct it where you want it to go within your body.

The word
daoyin
is one of many used to refer to qigong-like practices before the word qigong was coined in the early 1950s. It literally means, “to induce and guide.” Unlike with true qigong practices, this inducing and guiding will not give you a net gain of qi, but will give you better use of the qi you already have, and free up some otherwise unusable qi. This is typically accomplished in one of two ways.

The first way is more biomechanical. Qi can be induced to move and be guided through acupressure techniques, either performed by a therapist for a client or patient, or as self-massage practices may be used on oneself. The second way is more advanced, in which the induction and guiding is done entirely by the mind for oneself. This is the method used as a component of many qigongs, and of some meditation practices. This book primarily makes use of the first method, and occasionally moves into an intermediate stage where acupressure and mental guidance are used simultaneously.

Energetic Anatomy: Shoulder's Nest, Kwa, Core Channels, Laogong, Yongquan

“Shoulder's Nest” and “Kwa” are terms used in Chinese healing and martial arts to identify two important anatomical and energetic body regions. They share some similar characteristics.

The Shoulder's Nest is located where each arm joins the torso, deep within the body. Its lower border is near the center of the armpit, and its forward, front border is at the depression formed when you roll your shoulders forward, just to the medial, chest side of your shoulder
(
Fig G-1A
).
Superficially, many muscles attach at or pass through the Shoulder's Nests. Deeper, it is the site of numerous lymph nodes and vessels, which influence the health of the immune system. Other significant local anatomical structures include veins, arteries, nerves, and the apex of the lungs. Accordingly, supple and open Shoulder's Nests have a positive effect on blood flow, transmission of nerve impulses, and fuller, healthier lung functions.

Figures G-1A–G-1C (Energetic Anatomy:
>Shoulder's Nest, Kwa, Core Channels, Laogong, Yongquan)

The Shoulder's Nest is also an energetic structure, a body cavity capable of amplifying qi flow, and the site of the first external acupuncture points of both the Lung and Heart meridians. Used in taiji and various qigong practices, it is the region that connects the left and right side channels from the torso to the arms.

The Kwa is located where each leg joins the torso, deep within the center of the inguinal crease. The lower external border of the Kwa is the center of the inguinal crease, while the upper border is below and deep to the outer edges of the pubic bone
(
Fig G-1B
on previous page
).
As in the Shoulder's Nests, the Kwa is the anatomical site of many lymph nodes and vessels, and veins and arteries. It is another primary energetic structure, a body cavity capable of greatly amplifying qi flow, and the region where the side channels connect from the torso to the legs.

The line between the left Shoulder's Nest and left Kwa delineates the left channel within the torso, while the line between the right Shoulder's Nest and right Kwa delineates the Right Channel
(
Fig G-1C
on previous page
).
Note that they are not often completely parallel lines, as an individual may have wide shoulder and narrow hips, narrow shoulders and wide hips, and a range of variability between those extremes. These two side channels and a third central channel are used in various energy practices, martial and medical arts, and are the Core Channels from which the regular acupuncture meridians arise.

One of the most energetically sensitive regions of the body is a palm point called Laogong, used in sensing, absorbing, and projecting qi in various qigong, medical, and martial practices. As it is the eighth point on the Pericardium meridian, it is also called Pericardium 8, or simply P8. When you make a soft fist, the point is located where the tip of the ring finger touches your palm, near the center of your palm
(
Fig G-2
).

Figure G-2 (Energetic Anatomy:
Shoulder's Nest, Kwa, Core Channels, Laogong, Yongquan)

Figure G-3 (Energetic Anatomy:
Shoulder's Nest, Kwa, Core Channels, Laogong, Yongquan)

A corresponding point is found on the sole of the foot, on the centerline just below the ball of the foot
(
Fig G-3
on previous page
).
This is called Yongquan, or the Bubbling Well point. Since it's the first point on the Kidney meridian, it's also called Kidney 1 or simply K1. Most people do not actively sense with their feet, but this is also a very energetically sensitive point, and is used most to open and activate the Kidney meridian, and to draw earth qi up into the body, although with practice qi may be equally projected from this point. As the first point on the Kidney meridian, it governs all the ascending flows of qi in the body. Laogong and Yongquan are used in many of the Chinese self-care exercises for their energetic value. It is recommended that you become familiar with them, so that you can easily locate and use them when referred to in the exercise instructions.

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