Yijin Jing Chinese Health Assoc

12 postures names: 1. Wei Tue Presenting the Pestle one 2. Wei Tue Presenting the Pestle two 3. Wei Tue Presenting the Pestle three 4. Plucking a Star and exchanging a Star cluster (Big Dipper) 5. Pulling Nine Cows by the Tail 6. Spreading wings, showing talons 7. Nine Ghosts Drawing Swords 8. Sinking the Three bodily Zones 9. Black Dragon Displaying Claws 10. Tiger Springing on Prey 11. Bowing Down in Salutation 12. Swinging the Tail Practicing Techniques of Health Qigong•Yi Jin Jing http://jsqg.sport.org.cn/en/tips/yjj/2010-12-10/341174.html 2010-12-10 13:05:00Chinese Health QiGong Association ★The force applied should be moderate One of the features of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing is the limber “bone-pulling” movements which can stretch the tendons. In other words the muscles in all parts of the body and tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules at all joints are pulled to improve the ductility and strength of the muscles and tendons of the human body and improve the moving functions of the bonds, joints, and muscles. For example, in Nine Ghosts Drawing Saber, both hands are respectively kept still at the Yuzhen Gate on the back of the head and the Jiaji Gate on the back and both arms open and close the chest like bird wings. This movement can enhance the strength and flexibility of the chest muscles. This can promote the respiratory functions and improve life quality of old people suffering from declining respiratory functions due to advanced age and patients inflicted by chronic dyspnea. Should movements of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing be done with as great as possible forces? No. There are specific requirements in the instructions for the movements of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing. In other words, the movements of the exercise should alternate firmness with gentleness, contain both emptiness and solidity, “integrate firmness into gentleness”, and “integrate gentleness into firmness”. In other words, the forces used to practice the movements of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing should be moderate. Therefore, in the exercise of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing, the pushing-outward movement of both arms of Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle 2, the arm-stretching movement of Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle 3, the pulling movement of “Pulling Nine Cows by Their Tails”, the

forward-stretching and outward-pushing movements of both arms in Displaying Paw-Style Palms like a White Crane Spreading Its Wings, the hand-pushing and palm-flipping movements of “Three Plates Falling on the Floor”, and weight-lifting movements all have to be done with moderate forces. In “Pulling Bones and Stretching Tendons”, the force applied must not be abrupt or rigid. Otherwise the abrupt and rigid forces may case physical discomforts and other untoward reactions after exercise for old people having high blood pressure, practicers with weak constitution, and patients of scapulohumeral periarthritis. ★Respiration should be natural The respiratory movements in Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing exercise should be always dominated by natural respiration. Reverse or obverse abdominal respiration or conscious initiative respiratory movements are not adopted in the exercise. Why is that? This is because the reverse or obverse abdominal respiration is mainly based on the systole and diastole of abdominal muscles which cause the abdomen to recede and hump regularly. And Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing is a movement-guided exercise dominated by the change of tendons and bones. The changes of its movements are irregular. And some movements require halts at some certain postures in order to enhance the tendon-changing and bonechanging effect of movement Daoyin. Therefore in Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing, the practicer is required to maintain the involuntary natural respiration and should not intentionally combine reverse or obverse abdominal respiration with the movement Daoyin of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing lest untoward reactions are caused. Such cases have been encountered before in actual teaching activities. As the practicers had already built up a certain mastery of Qigong practice, they made quite quick headway in the learning of technical movements during the teaching process. However, while doing the exercise after they mastered the movements of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing, a few trainees felt dizziness. Later investigation revealed that they had done other exercises by coordinating respiration with Daoyin, and such Daoyin was regular repetition-based exercise. While practicing Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing, they involuntarily applied their past breath-regulation experience to this exercise. Even though they did sense the discordance between respiration and movements, they attributed it to their inadequate mastery of the exercise and still persisted in breath regulation in the practice of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing. From this we can see that the root cause for their dizziness was their forced respiration which resulted in disorder of respiratory movements and anoxia. Then why such a result was caused by the active breath regulation? We might as well adduce an example of the movements of the exercise. In Displaying Paw-Style Palms like a White Crane Spreading Its Wings, both hands are erected at Yunmen Acupoint and both shoulders are extended backward. During natural inhalation, the chest of the human body is actively expanding and the muscles in the

abdomen change with the active movement of the thorax in a relaxed manner. The intrapulmonary pressure at the chest will rise in the form of negative pressure. And if obverse abdominal respiration is used instead in this case, conflicts will be easily caused between the changes in movement and the respiration. Although the inhalation of obverse abdominal respiration is also done with a relaxed abdomen, the diaphragms between the chest and abdomen will move downward and the lower abdomen will hump. And the muscles and the thorax will be in a relaxed, passive state of motion. This movement between the pectoral and abdominal muscles is different and, if not properly used, will easily result in discordance between movement Daoyin and respiration, disturb respiration, and thus affect the exercising effect of Health Qigong. Another example is the head-lifting, shoulder-squaring, waist-slumping, and tail-raising movements of Swinging the Tail. During the head-shaking and hip-swaying movement centering the waist, breath regulation with reverse or obverse abdominal respiration is actually a very difficult task to do. Therefore respiration must be as natural as possible in Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing exercise. During inhalation, the practicer should give up the awareness of active inhalation and passively and naturally inhale by following the changes in the movements of the exercise and the expansion of the thorax. The amount of air drawn in each inhalation and the speed of inhalation should be in accordance with the natural changes of the movements. During exhalation, the practicer should also naturally exhale according to the changes in the movements and the contraction of the thorax. This will not only prevent the suffocation or short breath caused by discordance between movements and respiration, but also promote the mental serenity and physical relaxation of the practicer through the natural respiration. As a result the constantly changing postures of the body will become more and more harmonious in order to change the tendons and bones and promote health. ★The mind should be concentrated The greatest feature of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing is its tending-changing and bonechanging effect. It is a Health Qigong exercise with body Daoyin as the main form of expression. Although it is not a bodily activity guided by the mind or passive activity guided by definitive mental activities, it lays great emphasis on the mental activities during the bodily movements. Any amateur of Health Qigong knows that during Health Qigong exercise, the most elementary requirement and common sense is that the practicer should both control his own mind and prevent it from being distracted by other thoughts, and protect his mind from being affected by the diverse surrounding environment. Tangseng, a character in the book Pilgrimage to the West, always keeps an eye on Zhubajie, who is quite susceptible to lust, and Sunwukong, who was born with a tendency to be active. Tangseng has to control and restrain them by recite the scriptures. It is also the foremost requirement of Health Qigong•Yi Jin Jing to relax the spirit and unite form and thought. It is not allowed to be absent-minded or obsessed.

The problem of thought and mind control in Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing has occurred in the Health Qigong classes administered to undergraduates majoring in traditional national sports. In the early stage of their Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing exercise, the students were quite focused. But as they progressed to the sixth or seventh routine, some of them could no longer stay focused. The same problem occurred during the overall exercise of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing. When about 1/3 of the exercise was completed, some students became less concentrated or occasionally went astray. Why did students show such signs during Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing exercise? There are two possible causes. One is that students’ attention was exhausted by the continuous learning. This was probably attributable to the students' lack of the perseverance to overcome fatigue. Another is that students majoring in traditional national sports were mostly engaged in sports like free combat, Wushu routines, and Chinese wrestling. Most of them were restless by nature and their classes were carried out in places surrounded by other sword, spear, fist, and stick classes which were quite distracting especially for restless students like them. Then what is the situation with the mind control and regulation in common people who are practicing Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing? Beginners or people subject to the pressure of life will also suffer from distracting thoughts and wandering mind. This is a trouble that must be solved by all practicers of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing and must be carefully dealt with. It should be noted that mental activities and bodily Daoyin are a unity of opposites. With regard to the form, Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing is a health-preserving exercise dominated by body Daoyin which exercises the tendons and bones. And from the perspective of psychological regulation, Health Qigong exercise can effectively control the mental activities of the practicers and thus influence the activities of the nervous system of the human body. And functions of the nervous system are of vital importance for the regulation of the life activities of the human body. Therefore the effective regulation of the mental activities of the Health Qigong practicer is a critical part or core of the fundamental technical framework of breath regulation, body regulation, and mind regulation of Health Qigong, just as the saying goes: “as Bodhidharma came from the west, he did not bring with him any book but completely relied on his mind.” If we pay no attention to the control and regulation of mind and fail to concentrate in the practice of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing, our thoughts will wander aloft and Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing will no longer seem like a Health Qigong exercise. Therefore the poor concentration will affect the exercising effect of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing, causing the movements to lack gentleness in firmness or firmness in gentleness. The movements will be too rigid or lax and the movements of the body will not fully “pull bones” or “stretch tendons”. The due influences on the motor tissues of the human body will be lost and motor functions of the human body will not be improved as expected. As a result the mental and physical activities will no longer have the expected influences on the sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves of the vegetative nerves under the cerebral cortex and the due efficacy of the nerve-humor-immunity process will be lost or diminished.

A Brief Analysis of the Meaning of “Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle” in Health Qigong•Yi Jin Jing 2010-07-01 10:50:00Chinese Health QiGong Association China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Dai Jingang Wei Tuo-A Symbol of Vigor and Resolution The Sanskrit name of Wei Tuo is Veda. He is also known as “Wei Tuo Tian”. He plays an important role in the traditional cultures of China and India. The image of Wei Tuo Tian is mostly a majestic general in an armor. He is tall, strong, majestic, and brave, having a childlike face and holding a pestle butted against the ground or putting both palms together with the pestle placed between elbows. The Sanskrit name of the pestle is Vajra. Its Tibetan name is “Doji”. And it is also known as “Bao Chu” and “Xiang Mo Chu”. Being a weapon in ancient India, it is very hard and can be used to break all kinds of things. Therefore it is called Vajra-pestle. In traditional Chinese and Indian cultures, Wei Tuo holding the Bao Chu is a symbol of resolute and loyal characters. Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle 1: Calm Qi and concentrate spirit; clarify the mind and humble the appearance. The movement of Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle 1 is to raise both arms and put both palms together in front of the chest on the basis of the preparatory routine. The movement is relatively simple but contains profound meaning. By lifting both arms forward, we can promote the movements of both flanks where the Gall Bladder Channel of Foot Shaoyang goes through. This movement can naturally activate the Qi channel in the Gall Bladder Channel of Foot Shaoyang. The Shaoyang Channel is a half-Yin and half-Yang channel which can be dominated by either Yang or Yin. For example, spring is a season where Shaoyang sprouts. It has both the vigorous vitality and the remaining coldness. Several warm days will be often followed by reduced temperatures. And after the cold days, the weather will turn good again. But on the whole, the temperature is rising and everything is thawing. From the changes of season, we can understand the characteristics of Shaoyang Qi. Flattening the Qi channel of Shaoyang will fully open Sanyang and make water and fire counteract each other, laying a good foundation for the subsequent movements. Before the movement of this routine, the fingers should be stretched forward and the thumb should take the lead. The hands should drive the arms forward. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that the thumbs belong to the lungs. By erecting thumbs we will facilitate the operation of the lung channel. By putting both palms together in front of the chest opposite to Tanzhong, we can achieve a “proper position” of the lungs and adjust the ascending, descending, opening, and closing of Qi channels and respiration to the standard. In this way we will meet the requirement of “calmed Qi” and respiration will be even. This will naturally clarify the mind and concentrate the spirit. This routine is favorable for the

regulation of pulmonary Qi and gall bladder Qi and exerts the Shaoyang effect of the gall bladder and the Qi-controlling effect of the lungs. The forward-lifting movement of arms can be used for massage. It is called Shaoyang Zu Qi Jin. This manipulation is mainly used for the massage and Daoyin of the chest and flank regions of the human body. Below are the abstracted instructions: Shaoyang Qi channel originates from Sanyang; level the fingers and let it run along both flanks The flanks, the head, the waist, and the legs will become strong and powerful Put Yin and Yang palms together; parallel the index fingers and place them at Shuaigu Move upward to the hair on the temple; spread them like wings at Longjiao The flying dragon comes from the field; once getting out of the ground it moves up to the sky Acupoints of Shaoyang are placed like a Z; after three turns it completes its course The clear meridian goes by important organs of the body; moving along it will provide double efficacy Take the index fingers upward towards the sky; and concentrate the mind and never let it loose Alternate between the odds and evens to balance offense and defense; imitate the leopard and spread arms like wings Turn back the head like a cicada getting uncoated; run through all 108 acupoints as if following a dragon Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle 2: Open both hands along horizontal directions and level the arms as if presenting the pestle The movement of Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle 2 is to lift both elbows, level and extend forward both palms, and lift both arms sideways. While doing this movement, the exerciser is required to concentrate the mind and calm Qi, keep a dumbfounded look, focus the thought on both palms and tips of toes, and then seat the wrists and erect the palms. When you are doing it correctly, you will naturally feel heavy shoulders as if carrying a heavy burden. But when you get familiar with the movement, you will feel comfortable all over. This movement can help you enter a calm and serene state. A dumbfounded look is the external reflection of the calm and serene state. Eyes are windows of the mind. When they look up, spirit and Qi will ascend. When they look down, the mind will descend. Winkling eyes indicate an uneasy mind. A moving mouth means the breath is not even. One will not

be able to stand firmly if this happens. The wrist-seating and palm-erecting movements are meant to enhance the stretching effect of the hand-opening movement. Movements of this routine plays a transitional role between Routine 1 and Routine 3 of Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle. It can sort out the three Yin channels and three Yang channels of hands, especially the three Yin channels. And it regulates the cardiac and pulmonary Qi and improves the respiratory functions. Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle 3: Prop up Tianmen with palms and apply strength to the hips and flanks The third routine of Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle is to relax wrists, levelly lift both arms forward, pull them back to the front of the chest, rotate both palms inward, flip the palms upward, and prop up both palms above the head. When both palms reach the highest position, slightly open both feet and guide the attention to both palms through “Tianmen” on the top of the head. Tianmen is 2 Cun into the hair boundary on the forehead. This movement can regulate the Qi in the upper, middle, and lower warmers and activate Qi in the five Zang viscera. And it also promotes the blood circulation of the whole body, improves the moving functions of the shoulder joints, and increases the strength of muscles of the upper and lower limbs. By slightly moving both heels sideways, we can close the Yin Ji Qiao Ku (Huiyin acupoints), close the ports to the earth, and make the three Yin Qi channels move reversely along the three Yang channels. And this will loose “Huiyang” acupoints so that the Du Channel meets the three Yin Qi channels to exert the balancing effect of Du Channel and naturally clear the “Three Gates” on the back. And the body will naturally stand firmly. Some believe that the palms should be face-up and some hold them should be face-down during this movement. By analysis of the movements of Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle 1, 2, and 3, both arms are first lifted to the front of the chest, stretched to both sides, and then lifted to above the head in terms of external form. With regard to the internal circulation of Qi, it activates the Shaoyang Qi channel to raise the Yang Qi of the human body. If the palms are facing downward, they will be Yin palms and thus not able to raise Yang. These three movements seem simple but are actually very delicate and need to be carefully comprehended. Given the proper exercise, all Qi channels of the body will be naturally expanded. The whole body will feel strong like iron and steel and firm like a tree trunk. This feeling is most evident at the flanks, ribs, hips, and shins. Under such circumstances, the breath and spirit will be naturally incorporated into movements. The three regulations will be naturally coordinated to make full preparation for the complicated movements that follow. An Analysis of the Mechanism of Health Qigong•Yi Jin Jing 2010-12-10 11:55:00Chinese Health QiGong Association Huang Jian Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing (“Yi Jin Jing” for short hereinafter) has commendably inherited the basic characteristics of the traditional exercises of ancient China. Its

movements are vigorous, powerful, and well-balanced between rigidity and flexibility. This paper is a preliminary analysis of the characteristics and mechanism of this exercise. Exercising and Cultivating the Body, Building a Vessel for the Spirit The fundamental purpose of compiling and popularizing Health Qigong is to “promote health”, i.e. to maintain or recover the healthy state of the body and thus retard aging and improve the quality of life. It is believed in traditional Chinese medicine that the health of the human body is determined by the body and the spirit. True health cannot be obtained unless both the body and the spirit are strong. Therefore the cultivation of the body and the cultivation of the spirit are two major aspects of health preservation. However, in the practical application of body and spirit cultivation, some schools lay more emphasis on body cultivation while others lay more emphasis on spirit cultivation. And corresponding theories and approaches have also been created. Those who lay more emphasis on body cultivation usually consider sports as the elementary approach. This is why they are called the “body motion school”, which may have been originated from the aphorism “Running water never becomes putrid.” in Lv Shi Chun Qiu. As a matter of fact, “body motion” has been the cynosure of health preserving experts of all generations in history. As Huang Di Nei Jing: Ling Jiu: Tian Nian says: “As long as the body and spirit remain coherent, longevity can be expected.” Zhang Jiebin, a scholar of the Ming Dynasty, pointed out in Jing Yue Quan Shu: Zhi Xing Lun that: “The body is the foundation for all my existence. Without my body, I will cease to exist.” “Those who want to preserve health must first cultivate this body as the vessel for the soul. Those who want to recover from their diseases must first cure this body as the foundation for rehabilitation.” “When the soul is reconciled with the body, longevity can be expected.” This statement in Lv Shi Chun Qiu: Jin Shu and Zhang’s health-preserving theory have directly expounded the relationship between the “body” and the “spirit" and its effects on “longevity”. In other words, the body is a vessel for the spirit. When the body is strong, the spirit will be naturally at ease. “When body and spirit exist in harmony, one will live to the maximum span of his life.” (Su Wen: Shang Gu Tian Zhen Lun). We are still unsure as to whether the creation and compilation of traditional Yi Jin Jing were influenced by the abovementioned ideas. But both the name and characteristics of the exercise have reflected the feature of exercise-based health preservation. Let’s first take a look at the name of the exercise. The literal meaning of the word “Yi” of Yi Jin Jing means “change” and the word also implies “strengthening”, meaning strengthening the “tendons”. According to Shuo Wen Jie Zi, “Jin” means “the power of the flesh”. They are generally believed to be the parts that connect bones. According to the fundamental theory, they “should include muscles having the retracting function and streak tissues having the transmission and controlling functions (such as nerves)”. In other words, tendons are related to the bones, muscles, and joints of the exterior of the human body and the viscera and channels of the interior of the human body. Tendons are an important part of the “form” of the human body. Therefore it is fair to say that the “Jin” of Yi Jin Jing refers to the entire body in general. Chi Feng Sui, a treatise of Qigong written in the Ming Dynasty, contains many similar terms like “Yi Qi”, “Yi Xue”, “Yi Mai”, “Yi Rou”, “Yi

Sui”, “Yi Gu”, and “Yi Fa”. Here “Yi” always means strengthening. And “Qi”…… “Fa” mean all aspects of the “form”. The book mentioned them in order to expatriate the different extents to which the Qigong exercise strengthens the body. With regard to the manipulation of the exercise, “motion” is a common characteristic of most Heath Qigong exercises. But compared with other exercises, Yi Jin Jing has at least 3 features of “motion” as follows: For example: With regard to the positions of motion, it includes operations based on motion of the limbs (e.g. “Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle”), operations based on spinal motion (e.g. “Bowing Down in Salutation” and “Swinging the Tail”), and operations based on both limb and spinal motions (e.g. “Tiger Springing on Its Prey”), which ensure the full-body motion. With regard to the mode of motion, it includes operations based on static-force motion (also known as isometric exercise), operations based on dynamic-force motion (also known as isotonic exercise), and operations based on both of them, embodying the diversity of motion. With regard to the intensity of motion, this exercise generally involves high intensity of motion especially in “Pulling Nine Cows by Their Tails”, “Bowing Down in Salutation”, and “Swinging the Tail”. These characteristics have established Yi Jin Jing as a “body-strengthening” exercise in the real sense. Perseverance in the exercise will “harmonize the viscera, facilitate the muscles and bones, tighten the skin, smoothen the circulation of nutrient and defensive Qi, and maintain the normal and healthy state of the human body…” (Ling Shu: Tian Nian). Certainly, old and middle-aged practicers can make proper adjustments to the intensity according to their respectively health status in order to achieve the best results. Balancing Yi and Yang, Harmonizing Viscera Yin and Yang were initially two concepts in the traditional Chinese philosophy. In traditional Chinese medicine, they are mainly used to generalize the structures and functions of the human body as well as the properties and therapies of diseases. The balance between Yin and Yang is the foundation for the health of the human body, just as ancient people said “when Yin harmonious with Yang, the essence and the spirit will be stable and peaceful”. (Su Wen: Sheng Qi Tong Tian Lun). Yi Jin Jing regulates Yin and Yang mainly through motion of the spinal column. This exercise lays emphasis on the motion of the spinal column. The body-turning movements of “Plucking a Star and Exchanging a Star Cluster”, “Pulling Nine Cows by Their Tails”, the waist-bending movements of “Black Dragon Displaying Its Claws”, “Bowing Down in Salutation”, and “Swinging the Tail”, and the “springing” movement of “Tiger Springing on Its Prey” are all used to mobilize and regulate the spinal column. Besides enhancing the motion-based body cultivation, this distinguished exercise can properly balance Yin and Yang. The spinal column is the “beam” of the human body which is mainly composed of vertebras, intervertebral discs, and ligaments. It is an important part of the “form” of the human body which supports the trunk and protects the internal organs. Starting from the spinal cord, the spinal nerves are distributed in the head, neck, upper limbs, chest, waist, napes, and lower limbs and serve as important nerve hubs of the human body. It is believed in traditional Chinese medicine that many channels of the human body are related to the spinal column. Let’s take the Kidney Channel of Foot Shaoyin of the 12 Channels for example. Ling Shu: Jing Mai says it “runs through the spine”. The Urinary Bladder Channel of Foot Taiyang

“runs on both sides of the spine…… along the backbone”; and the Du Channel of the Eight Extra Channels “run up the spine” (Nan Jing: Er Shi Ba Nan). The Chong Channel “moves together with the Kidney Channel of Shaoyin” (Su Wen: Gu Kong Lun) and its branches also run inside the spinal column. Therefore the special spinal movements of Yi Jin Jing directly stimulate the abovementioned Yin and Yang channels and thus harmonize Yin and Yang. In addition, the spinal movements are actually movements of the entire trunk. And the movements of the trunk can not only stimulate the channels that pass by the spinal column, but also influence the channels of the spleen, stomach, liver, and gall bladder and extra channels like the Ren Channel. In other words, they are effective on all three Yin channels of foot, three Yang channels of foot, and eight extra channels. And the special movements of the upper limbs in “Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle”, “Plucking a Star and Exchanging a Star Cluster”, “Nine Ghosts Drawing Saber”, and “Tiger Springing on Its Prey” act on the three Yin channels of hand and three Yang channels of hand and thus regulate the entire channel system. This is one of the major mechanisms of the healthpreserving effect of this exercise. Hou Han Shu: Hua Tuo Zhuan says: “These movements can promote the digestion of food…” This refers to the regulating effects of Wu Qin Xi on the functions of internal organs like the spleen and stomach, but it is also the case with Yi Jin Jing. Its coordinating effect on the viscera is realized mainly through the following three approaches: The first is the direct effect of motion on the viscera. It is believed in traditional Chinese medicine that all the five Zang viscera are associated with the exterior tissues and organs of the human body. The liver governs tendons; the lung governs skin and hair; the spleen governs muscles; the heart governs blood vessels; the kidney governs bones. And Yi Jin Jing is an exercise that “changes” “Jing” (including bones, skin, muscles, and channels). Therefore it can not only exercise the “Jin” on the body surfaces but also promote the functions of the internal organs. Just as Yan Xing Zhai Yan Xing Lu says: “Motion will strengthen the body.” The second is the indirect effect through the channels. The channel system of the human body is made up of twelve regular channels and eight extra channels. The twelve regular channels are the “trunk roads” which have fixed “affiliation” relationships with the five Zang and six Fu viscera. The Qi of channels is also distributed and accumulated in the channels on the body surfaces. While explaining the functions of the twelve channels, Ling Shu: Hai Lun says: “the twelve channels belong to the viscera inside the body and connect the limbs and joints.” This is exactly why the exercising effect of Yi Jin Jing on the “Jin” can be “transmitted” to the viscera by way of the channels and thus exercises and harmonizes the viscera. The third is the special effect of pronunciation and respiration on the viscera. In “Three Plates Falling on the Floor” of Yi Jin Jing, the practicer is required to articulate “Hai” while stooping the body and pressing down the palms. This is a major innovation by the creators of the exercise. In traditional Qigong, the pronunciation-assisted respiration is called pronunciation respiration. Liu Zi Jue is a typical exercise based on pronunciation respiration, which can also be seen in some martial Qigong exercises. But it is quite rare in traditional Yi Jin Jing. However, this reference is reasonable. It is believed in traditional Qigong theories that besides “exhaling the old and inhaling the new”, respiration can also exercise the viscera. This is why Han Shu: Wang Ji Zhuan says “exhaling the old and inhaling the new to exercise the viscera”. And pronunciation of words will enhance this exercising effect of respiration.

Dredging Channels, Regulating Qi Activity Besides providing the “connecting” functions, channels can also facilitate the circulation of Qi and blood, just Huang Di Nei Jing: Ling Shu: Ben Zang says: “Channels are used to circulate blood and Qi and invigorate Yin and Yang”. Yi Jin Jing dredges channels mainly through body and breath regulation. As mentioned above, the body regulation of Yi Jin Jing is a quite distinguished one. By combining the static-force motion with the dynamic-force motion and the limb motion with the spinal motion, it fully, reasonably, and intensely exercises all parts of the human body. The movements not only exercise the muscles, bones, and joints, but also indirectly “massage” the channels and blood vessels which also belong to “Jin”. This “massage” is realized by the diastolic and systolic movements of muscles, the abduction and adduction of joints, the rotation and bending of the spinal column, the ascending, descending, opening, and closing movements of both hands, the various stances of both legs, and many other elements of body regulation. It renders the channels and blood vessels in an irregular “compression-relaxation” state which is favorable for maintaining the smoothness of channels and blood channels and promotes the “blood and Qi circulation” of the human body (Hou Han Shu: Hua Tuo Zhuan). It ensures the unblocked flowing of essence and Qi because “the essence will not circulate if the body remains stationary and Qi will be stagnant if essence fails to circulate” (Lv Shi Chun Qiu: Da Yu). In traditional Chinese medicine, Qi activity refers to the movements of Qi, which mainly include ascending, descending, incoming, and outgoing movements. It is also believed in traditional Chinese medicine that the lung governs Qi, the kidney accommodates Qi, and the liver dredges Qi. The spleen and the stomach are sources of the generation and conversion of Qi and blood. And since Qi mainly runs along the channels, the normal functioning of Qi activity is related to the conditions of all the five Zang viscera and the channels. Yi Jin Jing not only strengthens the “form” which covers all the five viscera but also dredges the channels. These two aspects are the main mechanisms by which Yi Jin Jing coordinates Qi activity. In addition, the effect of two features in the breath regulation of this exercise on Qi activity is also two important to ignore. One of them is the short halt of respiration during static-force motion, which is especially conspicuous in the first three postures of “Wei Tuo Presenting the Pestle”. It is specifically embodied in the “short halt of movement” mentioned by the author in Posture 1. This “suspension” also exists in the second and third postures. Seasoned practicers can even feel similar “halt” in other routines. As the “three regulations” are coordinated with each other until they are finally united during exercise, “short halt of movement” implies “short halt of respiration”. The meaning of “halt” differs with the stages of respiration. If the halt takes place at the end of an exhalation, it will be equivalent to an extension of the exhalation which enhances the “outgoing” movement of Qi activity and facilities the exhalation of the old and the reduction of excessiveness. If the halt takes place at the end of an inhalation, it will be equivalent to an extension of the inhalation which enhances the “incoming” movement of Qi activity and facilities the inhalation of the new and the makeup for the insufficiency. The practicers may use these halts flexibly according to their respective physical conditions. The other is the “Hai” pronunciation respiration in “Three Plates Falling on the

Floor”. The effect of this pronunciation respiration on the viscera has been explained earlier. Moreover, it can also regulate the ascending and descending movements of Qi activity. However, if we take a general look at the keys to the body regulation and breath regulation of the entire exercise, we will find that the effect is largely a “descending” one. This is because the “Hai” which is articulated at the moment of the “falling-on-the-floor” movement is definitely mean for balancing the ascending and descending movements. Since the ancient times, Yi Jin Jing has been focused on the “incoming” and “ascending” movements of Qi probably in order to achieve better “Jin-changing” effect. And insufficient attention has been drawn to the “outgoing” and especially the “descending” movements. Failure of the practicers (especially beginners) to master the proper movements will cause the problem of excessive ascending movement and insufficient descending movement of Qi. Along with the descending movements of the body, the exhaling pronunciation will facilitate the descent of Qi and play an active role in balancing the ascent and descent of Qi and coordinating the Qi activity. To sum up, through reasonably-arranged movements and assisted by corresponding respiration, Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing can strengthen the body, balance Yin and Yang, promote Qi and blood circulation, and thus help the practicer to “preserve health”. Supplemented by certain spirit regulation approaches, it may provide even better healthpreserving effect.