Ren Jiankun

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is believed that Ba Duan Jin is beneficial to muscle relax and bone strength, cultivation of vital energy and vigorousness, circulation of Qi and blood, and coordination of the five viscera and six bowels. The article is to interpret the theory and method of Health Qigong • Ba Duan Jin, and its effect on health by using the basic theory of TCM.

Ready Position

The ready position is prepared for a relaxed, calm and nature stance, to adjust body to relative equilibrium. Crane the neck to the virtual top, pull in the chin, lead the head right, with an intention of straighting up. It facilitates smoothness of the Governor Vessel, to promote the circulation of Qi for brain and spiritual cultivation. In the Plain Questions - On Secret Book of Orchid Chamber, "The heart, lord of organs, is the origin of wit and intelligence." Calm and be centered, in conservation without distracting thoughts, to be progressive into the calm which forms the interplay of dynamism and inertia. And further develop the void and quiet, a state of discarding both body and surroundings, which allows the brain to an adequate rest, to eliminate fatigue, and to enrich wits and the brain. The ancients believe that the heart governs the five sense organs and bones of human body, and make a metaphorical expression that the heart and will is the lord of bones and flesh.

The eyes are the key tip for the exercise that they are clam to gather spirits. Slightly close the eyes in between substantial and insubstantial, transform audio sense from outside into body itself, and concentrate on the exercise. Hold the tongue slightly against the palate, to the intercourse between the Conception Vessel and the Governor Vessel. "Hang arms loosely, lower shoulders and drop elbows", one shoulder as the axis of arm which is important to rotation of arm. Drop the shoulders loosely, and shoulders, elbows and three knuckles of hand shape in an arch that Qi can travel through to the tips of fingers. To sink Qi to the Dantian means that "In a method of rising clear Qi and sinking turbid Qi, return Qi to the navel." During inhalation, have an intention to slightly draw the perineum upwards that Qi ascends against the vertex; during exhalation, keep it relaxed that Qi sinks back to the inner Dantian below the navel. It is because that "inborn Qi is suitable to be stable, while acquired Qi is suitable to be smooth", which means breath should be made in the course of nature. Given the abdomen is stable, breath will be smooth naturally, and stances will become firm.

Routine 1 Holding the Hands High with Palms up to Regulate the Internal Organs

The routine is mainly to regulate Qi and blood as well as Yin and Yang of the triple heater via "holding the hands high with palms up".

"Holding the hands high with palms up" is to lift hands up with the fingers crossed and the palms facing up, stretch the muscles slowly and hold, and lead the coordination of movements via consciousness. It guides to combine internal Qi of body with external Qi of nature, to reinforce the intercourse of functional activities of Qi between human and nature and reach the unity of heaven and humanity.

Why can "holding the hands high with palms up" regulate the triple heater? The heaven is supreme, and "palms up against the heaven" means to hold the palms up to the utmost. The complete routine of "holding the hands high with palms up" is a respiratory cycle. At the instant of "palms up", the breath should be held to fortify the "inner strength" for traveling through the upper, middle and lower heater. Almost every joint of body is involved in the exercise. Paradoxical abdominal respiration should be conducted, when holding the hands high with palms up. It "massages" the viscera of the chest and abdomen indirectly, and also progressively regulates the fourteen channels as well as relevant collaterals, muscle meridians, and cutaneous area via the exercise. By stretching the spinal column, both the Governor Vessel on the back and the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang on both sides of the spinal column are stimulated, to regulate the five viscera and six bowels. Therefore, self-practice of the spinal column brings great significance to health preservation and fitness. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the spinal column is the house of the Governor Vessel, which governs Yang Qi of body. In "holding the hands high with palms up", lifting and lowering the hands, and crossing and spreading the fingers distribute primordial Qi over the body, and nurture the viscera by body fluid, to regulate Yin and Yang as well as Qi and blood of body. Therefore, the "holding the hands high with palms up" taken as the first routine of Health Qigong • Ba Duan Jin has its self-evident significance.

Routine 2 Posing as an Archer Shooting both Left-Handed and Right-Handed

The routine is to coordinate the liver with the lung, and smooth the functional activities of Qi via the action of "posing as an archer shooting both left-handed and right-handed".

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, "posing as an archer shooting both left-handed and right-handed" means the "left liver and right lung". According to the Plain Questions - On Five Movements, "The above moves to the right, while the below moves to the left", which explains how Yin and Yang Qi moves between the heaven and earth. "The above moves to the right" means that heaven Qi rotates right-handed, moving from the east to the west and down to the earth. "The below moves to the left" means that earth Qi rotates left-handed, moving from the west to the east and up to the heaven. Therefore, in the Plain Questions - On Principles of Yin and Yang, there is "The left and right, a way to Yin and Yang." In the Plain Questions - On the Restrain in Acupuncture, "The liver originates from the left, the lung is hidden in the right, the heart is close to the surface, the kidney cures the internal, the spleen is the home of circulation, and the stomach is the center of dredging." Yang Shangshan, a Sui Dynasty medical master, wrote that "The liver, as the wood in the spring, originates from the left; while the lung, as the metal in the autumn, is hidden in the right. The liver is shaoyang, the beginning of growing Yang, therefore it is called the origin. The lung is shaoyin, the initial of hiding Yin, therefore it is called the hidden." As for the properties of the five elements, the liver belongs to the wood, governing dispersion that the initiation of liver Qi is considered as smoothness, while the lung belongs to the metal, governing whole Qi of body that the descending of lung Qi is considered as fluency. In relationship of the liver and lung, the lung metal and liver wood are in properly mutual restrain, which is a normal physiological state and called the inter inhibition. If the liver wood prevails and puts its reverse restriction in the lung metal, it is considered as the pathological state. It appears that liver Qi ascents extremely and lung Qi does not descend correspondingly, which is called the inter insult. It is necessary to maintain the inter inhibition between the liver and lung to support human health. Consequently, when practicing the routine, the horse stance would be posed with the hands "stretching toward right or left" as "using an arch to shoot vultures" - toward left to govern the ascending of liver Qi, and toward right to govern the descending of lung Qi in a scientific way of adjustment - to secure the ascending and descending in a normal state. Therefore, the routine, in most of its part, is theoretically to adjust the ascending and descending of functional activities of Qi via regulating the liver and lungs. In practice, the action "posing as an archer shooting both left-handed and right-handed" expands the chest unconsciously, therefore it cares both the liver and lungs, and the viscera inside the chest cavity as well.

Routine 3 Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach

The routine expands the chest and shoulders and stretches the waist and spine by one palm against the heaven and another one pressing down, for the purpose of regulating Qi and blood as well as Yin and Yang of the spleen and stomach.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the spleen and stomach are the acquired foundations of body, because they have the important functions of digestion and absorption, which are the energy recourses of body. If the spleen and stomach operate normally, plus each tissue and organ is in good condition, diseases will be eliminated. Therefore, how important caring the acquired spleen and stomach is. During performing postures and movements, practitioners should pay more attention to the principle that combining dynamism with inertia, hardness with softness, and will with Qi. Furthermore, practitioners should understand the tips and convert them to practices, so that significant effect on fitness will be achieved. The body movements are continuous, and their inertia is relevant. Internal dynamism and external inertia are mutually convertible, so represents coupling hardness with softness, and combination of tightness and looseness. And will shall be slightly applied to Qi in movement, so that will and Qi are mutually followed. Therefore, the unity of heaven and humanity can be achieved by holding against the heaven and pressing down to the earth. Practitioners are suggested to have a deep-in understanding of the care functions by "holding one arm aloft to regulate the functions of the spleen and stomach". In the Plain Questions - On Secret Book of Orchid Chamber, "the spleen and stomach, as the governors of the store, distribute the five flavours." The spleen and stomach are therefore very important to human body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the ascending of spleen Qi is considered as smoothness, and the descending of stomach Qi as harmony, their channels are intersected. The Yin Yang combination of the spleen and stomach, dryness and dampness, and ascending and descending are mutually coordinated, so the diet, digestion and absorption functions of body can be maintained.

Through the holding against the heaven and pressing down to the earth of the movement "holding one arm aloft", the abdominal cavity can be fully stretched, and the channels of the spleen and stomach can be stimulated to invigorate them. The spleen and stomach channels in Foot-Taiyang circulate around chest and abdomen, through Daoyin of “holding one arm aloft”, channels will be dredged and thus improved theirs transportation and transformation functions; by holding against upwards and pressing downwards, flexibility and stability of spine will be reinforced. Under Daoyin of the action, shoulder strength drives two palms stretching upwards and pressing downwards, expanding chest and abdomen, lengthening lumbar vertebrae to stimulate channels of Governor Vessel, which governs marrow, regulates brain, and circulates around spine into interior. Repeatedly pulling and adjusting to dredge internal channels of shoulders and cervical vertebrae, replenish Qi and blood of joints and muscles, realize the effect of smoothing joints and improve flexibility and stability of shoulders and cervical vertebrae.

In brief, whether innate nutrient is sufficient depends on coordinating function of the spleen and stomach. Therefore, exuberance and debilitation of the spleen and stomach shall be attached great importance to. No matter what kind of diseases, body will recover easily provided Qi of stomach is not weak; otherwise the body will be always down in health. So “preserve Qi of stomach” shall be treated as a key health principle. Except for normal dietetic treatment and medication, exercises to protect innate spleen and stomach shall be intensified as well. “Holding one arm aloft” exercise indeed is an effective prescription to protect and strengthen spleen and stomach. Effects will be achieved by sticking to practice “Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach”.

Routine 4 Looking Backwards to Prevent Sickness and Strain

This routine aims to adjust viscera and bowels functions as well as clean and regulate Conception and Governor Vessels by exercising looking backwards.

In TCM’s theory, most diseases incurred by seven modes of emotion relate to mechanism disequilibrium of Qi in viscera and bowels or disturbance of functional activities. “Five overstrains” means hepatic asthenia, cardiac asthenia, splenic asthenia, pulmonary asthenia and renal asthenia while “Seven injuries” indicates traumas caused by joy, anger, anxiety, thought, sorrow, fear and fright those seven emotions

Real factor which caused seven emotional diseases lies on the body itself. Generally, seven emotions are reactions of people for objective outside environment and belong to normal mental activities. However, imbalance of Yin and Yang, discordance between the vital energy and blood, functional disturbance of viscera and bowels as well as channels and collaterals will be induced by chronically mental irritation or sudden severe psychic trauma which exceeds adjustment range of human body’s physiological activities. Thus, factor of seven emotional diseases is the main cause for internal injuries.

Seven emotional activities of human body are closely related to internal viscera. Only when affecting internal viscera emotional changes will be shown since vital essence of five viscera is the material foundation for emotions. In the Plain Questions - On Principles of Yin and Yang, “The man's five viscera generate the five Qi which generate joy, anger, sorrow, anxiety and fear.”, pointing out close relations between emotional activities and corresponding viscera. Abnormal emotional changes will injure viscera mainly by affecting their Qi movement and induce diseases by disordering their functions just like the Plain Questions - On Pains:” Hundreds of diseases resulting from Qi, excess anger induces the Qi to ascend; excess joy is associated with slow and scattered Qi; excess sorrow weakens the Qi; fear results in descending Qi; fright induces chaotic Qi and excess thought generates knot or stuck.”

Persisting with practicing “looking backwards” action, practitioner can dredge the channel system, reinforce functions of viscera and bowels along with eliminate interference by seven emotions to promote circulation of the Qi and the blood as well as maintain healthy physical and mental conditions, psychic pleasant and vigorous energy.

During looking backwards, transport points of five viscera and six bowels in the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang will be stimulated by static traction of extending, external rotating and twisting upper limbs. Activities of adducting chin, stretching forward chest and abdomen with spine curving slightly inward will stimulate Governor Vessel, clean and regulate Conception Vessel so as to continuously stimulate those vessels in a loose and tight alternate way during action Daoyin process. Therefore, channels in the viscera and bowels together with circulation of Qi and blood will be promoted. “The abdomen is Yin while the back is Yang.” Conception Vessel is called “the sea of Yin channels” for circulating around abdomen midline of the body and charging all Yin channels. Qi and blood of Yin channels can be regulated by stimulating Conception Vessel. Governor Vessel is called “the sea of Yang channels” since it circulates around midlines of spine and head as well as governing all Yang channels of the body. Qi and blood of Yang channels can be regulated by stimulating Governor Vessel. Due to the correspondence between Conception Vessel and Governor Vessel, through Daoyin of “looking backwards” action, those vessels will be dredged, functional activities of Qi will be initiated and further dredging channels of viscera to activate Qi and blood in order to achieve goals of stabilizing emotions, tranquillizing mind and preserving youth. Channels of viscera are dredged, Qi and blood are circulated normally, functions of viscera are reinforced along with tissues in body parts are nurtured by essence and vital energy ensuring normal activities of seven emotions and granting a healthy body.

Routine 5 Swinging the Head and Lowering the Body to Relieve Stress

This routine aims to balance Yin and Yang of the body and regulate functions of viscera by swinging the head and lowering the body.

Mainly by greatly lateral bending, circuiting and circling spine, the action of “winging the head and lowering the body” involves various muscles such as head and neck, waist and abdomen, gluteus region and legs into constriction, not only improving flexibility of neck, waist, hip and lower limbs, also promoting muscle strength. Meanwhile, Dazhu point (located at the back of neck between the seventh cervical vertebrae projection and the first thoracic vertebrae projection, it is the gathering point of six Yang Channels) will be stimulated when swinging head so as to raise Yang Qi; spine and vital gate points will be stimulated when lowering the body. “Waist is the house to kidney”, while kidney and heart belongs to water and fire respectively regarding the five elements. Only possessing strong waist and kidney can heart fire be regulated since water restrains fire, hence, eliminating heart fire will be achieved by stimulating spine and vital gate points and by strengthening kidney’s nurturing and facilitating effects for viscera in the body.

During exercising, both amplitude and force of waist twisting in this routine are reinforced. Lightness and relaxation of actions are emphasized on one hand, while neck is driven by waist movement on the other. Nourishing Yin and replenishing water will be realized for greatly swinging enhances massaging effect on vital gate and kidney. TCM science holds the view that heart belonging to fire corresponds to south of the nature and is located at upper heater; kidney belonging to water corresponds to north of the nature. Under normal circumstances, kidney fluid regulate upwards to restrain heart fire, avoiding fire prevailing. Descending heart fire can warm kidney in return, so the physiological relationship of abovementioned viscera is called heart-kidney interaction and coordination between water and fire. Replenishing kidney fluid to “extinguish” heart fire is one of the common therapies for fire prevailing. In the Plain Questions - On Principles of Yin and Yang, ”Heaven and earth are beyond and below myriads of things; water and fire are omens of Yin and Yang. ” which clearly explains interrelations between heaven and earth, superior and inferior, Yin and Yang as well as water and fire. The Plain Questions - On the Six Subtleties indicates that the risen descending is the heaven; the descendant ascending is the earth. Qi of heaven descends and flows on the earth while Qi of earth ascends and flares in the heaven. It points out natural laws of water and fire ascending and descending between heaven and earth in the scope of universe also lays theoretical foundation for later heart fire descending and kidney fluid ascending. The Treasured Classics proposes the view that harmony between water and fire together with correspondence between Yin and Yang represent the tranquility and believes that only when Yin and Yang are harmonious and correspondent can it reach normal condition. In the respect of applicable disease patterns, this routine is mainly used for internal injuries in deficiency syndrome and caused by overstrain as well as excess and deficiency combined syndrome with comparatively obvious heart fire.

Routine 6 Moving the Hands down the Back and Legs, and Touching the Feet to Strengthen the Kidneys

The routine is aimed to strength the waist and kidneys, dredge channels, regulate Qi and blood and promote growth and development of the exercisers through “moving the hands down the back and legs” by bending down and up with a large range.

The routine is mainly characterized by highly motivated exercises, during which process the movements are required to be natural, stretches on their full positions and degrees of tightness properly measured in a flexible yet coherent manner so that muscles and channels can be stretched thoroughly, the channel and collateral Qi activated, joints lubricated, blood better circulated and veins and bones strengthened. With the smooth movements started, the exercisers should be able to maintain a state of will being in line with the gestures by concentrating mainly on parts and processes of the movement. While in exercise, expiration and inspiration should be coordinated with the guidance of the movement, be accorded with the principle of “Inhaling while up and exhaling while down” by adopting the inhaling methods of inverse abdominal of inhaling while the arms up and vice versa and inhaling while the palms inserted into the armpits and exhaling while massaging and crossing legs. In this period all postures must be in line with Qi, and which in turn results in the arrival of strengths. If exercisers want to achieve a better coordination among their movements, will and breaths, then a longitudinal practice is must be maintained and methods of exercises must be mastered, and only by so doing can they fulfill those purposes.

TCM emphasizes that “the waist is the house of the kidneys.” As is in the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine Plain Questions - On Subtle Theory of Pulses, “the house of the kidneys can’t be moved, otherwise, the kidneys will be tired.” Kidneys are located in the two sides of the spinal column, and their psychological functions are to preserve essence, enhance bones and generate marrows and server as the sources of the human productivity. Meanwhile, they are also crucial to inspiration, fluids, ears and two Yins. According to TCM, the kidneys are inborn with the function of essence preservation. Again as is written in the Magic Pivot - Benshen, “Essence is born with human, and that’s why it is so named.” The kidney Qi refers to the essence of the kidneys transferred into Qi. Therefore, if the essence of the kidneys is sufficient, the kidney Qi is also vigorous or vice versa. And the essence of the kidneys should be categorized into Yin, hence the name of kidney Yin, whereas the kidney Qi be grounded into Yang, hence the name of kidney Yang. Both of them have the functions of nourishing viscera and they are interdependent and interchangeable. Besides, they can keep human productivity and reproductive ability in a norm state by maintaining a dynamic equilibrium. Therefore, exercisers should do more exercises and get started by regulating kidney Yin and kidney Yang, so that their essence can be well preserved, its nature well strengthened, and functions of the kidneys better enhanced.

The inborn nature of human - the Kidney Channel of Foot-Shaoyin can be stimulated through the exercise of “touching the feet to strengthen the kidneys.” by moving the spinal column backward and forward with a larger range. First, the Kidney Channel of Foot-Shaoyin is located at the Yongquan Point in the middle of the foot, underneath the medial malleolus, all the way up from the inner side of the back edge to the spine, kidneys and bladder. When using the palms press the meridian points of waist, hips, and legs and feet around both sides of the waist, a good sense of pulling and pushing on the kidneys, adrenal gland and ureteral ducts can be achieved. It can not only dredge a great number of unbalanced Qi in channels but also regulate the relatively connected internal organs and viscera, thus the effect of “nourishing kidney Yin, strengthening the kidney Qi, enhancing kidney Yang and regulating uterus.” Second, it can stimulate the Governor Vessel of the spinal column and the Conception Vessel of the ventral midline; dredge Yin and Yang Channels so as to obtain the mildly nutritious and nourishing functions. Also, some of chronic diseases of reproductive and urinary systems can be prevented or cured by pushing and massaging such points as Shu point, Ming Men and Yang Pass, etc., which in turn can help regulate kidney Yin, enhance kidney Yang, generate essence and marrows. Third, the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang circulated around both sides of the spinal column, connected to and interacted with the kidneys, can dredge the channel and collateral Qi, regulate Qi and blood, and prevent disorders on the part of bladder such as dizziness, waist and back pains and inflexibility of joints by pressing and massaging the points of Channel Baliao, Weizhong and Chenshan. In short, when people getting old, their essence weakens, resulting in a weak physical and reproductive function and so do their bodies and shapes. In pathology, all disorders in growth and development and in the reproductive ability are connected with the weakness of the kidney Qi. Therefore, we must attach great importance to the rise and fall of the kidney Qi so as to regulate the inborn nature of the human and enhance the kidneys and waist with a delayed aging period.

Routine 7 Thrusting the Fists and Making the Eyes Glare to Enhance Strength

The routine is targeted at enhancing Qi and strengths of the exercisers through “trusting the fists and making the eyes glare.” Its movements are a coordination of not only being soft and slow, flexible and coherent, but also being loose and tight, dynamic and static. What’s more, with the Qi endowed, exercisers can also achieve a better coordination of form and contents.

The blood of the liver is of great importance for the human veins and eyes. As is indicated in the Plain Questions - On Formation of Five Viscera, “if people’s livers can obtain sufficient blood, then their eyesight must be good; likewise, if there is enough blood in their feet, they can walk well. Similarly, they can fist better with enough blood in their palms and their fingers can be flexibly used with enough blood. Again, in the Plain Questions - On the Formation of Five Viscera, it reads that “When lying down, the blood is preserved in human liver.” Likewise, Doctor Zhu Zhenxiang of the Yuan Dynasty puts the idea in the Further Discourses on the Properties of Things, “The essence mainly lies in the kidneys while Qi is preserved mostly in the liver.” The routine of “making the eyes glare to enhance strength” can regulate the liver and veins, while the liver is embodied in the veins.” refers to all the vein activates of the body depend on the nourishment of Yin blood of the liver and the functions of the liver Qi. The Plain Questions - On Veins reads that, “Weaknesses on veins are internally contributable to the liver.” The blood of the liver and amount of blood flow can be improved by practicing “fisting” movements with both left and right punches or forward and backward pulls on the veins of the palms. Yun point of three Yins, three Yang and the twelve muscle meridians and the “Sea of the Yang Channel” of Conception Vessel of the hands and feet can be stimulated by fisting and squatting down with ten toes clawing hard towards floor, then both hands fisted, wrists turned, fingers closed and opened gently. By so doing, channels, blood and Qi can be regulated and muscles and veins of the whole body can be pulled and pushed naturally, thus the effects of a strong and powerful body with sound muscles.

Routine 8 Raising and Lowering the Heels to Cure Diseases

The purpose of the routine is to regulate Qi and blood of the viscera and prevent exercisers from getting all kinds of diseases by “raising and lowering the heels to cure diseases.”

The converging point of the three Yin Channels and three Yang Channels of the feet is at the end of the toes, which is also connected to the organs including spleen, stomach, bladder, liver and gallbladder, thus by clawing hard towards floor, channels can be regulated, Qi and blood be dredged and functions of viscera be coordinated as well.

In a relaxed manner, Qi and blood of human body can be thoroughly dredged by regularly practicing up and down foot movements, while fluid channels and flow can be smoothed by improving triple heater Just as recorded in the Plain Questions - On Channels, “Body fluid guided into the stomach can improve the essence; when induced into speech, can disperse the essence; directed into liver, can smooth the fluid channels; down into bladder, can be scattered around the body and five channels coordinated.” This can slightly stimulate lower limbs and both inner and outer structures of spinal column so that muscles of the whole body can be relaxed and return to the original state. Spinal column is the core where the Governor Vessel locates, and to some extent it can also stimulate the Governor Vessel. The Governor Vessel can help dredge Yin and Yang Channels of the whole body to be better controlled and regulate the balance of the human body, hence the names “The Governor Vessel Belongs to Yang” and “Yang Channel is the Sea” From those we can see that this routine can improve Qi and blood circulation of the viscera and organs and promote their psychological functions, regulate the human balance of Yin and Yang to achieve the functions of fitness and healthcare.

Closing Form

The eight routines mentioned above guide the open and close movements of the whole body by using form to embody the will and by the will to master the Qi so that Qi and sprits of the human body and shape can be coordinated in uniform. In addition, the meanings of the word “Closing” are twofold: one is “the closing of the last movement” or “the closing of the exercising” which means the end of the Health Qigong exercises and the last movement closure enables exercisers to convert their state of movements into that of the normal; the other is “collecting” as is suggested by the ancients, “The truth can be used all over if it is displayed while invisibly preserved if withdrawn.” Which means that when doing Health Qigong exercises, Qi should not only be able to be let out but also closed up, then preserved in the Dantian, and gradually returned to the original state of quietness before exercising.