1. Posture
Posture is also called body adjustment, body method, etc. For those who are new to Jinggong or Kinesis, it is very important to master the correct posture.
Generally speaking, there are four types of postures for exercises: sitting, lying, standing, and walking. Static exercises are often exercised in sitting, lying down, and standing positions. Exercise is often carried out by standing and walking. In addition to exercising in a certain posture during formal exercises, the practice of external qi therapy can be carried out at any time during the daily process of walking, living (standing), sitting, and lying.
Seated
01. Flat sitting style
Sit on a wide square bench with your feet parallel to the floor, at an equal distance from your shoulders, your knees bent at 90 degrees, your body straight, and your thighs and torso bent at 90 degrees. Place your palms down gently on your thighs, bend your elbows naturally, keep your head straight, your chin slightly tucked, your back straight, your shoulders hanging down your chest, your mouth and eyes slightly closed, and your tongue against your palate.
02. Cross-seated
Cross your legs and sit firmly on the bed with your feet under your legs. The buttocks are slightly higher, the body is slightly leaning forward, and the two hands are lightly held with each other (the left hand is on top, the thumb of the right hand is pinched with the left hand, and the thumb and middle finger of the left hand are combined), forming a meridian formula, placed in front of the abdomen, and the upper body posture is the same as in front. Or put your hands together in front of your chest and place your hands naturally on your knees.
卧式
01. Side-recumbent
Lying on the bed on the side (both left and right side can be used, generally using the right side of the body), the body is slightly arched, the head is slightly tucked towards the chest, the pillow is stable, the mouth and eyes are slightly closed, and the tongue is against the palate. The lower hand is placed on the pillow with the palm on the back, and the height is suitable for comfort. The upper palm is covered by the lower palm, and the little finger, ring finger, middle finger, and index finger are placed on the metacarpophalangeal joints of the small, innominated, middle, and index fingers of the lower palm, respectively, and the thumb is naturally placed on the outside of the tiger's mouth on the lower palm, or the upper upper limb is naturally placed on the upper side of the trunk. The lower calf is naturally straightened, and the upper leg is naturally bent and placed on the lower leg.
02. Supine position
Lie flat on the bed with your whole body facing the sky, your head straight, your limbs naturally straight, your hands flat next to your side or folded on your abdomen (the left hand of the man is below, and the right hand of the woman is below), the mouth and eyes are gently closed, and the tongue is against the palate in a stacked palm position.
Standing position
The feet are separated from the left and right, the interval is the same width as the shoulders, the head is straight, the waist is straight, the chest is included, the knees are loose, the arms are raised and slightly bent, the fingers are naturally opened, and the ball is held in front of the chest or lower abdomen to form a standing pile holding ball; or the two hands are palmed together in front of the chest, forming a standing pile Buddha palm pose; or the two hands are pressed down, and the standing pile is pressed down; or the right (left) palm is up, and the root of the left (right) palm is aligned with the middle point of the ulnar side of the right palm to form a square circle of the standing pile;
You can also place your hands on top of each other on your lower abdomen. The mouth and eyes are slightly closed, and the tongue is against the palate.
The essentials of posture exercises
For the requirements of the practice posture, Ming. Gao Lian's "Zunsheng Eight Notes, Yannian but Sick Notes" said: "Thick bedding, wide undressing belt, straight spine, lips and teeth together, tongue and palate, slightly open their eyes, often look at the end of the nose." "Although there are many postures for practice, there is a general requirement, that is:
01. Wide undressing belt: Only a wide undressing belt can make the meridians smooth and the qi not stagnate.
02. The head is like a top object: or called a hanging top, that is, the head should be straight, the jaw should be slightly retracted, and there is a slight upward strength, so that the neck can be relaxed and straight.
03. Heavy shoulders and elbows: That is, the shoulders are relaxed, the elbows are drooping, and the elbows are not tightened.
04. Pull the back with the chest: The spine should be straight, not bent at will, or rely on other objects. On the basis of a straight ridge, the chest should be contained.
05. Relax the waist and abdomen: The waist and abdomen are important parts of qi training and luck. The abdomen is the furnace of qi training, the waist is the house of the kidneys, the place of life, and the key to the operation of the meridians. Relaxation of the waist and abdomen without slacking off will help to train qi and run qi.
06. Tighten the hips and loose the knees: If the buttocks are slightly tightened, the spine can be straight, and the knees can be loosened.
07. Five-toe grip: Standing feet should be spread flat on the ground, and the five toes should be firmly grasped on the ground, so that the body is as stable as Mount Tai.
08. Eyes Hanging Eyes Inward: Close your eyes lightly and look inwardly at the place where you practice qi or qi. "Yin Fu Jing" says: "The machine is in the eye. The "Spiritual Body: The Great Confusion" says: "The one who sees is the messenger of the heart, and the one who is the heart is also the sacrifice of God." "The eyes are the key to practice, and if the eyes are not confused, the mind can be collected, that is, the illusion is broken, and the sunshine is broken. If you want to close your eyes but not tightly, if you close them, the light will be too dark and dim, and if you don't close them, your mind will be too bright and relaxed.
09. Sai Tui Listening: Sai Tui is to close his mouth lightly, not to grit his teeth, and to constrict. Lao Tzu said: "Plug it and close its door." "Retroattrition is to return hearing to itself in order to cut off the outer edge.
10. Tongue against palate: also known as "tongue column palate", "column tongue", etc. It is the tongue that naturally gently touches the palate, so that the two veins of Ren and Du communicate. When the practice reaches a certain level, the force of the tongue against the palate naturally increases, and then shrinks, which is a phenomenon that appears in the progress of kung fu, do not deliberately pursue it.
II. Breathing
Breathing, also known as pranayama, breathing, breathing, etc., is an important part of qigong exercise. The ancients paid special attention to the exercise of breathing. In ancient writings, we can find numerous names for breathing exercises.
There are also many breathing methods, such as upper breathing, lower breathing, full breathing, impulsive breathing, holding breathing, long breathing, deep breathing, etc. According to our needs for qi practice, the most commonly used ones are the following:
Natural Breathing
Natural breathing is the breathing in a normal physiological state. Due to the physiological differences between men and women and the differences in people's habits, there are those who breathe mainly in the natural chest breathing, those who breathe in the natural abdominal style, and those who breathe in a natural mixture. In either case, take the natural state and consciously breathe with a slight increase in the mind. This type of breathing is a common breathing method used by practitioners.
Abdominal breathing
It is an abdominal exercise that is guided by natural breathing and gradually guided by consciousness to strengthen the natural breathing. The method is to gently relax the abdominal muscles with your mind and naturally bulge your abdomen when you inhale, and gently use your mind to contract the abdominal muscles when you exhale. After a period of exercise, the abdominal muscles gradually and naturally increase. Don't force yourself. When exercising, the belly button is generally guarded, and it is easy to form a smooth abdominal breathing.
Reverse abdominal breathing
Reverse abdominal breathing is one of the main breathing methods in the practice of qi conduction and exercise. The method of exercise is to use the mind to control the abdominal muscles to gradually contract and concave the abdomen when inhaling, and to gradually relax and bulge with the mind to control the abdominal muscles during the exhalation. After a period of exercise, this kind of breathing becomes a natural anti-abdominal breathing in the process of practicing.
After becoming proficient in the reverse abdominal breathing exercise, it can be combined with the levator ani action, that is, the anus is slightly retracted when inhaling, and the anterior vulva is slightly retracted, and the anus and genitals are relaxed at the same time when exhaling.
Latent, fetal breath
Latent breath is a kind of breath that occurs in a state of highly gentle breathing formed after long-term qigong exercise. Fetal breath is a softer abdominal breath than latent breathing, and the abdomen is barely moving, and the umbilicus is breathing. In ancient texts, these two breaths are very mysterious, and they occur naturally when the practice of qi is highly proficient, and it cannot be pursued.
Other breathing methods
In addition to the above main breathing methods, there are also methods such as long and short breathing, long and short breathing, nasal exhalation, nasal inhalation, oral exhalation, post-exhalation and stopping, or inhalation and stopping. This should be done in conjunction with the practice of different exercises and the different stages of practice.
Essentials of breathing exercises
01. At the beginning of the exercise of movement or static exercises, the main practice is to practice posture to make the posture movements proficient and relaxed, and then cooperate with the practice of breathing. Otherwise, it can easily lead to shortness of breath, emotional tension, chest tightness, headache, etc.
02. The final requirement of breathing is deep, long, even, and thin, which is formed by the accumulation of breathing skills, and should not be deliberately lengthened or hard pressed.
03. The ancients paid attention to the form of breathing in pranayama, and there were four phases of wind, gasping, breath and breath. Wind phase refers to the rough breathing sound that can be heard when breathing in and out, wheezing phase refers to the feeling of stagnation and unobstructed breathing when breathing in and out although you cannot hear the breathing sound, gas phase refers to the uneven entry and exit of breath although it is silent and stagnant, and breath phase refers to the deep, long and even breathing that occurs when the breath is high and quiet. The ancients believed that "if you keep the wind, your heart will be scattered, if you keep your breath, you will be tired, but if you keep your breath, your heart will be stable." ”
04. Before practicing breathing, it is best to open your mouth and exhale, thinking that the turbidity in the body is out of the body where all the veins are blocked, and then close your mouth and clear it, a total of 3 times. After that, let it be natural and slowly adjust the breathing method you want to practice with your mind.
3. Ideas
Thoughts are also called mental methods and mindfulness. The exercise of the mind is an important part of Qi training. "The Three Essentials of Birth" says: "Concentration lies in nourishing qi, and nourishing qi lies in preserving spirits."
God is to the air, and the mother is to the son. Therefore, if the spirit is condensed, the gas is gathered, and the spirit is dispersed, if you cherish the essence, and do not know the gods, it is Ru Qihua and forget its roots. This illustrates the relationship between the spirit, energy, and spirit in the practice, with a special emphasis on the important position of the gods.
The most important thing in Qi training is to exercise the mind. Especially in the conduct of qi or gong, the use of the mind is even more important.
Stereotactic Intent
In the practice or development of gonggong, the mind is concentrated on a certain part of the body or acupuncture points, such as: upper dantian, lower dantian, middle dantian, Yongquan, Lao Gong, finger ends, palms, etc., or the mind is concentrated on a certain object or point outside the body and is still.
Directed thoughts
In the practice or development of gonggong, the mind runs with the qi in the meridians, or the qi moving images that appear when the hands or a certain part of the body senses, etc.
Rhythmic ideation
In the practice or exercises, the mind counts the breath with the breath, or moves with a certain rhythm, or vibrates subtly. Such as: subtle vibration in the vibrating pile, hand tremor in the gas, etc.
Strong Mind
In the practice or development of exercises, the intention is great, as if there is really that great power. Such as: pushing the mountain, holding the heavenly gate, pulling the nine cows, etc.
Suggestive thoughts
It is a kind of ideological exercise that cooperates with language-induced activities in the practice or development of gong. For example, silently reciting words, imagining the purpose of the practice, etc.
Pretending to be sexual
It is a phenomenon of pretense in the practice or development of exercises, and a kind of qi induction can appear after exercise. Such as: stroking the ball, pressing the qi, penetrating the qi, expelling the sick qi, the qi is hot like fire, the qi is cold like ice, its qi is sharp like a sword, and its qi is soft like cotton, etc.
The essentials of mind training
01. Mental activities should be naturally coordinated with breathing and posture. For example, when practicing exercises, the mind should be coordinated with the posture of lifting, descending, opening and closing.
02. Mental activity should be natural and gradually exercised in a state of meditation. God is not dark, the heart is not slow, do not forget, do not help, do not fix.
03. To practice the mind, you must have the word "faith", no matter what kind of mind activity, you firmly believe that through exercise, you can achieve your goal, but you are not in a hurry.
04. When there is a scene in your mind, you don't like it, you don't like it, you don't worry about it, you don't say anything, you take advantage of the situation, and you can collect your energy.