Daoyin & Jinjing (part 2 of 2)

The Pathways of Connection

One need not believe literally in the systems the classical Chinese thinkers created. The medical and anatomical models they used were their attempts to explain (to the best of their knowledge at the time) processes they clearly observed going on in the mind and body. Classical Chinese thinking is much more concerned with the relationships that exist between things. Using models such as the meridian system is really an attempt to explain relationships, rather than concrete anatomical fact. They can be thought of as metaphors the age of practitioners used to conceptualize their world and experience. Since the focus here is on relationships, it frees the modern practitioner from the requirement of believing the literal fact of the structures in question. However, understanding these traditional models helps us to understand the relationships they were observing and cultivating.

What is most important about the pathways of the Jingjin is that these are the key pathways of physical integration along the body. Do not think of the muscles of the Jingjin as isolated parts. Rather they are part of one continuous chain of connected muscles, tissues, and fascia which, if healthy, feel much like a long line of elastic when they are stretched. It is along the integrated lengths of the Jingjin that we move, stretch, and twist during practices such as Daoyin. This helps to deliver information more effectively along the length of the associated meridians, as well as ensuring a higher level of core stability and power.

Each muscle will appear to move on its own. To the trained eye it is easy to tell the level of skill of an internal artist (here not referring to martial arts, but practices such as daoyin, neigong, qigong, etc.) by observing the degree of connection they possess along the lines of Jingjin. The elasticated feelings should be present over the entire body. The Jingjin must not be held in tension. Tension causes the different areas of the Jingjin to contract and separate from each other. Tension leads to isolation of body parts and disconnected movement.

The Jingjin must also not be too slack. If the Jingjin is too slack then information cannot be transferred along their length, and so disconnection occurs. Slackness in the Jingjin usually occurs as a result of either bad posture or a poor diet that is weakening the spleen, which people in the classical age believed energetically governs the health of the Jingjin. There must be a good balance between not being too slack nor too tense; this is often the most problematic area when beginners start working with the Jingjin.

The Jingjin must be lengthened through stretching. If a person is not flexible enough and there is limited mobility in the joints of the body, then the Jingjin will not be sufficiently lengthened and information cannot be transferred through them. The health of the meridian associated with the Jingjin must be balanced, free-flowing, and free of stagnation, as any problems in this respect will manifest physically in the Jingjin, resulting in disconnection.

Physical injuries sustained along the length of the Jingjin will contribute to their tightening, which leads to disconnection. They must be minimized and worked on through gentle mobilization and stretching exercises. It is possible to condition the Jingjin to compensate and “workaround” the vast majority of musculoskeletal injuries that sit along the length of the Jingjin.

Any movement utilizing the Jingjin successfully will incorporate a twisting, opening, or lengthening movement along the length of the whole Jingjin. The joints and muscles of the entire Jingjin will all be manipulated at the same time. It is partly for this reason that so much importance is attributed to hand positions within the internal arts. The fingers act as the origin of half of the Jingjin and help to lengthen them fully out.

Jingjin & Fascia

There are many crossovers between the Jingjin system and the network of fascia (筋膜 Jīn mó). When practicing with the Jingjin you want to treat it as if it were the skin of a drum; vibrations in one part ripple outward. This is exactly how the Jingjin works; we must find this harmonious balance between too slack and too tight (tense) so that the vibration (qi) can pass both into and out of the body.

The qi meridians were actually seen to flow through the Jingjin and are contained in them. The health of the Jingjin dictates just how efficiently the flow of qi information along the line of the meridians takes place. Quite simply, tightness in the Jingjin will lead to blockages in the meridian, which in turn will lead to stagnation, the main source of disease. Too much slack in Jingjin occurs through bad posture or an unhealthy lack of stretching and conditioning in a person’s life which weakens the vessel through which the meridian travels. The result is a dispersal of qi, which leads to an energetic deficiency. This underlines the importance of Jingjin work for general health as well as the development of arts such as Neigong, meditation, and internal martial arts which utilize the flow of qi in the meridian system.

Core Power

An interesting aspect of work with the Jingjin is the increase in physical power that comes as a result of the training. As the Jingjin start to connect together they begin to assist in developing power that comes from the core of the body. Rather than using isolated muscles when moving, lifting, and so on, you begin to use the entire body via the Jingjin system and the mechanical information which is passed along its length. This is much healthier for a person, as it means that any work carried out throughout a person’s life relies on force distributed throughout the whole of the body, rather than originating in isolated muscle groups. 

For practitioners of martial arts, this has obvious benefits and it is the Jingjin on which the majority of “internal” methods are based. Many modern teachers place a great deal of importance on transferring qi through the meridian system when teaching arts such as Taijiquan, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan. However, it should really be more of an emphasis on the use of the Jingjin. The level of connection attained through this style of training is much greater and fājìn (發勁; explosive power) is much higher. The key to this power (and health) training is to remember, when developing the sinew, lengthening must take place simultaneously along the entire length of the Jingjin.

The Girdling Meridian

Girdling line

An extra meridian that is involved in connection along the lines of the Jingjin is the girdling Meridian. This meridian is part of the congenital/inherent aspect of the energy body and unique in that it is the only classical meridian that travels horizontally through the body. It enwraps the lower abdomen like a belt. Energetically its role is primarily to govern the rotation of the lower dantian by working as a kind of energetic gyroscope. It also has extending branches that energetically enwrap the rest of the meridian system.

Within Daoyin practice, it is the Girdling Meridian’s Jingjin that connects across the body. In general the 12 key Jingjin transfer force vertically through the body along their length. If, however, the force is transferred from one side of the body to the other, then it has to pass through the Girdling Meridian Jingjin.

At first the twisting movements in Daoyin training help to condition and connect the force across the body. With time the twist is no longer required; as the Jingjin of the girdling Meridian becomes more adept, it automatically begins to integrate all of the Jingjin into one unified whole which is mirrored across the body, at this stage, all power becomes concentrated in the core of the body.

Extending the Yi

The Yì (意; mind intent) is an aspect of human consciousness, often translated as our “awareness” or our level of “mental focus.” If we have an unhealthy diet or our digestion is compromised in some way then our yi will be negatively affected.

In all Daoist arts, the strength of the yi is very important as it is the aspect of mind that acts as a catalyst for the majority of internal processes to take place. We need to be able to rest our mind on various areas of our internal body and focus without becoming distracted so that the “yi will lead the qi.” During practice, the yi should be projected/extended a long way into the distance.

Lengthening along the Jingjin

The stretch we are applying in these exercises must be even throughout. If you wish to stretch effectively all the way along a Jingjin line of connective tissue then the power and length of the stretch must be even, all the way from one end of the Jingjin line to the other. If the stretch is uneven then the muscles involved in the Jingjin line begin to isolate from each other and qi will no longer be effectively led to the extremities. Essentially this uneven engagement of muscles involved in the Jingjin line is what is happening during exercises that involve contraction, such as excessive weightlifting and bodybuilding, which lead to stagnation of qi rather than a smooth flow along the length of the meridian.

The second idea to understand is that we want stretching the Jingjin to be gentle and relaxed, it must not be forced in any way. We’re trying to encourage elasticity along the connective tissue, and overstretching is counterproductive when trying to achieve this, as well as being risky concerning injuring the body. If you continue with this type of forced practice for some time then the elasticity is gradually weakened more and more and the Jingjin lines become torn and less efficient at guiding the lines of qi which flow through them.

When practicing these principles it is important to understand the nature of the body. Essentially your bones are solid and the rest of your body (when sufficiently relaxed) is soft. The bones are all held in place by ligaments and the attached muscles, and we can use this to our advantage. If we store tension in our body then the muscles will contract, causing the bones to move closer together, which results in the Qìmén (氣門; “energy gates”, here referring to the “bottleneck” areas of the joints) becoming closed. As Qi tries to move through the qimen it gets stuck and begins to stagnate. Like water left standing in a pool for some time, it begins to fester, and this will then lead to poor health in the body. If we can relax the muscles of the body then the muscles will be able to lengthen, the Jingjin will open up and the bones begin to move apart, creating space in the qimen.

Opening Joint Space 

For this example, we will focus on opening the joints of the arm, as this is relatively easy to learn and understand. However, one should recognize we wish to cultivate this quality in every joint in the body. 

Start by increasingly relaxing the muscles of your shoulder and arm and extend the arm forward slowly. Focus on trying to create space in the joints of the shoulder, the elbow, the wrist, and between the fingers, all at the same time, as you extend your arm. If one joint stops moving they all have to stop moving. If you can get the feel for opening each of the involved joints at the same time and to the same degree then you will begin to feel how we wish to open the body during Daoyin practice.

Daoyin & Jinjing (part 1 of 2)

Key terms:

• 導引 Dǎo yǐn, literal meaning: “guide and pull”
• 筋經 Jīn jīng, Sinew Channels or Muscle-Tendon Channels

Introduction

The term Daoyin is generally understood to be much older than the term Qigong (氣功 qìgōng), even though these terms are often used interchangeably today. We see the term Daoyin appearing in writing as early as the first Chinese written records. Ancient scrolls such as the Dǎoyǐn tú (導引圖; discovered in Mawangdui caves in the 1970s) show that these exercises were being practiced in at least 2000 BCE, and almost certainly much earlier. References to Daoyin training appeared in many classical texts including influential works such as the Huángdì Nèijīng (黃帝內經; Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, an ancient Chinese medical text) and Zhuāngzi (莊子; one of the two foundational texts of classical Daoism).

Recreation of original daoyin tu silk scroll.

Daoyin exercises are discussed in terms of the keywords: stretching, expelling, leading, and guiding. The last two terms, “leading” and “guiding”, are direct translations of the Chinese term “Daoyin”.

The aim of these stretching exercises was to purge stagnant energy from the body and to develop a body that functions at an optimal level. Although Qigong was practiced to purge toxins from the energy system, it was believed to work primarily to nourish and regulate our already existing energy. The movements tend to be gentler, with the mind being focused inside the body. The two practices share common elements due to Qigong being developed from Daoyin training. In practice, one should remember the exercises that we use are only tools to move through a process of inner growth. This process of change is classically known as Nèigōng (內功, “inner skill”). 

Generally, Qigong exercises tend to be far more yīn (陰) in quality than Daoyin exercises, which are generally far more yáng (陽). The overall feel from Qigong exercises is more calming and brings a practitioner closer to a point of inner stillness than Daoyin training, which can stir up a great deal of internal movement. Qigong would approach the subject of inner cultivation from a more subtle direction of mental stillness, while Daoyin exercises seek to cultivate through activity and excitement.

Qigong exercises generally (but not always), use very soft, gentle movements that are rhythmic, relaxed, and led by soft breathing. Very little force is used so that the Qì (氣) may flow smoothly through the meridians, which run primarily through the layers of fascia in the body. Daoyin exercises are still relaxed, but they are generally more “stretched out” in nature. In this way, Daoyin exercises have some similarities with the yogic practices of India, and are often referred to as “Daoist yoga.”

Daoyin exercises move qi in the meridians and blood through the vessels, but this takes place as a byproduct of working with the Jingjin, or the pathways of connective tissue. By stretching and lengthening the Jingjin pathways they have a directional effect upon the meridians, which then pass qi out from the body.

Stagnant qi sits largely in the body’s joints. In each of our joints, there are numerous energetic pathways which the Daoists call Qìmén (氣門; “energy gates”). The meridian system runs throughout our entire body ensuring a healthy flow of qi to all of our organs and tissues. The flow of qi in the meridian system is dependent on several factors, including a healthy lower Dantian (下丹田 xià dāntián; the center of the body, at the level of the abdomen) and good posture. As our bodies move and we naturally stretch and compress the pathways of the meridian system, as well as the more physical pathways of the Jingjin (lines of connective tissue), the qi will flow steadily around the body.

If a person maintains a healthy degree of movement and good posture throughout their life, then the chances are that their energy gates will remain open and qi will flow freely. However, many people in modern times do not maintain a healthy level of exercise and good posture. The energy gates become compressed by the misalignment of the bones. Qi will now collect in the joints and stagnation occurs. Over time, stagnation leads to major blockages, tightness, and finally sickness.

Note that forceful stretching is actually counterproductive as it will lead to tension and thus further stagnation. Through our practice, we maintain a gentle pull on all the joints of the body.

According to Daoyin philosophy, physical problems (and eventually leading to mental difficulties) arise if one of two things happens:

• The joints are not moved regularly. Inactivity means that the qi is not shifted by the changing shape of the body through the movement of the body’s joints. The “pumping” function of the joint is not taking place and so stagnation sets in.

• Injury, sickness, or tension tightens the body. If the body tightens then the muscles and tissues around the joints contract, resulting in a “closed” joint. This restricts the qi in the energy gates meaning that stagnation occurs.

The classical Daoist view of health is threefold. According to this ancient school of thought, we must maintain the health of our physical body, energy body, and consciousness in order to prevent the development of disease. In the West, we often view the healthy male body, for example, as being immensely strong with a broad muscular chest and large biceps. The Daoist view is that this sort of figure is damaging to your health, as all of your muscles and tendons have been shortened and tightened. This tightness leads to stagnation which manifests within the physical, energetic, and consciousness bodies.

The Jing Body | 精身 jīng shēn

The skin, muscles, bones, and connective tissues of our physical structure make up the vehicle that contains the meridian system and its associated energetic elements. All aspects of the physical body can be referred to collectively as the Jing body.

Two aspects of the physical body that are particularly important for Daoyin training, and all Daoist arts, are the Pifu and Jingjin systems. These two systems of the body are rarely described in much detail in internal arts manuals and are really only given minor consideration in the majority of Chinese medicine practices. Understanding and utilizing these two systems in internal arts practices lead to higher levels of physical ability and improved health.

Pífū | 皮肤

This system is essentially the body’s skin. It surrounds the entire body and exists as the outermost layer of the physical body. The skin is the external barrier between our inner body and the external environment. This is the layer within which the root of the Wèi qì (衛氣 “defensive energy”; immune function) field flows.

Jīn jīng | 筋經 

Arguably the most important aspect of the body for the practice of Daoyin exercises. This is the layer of muscles, connective tissue, and fascia in the Pifu system, which acts as a kind of physical “riverbed” for the qi of the meridian system as it travels through the body. Jingjin can be translated as “tendon pathways”, although the term jin/”tendons” actually refers to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue that run along the lines of the physical pathways. They are a vitally important part of the knowledge base for internal arts, as they imply a degree of connection that is not generally dealt with in the study of the muscular system in Western sciences.

Note that classically the Jingjin are always described as moving from the extremities inward towards the core of the body. Each of the pathways is classically shown in too literal of a manner (running in a specific, fixed location) when in actuality they spread out into the rest of the body like a kind of connective tissue “spiderweb”.

The classical pathways are listed as:

• Heart Jingjin
• Small Intestine Jingjin
• Pericardium Jingjin 
• San Jiao Jingjin
• Spleen Jingjin
• Stomach Jingjin
• Lung Jingjin
• Large Intestine Jingjin
• Kidney Jingjin
• Bladder Jingjin
• Liver Jingjin
• Gallbladder Jingjin

Brief Introduction to Chinese Yoga

There are several terms and categories one will often encounter when exploring the classical mind-body practices of Chinese culture. Many of these terms, schools, and practices have overlapping functions and practices, sometimes making the topic more confusing than it really is.

Here, we’re using the term “yoga”. It is important to begin with a proper understanding of this term. It is of Indian Sanskrit origin. Today, the practice of the physical postures has entered the Western popular consciousness. However, it is important to remember the physical component is one portion. In its original usage in the Sanskrit spiritual texts, “yoga” refers to a transformation of forces or energies, which can be physical, mental and emotional, as well as spiritual. Therefore, cultivating and refining the physical body through posture practices is yoga practice, but so is sitting still and silently in meditation. 

China has long had its own native traditions of mind-body transformation practice which we will explore. Certainly, each one is much deeper than can be explained here. These explanations will be presented for introductory purposes only.

Nèigōng | 內功 | “internal skill”

Neigong refers to any of a set of Chinese breathing, meditation, and spiritual practice disciplines often associated with Daoism and especially the Chinese martial arts. Neigong practice is normally associated with the so-called “soft-style”, “internal” or nèi jiā (內家, “literally inner/internal family) Chinese martial arts, as opposed to the category known as wàigōng (外功;) or “external skill” which is historically associated with Shàolínquán (少林拳) or the so-called “hard-style”, “external” or wàijiā (外家; “external family) Chinese martial arts. Both have many different schools, disciplines, and practices and historically there has been mutual influence between the two, and distinguishing precisely between them differs from school to school.

There is both martial and non-martial neigong. Well-known examples of martial neigong are the various breathing and focus training methods taught in some traditional Taijiquan, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan schools. An example of non-martial neigong is the discipline known as Daoyin (described later).

Qìgōng | 氣功 | “breath/energy skill

Qigong can be described as a mind-body-spirit practice that improves one’s mental and physical health by integrating postures, movement, breathing techniques, self-massage, sound, and focused intent. There are likely thousands of qigong styles, schools, traditions, forms, and lineages, each with practical applications and different theories about Qi (“energy, movement, transformation”) and Gong (“skill cultivated through steady practice”). 

The term “Qigong” is a modern one, not used in classical texts or practices, and its use was popularized by the modern Chinese government. The term is widely used as an umbrella term to cover the whole host of mind-body and/or breath training methods originating from China.

For further reading, see my previous article: Qi & Qigong

Dǎo yǐn | 導引 | “guide and pull”

Dao yin, also called Daoist yoga, is a series of yoga-like exercises practiced by ancient Daoists to cultivate qi, the internal energy of the body according to traditional Chinese medicine. The practice of Dao Yin was a precursor of qigong and was practiced in Chinese Daoist monasteries for health and spiritual cultivation. Dao yin is also said to be a primary formative ingredient in “soft style” Chinese martial arts.

The main goal of Dao yin is to create a balance between internal and external energies and to revitalize the body, mind, and spirit, developing strength and flexibility in muscles and tendons. The intention of Dao yin is to forcefully clear stagnation out of the body tissues and “meridians”, whereas Qigong focuses on circulating qi through the meridian system.

Nèidān | 內丹 | “internal alchemy”, literally “internal elixir”

Neidan is an array of esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices that Daoist initiates use to prolong life. Also known as Jīndān (金丹, “golden elixir”), inner alchemy combines theories derived from external alchemy (wàidān, 外丹), correlative cosmology (including the Five Phases/Elements), the emblems of the Yìjīng (易經; “I-Ching”), and medical theory, with techniques of Daoist meditation, daoyin gymnastics, and sexual hygiene.

In Neidan the human body becomes a cauldron (鼎 dǐng) in which the Three Treasures (三宝 Sānbǎo) of jīng (精; “Essence”), qì (氣; “Breath”) and shén (神; “Spirit”) are cultivated for the purpose of improving physical, emotional and mental health, and ultimately returning to the primordial unity of the Dào (道).

This is a reconstruction of a “Guiding and Pulling Chart” (Daoyin tu) excavated from the Mawangdui Tomb 3 (sealed in 168BC) in the former kingdom of Changsha. The original is in the Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha, China.

A Look at Qi & Qigong

For a deeper foundational understanding of what “Qi” is and is not, please see my previous essays:

“Qi” is Misrepresented in Chinese Martial Arts

What is Qi?

Qìgōng (氣功) is the modern term for a collection of classical methods and arts of developing energy, particularly for health, internal force, and mind training. Qì (氣) is the ancient Chinese conceptualization and metaphor for the energy that enables you to walk and talk, to work and play, to philosophize and visualize, and to perform all the other myriad activities necessary for living your life. Qi is also the energy that changes the food you have just eaten into flesh and bones, that moves the necessary muscles when you smile, that fights the hostile microorganisms which invade your body, that transmit messages from your brain to various organs and tissues, and does countless other things inside your body that we are unaware of but that are essential to keep you and everyone else alive. Of course, the building of qi is not obtained from Qigong practice alone. People normally obtain their qi, or “life energy,” from the air they breathe and the food they eat.

It must be emphasized that Qigong is essentially an experiential, not just an intellectual, discipline. It is non-religious and can be practiced by anyone without affecting their religious beliefs, or lack of them. At the more advanced levels, and for those open to the experience, it can be a spiritual practice, as it transcends the physical level, but many people practice and benefit tremendously from its physical level only, leaving out some or all of the emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects.

Our willpower can control the flow of energy. When we think of or visualize a certain organ or area of our body, energy will flow to that part. Energy is the basic ingredient of our whole body. All our organs, tissues, and cells as well as our physiological functions and mental activities are the products of energy.

Qigong for martial arts became prominent during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE). The various schools of Shaolin gongfu, perhaps the most famous and widely practiced family of the Chinese martial arts, recorded 72 specialized arts like Golden Bell (金鐘 jīn zhào), Iron Shirt (鐵衫功 tiě shān gōng), Iron Palm (铁掌功 tiě zhǎng gōng), and Lightness Training (輕功 qīnggōng), which incorporated Qigong in their training.

Qigong is an umbrella term. The term “Qigong” is actually a modern one. It was mentioned in the Han period (206 BCE – 220 CE), but its usage was not popular. This term has become widely accepted starting in the 1950s. Since then the name has been extensively used as an umbrella term to cover all those arts that are concerned with blood, qi, or energy.

In 1977, researchers in China using modern scientific apparatus discovered that the qi transmitted by a Qigong master consists of electromagnetic waves, static electricity, infrared rays, in certain particle flows. It provided some scientific evidence for what Qigong Masters had claimed throughout the ages, namely that qi has a material reality. In its widest sense, Qigong, as the study of qi, is connected with all human activities that have anything to do with energy, force, or effort, including Fēngshuǐ (風水, geomancy), occult arts (belief in the existence of secret, mysterious, or supernatural agencies), spiritual sciences, physiognomy (“face reading”) and climatology (the study of climate), and so on. In practical terms, however, Qigong is particularly concerned with maintaining health, enhancing martial arts, training mental faculties, and realizing spiritual fulfillment. The concern of Qigong is actually boundless because qi is the very essence of the smallest subatomic particle, of human beings themselves, and of the infinite universe.

In the model of classical Chinese medicine, the qi was seen to move through the body via the meridian system (經絡 jīngluò) or channel network. Today, this network is most often presented as a fixed system, however, in the classical understanding, a meridian does not have a fixed boundary. It exists wherever the qi flow is, though it maintains its general form. Meridians (脈 mài) are of two kinds: the main ones are called channels (經脈  jīngmài), and the branches are called collateral vessels (絡脈 luòmài). Channels can be further classified into two groups: primary and secondary. Primary channels/meridians are those that pass through internal organs, secondary meridians do not. From each meridian, there are countless branches and subbranches.

In the traditional model, of the various channels, the most important are the two central body channels, the Conception Vessel (任脈 rèn mài) and Governing Vessel (督脈 dū mài). These channels run vertically along the body’s midline on the front and rear of the body (anatomically called the midsagittal plane), respectively. Qigong Masters throughout the ages have claimed that if one achieves a continuous flow of qi around the ren and du meridians, one will eliminate hundreds of illnesses.

When you practice Qigong, you can experience, at the same time, both it’s preventive and its curative functions. It is natural to be healthy; health is the natural state of an organism. It is only when certain parts of our bodies fail to function naturally that sickness occurs. Qigong is not responsible for directly preventing or correcting illness, but rather is part of an overall lifestyle that promotes and supports body and mind functions on all levels.

Qigong practice relieves mental and emotional stress, improves respiration, and increases the systemic flow of blood and lymph (which carry all the restorative resources to the tissues, and carries away waste products). All of this improves the base level function of the whole body system. In the traditional language, it would state that when we practice Qigong we cleanse our meridians, harmonizing energy levels and promoting a smooth flow of reserve energy to the areas under attack. A person becomes ill because, at the cellular level, their harmonious energy flow is disturbed. Qigong is an excellent way to help maintain health and wellness and can be part of an overall program that includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage therapy, and other exercise therapies.

Five Elemental Processes

For a more in-depth discussion of the 5 Elements, see the previous essays:

The Five Elements of Chinese Philosophy Part 1
The Five Elements of Chinese Philosophy Part 2

In Western literature, these five processes are frequently mistranslated as five elements, giving the impression that the Chinese consider them to be the basic ingredients of the universe. This is an incorrect understanding. They do not refer to the composition of the universe, but the behavior of the processes that comprise its existence.

Of course, there are countless processes in the universe, but ancient Chinese people observed that they could be grouped into five archetypes. Each archetype has its own typical pattern of behavior, and the ancient masters called them metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. These practitioners also noticed that when processes interact with each other, they affect one another in characteristic ways. They summarized these archetypal behavior patterns as the principles of “inter-creativity” and “inter-destructivity”. This model was applied to many methods of exercise, now classified as Qigong.

Breathing

Because of poor breathing habits, most people use less than a third of their lung capacity. The air sacs (alveoli) in the other two-thirds of the lungs have become lazy through lack of use. Even with the active air sacs, many of them in their tubes (bronchi) are choked with pollutants.

We endeavor to use the best breathing methods in Qigong. By keeping our breathing deep and slow, we gradually cleanse our active air sacs of pollutants. Deep breathing enables more oxygen to reach deeper into the lungs, replacing stale air that has been collected there for a long time by shallow breathing. Gradually more and more passive air sacs are brought into active service.

Hence, Qigong enhances the lung’s capacity. Studies are showing the increase of the intake of air from an average of 500 cc per breath to about 1500 cc. Some qigong masters even achieve a lung capacity of 3000 cc per breath! Moreover, Qigong enables a better exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. All this means that Qigong exponents have a better supply of energy.

The Concept of Jing, Qi, & Shen

Jīng (精), or essence, refers to the finest particles that constitute the physical body. It is solid but so fine that it is normally not visible to the eye. It forms the basis of all matter.

Qì (氣), or energy, as we have seen, is the life force of living things. Qi is formless, but Qigong Masters have always emphasized that it has material reality. It is often manifested as physiological functions or the flow of electric impulses. Outside a person’s body, qi refers to things like the changes in weather or cosmic energy.

Shén (神), or spirit, is human consciousness, mind, or soul, and it controls jing and qi. Your shen is the “real” you, covered by your jing, which in turn functions because of your qi.

Your jing, qi, and shen form one whole unity. They are not different entities; they are intimately interrelated and are inter-convertible. For example, if a person’s jing is inadequate, their qi and shen will be weak. It means that if a person is lacking in some substance (such as blood, flesh, or hormones), their body may not function properly (physically or psychologically), resulting in a disturbed mind or consciousness.

The seat of a person’s jing is at huìyīn (會陰), the lower vital point between the genitals and anus. The seat of their qi is at qìhǎi (氣海), the middle vital point just below the navel. The seat of their shen, depending upon one’s spiritual development, is at the Shān zhōng (膻中), Tiānmù (天目) or bǎi huì (百會), which are higher vital points located at the heart, the third eye, and the crown of the head respectively.

These seats are focal points where jing, qi, and shen are cumulative. The whole body, being matter, is jing. The whole body is also qi, as it is fundamentally made up of energy. In the whole body, being permeated by consciousness, is shen too.

Practicing Qigong initially develops one’s jing. Later jing is converted into qi. Qi may also be directly tapped from the cosmos by employing appropriate breathing exercises. Finally, qi flows to the heart or head and enhances your shen.

Four traditional concepts of qi, and therefore of Qigong practice:

1. Qi is energy.

2. Qi has a material reality.

3. Qi is the basic element of which everything in the universe is constructed.

4. Qi fills the whole universe and hence is a universal medium.