The four qigongs sanctioned by the Chinese government for health and healing

Health Qigong

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong

In 2001 the Chinese Government showed great interest in regulating the Qigong movement. The State Sport General Administration of China founded the Chinese Health Qigong Association, as a mass-organization to popularize, spread and research Health Qigong in cooperation with the Peking Sport University. In 2003 the organization presented the newly developed four Health Qigong Exercises on the base of excellent traditional Qigong, including

• Yì Jīn Jīng (tendon-changing classic),
• Wu Qin Xi (frolics of five animals),
• Liu Zi Jue (the art of expiration in producing six different sounds),
• Ba Duan Jin (eight excellent movements),

to fit the people's needs of promoting their health and body, and to develop traditional Chinese national culture further. The Chinese Health Qigong Association is a member of the All-China Sports Federation.

During the process of developing the exercises, strictly scientific research methods have been followed. Primary experiments took place under supervision of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Modern Medicine, Psychology, Athletic Science and other related subjects. The Four Health Qigong Exercises can be seen as the essences from the related Qigong in various schools, inherited and developed traditional Chinese national culture.

The new Health Qigong represented by the Chinese Health QiGong Association is breaking with the old tradition of family-styles and close teacher-student relation. It is hoped that the new standardisation is supporting the international spread of Qigong in the western hemisphere.

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To my students in Bend, I am very proud to bring to you two of the four qigong practices sanctioned by the Chinese government as healing practices: Eight Pieces of Brocade aka Eight Excellent Movements (Ba Duan Jin) and Five Animals Frolic (Wu Qin Xi).

Although the Six Healing Sounds (Liu Zi Jue) are included in the list instead of the Eight Healing Sounds, I believe that the practice of the Eight Healing Sounds, which I have practiced and also teach, are every bit as effective as the Six Healing Sounds approved by the Chinese government.

Qigong - Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century

Here is a great video from YouTube.

10 minute overview of the PBS documentary "Qigong - Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century" by Francesco Garri Garripoli http://www.kahunavalley.org/dvd.htm . Visit the Qigong Institute http://www.qigonginstitute.org/main_page/main_page.php for more information on Qigong and Tai Chi and how to take responsiblity for your own health.

Eight Pieces Brocade positions hint list

People all around the world often use rhymes as memory devices, little poems like "Thirty days has September; April, June, and November…" to remember the number of days in each month.

The Chinese have just such a poem to remember the positions in the Eight Pieces of Brocade Qigong! In Chinese it rhymes; unfortunately in English it does not, but is still a handy reminder list so you won't forget any of the positions if you like to practice at home between classes!

From the Eight Section Brocade webpage of Michael P. Garofalo (click the Chinese writing for better visibility):

"I saw you included the list of movements in Chinese in your webpage on Baduanjin. Very good! It might be interesting to add that this is a Chinese (didactic) poem, made for easy remembering the eight movements and their effect. This poem has the classical Chinese format with 8 lines of 7 characters each and rhyme in line 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8."

Translation:

1. Both hands carry heaven to regulate the triple burner.
2. Draw the bow left and right as if to shoot a vulture.
3. Regulate spleen and stomach by lifting one hand.
4. Remedy the 5 symptoms and 7 disorders by looking backward.
5. Turn the head and swing the tail to eliminate heart-fire.
6. Two hands grab the feet to strengthen kidneys and waist.
7. Clench fists and look angry to increase qi and strength.
8. Jolt the back 7 times and hundred illnesses will disappear

Thanks to Hielke Hylkema for sending me the above information and translation.