Longevity Stick Practice

Longevity Stick is a 'qigong' in that it is an 'energy-work/practice,' it's performed while holding a long dowel. The thing I noticed about it right away is that the slow, controlled movements stretch every major muscle group in the body, all while following a deep-breathing technique. I have found it to be a very nice and beneficial practice. 

It is a practice I have been doing weekly for the last 18 months, and advanced to the role of substitute teacher when one of our instructors is out. We do an hour-long class going through all twelve movements, taking a break of 10 minutes, then doing the entire routine a second time. Our class does 10 repetitions of each exercise. One time through, with 10 repetitions of each exercise, takes about 20 minutes. Other classes may do only 6 to 8 repetitions of each position as in the video below. 

Origins, from the official Longevity Stick website: 

"Longevity Stick Art (LSA) was developed by the late Master Mai Bac Dau, an officer in the Army of the Republic of South Vietnam. He was imprisoned for five years in a Communist camp where he suffered from malnutrition and lack of medical care. During this time he developed a series of exercises and self-massage for his own survival.

"After his release, Master Dau continued to develop his techniques and began teaching his fellow countrymen about Longevity Stick Art. He came to the U.S. in 1995 and introduced the practice to hundreds of people. Since that time, many people trained to become Leaders, and the practice has now spread to 30 locations Southern California, under the non-profit umbrella Longevity Stick Art-OC. LSA is also practiced in France, Canada, Australia and Vietnam."

To do Longevity Stick, you will need a dowel one inch in diameter, the length matching your height, and capped with rubber tips. You will occasionally be using the stick to steady yourself, and you don't want it to slip on the floor as you do. 

The video is a very nice one showing the instructor face on with one practitioner to the left doing a modified version of the exercise, and an inset on the right showing another practitioner from the back, so you can view the movements from front and back at the same time. I suggest watching in full-screen size to see all the details. Of course, always be careful and feel free to modify any movement that you need to feel safe and comfortable. 

Longevity Stick official video cannot be embedded in any other website, but here is the link to it on YouTube so you may watch for yourself. 

Longevity Stick Art with Master Dau

Viral Qigong for Immune Enhancement with Dr. Jahnke - Accessible Qigong For Any Immune Challenge

This excellent qigong practice with Dr Roger Jahnke stimulates and optimizes your naturally occurring inner healing resources.

Dr Jahnke was one of the most popular and well-read authors who contributed to Yang Sheng magazine during the years I was Editor in Chief. His experience with and teaching of Chinese Medicine practices spans 40 years. He was happy to share this video during the covid 19 virus outbreak in the spring of 2020.

In this hour-long program, he teaches several important qigong practices to stimulate and optimize your immune system to remain healthy and well.
Also look for the informative video lecture called "Virus Defense: Don’t Panic, Take Action! - Focus on Qigong and Accessible Natural Healing Methods" a 90-minute program with additional information.

Eckhart Tolle on Taiji, Qigong, and Yoga

“Spiritual practices that involve the physical body, such as t’ai chi, qigong, and yoga, are also increasingly being embraced in the Western world. These practices do not create a separation between body and spirit and are helpful in weakening the pain-body. They will play an important role in the global awakening.” Quoted from 'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle p 158 – 9

I love this quote from A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle but at the same time, I think more needs to be said on the phrase 'These practices do not create a separation between body and spirit....'

Not only do they not create a separation, they can actually repair separation that has already taken place, and work together to create great inner enlightenment as well as outer strength.

The word 'yoga' means union; it is understood that this means union with the Supreme Spirit. Just as there are many types of yoga, there are many styles of qigong (sometimes referred to as Daoist Yoga), and taiji. They all work toward the same end: to unify your body, mind, and spirit, enabling you to experience a harmony and wholeness that has been disregarded, or worse, outright scoffed at, in Western culture.

In these practices, your body becomes a component of the meditation process, not just a focus point as when you sit quietly and place your attention on your breath or some other physical attribute. Certainly, seated or other styles of meditation are great practices, and I've done many, but body meditation practices like taiji, qigong and yoga which combine Attention and Intention with Breathing Techniques enhance your unity with Spirit, and allow growth in a new and exciting way, ever supporting and strengthening your practice toward unified wholeness of body-mind-spirit.

This gives you the clarity and power to manifest the love-filled and joy-filled and freedom-filled life you desire and deserve!

Resonant Frequency Breathing Promotes Wellness

This is a short (demo) version of a breathing exercise used in our research studies to train the participants to breathe at near resonant frequency (6 bpm) with both visual and audio aids.... You may try this technique when you feel nervous, stressed or anxious, or just want to relax. This program is based on the findings from studies of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback, and the longer version (15 to 20 min) has been used in clinical studies of treatment of hypertension, panic, asthma, major depression, fibromyalgia, and anxiety disorders....

- Dr Kevin Chen

Qigong: mindful movement made in China

Here is a reprint from Yahoo! News. Whether it's called Chinese Yoga or, as it sometimes is, Daoist Yoga, qigong is a great, self-healing practice!

Qigong: mindful movement made in China
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110207/lf_nm_life/us_fitness_qigong

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – If yoga is all the rage, can Qigong be far behind?

Sometimes called Chinese yoga, Qigong is a mind-body practice that melds slow graceful movements, mental focus and deep abdominal breathing to boost and balance a person's vital energy, or "qi".

As China's star rises in the west, devotees believe this 5,000-year-old energy cultivation system is poised to become the new kid on the block among rat racers hungry for a more serene form of fitness.

"As China becomes more of a player in the world, Chinese practice is becoming more mainstream," said Matthew Cohen, creator of the Tai Chi & Qi Gong Basics DVD, "just as yoga became popular when the Beatles went to India."

Cohen, an instructor at Sacred Energy Arts in Santa Monica, California, said unlike in India, yoga in the west has come to favor the athletic at the expense of the meditative.

"The world is getting more crowded, cars and computers getting faster," he said. "Qigong is about going slower, so internally you create space."

Tom Rogers, president of the Qigong Institute, a nonprofit educational organization, said Qigong is the precursor to all Chinese energy practices.

"Tai Chi is the most well known moving form of Qigong. Kung Fu is also a form of Qigong," Rogers said from his home in Los Altos, California

Rogers added that the idea of energy cultivation is foreign to westerners but common to other cultures.

"Look at e=mc2," Rogers said of Einstein's insight that matter and energy are different forms of the same thing.

"In the west we look at mass," he said. "Western physics made weapons. The east looks at energy."

The slow, spiral exercises of Qigong, such as Rolling the Ball or Wave Hands in the Cloud, require no equipment, can be done anywhere, and are easy to learn.

"I call it getting an MBA: Movement, Breathing and Awareness," Rogers said. "One is adjusting your posture so energy flow is better; two is slow, deep, abdominal breathing; three is awareness, or trying to get thoughts out of your head."

Balance, posture, breath control and relaxation are among the benefits of Qigong, according to Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise.

She said some research trials have also reported statistically significant decreases in the incidence of stroke, decreased blood pressure, and increases in bone mineral density and improved effectiveness of cancer therapy among practitioners.

"Exercise is not just about going on the treadmill or lifting weights," Matthews explained.

Rogers said as you become more adept, the benefits increase.

"Like an onion you peel the layers back and there's more and more to it: movements are more fluid, posture is better, energy is flowing, breathing is more efficient with movement," he said. "As your awareness deepens you're distracted by less and less."

He added that every chronic illness on the planet is affected by stress.

"Connect with that healer within. Turn that on," Rogers added.

'Green' exercise quickly 'boosts mental health'

This is a reprint from BBC News. The original may be found at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8654350.stm

Of course this makes a lot of sense! Getting outside into fresh air and sunshine (without the sunscreen, if you please!) is wonderfully uplifiting mentally, not to mention all the great things it does for you physically.

Mentally, the quiet alone reduces stress and worry reducing levels of stress hormones, and the sounds of the birds and animals is enjoyful which raises levels of good hormones. Just breathing fresh air is uplifting! Water sounds are always soothing - they often take us back to that primal water sound we were so comforted by in the womb. 

Physically, natural Vitamin D from sunshine supports many health functions in the body, and fresh air can do worlds of good in making sure your body is properly oxygenated.

Can you imagine just how great it would be to do qigong (aka Chinese moving yoga) in a beautiful, restful outdoor setting?! It sure would do a lot more than "boost mental health"!

Enjoy the article!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just five minutes of exercise in a "green space" such as a park can boost mental health, researchers claim.

There is growing evidence that combining activities such as walking or cycling with nature boosts well-being.

In the latest analysis, UK researchers looked at evidence from 1,250 people in 10 studies and found fast improvements in mood and self-esteem.

The study in the Environmental Science and Technology journal suggested the strongest impact was on young people.

The research looked at many different outdoor activities including walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming in locations such as a park, garden or nature trail.

The biggest effect was seen within just five minutes.

With longer periods of time exercising in a green environment, the positive effects were clearly apparent but were of a smaller magnitude, the study found.

Looking at men and women of different ages, the researchers found the health changes - physical and mental - were particularly strong in the young and the mentally-ill.

Green and blue

A bigger effect was seen with exercise in an area that also contained water - such as a lake or river.

Study leader Jules Pretty, a researcher at the University of Essex, said those who were generally inactive, or stressed, or with mental illness would probably benefit the most from "green exercise".

"Employers, for example, could encourage staff in stressful workplaces to take a short walk at lunchtime in the nearest park to improve mental health."

He also said exercise programmes outdoors could benefit youth offenders.

"A challenge for policy makers is that policy recommendations on physical activity are easily stated but rarely adopted widely."

Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said the research is yet further evidence that even a short period of green exercise can provide a low cost and drug-free therapy to help improve mental wellbeing.

"It's important that people experiencing depression can be given the option of a range of treatments, and we would like to see all doctors considering exercise as a treatment where appropriate."

Mind runs a grant scheme for local environmental projects to help people with mental illness get involved in outdoor activities.

First of the Eight Healing Sounds

This is a video I made for my Stress Relief List - to subscribe, visit http://groups.google.com/group/stressrelieftips - but I thought to post it here as well since I demonstrate the first movement of the Eight Healing Sounds of Yin Style Ba Gua.

I have been researching sound and healing for many months now, and have come to the conclusion that the sound you make yourself, whether you are singing or praying or chanting or doing a healing sound qigong practice, is incredibly powerful, almost beyond belief. I hope to do more of these demos in the future, but for now, enjoy!

Of the Three Treasures of Jing (Essence qi), Shen (Spirit qi) and Qi (Environmental qi), this sound/motion practice corresponds to Environmental Qi, and to the paired organs of Lung and Large Intestine.

Qi as Breath and Vital Energy

Though you may often see the word Qi spoken of as "Vital Energy" or "Life Energy," the word has many different shades of meaning. In Qigong, breathing techniques are used to strengthen Life Force, which naturally enhances health and wellness.

Today I want to focus on the concept of Qi as a combination of these two ideas which are often mentioned together: Breath, and Vital Energy, that animating principle that makes you alive. (Vital, as you know, is derived from the L. vita which means life or soul.)

The Chinese character for Qi shows us everything we need for life; food, water and especially air. I have colored the parts of the character to distinguish the different parts. The red lines represent grains of rice, the black part represents the pot in which the rice is cooking in water, and the blue lines above show the air as steam or vapor rising from the pot.

The delightfully amazing thing is that words meaning both Breath and Vital or Life Energy are in the vocabulary of many different languages. In some cases this correlation has been forgotten over time and as the usage of words has changed.

One word that may be most familiar, especially to practitioners of Yoga, is Prana, a Sanskrit word for "Breath." In the Hindu tradition, which gave birth to the practice of Yoga, Prana means "Breath of Life."

Another familiar entry is Spirit, the Latin word meaning both "to breathe" and "soul."

Galen of Pergamon, the famous Greek physician (c. 175 CE), declared that Pneuma is both "Breath" and "Spirit." In fact, he broke it down even further and taught that there were three types of Pneuma, one found in the brain, one in the heart, and one in the liver. However, the Greek word Psyche comes in a close second with the meanings of "Soul, Heart, Energy, Spirit, Courage."

The Anglo Saxon word that conveys the dual meaning of Breath and Life Energy is not actually Breath, but Ghost from the ancient word Gast which meant "Breath; Soul, Spirit Life." Originally, a Ghost wasn't a scary thing that haunted your house. The word carried a more spiritual connotation, as in Holy Ghost, the Anglo-Saxon equivalent of the Latin "Sanctus Spiritus," i.e. "Holy Spirit."

The connection of Breath and Life Force is a global phenomenon that spans time as well as space.

The Lakota vocabulary contains the word Woniya Wakan which means "Holy Air," and the Cree have Oenikika, "Breath of Life."

The Mayans called it Ik, and the Babylonians called it Vahu; both meant "Breath of Life," and was also the name of their respective Wind Gods.

The ancient Hawaiians said Ha when talking about their "Breath of Life" or "Life Force Energy."

You can see that breath and breathing have long been connected with life energy, and just about every spiritual tradition connects it with spirituality or higher levels of consciousness. If you practice qigong for a long time, you often discover that, no matter what spiritual tradition you follow, your spirituality deepens as time goes by.

Six breathing practices

If you have taken classes in yoga or if you practice meditation, then you are familiar with different types of breathing. Ancient practitioners knew well what we are just re-discovering today: the synchronization of breathing practices with mind power or intention is one of the most potent methods of healing you can practice.

When you are not familiar with these practices, it sounds funny to say that there are many methods of breathing, but it's true! Among the most popular and most practiced breathing methods are belly breathing, breath counting, breath pausing or holding, and alternate nostril breathing. These are very powerful practices and should not be undertaken without the advice or at least ongoing consultation with someone who has practiced for a while and knows what to expect and how to guide you along.

Qigong has its own series of breathing practices that follow a path of graduated steps from the easy to the challenging, each level requiring greater degrees of visualization and mind control. (Always remember that qigong is a mind/body practice; if you aren't using your mind to control and direct qi/energy through your body and energy channels as you practice, you may be exercising, but you aren't doing qigong!

There are six types of breath-regulating practices associated with qigong as outlined by Yang Jwing-Ming, founder of Yang's Martial Arts Association (YMAA) in Massachusetts, in his book Muscle/Tendon Changing and Marrow/Brain Washing Chi Kung: The Secret of Youth. The following is an excerpt from this book.

* Begin Quote *

The following breathing and mind practices are listed from relatively easy to more difficult. If you are able to catch the knack of each one, you may be able to experience all of them in about three years. Be patient and learn each one before going on to the next one in the list. Only then will you be able to profoundly comprehend the theory.

a. Chest Breathing (Normal Breathing)

First you should learn how to regulate your normal chest breathing, inhaling and exhaling smoothly with the lungs relaxed. The mind must concentrate on the practice until it is neutral, calm, and peaceful. Then you will find that the breathing can be long and deep and the body can remain relaxed. When you have done this, the heart beat will slow down. You may practice in any comfortable position. Practice ten minutes each morning and evening until one day you notice that your mind does not have to pay attention to the chest. Then you may concentrate your mind on feeling the result of the training. The result can be that when you exhale you feel the pores on the skin open, and when you inhale the pores close. It seems that all of the pores are breathing with you. This is a low level of skin or body breathing. The feeling is very comfortable, even sensational. When you can do this comfortably and automatically, you have achieved the goal of regulating your Chest Breathing.

b. Buddhist Breathing

After you have completed the above training, you then learn how to control your abdominal muscles and coordinate them with the breathing. When you inhale, it expands, and when you exhale, it withdraws. You should practice until the entire process becomes smooth and the entire body remains relaxed. Naturally, your mind must first concentrate on your abdomen in order to control the abdominal muscles. After practicing for some time, you will find the entire breathing process becoming natural and smooth. This means that you are now ready to build up Chi at the Lower Dan Tien.

Once you have reached this level, you should then coordinate your breathing with the movements of your Huiyin and anus. [The Huiyin acupuncture point is located in the perineal region, at the mdipoint between the anus and the posterior border of the scrotum in males and the posterior labial commissure in females.] When you inhale, relax the Huiyin and anus, and when you exhale hold them up. Remember, you are gently holding up the Huiyin and anus, not tightening them. When you hold them up they can remain relaxed, but if you tighten them you will impede the Chi circulation. When you tense them you also cause tension in the abdomen and stomach, which can generate other problems. In the beginning, you will seem to need to use your muscles to do this, but after you have practiced for a time, you will find that the mind is more important than the movement of the muscles. When you have reached this stage, you will feel a wonderful and comfortable feeling in the area of the Huiyin and anus. You will also feel that the Chi is led more strongly to the skin then when you did Chest Breathing. It will feel like your entire body is breathing with you.

c. Taoist Breathing

After you have mastered Buddhist Breathing, you should then start Taoist breathing, which is also called Reverse Breathing. It is called this because the movement of the abdomen is the reverse of Buddhist Breathing, in other words, the abdomen withdraws when you inhale and expands when you exhale.

When you are leaning Taoist Breathing, you should first stop your huiyin and anus coordination until you can do the Reverse Breathing smoothly and naturally. Then resume the Huiyin and anus coordination, only now when you inhale you hold up your Huiyin cavity and anus, and when you exhale, you relax them.

After you have practiced for a while, you may discover that you can now lead the Chi to the skin more efficiently when you exhale than with the Buddhist method.

d. Shen [Spirit] Breathing

When you have accomplished Taoist Breathing, you must then train to combine your Shen and breathing. When you inhale, pay attention to your Upper Dan Tien and when you exhale, relax your concentration. Remember, you should not use force to achieve the concentration. Simply pay attention while your physical body and mind stay relaxed. One day you will realize that your Shen and Breathing have become one. This is the stage of Shen Breathing.

When you are able to do Shen breathing, you Shen can be raised so that it will be able to govern the Chi very efficiently. When you have reached this level, you have already built up a firm foundation for Yi Gin Ching and Shii Soei Ching Chi Kung.

e. Five Gates Breathing.

After you have reached the level of Shen Breathing, you then learn how to regulate the Chi circulating to the five gates, or centers: the head (including the Upper Dan Tien and Baihui). The two Laogong cavities on the palms, and the two Yongquan cavities on the bottoms of the feet. Beginners use the Baihui gate on the head because it is easier for them to communicate with the surrounding Chi. Later, once it is opened, the Upper Dan Tien will be used instead.

[Baihui, Laogong, and Yongquan diagrams from the interactive charts at acuxo.com]

In this training, when you inhale the Chi is led from the five gates to the Lower Dan Tien, and when you exhale the Chi is led to the gates, where it exchanges with the surrounding Chi. (Figure 4-3).

f. Body Breathing

Body breathing is sometimes called "skin breathing." Actually, body breathing involves breathing with the entire body, not just the skin. When you exhale you lead the Chi to the muscles and the skin, and when you inhale you lead the Chi to the marrow and the internal organs. It should feel that your entire body is transparent to the Chi.

When you train this, the mind and the Shen are most important. When you inhale you draw Chi into your body from outside, and lead it to the Lower Dan Tien. When you are doing this, you should also feel that the Chi is being led inward to the internal organs and marrow. When you exhale, you lead this Chi from the Lower Dan Tien outward to your muscles, tendons, skin, and even beyond the skin. Again, the coordination of your Huiyin and anus remains the main key to successful training. When you breathe this way you will feel inflated like a beach ball. When you inhale the ball gets smaller, and when you exhale it gets larger (Figure 4-4). Inside the ball, the Chi flow is smooth, abundant, and natural. It seems that your entire body is transparent to the Chi. When you inhale you will feel light, and when you exhale you will feel heavier.

* End Quote*

As you can see, there is a lot more to breathing than meets the eye!

If the whole course as outlined above doesn't interest you, try practicing the first three styles of breathing, Chest Breathing, Buddhist Breathing, and Taoist Breathing, can bring you a great deal of benefit in both stress relief, and mental and physical health and wellness.

Qigong and The Three Treasures: Jing, Qi, and Shen

The following is an excerpt from pages 74 – 78 of Qi Gong Therapy: The Chinese Art of Healing With Energy by Shih, Tzu Kuo ISBN 0882681389

Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit) exist in every living thing. They are the substantial basis for vital activity and are the foundation for the formation and maintenance of life in the human body. Together with Yin/Yang, the five elements, the Zang Fu and meridians, they form part of the core of TCM and serve as a guide to clinical Qi Gong. But Qi Gong, in particular, stresses the direct exercise of Jing, Qi, and Shen in order to eliminate disease, strengthen the body, promote intelligence, and prolong life.

[The five elements are the energies of earth, metal, water, wood, and fire; transforming, contracting, sinking, expanding, and rising respectively. The Zang Fu are the organ pairs that have correspondence to the five elements: stomach/spleen, lung/large intestine, kidney/urinary bladder, liver/gall bladder, heart/small intestine, and additionally the "organ" pair of the pericardium/triple-heater which is not an organ as recognized in Western medicine. The meridians are the energy pathways throughout the body, usually accessed through acupuncture. TCM stands for Traditional Chinese Medicine, the broadest term for the practice that includes Qi Gong, Herbal Medicine, and Acupuncture.]

What are Jing, Qi, and Shen?

Jing (essence): Jing is an essential component of the human body and serves as a basis for vital activity. Types of Jing are distinguished according to their source and function: there is congenital Jing, acquired Jing, Jing of the Zang Fu organs, and the Jing of reproduction. The types of Jing do not exist as four separate substances, but interact with, with, support, and transform into one another. Congenital Jing is inherited from the Jing and blood of one's parents and forms one of the prime substances of vital activity in the human body. Congenital Jing is involved in the support and transformation of other types of Jing.

Acquired Jing comes from the nutrients in food. Jing is extracted from food by digestion and absorption under the auspices of the spleen and stomach. Through the function of the lung, it is transported to all the Zang Fu organs where it becomes Zang Fu Jing.

Both Jing and Qi are stored in the two kidneys. The kidney also dominates the bone and produces marrow. The Kidney is the root of Qi. Qi Gong exercise stresses exercising Jing, nourishing Jing, and reserving Jing, particularly stressing exercise of the vital energy stored between the two kidneys.

In the practice of Qi Gong, attention is paid to increasing one's intake of nutrients in order to reinforce acquired Jing, and to keeping sexual activity at a moderate level in order to preserve congenital Jing.

Qi (vital energy): The meaning of the term "Qi" is very broad. Ancient Chinese philosophers, doctors, and scholars considered every vital activity in the world to be a function of Qi. Qi was considered to be the essential substance out of which the world is composed. The transformations of Yin and Yang Qi produce the various things existing in the world. "The body receives Qi and thus can live." "Life is due to the coming together of Qi and death is due to the dispersion of Qi." The body is within Qi and Qi is within the body. Thus all life depends on Qi. With Qi, beings live; without it, they die. It is a dynamic power promoting the activity of the human body. Qi coexists with Jing. Where there is Qi, there is Jing. Where there is Jing, there must be Qi. For this reason, ancient scholars often referred to Jing and Qi together as "Jing Qi." In TCM, the circulation and transformation of Qi within the body is thought to operate according to its own law, undergoing processes of ascending, descending, going out, and transforming.

The Qi in the body, the Zheng Qi [called true or healthy Qi], has three sources:

1. The Qi inherited from one's parents. This is known as Congenital Qi.

2. The Qi derived from the air. This is mainly connected to the oxygen we breathe from the air.

3. The Qi acquired from food.

Both air-Qi and food-Qi are Acquired Qi. All three forms of Qi are indispensable for life.

Both Acquired Qi and Congenital Qi are stored in the kidneys. Through the respiratory action of the lung, the circulatory activity of the heart, the digestive and absorptive processes associated with the spleen and stomach, Acquired Qi and Congenital Qi are transported throughout the body.

Shen: "Shen" means different things in different contexts. Most frequently it means spirit, mind, sense, or expression. Here it mainly means spirit or mind. Shen is also a general name for the vital activity of the body. It is the result of the highly concentrated activity of the brain and manifests outwardly as an expression of the Zang Fu, meridians, Qi, blood, Jing, and body fluids. It is derived from Jing and Qi, and like them it has a substantial basis. It may be said that Shen is the outward manifestation of the cooperating action of Jing and Qi. Where Qi is strong, there will be Shen, where Qi is absent, Shen will weaken. Shen moves along with Qi and Jing is its interior. The substance of Shen manifests in bodily appearance, while at the same time, Shen is a function of bodily appearance.

In Qi Gong practice, we pay a great deal of attention to preserving and training Shen. The exercise methods of nourishing the Heart/Mind (Xin) and calming, regulating, and preserving Shen are therefore developed. By the three forms of regulation [regulating the body, regulating the breath, and regulating the Heart/Mind (Xin)], the brain activity is inhibited and the body feels comfortable. This is the state known as "Inner Quiet." In the Qi Gong state of Inner Quiet, the brain cells are rested and their function is regulated because of the reduction of disturbance to the brain. The body metabolism is generally reduced and oxygen consumption decreases while the storage of energy increases. Through these means, the functioning of all the systems of the body are directly influenced and strengthened, and imbalance tends toward a relative dynamic equilibrium.

Among the functions of the Qi Gong state of Inner Quiet are the build-up, transfer, and strengthening of Zheng Qi. How can Qi Gong prevent and treat disease, promote intelligence, prolong life, and develop human potentialities? By regulating and nourishing the heart and the mind through bringing the brain to a quiet state and thus promoting a condition of active regulation.

As we have been stressing throughout, Jing, Qi, and Shen play important roles in vital activity. Thus, the ancient practitioners of Chinese medicine and scholars specializing in methods of preserving health paid particular attention to the preservation and exercise of these three fundamental substances. Jing, Qi, and Shen do not exist in isolation. They coexist in the same body and cannot be separated. The Ancient doctors pointed out that Shen moves along with Qi and that Jing exists in the interior of the Shen. The longevity of the body depends upon the care and preservation of Jing, Qi, and Shen.

Through the regulation of body, breath, and heart/mind, the various forms of information coming from the inner and external environments – information that stimulates and disturbs the brain – can be responded to effectively, thus protecting and strengthening the self-stabilizing, dynamic equilibrium of the body's control system. [I.e., protecting and strengthening the body's ability to maintain health!]

Three Ancient Qigong practitioners on breathing

The following excerpt is from the book Qi Gong Therapy: The Chinese Art of Healing With Energy by Tzu Kuo Shih, Station Hill Press, Barrytown NY, 1994.

P. 14-15:

Sun Simiao [AD 581-682] was a renowned physician and Daoist of the Tang Dynasty [AD 618-907]. There are many descriptions of Qi Gong practices in his works, Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand in Gold (Qian Jin Fang) and Supplement to the Prescriptions Worth a Thousand in Gold (Qian Jin Yi Fang). In the chapter, "Methods of Breath-Regulation" he details four methods: abdominal breathing, internal seeing, breath controlling, and exhalation. The four methods are the essence of ancient Chinese Qi Gong.

In his Song for Eliminating Diseases in the Four Seasons (Si Ji Qu Bing Ge), Dr. Sun wrote:

Exhaling with mouth not open can improve the sight and soothe the liver in spring. Exhaling with the mouth open wide, in spring, can clear away the heart-fire. Exhaling with the mouth open but teeth clenched in autumn, can astringe the lung and relieve cough and asthma. Exhaling can reinforce the kidney. Producing the sound "shee—" can eliminate restlessness and fever of deficiency type of San-jiao [triple burner]. Rapid exhalation can reinforce the spleen and promote digestion.

Wang Shou was another famous Qi Gong practitioner from the Tang Dynasty. In his work, The Medical Secrets of an Official (Wai Tai Mi Yao) he says:

The method to treat diseases of the heart and abdomen and all other diseases is through breathing.

P. 22-23:

Gong Yan Xian was a doctor of the Imperial hospital during the Min Dynasty. [Min Dynasty: AD 909-946] He wrote Living a Long Life and Preserving Fundamental Energy (Shou Shi Bao Yuan) which discoursed upon breathing and standing Qi Gong. He wrote:

It is said a person's life is based on energy. When the breath occurs between the heart and the spleen, then the blood flows smoothly, the vitality is strengthened, and all diseases disappear. At midnight, noon, dawn, and dusk, stay in your room quietly, the bed fitted with a heavy cotton-padded mattress, and sit on the bed with legs crossed, closing your eyes and filling your ears with cotton, not thinking anything—take your breath between your heart and spleen, not too fast and not too slow. Just take it easy. When you practice this for two months, you will get Qi Gong results.

Benefits of proper breathing

I’m going to start off with something that is fundamental to promoting health and well-being: Breathing. We all do it, but do you realize how vitally important it is to do it properly and cleanly? Read on…..

The two easiest and most immediate things you can do is to breathe properly and to make sure you are doing everything you can to promote good circulation. The health and wellness of every cell in your body depends upon the oxygen carried through the blood stream. Improper breathing or being sedentary for long periods of time denies your body its oxygen requirement, and you set yourself up for a stress reaction. When your circulation suffers, you cannot properly expel the carbon dioxide and other toxins from your system, either. This also creates feelings of un-wellness.

Mild reactions to improper breathing can bring an overall feeling of lethargy. Stronger physical symptoms may range from headaches to tingling (“pins and needles”) or cramps in feet and toes. These two reactions are often most pronounced when you have sat leaning over a desk for an extended period of time.

When you sit leaning forward, you are compressing your chest area, including your heart! This position can limit your heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently, and can diminish your capacity to circulate oxygen. Sitting forward also encourages shallow breathing. The average adult uses only ten percent of his or her lung capacity as it is; you can’t afford to decrease your intake of oxygen. Furthermore, slouching forces stressful tension into your shoulders and the back of your neck, compressing the veins and capillaries, and restricting the flow of blood to your head and your brain. This not only causes headaches, but adversely impacts your ability to concentrate and retain information.

Your heart is a hard-working organ, but it can’t push blood all the way to the tip of your toes by itself. Your muscle tone helps to move the oxygenated blood through your body to your extremities. Sitting still for long periods of time causes your muscles themselves to suffer from lack of oxygen; they begin to contract, making you feel stiff or sore all over. Poor muscle tone contributes to poor circulation, and that contributes even more to muscular stress and discomfort. Feet and toes get cranky when they do not receive the oxygen they need, and they send the very direct message through the “pins and needles” or cramps you feel: “Get up and get moving!” For every hour you sit, you should make five minutes for movement.

The mechanics of proper breathing is only one side of this issue. The other side is, of course, what you breathe.

Whether you spend your time in a home or an office, indoor air is full of things that are downright bad for you: formaldehyde from cupboards and other plywood products; fire retardants and other chemicals in carpets, upholstery, and draperies; glue and finishing products from furniture; residue from cleaning products.

Opening the window to let in fresh, outdoor air may not be much better, and may even be worse if you are exposing yourself to vehicle exhaust fumes or landscaping chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides.

The only way to get clean air without going out into the forest is to make it. Very simply, buy an air cleaner. It will be the best investment you ever made toward your good health and wellness.

Small air cleaners are available that will easily fit on the corner of your desk or table, and larger cleaners that will filter the air in an entire room. If you purchase an air cleaner that requires filters, do remember to change the filter frequently or you will be breathing in the higher density of toxins collected in the filter.

Not as effective but esthetically more pleasing perhaps is to place plants or a small, potted tree in your work place or home. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and return fresh oxygen. A flowering plant brings the added advantage of nicely scented flowers that encourage deep breathing as you try to capture their perfume. It’s a fact that the color green promotes relaxation and well-being.

Burning a candle will help clean the air, also, but please burn only natural beeswax candles. The scented paraffin candles look and smell nice, but they are manufactured from petroleum by-products and only add to indoor pollution according to The American Lung Association. While burning, a natural beeswax candle will produce negative ions which help clear the air of pollen, smoke, dust and dust mites, and bad odors. They burn slower and last longer, too. (Never leave a burning candle unattended.)

Whatever method you choose, it is certainly in your best interest to provide yourself with the healthiest, cleanest air you can.