The ancient documents about Qigong are very often written in a form of poem. If we ignore for too long these kind of warning signs and we don’t do anything, in time develops a physical disorder or injury. In this way we release the tension or pressure in the liver due to fatigue, bad food or excessive anger. For example, when we feel tension in the liver area, we lift our right hand. Both mean that the body is communicating to our brain about the Qi disbalance that has just occurred. The sequence of the exercises is created purposely, considering the human reactions when there is a pain or discomfort in the body. The pain as communication between the body and mind Standing Ba Duan Jin works with all of the twelve primary Qi channels (meridians). They are the roots which help us to become capable to use our wise mind (Yi) to lead the qi to circulate through the body and improve our health. It is better to remember, that the theory and principles of each exercise are more important than form alone. We don’t have to waste too much time trying to found out which version is the best and the most original.
Besides the standing Ba Duan Jin there is also a set of sitting Ba Duan Jin which is not as popular as the standing one. It is supposed that at the beginning there were twelve exercises of brocade, but in time the number of exercises were reduced to eight. In the period of eight hundred years many variations of this set were developed. The next reason, very important to many people, is that if you practice this set regularly, in only a few months you should be able to notice improvements of health. The second reason is that these exercises can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age and physical condition. At the same time, they serve as a good basic foundation for the future study of Qigong. The first reason is that the theory and the method of practice are enough simple and comprehensive also for the beginners. Eight Pieces of Brocade – a perfect introduction to QigongĮight Pieces of Brocade is often the first set of the Qigong exercises introduced to the beginners. In time, the exercises have become popular also among the civil population in China due to their numerous positive effects on health. Yue Fei has created this set of Qigong exercises to improve the health and endurance of his soldiers who had to be capable to walk limitless kilometers with the heavy military equipment. He was very popular among his soldiers, also because of his kindness and his sense for justice.
However, in time of peace he was studying and reading Chinese classics and history. He was an excellent general and highly-skilled martial artist. The exercises were created in the period of South Song Dynasty (1127-1279 a.d.) by Marshal Yue Fei. We will talk about the origin, structure and the purpose of this Qigong set. This blog is a short introduction to the Qigong exercises Eight Pieces of Brocade or in Chinese Ba Duan Jin.