We are informed from the previous text that the state of integrating three regulations into one is the basic state for any Health Qigong, and any exercise or method is a media to enter this state. In the following passage, the writer will take “Holding the sky with Palms Up to Regulate the Internal Organs” movement in Health Qigong•Ba Jin Duan as an example to explain how to practice it to obtain the state of integrating three regulations into one.
The body regulation movement “Holding the sky with Palms Up to Regulate the Internal Organs” can be divided into three parts. The first part covers from the very beginning to the movement of holding two hands to chest; the second part starts from the move where the first part ends, flip palms and pulling them up till perfection. In the last part, two hands fall from the body sides.
Firstly, I will explain the method of from above to below of the integration. In the state of integrating three regulations into one, the heart is supposed to be regulated to be calm and peaceful. Under this mentality, the respiratory rate will decrease and the breath rhythm is slow and steady, deep and long. As for the movements, each movement of up-raising or out-pulling will guide the Yang Qi out of the body, while each move of downward and inward will guide Yang Qi downwards and save it in the inner body. Generally speaking, up-raising or out-pulling movements are coordinated with breath-out, so they will guide Qi-blood to our limbs and make them strong; while movements that downward and inward are coordinated with breath-in, and thus they can gather Qi-blood into the inner organs and do them good.
In accordance with this state, the three regulations of “Holding the sky with Palms Up to Regulate the Internal Organs” can be defined as follow: breath in, and raise two hands till the chest; hold breath and flip palms and pull them up till perfection, and imagine that one is standing between the sky and the earth with two hands up, forming the skyreach pillar with the body; breath out and draw back the hands to the beginning posture. There are many movements that can be adjusted, such as the notion of holding the sky when pulling up two hands above till the perfection and the position of elbow and knee; or breath in till pulling to the perfection; and the time to flip the palms, etc.
The general method of from below to above of the integration is described as below: what kind of notion can best coordinate with the up-pulling movement, and make it to be more effective; how to regulate the exerciser’s breath when pulling up the hands; what posture will be more comfortable when the hands are pulled up to the perfection; whether it should be coordinated with notion, and what notion; how to control the breath so the exerciser will feel better; how the two hands should be put down, and how to control the breath, etc.
If the extension method is employed, any practice to perfection is capable of obtaining the state of integrating three regulations into one. Although the practice of “Holding the sky with Palms Up to Regulate the Internal Organs” is mainly composed of motions, it can obtain the state of integrating three regulations into one by starting from body regulation, breath regulation and heart regulation, and performing it to the perfection.
The performance of extension method includes following ones: how the exerciser feel when breathe-in and pull-up hands, or breathe-out and downward the hands? What is the best and most effective time to start the notion when pulling up? How to perform the following movements so it will be more effective? Including the way to breathe-in and pull-up, and the way to breathe-out and downward the hands, etc. The exerciser is supposed to find the best practicing way in the process.
The extension of body regulation is as follow: The movement of “Holding the sky with Palms Up to Regulate the Internal Organs” is a process of the hands from below to above and then from above to below, which is aiming at regulating the internal organs. To be more precisely, it aims at guiding the Qi in our body and making it smooth. In order to achieve this final aim and obtain the regulation of inner organs as well as to find the best feelings of holding the sky, the exerciser should clearly understand the route of the movements, the practicing force, and the transformation of the movements and the coordination of the whole body. There are details that should be paid close attention if the exerciser wants to achieve the effectiveness of regulating the inner organs. For instance, the degree of tightness when raising the hands from the chest, the best position to flip the palms, the state of elbow and knee to feel the notion of holding the sky, and the most suitable position of erecting head.
The extension method of heart regulation is as this: the exerciser should concentrate all his attention to the effectiveness of the practice, and try to find and feel the comfortableness of the regulation of the inner organs. It is a state with relaxing body, peaceful mind and comfortable inner organs. Under this state, the breath and movements will naturally appear as soon as the exerciser starts the practice of “Holding the sky with Palms Up to Regulate the Internal Organs”.
To sum up, the state of integrating three regulations into one is creative and changeable, but it is always in a steady state of balance and regulation. The state will be changed if the aim or the notion is changed, which is accompanied with the change of movements and breath; the adjustment of movements can cause the change of effectiveness and breath; and the regulation of breath can also change the practicing effectiveness and the force of the movements.
(By Liu Feng and liu Tianjun)