2022-9-10 COUNTDOWN
00
D
00
H
00
M
00
S
location: Frist page HealthQigong The Diffusion of Qi and Blood Starts from the Middle Burner -The origination and transformation of the routine "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach"
2016-09-20
The Diffusion of Qi and Blood Starts from the Middle Burner -The origination and transformation of the routine "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach"
Practice is intended to be sensible; the reason is involved in the methods. There are technical specification and the mechanism of nourishing the body and mind existing in the movement methods, which include the theory of the transportation function of the internal organs, as well as the theory of the circulation of Qi and blood in the meridians. Of course, the philosophy involved in the methods is also the inexhaustible treasure for the practitioners. General principles are involved in the plain methods of the routine "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach". I would like the exercisers to record your experience in the spare time.
The stomach is the barn organs of the body; the spleen governs the blood and takes charge of the transportation and transformation of the essence of water and grain, which is the origination of Qi and blood. The human body is nourished by the spleen, so it is called the acquired foundation. Spleen and stomach match the earth in the five elements, which are utmost Yin. Spleen corresponds to the long summer in the four seasons. The routine "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions the Stomach" has focused on strengthening and cultivating the spleen and stomach. The theory of the methods is to regulate the spleen and stomach, tonifying Qi and nourish the organs. Well, what can we achieved in practicing the movements in this routine? This article will discuss it from the following aspects.
Advocating the moderate way
In the logic of the ancients, to achieve the natural harmony between the heaven, earth and human and the cultural harmony, it is essential to hold the moderate way, the harmony and the moderate way are relates in the mutual transformation of opposites, thus achieving the neutralization. As for the relationship between the harmony and the moderate way, in the Chun Qiu Fan Lu- Xun Tian Zhi Dao written by Dong Zhongshu, it said, "the moderate way is the beginning and end of the heaven and earth, and also generated by the heaven and earth. There is nothing greater than the harmony in the virtues, and there is nothing more positive than the moderate way." And further it concluded that "the intention of the moderate way is to achieve harmony. "The moderate way" is the way of the heaven, while the harmony is the achievement of the heaven." In his view, the way of the heaven and earth "follows the moderate way from start to the end". "The moderate way" is the scale and rule, while the state of harmony is the realm and purpose. Without the state of harmony, "the moderate way" will lose their meaning; and without the "the moderate way", the state of harmony cannot be reached.
Since Health Qigong - Ba Duan Jin is the product of traditional Chinese culture, in which the movement methods and theories are inevitably imbued with the ancient thinking logic of "advocating the moderate way". So it is logical to strengthen the body upholding the law of advocating the moderate way. The theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that the physical and mental health care should focus on strengthening the spleen and stomach. The spleen and stomach match earth in the five elements and are in the center. Thus, the concept of advocating the moderate way is reflected in the movements and formulas in practicing "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach". For instance, the formula is listed as the following. Standing naturally with arms bent at the elbows, let the palms face upwards and the fingertips touch each other. Raise the hands and turn the palms downwards; then draw the right hand up with the palm facing upward; the left hand moves downward with the palm facing down. When the arms are extended, straighten the legs. Exhale through the nose when both hands are in front of the chest, and inhale through the mouth when the arms are apart. Draw the hands back to Dantian. This formula has generalized the requirements for the practice, which has further stressed the logical thinking, "strength storing in the heels of palms, rising upward and pressing downward, stretching the body and the lumbar". These requirements are designed around the stomach and spleen. In order to specifically understand the influence of advocating the moderate way in the methods, I will show you how the concept of advocating the moderate way is reflected in the course of movements. Then I will take the movement process of the left palm rising and right palm pressing as the example. Inhale. Raise hands from the side of the body to the chest, and exhale. Subsequently, the left palm vertically rises upward, and then turn over the palm, with the fingertips to the right; at the same time, press the right palm with the strength from the heels of palm, with the fingertips to the left, which stands opposite with the right hand at a distance; suspend the breathing. Maintain the postures of rising and pressing, at the same time, suspend breathing and count 10 numbers or so; when inhaling, draw the left and right hands back to the front of chest. Raise the right palm slowly with the left palm pressing down. In the practice of this routine, the will and Qi are mutually followed, the movements are soft and soothing, and the posture is nature and serene. Stretching and pressing toward the left and right repeatedly can play an effective role in massaging the internal organs, especially the stomach and spleen.
Well, why regulating the stomach and spleen is related to the earth in the five elements? Huangdi Neijing-Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor explained that everything in this world is made up of the five elements. The organs of human body correspond to the five elements, i.e. the heart matches fire, the kidney matches water, the lung matches gold, the liver matches wood, and the spleen matches earth. The earth is in the center, which is the mother of all things. In order to further clarify the truth, it is available to study from the five elements structure in the environment inside and outside the body.
Attachment: the five elements structure char of the internal and external environment of human body.
Five notes Jue Zhi Gong Shang Yu
Time  Daybreak Noon Afternoon Sunset Midnight
Five flavors Acid Bitter Sweet Pungent Salty
Five colors green red yellow white black
Five changes Birth Growth Transformation Harvest Storage
Five kinds of elements Wind Heat Dampness Dryness Cold
Five orientations East South Center West North
Five seasons Spring Summer late summer autumn winter
Five elements Mood Fire Earth Metal Water
Five viscera Liver Heart Spleen Lung Kidney
Six organs Gallbladder Small  intestine Stomach Large intestine Bladder
Five sense organs Eyes Tongue Mouth Nose Ears
Body Tendon Pulse Flesh Skin & Hair Bone
Five expressions of emotions Anger Happy Anxiety Grief Fear
Five sounds Shout Smile Sing Cry Groan
Five variations Clench Sorrow Retch Cough Shiver
 
From the above table, it can be seen that the spleen and stomach of the human body belong to earth in the five elements. Therefore, the movements in this routine are intended to regulate the stomach and spleen, which equals to the earth in the five elements.
The concept of advocating the moderate way is also the basic way to observe and understand the world for the ancient sages. In the five elements, the earth is related to sowing and reaping. Therefore, the earth has the characteristics of carrying things and transformation, namely, the mother of all things. The earth is the most special in the law of the five elements, i.e. the prosperity, less prosperity, rest, weakness and death. It is prosperous in the four seasons. It is because that the earth is the mother of everything, the gold, wood, water and fire cannot generate without the earth. The ancestors upheld the concept of earth and center and formed a great variety of cultural elements and cultural symbols, which have spread so far. Everything in the world, i.e. the time, space, status, colors, figures and other cultural symbols, are endowed with the theory of advocating the moderate way by our ancestors. The architectural culture are all shining the cultural symbols of the earth and center, e.g. from the position of constellations in the sky to the emperor's residence on the ground, the Forbidden City in the capital, the imperial city in Chang'an, the palace in Bian Liang, etc. Moreover, the ancients attached great importance to the cultural style of the middle and earth in the color. Five colors are linked to the orientations, i.e. the east matches green, the west matches white, the south matches red, the north matches black and the center matches yellow. Because yellow is the color of the earth, and the earth is the nature of things. Therefore, yellow is the center of the five colors, so that the palace roof and the clothes of the emperor are mainly yellow. Another example is that the ancients attached great importance to the cultural memory of the middle and earth. According to the theory of Yin and Yang, the single numbers belong to Yang, in which the number nine is the largest and the number five is the middle. The numbers nine and five are the ancient symbols of the emperors, whom were often called Jiu Wu Zhi Zun(the imperial throne), so the numbers nine and fivecoincided with the emperor.
Thus, in the traditional fitness regimen culture, it is reasonable to take care of the stomach and spleen, which are placed in the center and match the earth in five elements. Therefore, Health Qigong - Ba Duan Jin has adhered to the traditional culture and expressed the meaning of regulating the stomach and spleen with the routine Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach, which has seized the main contradiction and the key, or started the Qi movement of the fitness culture.
Holding the moderate way
Holding the moderate way is a concept with extremely rich connotation. In the paper, it is used to explain the methods and functions of the movements. As above mentioned, impacted by the thinking of advocating the moderate way, all kinds of culture symbols and cultural phenomena produced in the ancient China all featured in the background of holding the moderate way. It is not listed in the traditional fitness regimen culture, but exercisers should pay more attention to realize the meaning of "holding the moderate way" in the further practice. The routine "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach" is the typical movements to regulate the spleen, liver and gallbladder with the idea of holding the moderate way. Its basic principle is that the rising and pressing of upper arm can smooth the meridians in the arms and delay the circulation of Qi and blood in the meridians; in the course of the rise and fall, and open and close, the right and left hands rising and pressing alternately plays the role of guiding the abdominal cavity activities and massaging the spleen and stomach. At the same time, it can also regulate the meridians in both sides of the chest.
Above all, hold the moderate way in the inner of the body. In this routine, the movements combine the static and dynamic, and hardness and softness, the will and Qi are mutually followed, which produce the feeling of holding the moderate way to achieve harmony. First, it is the feeling of holding the moderate way with inner strength. When one palm rises gently and the other palm pressing down, the body should be steady with hands and hold the moderate way with inner strength. Second, it is the feeling of pulling in the moderate way. When one arm revolves outward and inward, and the other arm presses with strength, it should be the feeling of pulling in the moderate way continuously. Third, it is the feeling of stretching in the moderate way. When stretching the body and the lumbar, and looking straight ahead, exercisers should be in a calm state and make the intrinsic muscles still in the stretching state. Fourth, it is the feeling of relaxing in the moderate way. When the center of gravity of the body going down, arms revolving outward, palms falling down in the front of abdomen, palms up, fingers being opposite, as well as looking straight ahead, the body of the exercisers should be in a nature and relaxed state. The limb movements are continuous, and the static state is relatively, and the dynamic and static are mutually transformed, which expresses the harmonious and moderate status combining tightness and relaxation. In addition, it should pay attention to the cooperation of the will and Qi and the cooperation of the movements and the breath. The reverse abdominal breathing method should be taken, lifting the anus and stretching the abdomen, with diaphragm rising up; when drawing back both palms, the body is relaxed with the center of gravity going down, exercisers should cooperate the breath, loose belly and anal, with the diaphragm going down. After entering into the exercising state, the exercisers should calm the mind and concentrate on the key parts of movements. Rising upward and pressing downward is conductive to start the running state of qi and blood of the spleen and stomach meridians.
Secondly, hold the moderate way in the guide. Costal liver gall bladder through the line the site, therefore "regulate stomach rationale single arm lift” This movement is a precondition above all reasonable regulate liver and gallbladder. Why there is a condition of regulating the liver and gall in the front of the movements of "regulating the functions of the spleen and stomach"? It is the profound Chinese culture and essence wonderful place. Simply speaking, it is designed to dredge and guide Qi and blood in the stomach and spleen, and transport them orderly to other functional organs. To regulate the stomach properly, it is very important to drain the liver and gallbladder. From the view of the mutual generation and restriction of the five elements, wood restricts earth. Liver and gall match the wood, stomach and spleen match the earth. Liver and gall will restrict the stomach and spleen. Therefore, if you do not want to the stomach and spleen being restricted by the liver and gall, you need to exercise the stomach and spleen. So, dragging the hands, rising and pressing alternately and stretching the liver meridians and gall bladder meridians can achieve the maintenance of spleen and stomach. At the same time, the movements mainly act on the middle burner. Stretching the body should be flexible and slow. The palms rising and falling alternatively and stretching on the opposite directions can harmoniously pull the inner visceras and muscles of both sides, especially the liver and gallbladder, stomach and other visceras are stretched, thus facilitating the gastrointestinal motility and enhancing the digestion function. The long-standing practice can prevent and cure the diseases of the above mentioned organs.
Finally, hold the moderate way in accordance with its natural tendency. The motion attributes of Health Qigong has endowed the routine "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach" with the prerequisites of harmony between man and nature. In the course of doing this routine, left and right hands rising and pressing alternatively, stretching both arms and palms in the opposite way can stretch effectively the abdominal cavity, which is conductive to massage the spleen and stomach. Overall, this routine plays many roles in the origination and transformation of Qi and blood in the spleen and stomach. First, it is to regulate the relationship between the spleen and stomach, in which the stomach taking charge of receiving food, and the spleen taking charge of the transportation and transformation. These two organs complete the digestion and absorption and transport the essence to the whole body, so as to nourish the body. Therefore, the stomach and spleen are called the acquired foundation. Second, it is to regulate the opposite and complementary relationship between the spleen and stomach. The liver governs the ascending, so that the essence of water and grain is dispersed upward; the stomach governs the descending, so that the essence of water and grain is dispersed downward. Therefore, it said that "the ascending spleen Qi is healthy, while the descending stomach Qi is smooth.” The stomach matches the dryness, the spleen matches the dampness; the stomach prefers moist and dislike the dryness, while the spleen prefer the dryness and dislikes the dampness. The coordination of Yin and Yang, and the dampness and dryness contribute to the digestion and transformation course. Third, it is to regulate the interaction of stomach and spleen. Due to the physiological relation between the stomach and spleen, they have interaction effects in the pathology. Dereliction of duty, such as the spleen, clear air does not rise, you can affect the stomach and receiving and drop; conversely, if the diet disloyal, epigastric stagnation, loss and lower stomach, and spleen may affect up clearance and transportation of. All in all, the stomach and spleen are the "acquired foundation". Practicing this routine is the effective method of maintenance the stomach and spleen, and more importantly, it can guide the circulation of Qi and blood.
Using the moderate way
From the means and methods of its sense, using the moderate way refers to the technology and method chosen in the practice. It is different from holding the moderate way in the methods, and the most obvious character is that it is more concrete. Stomach and spleen are in the center, at the same time, they have the important function of digestion and absorption, which is the energy source of body. As long as the normal functioning of the spleen and stomach, as well as the tissues and organs, people will not suffer the diseases; if the spleen and stomach, as well as the tissues and organs not work well, people will suffer the diseases. First of all, keep fitness in the moderate way, namely: keeping the health of stomach and spleen contributes to the fitness. Therefore, body building must keep the moderate way. Of course, there are lots of ways to strengthen the stomach and spleen, and the theories of "Holding Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach" depend on the following factors.
First, diffuse in the center. It means that the origination and transformation of Qi and blood of the human body stem from the spleen and stomach. The diffusion refers to the drifting muggy clouds. The meaning of "diffusion" is that the development in the chaotic atmosphere, which means the chaotic air drifting everywhere. It is the variation course that the lightly rising air is transported to the heaven, and the heavy and muddy air is transported to the earth. The diffusion means the hot and humid water vapor, which is to say that the chaotic atmosphere is muggy. White tiger- Marriage has cited the words of The Book of Change, it said, "The diffusion of the heaven and earth, all things are pure". It means that "the world is transformed by the muggy chaos air; then the Qi of heaven going down and the Qi of earth rising up, the interaction of them lead to the metaplasia of all things. The truth expressed in the above text has almost explained the transformation and interaction between the spleen and stomach. On the one hand, it provides the conditions for generating and transforming Qi and blood of the stomach and spleen. Spleen and stomach are the main organs of digestion. The spleen governs the blood and takes charge of the transportation and transformation. The stomach takes charge of receiving and digesting food. The smooth spleen Qi is the ascending Qi, the harmonious stomach Qi is the descending Qi. The two meridians contact with each other, therefore, it is the interaction condition that the diffusion of Qi and blood starting from the stomach and spleen. On the other hand, it has pointed out that the inevitability of the diffusion of Qi and blood stemming from the stomach and spleen. The stomach and spleen match the earth in the five elements and centrally located. The spleen and stomach coordinate with Yin and Yang, dampness and dryness. The digestion and absorption activities are naturally organized by the stomach and spleen. It is obvious that the benefits of the routine "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach" are resulted from that the stomach and spleen governing the origination and transformation.
Secondly, dredge the meridians of the middle burner. The stomach and spleen all belong to the middle burner. The middle burner, upper burner and lower burner are collectively known as Triple Burners. The middle burner governs the transport, i.e. digesting food, transportation and transformation of the essence, to cultivate Qi and blood, so it is called that "the middle burner takes charge of the retting. “The "retting" is the bubble floating state when digesting food. The routine "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach" contributes to regulate the spleen. The movements of rising and pressing in this routine have fully stretched the abdominal cavity, which can stimulate the spleen meridians and dredge the middle burner. If the middle burner fails to work, the spleen will be sick, the essence of water and grain cannot be transformed into Qi and blood, which may cause the gastrectasia, abdominal fullness, being stuffy and so on. The spleen channels of foot-taiyin mainly circulate through the chest and abdomen, which is the external reaction line of the spleen. In this routine, the repeated stimulation of the spleen meridian, dredging meridians, can strengthen the functions of spleen in governing blood and transformation. The food essence are transformed into Qi, blood and body fluids, and transported to the internal organs of the body through the heart and lungs, in order to support the human life and activities, as well as prevent and cure the diseases due to the spleen disorders. The routine "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach" contributes to regulate the stomach. The movements in this routine can repeatedly pull the abdominal cavity, and play the role of massage and regulation on the stomach. Stomach Qi transports the essence of water and grain to the intestines, and keeps the change of deficiency and excess of the stomach and intestines, so that the digestion function runs normally, Qi and blood are abundant, thus the stomach Qi governing the descending. If the stomach Qi did not descend, people may suffer the epigastria fullness or stomach pain, etc.; the adverse rising of stomach qi may cause hiccups or vomiting embolism, etc.; the stomach dysfunction, body fluid deficiency or excessive stomach fire may cause the large intestine constipation, bloating, abdominal pain and other symptoms. In this routine, the repeated stimulation of the stomach meridian of foot-yang ming in the chest and abdomen can dredge the meridians and enrich the stomach Qi, as well as promote the circulation of Qi and blood in the related organs; at the same time, you can also cut off the development pathways of the stomach diseases and prevent the incidence of stomach.
Third, hold the moderate way with applying two factors. To regulate the origination and transformation of Qi and blood of the stomach and spleen, focusing on the stomach, spleen and the middle burner is only one of the ways to strengthen the stomach and spleen. Human health is the mutual effect results determined by various factors conducive to the health. The same is true with the spleen and stomach health. In fact, only "holding the moderate way" is not enough, we must make good use of the upper burner and lower burner. The upper burner is the parts above the diaphragm, including the heart and lungs; the lower burner is the parts under the diaphragm, including kidneys, large and small intestine, the uterus and so on. The upper burner and lower burner have their own physiological features. The upper burner governs the breath and Qi, as well as the meridian, which is characterized by the diffusion. The essence of water and grain are transported to nourish the organs of the whole body like the fog, so it is said that "the upper burner is like the fog“. The lower burner takes charge of separating the pure and turbid, as well as excreting urine and stool, which has the characteristics of discharging downward and outward, so it is called that "the lower burner is profane". So the physiological functions of the upper burner and the lower burner are related to the way to transport Qi and the water. Therefore, holding the moderate way with applying two factors and the interaction of triple burners govern Qi of the body and take charge of Qi movement and gasification of the body. It is not difficult to understand that the circulations of Qi and blood start from the middle burner. In addition, holding the moderate way not just refers to the helping role that the middle burner drawing supports from the upper burner and lower burner. "Holding the moderate way" stresses the emphasis of the movements, while "applying two factors" is a generalization saying with the meaning of overall interaction. Such as, practicing the routine "Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Functions of the Spleen and Stomach" can also exercise the facet joint and muscles among the vertebras of the spine, which is conducive to prevent and cure the symptoms of the shoulder, neck and lumbar. Driven with the strength of shoulders, the palms rising and falling, expanding the chest and abdomen, and stretching the waist and backbone can stimulate the Du channel, which masters the marrow connects the brain, going through the spine. Stretching and clearing the meridians within the neck, shoulders and spine, enhancing the circulation of Qi and blood in the facet joint and muscle can contribute to smooth the joints, strengthen the flexibility and stability of the neck, shoulders and spine, so as to prevent and cure the integrated diseases of the neck, shoulders and lumbar.
In short, the acquired nutritional sufficiency depends largely on the coordinate functions of the stomach. So we must pay attention to the prosperity and decline of the stomach and spleen. When people are ill, the prosperity of stomach can make sure the physical well-being; contrarily, the body is unhealthy. Therefore, we should master the view that the diffusion of Qi and blood starts from the middle burner, as well as discover a way to enjoy the ancient Chinese fitness regimen culture.
COMMENT
Posted
HealthQigong
International Health Qigong Federation: All rights Record:京ICP备15050301号 京公网安备 11010102002746号