location: Frist page Research Development The Learning and practice of Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue (The Explanation Chapter)
2016-09-20
The Learning and practice of Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue (The Explanation Chapter)
At the invitation of the editorial department, I begin to write the serialized articles on Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue. Starting from the "The Explanation Chapter", the articles on the learning and practice of each routine will gradually be completed. I hope to learn and discuss together with readers. 
Origin of the methods
Health Qigong is the health technology integrating two characteristics of the traditional Chinese Health Preserving Exercises, i.e." promoting the circulation of qi" and Tao Yin. Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue has focused on the breathing, and it is the health exercise, which focuses on the breathing ("promoting the circulation of qi") in the Health Qigong. In the process of practice, there are also the flexion and extension of the limbs. The set of exercise has some differences with other methods in the Health Qigong, which mainly because that the emphasis of "promoting the circulation of qi" and Tao Yin are different. 
The combination of "promoting the circulation of qi" and "Tao Yin" is the inevitable result of the development of traditional Health Qigong. It is generally recognized that the traditional Chinese Health Preserving Exercises were from the primitive witchcraft and dances. This process was probably completed in the Zhou Dynasty. At that time, the health preserving exercises can only be generalized by the "body movements". Subsequently Tao Yin, "promoting the circulation of qi" and other categories have been separated from the "body movements". From the Spring and Autumn Period to Western Han and Eastern Han Dynasties, Tao Yin and "promoting the circulation of qi" has developed rapidly in the respective directions. "Promoting the circulation of qi" pays attention to control the breathing. "Xing Qi Yu Pei Ming" in the Warring States has recorded a way to "promote the circulation of qi". "Zhuang Zi · Ke Yi" said, "exhaling the old and inhaling the new", which has descripted the feature of promoting the circulation of qi. Nanguo Ziqi sat on the ground next to the little table, looked up and breathed out slowly, which was recorded in the "Zhuang Zi · Qi Wu Lun". It must be the practice of "promoting the circulation of qi". Tao Yin focuses on the control of the body movements. "The bears climbing branches and birds stretching the foot" recorded in the "Zhuang Zi · Ke Yi" belongs to this kind of exercise. Recently unearthed "Yin Shu" and "Tao Yin Drawing" have basically discussed on the Tao Yin of the human body. “Lu Shi Chun Qiu· Gu Le" said, "People suffered arthralgia, aching muscles and other symptoms due to the stagnation of Qi, so they began to use the dance to dredge and guide the Qi and blood", which has explained the role and origin of Tao Yin. Ge Hong in the Eastern Jin Dynasty has criticized the phenomena that being adherent to a unique exercise and do not learn widely from others' strong points. In his book named "Bao Pu Zi", it said, "Promoting the circulation of qi can prolong the life, and Tao Yin can lead the ageless life". It can be seen that "Tao Yin" and "promoting the circulation of qi" were still independent in Ge Hong's era, but the fusion of the two ideas have also emerged. 
After the Wei and Jin dynasties, as more and more people (physicians, Confucians and Taoists, etc.) has been involved, the exercises characterized by "Tao Yin" and "promoting the circulation of qi" were gradually developed. "Yang Sheng Yan Ming Lu · Tao Yin and Massage Chapter" written by Tao Hongjing in the Wei and Jin Dynasties said, "Squat like a wolf and breathe slowly, repeat the movements three times“, which is the perfect combination of "Tao Yin" and "promoting the circulation of qi". The concepts of "Tao Yin" and "promoting the circulation of qi" are gradually fused, people often call them "Tao Yin to promote the circulation of qi", and sometimes they are only be generalized as "Tao Yin". "Zhu Bing Yuan Hou Lun", written by Chao Yuanfang in the Sui Dynasty, said that the foul smell can be guided and discharged from the body, so it was named Tao Yin. It is the proof of explaining the "Tao Yin" with "promoting the circulation of qi". In addition, there are also many emphasis in the cross methods ("Tao Yin" and "promoting the circulation of qi"). Some focus on the Tao Yin of the body, while others focus on breathing and "promoting the circulation of qi". Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue that we are practicing today is a health preserving exercise focusing on "promoting the circulation of qi", and systemized by the research experts group of experts, integrating Tao Yin and "promoting the circulation of qi". 
Principles of health maintenance
"Promoting the circulation of qi" mainly aims to keep fit and health maintenance by controlling the breathing. Depending on the different emphasis of controlling the breathing, the exercises respectively pay attention to the inhaling, exhaling and breath-holding. Inhaling mainly refers to breathe in the new air of the nature, and exhaling mainly refers to breathe out the foul air in the body. The inhalation focuses on controlling the inspiration process, inhale the clean air as much as possible, so as to flourish the systemic blood and promote the metabolism of the body. The exhalation focuses on controlling the exhalation process, exhale the clean air as much as possible, so as to stimulate qi movement of the internal organs. According to this logic, the traditional health science believes the view that "inhaling is the tonifying method, and exhaling is reducing method". Fundamentally, "exhaling the old and inhaling the new" is the basic principle and fundamental way to maintain the health and cure the illnesses by promoting the circulation of qi. 
Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue belongs to the exercise of expiration, which has primarily focused on the reducing method. The over-all situations of nowadays society belong to the development endeavor type, most people have suffered the sthenia syndromes, and so cultivating the body with the reducing way has also coordinated with the large environment. Of course, Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue uses the reverse abdominal breathing, which in turn can increase the amplitude of the diaphragm movements and increase the inspiratory volume, so it is also a way to nourish the body. So the exercisers can avoid the negative effects on the body arising from the excessive use of the reducing method. Therefore, Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue can be seen a neutral health exercise, which gives priority to the reducing method and cooperates with the tonifying method. 
Regarding to the health rationale of pronunciation in the Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue, we know that the pronunciation of different Chinese characters will form different airflow. Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue has selected six representative characters. According to six different airflow formed in the pronunciation, the exercisers shall control the ascending and descending of breathing in the body and make the various airflow correspond to different organs, and ultimately achieve the effect of health. Liu Zi Jue pays a lot of attention on the mouth shapes in the articulation, which mainly consider the airflow. From the perspective of traditional health science, controlling the expiratory airflow can achieve the health effect. First, the direct result of controlling the breathing is to prolong the expiration length, increase the lung function, improve the bearing capacity of the internal organs, thereby enhancing the vitality of internal organs. Secondly, because the different organs of the mouth directly correspond to different internal organs, so the airflow generated by the blocked situations of different parts of the mouth will contact different internal organs. In the later five notes regimen, the principle of five notes corresponding to five internal organs also mostly based on this. Third, different airflow can also be compared with the five elements attached, can produce allelopathy relationship between each other. Internal organs can correspond to the five elements, the air flow is related to the internal organs through the five elements, so as to achieve the purpose of nourishing the body and curing the illnesses. Further, it is about the problem of sound production. Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue pays attention to the practice principle of "making a sound first and being silent finally". The main purpose is to correct the mouth shapes by sound production and control the airflow by the mouth shapes. Of course, the vocalization is also a typical way of health in the traditional health science, but Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue not focus on this purpose. 
In the Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue, Tao Yin mainly plays a supporting role for promoting the circulation of qi. The practicing essentials of this set of exercise have clearly stated that it is an exercise of Health Qigong taking the expiration and inspiration as the main method, which combines with the simple Tao Yin actions. So, the primary function of the body movements in the practice is to cooperate with the breathing,  "leading outside and guiding inside" has become the important way in the practice of Liu Zi Jue. Secondly, except for the role of promoting the circulation of qi, Tao Yin in the Liu Zi Jue has also played an active role on the body, blood and internal organs. 
In summary, combining Tao Yin and promoting the circulation of qi and giving priority to promote the circulation of qi, Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue is a set of health and fitness exercise, which fits in with the social development today and is suitable for most people to exercise. After understanding the basic principles of Health Qigong · Liu Zi Jue, combining with the characteristics of the exercise can get the knack in the practice, so as to play its role of fitness better.
COMMENT
Posted
ScientificResearch
International Health Qigong Federation: All rights Record:京ICP备15050301号 京公网安备 11010102002746号