Qigong exercises to strengthen the body. A workout for the muscles and tendons. These exercises come from the Shaolin tradition, a style of kung fu. You can compare these exercises to fitness training, but with circular movements and a free flow of Qi.
What I really like about these exercises are the names; from the names, you can see how the exercise originated. In ancient times, shamans observed animals; they analyzed how animals moved. They noticed that most movements were circular. They also observed that animals didn’t get tired while flying and could stand on one leg for a very long time—like the crane. Observing animals and connecting with nature is an important part of Qigong.
Humans are also part of nature, but we haven’t moved in such circular ways for a long time. And we don’t use our Qi as effectively either. So we can learn a lot from animals about healthy movement. I do this myself regularly—observing ducks, for example, or my cat or dog. I watch closely how they move, and how they stay supple and avoid injury by making circular movements. This gives me a lot of insight into Qigong and helps me convey the exercises in my classes.
Yi Jin Jing Qigong
Shaolin Yi Jin Jing Qigong is a method for developing strong and flexible muscles and tendons. In this sense, it is a Qigong practice specifically designed to train the outer layers of the body.
Exercises
Wei Tuo presenting the pestle from
Wei tuo presenting the pestle sideways
Wei tuo presenting the pestle upwards
Plucking stars on each side
Pulling nine cows By their tails
Displaying claws and spreading wings
Nine ghosts drawing swords
Placing three plates on the floor
Black dragon shows it’s claws
Tiger jumping on it’s prey
Bowing down in salutation
Swinging the tail