Stregthening, Flexibility & Fitness Exercises

Developing the Muscles, Tendons and Joints

When Time is Limited, Part 2

Dr Xie Peiqi & Andrew Nugent-Head

Last issue's article on 'When Time is Limited' sparked some correspondence for our office. While a few were either defensive or irate that I suggested not everyone practiced for long periods everyday, most were grateful that even Dr Xie acknowledges we only have twenty-four hours in a day. As he says, everyone may be born into different backgrounds but all of us are born into the same number of hours a day. The key is proper planning of our spare time. As promised, here are five exercises that Dr Xie teaches to most beginning students as the fastest way to gain strength, flexibility and mettle. They are simple to learn, do not require much time and produce excellent results.

Second to Qi, blood is the most fundamental element in our health. The two are, in fact, quite inseparable in our body: Chinese medicine considers that Qi is the force which drives the blood, and blood is what carries the nutrients throughout the body. By taking just a brief amount of time each day to practice the Qi exercises described in the last issue and these physical exercises to develop the tendons and muscles, we can strengthen the Yin and Yang, or Blood and Qi, of the body. When they are strong and in balance, our spirit is bright, our energy full, our muscles strong and our tendons flexible. Again, it is very important to avoid the 'feast and famine' exercise schedule of missing days then working extra hard on others. Dr Xie feels strongly on this, lecturing all students on the importance of finding and using your daily spare time wisely.

Dr Xie views each of these practices as much more than good exercise. They are taught to beginning students not just to develop strength, but to develop important body alignment for fighting. He particularly enjoys teaching the first exercise, Scooping the Moon from the Bottom of the Ocean, as it was the very first exercise his teacher, Men Baozhen, taught him as an 'inner door' student. When Men Baozhen finally chose a young Xie Peiqi as a successor and began teaching him privately, this is how he began.

The following exercises should he done daily, ideally at the same time of day, though that is not critical. If possible, they should be done after practicing the Qi exercises, but it is acceptable to separate the two practices. They do not require much space and can he practiced indoors or out. As the Qi exercises, these should take between five to fifteen minutes total, depending on your time frame. If you find that you are regularly practicing for a half hour or more, then you should consider using this time to practice one of the eight animal systems of Yin Style Bagua. If you are new to these types of movement, practice gently and without full extension, slowly progressing into a more dynamic practice.

Before Beginning

All of one's practices should begin with a brief moment in the Empty State meditation. The whole body should relax, both feet shoulder width apart, the ten toes grasped into the earth, the knees slightly bent but not past the toes. The hands hang down the sides of the body, the tips of the middle fingers at their respective Fengshi points, the eyes should be closed, and the tip of the tongue placed at the roof of the mouth. Breathing naturally, the practitioner should enter into a tranquil state.

Exercise #1: Scooping the Moon from the Bottom of the Ocean

One should pay close attention to body posture, particularly at the waist, to ensure maximum development of the legs. The understanding of practicing with the imaginary weight of the moon and the resistance of the ocean is very important, as well.

Exercise #2: The Windmill

Exercise #3: Holding Plates

The hands are made into fists and held at the sides of the body beneath the floating ribs. The elbows point straight behind the body and the shoulders should he pressed down. This is similar to most basic martial art stances practiced in many systems. The feet are shoulder width apart, which means that the shoulders fit in-between the width separating your feet. The left hand extends in front of the body, palm up, as if a plate was resting on it. The right hand remains at the side of the body in a fist throughout the exercise. This is particularly important in this exercise to avoid injury to the abdominal muscles. The left arm continues to the left side of the body in a smooth motion, extending outward. The left arm continues the arc all the way behind the body, palm remaining up, imaginary plate carefully balanced and upright. Continuing the smooth motion, the left arm stretches all the way beyond the right side of the body, carefully keeping the imaginary plate upright. Finishing the 360 degree circle, the left arm continues the rotation all the way to the front of the body, again, careful to keep the imaginary plate upright. From here, the left palm makes a small rotation inward, so that the fingers go from pointing away from the body to pointing to the body, all the while careful of balancing the plate. This small rotation continues until you return to the second posture. The entire sequence is then performed backwards with the left hand, beginning with the small rotation, then arcing towards the right, then behind, continuing to the left and returning to the second posture. This is considered one time. The exercise should then be repeated with the right hand, alternating back and forth between the left and right hands.

Because of the large degree of bend in the waist, it is important to begin gently and within your limits. Once flexibility has been gained in the lower vertebrae and muscle tone has developed in the abdominals, you can begin to practice the exercise with a larger arc and stretch. Eventually, you should feel a constant pull of opposites: whichever direction the hand is stretching, the hips and waist should be pulling in the opposite direction. It is important to feel the extended stretch in the arm and work towards the opposite stretch in waist and hips. Advanced practice of this exercise replaces the imaginary plate with an actual bowl full of water. Careful!

Exercise #4: Eagle's Talons

The hands are made into fists and held at the sides of the body beneath the floating ribs. The elbows point straight behind the body and the shoulders should be pressed down. This is similar to most basic martial art stances practiced in many systems. The feet are shoulder width apart, which means that the shoulders fit in-between the width separating your feet. The body height is lowered, and with practice, eventually the thighs should be parallel to the ground. However, as leg development is not the focus of this exercise, a higher stance is acceptable. The left hand moves forward, in front of the body, hand rotating as the fingers open up into a claw shape. The right hand remains at the side of the body in a fist throughout the exercise. As the hand becomes fully extended (palm facing away, elbow slightly bent), the claw begins to rake back towards the body, slowly closing into a very tight fist. While pulling back, the arm rotates, so that when the elbow reaches the side of the body, the claw is in a semi fist, palm facing the side, and when the hand reaches the side of the body, it is fully clenched into a fist, palm facing up in the beginning position. The right hand then repeats the exact sequence. This exercise is meant to be practiced with full isometric intent, maximizing the strength and resistance in the fingers, palm, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, back and waist. The Qi in the Dantian should be full and pushed out, the anus squeezed slightly.

Exercise #5: The Luohan Holds Up the Bronze Urn

Before beginning, it is important to be able to visualize what the Bronze Urn is. In Buddhist temples, there are always huge 3 legged bronze urns for burning incense. They are huge in size, often taller that a human, quite round in girth and extremely heavy. The idea is that you are balancing the three legs on top of you, one leg on each fist, the third resting on your head.

In the actual exercise, the hands are made into fists and held at the sides of the body beneath the floating ribs. The elbows point straight behind the body and the shoulders should be pressed down. This is similar to most basic martial art stances practiced in many systems. The feet are shoulder width apart, which means that the shoulders fit in-between the width separating your feet. The body height is lowered, and with practice, eventually the thighs should be parallel to the ground. This needs to be developed, as it is an important part of the exercise. As the body height lowers, the fists raise up in front of the body, upper arms ending parallel to the ground, forearms parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. It is important to remember the tremendous weight of the Bronze Urn as you isometrically hold it in position above you. This standing posture is nicknamed the square posture, as the body must be in right angles. The forearm must be perpendicular to the upper arm, creating a right angle at the inside of the elbow; the upper arm and body must be perpendicular, creating a right angle at the armpit; the body and thighs must be perpendicular, creating a right angle at the inside of the hip; the thighs and lower legs must be perpendicular, creating a right angle at the inside of the knee; the lower legs and feet must be perpendicular, creating a right angle at the ankle. However, it is imperative to keep the back slightly rounded and the buttocks tucked under, avoiding a "duck back" in which the back is arched in and the buttocks stick out. If you cannot keep the correct position of right angles without arching the back and sticking the buttocks out, then you should not attempt such a low stance, only going to a height where you can maintain proper back and buttock position. From the correct position, you can slowly work into a deeper stance.

Aside from remembering the isometric work of holding up the Bronze Urn, it is also important to become like the Bronze Urn, heavy, immovable. You should be pushing out in all directions isometrically, so that it would not be possible to push or pull your arms in any direction. This same type of resistance needs to be developed in the feet as well, so that the entire body cannot be pushed or pulled easily in any direction. As with many of the Standing Exercises in Yin Style Bagua's martial system, you should not be able to hold the posture for very long, feeling exhausted very quickly. If you find you are able to hold the posture comfortably for several minutes, they you are practicing it incorrectly. Go back and find the correct posture and isometric forces.

Ending the Practice

It is imperative to leave yourself a little warm down time after practicing these exercises, as the Qi and Blood easily become "stuck" in various places in the body if you practice vigorously and dynamically. There may also be times when the Qi and Blood are sluggish in the body, making it impossible to really 'workout'. Regardless of what level you brought to the practice, you must follow up by gently shaking the entire body in a relaxed and comfortable manner to allow the Qi and Blood to flow smoothly again. The feet remain planted, the hands hang at the sides of the body, the head is held upright. One then begins to shake up and down in a gentle, rhythmic motion, eventually allowing each muscle to relax and shake individually along with the entire body. It is highly recommended that you then finish with some simple patting all over the body and then end with a slow walk that focuses on breathing well and remaining relaxed.

Drawings by Dan. Thank You!

This article was originally published in the Journal of Traditional Studies and has been posted with the kind permission of the Association for Traditional Studies. The article and associated images are copyright Association for Traditional Studies.