By Liu Feng and liu Tianjun
At present, widespread Health Qigong•Yi Jin Jing, Wu Qin Xi, Liu Zi Jue and Ba Duan Jin etc. are based on dynamic exercise of body regulation. Body regulation refers to the regulation of postures and movements and is one of three elements of Health Qigong. However, it is not enough to only regulate body by this exercise. It would be better to achieve the state of integrating three regulations into one. This is because integrating three regulations into one of Health Qigong is to integrate body, breath and mind and is essential characteristics that are different from ordinary physical sports.
Integrating Three Regulations into One is a Kind of State
Integrating thre regulations into one is a type of state and subjective experience in the course of Health Qigong exercise. Exercisers can experience and judge whether they are alraedy in this state by one way or another. There are many ways: be it sates descriptions, be it process narration, or creating an instant environment, but the exercisers should not purely imitate postures and movements of the body regulation.
In the state of integrating three regulations into one, three regulations coexist yet all disappear. We say coexistence of three regulations for the reason that from the perspective of formality and exercisers, body regulation, breath regulation and mind regulation can be described clearly. On the other hand, we believe that they do not exist for the reason that independence of three regulations disappeared. In this state, it is done in a sef-running course, and the alternation of which can have an impact on the other two. Therefore, under this circumstance, the only thing of exercisers need to do is in fact to watching the self-running of the three regulations,
If three regulations were seen as a happing family, the contents of three regulations would be three kids. Three kids can deal with their correlations and live harmoniously. You can only look at them nearby or take part in and being one together with no need to guide any of these three kids in any way.
In this sense, integrating three regulations into one is also a lively state full of fun because it is a coordinate process of your own kids. In the beginning, like a parent, you may think your kids can not solve the problems themselves. Gradually, you find that these kids can correlate themselves and all you need to do is to waiting for them to grow up and to be a part of your family. You are likely be influenced by their fun of correlations and forget you are one of them, but the family is still in forever growing process. Therefore, in this state, all operators are in a natural process of constant development.
All kinds of disorders in human body can be released and disappeared in this natural regulation. This is an adjustment among three regulations but not impairing or enhancing any one. All that man can adjust is postures, breath, psychology and movements. Once coordinated relations are set in them or a balanced state is achieved, then this state is tending to be stable. This is also one of the advantages of Health Qigong– stability with no negative effect.
In the course of Health Qigong exercise, to obtain these experience of three regulations is the essence of Health Qigong which is also the regimen’s forever objective. Then, how to obtain this sate of integrating three regulations into one?
Basic Methods for Obtaining the State of Integrating Three Regulations into One.
There are many ways to get to the state of integrating three regulations into one， and they all can be obtained from three integrations, which, Generally speaking, can be categorized into tow basic ways: Integration and extension.
I. Integration
Integration means integrate three regulations sequentially into one process. It may be long or short, easy or difficult for different people. It contains three sections as follows: firstly, understand the exercising contents such as the correct postures, movements, breath methods and consciousness, then perform all the movements and methods coordinately and finally obtain the state of integrating three regulations into one. To be more precisely, the three sections can be concluded as the separation of three regulations, coordination of the three regulations and the integration of three regulations. The last section is a higher stature above the second, so the second section is a fundamental transforming part to obtain the state of the integration of three regulations into one.
There are two methods to define the performance of three regulations, from above to below or from below to above. The former indicates the coordination state of three regulations, while the latter refers to the separation state.
From above to below, there is a method to strictly perform three regulations individually in accordance with the standards till it finally fulfills the requirements of their coordination state. Taking the comparison mentioned above, the three regulations are compared to three kids who have their own characters and are supposed to carry out their own duties carefully. The advantage of this method is that, it has a pattern to follow, so it can easily avoid problems. As long as it is carefully and strictly performed according to the requirements, the coordination state of three regulations will be obtained. Nevertheless, the disadvantages are also as obvious as its advantages. The performing standard is only one coordination states of three regulations in many. It may be suitable for some people, but not for the other. So for the people who are suitable, it is easier and faster to obtain the state, while for the people who are not suitable, it will be much difficult.
From below to above is a method to reach the state of integrating three regulations into one by defining a general three regulations’ performing standard, and trying to find the best way among the three regulations’ performing requirements. To coordinate with the comparison above, it is a method to tell the three kids to build a harmonious family and peaceful integration state by allowing them to cooperate and coordinate with each other with ample trust and freedom. This method can help the exerciser to find the most suitable way of three regulations performing pattern quickly, but as it is judged and exercised by the exerciser’s own experience and practice, the state of integrating three regulations into one may vary in accordance with the constitution of each individual.
II. Extension
Extension is a method extending from point to the whole. To be more precisely, it is the perfection state obtained by performing the movements and contents of one regulation in the three. When the regulation is perfectly performed and the perfection state is achieved, the state of integrating three regulations into one is obtained. To correspond with comparison in the previous text, it is appointing one kid to be the leader to coordinate with other two kids.
This method has its own reason to be recognized. Actually, there are some similarities among the performance of the three regulations, such as exercisers will hold breath when they fears, which is the coordination of the regulations of heart and breath; the exerciser will breath out when he thrust fists, which is the regulation of body and breath; while people will wave and dance when they are happy, which is a coordination of heart and body. Extension is an integration state of three regulations into one achieved through these natural coordination.
The key point to a successful extension lies in finding the best regulation and taking it as one’s exercising focus. Generally speaking, one’s favorite is one’s most suitable way. So for people who are active, dynamic exercise is the best one to start; while for people who are quiet, static exercise is much better. Of course, the cases are not all the same, for instance, for the cancerous patient, dynamic exercise is a better choice, because body regulation is complicated but much easier to learn and to practice.
State of Integrating Three Regulations into One in Health Qigong Practice
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.
Reference: An Analysis on Integration of Three Regulations of Health Qigong jsqg.sport.org.cn
Leave a Reply