Zhang Mingliang, Ma Ling
We not only exercise zang fu-organs in Liu Zi Jue
As is known to all, in Liu Zi Jue the five elements, five voices and five zang-organs correspond with each other. For example, “he” (Chinese character“呵”)is a tongue voice corresponding with heart—fire, “hu” (Chinese character“呼”)is a larynx voice corresponding with spleen—earth, “chui” (Chinese character“吹”)is a lip voice corresponding with kidneys—water, “xu” (Chinese character“嘘”) (“xi” (Chinese character“嘻”)) is a teeth voice corresponding with liver (gallbladder)—wood and “xi” (Chinese character“呬”) is a dental voice corresponding with lungs—gold, “xi” (嘻) connects Shaoyang pulse which can unobstruct not only the gallbladder meridian but also the triple energizer pulse. As held in Chinese traditional medicine, “Shaoyang is the hub”. Qi of the whole body can be regulated by connecting Shaoyang, and the usage of triple energizer is just to unobstruct various Qi all over body. Therefore, there comes the correspondence with zang fu-organs in Liu Zi Jue, “xu- liver, he- heart, hu- spleen, xi- lungs, chui- kidneys and xi-triple energizer”. But from many years of teaching practices we have found that some people wrongly think that due to the correspondence of the above six characters with zang fu-organs, Health Qigong•Liu Zi Jue is to exercise zang fu-organs and has no connection with limb joints or mentality. But the fact is on the contrary. The key point resulting in this misunderstanding is mixture of differences between zang fu-organs in Chinese traditional medicine and western medicine.
As held in the doctrine of Viscera and Their Manifestations in traditional Chinese Medicine, human body is a unity with five zang-organs as the center. Every component of human body is its integral part no matter in respects of structure, performance or in physiopathology, while five zang-organs is the core of activities of human life. The six hollow organs together with other body parts as well as various spirits and emotions respectively belong to the five viscera, thus forming the five general systems of human body. The five general systems are mainly divided according to functions, which includes the whole body functions in the five viscera. In further detail, it can be divided into three levels, i.e. form, Qi and spirit. Form is body, Qi is the functions of body and spirit is spiritual awareness. Spiritual activities such as five minds of Shen (spirit), Hun (mind), Po (soul), Yi (willingness), Zhi (ambition)and seven emotions of Xi (joy), Nu (anger), You(worry), Si(anxiety), Bei(sadness), Kong(fear), Jing(panic) are closely connected with five viscera. It shows that in Liu Zi Jue we exercise the five systems and therefore the whole body. Exercise of the five systems equals exercise of the whole body internally and externally, thus overall regulating humans’ body and spirit.
Why is it Liu Zi Jue instead of Wu Zi Jue?
According to theories of traditional Chinese Medicine, human body is a unity consisting of five viscera, namely liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys. Then someone might ask why it is Liu Zi Jue instead of Wu Zi Jue? This is related to the sixth Zi Jue—“xi” Zi Jue.
The “xi” Zi Jue corresponds with triple energizer. Triple energizer divides human body from the perspective of Qi, namely functions; it is a parallel concept with zang fu-organ. Triple energizers consist of upper energizer, middle energizer and lower energizer. Generally speaking, above diaphragm is upper energizer, which includes heart and lungs; between diaphragm and navel is middle energizer which includes spleen and stomach; below navel is lower energizer which includes liver and kidneys, large and small intestines and bladder. The upper energizer is like mist for its function is like rising mist. The middle energizer is like foam for its transport, decomposition and fermentation functions. The lower energizer is like ditch for it controls the water metabolism of human body, like a river flowing downwards.
The upper energizer, like mist, is upwards; the lower energizer, like ditch, is downwards and the middle energizer, like foam, is for transporting, it is from this perspective that triple energizers divide functions of human body. The upper energizer equals function of heart and lungs, middle energizer equals the function of spleen and stomach and lower energizer includes functions of liver and kidneys, regulating exercise of triple energizers is just regulating five viscera and further regulating the whole body. As said above, respective exercising of liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys, together with exercise of triple energizers consist exercising of the entirety. To make it more impressive, in Liu Zi Jue every zang fu-organ is firstly exercised in linearity and then follows the whole body. So it was Liu Zi Jue instead of Wu Zi Jue that ancient people advocated. Besides, “the whole body” exercise is especially emphasized in theories of traditional Chinese medicine, so it is necessary to specially add an exercise aimed at triple energizers.
The sequence of practicing Liu Zi Jue
The sequence of practicing Health Qigong•Liu Zi Jue is arranged according to the mutual generation of five elements in the theory of five elements corresponding with zang fu-organs in traditional Chinese medicine. The liver corresponds with wood which flourishes in spring, the head of four seasons, so “xu” Zi Jue is firstly practices; heart corresponds with fire which can be generated from wood, so “he” Zi Jue is practiced second; spleen corresponds with earth which is generated from fire, so “hu” Zi Jue is practiced next; ”xi” Zi Jue is practiced after “hu” Zi Jue to regulate stomach, which corresponds with gold generated from spleen earth; kidneys corresponds with water, which is generated from gold, so followed nourish kidneys by practicing “chui” Zi Jue, finally the Qi of five organs are nourished. Triple energizers control Qi of the whole body. Finally practice “xi” Zi Jue to regulate triple energizers, which can make Qi and blood all over body flow smoothly to achieve the goal of health and long life.
The Liu Zi Jue is practiced in the sequence of mutual generation of five elements. The five elements theory in fact is a large and complicated knowledge which can be arranged as a chapter to learn in Traditional Chinese Medicine colleges. To make it easy to remember the corresponding sequence of Liu Zi Jue and five elements, here is a simple description to help memorizing. The method is: wood generates fire, for wood will be easily burn with fire; fire generates earth, for ashes after the fire extinguishes turns to earth; earth generate gold for gold originates from earth and is drawn from earth; gold generates water for heated gold will turn to liquid like water; and water generates wood for water nourishes wood.
Diagram of Mutual Generation of Five Elements
Liu Zi Jue is Qi Jue (qi formula) instead of voice formula
Pronunciation, mouth shape and breath are special practicing methods of Health Qigong•Liu Zi Jue, and also are the core, difficult and focus points to master the practicing method of Health Qigong•Liu Zi Jue. In practicing Liu Zi Jue, besides breathing in and out, we also adjust and control the upward-downward-inward-outward movement by using special mouth shape to respectively forming six special breathing and voicing methods as “xu, he, hu, xi, chui, xi” corresponding with liver, heart, spleen, lung, kidney and triple energizers of human body. The flowing line of breath going through throat, tongue, dental part, teeth and lips is closely connected with the mouth shape. Six special breath flowing methods are generated from six mouth shapes, which further influence the internal Qi and the functions of corresponding zang-fu organs. Pronunciation can be divided into two types, “breathe to voice” is producing sound, “breathe without voice” is tonguing, which are different from each other. Producing sound and tonguing are both to normalize mouth shape. The general requirement on practitioners is “breath without voice”.
From the perspective of pronunciation, we can normalize mouth shape by the method of pronunciation, control breath with normalized mouth shape and influence zang fu-organs with breath. Different mouth shape or pronunciation corresponds with different functions of Qi, so we exercise the zang fu-organs with different mouth shapes and pronunciations, in other word, we can influence zang fu-organs by controlling breath. This proves that breath instead of voicing is the key of breathing in Liu Zi Jue. Therefore, Liu Zi Jue is breath Zi Jue instead of voice Zi Jue. This is also why it was called “Liu Zi Qi (six-character qi)”, “Liu Qi Jue (six-qi formula)” or “Liu Zi Qi Jue (six-character qi jue)”.
The learning procedures of pronunciation, mouth shape and breath is, first normalize the mouth shape by method of correcting pronunciation, and then control the entry/exit of breath inside body with normalized mouth shape. Different thickness, size and location of breath in and out will regulate the Qi activity of different parts of zang fu-organs. The method of learning pronunciation, mouth shape and breath is, learn by an example of “xu” Zi Jue to analyze its pronunciation, mouth shape, breath and its method, corresponding zang fu-organs and functions. Get to know how to read and practice and why to practice like this etc and you will yield twice with half effort. Because other Zi Jue are just different in practicing methods, they have many similarities with “xu” Zi Jue in such aspects as their key points and principles.
Reference:
Essences of Health Qigong Liu Zi Jue Health Preserving Formula jsqg.sport.org.cn
Links:
Liu Zi Jue (Six Healing Sounds) wikipedia.org
Leave a Reply