Deep Breathing = Qi Flow = Inner Harmony = Health and Longevity
What is Ba Duan Jin?
Daoyin tu - chart for leading and guiding people in exercise for improving health and treatment of pain, containing animal postures such as bear walk. This is a reconstruction of a 'Guiding and Pulling Chart' excavated from the Mawangdui Tomb 3 (sealed in 168BC) in the former kingdom of Changsha. The original is in the Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha, China.
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Ba Duan Jin is an aerobic exercise that is simple and safe to do. As the title suggests, the exercise comprises eight postures that take a brief 15 minutes to execute. These eight postures are a unique combination of movement, breath, and meditation that improves the functioning of virtually all of the body’s internal organs.
Ba Duan Jin stretches and relaxes the body and the mind. It promotes the smooth circulation of qi (life-energy) and blood throughout the entire body. The simplicity of the eight postures allows the sequence to be quickly learned and easily practiced. This is a soft martial art routine for individuals of all ages and fitness levels. Click The Eight Forms for details. |
What is the history?
Another name for Ba Duan Jin is Longevity Exercise.
Originally called daoyin, [which means “guiding the flow of internal energy (qi)”], it has been practiced in China for more than 2,400 years.
In 2003, the Chinese government launched a research project to study the wellness effects of Qigong - Ba Duan Jin was one of the research areas.
The researchers collected 64 different variations of Ba Duan Jin. Based on these 64 different styles, they tested and evaluated the various effects of the exercise on different groups and finally defined a ‘best of the best’ set of eight postures applicable to today’s busy lifestyle. This ‘modern’ version of Ba Duan Jin is what I teach.
Originally called daoyin, [which means “guiding the flow of internal energy (qi)”], it has been practiced in China for more than 2,400 years.
In 2003, the Chinese government launched a research project to study the wellness effects of Qigong - Ba Duan Jin was one of the research areas.
The researchers collected 64 different variations of Ba Duan Jin. Based on these 64 different styles, they tested and evaluated the various effects of the exercise on different groups and finally defined a ‘best of the best’ set of eight postures applicable to today’s busy lifestyle. This ‘modern’ version of Ba Duan Jin is what I teach.
Ba Duan Jin gets to ‘the root of the problem’
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Life can be very complicated. Ba Duan Jin does not solve problems, but it does help calm down and relax the body and mind so that any situation can be addressed from a less threatening and overwhelming perspective.
Imagine you are a tree: your mind and body, the trunk, and all your ‘life stuff’, the leaves. Generally, your ‘life stuff’ comprises job, relationships, hobbies, hopes, dreams, etc. – they are all out there, dangling along every branch. When your health is good, every leaf vibrates radiantly to the sun. But when your health is poor, i.e., you are stressed, anxious, ill, depressed and you cannot sleep, for example - the whole tree is affected, and leaves, one after the other, begin to die and fall, leaving the branches naked and lifeless. |
