#Qigong went much better this morning. My Xīn (心) finally agreed to stop interfering with my Yì (意) and I was able to complete the full set of #XingyiQigong exercises again instead of relying on a more basic set.
Xīn seems to be gaining an appreciation for how Yì does things, and feels the need for mutual coordination. It acknowledges the same Yīn-Yáng balance found throughout the discipline, and knows that without it, the four tasks of Liànshén (鍊神) are impossible.
@sanityinc Great question. And long answer.
It is probably similar to the Xingyi Neigong set, but I haven’t read Miller and Cartmell so can’t be certain how alike they are.
What I can say: the set I’m currently using is a Neigong, as well, developed by Master Zhang, Zhao-Dong as presented in “Xingyiquan: Theory, Applications, Fighting Tactics and Spirit” by Liang, Shou-Yu and Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming (YMAA Publication Center, 2002), and is an extension of the Eight Pieces of Brocade originally developed by Marshal Yue, Fei to 12 exercises that reinforce more of the art, or perhaps more accurately, reinforce the art as it has evolved.
The set I used to use, Tu Na Si Ba, is another Neigong, a synthesis of Yijinjing, Xisuijing, and Roushu developed by Master Li, Gui-Chang. The first copy I learned from back in 1999 was a spiral-bound set of photocopied notes and illustrations on Xing Yi Quan that looked like it had been smuggled out of China, circulating through the ex-Mormon community at the time along with a lot of other interesting documents on the inner arts from the Middle-east, India, China, Japan, and Korea—I was introduced to Qigong, Xing Yi Quan, Reiki, Yoga, Tantra, and the ascetic practices of Kabbalists and Sufis, all at the same time, in this weird New Age/Occult context. Anyway. These notes have since been cleaned up and published by Song, Zhi-Yong in two volumes on Xing Yi Quan—the first covering Qigong and Zhan Zhuang, the second the martial art proper. As I’ve been studying more of Dr. Yang’s books on Qigong, it’s pretty obvious I never fully appreciated the depth of Tu Na Si Ba before, or the implications of what I was practicing.
For the benefit of other readers: San Ti Shi is one of the fundamental Zhan Zhuang still postures, used on its own, as the starting stance for the Five Fists, Basic Linking Sequences, and 12 Animal forms, as well as a linking form in specific fighting sets like An Shen Pao.
In my own practice I have been following this training schedule:
- Qigong exercises (3x/day)
- Zhan Zhuang (3x/day)
- Xing Yi Quan (1x/day, either after morning or midday Qigong and Zhan Zhuang)
Before I switch my training to the full three-year schedule of Yijinjing and ten-year schedule of Xisuijing, Dámó style, I will first replace the Xingyi Qigong set with Tu Na Si Ba and see how it goes. If it really covers the full extent of Dámó’s classics or not, now that I’ve actually studied them.
@sanityinc Yeah, that’s fair. Becoming body-disconnected can happen to anyone, for example as a side-effect of being “too cerebral”; sometimes it’s completely beyond a person’s control, such as paradoxical reactions to certain medications, or the most extreme form of dissociation featuring both derealization and depersonalization.
I would suspect dancers must have at least as sophisticated a way of maintaining body-consciousness as Qigong does, since it’s the essence of their art.
Funny story. I dated an opera singer in undergrad, and she made a pretty big point about correcting my breathing techniques, and posture for each one. Reverse Abdominal Breathing in particular.
“the Phoeron” Colin J E Lupton
Steve Purcell