Ba Duan Jin (Part 2 of 8) - Drawing the Bow

This week's post is a detailed look at the Ba Duan Jin qigong exercise called Drawing the Bow. It is also known as Shooting Eagle with Bow and Arrow and as Drawing the Bow and Letting Arrow Fly. It is traditionally the second of the exercises.

Ba Duan Jin is a traditional qigong routine with hundreds of variations. It is variously translated as Eight Silken Brocades, Eight Pieces of Silk Brocades, Eight Section Brocade, Eight Silken Exercises, Eight Fine Exercises, or many other names.

Qigong is all about body, mind, and breath. These exercises contain specific movements that are synchronized with the breath while the mind concentrates on the movements. The exercises are intended to help develop mental focus and calm, peaceful movements. At all times, keep your knees loose and flexible.

Explanation:

This exercise places emphasis on the kidneys by increasing the flow of qi in the lower back.

Standing Instructions:

1. Stand with your feet two shoulder widths apart and your knees loose and flexible. Cross your hands in front of your chest, with your hands in fists. Place your right hand outside and left hand inside.

2. Extend your left hand out to the left with your arm parallel to the ground. Extend your index and middle fingers and the other three fingers curled (sword finger). Turn your head toward your left hand.

3. Hold your right hand at your left shoulder as if it were holding the string of a bow. Inhale slowly and bring your right hand in a fist back toward your right shoulder, with the elbow extended out and forearm parallel to the ground. As you inhale, also bend your knees slightly to assume an easy horse stance. Imagine that you are aiming at a target.

4. Exhale and release the fingers of your right hand. Imagine that you can see an arrow traveling through the air and hitting the target. Return your hands to the starting position, but with your hands reversed. Repeat to the other side.

5. Do this exercise eight times.

Modification for seated form:

1. Sit in wuji with your feet flat on the floor.

2. No change.

3. No change.

4. No change.

5. No change.

Modification for a more challenging form:

1. Start from a low horse stance with your thighs parallel to the ground. Stay in a deep horse stance for the entire exercise.

2. Tense all your muscles as you inhale and turn it into an isometric exercise.

3. No change.

4. Relax all your muscles as you exhale.

5. No change.

Benefits & Effects:

1. The horse stance and the twisting action strengthen and stretch the legs, hips, and waist.

2. The draw of the bow stretches the muscles of the upper body, opening the chest and strengthening the lungs.

Another key benefit of this exercise is an increased ability to concentrate and focus.

For the rest of this series, start with:

Ba Duan Jin (Part 1 of 8) - Support the Heavens

To continue with this series, see:

Ba Duan Jin (Part 3 of 8) - Separating Heaven and Earth

© 2012 Eric Borreson

Ba Duan Jin (Part 1 of 8) - Support the Heavens

This week's post is a detailed look at the Ba Duan Jin qigong exercise called Support the Heavens. It is also known as Uphold the Sky with Two Hands to Nurture Triple Warmer and as Press the Heavens with Two Hands. It is traditionally the first of the eight exercises.

Ba Duan Jin is a traditional qigong routine with hundreds of variations. It is variously translated as Eight Silken Brocades, Eight Pieces of Silk Brocades, Eight Section Brocade, Eight Silken Exercises, Eight Fine Exercises, or many other names.

Qigong is all about body, mind, and breath. These exercises contain specific movements that are synchronized with the breath while the mind concentrates on the movements. The exercises are intended to help develop calm, peaceful movements and sharpen our mental focus. At all times, keep your knees loose and flexible.

Explanation:

This exercise improves the flow of qi in the triple warmer. The triple warmer is separated into upper, middle, and lower portions. The triple warmer functions to regulate the activities of the internal organs and participates in the control of fluid metabolism.

Standing Instructions:

1. Stand in wuji and relax all your joints.

2. Inhale slowly and circle your arms overhead. At the crown of your head, turn your hands so the palms are up. If it is comfortable to do so, interlace your fingers. Exhale and press your hands up as if holding up the sky. Visualize pushing against a resistance.

3. Inhale slowly and lower your hands to your head, rotating them so they are palm down. Exhale and separate your hands, circling your arms out and back to your sides. Visualize moving against a resistance.

4. Do this exercise eight times.

Modification for seated form:

1. Sit in wuji with your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands at your sides in any comfortable position.

2. No change.

3. Return your hands to your sides.

4. No change.

Modification for a more challenging form:

1. No change.

2. Raise your head and eyes to follow the movement of your hands as they travel. Simultaneously, rise up on your toes. This challenges your balance.

3. Simultaneously, lower your heels to the ground.

4. No change.

Benefits & Effects:

1. This exercise balances the metabolism of your Triple Warmer. It is only through the intermediate function of the Triple Warmer that your body can absorb and transfer the vital energy necessary to life.

i. Shangjiao – The Superior Warmer, the upper portion of the Triple Warmer, corresponds to the body cavity above the diaphragm. Functionally, it includes the heart and lungs. It has the function of distributing the nutrients to the whole body.

ii. Zhongjiao – The Central Warmer, the middle portion of the Triple Warmer, corresponds to the body cavity below the diaphragm and above the level of the belly button. Functionally, it includes the stomach and spleen. Its chief function is to digest, absorb, and transport nutrients obtained from food.

iii. Ziajiao – The Lower Warmer, the lower portion of the Triple Warmer, corresponds to the body cavity below the level of the belly button. Functionally, it includes the small and large intestines, kidney, and urinary bladder. Its chief function is to eliminate wastes from the body.

2. Stretching the torso and back prepares you for the following exercises.

To continue this series, see
Ba Duan Jin (Part 2 of 8) - Drawing the Bow

© 2012 Eric Borreson

What I Read - Buddhism and Meditation

This week, I wanted to share information about sources of information related to Buddhism and meditation that are available on the internet. This is not intended to be a comprehensive ranking or listing. It only reflects my opinion and experience about learning some aspects of Buddhism from internet sources.

Web Sites

Here are some of the web sites that I have found useful along with a brief description of each.

Mid America Buddhist Association

The mission of MABA is to practice, preserve, and promote the teachings of the Buddha. This site has a few online articles and an extensive collection of podcasts of dharma talks given at MABA. It also has a link to past issues of Rightview Quarterly, a magazine dedicated to helping us on our path. This is the web page for the home monastery of my teacher, Carl Jerome. This has a Chan Buddhism tradition, the tradition I have been studying. Chan is the Chinese ancestor of Zen Buddhism.

BhuddaNet, A Buddhist Education and Information Network

This is a web site that provides an online eMagazine and many free articles and ebooks about various aspects of Buddhism. It has so much information that it can be somewhat overwhelming. It helps to have a specific topic in mind.

Wildmind Buddhist Meditation

This web site is all about meditation. It includes several free meditation guides. A big emphasis is mindfulness of breath. They have a monthly newsletter with links to their blog. I recommend that you start with that.

Shambhala Sun, A magazine of Buddhism, Culture, Meditation,and Life

This is the online presence of the magazine of the same name. There are links to articles about popular topics in Buddhist studies, including How to Meditate, and articles by and about several well-known teachers. The site also a link to the publication, BuddhaDharma, The Practitioners Quarterly. I recommend that you sign up for the newsletter.

Western Chan Fellowship

The web site includes an extensive collection of online articles about various aspects of Buddhism. It also includes links to an online magazine, Chan Magazine. I recommend that you start with reading their Selected Articles.

Vipassana Fellowship

The web site includes an online meditation course, a collection of texts from the Pali Canon, and a large online library of articles about meditation. It also includes a copy of the excellent book, Mindfulness in Plain English by Ven. Henepola Gunaratana.

Blogs

Here are some blogs I regularly read, a brief description, and what I get from them.

North Shore Meditation and Dharma Center

This is by my teacher, Carl Jerome. He writes about one article a month for his students on topics related to his Buddhism classes. A main emphasis is using meditation and Buddhism to reduce stress. Here is what he says about his teaching: " I assume that it is my responsibility as a teacher to shine a light on the Path in ways that allow students to see clearly how to reduce their everyday stress and anxiety (dukkha)."

Open Embrace

This is by Stephanie Noble, a meditation teacher and author. She is a good writer and focuses on how to apply Buddhism to everyday life. Here are a few quotes to give you a flavor of her writing: " We didn’t come into this life to sit on the sidelines and watch!" and " Once you have begun a meditation practice and find you are noticing your thought patterns, you can begin to hear the words you are using to talk to yourself, especially when you do something you didn’t intend to do."

Buddha Fields

This is by Ven. Kongmu, a Chan Buddhist monk. He has been pretty busy lately with other things and hasn't had much time for writing. I am hopeful that he can get back to it more in the future.

Qigong 365

This is by Marcus Santer. It's a source of daily inspiration for qigong practitioners. He has written a short article for every day of the year. I actually follow on twitter instead of checking in on the blog every day. He also has a website at www.qigong15.com where he links to his free qigong lessons. He uses this to promote his paid online lessons.

© 2012 Eric Borreson

Guest Blog - Tai Chi and Addiction by Lillian Sanders

The ancient practice of Tai Chi can be a great alternative support in patients who are recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction. The reason many recovery programs fail is because the patient is experiencing additional stress caused by their withdrawals and new way of life. Tai Chi proves to be an effective outlet.

When someone has an addiction to alcohol or other drugs, this becomes their natural means of coping with stress and tension. Taking away their coping mechanism when they are extremely stressed is the reason many addicts turn back to their old ways. The longer someone has been an addict, the harder it is to break these habits. When they stop using the substance, their body chemistry and internal systems are out of balance. They have become accustomed to the substance they have been abusing. Tai Chi is one way to put their mind and body back in balance naturally.

Tai Chi is a martial art that focuses on low impact, relaxing movements. It is an exercise that is slow and gentle, and it focuses on breathing deeply and meditating. While it can be performed in a variety of styles, all Tai Chi utilizes these elements.

It is these features that allow it to do much more for recovering addicts than other types of exercise or meditation. The ancient practice is a powerful complementary therapy for many types of addictions. It can help with drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, or more. Practicing Tai Chi on a regular basis allows the addict to have a heightened feeling of well-being mentally and it improves the workings of their bodies.

Research studies are being performed to conclusively test the effectiveness of Tai Chi on addicts. The research has shown that using drugs and alcohol clogs the body with toxins in their tissues and blood. The stimulation of Tai Chi helps the lymph system to speed up. It removes the impurities from the blood. Initially, the patient may feel uncomfortable because they have become used to the toxins. Removing them can feel unsettling. However, after several sessions, they begin to feel better. They can release their stress through the movements and focus on the recovery.

Tai Chi can be part of a holistic therapy for those recovering from an addiction. While it is not a substitute for other treatments, it can be extremely effective when coupled with other medications, therapies, or diets. Holistic drug rehab programs often times include Tai Chi as a main focus for recovering addicts.

In the Zone with Tai Chi

This article is about being "in the zone” with tai chi. This is the feeling you get when you get lost in the moment. This is when you hardly even notice anything going on around you. This is sometimes called "flow". When someone is in the zone, their emotions become energized and aligned with the task at hand. People perform their best at everything and have the most enjoyment when they are in the zone. They are able to maintain intense concentration on the task they are working on.

How do we get into the zone? First, have a clear short-term goal for each practice. When you are beginning to learn tai chi, your goal may be to remember how to perform the movements. For a more advanced student, your goal may be to focus on the substantial and insubstantial weight shifts during the form or maintaining the proper tension in your hands. For another student, it may be to follow the flow of yin and yang throughout the forms.

Second, it is important to receive immediate and relevant feedback. Your feedback may come from knowing that you completed the movement correctly. For a more advanced student, the feedback may come from you knowing that you completed the form or set and were aware of your weight at all times. Your feedback may be from your teacher. In each case, the feedback must be appropriate to your skill level.

Third, match your goals to your skills. You want an achievable challenge. There is no point in beginners trying to apply silk reeling skills as they learn their forms. They need to learn the gross movements first.

Every time you practice, have these 3 factors in mind to help you develop the feeling of being in the zone. As your tai chi improves, you will be in the zone more and more often. This improves your enjoyment and encourages you to practice more often. Tai chi follows the rhythms of nature, so being in the zone should also help you feel in tune with nature.

Agitation and anxiety prevent you from getting in the flow. I find that meditation before practice is tremendously helpful.

© 2012 Eric Borreson