Shamanic Trance Postures

An interesting take on posture and stance, adds a whole new level to stance training. Find entire article @ Voodoo Who Do

Shamanic Trance Postures – A Visionary Path To Esctastic Experience
By Howard G Charing

Shamanism offers a way for people to become aware of their potential, and begin to explore their spiritual relationship to the universe, to other forms of life, and to each other. The experiences which come from shamanism help a person to evolve a deeper bond and respect for all of creation, and from this perspective you are likely to lead a life which is vibrant and full in harmony and balance, and which encourages understanding and optimism. The Shamanic path is a way to experience this expanded view of universe.

One of the central practices of shamanism has been defined as the Spirit or Trance journey. One of the ways to embark on this experience of expanded consciousness is what is called ‘the shamanic journey’. In this Journey the shaman journeys to the Spirit world, (commonly referred to as Upper & Lower Worlds), to directly commune with the spirits who reside in the other realities. This is done for many reasons, for example to receive guidance for healing, maintaining both our own and by extension our communities spiritual wholeness.

There are a number of ways to embark on a Spirit journey; these can be through dance, dream, using teacher plants, and by assuming certain specific physical postures. The latter is known as Shamanic Trance Postures, and are a method for achieving ecstatic trance and entering that place of both personal and collective vision.

The word ecstasy and ecstatic is used in its original meaning, which is based on the Greek ex-stasis, meaning ‘outside of yourself’, outside of the everyday world. The ecstatic trance brings with it a shift in our perception, a way of becoming aware of a reality outside of the world of the ordinary, and the mundane. The trance makes us able to perceive the continuum of life, from what has been called non-ordinary reality, a reality which has been known to co-exist with our physical reality throughout time. Black Elk, the Lakota medicine man and great visionary whose life was recorded by John Neihardt in the 1930′s, tells of “the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. This is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that world”.

There are certain works of ancient art, glyphs, carvings, rock paintings which are more than creative expressions of their culture. They are visual teachings for a specific ritual. These paintings and statues from the ancients depict people adopting distinct bodily postures. Many of these bodily postures are ways to an altered state of consciousness, visionary experiences, and a way to embark on a spirit journey. There is an extensive geographic distribution of the Trance Postures, and indications are that they belong to all cultures and traditions. These postures have been rediscovered by Dr Felicitas Goodman after years of extensive research, and a full account has been documented in her truly outstanding and remarkable book ‘Where the Spirits Ride the Wind’.

When a person adopts a specific posture as shown in one of the ancient artefacts, with an accompanying rhythmic sound e.g. Rattle or drum, the person may experience a vision which although is personal , is also specific to the posture. It is as if, however personal the vision, it will conform within a consistent framework.

Ritual has great power in this reality; it is a way of combining, the heart, mind, spirit, and body in a single physical action and intention. Religions from all over the world have long recognised the importance of ritual. Ritual is a means of communication between the Spirits and ourselves, it is a way that the Spirits can cross over from their world into ours. In Western society we have forgotten that the ordinary and other reality belong together, they are two halves of one whole.

Ritual is a way to empower and enhance the trance state, and is a gateway to contain, translate, and safely guide an altered state of consciousness into a spiritual experience. Another way of saying this would be that a ritual carries an innate intention, a purpose.

Each of the Shamanic Trance Postures is in itself a ritual, and it is a ritual with such intrinsic qualities of exactness and power, that its objective is achieved outside the original cultural setting. This means that we in contemporary Western society can also successfully participate in the Shamanic Trance Postures. To understand the Shamanic Trance Postures they should be directly experienced, no amount of words can compensate for this. The best place to experience the ecstatic trance states is in a workshop environment. This brings with it the guidance and support of the workshop facilitator, and the collective energies of the group. The power of the group is important in that it helps in terms of the focus of the ritual, and provides indirect and direct feedback. Feedback is the way to obtain the ineffable quality of trust. Trust is one of the pillars of this work, and the group provides validation of your own experience. Another important factor is that the power of the trance postures is magnified, as each person supports and is a part of the collective visionary experience.

Read the rest . . . http://voodoowhodo.blogspot.com/2007/05/shamanic-trance-postures-visionary-path.html

Be sure to revisit earlier posts on stance training in light of this post . . .

http://sunyatanamaskar.wordpress.com/2006/08/05/hello-world/

http://sunyatanamaskar.wordpress.com/2007/05/22/taoist-standing-practise-core-stability/

http://sunyatanamaskar.wordpress.com/2007/05/22/stance-training/

Shaolin Monk Rain Demonstration

Taoist standing practice – core stability

 http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/articles/scni37a7.htm

A traditional exercise practised by martial artists over the centuries, Standing Practise (Zhan Zhuang) is known for its surprising toughness (postures are traditionally held for at least 60 to 80 minutes) and for its ability to develop health, strengthen the bones and tendons, increase core stability, correct any muscular-skeletal misalignments (crucial for lop-sided sports like golf, javelin, tennis etc), increase sensitivity to balance, and develop a powerful competitive spirit

The six benefits of Standing Practise are as follows:

1. Physical strength and stamina
2. Relaxation
3. Grounding
4. Lower Abdominal Breathing
5. Opening the energy gates of the body
6. Cultivation of intrinsic energy

Other benefits include correcting misalignments of the skeleton and cultivating a calm, aware mental state (’Here and Now’ thought). The more advanced posture you are going to learn here, will continue to help train all the above, and due to its intensity and demanding nature, it will help to prepare your mind for increased focus, intent and competitiveness.

San Ti Shi – Three Body Posture

The foundation of Xingyiquan (Hsing Yi Ch’uan) is its stance keeping practise of San Ti Shi, which means “Three Body Posture” or “Trinity Posture”. Hsing Yi Ch’uan is one of the three Chinese internal martial arts, alongside the more well-known T’ai Chi and the more esoteric style of Ba Gua Ch’uan. To get a rare glimpse of these ancient arts in action, watch a film called “The One”, staring Jet Li, in which he plays two roles – a good guy and a bad guy – the first using the fighting skills of Ba Gua Ch’uan and the other using Hsing Yi Ch’uan . These arts are known for their physical toughness and for their ability to develop the practitioner’s mind to a level where the mind sets the intent for the physical movement – Hsing Yi Ch’uan actually means “the mind that forms the fist”. The exercise you are going to learn here will help you set your mental intent for the movement skills of any sport and is particularly good if you are a competitive athlete, as it will help to increase your level of intent or desire by training your mind, breathing and nervous-system to stay focused yet relaxed under pressure.

San Ti Shi – How to Stand

• Stand with your feet about half shoulder width wide, the toes of both feet parallel and pointing straight forward
• Gently tuck under your lower back to take out the lumbar curve
• Unlock your knees and sink your weight into the balls of your feet
• Turn your right toes out about 45 degrees and shift your weight onto your right leg – then step forward with your left leg, keeping your left toes facing straight ahead
• Keep your weight 70% on your right leg and 30% on your left leg
• Keep your centre of gravity mid-way between your feet, rather than predominantly on either the right or left leg
• Turn your hips and shoulders 45 degrees to the right, matching the direction of your right toes – your eyes and head point straight forwards, in the direction of your left toes
• Relax your shoulders – bring your left arm in line with your left leg, arm and fingers pointing straight forward and your elbow relaxed and in line with your left knee
• Bring your right arm in front of you – waist height – and touch the outside edge of your right thumb against your lower abdomen, about 2″ below your navel (this is your T’an Tien – the body’s natural centre of gravity) – your right fingers point forward and your elbow is relaxed and holding your ribs
• Keep your chin tucked under, to take the curve from the neck and hold your head upright, imagining the crown of your head is suspended by a balloon on a thread
• Gently touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth
• Breathe in and out through your nose
• Relax all the muscles of your body and try to be aware of your breathing
• Look straight ahead

For a left back-stance (the opposite of that described above), simply mirror the posture on the other side of your body. Try 3 minutes each side at first and gradually work up to 10, 15 or 20 minutes each side.

What to expect

With your waist and shoulders facing right, while your eyes, fingers and intent are directed forward, you are learning to train your ability to release energy from the T’an Tien – your body’s natural centre of gravity – which is used all the time in sports yet rarely trained in isolation. In the martial arts, this stance is used to develop Fa Jing or explosive power in your punches, and if you want to experience this, try this exercise once you can hold the San Ti Shi posture each side for at least 5 minutes:

• Starting in San Ti Shi, sink your weight deeper into your feet
• Make a loose fist with your right hand
• Throw your hips forward and release the punch at waist height, keeping your shoulder, elbow and wrist relaxed – your punch should end up in line with your T’an Tien (2″ below your navel) – your hips and shoulders will now be facing forwards
• As you punch, simultaneously grip and pull your left hand back to your waist, turning your left closed fist upwards as you do so – feel as if you are grabbing and twisting someone’s belt-buckle and are pulling them towards you with your left hand, while punching with your right
• Focus on the T’an Tien – the pivot point around which the hips turn – this is an energy centre about the size of a golf ball, located 2″ below your navel. Imagine the ball rotating and that in turn, your hips, shoulders, arms and fists are all thrown into place as a result

If you really want to give yourself a challenge, try this exercise standing in front of a lighted candle and use the intent, relaxation and speed combined in your punch to generate enough force to put out the flame. Once you can do this up close to the candle, step back a little and try again.

Learning to hold the San Ti Shi stance for 10 or more minutes each side will really train your core stability muscles to keep you relaxed and poised while keeping only a narrow base. Usually we are comfortable with a wider base and generally stand and play sports with our feet under our shoulders. Narrowing your stance like this while lengthening your stride will help to lower your centre of gravity and increase your relaxation response, which in turn makes your body denser and stronger. This type of training also strengthens the bone marrow and tendons and is used a great deal in Traditional Chinese Medicine where it is considered a form of Chi Kung or energy training.

Having a strong intent and competitive nature is vital to achievement in sports, whether you are competing against others, against your own self, or against the time-marker on the treadmill. Masters’ level swimmers who have trained in San Ti Shi, agree that their intent pool-side while warming up and getting ready to enter the water has increased dramatically, as has their opponents reactions to them on account of their indomitable body-language (a much over-looked weapon in the athlete’s arsenal). I believe San Ti Shi can be used to great advantage by any athlete who has to face the starting blocks in some form or another. I have even worked with a potential Formula 1 driver who has used San Ti Shi as part of her race preparation including psyching herself up on the grid at the start of a race.

Any time you need to initiate an all-out performance of pure action without heed to reaction, internal chatter or self-observation, then San Ti Shi is the training tool for you. But remember, the exercise really starts to work, just at the point when your mind wants to give up (”I’m bored”, “this hurts”, “God, is that only two minutes?”).

Stay with it, relax and breath and in no time you’ll be stronger, quicker, ready for competition, and above all, focused. Next time, we will look at elements of T’ai Chi for extreme and endurance sports.

Further Reading:

1. The Tao of Yi Quan – Warriors of Stillness, Volume II, by Jan Diepersloot
2. Xing Yi Nei Gong – Health Maintenance and Internal Strength Development, Edited by Dan Miller and Tim Cartmell

Article Reference

This article, written by Jane Storey, appeared in Issue 37 of the Successful Coaching Newsletter (November 2006).

bio(”JST”)

About the Author

Jayne Storey is a specialist in T`ai Chi and uses this to help athletes and teams with balance, posture, body-mechanics, attention control, co-ordination, stress management, mindfulness….and also to create the right internal conditions for accessing the sporting zone/flow state. Jayne can be contacted through her website at www.jaynestorey.com

ashtanga yoga demo

Wudang Shaolin Kung Fu Secret Qigong

Urban Yoga #1 – Shanghai

Four Great Leg Strengtheners

Step away from the squat machine and strengthen your quadriceps, calves, and feet on your yoga mat.

By Alisa Bauman

http://resistancetraining.wordpress.com/2006/10/26/four-great-leg-strengtheners/

It’s no surprise that fitness videos and gym classes with titles like “Yoga Buns and Legs” place a heavy emphasis on the classic standing postures. Unlike weightlifting, which isolates particular muscle groups, yoga’s standing postures efficiently and effectively strengthen the leg as an entire unit. In addition, yoga often strengthens and stretches the muscles in your legs simultaneously. When you’re doing Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II) to the right, for example, the quadriceps muscles of the right leg contract powerfully, the left quads firm, both inner thighs lengthen, and, in tighter students, the left calf receives a moderate stretch. When done correctly, standing poses also strengthen the muscles that protect the knee and ankle joints and help you build a better foundation for your whole body. “They teach the muscles in your legs to hold your joints in proper alignment,” explains Dario Fredrick, an exercise physiologist and Iyengar Yoga instructor in San Anselmo, California. By teaching you to properly plant your feet and align your knees and hips, standing poses improve your posture and coordination in everyday activities, not just during your time on the mat. As you learn proper alignment, you’ll activate and strengthen the smaller, less-used, and often weak muscles in your arches, lower legs, and inner and outer thighs rather than relying solely on the larger leg muscles.

Four Great Leg Strengtheners

The exercises featured in this article—the Utkatasana Vinyasa (Chair Pose Sequence), the Utkatasana Padangusthasana Vinyasa (Chair Pose Tiptoe Balance Sequence), Virabhadrasana II, and Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)—collectively condition the fronts of the thighs, the backs of the thighs, the hips and buttocks, the inner and outer thighs, the lower legs, and the feet. Each one of them, however, conditions the legs in its own unique way.

Utkatasana vinyasa. Much like that old weightlifting standby, the squat, Utkatasana firms your quads and buttocks muscles. If you’re aligned properly, you’ll also balance the effort between each of the four quads and work the muscles of the outer thighs and hips—not to mention the abdomen and upper body. Proper alignment is crucial to getting the full benefits. Your inner and outer thighs must work in a balanced way to stabilize your knees directly in line with your feet; if your knees tend to collapse in or splay out, it’s a sign that one muscle group is predominating and the other is weak. By keeping your knees in proper alignment, you’re automatically working to improve your weaknesses.

The more you bend your knees, the more you’ll work your legs and stretch your calves and Achilles tendons. When you move into Ardha (Half) Utkatasana, bending your legs even deeper and bringing the torso more parallel to the floor, and then add the torso twist of Parivrtta (Revolved) Ardha Utkatasana, you make both legs work even harder.

Utkatasana Padangusthasana vinyasa. This sequence combines upper leg work like that of Utkatasana with a strong activation of the calves—and tosses in the element of balance for an added challenge. Rising onto the balls of your feet, you engage the muscles in your feet and calves and use muscles all through your legs and upper body to make the constant minute adjustments needed for balance. As you squat, you continue to strengthen your feet and calves while amping up the work of the upper legs and buttocks. Although the exercise looks a bit like the calf raises you might do at the gym, it works and stretches your feet and legs more thoroughly.

Virabhadrasana II. In this pose, your forward leg works much like it does in the lunges you might perform in a floor exercise class at a gym. As you bend the forward knee, you’ll probably feel the work most strongly in your quadriceps. But to lengthen the inner thigh of this leg and keep your knee aligned over your ankle and pointed toward your second toe, your front outer thigh and hip muscles must also contract. The gluteal muscles and the hamstrings will also firm, both as you hold the posture and as you rise out of it. And all of that activity is just what’s going on in the forward leg!

Not surprisingly, beginning students tend to focus on the forward leg in Virabhadrasana II, but Fredrick points out that the rear leg gets as much of a workout when the pose is done correctly. If you properly activate that leg, grounding through the outer edge and big-toe ball of the foot and firming all the muscles toward the bones, you’ll feel your arch and the inner edge of your leg lift and stabilize. Then, says Fredrick, “you’ll be able to hold the posture longer. In other words, you’ll receive even more of the pose’s conditioning benefits.

Trikonasana. This pose strongly works the quadriceps, the muscles at the sides of the lower legs, and the muscles of the inner and outer thighs and hips. In Trikonasana (see page 74), the actions of the muscles in both legs are quite a bit like those of the back leg in Virabhadrasana II. The quads need to engage strongly. The lower leg muscles must work to ground the feet evenly. And, as in the Utkatasana variations and Virabhadrasana II, you should keep the kneecaps of each leg pointing in the same direction as that leg’s toes; for most people, that means lots of hard work for the muscles that externally rotate the thighs.

As with all standing poses, the more attention you pay to alignment, the more the pose will help you condition not just the major leg muscles but also the smaller muscles that contribute so much to subtle movements, balance, and coordination.

A Practice with Legs

Try incorporating the Utkatasana series, the Tiptoe Balance, Virabhadrasana II, and Trikonasana into Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). This flow sequence, developed by Karley York, a yoga instructor at Bally Total Fitness in Studio City, California, will slowly build your strength and endurance in each of the included standing postures.

Stand erect with your feet together in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Exhaling, bend forward into Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend). Inhale, then exhale to step back into Plank Pose and lower to Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose). Inhale to come into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose); exhale to come into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose). Inhale to step your right foot forward between your hands, and come into Virabhadrasana II. Hold for 5 breaths.

As you exhale, move into Trikonasana. Hold for 5 breaths, inhale to return to Warrior II, and hold for 5 breaths. Then exhale to return to Downward-Facing Dog. Hold for 5 breaths and inhale to step your left foot forward, coming into Warrior II on the second side. Hold for 5 breaths and then, as you exhale, move into Triangle and hold for 5 breaths. Inhale to return to Warrior II, hold for 5 breaths, and then exhale into Downward Dog. On your next exhalation, step first one foot and then the other forward into Uttanasana.

As you inhale, move into Utkatasana: Bend your knees, lift your torso, and extend your arms overhead. Hold for 5 breaths, then exhale to come into Ardha Utkatasana for 5 breaths. Twist into the revolved version for 5 breaths, return to Ardha Utkatasana for 5 breaths, then twist to the other side for 5 breaths. Come back into Utkatasana, then lift your heels to come into Utkatasana Padangusthasana for 5 breaths. Inhale to straighten your legs, staying on tiptoe and bringing your arms overhead. Exhale to bring your heels back to the ground and your arms down to your sides. Repeat the whole sequence if you wish.

—A.B.

Alisa Bauman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.

September/October 2004

This article can be found online at http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1386_1.cfm

Daoyin

http://www.daoyin.it/e_Daoyin.htm

Daoyin is an ancient Chinese body-mind exercise originally aimed at health care as well as physical and spiritual purification. The ascetics of past time believed it could be used to obtain the “eternal youth” (changsheng bulao). The first historical reference about it appears in Zhuangzi, a Taoist text written between the 4th and 2nd century BC:

 

Breathing in and out, exhaling and inhaling, they get rid of the old to absorb the new. They swing like bears and stretch like birds – all this they do in order to have long life. They are Daoyin disciples, people who nourish their form seeking for longevity like Pengzu.
(Zhuangzi, Keyi)

 

 

 

Many different interpretations were given to the word “daoyin” during the ages. The following two are the most reliable:

daoqi yinti – guide the qi and stretch the body
daoqi yinliao – guide the qi to obtain a healing effect

Both interpretations describe important aspects of the exercise and are not contradictory to each other. The first describes briefly the technique while the second refers to one goal of the exercise; actually with daoyin we guide the qi and move our body in order to obtain a beneficial effect to our health.

 

 

 

Yangsheng
nourishing the Life

China has an ancient and deep tradition of body-mind care. According to historical documents already during the feudal age (770-221 BC) the so-called “life-nourishing ways” (yangsheng zhi dao) gained great importance. They were methods aimed at enhancing a long, healthy and good life, by means of dietetic regime, herbal preparations, gymnastic exercises and spiritual cultivation (such as study, poetry, meditation, etc.).

Many famous thinkers of this time argued heatedly on these issues, proposing their own “ways” and discussing those of their colleagues. Among the various “life-nourishing ways”, the physical exercise was almost universally regarded as necessary and very effective. As “physical exercise” we have to think here something much deeper and articulated than what we mean today. It was an exercise involving body and mind in a great potentially unlimited effort of self-purification. The ascetics of that time practiced and taught these techniques in order to reach long life and immortality.

 

Theory

Qi

The concept of “qi” (ch’i – according to Wade-Giles transcription) has no equivalent in today’s western culture. In the oldest Chinese sources it is seen as the vital element that generates and unifies all the universe. It is often translated as “energy”, “vital energy ” or “breath”, “vital breath”.

According to ancient Chinese physical concepts, the qi pervades and animates all creatures. The whole universe is alive, starting from Heaven and Earth, the parents of all beings. The human being lives, as do all of the other creatures, between Heaven and Earth, and is their evident fruit. Its head is round like the vault of Heaven, its feet are flat like the Earth’s surface. The head points to the sky, and the feet hold him up resting on the earth. Among all creatures man is regarded as the most perfect because he bears the symbols of Heaven and Earth, he combines the natures of Heaven and Earth.

Man lives thanks to his inner qi (yuanqi – original vital energy) that he gets from his parents and loses with the death. Zhuangzi describes this concept so:

Man comes into the world by a qi condensing. It is this qi that, when it condenses, gives birth to the life and this same qi that, when it dissipates, brings death.
(Liou Kia-hway. Zhuangzi, Adelphi, 1982)

The human qi gets nourishment and circulates thanks to breathing, eating and physical and mental activity. Through the breathing we absorb the pure qi of the air (qingqi) and expel the dirty qi (zhuoqi). From the food we eat we absorb the nourishing qi of several natural elements.

Beside these “nourishments” coming from outside, the man can help himself in keeping his qi healthy by suitable physical activity that can allow him to avoid blocks and stagnations. Actually the qi is not stationary within the body but it circulates steadily, like the blood and the lymph. If there are blocks, stagnations or if it doesn’t circulates in a proper way, we have a pathological situation.

The main meanings of the world qi in Chinese life nourishing and gymnastic techniques are the following:
1. air
2. human vital energy
3. universe vital energy

These meanings are often not separated, on the contrary, most of the time they are present together.

 

Qigong

The world “gong” means “ability, work”; “qigong” (ch’i-kung according to Wade-Giles phonetic transcription) is the “work on qi“, as well as the ability resulting from this work.

The Chinese also ascribe to qi many uncommon phenomena like Prana therapy, invulnerability to blades, glasses, fire, electric current, or the ability to break bricks, bend iron bars, etc. All of these faculties, and many others, are listed by the Chinese under “qi abilities” rather than qigong.

The oldest traces of the word qigong go back to Tang dynasty (618-905) Taoist books, such as Taiqing tiaoqi jing (Supreme Purity qi regulation Classic), describe breathing, visualization, or meditation techniques, aimed at purifying oneself in an attempt to reach immortality.

 

In the martial arts qigong – or better said neigong (“inner work”) – is used to strengthen the vital energy and, widely the body and the mind. All Chinese traditional martial art schools (wushu) have specific neigong exercises. Some of them, so-called “inner schools” (neijia), have melted together such exercises with the martial technique, originating an integrated whole. The most famous inner schools are Taijiquan, Baguazhang e Xinyiquan.

With reference to health promoting techniques, the term “qigong” seems to appear not earlier than 1910 and only at the end of the 1950′s it started to be used on large scale. Today it has a much bigger diffusion than the more correct world daoyin, especially outside China.

 

The three regulations

Daoyin works on three different but always combined levels.

1. body level yundong daoyin (motor guiding)
guiding the body to the required positions and movements
2. breath level huxi daoyin (breath guiding)
controlling and guiding the respiration according to the required ways and rhythms
3. mind level yinian daoyin (mind guiding)
controlling and guiding the body to the required positions and movements and the respiration according to the required ways and rhythms, by mental focusing. At the same time, focusing the mind also on certain specific points and coordinating all these operations in one single integrated and complete action.

The roots of this triple action are to be found in the so-called 3 regulations (santiao), axe-principle of every traditional daoyin exercise. The “3 regulations” are:

- regulate the body (tiaoshen)
- regulate the breath (tiaoxi)
- regulate the mind (tiaoxin)

According to classical Chinese physiology, body and mind are a whole that cannot be divided. The mind lives thanks to the body and vice versa, both depend on each other. Ruling and cultivating properly the body cannot be done without using the mind, neither could it be possible to rule the mind and obtain the best concentration without a correct use of the body and the respiration. The respiration cannot be controlled without using the correct positions and a proper mind focusing. All the deepest oriental body disciplines acknowledge these principles.

 

Daoyin yangshenggong

Daoyin yangshenggong (Daoyin life nourishing exercises) is the result of a long and deep research on ancient daoyin techniques carried out by professor Zhang Guangde of Beijing Physical Education University.

Its soft, fluent and harmonious movements are aimed at improving energy circulation within the whole body, to loosen the joints, tone up and oxygenate the muscles and to relax the nervous system.

Several clinical tests made in China and examinations done by medical specialists and researchers from all over the world, have proved Daoyin yangshenggong to be effective in improving the health, preventing and healing many acute and chronic diseases without showing any side effect.

Daoyin doesn’t restrict itself to the health aspect. Thanks to its deep and meticulous work on concentration, respiration and movements, daoyin is also a wonderful method for self-cultivation and inner growth. With daoyin we can establish a close connection between body and mind and restore the inner harmony that so often gets damaged in our stressful daily life.

Professor Zhang Guangde

Zhang Guangde was born in 1932 in Tangshan, Hebei province, the town where in 1955 the first Qigong Clinic was established. Coming from a medical family background, in 1955 Zhang Guangde was enrolled in the Wushu Dept. of the Beijing Institute of Physical Education, where he graduated in 1959 becoming first teacher and then Senior Professor.
In the 70′s he devoted himself to daoyin research, ending with the development of the Daoyin yangshenggong system that today is practised by more than 4 million people spread in all the five continents.
Today Zhang Guangde is Professor and Researcher of Beijing University of Physical Education Wushu Dept, Honorary General Director of “Zhang Guangde’s Daoyin Yangshenggong Centre” , Permanent Member and Vice-Secretary of the Chinese Wushu Research Association.
Untiring in his devotion to daoyin cause, he decided to travel the world in order to introduce daoyin benefits to the greatest number of people. He has been invited to hold classes and seminars in Universities in France, at Oldenburg University (Germany), at Tokyo University and at the Japan Sport University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five Natures and Three Hearts

Daoyin yangshenggong is based on the so-called “Five Natures” (wuxing) and “Three Hearts” (sanxin).

The “Five Natures” are:

1. systematic nature xitongxing
2. scientific nature kexuexing
3. effectiveness shixiaoxing
4. artistic expression yishuxing
5. great spread guangfan shiyingxing

The “Three Hearts ” are:

1. pure heart zhenxin
2. enthusiastic heart rexin
3. patient heart naixin

The “Five Natures” refer to the criteria that lead to the construction of the exercises.

Daoyin yangshenggong is a complete system of training, it isn’t restricted to a single exercise pattern or to a single aim. The construction of every exercise has been carried out in a “systematic” way, considering several aspects. As far as possible nothing has been neglected in building-up the daoyin routines.

It has a “scientific nature” because the creator, by composing the single routines, did not just passively transmit the old tradition but also had a great concern for researching and testing the scientific principles of the exercises.

“Effectiveness” because the exercises formulated by professor Zhang were based upon objective principles that proved to be effective also according to modern scientific knowledge.

“Artistic expression” because the different forms have not only a pragmatic aim but play a significant role as well as an aesthetic and artistic model in spiritual and physical expression.

“Great spread” means that the creator strove to reach a possible compromise between technical, pedagogical and diffusion needs, composing exercises that are not boring, repetitive and complicated but relatively simple, varied, elegant, beautiful, and appropriate in length and intensity.

The “Three Hearts ” refer to the mind attitude of Daoyin devotees.

“Pure Heart” means that the practitioner should have a pure and unpolluted approach towards the discipline and the training; he has to get rid of any conditioning, worry, suspect or doubt. This is the best condition to learn. A pure heart and a sincere mind allow for a better life with ourselves and with others, as well the opportunity to absorb quickly the teaching.

“Enthusiastic Heart” means enthusiasm towards study, practice and learning. Enthusiasm is a wonderful motor for learning, it enriches our life and our person making it more active and dynamic, and it helps us to overcome the difficult moments too.

“Patient Heart” is an essential requirement to learn any discipline and even more to learn a demanding art like Daoyin. “Patience” means to be patient with ourselves and with others. Daoyin characteristics force us to cultivate patience, a very necessary and often mistreated virtue in today society.

 

Technique

Daoyin yangshenggong system provides sitting and standing, static and dynamic symmetric exercises, with various degrees of difficulty, to be performed also with specific musical excerpts in order to help concentration and relaxation.
The exercises are aimed towards special goals and have distinctive features, but every single exercise is at the same time quite complete in itself and enough for personal training.

Stance Training

http://www.hungkuen.net/training-stancetraining.htm

Hung Gar is known for its strong, stable stances and puts much emphasis on stance training. Needles to say that stance training is considered to be an extremely important part of Hung Gar and their importance cannot be stressed enough. They are the foundations of all techniques and movements, as well as being one of the most important key elements to the successful progression and advancement in the art. Contrary to what some modern martial artist may think, stance training is a must and the proper training and development of stances is crucial to any Hung Gar practitioner.

In the past, Hung Gar students were encouraged and devoted much of their time to the training of stances. Traditionally it was a common practice for the beginning students to spend anything from six months to one year of solid stance work alone before they were allowed to learn anything else. Day after day the student was required to assume a low horse stance – sei ping ma and hold this position for extensively long periods of time. This time period was usually ranging anything from the burning of one- incense stick to three-incense sticks, which in total is about 3 hours. In the modern times of today, this kind of training is rarely done or seen anymore. There are variety of reasons why most modern martial artist don’t bother with such gruelling training anymore most of which usually comes down to change of times, way of living, personal attitudes and needs. In some peoples case pure laziness and lack of patience. The fact of the matter is, despite its extreme importance, most martial artist of today don’t even spend 10 minutes a day training in gung fu, let alone 3 hours of stance work every day. Unfortunately majority of today’s students are looking for quick results, always anxious to learn new techniques and move to the next stage without proper understanding or mastery of what they were taught in the previous stage. In other words they try and run before they can walk. Traditional training methods such as these are no longer appreciated nor seem useful and worst of all the enormous benefits offered by this type of training are often over looked or totally ignored.

What is all the fuss about? one may ask and wonder why should one has to devote so much time and effort to training of stances? There are many reasons, but to sum it up the main purposes behind stance training are: strengthening and conditioning of the legs, training the mind and the spirit, rooting, internal energy training and last but not least to improve posture-structure, all of which support each other and connect to each other in a complimentary fashion.

Strengthening and conditioning of the legs is one of the most obvious benefits of stance training. Correct stance work will train and condition the whole, not just a specific part or area. It will build and strengthen the muscles, joints, bones and tendons of the legs as well as other related parts of the body. Regular and proper training will enormously increase the power, strength and endurance of the legs. It will also improve the speed and flexibility. The practitioner will be armed with extremely powerful legs, which can be used to attack or defend.

Mental conditioning, the training of the mind and the spirit is also an important part of stance training. Tempering and controlling the mind is one of the hardest parts of gung fu training. A gung fu practitioner must have a calm, focused mind and a strong spirit. Long durations of stance training can be extremely boring and very painful. This being the case, most people, especially beginners’ cant sit in a low horse stance for a very long time, even if they have strong legs. Hung Gar practitioners need total concentration, patience, willpower and determination to be able to hold a low horse stance for an extensively long period of time. As mentioned above, in the past Hung Gar practitioners were required to do six months to one year of solid stance work alone before they were allowed to learn anything else. One of the main reasons behind this type of training was to test a students mental, moral and physical strengths and weakness. Those who couldn’t cope would soon drop out and quit.

Developing a solid root is an extremely important goal of all gung fu practitioners and one of the main reasons behind stance training. Stability and balance are the first things that come to mind when talking about rooting. Although this is true, rooting in gung fu involves much more than just having a stable stance or good balance. Beside other things rooting involves correct body structure, relaxed body, sinking of energy etc. Some people also have the false idea that having a solid root is being too static and stiff. One must be rooted at all times regardless of stance or position. It is said that when standing be like a mountain, strong and unmovable, when moving be like the wind, swift and fast. Despite its importance most beginners and even those who has been training for many years experience much difficulty in achieving a solid root, mainly due to lack of understanding and not enough practice. They are easily pushed over and have neither stability nor balance even when they perform the simplest techniques. They lack strength and speed in their techniques and cannot generate power using the whole body.

Stance training focuses a great deal on internal energy or chi – qi cultivation that is also one of the most overlooked factors when talking about stance training.

http://www.hungkuen.net/training-basicstances.htm

Stances are, without a doubt an important part of Hung Gar training. Hung Gar training includes number of different stances which are common to most gung fu styles. The following is a brief description of the stances found in Hung Gar style, important points to bare in mind and most common mistakes one can make. Please note that this is only an introduction. There is much more to these stances than the descriptions given below.

Sei Ping Ma / Four Level Horse Stance

Sei Ping Ma also known as Ma Bo (Horse Stance-step) is so called because it resembles a person riding a horse. This is one of the most faundamental and important stances in Hung Gar and can be found in almost every style of Chinese martial arts. This is a strong, stable stance, which provides a strong foundation. Sei ping Ma like all the other stances must be practiced regularly to improve your balance, strength, speed as well as many other important factors including the mental and internal aspects of the art. When practicing horse stance there are important points to follow. Important Points • Body weight even on both legs 50/50 • Sink down not forward • Toes pointing forward • Knees turned out • Back straight, buttocks tucked in • Body relaxed and weight sunk down Common Mistakes • Toes pointing out • Knees too inward or too outward • Feet too near or too far apart from each other • Back not straight, buttocks sticking out • Body too tensed • Body leaning forward or backward

Ji-Ng Ma /

This stance commonly known as bow and arrow stance is another common stance which can be found in many other martial arts. Ji-Ng Ma is a strong, firm stance where the weight is usually distributed 60/40. With this stance knee of the front leg is bent and the back leg should be straight. The waist is fully turned facing forward, the knee and the feet of the leg forward is turned in. Ideally thigh of the front leg should be parallel to the floor. Important Points • Waist turned, body square • Back leg straight- feet flat on the floor • Knee of the front leg turned inward • Feet(toes) turned inward • Back straight and shoulders relaxed Common Mistakes • Front Feet pointing forward • Back leg not straight • Stance too far apart or too close • Back heel off the floor • Front Knee not bend enough

Dui Ma / Hanging Horse – Cat Stance

This is a flexible stance where most of the body weight is placed on the rear leg. The rear leg is bent at the knee and the weight is sunk straight down, the front leg is also bent at the knee and only toes of the front feet touching the floor. Ideally thighs should be parallel to the floor. Initially begin with a higher stance and and through gradual progression lower the stance. Ensure the backside is tucked in making sure the spine is straight. Important Points • Back straight, body facing forward • Weight sunk down • Most of the weight is place on rear leg • Front leg bent, toes touching the floor Common Mistakes • Weight placed on front leg • Front Toes not pointing down • Rear leg is not bent enough • Front leg straight and locked

Gam Gai Duk Laap Ma – The golden chicken stands in one leg

Gam gai duk laap ma ( The golden chicken stands in one leg ) is most commonly referred as crane stance. This common one-legged stance is done by having one foot solidly planted on to the ground while the other leg is lifted of the floor by bending the leg at the knee and raising the knee higher than the waist. The foot of this leg should be turned inward. This stance requires a strong foundation and balance. Make sure the straight leg is not locked. Important Points • Knee is raised high • Back straight • Weight sunk down the leg into the floor Common Mistakes • Knee not raised enough • Supporting leg locked • Body leaning backwards

Kei-Lun Bo — Quai Ma / Unicorn Step — Cross stance

This stance is formed by taking a step forward and crossing one leg infront of the other by creating a 90 degree angel while turning the waist and squatting down. When in this stance the front foot is flat on the floor while the heel of the back foot is raised of the floor leaving the ball of this foot touching the ground. Important Points • Back straight • Waist turned, both knees bent • Sink the weight, squat down Common Mistakes • Leaning forward or backward • Knees not bent enough • Heal of the rear foot touching floor

Nau Ma – Twisting Horse

This stance is exactly the same as Kei-Lun Bo(Quai Ma), the only difference is this stance is performed on the spot by turning/twisting the waist instead of taking a step.This stance requires a lot of waist action and is a very flexible and mobile stance. It can be used both for offense or defense. Important Points • Back straight • Waist turned, both knees bent • Sink the weight, squat down Common Mistakes • Leaning forward or backward • Knees not bent enough • Heal of the rear foot touching floor

Tau Ma- Stealing Horse

Ta ma is similar to Nau Ma and Quai Ma in the sense of appearance, however the usage is slightly different. Tau ma is generally known as retreating step where the front foot is placed behind the rear leg Important Points • Back straight • Waist turned, both knees bent • Sink the weight, squat down Common Mistakes • Leaning forward or backward • Knees not bent enough • Heal of the rear foot touching floor

Lok Quei Ma / Kneeling Horse

This stance is is a strong and stable stance, where one can rise and drop quickly to attack or defend the lower parts of the body etc.Lok Quei Ma is formed by keeping one foot flat on the floor while bending the same leg at the knee and squatting down, while the other leg is bent at the knee which is lowered down near to the ground and brought close to the heel of the foot which is flat on the floor. Important Points • Back straight • Waist turned, both knees bent • Sink the weight, squat down Common Mistakes • Leaning forward or backward • Knees not bent enough • Heal of the rear foot touching floor

Reverse Bow Arrow

This stance is the reserve of Ji-ng-ma. The stance is formed in the same way where the legs, feet , knees are positioned the same and back straight as always. With this stance body is slightly more lower to the ground. Important Points • Back straight • Waist turned, both knees bent • Sink the weight, squat down Common Mistakes • Leaning forward or backward • Knees not bent enough • Heal of the rear foot touching floor

Yee Gee Kim Yeung Ma / Character “two” goat capturing stance

Yee Gee Kim Yeung Ma is a strong, stable stance. It is formed by having the feet about shoulder with apart, tucking the pelvis in, turning the toes and knees inwards in a shape of triangle and sinking the weight down. Due to its shape, some people reffer to this stance as triangle stance.