Exploring Qigong III: The Three Intentful Corrections

The Three Intentful Corrections are the foundation of and starting point for Qigong practice. My inspiration and source for this entry is Roger Jahnke's The Healing Promise of Qi(1). My information is derived from Jahnke except where otherwise noted. If you haven't read this book and are in any way interested in Qigong, I highly recommend it. It is a prominent resident of my personal library, and I am rewarded every time I return to it. In it Jahnke quotes the basic and most important rule for practicing Qigong and Taiji: "Mind the body and the breath, and then clear the mind to distill the Heavenly elixir within." This single statement summarizes the whole complex practice of Qigong. It is all premised on the Three Intentful Corrections:

>Adjust and regulate the body posture and movement

>Adjust and regulate the breath

>Adjust and regulate consciousness

Posture

In the last entry we defined the four critical points in the body's geography: The Dantian and the Mingmen on the horizontal plane. The Ba Hui point on the top of our heads, and the Huiyin point directly opposite in the vertical plane. Proper Qigong posture works by aligning these points. Essentially what we want to do is straighten our spines by aligning the vertical axis. This is accomplished by what Grandmaster Cai Song Fang calls "the tuck and suck method"(2), wherein we suck in our bellies and expand our mingmen. We do this by sucking and tucking and tilting back our pelvis cavity. At the same time slightly tuck the chin so that is feels as if there is a string attached to the top of your head pulling you upwards. This action straightens out the normally swayed spine. Grandmaster Cai says there is a difference between the natural state of posture and the normal state of posture. In this case the natural is not the norm. The norm for most humans is the swayed back and pot belly. The muscle group associated with this is the iliopsos muscles. These are instrumental in walking and sexual activity. Consequently, the 'normal' posture for most people results in a situation of impaired iliopsoatic function and dysfunctional walking and sexual activity. The suck and tuck method, by tilting the pelvis back and straightening the spine, reverses the common posture of sway back with the guts spilling out the front and the buttocks sticking out the back. It thus restores functionality to the iliopsos, obdurator, and abdominal muscles which are intimately connected to the diaphragm and the breath. A good way to visualize this is to imagine the imaginary string pulling the top of your head up, and imagine the pelvic cavity to be a fruit bowl. Tip the bowl back to prevent anything from spilling out the front. At the same time imagine a line through your body from the top of your head down through the Huiyin point and into the ground. Consequently the horizontal line between the Dantian and the Mingmen will align naturally. This serves to align the three Dantians with heaven and earth, and makes room in the chest cavity for the lungs to operate with less pressure and/or obstruction, therefore making breathing easier.

Breath

Breath is the key to life. It is synonymous with the concept of Qi. It is the gateway to focus and the tool of mindfulness. It is the key to mastering Qigong. It is the easiest of the Three Intentful Corrections to adjust, because we are always breathing. We just may not always be aware of it. You can bring your awareness to your breath at any time. Breath serves as a mantra for meditation. In deep meditation our breath becomes very shallow, often to the point of seeming no breath at all. In Qigong breath serves the same mantric purpose, helping to focus the mind. But it is more. It also serves to move Qi and to relax the body. Breath brings health into the body and dispels toxins out. Many Qigong practices focus on an in-breath for one motion, followed by an out-breath for the next in a rhythmic pattern. At advanced levels we practice pre-natal, or reverse breathing. In reverse breathing the abdomen is contracted upon inhalation and expanded during exhalation. This is the way our bodies functioned when we were in the womb breathing through the umbilical cord. Normal breathing operates so that we expand our abdomen during inhalation,and contract in on the exhalation. Reverse breathing is very therapeutic on many levels. However, one should work with an experienced teacher when approaching this practice. On a basic level, all practitioners focus on their breath and use it to regulate their pace and to focus. As in meditation, focusing on the breath in Qigong makes it easier to adjust and regulate the consciousness.

Consciousness

Qigong is a form of meditation. Static, orWuji Qigong is meditation. Dynamic Qigong and Taiji are moving meditations. The same rules of mediation apply to Qigong. The more focused the mind, the deeper the experience. A focused Qigong mind is open to healing and enlightenment. Jahnke defines three states of Qigong mind: Conditioned Mind; Focused Mind; Clarified Mind. Conditioned mind is the everyday, distracted, monkey mind we live with for most of our existence. By managing what the mind is doing, focusing on the breath and the body, and ignoring monkey mind we begin to experience focused mind. Clarified mind is approaching enlightenment. This is full engagement with the light, off the plane of conditioning. This is the same as any enlightened experience in Zen, Yoga, or any contemplative acts. Suffice it to say that Qigong is as much a vessel to this experience as anything. And the mind is where we reside. A focused mind is a powerful force. As our practice deepens we find that we can contribute to our healing and our physical well-being through our minds in concert with our breath and bodies.

Eventually the Three Intentful Corrections become one, as they are infinitely interconnected. Each serves to enhance the other, bringing about the Taiji state of balance and tranquility. And this is what we strive for. This is where we find health, material well-being, tranquility, and transcendence. And once there we find that we have always been there, and will have to return again, because living is just not the same anymore.

(1) Roger Jahnke. The Healing Power of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi. Contemporary Books, 2002.

(2) Jan Diepersloot. Warriors of Stillness: Meditative Traditions in the Chinese Martial Arts; Volume 1, Qigong of the Center, Essence of Tijiquan: The Teachings of Grandmaster Cai Song Fang. Jan Diepersloot, 1995

Exploring Qigong II: Clarification

As I delve in the art of Qigong I want to clarify some of the terms and concepts we use in association with the art. I think this helps to better understand what we are looking at and what we are doing. I find it beneficial to revisit definitions and basic concepts from time to time. It helps me to clarify what I'm doing, and to ensure I'm keeping everything in place and in proper perspective. I hope to cover most of the terms and concepts we use in the practice of Qigong. I will probably leave some out or take some for granted. But hopefully I can review the basics.

Gong

The gong of Qigong and Gong Fu, or Chi Kung and Kung Fu if you will, is the same thing. Gong is essential foundation, it is the essence of the essentials. According to Yang Yang, gong "is not technique--it is the root from which the flower of technique can grow.(1)" The practice of Qigong and of Taiji is the process of accumulating gong. The accumulation of gong, according to Yang refers to "constant improvements in balance, coordination, agility, and power through the accretion and replenishment of Qi.(2)" Qi is the vital energy that not only flows through our bodies, but through all of creation. Qigong is the process of cultivating Qi, of consciously and intentionally working the foundation and the essence. The ancient formula, according to Jahnke is "Practice + Intention = Inner Harmony = Qi Flow = Health and Longevity.(3)" Qi is the stuff, gong is the conscious intention.

Dantian

Dantian is defined as the Elixir Field. It is the area of the body where the cultivation of Qi is carried out. On a basic level, we define the dantian as the Qihai point, or CV6 along the Conception Vessel meridian. This area is approximately two inches below the navel. Qihai is translated as 'sea of Qi'. This is the area often referred to in Taji as the dantian. However, the art of Qigong recognizes three dantians. The first, the Earth Dantian, is the lower dantian, the one we have located. The second dantian is the Heart Dantian, located in our chest area roughly in the area of our hearts and is associated with the Chinese concept of Xin, or Heart/Mind. The third dantian is the Heaven Dantian, located just below the Bai Hui point, or GV20 on the Governing Vessel meridian. It is just below the soft spot on the top of your head and the area just behind your eyes. It is also associated with the third eye. In a balanced state the Qi of heaven flows toward earth and the Qi of earth flows toward heaven and merge at the Heart Dantian, thus achieving a Taji state, or fully balanced Yin-Yang state of being(4).

CV1: Huiyin and GV4: Mingmen

Huiyin, or CV1 on the Conception Vessel Meridian is located between the legs and between the genitals and the anus. Mingmen, or GV4 on the Governing Vessel Meridian, is known as the Gate of Life. It is located between the second and third lumbar vertebra. Personal geography is important in Qigong. CV1, Huiyin is directly opposite the Bai Hui point on the top of the head in the vertical axis. Mingmen is directly opposite the lower dantian on the horizontal axis. Utilizing the proper body alignment, the intersection of these two axes is the Wuji Point, or Wuji Center. It is what we usually mean when we discuss our "center".

Wuji and Taiji

Wuji means void or nothingness, stillness, or no extreme. Taiji means grand extremes, or Yin and Yang. Wuji is the mother of Taiji. Yang says that in Wuji, "there is no differentiation between yin and yang. It is neither this nor that--it is no thing (nothing)(5)." Qigong meditation is often referred to as Wuji meditation. It is static Qigong. Once movement happens, yin and yang separate from within Wuji to create Taiji. The Wuji point described above is our center. When we meditate on this point we sense the movement of Qi through the body. The Wuji point is a spiritual point of focus, a biological point of Qi generation, and a structural reference point for posture and balance.

The Three Treasures

The Three Treasures are Shen, Qi, and Jing. Shen is spirit and is associated with the spritual realm of our existence. Qi is essential energy or the life force and is associated with with our minds or our heart/minds. Jing is our essence and is associated with earth, and reproduction. There is much that can be said about The Three Treasures. It is a basic concept that builds upon itself and can be quite intricate in the end. I don't expect to reference this concept in my exploration of Qigong any more than what I have defined here. But for the advanced practitioner there is much to learn and to benefit from.

I hope this serves as a decent primer for the following posts on the subject of Qigong. I am sure I haven't covered all the components of Qigong, but I hope I have covered enough so that any further explanations can be dealt with in text. Typically, the more I look at this subject and consider the art, the more I learn, and the more I am reminded I need to learn. But in the end the best way to learn is to let the art teach you. Just do it.

Works Cited:

(1), (2), (5) Yang Yang. Taijiquan: The Art of Nurturing, The Science of Power. Zhenwu Publications, 2005.

(3), (4) Roger Jahnke. The Healing Power of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi. Contemporary Books, 2002.

Exploring Qigong

This is the first of in-depth series of entries exploring Qigong. For those of us practicing the Internal Martial Arts, Qigong serves as a foundation. However, I want to clarify what Qigong is, at least to some degree. Qigong is not Taiji. Although we often write Taiji as Tai Chi, that does not signify that Tai Chi is another form of Qigong. Taiji is translated as grand extreme. Therefore, Taijiquan is also known as grand extreme boxing, or grand extreme fist. The grand extreme of Taiji is yin and yang. Quan is translated as boxing or fist. So, Taijiquan is a martial art based on the extremes of slow and fast. The popular Yang styles of Taiji that are slow and meditative that most people are familiar with are fairly recent modifications of Taijiquan. True Taijiquan of the Chen variety, or the original Yang style of Yang Luchuan have a mix of slow meditative movements and rapid fast discharges of energy know as fajing. In its original intent the slow of Taijiquan compliments the fast, and vice versa. Taijiquan was primarily developed as a martial art. That being said, it is also a healing art and a meditative art, among many other things. But, my point here is that Tai Chi is not just another form of Qigong. It is much more. But given that, Qigong is a part of what Taiji is, and is not only a foundation for Taijiquan, but a foundation for many martial arts, and an art in and of itself.

Qigong may be the most complete natural healing art known to man. And while it may be mysterious to many, it is actually quite simple and very effective. The types and forms of Qigong range from static sitting and standing meditation to very intricate choreographed forms, and yes even Taiji when practiced with healing intention. Ironically, the simplest Qigong, standing meditation, can be the hardest, especially for beginners. But it can also be the most rewarding once one is comfortable with it. Conversely, the more complicated forms can also be very enjoyable to the more experienced practitioner, but are probably no more effective for healing than the simple movement forms. The key to Qigong is not necessarily in the complexity or simplicity of the various approaches as much as it is in the intention and deliberate practice.

While Qigong has been often presented as something mysterious, mystical, or possibly dubious, it is in reality a very practical and effective healing art grounded in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and subjected to Evidence Based Trials in the West that have proven its efficacy to the skeptical Western mind. Qigong is physical exercise, breath control, meditation, and Qi management techniques all rolled up in one system. Beyond the medical field of application, Qigong has spiritual applications or forms, practices that enhance martial training, and techniques that serve to assist the elderly and physically challenged with balance and coordination.

While Qigong is a part of a total training system for me and many others, it is a system in and of itself. There are people who only train in Qigong, who only practice Qigong, and people who daily use Qigong as a tool to heal others. It is a very broad and very deep system. And one that is worthy of serious attention and study

On the Injured Reserve

So I find myself on the bench. The injured reserve list. I pulled a muscle in my calf last week and it has sidelined me for a while at least. It is not bad enough that I need surgery, but it is bad enough that I can't walk normally without a lot of pain. I can't walk abnormally without a little pain. So after mentally wrestling with myself and subduing my ego, I have decided to take it easy, easy, easy lest I mess myself up good. This means no unnecessary movement, like Taiji. After the first couple of days I did try some simple Qigong, and very soft wave hands and repulse monkey. But it just isn't meant to be. I have more pain than I thought I would, which is a great indicator that it's time to sit for a while. So I am reduced to sitting meditation, homeopathics, grape juice and those martial arts books that I can't resist buying but never have time to read because I spend all my spare time practicing.

There is in this a lesson and a blessing in disguise, as in all things. And I have time to discern that. In the meantime I can catch up on some reading and practice sitting. Which are both things I need to do. I have been experiencing a lot of personal change over the last six months, and I'm sure that process is far from over. So I can use this time to reflect and consider where I want to take my training from here. Once I can start moving again I will be doing more Qigong, which is something else I feel I never get enough of. So, at the very least I have time to catch up on some reading, practice sitting, and begin more Qigong practices. Well, maybe this isn't so bad after all.

The Impotence of Words

I made substantial progress in my training this past week. I should leave it at that and end this post right here. Because the progress I made is not very explicable. The progress was internal, and like all things internal, external words never do justice. Specifically Monday night's Aikido class and Wednesday morning Taiji were instructive. I crossed a point, hit a new plateau. Although in each case the point was different, it essentially is the same thing. At least part of the process was in my ability to leave my self, my ego, at home and give in to the movement. Of course that is what we strive for, and I can say I have made progress over the years. But this week was different. The change was substantial and noticeable. Rather than being me moving, I felt I transcended dualism and became the movement. And it stayed with me. It was noticeable Thursday as I plowed through the general insanity of the work-day-world. It was noticeable last night in Aikido class and when I did my Chen 48 form this morning. It is noticeable right now as I pull words together and try to explain the inexplicable. The change was arrived at through training and it applies to my art as I continue to train. But further, it carries over into my world. And that is the benefit we strive for: not only to be more in tune with our art, but to be more in tune with our world. If the nature of the godhead is change, then perhaps it is therefore divine to change. As we change our world changes to accommodate us and so follows our further experiences till we are no longer who we once were. And that is just the beginning of the path.

Ordinary Moments

The extraordinary moments of life are what make up our existence as we are doing other things and waiting for "enlightenment". I had a rather routine doctor's appointment the other day, just a quick check, in and out--or so I thought. It was in the mid-afternoon of a typically busy day. Not that I mind busy days. Busy is good for me. Busy works for my personality. I strive on movement and action.

Anyway, on this particular busy day I had a deadline to meet with my accountant, and customers and vendors who insisted on lighting up my phone lines. As I was driving to my appointment I got two calls on my cell phone about issues that needed immediate attention. I started the process over the phone and promised each of them that I wouldn't be long at my appointment and would get right back to them as soon as I was back in my office.

I checked in as usual and was led back to a treatment room in typical fashion. What wasn't typical was that my doctor was also having a busy day and I had to wait a bit before he saw me. He is usually very punctual. As I was sitting alone in this treatment room with no reading material besides Teen Life and Dermatology Today, I started going over in my head all the things personal and professional that were happening in my life. I noticed a very cheap painting on the wall opposite me of a small pond with lilly pads and what appeared to be lotus flowers. Then it hit me. That was my mindfulness bell.

For a little perspective you need to realize that twenty plus years ago I would have been crawling the walls by this point. I would have likely been pacing the floor, impatiently asking nobody in particular: "Where the hell is he?...Don't you realize I need to be___(fill in the blank)...I don't have time for this...etc, etc, etc...." In my self-important, professional, careerist world, I didn't have time for meaningless distractions, and (God forbid) downtime. Thankfully I have grown, if but only a little. My mindfulness bell--in this case a cheap painting in a doctor's office--brought me back to my center, or somewhere in that general vicinity. Anyway, I took the hint, closed my eyes, and took full advantage of this (once meaningless) distraction and God-given downtime. It wasn't necessarily a Satori moment, or earth-shattering by any means; but then again, maybe it was and I missed it.

The mindfulness bell is used in the Zen tradition as a random reminder to re-focus, to bring our minds away from our fanciful thoughts, worries, and mental fantasies and back to the moment of existence. Thich Nhat Hanh recommends that we use everyday items and events as mindfulness bells. Things such as traffic lights. So every time you stop at a traffic light use it as a reminder to shift your thoughts to now, and away from whatever fantasy or worry you may have been engaging. Mindfulness is more than what we practice in our moments of silent meditation. The process, the act of being present, can be brought out of meditation and into all our activities. As Thay says, when you wash dishes, wash dishes.

Of course this takes massive discipline and much intentional practice. In my case, I was focused for a bit and that moment of silence provided much needed balance in the middle of a hectic day. But typically I was back in my head and slaying all kinds of mental dragons before I made it back to my office. But at least I am aware of the process and am able to occasionally catch myself and take advantage of a break in the action. And I know I have truly grown. What was once a neurotic inconvenience is now an opportunity to transform the ordinary into extraordinary. My work, my growth, has just begun.

Equanimity

"If one tries to befriend an enemy for a moment, he becomes your friend.
The same thing occurs when one treats a friend as an enemy.
Therefore, by understanding the impermanence of temporal relations,
Wise ones are never attached to food, clothing or reputation, nor to friends or enemies."

The Buddha

In an earlier post, I discussed to some degree our moral responsibilities as martial artists. Later I came across similar discussions here, and again here on Ikigaiway. All of this has led me to further thinking on this subject specifically in relation to the execution of the arts I am studying. If we follow our arts far enough we can learn plenty of techniques useful in the task of defending ourselves, and/or neutralizing a given attacker or opponent. And, as I noted, some of these techniques can not only immobilize but possibly cause serious harm and even death to a potential attacker. While this may be something that must happen to protect oneself or the life of others, it certainly isn't something any balanced person should ever desire and something we should strive to prevent. On the other hand, I have found numerous references to peace in the writings of O'Sensei, and in the various thoughts of Taiji practitioners and writers. But the actual practice of peace in the face of conflict is a very illusive subject.

In his very first entry in The Art of Peace, O'Sensei says to "Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace." But he doesn't say how. I mean, sure he goes on to recommend that one should "Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter." But again, how? The sticky point here is not in how to live a peaceful life per se, but how our training as martial artists lends itself to that. Jesus and The Buddha, among others, taught to love one's enemy. But how does that happen, especially in a martial context? From what well of inspiration is that strength brought forth? In Buddhism with an Attitude, B. Alan Wallace writes that loving one's enemy doesn't mean to love the person you hate, but to love those who hate you. In what may at first appear ironic to those outside, the practice of Budo can lead the practitioner to just this attitude.

O'Sensei says the purpose of training is to "tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit." And it is this polishing of the spirit that we are addressing. Following the teaching of Grandmaster Feng, Yang Yang recommends that our foremost intention in the practice of Taijiquan is nurturing. In his book, Taijiquan: The Art of Nurturing, The Science of Power, Yang states that Grandmaster's Feng's first principle of Taijiquan practice is xujing: empty and tranquil mind and spirit. Grandmaster Feng teaches that xujing is the essence and ultimate goal of Taijiquan. Xujing leads to tranquility and heightened awareness. Xujing can obviously be arrived at through meditation and form practice. The key, as in all mindfulness practice, is to take it further into the larger world. In this case we do that through training. If we follow Grandmaster Feng's example and make xujing the essence and ultimate goal of our practice it will eventually become a part of our beings. Xujing can and should lead one to a state of equanimity. In Buddhist terminology, equanimity means the ability to remain balanced and centered in the middle of whatever may be happening. This in turn can lead to a compassionate state of mind, and discernment in dangerous or potentially dangerous situations.

The practice of push hands can be very instrumental in developing equanimity. One of the hardest things to overcome for newcomers to push hands practice is the tendency to stiffen up and resist the violation of their personal space. And rightfully so. We have a natural inborn tendency to protect ourselves, and the violation of our personal space sets this in motion. Overcoming this discomfort is a major breakthrough in training. In order to relax, to abandon oneself, and to apply the techniques of sticking, following, and listening, one needs a tranquil state of mind. The practice of our various forms or katas, Wuji and Zhan Zhuang meditation practices, Qigong, and various Ki exercises help to develop, or nurture xujing. And it is an ongoing process. This is why we train, why we constantly train, why we continue to train, and if we are true to our intentions, why we will always train.

Of course we need to be comfortable and confident as well. Which is why we need to go beyond form and push hands training. Even with a tranquil mind we need to know that within us we have the ability to defend ourselves. Equanimity implies balance, equal parts Yin and Yang. Knowing how to deliver a well-timed Dim Mak knock out punch is incomplete knowledge without the peace of mind to also know when to not. Accordingly, being well-versed in slow meditative and healthy Taiji forms, or the dance of interactive Budo techniques and knowing little or nothing about the martial applications behind them, much less having the ability to use them, or the intention to fully carry them out is equally incomplete. Equanimity is balance, equal parts Yin and Yang, and an appropriate goal of training.