Ba Duan Jin class 2022.02.16
About Course
Ba Duan Jin Qigong (The Eight Sections of Brocade)
These recordings, from the Ba Duan Jin classes are now available on-demand. They can also be used as an added asset to our live classes and the on-demand Ba Duan Jin course. In these classes we gradually work at a deeper level and explore the finer details of these Qigong.
In this Ba Duan Jin Lesson
- Lifting the Sky: Focus on the San Jiao and Chong Mai.
- Pull the Bow to Shoot the Eagle: Focus on co-ordination of breath and movement.
- Holding up a Single Hand: Focus on Stomach and Spleen meridians.
- The Wise Owl Looks Backward: Focusing on Lung meridian, then Lung and Large Intestine.
- Sway the Head and Shake the Tail: Working with the Kua.
- Hold the Feet to Strengthen the Kidneys: Mingmen, the Kidney Shu Points and Bladder meridian.
- Punching with Intent: Lung as Primary meridian, Liver as Secondary.
- Raise the Heels: Keeping Kidney 1 connected.
There are many variations of the Ba Duan Jin set being taught today and that is not really surprising given their age. They date back at least to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) so they have had in the region of 800 years and a countless number of lineages for those variations to develop. Having variations is not really an issue as long as the principles of true Qigong are present. Those are exactly the same principles of Daoyin, or of Neigong. The problem today, and it is a huge problem for those who wish to learn the Ba Duan Jin, is that the majority of the teaching does not include the Internal and these exercises are then reduced to being of a physical nature only.
It is said that Chinese folk hero General Yue Fei created these exercises but as this “history” never appeared until the nineteenth century it should be taken with a pinch of salt. The Silk Qigong predated this and the Ba Duan Jin have a very close resemblance to the first set of the Silk Qigong.
Along with the Silk Qigong, there are other sets that have exercises with similar names and similar external movements to those in the Ba Duan Jin, aka the Eight Strands of Brocade. The Ten Fundamental Treasures is another of them. This similarity in names and physical movement causes confusion and there is often a misconception that they are the same exercises collected together as sets that differ in name only. They are different, completely different, Internally. The focus, Qi guidance and effect/benefit is not the same.
If you are new to Qigong please do our Qigong for Beginners course before joining these classes.
Course Content
Ba Duan Jin class 2022.02.16
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Ba Duan Jin class 2022.02.16
01:00:21
I have been working my way through these Ba Duan Jin classes and I am amazed. Why so? I have been practicing these exercises for many years, following previous tuition, without much happening Qi wise. I kid you not............... by the end of the first session (with Des Lawton) I was buzzing!
Up until now the Eight Brocade have been no more than arm waving and knee bending for me.............. That is how it was taught........... I was never shown where my focus should be, ow what I should expect to experience.
Now I have found a real teacher of Qigong and I have already thrown out all of my previous misunderstanding to make room for real Qigong.
As I make my way through the lessons I intend to repeat this message.............. Learn here!