Qigong Practice: Pei Yuan Qigong

By Hu Xuezhi, Wang Tao, edited by Vietanh

1. Enrich Jing to foster the very original
Choose any standing, sitting, lying posture. The sitting posture is preferable; for walking the novice is not easy to master the points. So, it is advisable not to try at beginning for novice.

Once the practice begins, please follow the following sequence:

1-1. Before going to practice, in the mind please have an idea “I want to practice ” , and then select the practice location (pay attention to the direction you face for benefiting your practice). Well prepare everything for your practice.

1-2. On the practice is under way, tell yourself: I have started practice. I will concentrate on practice and do away with all stray ideas which keep disturbing all my mind. Then from the head down to the center of two feet relax the entire body slowly and little by little (relax muscles and joints and every part of the body). Wen you imagine to relax the entire body please please do not get involved into the details like how to relax one muscle, how to relax one joints, how to relax one piece of skin, how to relax each internal organ, etc. Only have an idea to relax the whole from top downward and you would feel all muscles and joints begin to relax. Breathe naturally and let all things go naturally. Do the relaxation three times until you feel the body become light. Keep your posture and do not move.

1-3. Choose natural nasal inhalation and exhalation, mouth closed, eyes gently closed, tongue naturally stretched flat, gently touching on the gums of upper teeth.

1-4. Mind focused on the lower Dantian for 3-5 minutes.

1-5. Imagine the whole body locate widely high in the sky, all brilliance of the sun, moon and stars converge to form golden Qi which continue to engulf your body, contain it and permeate the body—all your body is in the golden air.

1-6. Have normal breathing (i.e. when breathing in lower abdomen sticks out; when exhaling lower abdomen shrinks), naturally and gently. Then inhale and imagine to have a small opening at the top of the head, and from which the golden Qi, composed by the brilliance from sun, moon and stars, begin to be sucked in. Imagine, from the head down along the center of the body there is a straight-shaped hollow channels which connects this small opening with lower Dantian; when exhale, please imagine that the golden Qi begins to be absorbed by the lower Dantian and the evil Qi begins to be released and it will descend along the two sides of the thigh down to feet center (Yongquan), and go out to penetrate deep into the center of the earth (Figure 1.4) Yes, when you inhale, please relax the whole body, and if you get accustomed with the process, please accompany a slight contraction of the anus during the inhalation ( like to tolerate the stool, do not force too much).

Each time practice for half an hour to one hour long before ending the practice. Attention here should be paid upon the correct way for ending the practice because practitioner need to well arrange the Qi into Lower Dantian. Methods: Two hands overlap, left heart press against the navel via Lao Gong (the center of palms), the right hand overlaps over the back of left hand, then with navel as center point gently move two hands clockwise in a circle, from left to right (for women choose the opposite direction), from top to bottom, from inside to outside, altogether 18 ~ 36 times (Figure 1.5); and then replaced with anti-clockwise direction, from right to left; from the outside in, the gently rub the navel area for 18 to 36 loops. And then rub two hands till you feel hot, and apply them to wash face 18 times, relax the body, take on slow walking for 5 -7 minutes before ending all practice.

For married practitioners who often feel weak with lumbar region please prepare the following herbal pills for help your practice. Yes, it works fine for practitioner who do not have such symptom.

Rehmannia, Chinese angelica, astragalus, black beans, papaya, Medlar, Wujiapi, Morinda, Digupi, Dodder, Ligustrum lucidum, Achyranthes, Polygonatum, each 30 grams, plantain seed, Eucommia ulmoides, Phellodendron, Cistanche, White Poria, Drynaria, each 24 grams, cornua cervi pantotrichum 20 grams (no available with red ginseng replaced), licorice root, leek son, Cynomorium son, small fennel 15 grams each.

Grind all the medicine into powder before putting them into a bottle, pour in rice wine till the powder got submerged by the wine about one index finger deep. Keep the bottle under seal for on month. Drink the medicinal alcohol 10 ml each time, two times daily, each in every morning and evening.

1-7. Practice
Fully relax every parts of the body, the body static, as like fall into sleep, let the breathing in and out all by their own way; place your attention upon Lower Dantian, the attention is there but no observance is there for checking, feel ease and relaxed. Feel comfortable, calm and free of any disturbance from any distracting ideas. So quiet that it is like the still water with no wind in motion, so still there is only one full moon hanging high up with no clouds whatever, so tranquil realm of nothingness that all seems to extinguished forever..

Normal effect: after 10 days practice, 90 percent of people will have a slight heat feeling inside lower belly even the the exact location may vary. Also, while the abdomen may very now and then issues bowel sounds —“cuckoo,” and often break wind. One month later the size of the abdomen heating may increase; two months later people may often feel like warm water flowing within the area, the body has a warm and comfortable feeling throughout, the saliva of mouth increases; three months later the strength increase, abdominal heat feeling increase (different from morbid heat), and sometimes there can be a slight jump within small abdomen. Some practitioners may have a sense of air mass within.

When there comes such sensation it is called “Fire within Lower Dantian”, which is an important symbol for boasting internal Qi strength. Three months later, a very small number of practitioners may experience the natural circulation of Qi running through Ren channel and Du channels which is termed as small water wheel (small ZhouTian)

2. Gather Qi via Five Center Points
Two feet a shoulder width, two arms fully stretched forward, in parallel, palms facing forward. Then pay your attention upon Lower Dantian for 3 ~ 5 minutes, have a gentle and natural breathing, first inhale, then exhale, long inhalation and short exhalation. When inhale, imagine Qi and essence between heaven and earth begin to flow into Lower Dantian through the top head opening, Laogong acquaints of two palms, and Yongquan acupoints (center of feet), while letting testicles and the anus to relax. When exhale gently raise and contract the muscles around the anus and testicles, and imagine all dirty Qi is released via Baihui (top of the head), Laogong of two palms and Yongquan acupoint of feet. Such is one sequence. Please repeatedly do the sequence for 30 – 60 minutes before ending the practice.

2-1. Points for successful practice:
Imagine the Qi go in and go out via “five center points”, relax testicles and anus when inhale, contract testicles and anus when exhale. Suck in the the essence and golden Qi existing between heaven and the earth via the five points and have dirty air release out when exhale.

Normal Reaction: Baihui (top of head), Laogong (center of palms), Yongquan (center of feet) may have hot, numb, thrilling feeling, gas via anus may increase, ants crawling along skin feeling may be there sometime, comfortable and crisp feeling throughout body may occur, sometimes you may feel the whole body begins to float as like cloud. Meanwhile, the erection of penis becomes common