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There
are a lot of articles out there that talk about Chi. Most of them
come from the standpoint of a previous knowledge, no matter how
little it might be or how much is truly understood. After seeing
this repeatedly I thought it might be time for a possibly new look
at it. My knowledge of Chi is slightly more than the beginner, yet
nowhere near that of a true master. Being closer to the
beginner’s end of the scale, my views on it might seem a bit
more digestible to others just starting with their training or
those who have not ever ventured into this area before.
Let’s
start with figuring out just what Chi is then. In literal
translation from Chinese means, “breath or life force”. The
Chinese see it as the source of all life and key to its existence.
Your Chi flows through you like a series of small rivers or on
paths called meridians. Any disruption or restriction of its flow
can cause problems with your health. Acupuncture and acupressure
treatments arose from this need to keep the Chi flowing smoothly.
Exercises were also created to strengthen and make more Chi. The
most common ones practiced today in China are Tai Chi and Chi
Gung. Bagua, Xingi and Kung Fu all have some form of Chi
cultivation also.
I
discovered in the beginning of my studies that there are several
factors that go into cultivating strong Chi. The first is food. A
good diet is essential to give your body what it needs to be able
to do the exercises. The second is sleep. If your body is tired or
even over-tired it will not give you all it can while you train.
(Author’s note: if you are having problems with the sleeping
portion, start studying anyways. The exercises will help you
achieve a more fitful sleep). These to parts lead to the third,
which is a focused mind. Environment plays a very big part in this
as well. Surrounding yourself with lots of distractions is not
good. Then again if your practice area is too stark that can be a
distraction in itself. It will be up to you to find what
atmosphere is best for you to train in. Personally I like using
soft oriental (Chinese) music in the background. The final piece
to fit in is what you will study. This is very subjective. The
only way I know is to read up on them all or better yet go visit a
school that teaches what you are interested in.
There
are some basic differences I can point out that might help you
decide which you would like to look into. The most fundamental
difference between Chi Gung and the others is that Chi Gung is a
standing or stationary exercise. There are movements, but they are
done in the same location as to moving over an area. All the
others involve going through series of moves or forms that include
footwork as well as hand movements and cover large areas of open
space.
The
next difference is that Tai Chi is done in slow motion. Kung Fu,
Bagua and Xingi all move at regular or even accelerated speeds.
One thing to note is that both the full speed and slow motion arts
come full circle. Kung Fu trains the muscles, bones, tendons and
ligaments first to give strength to the physical body and finishes
by strengthening the Chi. Tai Chi starts by strengthening the Chi
and finishes by training the physical body.
If
you cannot get to anyplace that teaches you any of these you can
try this little exercise. This is all written with you standing in
the middle of the floor for a frame of reference. The first part
we will work on is the breathing seeing that it is the most
important.
Most
people are used to breathing in their chest, which restricts the
amount of air you can bring in and the depth to which your Chi can
grow. So all breathing must be done in the stomach using the
diaphragm for this to work at all. An easy way to make sure that
you achieve this is to try and make your belly button move in and
out with each breath.
Once
you are comfortable with the breathing we will work on the stance.
The feet should be in a position where one foot is flat and the
other is only touching the heel to the floor. The easiest way to
get into this position is to act like you are stepping from a curb
and landing on your heel first. The rear leg should be slightly
bent with the toe pointing out towards the corner and supporting
80% of your body’s weight. The forward leg should be straight
with it only supporting the remaining 20%. The last thing to
remember is to keep your back straight and your hips facing
forward not twisted.
With
the stance in place let’s look at the hand and arm positions
now. They are lined up on the centerline of the body in front of
the chest with one more forward than the other. The forward leg
dictates the forward hand. If the right leg is forward then the
right hand will be the forward hand and vice versa. The elbows are
slightly bent and kept in a natural position. Do not push them out
or try to pull them in. The shoulders are dropped into a relaxed
position. Your fingers should be together with the thumb held
close. They should be relaxed, not in a fist or held straight out
either.
The
biggest thing to remember when do any of these exercises is to be
relaxed. Tension limits or even closes off the flow of Chi. We can
say the same for joints that are bent too much. That is why there
is only a slight bend to both the knee on the supporting leg and
in the arms at the elbows.
Try
to visualize your breath “sinking” into your stomach. If you
try to place your breath in your stomach just behind your belly
button it will center on the Dan Tien. The Dan Tien is considered
to be the place where your Chi is centered and is created. Once
your breath sinks and you open your Dan Tien you will start to
cultivate new Chi.
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