Issue 48 - Tse Qigong Centre

Cover: Grandmaster Wang Hao DaQi Magazine is published by the Tse QigongCentre. Its aim is to bring you information notreadily available in the West.Editor:Michael TseDeputy Editor: Darryl MoyEditorial Assistants: John HayesSarah BloomfieldSimon BedfordCaroline GarveyMike StensonMarketing/Distribution: Jessica BlackwellSubscriptions: Jayne RowlandsSweden:Barbro OlssonConsultants (Listed in alphabetical order):Columnists:Grandmaster Chan Chi HoGrandmaster Chen Xiao WangGrandmaster Ip ChunGrandmaster Yang MeijunGlen GosslingJ. Reynolds NelsonDr. Shulan TangTse Sihn KeiAdam WallaceReaders may contact any of our contributors c/oQi Magazine.We encourage all our readers to contribute articles, lettersor questions for possible inclusion in future issues ofQi Magazine.Articles appearing in Qi Magazine do not necessarilyreflect the opinion of the editor.Adverts appearing in the magazine are not necessarilyendorsed by it or the editor.Exercises appearing in Qi Magazine are for referencepurposes only. Thus anyone wishing to study should seekqualified tuition.Michael Tse 2000.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored or transmitted in any way without thewritten permission of Michael Tse.In about 1920-1930, China wasin civil war. The Qing Government wasover and the Republic of China had justbeen established. Mr Sun Yat-sen wasleading the People’s Government tounify all the areas of China fromprovince to province. However,all the war lords were selfish totry to conquer other areas, anda lot of areas were still under thecolonial rule of different countries.Many innocent people were killedand many people tried to takeadvantage of others. Often womenwere forced to be prostitutes orraped, not only Chinese butimmigrants from othercountries. It was a verychaotic time.However, in Sichuan,Ermei Mountain, there wasa twenty year old beautifulgirl who had very goodmartial art skill. Sometimespeople travelling at nightin that area wouldsee a shadowflying up to the skyobject that was thrown through thewindow and when they picked it up, theyfound it was money. The money alwaysseemed to come atjustand practisingsword techniques.Advertising: Qi Magazine has proved to be an effectiveMany people thoughtway of reaching a wide variety of people. All enquiries they had seen a goddess fromwelcome.For UK call: 0161 929 4485the sky. But later, they all knew that itFor USA call: Jessica Blackwell (425) 823 0199 was a real person and her name was, the right time, when those poor peopleSubscription: Costs per year:“Moon Lady”.needed it to save their family.UK£20 inc p&p.In Sichuan area particularly, there With all these incidentsUSA$35 inc p&pEurope £25 (airmail) inc p&p.were a lot of bandits and gangsters who happening, like the bandits andWorldwide £30 (airmail) inc p&p.took advantage of the civilians. However, gangsters being killed and their moneyFor UK/Europe/WorldwidePlease send payment in Pounds Sterling. Payment can besuddenly some of the leaders of thebandits and gangsters were secretlybeing stolen, people claiming to see ashadow goddess, people in that areaby Credit Card or Cheque, drawn on UK bank, payable tokilled and the money that they had stolen began to imagine that there really was aQi Magazine:from others was taken. This happened Moon Lady who gave them help.Qi MagazinePO Box 59 Altrincham, WA15 8FS, UK many times. At the scene of the murders, Therefore, the name, Moon Lady,Tel:0161 9294485 Fax:0161 929 4489 they always found a circle drawn and became very popular. The poor peopleemail: tse@qimagazine.comwritten in it, “Moon Lady”.liked her, but the bad people were afraidFor USA/CanadaThis was a poor area and the of her.Please send payment in US Dollars. Payment can be by people there had no money and not even At this same time there was aCredit Card or Check payable to Qi Magazine:Qi Magazineenough food to survive. They relied onthe simple farm jobs to maintain thefamous general, Cai Er, who belongedto the People’s Government. He had aPO Box 2697, Kirkland WA 98083 family, but then from time to time, they very good reputation and people lovedTel:(425) 823 0199 Fax:(520) 441 6578began to find some money left outside him. They knew that he would doemail tse@wildgooseqigong.comof their doorways. When they looked, everything he could to unify the wholehttp://www.qimagazine.comhowever, they just saw a shadow flying of China and help the people. WhileISSN 1358-3778 away. Sometimes they received a heavycontinued on page 7Qi Magazine 1

POBox POBox POBox...News, views and your letters and questions answeredThe Goose& the KiwiDear Qi Magazine,Thank you for the informative, wellpresented magazine which I look forwardto receiving and reading.The memory of the Wye summerschool still lingers freshly as Iremember encouraging wordsand adjustments tomovements as the goose isslowly finding its wings inNew Zealand.The most amazingevent happened whilepractising Wild Gooseearly one morning in mylocal park. I was justmoving into “Flying overthe Sea” when twoCanada Geese (honkingas they flew) passedover. I was so movedthat the hairs on the backof my neck stood up. I thought afterwardsI was dreaming, did I just imagine thathappening, as all that happens now is thebad tempered sea gulls moaning at me asthey compete for space in the earlymorning tranquillity.I’ve now taken more interest in thebird movement, especially the goose andwhat I have seen is totally different to whatI used to see. In fact, since finishing theWild Goose form everything in my life istaking on a new and deeper meaning.I thank you all for your being thereand helping people, more than you canimagine. For me it has inspired my lifeimmeasurably and all the people that visitme in my Chinese Medical practice.Best wishes from New ZealandN. New ZealandQigong for StrengthHello,I have just been looking at the webpage,and saw Bruce Lee on the front ofthe Magazine. I would like to ask you aquestion - a lot of Qi Gong centres aroundthe health of the internal organs and soon. Are there Qi Gong exercises thatstrengthen the physical body and make itmore capable of exertion, and where do Ifind out more about them?Thank you, TBDear T,There are many different kinds ofQigong but of those, there are two mainareas, Hard Qigong andSoft Qigong.Hard Qigonghelps developthe muscle, skinand bone of thebody, usingdynamic breathingexercises,movements andm e d i t a t i o n .Sometimes this iscalled Iron ShirtQigong and youhave probably seenphotos of peoplebending spearsagainst their throats orbreaking bricksagainst their body or even lying on a bedof spikes. Many martial artists use this asa way of protecting their body from injury.Soft Qigong helps relax the bodyand improve health. It specifically worksto release blockages in the body andrestore natural Qi flow throughout thebody, also using movements andmeditation. The movements in SoftQigong are usually much more gentleand connect with various acupuncturepoints in the body. If it is Hard Qigong inwhich you are interested, I will be holdinga Level I seminar of the Heavenly RiverMonastery Hard Qigong in March 2000in Bellevue, WA (USA). I hope that thishas answered your question.Yours sincerely,Michael TseInternal HeatGood day Michael,I have recently purchased yourbook on “Qigong for Health and Vitality”.Can you, perhaps, help me with my presentstate of ill health? I am aged 61 and workDanny ConnorA friend of mine, DannyConnor, passed away on New Year’sDay. We worked together from 1988to 1990. He was a person whom Iworked with doing Qigong inEngland. We set up a “QigongInstitute” to help promote Qigong andhelp people improve their health. Healways had new ideas and contactsand so we got quite a lot of publicityin newspapers and even sometelevision during the time I was withhim. At thesame time, Istayed withhim at hishome. He hasa wonderfulwife and shetook care ofme, fixingmeals andmaking mefeel like partof their family.She was a very nice lady. Even myteacher Ip Chun says that.Danny was a very charmingperson who could make you laughvery easily. He had a lot life experienceand he helped me learn more aboutthe Western culture. He also helpedme improve my English which at thattime was not very smooth. Althoughlater we had certain difficulties, I misshim. He did a lot to help promote themartial and healing arts in the UK andwas well known by many people.Michael Tseas an accountant. For about fifteen years Ihave suffered with Psoriasis. My lower legs,elbows and scalp are particularly diseased.I am presently advised by a youngAsian practitioner in Traditional ChineseMedicine. Acupuncture has beenunsuccessfully attempted. My diet is prettybland. Nothing roasted, fried, baked,barbecued. I eat steamed chicken or whitefish, and boiled vegetables. Apples andpears are allowed. White rice, white breadare eaten by me as the wholemeal varietyseems to be too harsh. I have purchased abook or two in an attempt to learn theQi Magazine 3

Sweden -Balancing GongInstructors CourseIn Sweden, on the weekend of 28January, over twenty peoplereceived their qualification as anauthorised instructor for the TseQigong Centre to teach BalancingGong. Everyone worked very hardover the weekend. It was very niceto see how those more experiencedwith the exercises helped those justlearning.Qigong form, but the forms applied byme have, so far, been of no help. Haveyou had any experience with the treatmentof psoriasis, as I should like to overcomethe illness.HG, CardiffDear HG,Thank you for your letter. Yourcondition is very common these daysand you have taken the right steps toreduce the foods mentioned from yourdiet. Fried, roasted and spicy foods allcreate fire in the body. The same forchocolate, caffeine, certain fruits(tangerines, peaches) and vegetables. Youcan also try drinking some cooling teas,like chryanthemum, peppermint or evensome specially prepared mixtures, like WuFa Cha (five flower tea) which is forreleasing fire from the body.When there istoo much fire, thenit is like anythingthat sits near a hotoven, it will lose itsmoisture andbecome dry. Wecan help the bodyto produce more oilsby improvingcirculation and Qigongshould certainly aid you in doing this.However, my suggestion in the first placewould be to take as much fresh air aspossible. Try slapping gently from theshoulders down to the wrists on theA Great RecoverySome people came as they wantedto set up their own classes whileothers wanted to become qualifiedso that they might use the BalancingGong exercises in their clinics andwork as therapists. Stefan andBarbro, who are the Swedishcontacts for the Tse Qigong Centre,worked very hard to make thecourse run smoothly and bringeveryone together as a family. Theyare all looking forward to theHealthy Living Gong instructorcourse in the future.World Taiji &Qigong DayApril 8th 2000The goal is to promote Tai Chi &Qigong, & to promote local classesand the important work of localteachers worldwide through aGLOBAL EVENT. The ultimate goalis to vastly improve world health byeducating the world to theincredible potential for healing andhealthcare that Taiji & Qigong offer.Dear Michael:I wanted to take a few moments to drop you a few lines to give you anupdate and say thank you. When I talked to you last I was in despair that mydoctors wanted to put me on complete bed rest as my heart condition wasgetting serious. After much discussion and persuasion, I convinced mycardiologist to allow me to maintain some simple exercises. The one that wasthe most relaxing and easiest for me was Beautiful Woman Turns the Waistfrom your book.I also massaged my feet and arms to stimulate circulation as youadvised. After a few weeks I was scheduled for a major surgery that was tohave me in bed for a few weeks recovering. The day after surgery I felt goodenough to be up and walking, I began doing my Qigong exercise routineagain within a day of my operation. My surgeon and doctors were amazed atmy ability to move so easily so quickly. I was amazed too. I am making greatstrides in my embarkment on a new life. I thank you for your time andsuggestions. I believe that the way you helped prepare me is the reason Imade such a complete recovery so quickly. Thank you, again.KA, IndianaNOTICE!If there is a story you would like to share about how Qigong or themartial arts, Taoism, Buddhism has improved your life and well-being, pleasesend us a letter to:UK: PO Box 59 USA: PO Box 2697Altrincham Kirkland, WA 98083WA15 8FSemail: tse@wildgooseqigong.comemail: tse@qimagazine.comPlease let us know whether or not you wish your name withheld andonly initials put in its place. We would like to help encourage others who maybe experiencing some of the same difficulties that others have overcome.That way, we can help each other and be like a family together.Qi Magazine 4

outside of the arms. You can also do thesame on legs, slapping down the outsideof the thighs and calves to the ankles. Thiswill help the body release negativeenergy. You can also rub the soles of yourfeet at night before sleeping as well, asthis too will help release negative energy.If you find you would like to dosome Qigong exercises, you can try someof the Balancing Gong exercises from myvideo, starting out slowly and finishing bydoing the meditation. If you can do theexercises outside, this is even better. If not,you can open a window to help the airexchange. Even ten minutes a daypractised regularly should show someimprovement in your condition. If youhave any further questions, please let meknow.Wishing you better health,Michael TseWing Chun BooksHi there!I am German. Right now I live inDarlington, Wisconsin because I’m anexchange student. This is my problem. Ihave been studying Wing Chun Kung Fufor two years now, but here it’s hard forme to practise becauseI don’t have apartner, but I’mstill in touchwith WingChun. Theonly thing IpractiseQuestions asked ofMichael Tse from his ClassesQ. Why when I am taught inclass by an instructor, is theirmovement different thanyour movement?A. No body will do a formexactly like someone else,even if under the sameteacher. This is becauseeveryone has different sizebodies. However, theprinciple should be thesame. In Qigong theprinciple should be onrelaxation. The mind shouldbe relaxed and calm. Themovements should all connect with your body and energy. Theacupuncture points used in various movements should be correct andthis will also help form a guideline. You should follow the meaning ofeach movement, like gathering the energy to the Dantien, etc.We are all are slightly different when we do the form. It is just like ourhandwriting. Everyone’s writing is not the same, however, the spellingmust be correct and you should be able to clearly read what has beenwritten. This is following the principle.Q. Can we, at the same time I am studying with the Tse Qigong Centre,study with someone else?A. It is not a problem to study with other teachers. Many famous mastersin the past have been studying from more than one teacher. The pointis how you treat your teacher. You should be sincere and honest to tellyour teacher that you want to study with another. A good teacher willnot have a problem for this and will probably even give you advice.However, if you secretly study with someone else and your teacherdoes not know, then this will betray your teacher and you willlose his trust. The best is to ask your teacher before you go tostudy with another. Also, if you go to study with anotherteacher, you should always be honest about yourbackground and tell that teacher you are studying withsomeone else.is Siu Lim Tao and Chum Kiu.So I saw your book which I think isexcellent to help me out a bit.Unfortunately there isn’t anything aboutthe Chum Kiu or using it.This leads me to my first question:Is there another book for advanced WingChun? So a second part? But mainly I writeto congratulate to you on this great bookand I would like to know if you could giveme any tips how I can improve my practicehere without a partner. Like some exerciseswhich improve my speed or is there a wayhow I can still improve my sensitivity?What would you suggest to do? I reallyneed your help, and I think you are really“Wing Chun smart”. It would be great ifyou could mail me back as soon as possibleand give me some advise. Thank you verymuch.M. Darlington USAQi Magazine 5

Dear M,Thank you for your letter. At thismoment, we are working on the otherWing Chun books and so they will beready soon. As for your question aboutpractising alone, this is a commonproblem but it does not mean you cannottrain. I remember when I first beganstudying, I used doors or posts to practisemy upper body work or just practisedpunching in the air. For footwork, thereis much you can do, practising movingin all directions, forwards, backwards,sideways, circling, using the Wing Chunprinciple. You can even use a chair topractise hitting with one foot. This willhelp train your stance on one leg andhelp you keep the upper bodystill and relaxed. Sokeep practising.Yourssincerely,MichaelTseQigongFanDear SirHappy New Year. I received the“Balancing Gong” video. You’re veryfortunate to have Mr. Tse in your neck ofthe woods. The exercises are easy to followalthough I don’t have the courage to dothe “Peeping Monkey” exercise in public.Living in New York City, that’s a sure fireway to end up in Bellevue Hospital.Although I’ve been meditating formore than 25 years, Qigong is an excellentaddition to my daily routine. I beganlearning Taiji last year and this has leddirectly to Qigong. Because of the yearsspent meditating, I can feel the Qi energyin my body. Storing it in the lower Dantianis something that I wasn’t previously awareof. No matter how long one lives, there isalways something new to learn. I’d like tothank you, Mr. Tse, and other staffmembers for your prompt attention inmailing the video and book.Mr. Tse must be a fan of “MartialLaw.” Samo Hung also likes to useouttakes at the end of his show.Sincerely, MPS - I enjoyed reading yourarticle at Garri Garripoli’s website.Grandma Gets Going with Her Stick.“You look like an army!” said Darryl, with a huge grin, as he surveyed thetwenty-five of us, standing with our staff at the ready, prepared to be instructed inthe art of the Shaolin Damo Staff. Well, at least one soldier was shaking in her boots,feeling very unsoldierly, more like a funny old witch with her broomstick!It was all very strange on that first day. The staff, which was meant to be myfriend, felt unwieldy, and my main preoccupation was to avoid knocking myself oranyone else with it. We started by doing some basic exercises, that was OK, and thefact that I had done some juggling in the past helped me. Then on to the form, andthis was hard work indeed. The postures, the movements, the rhythm, were totallynew to me, and I often found myself in the wrong mind set. I was seeking reassurance“I was a little less clumsy,almost flowing at times. At the end ofthe week-end, I felt amazinglyenergised and supple.in familiarity, for instance thinking in terms of “Laogong to Third-eye” when I wasmeant to think of protecting my head from a potential opponent. The sequence wasimpossible for me to memorise. But it was fun, and everybody was relaxed andfriendly. So I persevered and found the second day much easier. In spite of manyerrors, I could remember the movements which were being taught, and I felt I was alittle less clumsy, almost flowing at times. At the end of the week-end, I felt amazinglyenergised and supple.I was not the only beginner on the course, but the majority of participantshad some experience of martial arts. It must be a real challenge to teach such amixed bunch, and that was done with great skill and patience by Darryl and Shahriah.Although I was so slow in learning, I received nothing but encouragement, and wasnever made to feel that I was slowing down the learning process of others. Everystudent was able to learn at their own pace and according to their capabilities. This isa great credit to the teachers.I also found much help and encouragement among the other participants, asmile, a kind word, a bit of helpful advice. The general attitude was one of respectfultolerance and mutual support. That is one of the factors which made the week-endso special. Many thanks to all involved.Marie Ball. Wimbledon.If there is anything you want to discuss, if there is anything you want to share withothers, any news or any announcements you would like to make, send them to us. Wealso welcome articles (800 - 1000 words in length) on topics appropriate toQi Magazine.Readers in the UK can write to:Qi Magazine, PO Box 59, Altrincham WA15 8FS. UK.email tse@qimagazine.comReaders in the USA can write to:Qi Magazine, PO Box 2697, Kirkland, WA 98083. USA.email tse@wildgooseqigong.comQi Magazine 6

travelling, he and his army came to theSichuan area to try and recruit patrioticyoung people to the army and help thecountry.Moon Lady was a very patrioticperson and also wanted to apply hertalent to save chaotic China and to letall the people have a secure life andpeaceful society. She had heard ofGeneral Cai, whom people thought wasthe right person to help the country. Soshe dressed like a boy and joinedGeneral Cai’s troops to see how shecould help. It was very easy because thegovernment needed a of lot people tohelp expand their revolution. Moon Ladywas very careful of her behaviour andwas talented to cover herself well, so noone knew that she was a lady. She alsotried to secretly help General Cai and somany times she went to hisarea at night to look aroundto see if there was anythingshe could do to help.One night when shewent to General Cai’s campas usual, she suddenly sawsomeone else sneaking intothe general’s camp as well.When she came close, sherecognised that it was anassistant of General Cai andwho usually helped himduring the day. So quietly shefollowed him. Suddenly, shesaw him pull out a pistol andpoint it towards the generalwho was sleeping. Before theassassin knew what washappening, there wassomething flying through airand he felt it hit him. Thenhe fell to the ground. Evenwith this happening though,it was all very quiet and sonot even the sleepinggeneral had been disturbed.The next day whenthe general woke up, he sawhis assistant lying on theground beside his bed. Whenhe checked, he found that he had beendead for some hours. On his body, theyfound two knives, one in his hand wherea pistol lay next to it and the other wasin his back. It had gone right through hisback into his heart. After the investigationthe assistant was found to have been aspy of another war lord, Yuan Shi Kai,who wanted to kill General Cai.They knew that Warlord Yuanwanted to be the Emperor instead oflistening to the People’s Government.When they checked the rest of the campand soldiers, they found that one soldierwas missing. By the side of the body ofthe dead assistant, they saw a circledrawn and written in it, a name, …”Moon Lady”.Moon Lady left General Cai andwent to Ermei Mountain. After one yearshe heard the news that General Cai wasill and staying in Japan for treatment.Unfortunately, he died whilst in thehospital. General Cai was a sincere andtrue person who really fought for thepeople. The whole government was veryupset that they had lost such a goodgeneral. In Ermei Mountain people couldhear a lady crying loudly and saying“There will not“Before theassassin knew whatwas happening,something hithim.”be anotherperson likeGeneral Cai.The country isstill sufferingand who knowswhen can wehave peace.”They heard thismany times.After awhile no oneheard of thecrying or sawthe Moon Lady’s symbol any more. Somepeople believe she jumped from ErmeiMountain to kill herself in memory ofGeneral Cai and some believed she leftSichuan because General Cai was dead.People understood that Moon Lady hadfallen in love with General Cai.Life is very short, we want to do alot of things and we always say toourselves, “When I have time or when Ihave more money, I will do that.” But atthe end of the day, when we are lying inthe hospital, we look back. We have nomore time and have not done all thatwe wanted to do. Then we pass away.Do not think that we will always haveanother chance. The most importantthing is to decide what do you want todo in your life and complete your aims.Otherwise, you will be like these peoplewho look back and regret that they havenot done the things they wanted to do.Qi Magazine 7

Chan Si Gong or Silk Reeling exercises, as they are called in theWest, are the foundation of Chen style taiji. These profoundly simplemovements show how Qi circulates during the practice of taijiquan.Silk Reeling ....the Chen Family WayChen TaijiquanOnce the principle of these moves isunderstood it is easy to bring clarityto the many thousands of movesthat make up the taiji system, whereaswithout them one could easily learn manythousand moves without ever attaininga high level of skill or clarity.During his recentvisit to the UK SigongChen Xiaowangelucidated thefundamental principleof taiji. Hestated that the taijiprinciple is composedof one posturecombined with twomovements. The posture isbased on the Zhan Zhuangmeditation stance and the twomovements refer to the twodirections that the Dantien isrotated during taiji.The basic Zhan Zhuangposture provides the frameworkfor these two movements of theDantien to direct the Qi aboutthe body. In the Zhan Zhuangstance the spine is upright withthe head, shoulders, Dantien andfeet in vertical alignment. All thejoints are slightly bent and loose.It is vital that the whole body is stilland relaxed. This does not mean that thebody is allowed to collapse, it means thatgood posture is maintained but withoutany tension. With the body relaxed, themovement of the Dantien is able to spiralout from the centre to the periphery ofthe body in a logical way.The silk reeling energy spiralsfrom the Dantien to the shoulder, to theelbow to the wrist and finally the fingers.The rotation of the Dantien takes thebody from a neutral relaxed posture intoa state where the body becomes yin thenyang, or yang and then yin. In a sensethe movement of the Dantien can onlytake place because of the way thatstillness is able to culminate in the ZhanZhuang posture. Therefore whenmovement culminates it returns tostillness. This is why taijiquan alwaysbegins by preparing posture andconsciousness before starting anymovements. The breath is sunk to theDantien. By maintaining the centre of theDantien it is possible to become still whilein movement and in movement while still.This paradox is at the heart of taiji and iswhat gives taiji its unique spirit.The two movements of theDantien are circular and occupyMovement 1the two vertical planes. Movement oneconsists of the body being penetrated byan imaginary axis that runs through themiddle of your stomach from the front ofyour body to the back. The Dantien thenrotates like a wheel around the centre ofthis axis left and right, up and down. Thesecond movement involves an axis thatruns through the body from right to leftaround which the Dantien rotatesforward and back, up and down.The old frame begins with a movethat only uses the second movementprinciple and follows this with one thatonly uses the first. However, in most othertaiji moves the Dantien is rotated in morethan one direction at a time. The silkreeling exercises are useful preciselybecause they“By maintainingthe Dantien it ispossible tobecome stillwhile inmovement”Movement 2isolate thei n d i v i d u a lrotations ofthe Dantien.They make iteasier to learnthe principle oftaiji movementand with thebasic principlein place itb e c o m e seasier to clarifythe detail of alltaiji movements.S i l kreeling exercisesuse a repeating circular spirallingmovement to train the body in a numberof ways. Silk Reeling trains the circulationof the Dantien, it trains the waistmovement, and the Qi circulation. Thefirst of the silk reeling exercises is calledZheng Mian Chan Si which translates as‘front silk reeling’. The second is HengKai Bu which means ‘walking to the side’.The third is Shuang Shou Chan Si – ‘bothhands silk reeling’. The fourth is Qian JinBu – ‘walk forward’. The fifth is Hou TuiBu which translates as ‘walk backward’.These are the first set of silk reelingexercises and were all covered in detailby Sigong Chen at his London lecture.These exercises will be detailed in thenext issue of Qi Magazine or they areavailable on Sigong Chen’s Chan SiGong videosby Glenn Gosslingemail Glenn@qimagazine.comQi Magazine 8

Although my university is quite close to my hometown, likeother students, I only went home twice a year for summer andChinese New Year vacations.Lady Chinese DoctorEstablished in l955, the NanjingUniversity of Traditional ChineseMedicine is one of the five earliestand most famous universities of TCM inChina. It is situated only three hourscoach journey away from my hometownLi Yang. The establishment houses threethousand students includingundergraduate students, Master, Ph.D.and overseas students.There is a staff of fourhundred lecturers, overone hundred assistantprofessors and seventyprofessors. In additionto thirty universities ofTCM there are alsothirty-five colleges ofTCM in China.On September1st l979 I was amongtwo hundred and fortynew students arrivingon the same day. Sixof us girls wereallocated to the sameroom, (see picture)which was aboutfifteen metres square.I slept on a top bunk.Most of the girls weretwo years older than I, the eldestwas six years older. Like in myfamily, at university I was still theyoungest one. In all I had to studytwenty-five subjects of which twothirds were Chinese Medicine andone-third, western medicine.At 6am the university radiostarted and everyone had to goto the playground to do formationexercises.Because we lived on the fifth floorwe usually took our metal plates andspoons with us, so that at 7am, afterexercises, we could all save time and gostraight to the canteen for breakfast. Inthe long queue for breakfast I read andmemorised the classical theory of TCMand learned the ingredients of classicalherbal prescriptions from a little pockethandbook.Lectures begun at 8.00am andcontinued until 12.00 noon. After ourcanteen lunch we would return to ourroom for a short break. My five roommateswould love to chat or sing alongto the radio. My favourite pastime waslistening to serialised stories and“My entire mindwas focused on TCMStudies.”practising my Chinese calligraphy.Before lectures commenced we wouldhave a little nap. We followed this ritualevery day. Afternoon lectures began at2.00pm. On days when there was not alecture we still went to the classroom tostudy again up to 4.30pm or 5pm. Thenwe played sports such as volleyball andbadminton for about an hour untildinnertime at 6pm. After dinner it wasback to the classroom to study again forthe whole evening up to about 11pm.Everyone studied very hard.Towards the end of term before examswe studied until even later. I rememberthe university officials were worried aboutour health, they would turn off all thelights in the student dormitorybuilding, in an effort to makeus go to bed, but some of usbought candles and continuedto study. I remember living likethat for five years. My entiremind was focused on TCMStudies. The universityencouraged this because theydid not allow undergraduatestudents to have a boy friendor girl friend, as this woulddistract us from our studies.This rule was strongly enforced.We could not choose where tosit in the class - desks wereallocated to us.to me.A boy sat nextWe sat next to eachother for lectures andprivate study for twoyears, but never spokea word, as we wereshy.In the summerNanjing is extremelyhot and humid. It isknown as one of thethree ‘oven’ cities ofChina, along withChong Qing and WuHan. It was too hot to stay in theclassroom. In the evenings I usually stoodoutside under a road lamp to read.On rare trips home I enjoyedreading on the coach. I would take somany books home that my brother in lawwould have to meet me at the coachstation, as I could not carry them all.One New Years Day all my sisters werechatting while I was still engrossed in mystudies. My second sister insisted that ITraditional Chinese MedicineQi Magazine 9

join them. I got very frustrated andstarted to cry. In the end everyoneblamed this sister for upsetting me. Myfather used to buy cinema tickets for meas a treat, but I always refused to go,much preferring to study.I felt there was so much medicalknowledge to learn, as well as philosophyand science, so many herbs, prescriptionsand acupuncture points to remember.For me, the studying was like satisfyinga hunger or thirst. I was aware that someof my classmates complained that it wasboring. They thought that TCM wasestablished thousands of years ago andit was out of fashion to study it. I alwaysbelieved that nature would never fail, itmust be useful for human beings.First proof of that was during thethird year of TCM study when I had theopportunity of three months practice inYan Chen hospital in Jiang Su Province.The first patient I saw was a twenty fouryear-oldgentleman who was an actor.He suffered from hair loss with generaltiredness, dizziness and insomnia. Hehad pale complexion and poor appetite.He couldn’t do his job properly and wasvery distressed. I diagnosed deficiencyof Qi and blood of the heart and spleenand prescribed Gui Pi Tang. Mysupervisor, Dr Fu Lei Chen, marked me100% correct. He didn’t change a singleherb in my first prescription. A week laterthis patient came for a check up and waspleased to tell me that his hair loss hadalready stopped, he felt more energeticand slept better. His complexion lookedhealthier, but he still hadn’t got hisappetite back.This time my supervisor added twoherbs into the prescription to improve thepatient’s digestion. Dr Chen explainedto me that the first prescription had a lotof tonic herbs in, which did a lot of good.Additionally the patient had a poorappetite so it was better to add two moreherbs to help the digestive system so thathe can absorb the tonics better.“Why didn’t you correct anythingat first?” I asked“It was your first prescription to areal patient. You made the correctdiagnosis and chose the rightprescription. I didn’t upset it because Iwant to protect your confidenceperfectly,” he said.How great good supervision is.How lucky I am. I treated my first patientsuccessfullyby Dr Shulan Tangemail Shulan@qimagazine.comTse Qigong Centre UKPO Box 59Altrincham WA15 8FS0845 838 2285+44 161 929 4485tse@qimagazine.comQi Magazine 10

Dayan Gong 2nd 64 Dayan Gong 2nd 64 Dayan Gong 2nd 64 DayanDayan Gong 2 nd 64acupuncture points and channelsPrincipleDayan Qigong 2 nd 64 is stronger than the 1 st 64,although both connect together. The 2 nd 64 begins with themovement, “Sleep peacefully and recover the Qi”, not withthe standing relaxed position. 2 nd 64’s movements, timing andtechniques are also longer, although it still has only 64movements. The 2 nd 64 not only works with acupuncture pointsand channels, and uses more than the 1 st 64, but it also makesthe Qi and blood circulation stronger. This improves the functionof the internal organs and balances the heat and damp insidethe body. So while practising the 2 nd 64 you will feel like havinga bath, warm and clean inside the body.Some of the movements of the 2 nd 64 include pointing,slapping, transmitting and smoothing the acupuncture pointsand channels. During the movement we also find somestretching and jerking to work the muscles, tendons and joints.Thus it is very good for keeping the body flexible and functional.It can help your body become rejuvenated.Acupuncture points and channels1. JingmenThis is an acupuncture pointfor the kidney and means “CapitalGate”. It belongs to Gall BladderChannel and is located at the tip ofthe last rib. It is a very sensitive pointand when it is touched, it will easilymake you laugh as it can feel veryticklish. In the second movement,“Draw Arms”, we close five fingerstogether and stimulate this pointslightly.2. LianquanThis point belongs to RenChannel and means “TongueSpring”. It is located underneath thechin at the bottom of the root ofthroat. Normally it is hidden whenwe look forward, as if this point ishit, it will cause breathing problemand damage the nervous system.When we find that we lack of saliva,we can lift up the chin and thus,open the Lianquan point. This willhelp to start to create saliva. Thispoint is also good for releasingexcess heat which causes ulcers in the mouth. In movement 3,” Looking for the Wind”, we lift up the chin and look forwardto gather the Qi from outside to this point.3. JianjingJianjing belongs to GallBladder channel and means“Shoulder Well”. It is located inthe deep area of the shoulder,at the middle between theDazhui (which is on the neck atthe seventh vertebra) and thetip of the shoulder. It is goodfor relieving shoulder aches,chest ache, neck ache andtiredness. In movement 4,“Draw the Claws Against theShoulders”, it is used tostimulate the shoulders, allowing the Qi to flow to the neckand shoulders.4. ShentingShenjing belongs to DuChannel and means “SpiritualCourtyard”. It is located at the middleof the forehead at the hairline. It isgood for headaches, migraines,helping the eye sight and noseblockages. If this area is hit hard,then the person can easily beknocked unconscious. In movement10, “Bring Qi in and Release QiOut”, we hold the Qi to bring it in to this point. We then continueto smooth the Qi to other acupuncture points like the Baihui,Fengfu, Fengchi, etc. This clears the channels of the upper partof the body.5. FengfuThis point belongs to the Du channel as well, and means“Windy Mansion”. It is located 1 inch (cun) above the hairlineon the back of the head, on the centre line. It is good forheadaches, migraines, dizziness, infection of the throat, lossof eye sight, stroke and unconsciousness. It is a very importantpoint for the upper body. Acupuncturists use this point a lot. Inmovement 10, “Bring Qi in and releasing Qi out”, we use thispoint and it has the same effect as in the previous movement.Qi Magazine 11

FengfuFengchi6. FengchiThis point belongs to Gall Bladder Channel and means“Wind Pond”. It is located on either side of the Fengfu pointabout 1 inch (cun) away. It is good for headaches, dizzinessand feeling faint caused by cold wind that gets into the brain.It also good for eye pain and infection as well as shoulder andneck pain. In movement 10, “Bring Qi in and Releasing QiOut“, we use the Fengchi points. We actually use these pointsin many movements. If the hand covers the back of the head,then this will relate with all of these points like Fengfu andFengchi.9. GanshuThis belongs to the Urinary Bladder Channel and means“Liver Shu” ( Shu - strong Qi area). It is located 1.5 inch (cun)to the side of the ninth vertebra. It is good for the liver, any eyeproblems and circulation. In movement 13, “Stroking the legs”,we stroke up along the spine along the Urinary BladderChannel. The movement will go through all the acupuncturepoints in that area.10. DanshuDanchu also belongs to the Urinary Bladder Channel. Itmeans “Gall Bladder Shu”. It is located just below the Ganshupoint 1.5 inch (cun) to the side of the tenth vertebrae. it isgood for the gall bladder, nausea and chest pain. It is used thesame way as movement 13.11. PishuThis point belongs to the Urinary Bladder Channel andmeans “Spleen Shu”. It is located just below the Danchu point1.5 inch (cun) to the side of the eleventh vertebrae. It is goodfor the spleen, digestive system problems and sickness of thestomach. It is the same movement 13.7. ZhongchongZhongchong belongs to thePericardium Channel. It means“Middle Rush”. It is located at themiddle part of the middle fingers. Itis good for irregular heart beats andthe circulation. Touching this pointcan make us calm. If a baby cries alot at night, you can touch this pointso they can sleep better. It is alsogood for any emotional problems.We can touch this point with thethumbs together for meditation andit will calm down the mind. Inmovement 11, “Going Through andReleasing Out”, both middle fingerswill touch each other and then we quickly release both arms.In this way the heart will be stimulated. At the same time theQi between the legs will be released allowing the new Qi tocome in to open the lower part of the body.8. JiexiThis belongs to StomachChannel and means “Cleaning thesteam”. Located at the front of theankle, at the joint between the lowerleg and the feet. It is good forstomachache, digestive systemproblems, ankles and paralysis. Inmovement 12, “Transmitting Qi to theAnkles”, we transmit Qi to the Jiexipoint.12. WeishuWeishu belongs to the Urinary Bladder Channel andmeans “Stomach Shu”. It is located just below the Pishu point1.5 inch (cun) to the side of the twelth vertebrae. It is good forstomach sickness, digestive problems, good for calming soundsfrom the stomach and ulcer of the stomach and intestine. Sameas movement 13.13. SanjaoshuSanjaoshu belongs to the Urinary Bladder Channel andmeans “Triple Warmer Shu”. (The Triple Warmer covers threeparts of the body:- upper, middle and lower warmer whichstarts at the throat to the Wuiyin point). It is located 1.5 inch(cun) to the side of the first waist vertebrae. It is just below theWeishu point. It is good for the liquid circulation, swollen armsand legs. It is the same as above movement 13.to be continued...GanshuDanshuPishuWeishuSanjaoshuby Michael TseQi Magazine 12

One of the most important principles in Wing Chun is Centre LineTheory. In essence, this is a simple principle and once understood will help yourpractice no end. However, to understand Centre Line Theory we must takeinto account three “different” Centres.The Centre LinePart 1: A Definition?The Centre Line, ascan be seen in Fig 1,is the Centre Linewhich divides the bodyinto two running verticallyfrom the top of the headdown through the body. Itis this line that Wing Chunemphasises when attackingand defending. Thisline is called Jik Sin. Whenstanding directly oppositeyour opponent, then yourJik Sins will also face eachother. In this case, it issimple to work your lineof attack. Fig 2.Now we canintroduce another“Centre”. This is a line thatjoins your Jik Sin to thatof your opponent. Thisline is called the MeridianLine or Ji Ng Sin. Moreoften than not, it is thisline that we should reallybe concentrating on. YourJik Sin on its own is merelyanother part of your body,what is important is itsrelationship to youropponent’s Jik Sin. Thisrelationship or connectionis defined by the MeridianLine. If your opponent wasto turn so that he was notfacing you such as in Fig3 , you can still draw a theMeridian Line betweenyour Jik Sin and his. In factyou can draw in this lineat whatever angle youFig 1Jik SinFig 3MeridianLine with theopponentturningand your opponent are facing (Fig 4).Where the Meridian Line makes contactwith your opponent is in fact where youshould aim your attacks.Fig 2Meridian LineJi Ng SinFig 4Meridian Line withthe opponentstanding off to onesideThis is not too complicated so longas your opponent remains upright.However, the situation changes when hebegins to lean forwards, backwards andtakes up different postures or is evenjumping. It is at this point westart to consider the third“Centre” and this is actually hisCentre of Gravity.All this does sound verycomplicated, but there is way tosimplify things a little.When standing upright,your Centre of Gravity actuallylies on the Jik Sin. Personally Ifind this to be a very importantpoint in defining the Jik Sin. Infact I would go as far to say thatthe Jik Sin is defined by theperpendicular line that runsthrough the Centre of Gravity.Therefore no matter what angleyour opponent is leaning, youcan work out his Jik Sin and sofind the Meridian Line.All that remains is for youto be able to see naturally wherehis Jik Sin and so his Centre ofGravity is. But the only way todo this is through a lot of practiceand “training your eyes” so youcan see it straight away.Now I hear you say, “Ah,but what if the opponent isleaning so his Jik Sin does notpass through his head? Surely itis better to attack the headrather than the Jik Sin?” This isa good question, since it is thehead that does control the body.Even if you attack the opponent’sJik Sin/Centre of Gravity, he mayfall, but if he can think clearlyhe can attack back. Thishighlights a very importantpoint. The Jik Sin is veryimportant, but it is not the onlything to consider. As for the answer …you can decide for yourselfTo be continued...By Darryl Moyemail Darryl@qimagazine.comWing Chun KuenQi Magazine 13

For studying Feng Shui, the Twenty-Four Mountains are veryimportant. It covers Tien Guan, Di Zi and the Bagua.Controlling and CreatingTien Guan - Di ZiTien GuanCombinationCreationDi ZiWood Fire Earth Metal WaterTwo different elements combine together and becomeanother element. This is very important and we mustremember this when we use them in Ba Zi (ChineseHoroscope) and Feng Shui.FireCreationWoodControllingEarthWaterMetalEven just two of the Di Zi can create another element:ControllingWATERWOODFIREMETALQi Magazine 14

MeetingCuttingWATERSelf CutWOODFIREMETALChong(Against)HurtQi Magazine 15

BreakingIn the Di Zi, Creating and Meeting are the mostimportant and these can overpower all.In the Ba Zi (Chinese Horoscope) and Feng Shui, withthe Twenty-Four Mountains it is important to know all theirelements. If you do not, then you will miss the accuracy youneed.In example below, when you have these elements inthe Ba Zi, you can see that although each individual symbolhas its own element, when these are in certain combinations,they combine to create another element. In thiscase waterby Michael TseBa Zi ExampleTime Day Month YearMETALTien GuanDiziWATERCombinationFengShuiExampleWATERFIREWAT ERMETALFIRESOUTHWOODEARTHEASTWindowsFront DoorWESTNORTHQi Magazine 16

In the Chinese art of face reading, the position points of the floating yearare among the most interesting aspects. Each point represents a year in lifeand reveals some aspect of your personality or destiny.The Face of GoodThese points allow you to fix your position in life andlearn the significance of the place at which you nowstand. You can discover the primary influences of yourpresent year and the pursuits that are most favouredat this particular time in your life. Consequently, youwill be better able to take advantage of the opportunitiesoffered and also of your strengths, putting to workthe energies that are most likely to be effective.Finding Your Current Position PointYour current position point is your presentage plus one. The Chinese measure life fromconception, so you are at position point one onthe day of your birth and position point two onyour first birthday. Or, to think of it anotherway, on your first birthday, you start yoursecond year of life and thus should beexamining position point two. You will seeall the position points for ages 1-100 onthe following illustration.When you have found your positionpoint, it is important to observe whether it ison the left side, on the right side or in themiddle. You may find that when it is locatedon the left side, you are more subject to theinfluence of your father, more like your father’sside of the family and more concerned with the Yang(aggressive) side of your life – for example, your work.When the position point falls on the right side of theface, you are more like your mother and your mother’sside of the family, more subject to maternal influenceand also more concerned with the Yin (home, emotionsand recreation) part of your life. When your position pointfalls in the middle, you are more likely to be your own person.Meaning of the Position PointsThe floating year is your current year of life. Each yearyou move to a new position point. The face represents a mapof the Chinese Imperial Court. It is occupied by palaces, areasin which the functions of the court are carried out. In the face,the palaces are the areas to be checked for the probableoutcome (either good or ill fortune) of any significant lifeenterprise, i.e. marriage, love, travel, money, real estate andso on. Regardless of what activity you plan, the enterprise willfall into the provenance of one of these palaces. You can checkthe state of any particular palace at any time to preview yourpossibilities for a successful action.FortuneIf the colour isglowing andappropriate to the areaoccupied by theparticular palace inwhich you areinterested, yourpromise ofsuccess isstrong. If thearea appearsdull, the colour iswrong for thearea, or the palaceappears sunken,dark or blemished,you are warned ofpossible disappointmentand perhaps should delayyour venture or take analternative course.Basically there aretwelve palaces, however, thosewhich lie on either side of the faceare double whereas those in themiddle of the face are only single palaces.1. Palace of Achievement2. Palaces of Parents3. Palaces of Friends and Siblings4. Palaces of Transfer5. Palaces of Happiness and Good Fortune6. Palaces of Property7. Palaces of Marriage8. Palaces of Offspring9. Palace of Life10. Palace of Health11. Palace of Wealth12. Palaces of the HouseholdQi Magazine 17

Just as the palaces represent areas of activities in one’slife, then the position points represent the places or offices ofthe various court officials. So with each year, you move (float)from one office to another. Your responsibilities and experiencesvary with your position. The position point indicatesopportunities you can take advantage of in your career andlife style. It spells out a personal attribute and destiny for eachyear and indicates whether you should be outgoing andaggressive about your goals or receptive, letting things cometo you.The position point is also an indication of your presentvitality. If you are healthy and in good emotional balance, yourposition point should show a kind of luminescence or glow. Itbecomes another checkpoint for your well-being. If it seemsdull greenish or pale or greyish, you may need physical care oremotional support. You can then make life changes to bringyourself up to par.There is not enough space tocover the meaning of all of the positionpoints, we will cover a few. Points 23 and24 represent the Lands that Lie to theSide. These points are concerned withtravel, exploration of opportunities aswell as new locations, moving in and outof business and social environments andgetting experience of the world. Theyrepresent times when people change jobsand often locations, try out new fields ofenterprise or travel extensively betweenfinishing college and taking a job.Forehead PointPoint 23 (age 22) – The Fringe. This is the Yang point,representing travel for opportunity, changes in business andintellectual explorations. Usually this is the year you finishcollege, take a long trip or do something that will furtherenlarge your new lines of work – and may be sent by your firmto an outlying district. The important thing about this year andthe next is not to tie yourself down too rigidly, to leave room toexplore and move about and make changes before your careerbecomes fixed. It is a time when you can take chances andexpect good results; movement in anything makes forimprovement. The personal attribute of this point is adventure.Its destiny is movement.Eye Area PointsPoint 34 (Age 33) Kaleidoscope of Colour. This is theYin point corresponding to the Yang point, 33. This is again acolourful year, with interesting events and people entering yourlife, but it is a time when you consolidate your values andviewpoint and form patterns for your future. The same as akaleidoscope takes random bits of colours and integrates theminto a pattern.Point 38 (Age 37) Middle Yin. This is the receptive middlestate of development, when you strengthen your position andconsolidate your gains of the past year. Recognise that this isagain a brilliant year, when you star. But it is a receptive period,when your energy is replenished and when you do better to letthings come to you rather than to make positive efforts to extendyour sphere of influence. In your personal growth, you tend torely more on intuitive wisdom than on rational thought.Mid Face PointsPoint 42 (Age 41) Delicate Cottage. This representsa place of seclusion and intimacy and also a time of retreatfrom the outer world for the development of the inner world.This is a year when you may buy a vacation home or seek aplace of seclusion and when you will want to spend time inself-evaluation and introspection rather than forcing yourselfupon others. It may be only that you will spend more time inyour own company or in that of your family, but it should be ayear of pleasure and rest.Lower Face PointsPoint 58 (Age 57) Guardian. This is a year when youranimal instincts are usually strong and are brought undercontrol. There is a tendency to act rashly, sometimes toencounter pitfalls, to be accident prone. It is time when you“You can use face readingfor providing insights intoa person’s nature”may sometimes feel threatened by outside forces and overreact,or when inner urges become overpowering and you seek alast fling. It is certainly a time you need to defend yourself andguard the inner and outer forces that may be disruptive.Point 71 (Age 70) Buried Treasure. This is the last of thesignificant middle points and represents finding of the “gold”of life, the buried treasure of joys of a life well spent, thepleasures of the family and the wisdom you have acquiredthrough your life.The Points 76 to 99, which run around the perimeter ofthe face represent the age points for the later years (ages 75-98), but they also represent the twelve signs of the Chineseanimals of our birth year. Each point shows a specialcharacteristic of the animal to which it corresponds to. The lastpoint on the face, 100, means Completion. This represents thebalance point of the cosmic energies Yin and Yang.You can use face reading for providing unique insightsinto your own or another’s nature. It can help you make thebest moves at the best time. You can use face reading as aguide to reading potential partners, either personal or business.You can also use it to help others realise their potential andkeep their energies up to par. Sometimes people do notappreciate their true potential and sometimes feel they havenothing to look forward to. If we can call attention to someone’sgood features, then this can create a positive attitude. Facereading can help give people a promise for the future but italso reveals limitations helping to guide you and perhaps othersout of blind alleys and helpless endeavours. Many peoplebecome misdirected in life, striving toward things they cannotattain, simply because they have never been given anyguideline. Often, such people can reach higher goals in a morerewarding field if they have the courage to changeby Peter ShenExerpt from the book “Face Fortunes”, one of Peter Shen’s books on Fortune Telling.Qi Magazine 18

The WillowThe slender tree is dressed inemerald all about,A thousand branches droop likefringes make of jade.But do you know by whom theseslim leaves are cut out?The wind of early spring is sharpas scissor blade.He Zhi-Zhang (659-744 AD) 1More ThanJust A TreeTrees have always held an energetic,symbolic and poetic place in Chinesethought. This is undoubtedly becausetrees provide us with many benefits:beauty, shade, oxygen, symbolismthrough their strength and rootedness, food,shelter for animals, a source of medicines, buildingmaterials, fuel - and in Qigong terms - energy.Qigong, an ancient form of Chinese Meditation,provides methods that allow a person to access atree’s energy, link with, and absorb it.Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) andQigong are concerned with the body’s energy orQi (Chi, Ki, prana). The goal of the meditativestudy is to keep the Qi balanced and free flowingthrough the body. Qi can be divided into YinQi Magazine 19

(negative, moon, cold, earth, etc.) andYang (positive, sun, hot, heaven, etc.); twoopposite forces of the universe which seekbalance and harmony while remaining inopposition. In addition the two forces areconstantly transforming one to the other.Most often when there is an imbalance inthe body it is because of too much or toolittle of one of these two types of energy.In addition to Yin/Yang/Neutralenergetic relationships, different types ofenergies can affect and therefore nourishvarious organs. A chart of specific treesand their energetic natures is shownelsewhere in the article. Because of theseassociations trees can be used to obtaindifferent types of energy (Yin/Yang/Neutral and those associated with specificorgans) and to therefore assist inmaintaining our own energy is a strong,balanced and free flowing condition.Most trees have Yin/Yang energetic properties. Theintensity of those energies for an individual will vary based onthe person’s sensitivity to and ability with energy. Many treeshave a number of varieties. Generally, you can sense the natureof the tree and whether or not it is suitable, even withoutknowing the exact energy of a tree. By standing near the tree,relaxing, quieting the mind and body, and opening yourself tothe tree’s energy, you will usually be able to sense whether ornot the feeling is positive and that it feels good to you.Try to select a healthy tree. One traditional belief isthat older trees are often preferable because they have stoodthe test of time and have also stored up more energy. Overtime, you will develop your own personal relationship with atree (or trees), and will then be able to judge which trees,distances and postures are best for you. If you have any negativereactions or experiences in working with the energy of trees,you should discontinue practice and consult a teacher. You canuse the same tree repeatedly and when practising Qigong withtrees and in general, always maintain a positive mental attitude.Traditional Chinese Medicine and Qigong believe thatman is inseparable from nature and that it is therefore necessaryto maintain a harmonious and balanced relationship withnature. While you may have always appreciated trees for theirbeauty and general usefulness, I hope that this article providesa better understanding and appreciation of their energetic usesas well.Methods of Workingwith Tree EnergyThere are many methods of working with trees andenergy. The ones discussed below are particularly good forthose beginning to work with tree energy. At more advancedlevels the energy can be used in many ways including movingenergy through the Small and Large Circulations. Howeverstudents should begin with simple exercises such as thosedescribed here in order to learn to work with the tree energyby moving energy into and through the body in a safe andgentle manner.Method 1Method 2Method 1The first method, which is a goodintroduction to meditating by a tree, is tosimply sit by the tree and concentrate onDantien (central energy centre locatedslightly below the navel, inside the body).This will create a natural and automaticexchange of energy between you and thetree. While any amount of time spent bythe tree is helpful, sitting (standing, etc.)there for 30 minutes to 2 hours is best.Method 2This method assists in absorbing energy from trees. It can beperformed while sitting or standing.1. Wash before you begin – to do this visualize amass of water around you, then mentally thinkof bringing the water up and into the top of thehead. Mentally guide the water down throughthe body as you think of cleaning each part asyou pass through it. Finally all the water is inthe bottom of the feet. Think of leaving thewater in the bottom of the feet.2. Assume posture as shown in picture.3. Think of energy going from tree into palm ofthe hand.4. Move energy up the inside of the whole arm.5. Move energy across to the centre of the chest.6. Move energy down Zhongmai (centre energyChannel of the body that runs directly down thecentre of the body) to Dantien.7. Concentrate on energy in Dantien for at least acount of nine; longer is better.8. Do exercise (i.e., moving energy through arms)9-36 times.9. Meditate (that is concentrate on energy in theDantien energy centre) for a period of time.Qi Magazine 20

10. Do a Quick Close to your energy. This closesand returns all energy to the Dantien energycentre. The Quick Close is done by taking 9breaths. Each time you inhale think of good,universal energy coming to your whole body.Each time you exhale think of sending all energyto Dantien and storing it there. After eachgathering breath, a few natural breaths can betaken while concentrating on the Dantienbefore taking the next gathering breath. Whenyou are done continue to concentrate on theDantien area for a few moments until you feelall energy has been returned and stored.Notes.(1) Inhale as the energy comes in and up the arm and exhale asthe energy moves down the Zhongmai. An alternate-breathingpattern is to inhale energy all the way to Dantien, then exhaleas you hold the energy in Dantien.(2) Either hand can be in either position during the exercise.by Yu Cheng HuangAdapted to English by Laurie Manning & Robert Poile. Photography by Russ BerkmanAbout the AuthorYu-Cheng Huang, L.Ac., has a background that combines aspects of both traditionalChinese healing and Chinese Martial Arts. He is a 31 st generation disciple from theShaolin Temple in China, Qigong Advisor at the South China Teaching University,NCCA certified in the U.S., an author and lecturer in his field and Master of the ChingYing Tai Chi Kung Fu Association in Skokie, IL. He is author of many books,which includes Change The Picture and Master Yourself as wellas other works andarticles on Qigong and TCM. This article is an excerpt from his soon to be published book,Openings.1Zhong, Xu Yuan, Song of the Immortals, Beijing, New World Press, 1994, p. 49Examples of Trees and their EnergiesApple tree: Neutral and slightly Yin, works withthe Stomach and Spleen Channels.Bamboo tree: Yin, works with the Heart, Lung,Gallbladder, and Stomach.Birch tree: Yin, works with the Stomach ChannelCassia (Cinnamon) tree: Yang, works with theKidney, Spleen and Urinary Bladder Channels.Cherry tree: Yang, works with the Liver, Lung,Stomach and Kidney Channels.Chestnut tree: Yang, works with the Spleen,Stomach and Kidney Channels.Crab Apple tree: Neutral, works with the Liver,Heart and Lung Channels.Elm tree: Neutral, works with the Stomach, LargeIntestine and Small Intestine Channels.Fig tree: Neutral, works with the Lung, Spleen andLarge Intestine Channels.Ginkgo tree: Neutral, works with the Lung, Kidneyand Heart Channels.Hawthorn tree: Slightly Yang, works with theSpleen, Stomach, Large Intestine and LungChannels.Magnolia tree: Yang, works with the Lung,Stomach, Gallbladder, Large Intestine, andSpleen Channels.Maple tree: Neutral, works with the Spleen,Kidney, and Large Intestine Channels.Mulberry tree: Yin, works with the Lung, LargeIntestine, Stomach, Heart, Spleen and UrinaryBladder.Oak tree: Slightly Yang, works with the LargeIntestine, Spleen, Kidney and Heart ChannelsOlive tree: Neutral, works with the Stomach, Lung,and Spleen.Peach tree: Yang, works with the Large and SmallIntestine and Stomach Channels.Pear tree: Yin, works with the Heart, Stomach andLung Channels.Plum tree: Neutral and slightly Yang, works withthe Liver, Spleen, Stomach and KidneyChannels.Pine tree: Yang, works with the Heart, Lung, LargeIntestine, and Kidney Channels.Willow tree: Yin, works with the Heart and Spleen.Qi Magazine 21

GrandmasterWang Hao DaFollowing thedisappearingfootprints ofyesterday.Qi Magazine 22

In 1923 Shanghai was one of the outstanding cosmopolitan centres of our planet. In addition tothe transient panorama of the time, including leading politicians, socialites, bold criminals, andimperialistic carpetbaggers, it was a great centre of Martial Arts. Regularly occasioned by thegreat Boxers of the day like Chen Fake, Yang Cheng Fu, Wu Chien Chieh, among others, therealso lived a young Daoist named Ma Yueh Liang.It was in this year that Wang Hao Da was thrust headlonginto the doomed city. Before he was a teenager he wasalready pressed into hard labour and by the time theJapanese arrived to occupy the city he was used tosurviving 20-hour workdays on two bowls of rice. Beforehe was forty his body was racked with ruin, his health on theverge of collapse.During the Cultural Revolution, when it was a crime toassociate with named criminals, he ignored the rule of lawand begged Master Ma to take himon as a student to preserve his life.While the majority of Shanghaiculture was bent on self-destruction,Wang Hao Da spent his days secretlypractising the Art he learned behindclosed doors from one of Chinas’greatest Masters. Unable to workany longer, he devoted everymoment observing, listening, andpractising with his great teacher.One of only three students MasterMa dared to accept during thesedark years, Wang Hao Da hadexclusive access to, arguably, one ofthe paramountresources of thecentury. By the timethe CulturalRevolution endedand Ma Yueh Liangwas allowed toemerge from selfcrictism,Wang HaoDa had learnedmany of the secretsof the Master.Day afterday he would go tothe local park andcross hands with all who would push him. For years he searchedto understand the principles he had learnt by feeling the bodiesand centre of others. He invested in loss, for time and againhis soft touch was overwhelmed by forceful and hard artistsbent on the path of strength and power. His character wasundiminished, for daily his health improved. A small man inany case, he had never expected to overwhelm those oftentwice his size. His search was for the true internal power histeacher had shown and assured him could overcome any andfulfil his need to recover. Finally, twelve years ago, after 33years of practice and while his teacher still lived, he discoveredwithin him the bloom of his teacher’s seed. Standing on thespot in any park in Shanghai, Short leg Wang as he isGrandmaster Wang & his teacher the late Grandmaster Ma Yueh Liangaffectionately known, will take on and defeat all comers,enigmatic smile on his face, heart happy.This May he will travel to San Francisco for his fourthyear to train western students in the life-giving and empoweringArt he was so fortunate to comprehend. Unlike so many, whohave all the wealth and power in the world yet seek more andare never satisfied with their lot, Wang Hao Da is a happy andfulfilled man, humble to his core and genuinely desirous topass on those precious secrets. While only now becoming wellknown in the west, GrandmasterWang is widely acknowledged by hiscontemporaries in Shanghai and hasbeen shown the highest honours ofhis city’s Martial Arts community. LastSeptember we had the great goodfortune to introduce him to ourcommunity here in Great Britain,where he shall return in September2000. Thanks to Master Xu GuoMing, who introduced us andtranslated the words and meaningsof the Grandmaster, we are able toreport here the essence of hismessage.“His character wasundiminished, for dailyhis health improved.”Correct centralequilibrium {Zhong Ding}is the basis foreverything else inTaijiquan. Onemust focus withtheir completeintention {Yi} todifferentiate thatwhich is external andseparate from one’scentre. The centre is thekey; it must remainQi Magazine 23

straight and hidden, concentrated, deep inside the bodyconstantly changing, spiralling into the earth for the most part.One must gather all the Qi {energy} to your centre. It is thisstructure that is the basis for internal power {Nei Jing} or ZhongDing Jing, and essential for good health and longevity.The Dantien {lower abdomen} is alive! Not only doesthe Dantien push down inside the open hips but also it turns,spirals, bounces, and shoots; inside the structure is always full,always condensed. When you play the Taiji form you areperforming the interaction of your Zhong Dingand Dantien. This hidden internal playmoves the outside, not necessarily theentire body like a single lump of wood,rather by gathering everything to yourcentre, your outside body follows thedirection of this internal command. It isbecause your inside works so intensivelythat you receive the health benefit of Taiji. If“Spiralling stretchevessels; cleanses theorgans, strengthensbones, and invigorathe entire body.”Grandmaster Wang & Master Xu Guo Mingone only works externally and has strong skin and muscles butweak organs, vessels, and bones, then the outside may thrivewhile internally you are dying.Spiritual concentration is crucial. Your Yi must be strong,focused, pure, intent, gathering, confident, and sensitive. It isthe Yi/Qi that work together to develop Nei Jing, not onesouter display of strength, {Li} that epitomizes all that is Taiji.The Yi is used at first to search internally for correct alignmentof the Zhong Ding, the Dantien and its range of motion, todifferentiate between open and closed, empty and full,extension, rooting, and connections. As one develops thisinner sensitivity the next goal is to practise control overthese basic principles in the correct way, so that the bodyremains straight, connected, rooted, full, and spiralsthroughout the Taiji form. Yi is accountable for thegathering of the Qi, and works in harmony with it,in order for these principles to be applied. Yi isresponsible for relaxing the external body, themuscle; for storing the Qi one develops inpractice, for making smaller circles andspirals, for condensing movement to smallQi Magazine 24

frame, and eventually to no visible movement in order todevelop Nei Jing.Rooting three feet into the earth has a double meaning.First one must make their Yi/Qi thick and sink heavy into theearth at least three feet down. Secondly one’s Zhong Ding,like the tailbone, is a third leg and its foot must be buried intothe earth.Rooting is a very important concept in Taiji. Your rootmust always be deeper than your opponent. In order to digthem out you must be below them. The Dantien and ZhongDing must be structurally sound and without correct root this isimpossible. However you must not be rigid! You must be lightand agile, changeable, quiet yet quick. You must learn tobalance your power downwards and upwards; the bottom isheavy, the top is light; connected.In order to root you must have a good understanding ofthe hips. The hips are very complex, the inside hip {Kua} mustbe free to open and close, spiral into the earth. The outside hipmust be strong and flexible to grip the earth,and the sacrum and tailbone must be straightand changeable. The bowl of the pelvis, like awok or cauldron must be round andaccommodate the Dantien. When you developan understanding of how these things work inharmony your rooting will become moreprofound.Learning to connect is fundamental, yetI have been surprised how western studentshave missed out on this basic principle. Grippingthe earth, whole body structure power {GatsaJing} cannot be neglected. Just because oneconcentrates to the centre, develops correctZhong Ding, the outside body is not tofu.Extension is the basis of connection, yet manypeople wave their arms around in anunconnected and disharmonious method.As a minimum requirement the three externalharmonies should be observed, the arms and legs emerge fromthe spine and work as such. Yes I say work the internalexclusively, deep internal soft movement like water, full like anair bag, but not at the expense of basic connection – extension.Silk reeling power {Chan Si Jing} is a significantcomponent of the Wu style. Every movement must be a spiral.One spirals into the earth and one spirals away from the ZhongDing for discharge of energy, simultaneously. Learning ChanSi is implicit in the form, and form practice should be serious,without tension, without the energy coming up. When I playTaiji my whole body spirals, my feet spiral into and on the earth,my Zhong Ding spirals, my Dantien spirals, my Yi/Qi spirals.My structure outside hides my snake inside. Spiralling stretchesthe vessels; cleanses the organs, strengthens the bones, andinvigorates the entire body. It has been one of the componentsthat restored my health. Now I am like a baby, soft yettenacious, heavy yet changeable, flexible yet powerful; eachday I become younger more rejuvenated and my spirit is thusaffected as well. What could be more valuable than good healthand happiness?Taiji form and push hands {Tui Shou} have been mymethod of rejuvenation and progression. One uses Taiji formpractice in order to understand the self, Push Hands tounderstand the Nei Jing. Each day I practice Wu form, MasterMa’s Longevity Qigong, and Tui Shou. In my form practice I am8 SECRET QUALITIES WHILEPERFORMING TAIJI1: Every position, every movement must have the qualityof I Chuan. Sink into the earth, remain stable, with apowerful connected structure.2: Practice pure internal exclusively. Train the Yi/Qi.3: Every movement must be spiral whether it is form,push hands, or fighting.4: Hip and waist must develop power differential.5: Every movement must be like a power stretch. Verticaland horizontal must open & close.6: Develop invisible power by concentrating your powerdeep inside your body, not on the surface.7: Every inch you move you must open the hips, emptythe chest, carry the Dantien, tailbone into the earth.8: Every joint must connect with your centre; it must bequickly changeable, yet concentrated.8 SECRET QUALITIES WHILEPRACTISING TUI SHOU1: Don’t let the opponent find your root; as soon as youtouch the opponent seek out their root.2: Five words when pushing hands are; remain light/soft, quiet, slow, continuous, & real. (Attention toactual results)3: “One body” bottom big (like a construction crane),middle alive, top connected.4: Keep the root below the ground, extend the Yi farbeyond the opponent, keep the Qi full on your back,attack the ground with your foot, (60% goes down,40% goes out.)5: Any force that comes to the body must go downthrough the hips.6: Keep the opponent on your outside circle, don’t letthem touch your inside circle. Use your outside circleto get their inside circle.7: Use Yin/Yang changes to reveal and disrupt theopponent’s root.8: Use Ting Jing to match the opponent’s Jing. Stick,adhere, and follow. Don’t attack; respond.mindful of many principles. I have included 8 basic ones foryou to contemplate. In my Qigong practice Yi/Qi and pureinternal work is my guide. I Push Hands in the park every day.Win or lose is of no significance. I lose every time if I use Li. Iwin if I am quiet, if my Nei Jing is pure, my Zhong Ding Jingcorrect. Over the years I pushed hands with many people. Theone quality I respect most in an opponent is their ability tolisten. One can only progress if they have the power to listen{Ting Jing}. If their character is so flawed that they must win atall costs, if they must resort to such base instincts and low leveltechniques and force, I have no misgivings about returning tothem what they aim at me.The harder they attack, the further they flyby J. Reynolds NelsonQi Magazine 25

Fifteen YearsTravelling the Worldto Sell My SkillWhen I was little, I used to see people doingmartial art demonstrations in the streets. When theywere finished, they would sell Chinese medicine to you.These people would travel from province to provinceand in this way, they would make their living. I neverimagined, that when I got older, that I would be doing asimilar thing. Instead of showing my martial art skill inthe street, I teach seminars on Wing Chun Kung Fu.The places Itravel is notprovince toprovince, but todifferent countries.Since 1985, I have travelledto teach in over sixty differentcountries and more than onehundred cities and towns. I havedone this over 300 times. All theseminars are organised by localmartial art organisations, usingmany different kind of venues,sometimes universities, hotels, sportshalls or their own club. People whotake in the seminars have beenstudying from anywhere between 1-5 years. There can be anywhere fromfifty to over one hundred people.In the West, people are verypractical. It does not matter howfamous you are, they will like to tryand challenge your skill. Therefore,every time in the seminar, I always tryto practise Chi Sau (Sticking Hands) withat least eight to ten people for an hour.Although I said practise, they really want to try andtest you and will with all kinds of methods. Even if theycan get past my defence and just barely touch me, theyQi Magazine 26

are so happy. All of these people are young and strong but Ican always sort out and redirect their energy.This is based upon the very principles of Wing Chun,how to use energy, how to give energy. If I did not know howto apply these principles, how could an old man like me, overseventy years old, 1.6 metres tall and weighing less than ahundred pounds, still manage to handle all of these peoplecomfortably.All this skill is not based upon magic or some secretpower. Not at all. All is Wing Chun skill of how to use andcontrol your opponent’s energy. It is very scientific and basedupon geometric principles. Every time, I try to make themunderstand this and show them how they can apply the skill.Therefore, manypeople welcome me.For fifteen years nowI have given over 200seminars in England.Every time there aremore and morepeople. Last timewhen I visited, I waseven given anhonorary diplomafrom the University ofSalford for myachievements in themartial arts.A life like this,giving seminars indifferent countries,makes othersenvious. I feel verysuccessful andsatisfied. Sharing myskill has given me achance to travel theworld. However,there is also a hardpart. First you have tomaintain theatmosphere in theseminars and to doOnce, a magazine askedme,“Do you like martialarts?” I answered withoutthinking, “No”this, I have to keep myself very fit. At my age, this is not easyand sometimes I also feel pressure. Also, it means being awayfrom my home for nearly three months of the year and I findthis difficult, not used to different foods, language and lifestyles.Sometimes it is even hard for me to go anywhere so I have tostay in my room. Therefore, Chinese say, “A thousand days athome is even better than half a day outside.”Flying also gives me a headache and it is a very longtime on the aeroplane, sometimes ten to twenty hours stayingin a small seat. Unfortunately, I have never been able to sleepin any transport. Therefore, recently I thought about retiring.Also, when I am away for a quarter of the year, it also makes ithard to cover my own classes in Hong Kong. I usually teach atthe Hong Kong Wing Chun Athletic Association, Sha Tin CityHall, City University and Scientific Polytechnic University andafter this I feel quite tired, so I have given the last twoUniversities to my students to teach.Once, the English magazine, Fighter, asked me, “Doyou like martial arts?” I answered without thinking, “No. Inthe past, I didn’t. Now, I also don’t. Even in the future, I stillwon’t.” Then the interviewerasked me, “How is it that ifyou don’t like martial arts,your skill is so high?” Ianswered that it is basedupon respect for your job. Ichose this to be my careerso I have to be good in mycareer. He asked me then,“If you don’t like this kind ofjob, why did you choose this kind of career?”I answered, “First, this is my father’s wish that I carry onhis teachings. At the same time when I studied, Kung Fu wasimmensely popular and it was an easy way to make money.”The interviewer asked me, “So what do you really like to dothen?” What I really like is literature and music.Qi Magazine 27

From this, you can see the attitudeof my whole life to martial arts. I canexplain this by the lines of a famouspoem:-Somebody wants to plant a flower, but theflower never opens.But the willow grew next to it withoutplanting.When I was seven years old, myfather taught me the first form Siu LimTao. I did not complete the form until Iwas over thirty years old but I carried on.When I studied in school, I studied opera.When I got a job, I taught music. Byteaching I learned many things, includingthe best way to teach people. Iunderstand the psychology of the studentand this has been very helpful to me.In 1962, I went to Hong Kong,where I worked as a book-keeper for along time. At nights I stayed at myfather’s school. Every night I had to waituntil my father finished teaching, so thatthen I could set up my bed. So I listeneda lot and started to understand moreabout the Wing Chun principle and Istarted to like it. At that time, however, Iwas still not practising until I was thirtyseven,then I started topractise again. BecauseI already understoodthe principle very well,I improved quickly. Iwas always an assistantof my father when hewas still alive.Then in 1972,my father died andthen I started to havemy own students andteach professionally.Before I finish, I wouldQi Magazine 28like to share some of myexperiences. Five yearsago British Combatmagazine asked me aquestion, “How do youget to be a good WingChun Sifu?” I answeredthere are three things:-1. You should be honestto your student. Honestyis the principle of being aperson. Everybody shoulddo this. Particularly forstudents, this is moreimportant because thestudents will trust andbelieve what their teachersays. If the teacher lies tothe students and makesup stories, it will causemore problems. Today, somany people study WingChun. There are manypeople who try to maketheir position higher thanit really is. Some make upa story but should not dothis.“Honesty is theprinciple of beinga person.”2. When you practise Chi Sau with thestudents, never hit them hard. As myfather Ip Man said, anyone who likes tobeat up his students, means they are notconfident for themselves. It means theyhave low self esteem. They are scaredthat the students may beat them back aswell, therefore, they beat up the studentsfirst. That way the student is scared todo that in the future. Basically, if you beatup the student, then they will scared andwill only concentrate on defence. Thenthey will miss learning the skill and thetechniques. So if a teacher always doesChi Sau with you and never beats youhard and always opens himself to let youattack and can show you the techniques,this means you have found the rightteacher.3. Everybody wants to be good,the Sifu as well. Therefore, everystyle likes to hold back some skillso that later they can control thestudent. If this happens, though,then every generation will beweaker and weaker and willeventually become zero.Therefore, in this case, you willnever see a student better thantheir teacher. As a good teacher,you should not hold back any skill. Youshould teach everything. If you like to begood, you should develop your skill andfind out new methods and compete withyour students. Then the art you study willdevelop better and better in everygeneration.Everybody says Chinese martialarts are like a deep sea and so profound.However, if the best skill is hiding underthe sea, then it still needs people to digit up. Otherwise, it will be destroyed bythe sea. Therefore, do not hold back theskill and compete with your students anddig up the treasure under the sea. This isthe best way and I think every martialartist should follow this principleby Grandmaster Ip Chun. Translated by Michael Tse.

Harmony can be sought inside and out. Why should welook for it? How do we develop it and in the internal arts, whatuse is it?Essence of HarmonyHarmony with those around usteaches us about ourselves, bothour good and bad points, and byso doing we learn about others. In themartial application of Jing this is vitallyimportant. The Classics say ‘If myopponent does not move I do not move;if my opponent moves I have alreadystruck.’ This quality is developed by ourability to know others by knowingourselves, by training with others inharmony thus understanding clearlyhow energy is expressed through Jingin both ourselves and others.Spiritually it is an advancedgoal to be in harmony with ourenvironment in order to avoid conflict,to develop our senses to perceivedanger, and to understand the discordin others in order to assist them to amore balanced perspective.In a classroom setting learningmay begin by challenging student’scapacity to perceive movement ontheir periphery and asking them tomove in harmony with it. They maybe asked to perform their practice ina darkened room or over roughsurfaces in order to expand theirawareness of their surroundings.Outside the class, close observation ofhuman behaviour and physical frailtiesmay further train the student to expandtheir awareness and understanding oftheir environment.In two person training studentsmay be asked to invest in loss in order toincrease their sensitivity to other’smovements or motives. They may beasked to listen to the power aimed at“The essence of thisdevelopment is basedupon our willingness.”them rather than resist or attack it inorder to develop better Ting Jing.Grandmaster Wang Hao Da, nowin his seventh decade and an undefeatedPush Hands Master of Shanghai, spentpart 2many years training his Ting Jing bypurposefully losing every day in order tosurrender his strength or Liin order to develop hisNei Jing. He said“One’s ability tolisten to another’sintention is fundamentalto understandingthe basicsof Tui Shou training.Without Ting Jingyou are as a blindman rowing againstthe tide.”Learning themany principles ofthe Chinese InternalArts is alifetime’s work. Inthe early stages ofour training we findourselves part of agroup, practisingthese principlestogether. Thedevelopment of theindividual is honedby group practiceand furthered byour ability toh a r m o n i s eourselves withthose around us.The essence of thisdevelopment isbased upon ourwillingness, in the earlystages of our training, to moveand act in harmony with ourfellow students. Later, as withmany of the principles of theChinese Internal Arts, it is hopedthat we will be able toextrapolate these lessons to oureveryday life and find tranquillity in thetumult around usby J. Reynolds Nelsonemail JRN@qimagazine.comInternal MattersQi Magazine 29

Book ReviewBook ReviewQi Journeys – Volume IBy Michael TseThis book is a selection of collected revised stories writtenby Michael Tse which have been published in both Qi Magazineand his column in Combat magazine over the last ten years.The book has been divided into six sections covering Qigong,Life, Martial Arts, Feng Shui, Teacher/Student and Philosophyand Culture. It is in an easy to read format that will please anyoneparticularly interested in Chinese culture and its various aspects.It will also appeal to anyone who just likes a good story. Thereare many stories which regular readers of Qi Magazine will neverhave seen and so is a must for Qi Magazine collectors.Price£8.95 plus £1.00 postage$9.95 plus $4.00 postageTse Qigong Centre UKPO Box 59Altrincham WA15 8FS0845 838 2285+44 161 929 4485tse@qimagazine.comQi Magazine 30

Yin Yang Palm & Pushing PalmNine Strong Two Palm Hard Qigong TrainingMethod One1. Sit on a chair with right palm up andleft hand down, both resting onthigh. Recite this poem three times:-“Yin Yang two Qi pass through myhands. Left hand cold. Right handhot. “2. Now, simultaneously lift the righthand up and lower the left handdown. Imagine the right hand hotand the left hand cold. Keeprepeating this movement for aboutten minutes.3. After ten minutes, shake the handsloosely three times and then uponstopping, with right palm up and leftpalm down, immediately imaginethe right hand hot and left hand cold.Method Two1. Sit on a chair. Place right palm outand left palm facing inwards towardthe chest. Both hands are at the levelof the middle Dantien.2. For ten minutes, push and pull thehands in and out, still keepingthe same palm position asdescribed. Imagine the righthand hot and left hand cold.Method Three1. Once a day:- Face a tree andpalm strike the tree 200 timeswith the right palm. The left footshould be forward and rightfoot backward.After seven days, your palm strikewill be very powerful. If you hit someonewith your right hand, then they feel hotand swollen and it will leave a red mark.When the left palm strikes, then theperson hit will feel cold and it will leavea black mark on their skin.Pushing Empty Palm Hard Qigong TrainingMethod One1. Stand with left foot forward and rightfoot back. Left hand forward andright hand back, palms loosely open.2. Push forward strongly with the rightpalm simultaneously releasing aforceful, “Haaa” sound from theDantien. The movement comes fromthe waist. The left palm pulls backbut does not actually touch thechest. Repeat 200 times a day forseven days.Relax the whole body so it is like cotton.Inside the Qi is like fire.Shooting the palm, releasing power.Attack the enemy they will be damaged.Bring back the hands, relax the body.Inside firm, outside calm, like a dragon.Method Two1. Place bricks on a steady table.Strike at the bricks with the rightpalm, releasing a forceful, “Haaa”sound. At the same time close theWuiyin point.Method Three1. Hold a piece of wood with the lefthand and then strike with the rightpalm. Use same method as abovemethod two.by Yu Chong HwaTranslated by Michael TseEditors note:These exercises are for referenceonly and should not be practisedwithout proper tuition and supervision.Qi Magazine 35

There are many roads open to us in life. Some may lead usin the wrong direction and other are more suitable. So how do youknow the right way to go?Along the RoadLife TrainingEven though it would take me muchlonger, I decided to walk to the parkto practise instead of driving. It wasovercast and I thought it would rainbefore I finished but I did not mind. Itwas worth being out in the fresh air andthe long walk helped settle my mindbefore practice. After an hour, I thoughtI had better head back as it seemed tobe tempting fate too much to ask therain clouds to hold off any longer. Idecided to go back a different way thanI had come. At one of the intersections, Inoticed a lot of flowers and a sign withcards and letters posted on it. As I gotcloser I realised it was a memorial tosomeone who had recently died. Itturned out to be an eighteen year oldboy named Chris. As I read the letters ofclassmates, some who had known himwell and some who had just watched himfrom a distance, I began to feel thewarmth of his personality come alive intheir words. One saidthat he had a smilefor everyone, evenpeople he did notknow. It said hewould still say “hi”and smile. As I readon, I then came to apoem that he himselfhad written and itwas this thataffected me themost.He said, “Lastnight I had a dream. It was sunrise and Isaw eight shadows. These were myfriends. In my dream I was driving alonga moving road. I do not know what itmeans, but it must mean something asthat is what life is all about.….”Images are very powerful inChinese society. Images are used inprediction in the Yijing and they are alsoused to create power or ideas in FengShui. We have all seen the statues oflions used for guarding Chinese doors.Their image is supposed to drive awaynegative energy so that it does not enterthe home or building. That is why thelions always face outwards not inwardstowards the occupants of the house.Numbers too hold a special powerin Chinese society. The number eight isparticularly common. It is connected withthe eight trigrams or “Bagua”, which arethe foundation for Feng Shui and Yijingcalculations. Eight is also the luckynumber for money and some people willuse it on their car number plates, hopingthis will bring them luck. When I read hispoem, it affected me deeply, as if theboy had received somepremonition of his coming death.Sunrise is an image that meansa time of renewal. The imageof eight friends for me couldbe the eight Immortalsfound in Chinese literaturewho have come to meetsomeone who is passingfrom this world to another.And the last image, that of“Many thingscan happen onthe way”driving on a moving road, was like anexplanation of life itself.So often we think we are in controland are the ones moving through life.Actually, everything around us is movingand changing. When we drive, we thinkthat we are moving forward, goingsomewhere. When we go to school, weplan our lives and hope to get a goodjob and enjoy our future. However, thereare so many things that can happenalong the way. The point is not to holdtighter to the wheel of the car to try andkeep it going in the direction we think isright, even when the road changes. Ithink we need also to see what the roadlooks like. We may sometimes need todrive through snow, so we should acceptthese difficult times and try to keepourselves safe. Other times the rain mayfall and make the road slippery, soperhaps it is best to pullover and resta w h i l etill wecan see moreclearly. Other times,the road looks lovely and clear and wemay be tempted to go too fast or take achance, but we never know if there is acar who will pull out in front of us fromthe side, or someone not watching stepin our path. How we drive our carsthrough life is more important than whatcar we drive and/or what roadswe travelby Tse Sihn Keiemail Sihnkei@qimagazine.comQi Magazine 36

Siu Lim TaoThe First Section – Gong Lik continuing from last issueTan Sau1. From its resting position, open yourleft hand and slowly extend itforwards. The tip of your middlefinger should stay in line with thecentreline. Fig18.2. As your elbow clears the side of thebody it too should move towards thecentreline. Your arm should not betense, and your energy should be inthe elbow.3. Stop your hand before the forearmcrosses over the centreline. Keep yourfingers naturally straight, but nottensed or stretched. Your thumbshould be naturally bent, but notpressed down. Fig 19-19a.This movement should be performed very slowly.Tan means opening. Sau means hand. Togetherthey mean opening hand. Tan Sau is formeeting your opponent and is used either insideor outside position. From this contact with youropponent, you can decide whether you will attackor defend. Tan Sau is very difficult to train.When you meet your opponent’s hands, if youuse too much energy then it will move yourhand out of your centre. If too weak, youcannot block your opponent. Therefore, todevelop the proper energy for this part oftraining is very important. While doing theTan Sau, you should aim to do so very slowly.The more slowly you do, the more relaxed youcan be. When you are relaxed, you can the feelthe energy of your opponent. When you canfeel their energy, you can then use the rightamount of energy back to stop them.When you train Tan Sau, your arm shouldmove forward from your centreline. When it isextended fully, your elbow should be one to twofists away from the body. The closer your elbowis to your centreline, then one fist away isenough. If you cannot manage this, then yourelbow position should be then closer to two fistsaway. Otherwise Tan Sau will be too close tothe body and you will not be able to use it todefend yourself properly. When we extend TanSau, you should use your skeleton, not themuscles, to move the arm forward. Your musclesshould be completely relaxed.Fig 18 Fig 19 Fig 19a Fig 20Fig 21 Fig 21a Fig 22 Fig 23Fig 24 Fig 24a Fig 25 Fig 26Huen Sau1. Relax your elbow and curl your handslightly.2. Slowly rotate your wrist inwards in aclockwise direction as far as it will go.Fig 20.Qi Magazine 38

Fig 27 Fig 28 Fig 29 Fig 30 Fig 313. Allow your arm to float slightly andextend your fingers outwards andupwards until your palm is facingoutwards.Huen means circle and so together means circlehand. Huen Sau is for using to change fromoutside to inside hand, without using energyor force. However, we only apply Huen Sauas an attack hand when our opponent hasattacked us and their energy is alreadycommitted. Otherwise, Huen Sau is just usedfor changing position in Chi Sau.Jum Sau1. As your palm faces outwards, sharplysink your forearm by chopping downwith your wrist joint.2. This will bring your palm to face theside with your fingers pointing upand your thumb bent. This is a smallmovement, so although your wristjoint will drop, your whole armshould not move down very much.Keep your fingers pointing up andin line with the centreline. Fig 21-21a.Jum means press down. This is pressing downhand. Jum Sau is for blocking, usually whenthe hand is in Fuk Sau, when your opponentpunches and you feel the energy coming towardsyou. Then you can use Jum Sau. When youhave completed Jum Sau, then your forearmshould be completely horizontal. You shouldnot use too much energy so that the arm isextended lower than this point. If thishappens, your opponent can hit you back. Mostof the time, when we have finished Jum Sau,we will then immediately punch back with theJum Sau arm.Fig 32 Fig 33 Fig 34 Fig 35Fig 36 Fig 37 Fig 38 Fig 39Wu Sau1. Draw your palm slowly back towardsyour body, maintaining its verticalposition. Let your elbow relax andpoint outwards as you bring yourpalm back.2. You should stop when your palm isabout 8-10 inches (20-25cms) fromyour middle chest. Fig 22.Perform this movement very slowly. Wu meansprotecting and so this is protecting hand.During fighting, your protection of yourcentreline is very important. So when somebodyattacks your centreline, you can change the WuSau to be Tan Sau or a punch, but when wedo this, your other hand should come back toWu Sau to cover your centreline. Therefore,when we only have one hand in contact duringfighting, Wu Sau should always be there toprotect our centreline. Many people will findQi Magazine 40

themselves being attacked because their Wu Sauhas dropped from the centre. This can alsohappen when the Wu Sau is held too close tothe body and lose the space for responding. Soduring one hand contact with an opponent,you should always protect your centreline withWu Sau. Only when you come to very highlevel can you sometimes drop the Wu Sau hand.Fuk Sau1. Relax your wrist and let your Wu Saudrop into the Fuk Sau position byletting your palm fall down naturally.2. Turn your palm so that your fingersand thumb are horizontal to theground and make a very loose clawshape. The elbow will drop downnaturally. Energy should be in yourelbow, not your wrist Fig 23.3. Slowly extend your arm forward. Yourelbow should move in towards thecentreline (without going past it) asyour arm goes forward. Yourshoulders should not move or hunchforward. Do not force the elbowtowards the centreline, or you willbecome tense. Fig 24-24a.This movement should also be performed slowly.Fuk Sau means resting hand. It is used tomake contact with your opponent so you canjudge their energy and know their intentthrough their energy. It is more passive so youwait until your opponent attacks until youdefend. So Fuk Sau usually connects with JumSau, Jut Sau and Huen Sau together.Huen Sau/Jum Sau/Wu Sau1. When the Fuk Sau reaches its fullestextent, relax the elbow and wrist, andperform Huen Sau, Jum Sau and WuSau again. Repeat the entiresequence – Fuk Sau, Huen Sau, JumSau and Wu Sau twice more. Yourhand should finish in front of yourchest in the Wu Sau position (seeopposite). Fig 25-26.Paak Sau1. From Wu Sau, relax your wrist andthen push your palm quickly out tothe right, as if warding off a punch.Your hand should not go past yourshoulder, and you should only useenergy at the point at which youwould make contact with anopponent’s energy. Fig 27.Fig 40 Fig 41 Fig 42 Fig 43Fig 44 Fig 45 Fig 46 Fig 47Paak Sau means slapping hand. It is used forboth defending and attacking. It must beperformed quickly, however. Once you slap youropponent’s hand, your hand goes back to yourcentre straight away. If your opponent attacks,you can slap the hand, moving their energy offcourse, then you can attack. Another situationis if your opponent will not move their hand,then you can slap their arm to create an openingfor attack. However, it is important not toslap too far past the centreline, otherwise youwill leave your own centreline open for attack.Jik Jeung1. Relax your arm and bring your palmback to the centreline. Now, changethe direction of your palm so that it isfacing outwards. Then push itforwards from the centreline. Again,energy is only used at the end of themovement. Fig 28.Jik means straight and Jeung means palm.Together they mean straight palm. This is thesame as punching attitude but using the palminstead. When youuse it properly, itis even morepowerful than apunch. Jik Jeungcan be used withPaak Sautogether. Whenyou hit, you attackeither on the face orthe centre of youropponent’s chest.Usually theopponent willbounce back or fall over.Fig 48Huen Sau/ Withdrawthe Fist1. Gather your fingers and circle yourwrist as in previous movement, HuenSau/Withdraw the fist. Fig 29-32.Now repeat all the movements from Tan Sauonwards using the right hand. Fig 32-48.to be continued...Qi Magazine 41

TAOISTTEACHING,PRACTICE &TAOIST LIFEA personal viewMost people starting out on the Way try to copy someone else,usually their teacher or facilitator. They seek guidance untilunderstanding how to make their own way, but too much help canweaken them. In the early stages it is kind – and productive- forfacilitators to help students along with their Frequently AskedQuestions representing a quest for reassurance.Let me share some aspects of my practice with you. If youare an early seeker, you may find bits and pieces thatare of use. If a seasoned traveller you may have a littlefun at my expense and think how much better your ownpractice is or how superior your own teacher. You willlearn something, even if only that you have nothing to learn. Itdoesn’t matter really – we are dancing the same spiral withdifferent steps.Start the day with a Smile. In 1972 – just after leaving thearmy and before my first meditation weekend – I went on a salesTaoismcourse where they said the same, these hard-nosed business chapswho taught the mindfulness of skilful manipulation. We wereadvised to smile at ourselves in the mirror, to set ourselves up forthe day. Two decades later the Taoist Master Mantak Chia wastelling me to smile at my internal organs, the Inner Smile in thetradition of four millennia. Must be something in it! People wholive beyond 100 are generally of a cheery nature, according toDeepak Chopra, who knows these things.So now, when I wake up, I smile. Nothing formal, notsitting up, let alone in seiza or lotus, just lying in bed watchingthe light slip by the curtains. An Inner Smile, to myself, my being,my energy field. A smile to my mum, long gone, and my dads – Ihad two, one who started me off before leaving this world, andhis brother who took over for the hard part. A smile for my kidsand theirs. My ancestors and descendants, teachers and students.No lists, no enumeration, just a big grin of gratitude to the wholeenergy field around me.Time past and present condenses into the now, individualsblend in the moment of a heartfelt smile, and I am everyone Ihave known and all that has happened to me. I thank the universefor the many gifts and blessings – records of my ancestors,knowledge of past lives, totems of insight and grace, leadershipand love.Thus the day begins with Gratitude, awesome in its powerand effect, and flowing naturally into the sexual practices, theQi Magazine 42essence of the Tao, honouring the Way which gave me myancestors and descendants, opening the gateway throughpleasure to bliss. If alone I will work with arousal energy, openingthe microcosmic orbit and recycling the chi. If with a partner andplenty of time, we might practice dual cultivation or solo cultivationtogether. Sexual practise in the morning has a wonderful clarityand spontaneity.Throughout the day opportunities arise for moving and stillmeditation: Qigong – imperceptibly adopting the ready positionwaiting for a bus or a train, Taoist reverse breathing sitting at thecomputer, “Taiji walking” up a flight of steps. A patch of greengrass offers a place for Bone Marrow breathing, or the powerfulearth-connection of the Taiji Qigong form, or the “Hands of Light”form of Qigong Colour Healing Therapy.Parks and avenuesbecome arenas for “embracing the tree” and the Yin-Yang breathexchange.Interacting with people, with other energy fields,opportunities arise to recycle the emotions of the Five EnergyPhases or Elements, seeking to transform impatience into love,worry into serenity, depression to courage, fear to gentleness,even anger into kindness, thinking of Mantak Chia’sencouragement “every day we get many chances to forgive”. Iuse the Healing Sounds individually for each occasion as it happens– a discreet hiss can dissipate some minor annoyance, or a loudHHHAAA! dispel impatience…..when done with the right intention.TaoismIron Shirt grounding, rooting and centering taught me howto take a push, physically in the first instance but, as I progressed

through my training, extending my ability to take an emotionalpush or withstand financial pressure. I might practise the postureswhile waiting to start a teaching session. One great attraction ofmaking my living from this work is the limitless landscape ofpractice. It is my job to do what I love. Can’t get better than that!Teaching helps me keep up my practice. I realised that my originalnature/conditioning (hard to tell the difference when you’ve beendoing this stuff a few years) swung me between activity and inertia.This helps towards harmony.Beyond the physicality of the Iron Shirt pushing-rooting,the psychic self-defence of Fusion of the Five Elements developsa kind of energy-armour. In the higher meditations of Kan andLi, armour becomes redundant as all pressures are allowed topass through the being without harm, as we develop and transforminto the light body. What effect can pressure have when there isnothing to press? No buttons to push! These esoteric practicesare available to everyone, and if applied consistently they workwell for everyone. But the work must be done by the practitioner:use it or lose it.Travelling around to appointments for teaching or healing,I use the time on the bus, train or tube to read, study and research.On thesejourneys of theearth I take thejourneys ofheaven, disco v e r i n gc o n n e c t i o n sbetween theheritage fromthe cradle of theearth. Theevidence is thereif you care tolook. Taoistsshare purificationby sweat and worship; by smoke with Native Americans;dream-time with Native Australians; animal (symbolic) sacrifice,ecstatic flight and shamanic dissolution with the Siberians; tutelaryanimals with South Americans; the protective circle of fire withWiccans and the tantric circle with Indo-Tibetans.The Tao is my personal journey. I prefer to travel on footor by public transport. This allows me to resist the temptation of acar with its ease and convenience of getting about. Better for meto do things the hard way, to push myself into discomfort, to try tounderstand myself better. What muscle ever got stronger by easeand comfort? So with my own energy field. And I am, after all,living the life of my choice – little shocks of discomfort help keepme awake.The bath is my think-tank, wallowing in the womb of water,the ocean of creativity, the palace of death and conception,inspiration. Archimedes knew it. Stuck on an article, a businesssituation, an emotional conflict, I lie in the bath and wait for“Taoists sharepurification bysweat andworship.”possibilities. Few choices need to be made, and the right wayseems to unfold. It’s not always what my rational mind wouldhave chosen.Most months I do sweatlodge with a native Americanteacher who calls in the directions like a Taoist shaman. He tellsof a Lakota tribe called Shamen – the Chinese word is alsoShamen. In winter I travel to Thailand for a Kan and Li Retreatwith my teacher, Master Mantak Chia, and in summer I facilitatemy own, for the students who travel with me in the Tao.TaoismTeaching the gives satisfaction; teaching the practisesgives me the opportunity to practise myself. Longer courses enableme to facilitate a range of meditational experiences ranging frombasic initiation into Microcosmic Orbit, Inner Smile, HealingSounds and Iron Shirt, through the heart-opening practices ofHealing love or Taoist Tantra, the challenging self healing of Fusion,Taiji the Dance of Life, or Advanced Practice Development forgraduates of Kan and Li, with shamanic journeying, meditationon death and ecstatic flight. Group work helps me with thetransmission to others.Teaching Shiatsu also gives the chance to incorporate thebody of Taoist mysticism as a background or even a bedrock. ChiNei Tsang, the Taoist massage that releases the winds of stagnationand helps free the bodymind from emotional trauma, QigongHealing Therapy, a derivative of pre-taoist shamanic practice callson the energies of the cosmos, to heal energy fields. All these usethe Healing Sounds, to recycle the energies to find harmony withinthe being.Mealtimes are occasions for practice too, eating what Ichoose mindfully and letting go the strictures and restrictions ofany formal dietary system, following the way as it manifests. Ifthere is a time in the day when I catch myselfnot practising, I give myself a pat on the backfor awareness.I use Healing Sounds throughout theday for harmonising situations or recyclingemotions and now, as I lay me down tosleep, the Triple Heater sound sings sweetlyin the three burners, a restful completion toa day of walking in the TaoTse Qigong Centre UKPO Box 59Altrincham WA15 8FS0845 838 2285+44 161 929 4485tse@qimagazine.comby Kris LartheQi Magazine 43

Centuries ago in the West, religion and science were indivisible, as theywere in Daoism, but as science progressed with important discoveries whichcontradicted the Church’s outdated theories, the two separatedThe New ReligionsQi MattersGalileo, the 17th Centuryastronomer and physicist, was thefirst to announce that the earthorbits the sun and not the other wayround and was condemned as a heretic.Others were not so lucky; they wereexecuted. The Church’s power laterdiminished as science proceeded todiscover the physical world, cure disease,and develop communications andweapons of mass destruction.People began tosearch for answersamongst distortedreligious splintergroups and substitutesfor religion.Over the latterhalf of the 20thcentury psychiatrybecame the newreligion withpractitioners likelatterday priestsdispensing dangerousdrugs such asProzac and Valium instead ofthe holy wafer and wine. As thepsychiatrist dictates patterns of socialbehaviour - what is morally right andwrong, how people should act, react, andthink - the ‘client’ never develops nortakes accountability for his own life,remaining spiritually immature.Later, in the 80’s, out of Americaarose the Television Evangelists, whoaffected millions of people. Theypreached humility while their personalassets inflated to astronomic proportionsand preached temperance while beingensconced in scandals fromembezzlement to immoral and salaciousbehaviour. Reverend Jimmy Swaggart,for example, consorted with prostitutesand Reverend Jim Bakker abscondedwith millions of dollars from hiscongregation, and then feigned insanityto avoid prosecution. He went to jail butupon release his ‘flock’ welcomed himback with open arms! Peter Popoff’sweekly ministry earned half a milliondollars per month tax free until it wasdiscovered that ‘God’ spoke to himQi Magazine 44through a $20,000 transmitter concealedin his inner ear.There are many ‘alternativereligions’ which hold week-end, selfempowermentseminars and denyattendees food and water or theopportunity to leave the room. Thesemind-control techniques, designed tobreak one’s will, are the same used bycaptors to extract confessions and gatherintelligence. Status isawarded to those whorecruit, bringingmore earnings andpower to theorganisation. Somecults are notorious forturning followersagai nsttheir parents and family.What true ‘spiritual’ practice wouldattempt to do that?In 1995 David Koresh led eightyfollowers to their deaths at Waco, Texasfollowing an impasse with the FBI. Hissupporters believed he was the Messiahdespite the fact he violated most of thewomen whilst banning physical contactbetween others (even married couples).He also possessed enough weapons tostart a war. Following this, thirty-ninemembers of ‘Heaven’s Gate’ honoureda suicide pact in order to shed their,‘earthly containers’ and board aspacecraft following the tail of the HaleBopp comet. There are currently manyDoomsday cults which not only believethat the end of the world is imminent withthe dawn of the new millennium, but alsoseem determined to fulfill the prophecies.Presently ‘psychic phonenetworks’ are in operation, promoted byex-television actors and 60’s singers. Thecalls cost $4 per minute (or more) and“Consumerismthenewest substitutefor religion.”operators employ many techniques tokeep callers on the line and returnrepeatedly, earning millions in revenue.They claim the best ‘Master Psychics’ areon-line, yet independent investigationshave revealed that the ‘psychics’ inquestion are merely actors trained toinveigle. Despite this public knowledge,how are these networks still prospering?Consumerism is the newestsubstitute for religion. The mediacompels people to buy (on credit)volumes of useless items, which layunused, filling space in their homes andpropagates competition amongst peersfor the latest techware and gadgets,sound systems, designer clothes, etc.Purchasing yields only a temporary fulfilment,which is why it becomes anaddiction, disturbingthe mindand exciting thenervous system.When an individualcan onlyderive truepleasure fromacquiring possessionshe is ledfurther away fromhis true nature andfaces ‘spiritualdeath’.Recently there has been muchpublicity surrounding a Qigong sect. Withmillions of followers worldwide it has inessence become a religion. However, itdemonstrated political involvement byattempting to undermine the Chinesegovernment. The founder’s agendaremains yet unclear, but nothing goodcan emerge from combining Qigong withreligion and politics.Hopefully, the shiftingconsciousness that the new millenniumpromises will unify spiritual developmentwith science once again and re-establishwholeness. Then people will be led backto the truth that they need to takeresponsibility and develop themselvesand not search for answers withindangerous, corrupting, and distortedreligions and cultsby Adam Wallaceemail Adam@qimagazine.com

Chinese philosophy always talks about yin and yang, five elements and Bagua. Inour palm we also cover the Bagua. We can classify eight sections of the palm intoseparate areas which relate to a Gua, with the centre of the palm counting as nine.Palm ReadingBa – means eight and Gua meanssituation. Chinese like to classifyeverything to relate to nature. Webreak it down from yin and yang (whichare two opposite situations) to the fiveelements (which are four differentsituations plus centre). Together theybecome five. From these four situationsmultiplied by two this then becomeseight. This shows more detail for asituation. With the addition of the centre,eight becomes nine. Each of these eightsituations are call “Guas”. Each Guacontains three lines. Each line is called a“Yao” and has two different identities,either yin or yang. The yang line isrepresented by an unbroken line ( ) andyin by a broken line (- - ) .Each Gua has three Yao or lines.This will tell us many situations,depending on how many yin and yangin the Gua. This topic is quite complicatedand can take up many articles in itself,so we will go back to the palm.Each Gua in the palm is called a“house”.QianFirst we introduce the Qianhouse which connects with the Qian Guawhich is located on the lowest part of thepalm beneath the small finger. Qianbelongs to the metal element.Metal relates to the lungs andbreathing condition. This areashould be thicker and be one ofthe higher areas in the palm. Thecolour should be red with whitespots. If this area has too manycrossed lines or hatches, then thismeans the breathing can be affected.Another meaning of the Qian houseis that it represents father. Traditionalpalm readers said this area should bemore full, then you will have morechildren and they will be very good inthe future. The Qian house when fullmeans they are imaginative, creative,and like beautiful things. They are also abit innocent and like travel. However, ifthis area is not full and has a greencolour, veins showing or overall whitecolour, then this tells the person isconfused, will not spend time to developone thing, is changeable and impatient.They are also very mystical, notgrounded.KanThe next house is the Kan house, whichis just above the wrist. Kan house belongsto the water element, which relates tothe kidneys. This area also relates to yoursexual organs and whether they are“Each Gua in thepalm is called a“house”ZhenXunGenLiMan LineKanHeaven LineKunQianDuistrong or weak. The Kan house shouldbe quite full and strong, just a little bitlower than the right and left side butfuller than the middle of the palm. Itshould be red colour. This area alsorepresents your family wealth and howyour family support you with money. Ifthis area is strong and full, you like totake care of the weaker people. You aregenerous and easily attracted to theopposite sex. You like music and comfortthings. If this area is dry or has too manylines or veins, this tells the person didnot have enoughnutrition when theywere little. Evenwhen they grow up,they will easily betired. If this area isweak, then it will bedifficult to havechildren.GenThe next house is Gen which is on thelower part of the palm beneath thethumb. Gen house relates to theelement earth. Earth elementrelates to spleen and stomach anddigestive system. This should be themost full area in all of the palm andbe of red colour. Gen house alsorepresents brothers and sisters. Ifthis area is full, it means that therewill more than two brothers andsisters and that their relationship isgood. However, if this area isweaker or dry, then it means thatthey will not get on well and maybeeven not see each other. Gen houserepresents a person’s ambition. Ifthis area is full they will haveleadership and have own opinion.If not full or only partially full, theywill always worry, never make uptheir mind. Even if they are doingone thing, they will suddenly changetheir mind and go for somethingelse. If you can see veins, then theheart may have a problem. If thecolour is too green or the veins tooobvious this is not good.Palm ReadingQi Magazine 45

ZhenAbove the Gen house is Zhen. Zhenhouse belongs to wood element whichrelates to the liver. This area should alsobe quite full and red in colour. This areaalso relates to the emotions. If this is ahealthy area without too many lines, thisperson should be very strong and brave.They would be good as a soldier in themilitary or something relating todiscipline. They would also be a goodleader in the martial arts. If this area ispale, you can see the veins obviouslywith confusing, mixedup lines, this meansthe person isweak, nervousand easy tochange theirmind when theyare afraid. Theyalso cansurrender muche a s i e r .However, if thisarea is muchredder than theother areas,then theperson can bevery brutal anda g g r e s s i v e ,easy to losetheir temperand hurt otherpeople. This areaalso connects withhusband and wife. If the area is good,then husband and wife can support eachother. If not good, they will always bechanging partners.XunXun house is above the Gen house. Thisarea is similar to the Gen house as theyboth belong to the wood element andrelates to the gall bladder. This areashould be full but not as full as the otherareas. You will still feel certain musclesthere. The colour should be red and nothave too many lines. This area alsorelates to the left shoulder and tiredness.This area if you feel pain or feels stiffwhen you move the index finger, it meansyour shoulder has problem. If the colouris pale or a little bit green or yellow, thismeans the person gets tired very easilyand has too much dreaming. It will behard for them to recover from theirtiredness. If this area is a slightly raised,like a small hill, this means the personwill travel a lot. If this area has too manylines or mixed up with crosses, then thismeans the person can be a bit crazyemotionally, screaming and shouting. Itcan also mean they like to drink alcohol.LiLi house is below the middle finger andbelongs to the element fire. Fire relatesto the heart. This area should be slightlyraised and be of a red colour. This areaalso relates to the brain and eyesight. Ifthere are any small spots in this area,this means the person caneasily have a stroke orheart attack. If you seeobvious veins, thismeans the person’sbrain function andcirculation is not thatgood. They may havehigh blood pressure.This area also relatesto your job or career.If there is a straightline running the Kanhouse up to the Lihouse, then thismeans the person willbe a leader and hold ahigh position. The morestronger and clear,without being broken,even going past and upto the finger, then thecareer will be very good andthey will be well known andfamous. However, if a person does nothave this line, it means you will keepchanging jobs and never find yourdirection.KunThe next house is the Kun house whichbelongs to the earth element. The earthelement relates to the spleen andstomach. It also relates to the Dantien,so also relates to the digestion. It alsorelates to the right shoulder, so if this areais stiff when moving the small finger, thencan have shoulder problem. This areashould be full and red and not too white.Kun house also tells a person’s sexualenergy and also mind creativity. If thisarea is strong, then they will have manynew ideas. If full, they will also be a kindperson and will enjoy life. If too full,however, then person likes to spendmoney and show off themselves, beingcocky and sometimes arrogant. If thereare obvious veins and the area is whiteor too dry, then can have stomachproblems and will go to the toilet often.If the area too bony and dry, then willhave difficulty in having a child. This areatells about a person’s mother. So if full,you have a good mother who will takecare of you. If the area dry, then maybeyou do not see your mother often or shewill not take care of you.DuiThe last house is the Dui house. Duihouse relates to metal element. Themetal element relates to lungs andbreathing. This area should be full, so ifyou lay the palm flat, the area from theQian house, past Dui, up the Kun houseshould be like a smooth hill, with thehighest point at Dui and running downtowards Kun. This area also relates to thelarge intestine. This area also showswhether a person has enough energy todeal with things. If this area is healthy,then they can carry out tasks withoutbeing disturbed or changing. This isbecause their breathing system is verygood. If this area has problem, then thedigestion and breathing will haveproblem and the person will be weak andtired and easy to catch colds. Dui housealso relates to the children and theirfuture. If the area is full, then it will begood for the children. If there is a linefrom Qian house to Dui house, then thatperson will have a good education andbe good at mathematics and science andcan reach a high level. If the line fromZhen house reaches all the way to Duihouse, then this means the person is verysmart and clear minded. They will noteasily be influenced by other people.The centre of the palm should bethe lowest area in the palm, like ashallow bowl. This area also belongs tothe earth element and relates to the heartand lungs. This area should be a littlewhiter than other areas but the palmshould still feel full and thick. The best isto have a triangle in this area. This tellsall about the person’s health condition.If it is thick and forms a triangle, thenthis person will be generous and openminded,not easy to be upset and will beforgiving. They will also be healthy. If thepalm is cold and narrow and you can seegreen veins in this area, this person willworry and think other people criticisethem. They will be narrow-minded andnot happy. It will affect their stomach andbreathingby Michael Tseemail mtse@wildgooseqigong.comQi Magazine 46