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Mindfulness – Ba Duan Jin’s requirement to move very slowly and precise may further concentration and mindfulness in movement.įeeling – Using one’s imagination while doing the movements with devotion, one has the chance to develop one’s emotions and bringing them into action.Īll in all, the aspects mentioned above are the reason why the 8 Brocades are commonly said to delay the aging process, to strengthen the immune system to a degree and also to improve one’s mental health. The nervous system is calmed down, one lets go of the “stress” of life. Relaxation – is the result of the interchanges of tension and tension release during practice. Respiration – By adjusting the body posture to a more upright position, the ribcage is opened developing a deep, quiet breathing eases the respiration process by optimizing the working of the respiratory muscles.īlood Circulation – By moving, optimizing one’s posture and stretching along the meridians, circulation to the far ends of the body (most visibly in (no longer cold) hands and feets) improves.Īpart from the more physical (external) effects laid out above, there are also positive internal aspects of Ba Duan Jin: A piece of Chinese silk brocade was a much-treasured possession, treated with reverence and. Forming tensionless postures with hands and arms changes one’s way of moving into a more powerful (because less ineffective) use of one’s arm muscles. Limb strength – By working on the stands (“sitting”) and letting the tension of the torso go, the legs – and with them the strongest bones and muscles in the human body – are tasked to build a solid base, which develops over time. General balance – is developed by regularly practicing coordinated movement on one or two legs. It can be shown, however, that the characteristics of the exercise system of the 8 brocades further the following bodily functions: Like any other moving exercise, regular practicing of the 8 Brocades improves the cardiovascular function if one compares the results to those of non-exercising people. There is not any proof for these (miraculous) effects and therefore these statements are untrue.
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coronary artery scleroses, osteoporosis and in extreme cases even cancer. The 8 Brocades are often promoted as helping to cure illnesses as e.g.
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Not to force things, not to willfully subdue the body to aspirations of heart and mind while at the same time expanding one’s comfort zone, lies at the bottom of the practice of the 8 Brocades. Aiming at the naturalness of movement and resolving blockages by sustainable changes in body structure and posture also means to work on the use of intention in movements. As a meditative routine – meditative used here in a sense of a quiet, deeply rooted practice – the 8 Brocades also offer a way of spiritual cultivation. To further the often mystified “Qi flow” in this context basically means to focus the body work on activating bodily functions like deep respiration or training and supporting the heart to enhance the blood flow. The 8 Brocades complement the aspect of physical exercises by working on the cultivation of internal energy. See also our article Ba Duan Jin – Types and Styles As a movement-related health care system, the 8 Brocades are at the same time related to and totally different from the Western approach towards health gymnastics, which tends to focus on external aspects of movement. The exercises system of the 8 Brocades thus works with the concepts of meridians, life energy (Qi) and discusses (positive) flow against (negative) blockages. Their thought system is based in the traditional Chinese perception of the human body, heart and mind as a whole. Today, Ba Duan Jin – understood as exercises working with Qi to further one’s health – also form part of “ health qigong”.ĭue to this common root, all types of Ba Duan Jin are practiced as rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The 8 pieces of Brocade developed as Yangsheng practices, as part of the traditional way to “care for life”. Assessment of Publications on Qigong and Healing Baduanjin qigong (Eight Treasures) is one of the most common forms of Chinese qigong used as exercise Variously translated as Eight Pieces of Brocade.Qigong studies – background and significance.Eastern and Western Thought in a Nutshell.Notes on Cheng Man Ching’s Tai Chi System.