Chi gung

Chi, Chi gung or Nei gung

What is chi?

Chi (vital energy) is everything and penetrates all. Chi is about alternation and movement that happens in life.

All organic matter has certain amount of energy that is hereditary. Chinese medicine call this energy jing or essence. This energy is classified as pre-heaven and post-heaven jing. Pre-heaven jing is hereditary, from our parents, and difficult or impossible to cultivate. In reverse post-heaven chi could be replenished with proper exercises, diet and regulated everyday living. This energy then is stored in internal organs, Tantien or central channel.

Strong vital energy or chi gives vibrant health, clarity of mind and balanced emotions. Reversely, weak vital energy is equivalent to poor health, drowsiness and stagnant emotions.

Chi gung is used to cultivate this energy in order to promote health, strength and joy in our life.

Chi gung and Nei gung systems are different in the way they approach this cultivation. Chi gung is working with separate energy lines from outside (periphery) to have an impact on the core energy (organs, bones marrow and central channel). Nei gung starts from the core energy lines (left, right and central channels) and as soon the core energy is generated it affects the outer lines at once. Nei gung exercises are stronger and deeper than Chi gung. I teach mostly Nei gung, except “Dragon and Tiger”.

DRAGON AND TIGER

Learning Dragon and Tiger Chi gung is the best introduction to energy work. It is considered to be from medical tradition of Chinese Medicine.

This Chi gung is comprises seven movements easy to perform. It was created 1500 years ago and millions of people practice it with excellent results.

Easy to learn, it gives the sense of energy in your body very quickly connecting the channels of the body with aura and clearing them both.

You learn specifically how to:

Connect the energy of meridians to the aura
Stretch and open soft tissues and joints, release pain, tension and stress increasing the level of energy
Project and absorb energy from hand and body in order to heal and increase power

OPENING THE ENERGY GATES OF YOUR BODY

This set includes the complete Standing / Dissolving process and teaches you the correct body alignments that allow chi to flow freely and safely dissolve energy blocks. It concentrates on downward flow of energy of your body.

You learn specifically:

To focus your attention to move the energy in your system
The basic principles of breathing
All the core alignments of the body that increase and stabilize the flow of energy in your system during stance or movement
To control your spine, each vertebra individually
To boost energy levels and vitalize your internal organs

MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

This one-movement exercise is used in China to relieve spine and joints problems. It is also great exercise to increase the elasticity and power of upper body.

You learn specifically how to:

Move energy efficiently along ascending and descending flows of chi in the body
Stretch soft tissues of the yin and yang aspects of the body
Open and close all the joints and cavities of the body
Project energy from hands for purposes of healing or martial applications

BEND THE BOW SHOOT THE ARROW (advanced)

This exercise continues the work of Marriage of Heaven and Earth. It could be said that it is the second part of spinal work. At an advanced level, we can move each vertebra in any direction at will and, learning this, you are in the position to balance left / right and front / back imbalances of the spine.

You learn specifically how to:

Move each vertebra in any direction
Control the flow of energy in the spine and spinal cord, improving balance in left and right sides of your body
Acquire the ability to project the energy explosively for martial purposes (fa jin)

GODS PLAYING IN THE CLOUDS (advanced)

This set of six exercises encompasses all the previous material you have learned. It amplifies everything you have learned and done in previously learned Nei gung. One of the oldest and most powerful Taoist rejuvenation methods, it is also an excellent bridge to Taoist meditation.

You learn specifically how to:

Cleanse your emotional body of negative energy
Energize brain, central channel and stabilize your heart center
Make your bones stronger

BREATHING EXERCISES

We breathe all the time. When we are born and for a few years we breathe naturally – deeply to the belly. Then we lose this natural way of breathing and with that our breathing capacity is diminishing. This leads to inability to relax our nervous system and to strengthen our internal organs.

These exercises are based on classic Taoist longevity breathing and they are especially good for our modern age where breathing difficulties are very common (cardio-pulmonary diseases, asthma and stress).

Breathing exercises are also very good because they relax the mind and could serve as a bridge to meditation – going deeper into our self and realizing that there is more space inside and outside of us.

This kind of breathing is used in all Taoist practices including Chi gung / Nei gung, Taiji, Bagua, meditation.

You learn specifically how to: