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On Dynamic Qigong

Chinese qigong can be divided into two main parts, the Dynamic Qigong and the Static Qigong. The former part is the basis of the second one as well as the correct gateway to qigong. So, concerning to practicing qigong, Taoists have made a general principle of tempering the static with the dynamic and had created a set of dedicated ways to practice Qigong, such as, "from the dynamic to the static", "to control the dynamic by the static", "to help the tough by use of the tender ways", "to relieve the blood vessels by breathing", whose purpose is to cure sickness and to strengthen the body.
The patterns of the Dynamic Qigong vary from one school to another; however, they have the interlinked ways and identical points.
The most important rhyme is "softness", whose implication is the following items:
Firstly, the whole body should be as soft as a baby. This means that the four limps, muscles and joints should be as soft as a baby's. In other words, you should soften the bones, muscles, skins, flesh and so on, so as to be without a little toughness and strength.
Secondly, the breath should be soft and be controlled by the diaphragm. This means that when you practice the Dynamic Qigong, you should keep your breath in the diaphragm. As a result, only softness can contain toughness; change into toughness and even control toughness; has a large degree of tenacity. So softness can be equal with toughness; however, toughness cannot be equal with softness. When we understand the sense of softness and toughness, we also know the differences between "inner exercice" and "outer exercice". Although the two denominations both practice breath, they still have the differences.
The usages of "controlling the breath into diaphragm" and "being soft", can be described in the four rhymes, "ascending", "descending", "opening" and "closing". The key point of the rhymes depends wholly on the sub-diaphragm. In other words, exhalation and inhalation starts and ends with sub-diaphragm. Ascending and descending; opening and closing all converse to the sub-diaphragm. That's to say, whenever a movement is made, the sub-diaphragm is the starting point. Whenever a movement is finished, the sub-diaphragm is the ending place. All these relationships demonstrate that that "the breath should be soft" and "the breath sinks to the diaphragm" is active and free, not rigid and harsh. Free and active use of the breath is the gist of being soft in the inner exercice; rigid and harsh use of the breath is the performance of being strengthened in the outer exercice.
Thirdly, the breath should be gentle and continuous. This means that the exhalation of the old and the inhalation of the new should be "continuous", "neither existent nor dead". In other words, you should adjust your aspiration into long and slim one, just as the silkworm spins continuously and endlessly. Its theory is like a spider knitting its web. The spider must knit the vertical threads first, then the horizontal threads. After finishing this task, the spider returns to the web core and waits patiently in order to deal with the other worms but let them plunge into the cobweb. At the same time, it catches and eats them quickly. So is the procedure of using the virtuous breath to resist the evil breath and defeat the disease.
Fourthly, the movement should be as soft as snake. This refers to every action and every gesture should be "as soft as without bones". The large joints, such as, elbow, arm, hip, and leg move as a snake with the performance of heading the head high and winding the hip. Small joints, such as, wrist, finger, ridge and neck should move as a silkworm, with the performance of wriggling and outflanking.
Fifthly, the sense of touch should be as gentle as stream. This refers to two factors: the external factor, such as, the surrounding persons and weather; the internal factor, especially the internal viscera. It means that the external movement of fist and foot, the performance of various body frame movements should unite harmoniously with the internal aspiration and cycling breath. No matter what kind of unexpected things happen, such as, the assaulting of adventitious people, the invading of cold, or the stop of the breath, you should apply the principle and method of "being soft". To deal with these diseases, you should use the virtuous breath and give a blow as the flowing water, just like the murmuring stream and sluggish trickle of water. Using this principle and aiming at the impended places, you will attain the effect of "using softness to control toughness". As a result, the whole breath is unobstructed and your lifespan is prolonged.
The above is the content of "being soft" in the Dynamic Qigong.
In addition to the above things, we should pay attention to the change between Yin and Yang, as well as the moving of the strength among the bowels.
Under the direction of "being soft", every movement of frame work and every gesture will produce a certain change of breathing, which can be embodied in the speed of the movement, the quantity of flowing, the change between Yin and Yang, the connection of the main and the collateral channels. The beginners of Qigong experience the movement of virtual breath by the following phenomenon, ache, numbness, swell, heat, cold, and frigidity. When their Qigong rises to a higher level, they will have different experiences. The former ache and numbness change into comfort and relaxation. They feel suddenly refreshed as if have drunk some sweet dew. Even if you get tired after the work, you can practice the Dynamic Qigong attentively; the fatigue will vanish and resume your spirits.
So according to the previous two points, you can reach a very high level, no matter which school that you are practicing. Externally, you practice bone, skin, and muscle until these parts are as tough as iron, as soft as still water. If you attain a high degree of perfection, you will know well the thorough breathing channel as you know your own figures. Then you will have a strong basis of your tranquil movement. It's the right way to move from the Dynamic Qigong to the Static Qigong, which will make you achieve a satisfied result in Qigong.