Hunyuan Yi Qi

Hunyun Yi Qi Qigong (混元一氣氣功)

This is a strengthening qigong. We use it as a general warmup at the beginning of class. It provides an overall joint mobility for the body, particularly the ankles and kua. What follows below are some notes for students who are already familiar with the movements.

The qigong can be divided into the following four sections:

I. Two Hands In Conjuction

In this section both hands move together opening outward (or downward) on both sides, in a balanced expansion.

1. To the Front

Boths hand open from the front of the lower dantian (the qihai 氣海 point) in a plane parallel to the ground at the level of the middle dantian. The hands then gather to the kidneys, and travel along the belt meridian (daimai 帶脈) back to the qihai point. The exhalation sound is "hu".

2. To the Top

Both hands move up the front of the body (renmai 任脈) to push upwards then open outwards and "pull" (hands stay open) down the side of the body. Do not lock the elbows when bringing the arms down. The exhalation sound is "hu".

3. To the Back

Both hands move up the front of the body again as you arch your back and push your palms to the rear. The exhalation sound is "hu".

4. Down the Back of Legs

Both hands start at the front of the dantian, then move along the belt meridian to the kidneys. From there, they move down the back of the legs while exhaling. The sound is "ha". The laogong 勞宮 points near the center of the palms of the hands move along the outside edge of your foot. Then inhale as you pull your hands up the front of your legs back to the qihai point.

II. Hooking, Pulling, Packing series

Begin in a forward facing horse stance. Your stance should be wider than your shoulder width. Pull into your dantian to raise your hand. Push with your finger tip past the side of your nose. Rotate your dantian to pull your elbow across and down. Your hand should feel like it's grasping and twisting a knob. Index finger points upwards. The sound is "si".

Feel your index finger as an iron hook as you pull your hand down and toward your dantian. Inhale forcefully into the dantian. The side of your wrist touches the side of your dantian as you pull your elbow up and around. Do not let your wrist wander around your torso. This movement has the feeling of a joint lock counter as well as pulling into and packing into the dantian.

Repeat with your other hand.

Push fowards with both your palms, index fingers pointed upwards with the rest of your fingers gently grasping. Balance the forward pressure with gently pressing backwards with your kidneys. The sound is "chui". Hook and and pull with both index fingers simultaneously. Inhale forcefully into the dantian. When the wrists reach the dantian, one arm becomes primary and the other follows half a circle behind in the circling.

Repeat in left and right bow stances.

III. Pull in from Earth and Heavens

IV. Present the Peach, Pull and Pack