The Health Qigong routine of Wu Qin Xi—“Tiger Show” includes two actions of “routine one raising the tiger’s paws” and “routine two tiger seizing the prey,” which demonstrates vividly the august and powerful, imposing bully and the verve of the king of the animals. Guided through physical movements, the “tiger show” is with the characteristics of integration between dynamic and static, complement between masculine and feminine charming, regulating Yin and Yang and clearing the meridians of human beings. It is conductive to improve the functions of San Jiao and the various organs, which will further achieve the purpose of strengthening fitness and anti-aging.
Highlight Images Show the Majesty of Tiger
It is of priority to highlight the images of tiger when practicing, showing the majesty of tiger. With regard to the posture and specific movements, it is required to be precise. For instance, in the “routine one raising the tiger’s paws”, it is necessary to master well the changes of the hand-postures. That is to say, in the three process of holding fists, bending fingers and twisting fists, it is indispensable to fulfill the clear subsequence and clear movements. For example, in terms of the rising and fall of both arms, it is required to master four points of rising, holding, pulling and pressing, concentrating vital energy into the changes of movements. In addition, the eyesight should follow the hand and lead to the upward and downward movements of head. With regard to the movement approach, it is required to maintain at a vertical line. When the two fists rise to the shoulder, the opened-fists change into fists, with the fists upward to the top of the head, palms fully stretching and upward holding, eyesight concentrating on the two palms. When the fists-holding downward into the shoulder, opened-palms change into palms, pressing over the abdomen, with stretching ten fingers, fingertips downward, and eyesight concentrating on the two palms. When practicing these movements, it is required to concentrate on palms, with two palms like handheld weights. In addition, it is required to lift chest and pull back abdomen, fully stretch the body. Furthermore, when two palms downward pressing, it is required to tighten up the chest and relax the abdomen, breathing concentrating on Dantian.
In the practice of “routine two tiger seizing the prey,” it is required to follow the order of forward stretching, downward pressing, upward rise and forward rushing. With regard to the movements approach, it is required that the forward stretching should rely on waist to lead to both fists rising to the front of shoulder and then forward make arc and stretch with even level, and the eyesight watching forwards. In terms of downward pressing, it is required to bend knees and crouch, pull back abdomen and tighten up chest, with both hands downward pressing the knees, palms downward and eyesight fixed in the front lower place. In terms of upward holding, it is required that relying on two fists to lead to the stretch straight of knees, forward hips, protrude abdomen, backward heels and eyesight fixed front higher place. With regard to the forward rush, it is required that the gravity of body transformed to one of the legs, with down-crouching bending knees. In addition, one leg rises and moves forward with the backward heel touchdown, the upper body forward oblique; two fists change into tiger paws rushing the knee of the front leg. Furthermore, the tiger paws should be powerful and concentrating the strength on the fingertips. When fulfilling these movements, it is necessary to regard the stretching, folding, pulling back of the body as the axis to lead to the movements of upper body and lower extremity. In addition, it is required that both arms evenly stretch forward, with the upper body forward oblique, the arms and shoulders at the same level. Apart from that, it is required that rising head forward stretch, with hips backward, loosing waist and fully stretching the body. Hands downward pressing, bending the knees and crouch, both hands rise and hold, tighten up chest and pulling back belly, stretching knees and forward hips. In sum, with the round and continuous movements, it is naturally to form the peristaltic status of the spine. It is important to overcome the non-standardized movements of inadequate bending and stretching the body, gravity instable, and the poor-coordination between hands.
In practicing the Tiger Show, it is important to highlight the power and awareness of tiger, emphasizing the vital energy and verve of movements. Through strength, practitioners can demonstrate the august majesty of tiger with sharp eyes and vivid image. For instance, in the “routine one raising the tiger’s paws”, it is required to concentrate on the strength of palms with acute insight, which represents the bullying mien of tiger and eager to prey. With regard to routine two tiger seizing the prey, it is necessary to hands forward stretch and then downward press, with the perspicacity and energy, which represents the endless majesty of tiger when it prey with sharp paws.
In the second place, it is necessary to grasp the conversion of ideas and coordination of breathing. Based on the complete mastering tiger mien and movements, it is important to switch gradually into the application of the idea and coordination of breathing. For instance, in the practicing of routine one raising the tiger’s paws, when hands rise upward, you will imagine that you are holding heavy things. When reverse palms upward holding, you will imagine that you are holding one thousand Jin. When hands downward pressing, you will imagine you are pressing the floating ball. . In the practice of routine two tiger seizing the prey, when hands forward stretch and hips backward, you will imagine the Ming Men of waist. When hands downward press, you will imagine the fierce and cruel tiger rushes to the prey. In terms of the coordination of breathing, the routine one raising the tiger’s paws requires that it has two separate breathing. Every time when you make a circle, you will coordinate breathing. When rising hands, it is required to coordinate inhaling and the falling movement requires exhaling. This one-time breathing method is suitable for those who are in the long and profound respiratory rate and with the relatively fast speed of movements. For those who are in fast respiratory rate and slower movement, it is advised to adopt twice-time breathing method. That is to say, when hands rising upward to shoulder, it is necessary to coordinate inhaling while hands rising to the top of head coordinating exhaling; when hands lowering downward to shoulder, it is necessary to coordinate inhaling while hands downward press the belly coordinating exhaling. In the practice of routine two tiger seizing the prey, it is advised to divide into two breathing. Each time when you make a circle, please coordinate a time of breathing. When two fists rising upward along the body, coordinating inhaling while when two fists forward stretch to waist, coordinating exhaling; When hands downward pressing and then upward rising, please coordinate inhaling. When body forward oblique and footsteps downward rush, please coordinate rapid and profound breathing. With the breathing deriving from Dantian and sending the vital energy to fingertips, it should fully reflect the august majesty of tiger.
Combination of dynamic and static Complement of masculine and feminine mien
The changes of the body movements of tiger have reflected the characteristics of combination of dynamic and static states and complement of masculine and feminine mien. In other words, it reflects the reciprocal interaction between dynamic, static, firm and gentle state. When in dynamic state, it is just like the thunder, while in static state, it is just like the Taishan Mountains.
The Tiger Show demonstrates its momentum externally, however, its sense and spirit is absorbed in the movements, with the exclusion of ideas and personal considerations to achieve a state of relatively serene. The dynamic and static, masculine and feminine states of the body movements are reciprocal compatibility and transformation. In the practice of routine one raising the tiger’s paws, when two palms rising to the shoulder, it is necessary to require the hands with the dynamic state and the body maintaining the static state. When two palms liftingover the top of the head, it is necessary to require that vital energy constantly pull. When the chest and abdomen stretch and the joints of knees straightly stretch with eyesight upward, the movement of arms and shoulders represent the static state while the internal muscle maintain the dynamic state of puling and stretching. When the palms twisting downward and pressing downward, the static muscle starts to carry out relaxed contraction of pulling. When hands press downward to abdomen, the muscles of both arms maintain the condition of slow force. At the same time, during the rising, holding upward and pressing, pulling downward, it is the process of masculine switching to feminine mien. That is to say, the rising and holding upward is the masculine mien while the pulling and pressing downward changing into feminine mien.
In the practice of routine two tiger seizing the prey, when the two fists rise and the arms stretch forward with hips backward, it represents continuous driving of the internal forces. When arms stretch forward and suspend with the eyesight forward, the internal forces do not stop, which shows that the muscles of the shoulder, arm, spine and leg kept in the state of stretching and pulling. In the movements of pressing downward, rising upward, rushing forward, the body that in the suspended static state starts to carry out gentle stretch. When the body tilting forward, and the palms pressing downward with the eyesight fixed in the front lower place, the apparent static arms are actually in the dynamic state of forceful prey. In the following upper body rise, with both legs standing apart, hands naturally falling down with eyesight forward, the internal forces are still in function. At the same time, before and after the routine two tiger seizing the prey, it is the process of transforming masculine to feminine mien, which the masculine mien shows in that hands rise and arms forward stretch, and the feminine mine shows in hands downward pressing and bending knees crouching. The hands repeated rising and rushing reflect the masculine mien while the rise of upper body and apart-standing posture of legs reflect the feminine mien.
According to the above analysis, the dynamic and static states are the two aspects of movement as well as in high degree of unity. The dynamic state is absolute while the static state is relative, with each other interdependent and inseparable, mutually reinforcing and employing. At the same time, the masculine and feminine miens are the gradual processes of change. That is to say, the relative feminine mien of the stretching joints gradually develops into the forceful masculine mien. The force of contracting joints is relative masculine mien slowly relax into relative feminine mien, without the abrupt masculine and the sudden feminine force. According to the Yin-Yang Doctrine, the dynamic state is the Yang state, and the static state is the Yin state. The masculine state is the Yang state and the feminine state is the Yin state, with reciprocal interaction and complement, which forms the organic entity and the basic requirements for maintaining the life. Therefore, it is the fundamental purpose of fitness exercise.
Adjust San Jiao Strengthen Tendons and Bones
Through the guidance of routine one raising the tiger’s paws, the upward rise inhales the clearance while the downward pressing exhales the tension. By such repeated movements, it is conducive to clear and adjust the San Jiao. The San Jiao includes organs, which means that the upper Jiao includes the heart, lung and other internal organs, the middle Jiao includes the spleen and stomach, and the lower Jiao includes the liver, kidney, large intestine, bladder and other internal organs. The San Jiao is the access to clear tension and infuse vital energy. It happens to the abnormal symptoms in the San Jiao, it is usually caused by muggy-relative illness, which is demonstrated in the symptoms such as expanded lethargy, fuzzy soul, bloated, nausea, urine and other adverse symptoms. The Chinese medicine practitioners believe that it is necessary to employ the guidance methods such as enhancing air-exchange capacity of the San Jiao, improve the gasification by adjusting San Jiao in order to promote the delivery of nutrition and vital energy of the capacity of internal organs and clear the meridians, prevent from the illnesses and enhance the immunity of the San Jiao in order to cure above-mentioned diseases.
By the guidance of the routine two tiger seizing the prey, it is beneficial to stretch and fold the spine, fully spreading the Ren Du meridians, which can play the roles of adjusting Yin-Yang, clearing the body meridians, and activating the blood circulation. Ren Meridian lies in the middle of the abdomen and takes charge of all the Yin Jin. If the deficient disorders happen to them, it can lead to the hernia, irregular menstruation, infertility, abortion cases and other illnesses. The Du Meridian lies in the middle of the spine and takes charge of all the Yang Jin. If the deficiency disorders happen to them, it can lead to the spinal ankylosis, back pain, lassitude, children convulsions and other symptoms. By the guidance of the he routine two tiger seizing the prey, it is beneficial to stretch and spread forward and backward of the spine, stimulate the Ren and Du Meridians. It can play the roles in adjusting the Yin-Yang and overall meridians in order to clear the overall meridians and acupoints, activating the blood circulating and preventing from the diseases.
By the stretching body functions of the routine one raising the tiger’s paws and the stretching and spreading spine functions of the routine two tiger seizing the prey, it is beneficial to strengthen the flexibility of the spine to maintain normal physiological functions. At the same time, by stretching and spreading of the body movements, it is positive to enhance the strength of the muscles in the waist and play desirable preventive and therapeutic effects in the common waist diseases such as strain, sprain pain and habitual sprain and other diseases. By the repeated changing movements from palms into paws, from fists into clenching, it is favorable to strengthen the clenching force of the palms as well as improve the blood circulation in the distal upper limb joints. In sum, the tiger show can guide the human beings’ neck, shoulder, elbow, Dazhui, spine, hip, knee and other bones and joints and obtain the corresponding exercise in order to achieve the purpose of strengthening tendons and bones as well as enhancing the health of human beings.