a b cdd side viewe17. Swimming with the Qi Balla. When finishing the last movement, bring the hands back to the Dantian with the palms up, like holding a ball.b. Lean forward from the waist, with the legs straight. Lean to the left side but still keep the hands at the Dantian.c. Bring the right arm from the right side to the left side of the body, in a big circle until palm over the head. Bend the knees andlean backwards when doing this.d. Keep spiralling while still bending backwards so that the arms are extended on either side of the body like holding a big,giant ball. Keep the knees bent.e. Spiral the left arm in a larger circle and the right in a smaller circle until both are at the Dantian. Repeat these movementsanother two times.f. Then do three times in the opposite direction, starting first with the left hand.This movement is the second most important in the Swimming Dragon form. It should connect with the previous Hurricane movementwithout too much stopping, so that the energy continues unbroken. This movement develops spiral movement from the Dantian. Whilethe hands are spiralling, imagine holding a big Qi ball. It is very good for the spine and hips and co-ordination. For beginners, do notmove too fast or bend too far back to avoid straining the back. Until your body becomes more flexible, practise it more gently. Whenready, you can do it more vigorously. This movement will rejuvenate the body.Qi Magazine 43
Qi MattersThe answer to this question is thatthey train exclusively by externalmeans, and so expend their Qiwithout replacing it, resulting in aweakened internal body.Florence Griffith Joyner, one of theworld’s fastest ever female runners, diedaged 38 of heart failure. Who could befitter than an Olympic gold medallist ?When Bruce Lee died at 33 he was leanand muscular, and possessedsuperhuman stamina and agility. Theofficial verdict of death was a brainedema (swelling) caused by an allergicreaction to painkillers he took for aheadache. Had his Qi and internal bodybeen strong he would not have had thisreaction.Martial arts training shouldsupport your life, especially as youbecome older but without internaltraining (<strong>Qigong</strong>) it can become a healthliability as Qi remains unreplaced andblocked from blows to the body(accidentally or through ‘conditioning’),and the mind becomes aggressive andunbalanced.Paul Anderson, the world’sstrongest man, won gold at the 1956Olympics for lifting 6,270 pounds andmade the Guiness Book of Records, butdied at 61 from complications related tokidney failure. So you see externalstrength training does not guaranteelongevity. Even former ‘Mister Universe’Arnold Schwarzenegger underwent heartsurgery at the age of 53.Traditional Chinese exercise(<strong>Qigong</strong> and Taijiquan) is regarded‘internal’ as it trains Qi and the internalbody, breath and mind. Western exercise(including running, weight training, andaerobics etc.) by contrast is considered‘external’, as it focuses on stamina andisolates specific muscle groups, neverconsidering the internal organs (otherthan heart rate), or the effect that thistype of training has on them. Internaltraining cultivates vitality and can extendlife-span while external exercise aloneQi Magazine 44There is a popular Western misconception that health equals fitness, orstamina, and that a healthy body is directly proportionate to muscle mass. Whythen do some athletes die in the prime of their lives and at peak levels of fitness?The Dangers ofExternal Trainingexpends vital energy. When there is noQi there is only exhaustion, sickness, anddeath.External trainingpushes the bloodcirculation toextremes, andcauses stresson the heart,bulging veins,aching joints,dry skin, andaffects thecomplexion.P r e c i o u sfluids, whichbelong insideare lostt h r o u g he x c e s s i v eperspiration, asthe body strainsto the credo ‘Nopain no gain’. This iscontrary to the pragmatic andproven Eastern attitude to attaininghealth.Sound health depends onabundant resources of stored Qi, andits smooth passage throughout thechannels. This is dependant onthree factors: Firstly,deep abdominalbreathing of fresh air(the purer the better) tostimulate and open the Dantien;secondly, gentle movement to exercisethe spine, limbs, and joints, and stimulatecirculation and the functions of theinternal organs; and thirdly, a calm,balanced, and positive mental state,developed through relaxed concentration(meditation).Many people train at gyms. Theyconsider cardiovascular workout routinesbut overlook the stale, humidenvironments in which they exercise, andthey overwork the lungs, puffing andpanting like dogs. Internal trainingemploys slow, deep, and rhythmicbreathing like tortoises which inhale onceevery two minutes. Dogs live 10 to 15years while tortoises live up to 100 yearsor more.Hundreds of thousands of peopleare injured each year from exerciseequipment. The bigger the muscles thestiffer the body becomes and the morelimited its range of motion. A child’s bodyis supple and agile but as you age yourbody naturally becomes stiffer so whyaccelerate and aid this process ?Instead you should be working toensure that the body remainsyouthful and flexible.Western exercise does notconsider balancing the mind. Infact, quite the contrary; it isnot allowed to relax fora second. At gymsmusic is continuouslyplayed at deafeninglevels, and manyexercise stationsc o n t a i ncomputers soyou can go onlinewhileworking out, sothe mind isc o n s t a n t l yoccupied. Withtoo much aural/visual stimulationand freneticphysical activity thecentral nervouss y s t e mbecomes over-excited and the mindcannot relax at night. External training,even with good diet and sleeping habits,is no guarantee of disease prevention ifthe mind is constantly overworked andthe emotions unbalanced.External training is not bad in itselfas long as there is internal energy torestore balance. Even though internaltraining itself may not produce‘washboard abs’ or ‘buns of steel’, orlead to Olympic fitness levels, it doesguarantee health and longevity. Whichis more valuable ?By Adam Wallace.Email Adam@qimagazine.com
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