Qigong

Qigong (Chinese: 氣功, Pīnyīn: qìgōng) is an ancient Chinese way of relaxing the body and calming the mind. It is meditative exercise where the movements are done while standing in one place. The movements are easy and suitable for everyone regardless of age or fitness. By moving slowly the mind calms down and relaxes and the body finds painful points that are slowly “massaged” open during the exercises. At the same time changes in the body are observed and awareness of one’s own body is developed. Slowly as the exercise goes on, breathing deepens and gives rhythm to the exercises. The flow of life starts to move more easily and gracefully within the body and you will leave exercise calm and placid, ready for the chores of the day.

Daoyin tuna

Our teacher, master Lü Baochun describes the qigong exercise with the term “daoyin tuna”. “Dao” (“to guide, to lead”) means guiding the body’s movement from its outer form to its inner form. As the movements are learned we allow our movements to be lead by the movement of the hands and the body. As the movements slowly become more familiar the mind and the energy start to lead the movement more clearly. This is referenced by the word “yin” (“to pull, to guide”). Tu (“to spit out”) and na (“to receive”) refer, to begin with, primarily to breathing out and in, and later also to the body’s movements in a wider sense. We breathe out the negative and and the positive and clean air is breathed in. We therefore practice moving the body with the mind and breathing and breathing purifies us from within.