Five-Animal Play

Features of gong method

I. Safe and easy to learn, left-right symmetry

"Fitness Qigong - Five-Animal Opera" is created on the basis of excavation and organization of the traditional Five-Animal Opera, which is convenient for the general public to practice. Therefore, the movements are simple, symmetrical and balanced, and can be practiced in a coherent manner, as well as focusing on a certain play or only a certain play, with a moderate amount of aerobic training, so that people can regulate the range and intensity of each movement according to their own situation, which is safe and reliable.

The whole set of gong method is relatively simple, but each action, whether it is dynamic or static, there is room for refinement, refinement. For example, "Tiger Lift", the changes in hand shape, can be refined into three processes of palm support, finger flexing, wringing fist; two arms up and down, can be divided into four stages of lifting, lifting, pulling, press, and will be injected into the changes in the movement of the internal energy, the eyes should be with the hands and lead to the changes in the head of the head up and down. When the movement is skillful, it can also be exercised in accordance with the law of rising, sucking, dropping and breathing and the requirements of the Tiger's charisma, and the internal and external exercises can be carried out in unity. Practitioners can according to their own physical conditions and health, step by step, and gradually improve.

Second, stretching the limbs and moving the joints

The movements of this gong method reflect the all-round movement of the torso, including forward leaning, backward leaning, side bending, twisting, folding, lifting and dropping, opening and closing, scaling and other different postures, which provide effective exercise for the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and other parts of the body. In general, the new gong method takes the waist as the main axis and pivot, and drives the upper and lower limbs to move in all directions, in order to increase the range of motion of the spine and enhance the fitness effect.

This gong method pays special attention to the movement of fingers, toes and other joints, in order to achieve the purpose of strengthening the distal blood microcirculation. At the same time, it also pays attention to the exercise of muscle groups that are usually less active or neglected by people. For example, in the design of the "deer against" "deer run" "bear shaking" "ape lift" "Bird Stretch" and other movements are designed with these factors in mind. Comparative data on the teaching effect of the test sites also confirmed the unique role of these movements, and the relevant indicators showed more obvious changes.

Three, outside the guide within the guide, the shape of the pine meaning full

The ancients will "guide" explained as "guide gas and lead the body to soft. The so-called "guide qi and", mainly refers to dredge and smooth the body qi and blood and regulate the breath of qi; the so-called "guide body to make soft", that is, to live joints, ligaments, muscles of the limb movement. "Fitness Qigong - Five Animal Play" is a gong method that imitates the posture of animals and focuses on movement, using form to attract qi according to the lifting, lowering, opening and closing of the movements. Although the "form" is shown on the outside, it is tied to the "intention" and "spirit" on the inside. The shape of the action should be modeled after the tiger's might, the deer's peace and comfort, the bear's calmness, the ape's dexterity, the bird's lightness, but also strive to contain the "five birds" of the charm, the intention of the qi follow, inside and outside of the unity. For example, "bear transport", the appearance of the action for the two hands in front of the abdomen arc, waist, abdomen synchronized rocking, in fact, the requirements of the Dantian internal gas should be transported with the breath of air should be in accordance with the law of lifting the suction and drop call to do, in order to achieve the "heart and breath together" requirements.

The process of practicing in maintaining the correct posture required by the gong method on the premise that all parts of the muscles should try to remain relaxed, to achieve a comfortable and natural, not stiff, not take strength, not soft collapse. Only the limbs are loose and natural, in order to achieve the intention to attract gas, gas through the whole body; gas to nourish the spirit, qi and blood, so as to strengthen the body.

Fourth, combining motion and static, practicing and nourishing at the same time

"Fitness qigong - five birds" imitates the movements and postures of the "five birds", stretching the limbs, and revitalizing the muscles and bones, and at the same time, in the starting and closing of the gongfu, as well as at the end of each play, it is accompanied by a short period of static standing stakes, which induces a short period of static standing stakes. At the same time, at the beginning, end and after each play, it is accompanied by a short period of static standing stakes, inducing practitioners to enter a relatively stable state and the mood of the "Five Birds", so as to adjust the breath, tranquilize the mind and spirit, and play the efficacy of the "external quietness and internal movement". Specifically, when the body movement, the shape is shown outside, but the consciousness, Shen Yun focus on the action, to exclude distractions, the idea of reaching a relative "into the quiet" state; for static standing stakes, although the form is in a quiet state, but must be experienced in the body's breath operation and "five birds" mood transformation. The transformation of the "Five Birds" state of mind. The organic combination of motion and stillness, the two phases alternating with each other, play a complementary role in practicing and raising, can further improve the effect of practicing kung fu.

Bird play exercise to achieve: the whole body relaxation, the intention to guard the dantian, breathing evenly, form and spirit. Practice bear play in the calm in the light spirit, the swarthy nature of the performance; practice tiger play to show the mighty and courageous demeanor, soft in the strong, just in the soft; practice ape play to emulate the ape agile and flexible nature; practice deer play to reflect the quiet and peaceful state; practice bird play to show its wings and cloud potential, so that the integration of form and spirit as one. Practice the five birds of the play, you can move the joints of the waist and limbs, strengthen the waist and kidneys, liver and spleen, tonic heart and lungs, so as to achieve the purpose of getting rid of diseases and prolonging life.

Practicing "fitness qigong - five birds play", must grasp the "form, God, intention, gas" four links.

One, shape

Shape, that is, the posture when practicing. The ancients said: "If the shape is not correct, the gas is not smooth, if the gas is not smooth, the intention is not peaceful, if the intention is not peaceful, the God is scattered," indicating the importance of posture in the practice. At the beginning of the practice, the head and body are straight, chest and shoulders, natural posture, so that all parts of the body relaxed, comfortable, not only muscle relaxation, but also mental relaxation, breathing should be adjusted, and gradually enter the practice state. Begin to practice each play, according to the meaning of the name of the action, to make the appropriate action modeling, action in place, in line with the norms, and strive to do "acting tiger like a tiger" "learning bear like a bear". Especially on the action of the rise and fall, high and low, light and heavy, slow and sharp, real and virtual to distinguish clearly, not stiff and not stagnant, soft and flexible, in order to achieve "lead and pull the waist body, move the joints, in order to seek difficult old" effect.

Two, God

God, i.e., God, charm. The way to health lies in the "unity of form and spirit". The practice of fitness qigong should be "only God is to keep". Only "God" to keep in the "in", and then can "form" full in the "outside". The so-called "play" has the meaning of play and game, which is also the difference between "Fitness Qigong - Five-Animal Play" and other fitness Qigong techniques. Only by mastering the "five birds" attitude, into the play, the game of the mood, the charm can be revealed, the action image can be realistic. Tiger play to emulate the tiger's ferocious momentum, the tiger eye; deer play to emulate the deer's light stretch, free spirited; bear play to emulate the bear's naive and straight, steady steps; ape play to emulate the ape's flexibility and agility, relaxed and lively; bird play to emulate the crane's head standing up, light and elegant.

Three, the intention

The intention, that is, the idea, the mood. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine points out: "The heart is the master of the five viscera and six bowels, the heart moves the five viscera and six bowels are shaken." Here the "heart" refers to the brain, indicating that human thinking activities and emotional changes can affect the function of the five viscera and six bowels. Therefore, in the practice, as far as possible, to exclude emotions and thoughts that are not conducive to physical health, to create a good internal environment. When you start practicing, you can think about the lower dantian of the abdomen to focus your thoughts and eliminate distractions, so that your mind is still and your spirit is concentrated. When practicing each play, gradually enter the "five birds" mood, imitating the different movements of different animals. When practicing "Tiger Play", think of yourself as a tiger in the mountains, stretching your limbs and catching food; when practicing "Deer Play", think of yourself as a sika deer in the wilderness, with all the deer playing against each other, stretching your feet and taking steps; when practicing "Bear Play", think of yourself as a sika deer in the wilderness, stretching your feet and taking steps; and when practicing "Bear Play", think of yourself as a sika deer in the wilderness, stretching your feet and taking steps. When practicing "Bear Play", think of yourself as a black bear in the forest, turning your waist and moving your belly, roaming freely; when practicing "Ape Play", think of yourself as a monkey in the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, lively and dexterous, picking peaches and offering fruits; when practicing "Bird Play", think of yourself as a crane by the river, picking peaches and offering fruits; when practicing "Bird Play", think of yourself as a crane by the river, picking peaches and offering fruits. When practicing "Bird Play", think of yourself as a crane by the river, stretching your muscles and pulling out your bones, spreading your wings and flying. The intention to move with the form, the gas is at will, to achieve the intention, gas, form, in order to dredge the meridians and smooth the blood and qi.

Four, gas

Qi, that is, the exercise of breathing when practicing qigong, also known as regulating breath. That is, the practitioner consciously pay attention to breathing adjustments, and constantly to experience, master, and use their own physical condition or with the movement changes in the breathing method. For beginners, they should first learn the movements, clarify their meanings, and make their postures comfortable and accurate. When the body is relaxed and the emotions are peaceful, gradually pay attention to adjusting the breathing. As the ancient saying goes: "If you breathe, you will be exhausted; if you hold your breath, you will be hurt", you should take this as a warning. When practicing "Fitness Qigong - Five Animal Circle", there are the following rules for the coordination of breathing and movement: start and stop breathing, open and close breathing, breathe in and then breathe out, and breathe in and breathe out. The main forms of breathing are natural breathing, abdominal breathing, and anal lifting breathing, etc., which can be chosen according to the changes in posture or the requirements of strength. However, no matter what form of breathing is chosen, it is required to be loose, quiet and natural, and cannot hold the breath. At the same time, the "amount" and "strength" of the breath can not be too much, too big, in order not to be too fast and not too slow is appropriate, and gradually reach a slow, fine and even, deep and long degree, in order to facilitate the health of the body.

Additionally, the following two aspects should be paid special attention to in the practice:

(1) From the shallow to the deep

"Fitness Qigong - Five Animal Circus" includes the starting position, the closing position, and ****12 movements. Although the movement is relatively simple, easy to learn, but to practice pure, movement refinement, refinement, must be after a period of serious practice. Therefore, beginners must first master the posture of the action changes and running routes, figure out the ins and outs, follow others while imitating and practicing, as soon as possible to integrate into the collective practice, the initial to do the "rocking the muscles and bones, moving the limbs and joints" can be. Subsequently, in the practice to pay attention to the details of the action, you can take the upper and lower limbs decomposition exercises, and then the transition to the waist as the axis of the complete action practice, and finally by the action, by the play and the complete exercise, so that the action in line with the norms, and to achieve the degree of proficiency. At this point, it is necessary to pay attention to the combination of movement and breathing, consciousness, charm, and fully understand the connotation and meaning of the action, to truly achieve the "form and spirit, internal and external unity". In particular, it should be pointed out that do not want to pursue the inner experience without really understanding the movements, which is impossible and may even have undesirable consequences. Practice must be from simple to complex, from shallow to deep, step by step, and gradually mastered. Only in this way can we ensure that the foundation is well laid and prevent deviations.

(2) different from person to person practice

Practice, middle-aged and elderly people, especially those suffering from various chronic diseases, need to be carried out according to their own physical condition. The speed of the movement, the height of the posture, the size of the amplitude, the time of exercise, the number of exercises, the size of the exercise should be well grasped. The principle is that after practicing qigong, you will feel happy and relaxed, and your muscles will feel a little sore and swollen, but you will not feel too tired, and it will not hinder your normal work and life. Do not be in a hurry, greedy for more and faster.

Gongfu movements

Wu Bird Play, respectively, tiger play, deer play, bear play, ape play and bird play, each action is imitated by the corresponding animal movements. The traditional five birds play **** there are 54 movements; by the State General Administration of Sports Organization of the experts of the new fitness qigong - five birds play, each play is divided into two movements, respectively: tiger lift, tiger pouncing; deer against the deer run; bear transport, bear shaking; ape lift, ape picking; bird stretching, bird fly. Each action is done symmetrically once each on the left and right, and with breath conditioning.

I. Tiger Play

The tiger play should reflect the might of the tiger. God in the eye, the tiger eye; Wei born in the claws, stretching powerful; God and Wei and heavy, overpowering. Action changes to achieve just in the soft, soft in the rigid, just inside the soft, rigid and soft, with a movement like thunder without blocking, static as Taishan can not shake the momentum.

(A) Tiger lift

Two hands palm down, ten fingers open, and then bent into a tiger's claw; then two hands rotate outward, from the little finger first bent, the rest of the four fingers in turn bent fist, the center of the fist is opposite; eyes on the two palms. Two fists along the front of the body slowly up, to the front of the shoulder, ten fingers open to the head; two palms and then bent into a tiger claw-like external rotation of the fist, the heart of the fist; two fists down to the front of the shoulder, change the palm of the downward pressure; along the front of the body after the descent to the front of the abdomen, ten fingers open, the heart of the palm downward; visualization of the two palms. Repeat 3 times, the two hands naturally hang down on the side of the body; look forward.

(2) Tiger Punch

Hold empty fists in both hands and lift them up along the sides of the body to the top of the shoulders. Both hands arc upward and forward, ten fingers bent into a "tiger claw", palm down; at the same time, the upper body is bent forward, chest out and waist down; both legs bend the knee and squat down, stomach and chest; at the same time, both hands arc downward to the side of the knees, palm down; look at the front and down. Afterwards, both legs extend the knees, send the hips, lift the abdomen, and lean back; at the same time, both hands hold the empty fists along the side of the body and lift them upward to the side of the chest; the left leg is lifted up by bending the knee, both hands are lifted upward, the left foot takes a step forward, the heel of the foot lands on the ground, and the right leg bends the knee and squats downward to form a left false step; at the same time the upper body is leaning forward, and both fists change into a "tiger's claw" forward, downward pouncing to the two sides of the front of the knees, palms downward; the eyes look downward in front of the eyes. Eyes on the front bottom. Afterwards, the upper body is raised, the left foot is withdrawn, standing in an open stance, the two hands naturally fall to the side of the body; the eyes look forward.

Repeat this one to eight times, then raise both palms to the side of the body, at chest height, palms up; look straight ahead. Bend your arms at the elbows and press your palms together, hanging naturally at the side of your body; look straight ahead.