Baduanjin „Wulao Qishang“ - The 5 weaknesses & 7 injuries
In this article I will dive a bit deeper into the 4th movement of The 8 Pieces Of Brocade.
It is sometimes called “The wise owl turns the head” but more commonly “Turn the head to prevent diseases”. However, the Chinese name is often simply „Wulao Qishang“, which translates to “the five weaknesses and seven injuries” or "five strains and seven impairments". It refers to a concept in the traditional Chinese medicine that is associated with the five yin organs and the seven emotions and outer influences.
There are various traditions that have adapted the 8 pieces of brocade. Therefore some of the movements were slightly modified and carry different names. However, the underlying principles of functioning are the same. The most obvious differentiation of this movement is between the northern Shaolin and the traditional (medical) approach. Whereas the medical approach involves turning the head back while keeping the whole body facing the front, the Shaolin approach places a lot more emphasis on turning the entire torso and mobilizing the spine.
To understand the concept of „Wulao Qishang“(五劳七伤), I briefly want to explain the concept of the Yin and Yang organs in regards to traditional Chinese medicine. First we will have to understand that unlike in western medicine, the view of the organs is not solely considering the anatomical structure with its main purpose or way of functioning. The traditional Chinese medicine approach is much broader and involves the function of the organ in relation to their Yin/Yang properties and other organs. The physiological functions of the body are based on harmonious relationships between yin and yang organs, which allows us to see a bigger, more holistic picture.
Keeping this in mind we differentiate between yin (internal) and yang (external) organs. Of course we are not talking about the location (an external organ would probably not be very desirable) but rather about the function. The five primary yin organs are the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs & spleen. Their function is to produce, transform, regulate and store substances such as qi, blood, and body fluids. The yin organs are responsible for vital internal functions and the yang organs are said to have more external functions. All of the yin organs have a corresponding „Yang partner“ and to be healthy (physically, energetically & emotionally) we want to regulate and harmonize them.
Let‘s come back to „Wulao Qishang“.
„Wulao“ refers to the illness or weakness of these five yin organs. This means that something has caused a stagnation of Qi or an imbalance (deficiency or excess). „Qishang“ refers to the adverse effects on one's body as a result of emotional disturbances, a bad lifestyle and nutrition or external influences. The seven injuries refer to overeating (spleen), anger (liver), moisture (kidney), cold (lung), worry (heart), wind and rain (outer appearance) and fear (mind).
According to Chinese medicine, we can become ill when our internal organs are weak and out of balance. For example, the emotion anger affects the functioning of the liver and causes damage to it. Overeating hurts the spleen ,while being sad or chronically worried will hurt the heart. External influences such as wind, rain, cold, moisture and heat will also hurt the body. In short, different emotions or other excessive behavior or influences will affect the corresponding organs and manifest as stagnation of Qi and an imbalance of Yin and Yang. Additionally Qi can rise to the head and the muscles become very tense, further inhibiting the harmonious free flow of Qi in the body.
The 4th movement of Baduanjin is meant to counter these five weaknesses (internal) and seven injuries (external). To regulate and harmonize the body (prevent diseases) we will turn the head in both directions while applying a handful of other Qigong principles. Turning the head mobilizes the cervical spine and loosens up the muscles and tendons in the neck. Looking back while turning the head helps promote a smooth flow of Qi and prevents stagnation in the neck. When we turn our head and exhale, we look back, far into the distance, allowing all the negative emotions to disappear behind us. This helps us cultivating a calm state of mind and regulating the emotions. By connecting to your breath and coordinating it with your movements you will shift your focus to the present moment and prevent any extreme or excessive emotions from rising up. Additionally we will extend the arms and turn the palms forward and slighly up. This results in stimulating the six meridians in the arms and aid in balancing the Yin and the Yang. The position of the arms will result in a gentle stretch in the chest, shoulders and side rib cage and can be felt all the way down in the lower Dan Tian. This helps open up the tissues, massaging the inside in places that are hard to reach and therefore also regulates the internal organs.
The 4th Baduanjin movement from the northern Shaolin is applying the same principles but executing this exercise in a slightly different way. It involves a small circular motion with the arms as they change from side to side. The arms are not extended but held in a circular shape with the palms facing down and the elbows slightly outward. The arms follow the movement of the torso from side to side. Additionally they don‘t just turn the head but also the entire upper body. It‘s important to note that the lower body remains in a relaxed and forward facing position and the movement is initiated by turning from the Kua. Executing the movement like this has a stronger effect on the whole spine. Due to the twisting motion the stretch in the tissues and the massage effect on the organs is increased. Generally speaking it seems that the Shaolin version focuses much more on opening the tissues and gaining strength and flexibility. Naturally this is aligned with the martial arts background of the Shaolin monks. The traditional medical approach seems to be more subtle and is therefore better suited for older people and general health purposes.
Baduanjin is part of the curriculum of the Water Dragon Arts academy.
