The Inner Workings of Muscle/Tendon Changing Qigong
This post is part 3/3 in which I cover the most important facts of Yijin Jing Qigong.
The inner workings of Yijin Jing Qigong (this post)
The inner workings and principles of the Yijin Jing.
This is the 3rd and last part of the series about the Yijin Jing. In order to fully understand the content in this post you may need to read the previous posts as well. Today I would like to delve even deeper into the subject of body-development in Qigong. This means I will revert to what’s written in the classics and try to explain how this process of transformation takes place. This article is influenced by the training methods of my personal teachers in China, by teachings and perspectives of various other teachers, the classics such as the Yijin Jing itself and the medical Qigong classics, as well as independent research.
As previously mentioned the Yijin Jing consists mainly of a set of guiding principles which influence different Qigong systems.
In the beginning the practice is shaped by exercises that are opening up the tissues, stretching the muscles and prepare the body for the deeper work of the Yijin Jing. An important part is the improvement of body awareness which will allow us to listen deeply into the body and relax the muscles. We need to use the language of feeling in order to create the right environment for the qualitative change to happen. After this initial phase of preparation everything is based in Qi. In order to create long-lasting physical and mental health it must come from the action of Qi. Physical and mental health are closely related to the efficiency of the body and the way the mind functions. In other words, the more efficient and smooth your body and its internal processes, the better your mental and physical health and vice versa. The question is how to use Qi to develop the physical body to a high level? Conventional training at the gym or simple jogging theoretically improves your health, too. Obviously we create Qi during these simple exercises as well. In this case however, they are not based in Qi but rather focus on the external, for example the muscles. Remember, the muscles are the last thing we want to build to develop strength.
Qi must be the guiding force and the physical will follow. This is in fact, the basic principle of Qigong. Conventional weight lifting for example, directly targets a specific muscle in the body and stimulates it to grow. In the Yijin Jing it must be Qi that is leading the physical to transform. This is what it means to “create the environment for change” or “set up the cause”. Of course this requires trust in the practice because the results won’t happen as quickly. However, direct physical stimulation is only temporarily, whereas the Yijin Jing builds the body to hold up its strength long term. The physical should transform according to the Qi. Most Qigong sets are based on these first 2 principles.
The Qi must transform the Huang (the fascia and web of connective tissues in the body), which then transforms the tendons (the quality of the tissues). This means that the muscles and tissues of the body will change their quality and become more springy and tendon-like. Between the bundles of muscles and tissues there is something that fills the space and wraps them like the insulation of an electrical wire. This is Huang. Huang is everywhere in the body. It is a network of interconnected soft tissues that fill the “empty spaces” in the body.
You can see that to practice the Yijin Jing correctly we first need to cultivate Qi. That’s why we work on sinking the Qi for a long time. Through different Qigong exercises (postures or breathing exercises) we will accumulate Qi, develop and form the Dan Tian, learn how to sink the Qi and cultivate it to an abundant level. Naturally, the exercises serve one purpose in the beginning, and a different purpose further down the line. Once Qi is sufficient, it will be sent to develop the Huang which then develops the muscles to get a tendon-quality.
Qi can not be forced or actively led into the Huang. Huang is literally everywhere in the body. Because of the complexity of the Huang system, which most likely involves a handful of other connective tissues, it is important that Qi mobilizes to move into the Huang of its own accord. That’s why it’s important to focus on the previous principles and ensure to follow them closely. Only when the muscles “hang” and you are finding a light stretch within deep relaxation, will you be able to create the right conditions for the Qi to enter the Huang. Naturally it is also essential for the Qi to build. There must be a sufficient amount of Qi in order for it to move into the Huang. This is what emphasizes the importance of the Yin side of training. It is very beneficial for the Yijin Jing practice to complete the small circulation meditation.
The medical Qigong classics usually mention “Huang” and “Gao” and divide them into 2 different kind of tissues. “Gao” literally means “fat” and refers to adipose tissue. This is the tissue that is used for the storage of fat. “Huang” is usually translated into “membranes” and also refers to superficial and deep fascia, the mesenterium, omentum and stroma which are tissues that attach the organs to the body wall and the stomach with other abdominal organs, as well as other supportive tissues. They cover the whole body with a layer immediately below the skin and consist of an inner layer that is wrapping and anchoring the organs (connecting them), the muscles and the bones. You can see that the Chinese were already very well aware of this interconnected web of tissues throughout the body. In relation to the Yijin Jing and the mechanism for body-development, it is safe to assume that all these tissues are meant by Huang. They are completely connected and can not be isolated. It is impossible to move any part of the body without affecting the Huang in the entire body. If you move your index finger there will ultimately be a response in the bottom of your foot, even if it’s ever so subtle. These fully interconnected connective tissues between the muscles, around the bones and in those “empty spaces” within the body are what ties up the whole body as one. The Classic of Categories says the Huang is in between the abdominal cavities and the muscle patterns (Li, muscle fibre) and they extend up and down in the crevices. There is a particularly large amount of Huang in the abdominal cavity between the organs and the muscles. All of these layered tissues with different conductivity shape the real lower Dan Tian.
There a many different connective tissues in the body. The ancient Chinese practitioner of Qigong found out a way to develop these tissues to increase health and strength.
Let’s see how the Yijin Jing principles apply to the practical training method.
First of all, we need to build an excellent sense of internal body- awareness. This means we need to listen carefully inward and pay close attention to our sensations. Naturally, this will be difficult in the beginning. That’s why there are various exercises that help you build a strong foundation for the Yijin Jing practice. Exercises that I consider as fundamental are Qi- awareness and relaxation exercises, meditation including the small microcosmic orbit, and Zhan Zhuang (Standing Pole Exercises). As a matter of fact, the Yijin Jing that I practice and teach is using the principles in combination with many different Zhan Zhuang Gong postures.
Becoming aware of Qi is part of the Qigong basics and you have probably already experienced it. Finding the Huang is a little bit more tricky. In order to become aware of the Huang you first need to be able to stretch and relax your muscles. By doing so you will get rid of any habitual tension that is very common in most of us. This is an ongoing process because due to our jobs or other activities (or lack of activities) we will always build up new tension somewhere in the body. When the muscles are lengthened and relaxed you are able to take them out of the equation, open the joints and feel deeper past the muscles. This is where you can find the Huang. The classics say you are supposed to “hang” the muscles from your bones.
This is where the postural alignment comes in. A lot of the alignment work that is part of Qigong is there to help you sit or stand in the most efficient way, mostly relying on the internal structure with the bones (vertebrae) aligned over top of each other. The postural alignment is not only important to condition the body for an improved power development (martial arts) but also to help you build the Huang. During the alignment conditioning or posture practice your bones should always maintain space between each other. This is where the cues “bringing the tailbone down” and “the crown of the head up” become important. This means the skeleton opens up (against gravity) and stretches lightly. I sometimes use the cue “stack your bones”, however, it is important to understand that this doesn’t mean stacking on top of each other (as in touching) but rather aligning them over top of each other with space in between them. It should result in flattening the lumbar and neck curvature.
The posture that is most commonly practiced to begin understanding this concept is Zhan Zhuang. In this position you are able to relax the muscles so that they hang and stretch off of the bones. Muscle and bone will separate from each other. Bones up or away from each other (open joints) and flesh (muscles) down, the muscles relax and “hang”. This is the most important principle in body development. When the muscles hang you will be able to stretch the Huang. Notice that relaxation doesn’t mean your body becomes soft and squishy. The relaxation of the muscles should result in a slight stretch of the Huang.
The different practice methods of the Yijin Jing should all contain these important principles in their practical training. The Taoist (Daojia) and Xiongshi method utilize different postures in which you will need to find this state of relaxed muscles and stretched Huang. Naturally, it is very difficult to develop the Huang during a movement practice.
The process of transformation.
As we have learned the transformation needs to be based in Qi which then transforms the Huang and so on. In order for the Qi to flow into the Huang of its own accord it needs to be built sufficiently. Naturally you will need to cultivate and store an abundant amount of Qi in your lower Dan Tian. This is why breathing exercises and the small circulation training are creating the fundamental framework and strong foundation for the Yijin Jing. These exercises will help you cultivate and store Qi which you can then use to develop your Huang. When you allow the Huang to stretch through relaxing, the Qi will start to travel into it and begin to grow, thicken and strengthen it. In order for the Qi to mobilize into the Huang it is important to practice “ting”, listening to the natural actions within the body and “song”, the mental release and relaxation.
One mistake many beginners make is believing that the Yijin Jing is simply a relaxation exercise in which you need to find a deep meditative state. This is only partly correct. Although a calm and peaceful mind are very important, you should start with focusing on your internal structure, as well as the amount of relaxation and engagement and your sensations. In other words, you will need to observe consciously what happens or what you feel within your body. Naturally, this will become easier the deeper your state of concentration is. Once you have developed the necessary (internal) body-awareness you will be able to increase the effectiveness of the practice through a deeper state of meditation.
If the stretch of the Huang is insufficient, or in other words, you are not able to separate the flesh (muscles) from the bones, your Qi will end up flowing into the muscles. Even though this might help you strengthen your muscles, you will not be able to build the tendon-qualities in it. The more Qi can travel into the Huang, the more it will develop and the more “elastic strength” can be built. Qi and Huang have a symbiotic relationship. If you are familiar with the concept of the Dan Tian being an accumulation of layered tissues with different conductivity (which act as a battery) you will be able to understand this relationship. (If this subject is unknown to you, don’t worry. It is part of the Yijin Jing program, but you can also find a post about the Dan Tian here). Qi is infusing the Huang and in return the Huang will develop. The tissues will grow and become stronger and therefore will also be able to conduct and build more Qi. In short, Qi travels into the Huang, it develops Huang, Huang builds Qi, Qi returns to the centre.
Once the Huang is developed to a high level it will start to change the sinews. It will open (develop) the “Jing Jin”, the sinew channels in the body. These are commonly known as the major tendon lines in the body. Opening these channels is what greatly improves the efficiency of the body and what results in physical and mental health. It is as if the Huang is growing into the sinews and changing their quality altogether. At the same time the entire interconnected web of tissues in the body will be knit together more tightly. From the sinews the transformation will continue to the muscles. The Huang starts to separate the fibre of the sinews (wrapping them) and the muscles will transform and will get a tendon-like quality.
You can imagine this entire process as an increase in density, starting with a soft and “squishy” substance, the Huang, developed more until it becomes denser like the sinews and finally building this same dense and elasticated tendon-like quality in the muscles. When the Huang is stretched Qi flows into it. The Huang stretches into the sinews which are the tissues that form the channels. As the sinews start to open, the Qi will move into the channels which cause them to open more (imagine the sinews growing and being able to conduct more energy). The Huang will conduct the extra Qi into the sinew channels and the sinews will conduct the Qi along their entire length. Then the sinews will start to grow into the muscle.
To grasp this concept, let’s look at this process from a slightly different perspective.
The body needs to be stretched like a string on a guitar in order for the Qi to flow into the Huang and sinews. If you pick the string it will send a vibration along its entire length and create a sound. If the string was under no stretch, this would not work. It is important to release habitual tension and learn how to let the muscles “hang” from the bones. Tension in the body will create blockages which you can imagine as little solid peaces on this guitar string. It will prevent the flow of Qi along its length. (It would prevent the string from sending the vibration through its length to create a sound.) With the muscles relaxed and the Huang stretched you will activate the sinews and these tissues become like the string. The flow of Qi will be unobstructed and the channels will open. As the Qi continues to flow into the channels, their function will become better and stronger. As a result of this the organ function will increase because of an improved energy supply. Everything related to the opened sinew channels will improve, including physical and mental health. This is the main goal for practitioners of Qigong or Taiji for health. If you deepen this practice from here you will continue to transform the body even more which is generally the goal of martial artists or serious Neigong practitioners.
I hope this article will help you grasp the theory of the Yijin Jing and general body-development in Qigong. More importantly, I want you to remember these principles as you work through my courses or practice any other method of the Yijin Jing. You will need to use your own judgment and ensure that you observe the sensations within your body carefully. Never jump to conclusions and make sure that you verify the sensation throughout the different postures.
Happy tendon changing!
Sources: Shifu Wang Gang, Master Qu Hai, Qigong - The Secret of Youth, Yijin Jing Classic by Dr. Yang Ywing Ming, The foundation of Chinese Medicine - A comprehensive Text by Giovanni Maciocia CAc (Nanjing), Medical Qigong Classic, Scholar Sage Podcast by Damo Mitchell
