Baduanjin Qigong - The 5th movement to prevent Xin Huo
How to practice the 5th movement of Baduanjin? What is the purpose of this movement? How does the execution of this section differ compared to the medical and the Shaolin approach?
The 5th piece of brocade is called „Shake your head and sway your tail“ - Yao Tou Bai Wei Qu Xin Huo - 摇头摆尾去心火 - and in this article I want to give you the answers to the above questions.
Let‘s start with a brief explanation of the movement:
After finishing the previous section you inhale the palms up towards the chest. On the exhale you turn the palms back down and let the hands and arms move downward. Sink your Qi while lowering the hands and relax the whole body.
Step into a wider stance (horse stance) and place your hands just above the knees. Your thumbs are on the back side of your legs and the other four fingers on the front side. This position of your hands will result in a more relaxed (empty) chest and side rib cage. You can gently round the back if you feel that your front side can be relaxed a bit more. Find some weight in your sit bones and relax the pelvis down.
Breathe into the lower abdomen and bend forward while gently pushing outward your right knee with your hand. Simultaneously you want to move the upper body to the left side (close the left kua) and look to your left elbow. Your right elbow moves downward so that it faces further forward. You will feel a stretch across the right side, stimulating the lungs and releasing any stagnated Qi around the heart. You are stretching the tissues along the side rib cage and in the back. Then you move to the right side, press the left hand into your left knee, look to your right elbow and lower the left elbow. You do multiple repetitions and move from side to side, inhaling as you move into the stretch and exhaling as you move back to the centre.
This movement helps us to get rid of stagnant Qi in the heart and lung area. The pulling across the body from side to side allows the Qi to move from the centre (heart) to the outside and helps us to get rid of our Xin Huo (heart fire) which we will discuss further below. The described sequence relates to the medical approach. As you have learned in the previous articles, the Shaolin approach often varies slightly. Movements are wider and often more demanding. This is due to the nature of the warrior monks which practice Qigong not only for health reasons but also to increase strength and martial ability.
The key difference in the 5th movement of Shaolin Baduanjin is the extent to which the chest area is stimulated and stretched. Whereas the medical approach seems more subtle and works by moving Qi to the outside, away from the centre, the Shaolin version involves changing from the horse stance to a bow stance as the body turns to the sides. The abdomen is slightly drawn in and the crown of the head strongly rises up to form a long natural extension of the spine. The entire chest area is exposed and expanded outward on the inhale. This opens up and unbinds all the tissues in the chest area. On the exhale the stretch is released, the body bends forward again with the head closer to the ground. When moving through the centre we change into a horse stance again and our position remains much lower to the ground. While moving to the other side the Kua area experiences a strong stretch and the physical strain of this movement, compared to the medical approach, is rather high.
What is the purpose of this section?
We already mentioned the stretching and unbinding of the tissues, as well as stimulating specific areas in our body. These are all part of regulating the body and promoting a healthy balance of Qi. We dissolve tension and rid ourselves of Qi stagnation.
Through practicing this movement we will relax the chest area (medical approach) and move the Qi away from the centre towards the outside. We are loosening up the lungs (including all connective tissue and fascia) and regulate the excess Qi from the middle Dan Tian. The main purpose of this movement is to rid the body of Xin Huo, a concept in traditional Chinese medicine. This can literally be translated into “Heart Fire“. If we think of „Heart Fire“ we often think of emotional disturbances. Things like anger and frustration. - When the heat literally rises into our head. However, this simplified meaning is only a very small part of what Xin Huo actually refers to.
Previously we have been talking about „Wulao Qishang“ where we have learned 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. 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. Additionally to the Yin/Yang relationship, TCM studies how the organs relate to the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water.) It places great emphasis on the importance of these relationships. If the organs and the associated elements are in balance and harmony, the human body with all its internal processes functions well.
What is Xin Huo?
Keeping the relationship between different organs and elements in mind, we can begin to understand the meaning of this term. „Xin“ relates to the heart and is associated with the element fire („Huo“). Fire is not only associated with heat but also with the corresponding action that occurs due to an excessive amount of this heat. For example that heat can rise upward. If the heat rises in the heart, Xin Huo symptoms will begin to manifest. However, this also suggests what we can do to balance out this excessive heat. In this example, there is an excess of fire (Yang) and a deficiency of water (Yin). Through our Qigong exercise we aim to balance out this state of excess and bring back harmony between fire (heart) and water (kidneys, bladder). In other words, we need to use the water element to cool down our fire to regulate the body.
A traditional Chinese medicine practitioner would call this condition „Xin Huo Shang“, in other words „The uprising heart fire“. As previously mentioned it can be caused by strong emotional agitation and strain. For example long-suppressed fears, worries or anger. The heart fire flaming upward can be strongly felt at times but also linger as a constant companion in day to day life. The symptoms can be emotional but also physical. They manifest as inner restlessness, anxiety, sleep disorders with nightmares, impulsiveness, a red face or a general emotional instability. A diet which includes too many overly spicy and warming foods can worsen this condition.
The balance of Fire (heart), Water (kidneys) and Metal (lungs).
Water has the property of cooling and needs to balance the fire (excessive Qi in the middle Dan Tian). Naturally it must only tame the fire and not smother it completely. Fire and water, yin and yang are both necessary for a healthy life. There is no element that is undesired or harmful. If there was no fire at all, it would mean death. Another example is the downward flow of water. Yes, the water needs to bring down the fire, but it also should not settle down completely where it would cause a swelling of the legs. The purpose of our Qigong exercise is to regulate the body and promote a balance between the kidneys and the heart. This will prevent the Xin Huo symptoms.
This section of Baduanjin Qigong also strongly focuses on stimulating the area of the lungs. This is because the element metal plays a significant role in preventing Xin Huo symptoms as well. The associated organs are the lungs and according to the five element theory, metal can absorb heat and control the fire. Stretching the tissues around the lungs and breathing deeply will allow us to subdue and regulate the heart fire. When all these aspects come together in our practice, in addition to the bending forward motion which is stimulating the heart and kidney meridians, the 5th section proves to be a very effective way to prevent Xin Huo.
Are you interested in learning more about this powerful Qigong set? Then I would like to invite you to join us in the Water Dragon Arts online academy.