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June 6, 2005
"How Do I Integrate The Five Animal Frolics Qigong Program Into My Daily Life?" And Some Other Frequently Asked Qigong Questions.
This week I thought I'd address a few of the practice questions I have been asked and which come up quite regularly.
Question: What element and season is each animal in The Five Animal Frolics Qigong traditionally associated with?
Answer: I have seen books and tapes that don’t always agree on which element and season goes with which animal. In my Five Animal Frolic “lineage” The Bear is connected to Winter and the Kidneys, the Crane to Summer and the Heart, the Tiger to High Summer and the Digestive System, the Deer to Spring and the Liver and the Monkey to Fall and the Lungs.
Question: In the Animal Frolics book I have, it stated that although there is no limit, traditionally each movement is done nine times.
Answer: The Crane Frolic reps are nine as a traditional minimum. The Bear is five. The exact numbers are not that important. Do as many as you can manage in your time frame. A shorter-duration but consistent and frequent daily practice wins out over a longer-duration but sporadic practice schedule.
Establish a daily minimum for yourself that you will do every day regardless of your other commitments then increase that amount whenever you can.
Question: The only DVD I have is the Tai Ji Qigong. The additional techniques of internal sound and pulling up the perineum are covered there. Would those also apply to any of the Five Animal Frolics or any of the Qigong Recharge movements?
Answer: You can pull up the perineum for all qigong practice. When you practice qigong and tai ji without pulling up the perineum it is a little like trying to inflate an inner tube that has a leak in it. The Heng and Ha don’t apply to the Five Animal Frolics or the Recharge methods.
Unless you are practicing Iron Shirt Qigong, it is enough to place your attention in the perineum and have a gentle sense of pulling up and closing.
Question: In the simple standing pose with the hands crossed over the lower dan tien, does it matter which hand is above or below?
The man’s hand is right over left. Women the opposite. This is considered to lead to a better balancing of the respective Yin Yang energies. It’s a small refinement.
Check out more of John Du Cane’s Qigong resources here
Posted by james at June 6, 2005 6:42 AM