One of the harder of the 18 qigong exercises that make up the Shaolin 18 Lohan Hands qigong set. Today we take a quick look at: Divine Crane Starts Dancing.
This exercise is also known as Dancing Crane, 仙 鶴 起 舞 and XIAN HE QI WU. And when practiced as qigong/chi kung can give the following benefits:
This is another of the 18 qigong exercises that also forms part of the “Art of Flexible Legs” used by Shaolin Kung Fu students to promote flexibility in the legs. When performed as qigong it helps to channel energy to the legs and opens up the side meridians of the body. Because of the meridian network this helps to relieve problems in other parts of the body and increases longevity.
This is one of the very clever aspects of working with the body’s meridians. If a patient has an illness or discomfort in a private area of their body, a Chinese Medicine practitioner can use distant points on the meridian to cause a beneficial affect on the personal area in question. Of course, practicing high level qigong can be even better because we are generating a flow of energy that does the healing work for us. In the past qigong healing was the preferred choice of Emperors. They didn’t want people putting sharp objects inside them, and it would be too easy to make a herbal concoction that also hid poison in it. Hence qigong healing was the preferred choice of Emperors.
In the video snippet of this exercise, you’ll see that I’m having to move my hands as I lower my body and they’re hitting the wall and protruding into the book case! This is way when you are performing one of the qigong exercises you need to make sure you have enough space. Unfortunately this is the only space in my house where I could set my lights up.
For all qigong exercises, remember that the form is not the art, but it is still important. I mention this because it is very common to see students destroy the form of this pattern, just so that they can lower themselves down further. It’s a very common phenomenon, there is a mis conception that the lower you go in a stance the better you are. Phooey!
As has already been mentioned in my last post on qigong exercises, if you are straining, over exerting, puffing and panting – you are not doing qigong. You are doing physical exercise. Nothing wrong with that if that’s what you want to be doing. But there’s everything wrong with that if you’re doing qigong. And bear in mind, Kung Fu performed properly is also a form of qigong.
We’ve covered 10 of the qigong exercises now that make up the Shaolin 18 Lohan Hands qigong set. The next pattern is Second Son Carrying Mountains – this is an incredible exercise. So simple and profound.
Bye for now
Marcus James Santer
