Fierce Tiger Pushing Mountains is the thirteenth of the 18 qigong exercises that make up the Shaolin 18 Lohan Hands. Also known as Pushing Mountains, 猛 虎 推 山, and MENG HU TUI SHAN, it is one of the most popular exercises in the set — and a foundation for a number of more advanced qigong techniques.
Key Benefits of Fierce Tiger Pushing Mountains
When practiced as qigong — not merely as physical form — Fierce Tiger Pushing Mountains offers the following benefits:
- Develops internal force — the sustained energy that allows you to remain active throughout the day without fatigue, valued by martial artists and everyday practitioners alike
- Strengthens the arms
- Beneficial for backache, arthritis, and rheumatism through stimulating energy flow through the meridian network of the back and arms
- Beneficial for kidney problems
- Good for the legs
- Nourishes the brain and enhances marrow
What the Qi Flow From This Exercise Feels Like
Different exercises in the 18 Lohan Hands stimulate different meridians and produce different qualities of qi flow. The flow from Fierce Tiger Pushing Mountains is notably powerful. As one student described it:
“When I lower my hands, the chi rushes to them and fills them up momentarily, then as I let go I feel it drift up my arms and back into my body to start the flow. Superb.”
An Important Note on Form vs. Qigong
The benefits above are only available when this exercise is practiced as qigong — with a Qigong State of Mind (QSoM) and genuine energy flow. Practicing the physical movements alone — the form — will not produce these results. The form is not the art of qigong.
Learning Fierce Tiger Pushing Mountains directly from a qualified qigong instructor is strongly recommended.
Next in the 18 Lohan Hands
The next exercise in the set is Green Dragon Separating Water — exercise 14 of the 18 Lohan Hands.
