Green Dragon Separating Water is the fourteenth of the 18 qigong exercises that make up the Shaolin 18 Lohan Hands. Also known as 青 龍 分 水 and QING LONG FEN SHUI, it is deceptively simple in appearance — and one of the most powerful exercises in the set for emotional and cardiovascular health.
Key Benefits of Green Dragon Separating Water
When practiced as qigong — not merely as physical form — Green Dragon Separating Water offers the following benefits:
- Opens the chest and particularly beneficial for overcoming depression
- Improves heart and lung problems
- Beneficial for poor posture
- Helps those who are nervous, fearful, or lacking in confidence
- Develops energy for sustained physical activity, sports, or martial arts
- Improves chest tone and firmness
An Important Technical Note: Relaxation Is Critical Here
Green Dragon Separating Water is a powerful exercise that requires the shoulders, upper body, and legs to be kept as relaxed as possible throughout. Muscular tension can creep in easily with this pattern — and when it does, it can completely negate the effects of the exercise. This is one of the stronger reasons across the entire set to learn directly from a qualified instructor rather than from video alone.
For those practicing qigong specifically to address depression, Butterfly Dancing in Front of Flowers — covered in the Qigong15 online course — is a safer starting point before progressing to this pattern.
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.
Next in the 18 Lohan Hands
The next exercise in the set is Green Dragon Presenting Claws — exercise 15 of the 18 Lohan Hands.
