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. However, for practical purposes, learning qigong online is often the only option for most people.
For those practicing qigong specifically to address depression, Butterfly Dancing in Front of Flowers — covered in my 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.
