Many people ask me, "What do we teach in our classes? Do we teach Stake Stance (Martial Art Standing Exercise)? Taiji Quan? Yi Jin Jing? Swimming Dragon? The answer is "Yes" and "No” because we mainly cultivate our Qi or vital energy through practing different types of martial arts, so strictly speaking we are a Taiji internal energy-based Qigong training program. The basic operations of Qigong practice consist of adjusting the body, breath, and mind, often referred to as the "Three Disciplines". All kinds of Qigong methods are composed of these Three Disciplines, the difference is that the composition of the Three Disciplines is different, but all Three Disciplines are indispensable.
The contents of the Three Disciplines in our program are as follows
First, Conditioning the Body
A. External regulation: Adjustment of the body is to regulate the operation of the body at rest or in motion. The meaning of body conditioning is to make the posture of the body align to corresponding with the requirements of practicing Martial Art. We start by adjusting the posture and movements, all parts of the body to the right position, then practice Stake Stance, then practice Movement Qigong (Yi Jin Jing, Five-Animal Play, Taiji Quan, and Swimming Dragon). Practicing Movement Qigong helps in clearing the pathway of meridians, mobilizing external energy to circulate, and leading the internal vital energy or Qi.
B. Intrinsic regulation: Intrinsic regulation is the regulation of sensations and relationships within the limbs during movement, that is, the balanced relationship between motor sensation and various parts of the body. Such manipulation is more subtle than the external inter-frame and position operations of the limbs and are usually difficult to perceive from the external movements. In traditional Chinese martial arts, simple terms are used to describe the balance and coordination of important parts of the body, such as Xu Ling Ding Jin (The Energy at the Top of the Head Should Be Light and Sensitive), Han Xiong Ba Bei (Sink the Chest and Raise the Back), Chen Jian Zhui Zhou (Sink the Shoulders and Drop the Elbows), as described in Taiji Quan Ten Principles. However, these terms are interpreted differently by people at different levels of Martial Arts proficiency and can easily be misinterpreted. We use the knowledge of Western anatomy and exercise physiology to explain the requirements of these postures in easy-to-understand language and design some simple movements and games to help students exercise the deep muscles and fascia that are lack of usage.
Secondly, Regulating the Breathing (Pranayama)
The significance of pranayama lies in the cultivation and guidance of internal Qi through the regulation of breathing. Breathing is directly related to internal Qi, which is an important link to enter the realm of Qigong. Usually during the exercise, as your regular way of breathing gradually weakens, the activity of internal Qi gradually strengthens. The content of pranayama includes two aspects: one is the regulation of different respiratory forms, that is, the thoracic breathing, regular abdominal breathing, and reverse abdominal breathing. Second is the regulation of the breathing in and breathing out, so that the breathing can be fine-tuned. Change in the form of breathing can lead to changes in the flow of breath in and out, and vice versa.
Common forms of breathing include thoracic breathing and abdominal breathing and fetal breathing. After the thoracic breathing is evenly adjusted, it can lead to the channeling of the breath downward, from thoracic breathing to abdominal breathing. This change can only be achieved gradually. Abdominal breathing can be divided into two types: regular abdominal breathing and reverse abdominal breathing. Regular abdominal breathing is the abdomen bulges in inhaling, the abdomen retracts in exhaling. Reverse abdominal breathing is the opposite, the abdomen retracts in inhaling, the abdomen expands in exhaling. The operation of abdominal breathing is to form Dantian breathing. Further, the practice of meditation requires a high level of breathing form which is fetal breathing. Dantian breathing is the entering stage of the fetal breathing.
Thirdly, Regulating the Mind
Adjustment of the mind is to regulate the mental state activities, also known as the adjusting the Spirit, Vitality, or “Sheng”. Tuning the mind is to change the content of daily consciousness activities and ways to enter the state of consciousness required by the Qigong realm. General daily consciousness activities are externally oriented. The practice of Qigong needs to change the consciousness activities inward.
Regulating the mind consists of two aspects: mind regulation and realm regulation. The former is the intentional, conscious operation, the latter is unintentional. The interrelationship between the two is that the stable thought regulation helps to form realms, and the specific realms often produce their corresponding thoughts.
Mind regulation refers to the practice of intentional guiding, forming or eliminating specific consciousness in the exercise. The most common forms are mindfulness, contemplation, and stillness. Meditation is the mental process of gradually eliminating all thought activity.
Realm regulation is the process of grasping the overall state of consciousness of the mind. Most of these operations are not actively guided processes, but a natural process, such as water flows into a canal.
In essence, the Three Disciplines in Qigong practice are never separated; adjusting the mind, adjusting the breath, and adjusting the body is a unified-practice process and is linked together. Each of the Three Disciplines is linked to the other two, each discipline is not completely independent of the others. Eventually the Three Disciplines (adjusting the body, adjusting the breath, adjusting the mind) should be all seamless blended into any activities.
As an example, the process of implementing the Three Disciplines into Taiji Quan consists of (1) first being familiar with the form, from the external movement to lead the internal movement, the form to lead the qi; (2) then familiarize yourself with the application of each move, when using the move against the imaginary opponent, that is, with the intention to lead the Qi, then the Qi leading the Quan; (3) downplay the intention, intention without intention is the real intention. At this point, the Quan follows the natural course and reaches a higher state of Zen.
To conclude, we teach Taiji Qigong to unite our body and mind. Regain the flexibility of the body (like a baby) and the calmness of the mind. The whole learning process is to learn how to converge, i.e., the body, movement, breath, and mind inward!
很多人問我，我們的課是教什麼？ 是教站椿？ 太極拳？ 易筋經？ 遊龍拳？ 答案是＂都是＂，也＂都不是＂，因為我們主要是通過這些動作來培養我們的正氣，所以嚴格說起來我們這是一個以太極內功為主的修練氣功的課程。 气功修炼的基本操作内容包含了调身、调息、调心，通常简称为“三调”。 各种各样的气功功法均由此三调所组成，其区别是三调的组成搭配不同，但三调缺一不可。
我們課程的三調內容如下：
第一 調身
一、外在調控: 調身是調控身體靜止或運動狀態的操作活動，也稱練形、身法等。 調身的意義在於使身體的狀態與練功所要求的境界相應。 我們先從調姿勢體態開始，把身體各部位調到正位，然後練站椿静功，再練動功（易筋經，五禽戲，太極拳，和遊龍拳）。 練動功則多與疏通經絡、調動內氣運行的氣功境界相應，以外動導引內氣。
二、內在調控: 内在调控是运动时肢体内部的感觉及关系的调控，即对运动感觉与身体各部分的平衡关系进行操作。 此类操作比肢体外在的间架、位置操作要细微，且通常从外在的动作上难以觉察。 傳統中國武術，會用一些簡單的詞彙，來描述身體的重要部位的平衡協調，例如太極拳中所說的虛領頂勁，含胸拔背，沈肩墜肘。 但是這些詞彙在不同的功夫層次的人有不同的理解，很容易誤入歧途。 我們利用西方解剖運動生理學的知識，用通俗易懂的語言來說明這些姿勢的要求，並設計一些簡單的動作和遊戲，來幫助學生鍛鍊平常疏於活動的深層肌肉和筋膜。
第二 調息
調息是調控呼吸的操作活動，也稱練氣，又稱調氣、吐納等。 調息的意義在於通過調控呼吸而孕育和引導內氣，是練進入氣功境界的重要操作環節。 呼吸與內氣直接相關，通常練功過程中隨著日常呼吸的逐漸減弱，內氣的活動逐漸加強。 調息的內容包括兩個方面：一是呼吸形式的調控，即進行自然呼吸、逆腹式呼吸等不同呼吸形式的操作; 二是出入氣息的調控，使之由強或弱或粗逐漸轉為細。呼吸形式的改變可以引導氣息出入的變化，反之亦然。
常用呼吸形式包括胸式呼吸、腹式呼吸和胎息。 胸中的氣息出入調勻之後，就可以引導氣息向下發展，從胸式呼吸逐步轉為腹式呼吸。 這個轉變不可一蹴而就，而要循序漸進。 腹式呼吸可分為順腹式呼吸和逆腹式呼吸兩種。 順腹式呼吸是吸氣時腹部隆起，呼氣時腹部縮回; 逆腹式呼吸與之相反，吸氣時腹部回縮，呼氣時腹部膨出。 而腹式呼吸的操作是為了形成丹田呼吸。 更進一步，練靜功高層次境界要求的呼吸形式是胎息，丹田呼吸則是進入胎息的開始。
第三 調心
調心是調控心理狀態的操作活動，也稱練神。 調心的意義在於改變日常意識活動的內容和方式，進入氣功境界所需要的意識狀態。 一般日常生活中的意識活動屬外向性，練氣功則需要將意識活動轉為內向。 調心的內容包括意念調控和境界調控兩個方面。 前者是有意的、主動性操作，後者是無意的、伴隨性操作。 二者的相互關係是：穩定的意念調控有助於形成境界，而特定的境界往往會產生與其相應的意念。
意念調控指練功中有意引導、形成或消除特定意識內容的操作。 這類操作中最普遍的是意守、存想和入靜。 入靜是逐漸消除一切思維活動的心理過程。
境界調控是練功中對整體意識狀態即意識境界的把握過程。 這類操作大都是伴隨性的，不是主動引導的過程，而是順其自然的過程，如水到渠成。
在本質上，氣功修練中的三調本來就不曾分離，調心、調息、調身是統一練功過程中有機聯繫在一起的三個方面、三種角度。 三調中的每一調都與其他兩調相聯繫，每一調都並非完全獨立存在。 氣功修練所要求的氣功境界是三調（調身、調息、調心）融為一體的境界，其過程即是從三調分別練習入手，進而步入三調合一的操作過程。 我們把這三調放入太極拳，就是（1）先熟悉套路，先從外動導引內動，以形領氣。 （2）再來熟悉每一招式的應用，行拳時用招式和假想對手過招，也就是以意行氣，以氣帶拳。 （3） 將行拳時的意念淡化，有意無意才是真意。 這時的拳法，才能順應自然，達到更高的禪境。
總結來說，我們教的是太極氣功，透過調身調息和調心，解開身心的束縛，回歸嬰兒時的身體柔軟，心靈淡泊安靜。 整個學習就是學習如何收斂的過程，把形體、動作、氣息、心神，向內收斂！
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