Fundamental Neigong Exercises of Qigong, Bagua & Tai Chi:
Cloud Hands, the Spine Stretch & Circling Hands
About Energy Arts Qigong
How to Access Weekly Lessons/Register
Exercising the body from an internal perspective is initially meant to stretch open the outer casing (long muscles), so you can gain access to and engage your insides (organs, blood and other bodily fluids and chi). I will deconstruct Cloud Hands, the Spine Stretch and Circling Hands based upon the horizontal and vertical planes of motion since each affects the body in very different ways. Working with both together is what allows you deeper access to your insides. It also forms the basis for circularity and eventually spherical work in the internal arts, which all dedicated practitioners aim to achieve.
Training on the Horizontal Plane: Clouds Hands Neigong
The weight shift is the base of Clouds Hands, which is a part of the Energy Gates Qigong set. In combination with turning and twisting, it elongates the muscles and stretches the fascia. With regular practise you can loosen the muscles off the bone, giving you greater freedom of motion and dramatically reducing tension.
Since Cloud Hands activates these aspects in such a profound way, it allows you to access and activate the kwa. This is where whole-body motion becomes a possibility. This exercise makes your blood pump stronger and drives production of interstitial and lymph fluids. With practice Cloud Hands becomes a powerful tool for opening and healing the body, and building health and vitality.
Training on the Vertical Plane: The Spine Stretch & Circling Hands Neigong
The unique spine stretch, also a part of Energy Gates, gives you access to each individual joint of the spine (pairs of vertebrae) whereby you locate and progressively loosen restricted or compromised joints. With practice you can dramatically increase the suppleness and flexibility of your spine. Since all nerve pathways originate from the cord inside the spine, enhancing the overall health of your spine can lead to deep relaxation and higher functioning of your body and mind.
This exercise also prepares the spine for the C-curve in Circling Hands, a key component of Heaven & Earth Qigong, which involves operating each of the joints of the spine equally and simultaneously for full effect. It’s a critical point because most practitioners I’ve observed in the last 15 years of teaching simply create three or four bends in their spine and don’t actually achieve the C-curve. Without the C-curve you miss out on many potential benefits that could be yours for the same practice time.
In Circling Hands the kwa exercises go yet deeper into the body, creating a powerful massage for your internal organs and further increasing blood and fluid activation. In combination with the C-curve, this generates strong hydraulic activity that allows the body to be exercised from the inside out whilst remaining extremely relaxed. This is why Circling Hands releases the nerves and generates abundant chi.
Weekly Lessons
I’ll take you through a series of layers to ensure you get the most out of your practice and build a strong foundation for integrating all the key components of internal power. These neigong exercises are the basis for higher level qigong, bagua and tai chi. Without refining internal components it is extremely difficult to advance your practice much less create balance in your body and mind.
Each lesson I’ll weave in specific aspects of the horizontal and vertical planes of motion, supercharging the previous layer and strengthening your core. The first 11 lessons will culminate in a 15-minute practice session offered in Lesson 12. It starts with standing, moves on to Clouds Hands, the Spine Stretch, Circling Hands and finishes with storing the chi you have generated in your practice.
This programme creates a powerful synergy that is difficult to beat in 15 minutes. I’m also including a 35-minute guided practice session for more advanced students who already have an established practice.
Putting the Components Together
All of the exercises I teach in the course have been adapted and refined over millennia and yield effective results for anyone who is willing to put in a little effort on a regular basis. The level of results you receive always depends upon the clarity and accuracy of your practice. My hope is to provide you with the foundation you need to practise, refine and upgrade any of the internal arts—whether qigong, bagua or tai chi—week by week.