Today, we will discuss Dao Yin (导引), which is about guiding Qi and constructing the logistics network of the human body.Dao Yin refers to methods such as Baduanjin (八段锦) and Yijinjing (易筋经), which were ancient practices.In the Huangdi Neijing (《黄帝内经》), it is referred to as Dao Yin, and during the Tang Dynasty, Wang Bing provided an annotation stating, “to guide the body to be supple and to guide Qi to be harmonious,” which particularly aligns with the internal movement laws of our body.When we talk about guiding Qi, do not think of it as something mysterious or unfathomable.“Guiding” means action and movement, while “Qi” refers to the subtle substances like blood and vital energy.Guiding Qi indicates that our body is constantly undergoing metabolism, exchanging substances and energy, resembling a large material energy field.Therefore, you can imagine our body as a large modern logistics network, where organs like the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys function like individual factories.What does the spleen and stomach produce? They produce the subtle essence of food and water, while the lungs absorb the essence of oxygen.Once these good substances are available, they need to be transported to every household, reaching the limbs and bones, which requires a transportation line; the meridian system serves as this network.However, often the main trunk lines are fine, just like the main roads in a big city, but the distal ends or deeper areas are hard to reach.These places are very difficult to access, and many people are unwilling to go there; there are no messengers or couriers.At this time, practicing Baduanjin and Yijinjing serves to provide special messengers to these remote areas, the last 10 centimeters of the human body.These couriers ride bicycles, walk, or use small carts, gently and slowly, navigating through congested areas to deliver the subtle substances of Qi and blood to our last 10 centimeters, reaching the distal ends and the deepest layers of our body.These guiding methods have several main functions in promoting the body’s energy metabolism.The first is to transport subtle substances, delivering these good things through guiding methods to the most distal parts of our body.Sometimes after practicing, you may feel your eyes are very clear, and that sense of dryness seems to disappear; this indicates that the eyes need nourishment, and the external orifices of the organs need care.At other times, you may feel your hands are warm, and the coldness in your hands and feet has improved significantly.Reaching the final distal ends also has the effect of assisting in expelling evil Qi from the body. Our body is constantly at risk of encountering evil Qi, and our defense system is always at work.Evil Qi can generally be divided into two categories: external evil, such as wind, cold, heat, and dampness; and internal evil, which arises from emotional disturbances or excessive fatigue.External evil typically first lingers in the skin and meridians, invading your exterior. If not expelled, it can transform and penetrate into the organs.At this point, you may start to feel a bit cold or uncomfortable; this is when you should use these guiding methods to practice until you sweat.Opening the pores and sweating slightly allows you to expel this external evil.As for internal evil, according to TCM, it can directly harm the organs, such as when you are told not to get angry because anger harms the liver.Sometimes, especially after being upset, the spleen and stomach may struggle to digest anything, leading to bloating and discomfort; thus, internal evil is most likely to directly affect the organs.At this time, practicing these guiding methods can help disperse this internal evil through gentle, slow, and deep breathing techniques along the meridians, sometimes resulting in burping or gas release, indicating that it is working.Have you noticed that these Baduanjin and Yijinjing guiding methods differ from Tai Chi and dance? They lack the ornate postures of dance and the offensive and defensive movements of Tai Chi.Every movement is directed towards oneself, working along the pathways of the meridians and in accordance with the laws of the body; this is a primary characteristic of these practices.Our body is a highly sophisticated factory, an intelligent factory, and once a part breaks down, it is very difficult to repair.Therefore, we must regularly examine ourselves, taking a moment to relax and practice Baduanjin daily.That’s all for today. If you enjoy guiding practices, please share with friends. Sending roses brings fragrance to your hands. See you next time.
