The Mawangdui Daoyin technique is a set of fitness exercises based on the “Daoyin Diagram” from a collection of precious medical and health-preserving silk manuscripts unearthed in Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan in 1973. This technique not only inherits the essence of health preservation from predecessors but also represents the aspirations of our medical and martial arts forebears to promote health and serve the public. This technique holds significant importance for health maintenance, enhancing well-being, and preventing and treating diseases. This article aims to interpret the principles and effects of this technique using foundational TCM theories.
Preparation Posture
This posture adjusts the body to regulate the mind and spirit, allowing for relaxation and a focused intention. The tongue touches the palate, commonly referred to as “bridging the magpie bridge,” which facilitates better circulation of qi in the Ren (任) and Du (督) meridians. It also helps relax the chewing muscles and periodontal membranes, enhancing the secretion of bodily fluids to replenish kidney fluids, thus protecting the true yin and yang of the body. Gazing forward helps prevent distractions that disturb the spirit, achieving a state of concentration where form, qi, and spirit are unified, allowing for a quicker entry into the practice.
Starting Posture
Raising both palms while inhaling, and slightly lifting the heels, guides the clear qi upward. Slowly pressing the palms down while exhaling and lowering the heels, with the toes lightly gripping the ground, guides the turbid qi downward. The rhythmic movements of raising and pressing the palms, along with lifting the heels and gripping the ground, improve the circulation of qi in the hands and feet, warming them. The wrist rotation during the transition between pressing and holding the palms stimulates the acupoints of the hand’s three yin and three yang meridians, promoting the flow of qi and nourishing the heart and lungs while regulating the San Jiao (三焦).
First Posture: Bow Drawing
Expanding the chest and shoulders while relaxing the shoulders and containing the chest effectively stimulates the internal organs and stretches the neck and shoulder meridians, providing excellent prevention and treatment for shoulder discomfort caused by meridian blockages. The lateral hip movements effectively mobilize the coccyx, achieving relaxation of the coccyx (the relaxation of the coccyx has historically been regarded as a secret to practice). This also stretches and stimulates the Bladder Meridian (足太阳膀胱经), which is considered the first line of defense against external pathogens, thus ensuring smooth qi flow in this meridian significantly enhances the body’s resistance. Coordinating movements with breathing helps alleviate chest tightness and improve shortness of breath.
Second Posture: Back Pulling
The internal and external rotation of the arms enhances stimulation to the nerves, bones, muscles, and joints. TCM theory posits that regular arm rotations strengthen the stimulation of the five transport points on the hand’s three yin and three yang meridians. This promotes the circulation of qi in the Heart Meridian (心经), Pericardium Meridian (心包经), Lung Meridian (肺经), and their corresponding Small Intestine Meridian (小肠经), San Jiao Meridian (三焦经), and Large Intestine Meridian (大肠经), thus strengthening the heart and lungs, moistening the intestines, and regulating the San Jiao. Lifting the heels and arching the back allows for sufficient stretching of the shoulder and back meridians, facilitating qi flow and improving discomfort in these areas. Regular stretching of the lateral meridians stimulates and smooths the Liver and Gallbladder Meridians, promoting liver qi regulation and emotional balance. Coordinating near and far gazes enhances the circulation of qi and blood in the eye meridians, effectively preventing and treating eye disorders.
Third Posture: Duck Bathing
Using the waist as a pivot to swing the arms left and right reduces fat accumulation around the waist, achieving body sculpting. According to TCM, the “Huangdi Neijing – Discussion on the Subtlety of Meridians” states: “The waist is the residence of the kidneys.” Ming Dynasty physician Zhao Xianke in “Yiguan – Discussion on the Twelve Organs” stated: “The kidneys have two, where essence is stored. They resemble kidney beans, curved and attached to the spine.” The physiological functions of the kidneys include storing essence, governing bones, and producing marrow, serving as the foundation of congenital vitality and the source of growth and development. The kidneys also govern water and the intake of qi, so exercising the waist can benefit the kidneys and replenish essence. The kidneys also govern the yin and yang of the body, playing a crucial role in maintaining the relative balance of the internal organs’ yin and yang. Therefore, throughout history, physicians and health practitioners have placed great emphasis on nurturing the kidneys and their meridians. The hip-swinging arm movements also facilitate the circulation of qi and blood, providing preventive and therapeutic effects for shoulder and waist discomfort.
Fourth Posture: Dragon Ascending
Raising both arms can smooth the qi mechanism of the San Jiao, regulating its function. TCM considers the San Jiao as the “lonely palace,” responsible for the circulation of original qi and overseeing all qi, thus controlling the body’s overall qi mechanism and qi transformation. Both Zong Qi (宗气) and Yuan Qi (元气) circulate through the San Jiao. Additionally, the San Jiao regulates water pathways, so its smooth functioning is beneficial for improving discomfort caused by abnormal water metabolism and qi dysfunction.
Standing on the toes stimulates the qi of the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian (足阳明胃经), Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian (足太阳膀胱经), and various acupoints on the feet, serving a preventive and therapeutic role. Standing on the toes also provides self-massage to the soles, stimulating the reflex zones. The book “Illustrated Foot Reflexology” describes numerous reflex zones on the soles of both feet, where each organ can be found, and stimulating these zones can prevent and treat corresponding organ diseases. Standing on the toes also develops the strength of the calf muscles, elongates the muscles and ligaments of the soles, and enhances the body’s balance. Stretching and squatting benefits the entire body, improving the circulation of qi in the neck, shoulders, waist, and legs, providing regulation and treatment for discomfort in these areas.
Fifth Posture: Bird Stretching
Using the waist to drive the arms outward with increasing amplitude not only massages and exercises the kidneys but also stretches and stimulates the upper limb meridians, promoting smooth qi flow and preventing and treating discomfort in the neck, shoulders, and elbows. It also regularly expands the thorax, aiding in chest relaxation and qi circulation, benefiting the heart and lung functions, and harmonizing their activities. When the Zong Qi in the chest is abundant, the qi throughout the body is also plentiful, leading to coordinated qi rise and fall, and normalizing the organ’s qi transformation functions, thus promoting a favorable functional state. This posture also has preventive and therapeutic effects on respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
The body leans forward, pressing both palms down while gazing forward; the chin retracts, causing the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae to move sequentially. This effectively stimulates acupoints on the Du Meridian (督脉) and the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian (足太阳经), as well as the Hua Tuo Jiaji points, exercising the kidneys and bladder, invigorating their qi and blood, and smoothing the meridians, thus promoting health and preventing diseases. It has certain therapeutic and preventive effects on heart and lung diseases, upper limb diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, abdominal diseases, and lower limb diseases.
Sixth Posture: Abdominal Pulling
The rhythmic internal and external rotation of the arms facilitates the smooth flow of the hand’s three yin and three yang meridians, aiding in strengthening the heart and lungs, regulating the San Jiao, and moistening the intestines. This is beneficial for preventing and treating discomfort in the shoulders, elbows, and hands. Slightly bending the right knee while pushing the left hip outward, and vice versa, stimulates the internal organs and the lateral meridians of the legs, such as the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian, Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian, and Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, alleviating symptoms like indigestion, abdominal bloating, and discomfort in the lateral abdomen.
One palm is placed on the top of the head with the palm facing up, and the other palm is on the hip with the palm facing down, fully stretching the abdominal cavity, stimulating the spleen meridian, and achieving the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach. The Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian (足太阴脾经) primarily runs through the chest and abdomen, serving as the external reflection line of the spleen. This guiding action repeatedly stimulates the spleen meridian, smooths the meridians, and enhances the spleen’s functions of governing blood and transformation, allowing the spleen to effectively convert the essence of food into qi, blood, and bodily fluids, which are then distributed to all organs by the heart and lungs to meet the body’s needs. This helps prevent and treat diseases caused by spleen dysfunction.
Seventh Posture: Owl Gazing
Extending the arms and pulling the shoulders forward, the head and neck extend forward. This effectively stimulates the Heart Meridian, Lung Meridian, and San Jiao Meridian, providing preventive and therapeutic effects for neck and shoulder diseases, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and digestive diseases.
Stepping forward and kicking the foot, with the foot surface stretched and toes pointed, effectively stimulates the acupoints around the ankle, where the “Yuan point” is located. The Yuan point is where the original qi of the organs is infused, passing through and residing in the acupoints of the twelve meridians in the limbs, maintaining the normal physiological functions of the twelve meridians. The movement of the ankle primarily aims to stimulate the Yuan point, enhancing self-massage. “If the five organs are diseased, one should take from the twelve Yuan points,” indicating the importance of the Yuan point in preventing and treating internal organ diseases. Therefore, the practice involving ankle movements not only enhances the physiological functions of qi and blood circulation in the meridians and coordinates yin and yang but also strengthens the meridians’ ability to resist pathogens, reflect pathological symptoms, and adjust the treatment of deficiency and excess, thus maintaining upright qi, calming the five organs, and strengthening the body.
Eighth Posture: Waist Pulling
Both palms are raised to the abdomen, rubbing along the Dai Meridian (带脉) to stimulate its qi. The Dai Meridian regulates the qi of the longitudinal meridians, preventing the qi from descending. It also governs women’s leukorrhea. Therefore, it has preventive and therapeutic effects on diseases caused by qi descent and gynecological leukorrhea. Leaning forward and backward, bending sideways and twisting, regularly stretches the back and abdominal meridians, facilitating smooth qi flow, especially stretching the Ren and Du meridians, thus regulating the yin and yang qi and blood throughout the body, enhancing brain, marrow, and kidney functions, and benefiting women’s menstrual and reproductive functions. It also effectively exercises the back muscles, helping prevent and treat discomfort in the waist.
Ninth Posture: Goose Flying
The body tilts left and right, stimulating the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian and the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian. The liver’s physiological function is to store blood and regulate qi flow, thus achieving smooth circulation of qi throughout the body. Therefore, this technique can regulate the circulation of qi and blood, balancing qi and blood, and calming the mind and body. It also has certain regulatory effects on digestive functions and emotions.
Tenth Posture: Crane Dancing
This posture primarily involves the forward and backward swinging of the arms, twisting of the torso, and lateral gazing. Although the movements are simple, they require the entire action to be expansive and fluid, achieving a unity of form, qi, and spirit. This effectively promotes the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body, playing an important role in adjusting overall bodily functions and providing preventive and therapeutic effects for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Twisting the torso while looking back can smooth the Ren, Du, and Dai meridians, enhance spinal flexibility, and improve balance. Additionally, it has certain preventive and therapeutic effects on discomfort in the neck, shoulders, back, and waist.
Eleventh Posture: Back Breathing
Raising the arms outward and puffing the chest while exhaling can guide qi to circulate in the chest and abdomen, uplifting yang qi, nourishing the marrow sea, and regulating the qi mechanism of the San Jiao, thereby improving discomfort such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, dizziness, and blurred vision, and also preventing and treating discomfort in the neck and shoulders. Standing can develop the strength of the calf muscles, elongate the muscles and ligaments of the soles, and enhance the body’s balance.
Twelfth Posture: Yin Folding
Extending and rotating the arms benefits the smooth flow of qi in the hands, regulates the qi mechanism of the San Jiao, and has certain preventive and therapeutic effects on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as preventing and treating shoulder discomfort. Leaning forward while folding the yin can stretch the Du Meridian, stimulating its qi, thus benefiting health and wellness. It effectively stimulates the internal organs and spine, providing preventive and therapeutic effects for respiratory and digestive diseases, as well as discomfort in the joints of the spine.
Closing Posture
Both palms are placed in front of the chest, upper abdomen, and lower abdomen, then pressing the palms as if to visualize the Yongquan (涌泉) acupoint, allowing qi to flow from top to bottom, achieving the goal of smoothing the body’s qi. Crossing the tiger mouths and placing them on the navel guides qi back to the source, nourishing the central qi, strengthening the original qi, and nurturing the organs while balancing yin and yang. This has a significant effect on regulating overall bodily functions.
In summary, the above interpretations of TCM are consistently woven throughout the “Fitness Qigong: Mawangdui Daoyin Technique.” This guiding method is characterized by following the meridians and aligning intention, achieving a state where form, qi, and spirit are unified. The movements are designed around the opening and closing, lifting and lowering, rotating and stretching of the limbs, focusing on smoothing the qi mechanism and circulating qi and blood. It is an ancient, elegant practice that integrates internal and external cultivation, encompassing self-cultivation, health preservation, entertainment, and appreciation. Additionally, the movements are graceful, transitions are smooth, safe and reliable, easy to learn, suitable for various populations, and possess the effects of disease prevention, health enhancement, and longevity.
Source: China Fitness Qigong AssociationID: chaq_orgHosted by: Shijiazhuang Sports Bureau, Shijiazhuang Sports AssociationSupervised by: Zhang ManEdited and proofread by: Xing Jinghe
