Yin-Yang Qi Gathering Technique
Can be practiced in a comfortable seated position, whether on a chair, cushion, or even standing.
Relax your entire body, gently close your eyes, with palms facing down, fingertips pointing forward, resting comfortably on your knees.
Slowly inhale into the lower abdomen (dantian), filling it completely.
Hold your breath: stop breathing.
Guide the Qi (气) with your intention (also lifting it) to the chest, while both hands rise along the sides of the body, naturally turning the palms upward.
When your palms reach the sides of your chest, pause, with the palms now facing upward.
If you feel a lack of Qi, slowly lower your hands while exhaling through the nose.
You can exhale through the mouth or nose.
Relax your hands and place them back on your knees.
Adjust your breathing, allowing it to flow naturally.
The Yin-Yang Qi Gathering Technique is divided into two sections; the above is the first section: “Gathering Yin Qi”.
Yin-Yang Qi Gathering Technique
In a comfortable seated position, as in the first section.
After inhaling into the lower abdomen (dantian), hold your breath.
Then, with your intention, guide the Qi down to the perineum (尾闾), and slowly move it up along the spine (夹脊). While guiding the Qi, contract the abdomen and lift the perineum (tighten the anus).
Beginners may not feel the movement of Qi past the perineum towards the spine at first. However, after practicing for a while, you will feel a flow of Qi moving through the perineum and spine, akin to the sensation of insects crawling, which is a sign of Qi flow.
While guiding the Qi, both hands should also slowly rise along the sides of the ribs, palms facing either down or up.
With your intention, guide the Qi from the perineum up the spine, reaching the Dazhui point (大椎穴) located at the spine between the shoulders. Once the Qi reaches the Dazhui point, both hands should turn to face each other (not touching) and extend forward at shoulder height, as if embracing a large ball, with the left palm inside and the right palm resting on the back of the left hand, slightly puffing the chest.
While the hands are interlocked in this embrace, do not forget to channel the Qi from the Dazhui point into both shoulders by slightly shaking the shoulders to allow the Qi to flow from the Dazhui into the shoulders (this is the “Qi switch”), then guide the Qi from the shoulders into the palms. At this point, you should still be holding your breath, lifting the perineum, and contracting the abdomen.
Maintain the interlocked hand position, and before exhaling, take a deep breath into the dantian while relaxing the anus and abdomen. Inhale while guiding the Qi from the palms into the dantian.
Inhaling and relaxing the perineum and abdomen should be done simultaneously.
Once the two streams of Qi converge in the dantian, exhale slowly through the nose, while simultaneously separating the hands to shoulder width, palms facing each other, and gradually drawing them back towards the body, naturally turning the palms until they face upward when they reach the sides of the chest.
Slowly lower the hands, allowing them to naturally return to a palms-down position, fingertips pointing forward, resting on the knees.
Once seated, adjust your breathing, allowing it to flow naturally.
The above is the second section of the Yin-Yang Qi Gathering Technique: “Gathering Yang Qi Method”. The Yin-Yang Qi Gathering aims to ensure the flow of Qi through the chest and back.
Key points of this practice: lifting the perineum, contracting the abdomen, and guiding the Qi should all occur simultaneously; relaxing the perineum, relaxing the abdomen, inhaling, and guiding the Qi should also be simultaneous.
Effects: The Yin-Yang Qi Gathering Method can ensure the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body, enhancing blood circulation. When there is a flow of Qi within the internal organs, various gastrointestinal issues, chest tightness, back pain, and shoulder soreness can be resolved without medication, demonstrating incredible efficacy.
However, ensuring the flow of Qi through the chest and back is not easy, especially the processes of inhaling, holding the breath, contracting the abdomen, and lifting the perineum are not simple. But with careful practice, learners can grasp the key techniques.
This practice also serves as a preliminary step for opening the Ren (任脉) and Du (督脉) meridians.