Master Tse’s Qigong Dao #61

Five Animal Play五禽戲

Hwa Tuo華陀 was also very skilled in Qigong. He created a set of movements called the Five Animal Play. In these movements people will copy the movements of animals and these movements will work the Qi a certain way to smooth the channels and open the acupuncture points.

The Deer

We lift both hands above the head, as if they are antlers, and this is good for the liver.

The Bird

In this movements the arms stretch out to the sides, like wings, and this is good for the heart.

The Monkey

The hands rub the body and this is good for the spleen.

The Tiger

In this movement the arms push out to the front and this is good for the lungs.

The Bear

These are movements that bend forwards and these are good for the kidneys.

In Chinese Medicine these five organs are the most important, so if we move the body like these five animals then it will circulate the Qi and will help to build the immune system. No one can be healthy without moving the body. Perhaps our Dayan Qigong system is based on the Bird and began with one bird like movement. Then it became the Wild Goose 1^st 64 and then developed the 2^nd 64. No matter how it developed, for thousands of year Qigong has consisted of movement and meditation to make us healthy.

Michael Tse