QiGong (Chi Kung)

Think of QiGong(chi kung) as a cross between aerobics and yoga. The word ‘chi’ means energy, or life force, and the word ‘kung’ means work. Therefore, a simple translation for ‘QiGong’ is ‘energy work’. Some QiGong forms have very specific medical applications, some have martial applications and others have very general health benefits. Doctors in China often prescribe chi kung movements to their patients.

This is a good article on chi kung published in the New York Times on April 5, 2007: Exercisers Slow It Down With Qigong

If you’d like to practice chi kung for yourself, we can help, even if you aren’t close to Calgary or Austin. We sell a DVD with a 30 minute chi kung set called Dharma-Zen Chi Kung I. You can click on the picture of the DVD below to securely purchase it. All major credit cards accepted.

Dharma-Zen Chi Kung I DVD — US$19.99

Danny’s Dharma-Zen Chi Kung I DVD takes you through a warm up, a ‘Time to Learn’ section and a ‘Time to Practice’ section. In ‘Time to Learn’, you get an explaination of each movement. In the ‘Time to Practice’ section you can workout with Danny, some relaxing music and a flowing waterfall. If you buy the DVD you also can get a free chi kung class, just email Danny.

Chi Kung

QiGong

Another way we help you practice chi kung is in one of Danny’s blog posts he describes how to do a simple chi kung/standing meditation: Natural Potential Chi Kung/Qi Gong And The Mystical Power- Chi (Qi)

Danny designs QiGong (Chi Kung) forms with modern people in mind. He uses Shaolin forms, Taoist forms, martial arts movements and movements of his own creation, to create chi kung sets. These routines, when practiced daily and properly, are really good for your overall health. Proper breathing and body movements are emphasized while promoting coordination, energy and internal harmony.

Danny’s students report a wide range of benefits including more energy, increased strength, sharper reflexes, relaxed muscles, better vision, clarity of mind, calmer emotions, greater flexibility, as well as healing injuries such as old sports injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome.

While Danny knows many different kinds of chi kung, lately he’s mostly teaching three ‘Dharma-Zen Chi Kung’ forms. ‘Yi Jin Jing’ is the Chinese name for Dharma-Zen Chi Kung. The literal translation of ‘Yi Jin Jing’ is ‘Change Tendon Sutra’. These exercises mostly come from the Shaolin temple. These exercises help one’s muscles and tendons become stronger, relaxed and flexible. They are also good for increasing your energy, helping your immune system and for general healing.

Master Tsai Yong Tun and Danny, 2007

Above is a picture of Danny with Master Tsai Yong Tun. Master Tsai is a 9th degree Tae Kwon Do blackbelt, hard and soft chi kung master, and Shaolin kung fu master. From Master Tsai, Danny learned Tae Kown Do, chi kung and Shaolin kung fu. Much of the Dharma-Zen Chi Kung forms comes from Master Tsai.

Hard Chi Kung

One school of QiGong (chi kung) is called hard chi kung. Danny has practiced this kind of chi kung as well. It’s good for martial applications and for strengthening one’s internal organs. People are most familiar with Iron Shirt hard chi kung, where people, often Shaolin monks, are able to withstand various kinds of attacks. For more on Danny’s experience with this practice, you can read his blog article: My Experience Of Si-Sue Jing Qi Gong.