An Explanation of Lohan Qigong
The Chinese believe everything can be classified as either Yin or Yang, complementary opposites that each contain a little of the other. The quality of Yin and Yang can be affected by many things – the seasons, our work and lifestyle, our internal organs, our energy and our emotions. When Yin and Yang are out of balance, disharmony can lead to stress, low energy levels, exhaustion and poor general health.
Qi, broadly speaking, is the vital life force that runs through all living things. Quite literally, it is also breath. Qi can be managed by controlled breathing, posture and mindfulness. The effective regulation of Qi is vital to one’s well being.
Gong is the physical actions of the muscular-skeletal system that follow the intention of Qi and thought to relax and stretch.
The essence of qigong is combining gentle movement, conscious breathing and mindfulness to help us re-establish the yin-yang balance within ourselves. It can strengthen our body and cultivate our mind to give us the best chance of a long and healthy life.
Lohan Qigong practitioners can explore simple practice or learn the deep inter-relationships that Traditional Chinese Medicine has with the Lohan Qigong system.
Through seated and moving meditation, one calms and builds the spirit to be free from stress. Gentle meridian and acupoint massage provides immediate comfort during practice.
Lohan Qigong promotes stimulation of the San Jiao (三膲 – the triple warmer) and one learns to enhance and guard the Three Treasures:
- Jing (精): Healthy essence and vitality
- Qi (氣): Vital energy or life force
- Shen (神): Mindfulness, spirit
The extensive Lohan Qigong system contains:
- Breathing exercises
- Walking exercises
- Stick exercises
- Unicorn hands exercises
- Baat Gwa exercises
- Standing postures
- The Qigong forms
- The Lohan Medical system
- Meditation exercises
Lohan Qigong forms are the central aspect of our system. Together with the other sections and medical knowledge they form a complete system for health, longevity and improving martial skill.
Initially, practitioners concentrate on the three primary Lohan Qigong forms:
- Sup Baat Lo Han (十八羅漢) – Eighteen Arhats. The most basic form, this stretches the muscles, tendons and ligaments and uses the movement of the body to generate qi movement.
- Siu Lo Han (小羅漢) – Small Arhat. This form is more flowing and circular, using the breath to generate qi movement. It consists of three sections corresponding to the Three Treasures (三寶) or shen (神) – mind, qi (氣) – breath and jing (精) – essence.
- Tai Git Kuen/Taijiquan (太極拳) – Grand Ultimate Form. This form is based on the yin and yang principle, combining circular movements in the wrist and back with martial applications.
More advanced practitioners will go on to learn the three higher forms:
- Dai Lo Han (大羅漢) – Big Arhat. This form uses the mind to generate qi movement. During the form the practitioner is sitting, kneeling and laying down, each section containing its own meditation exercises.
- Ng Wan Luk Hei (五運六氣) – Five Transports Six Breaths. This form combines aspects of the previous forms with circular movement and footwork.
- Mou Git Kuen/Wujiquan (無極拳) – Limitless Form. One of the most advanced forms in the Choy Lee Fut system, this fully explores the martial applications of Lohan Qigong. Performing this form well is often the culmination of years and decades of both Qigong and Kung Fu practice.
An explanation of Jing (精), Qi (氣), and Shen (神)
The three treasures are interrelated and each affects the others. The practice of qigong works to stimulate and balance all three. Simply speaking, jing relates to matter, the organs and physical bodily functions; qi is energy, the breath that feeds and fuels the organs, the fire that sustains the conversion of energies; shen is the mind, intention, the consciousness that balances all three.
A visual aid that might help people understand is to imagine a candle. Jing is the wax and wick of the candle itself. Qi is the flame. Shen is the light that emanates.
Jing is pre- and post-natal. Pre-natal jing is what you are born with, inherited from your parents. Post-natal jing is what we cultivate with the practice of qigong. There are many forms of qi, but also original qi that is with us at birth and acquired qi that we cultivate through life. Shen is mindfulness, enhanced by meditation. Shen is often referred to as “spirit,” but not in the religious sense, rather in the sense of one’s consciousness, of being in a well-balanced mental state, calm and stress-free, not controlled by any one emotion.
All three treasures affect each other, and health in all three means health in all of life.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Lohan Qigong
The practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been an important part of the arts of Kung Fu and Qigong for generations. It has been said that a master’s Kung Fu is only as good as their Dit Da (Traditional Orthopaedic or External Medicine) and medical knowledge is necessary to prevent and treat student injuries as well as to supervise their training. Medicine is also an integral part of Qigong therapeutic exercises, in order to ensure the practitioner derives maximum benefit from each exercise. All of these skills were an integral part of training at the Shaolin Monastery.
The Choy Lee Fut system contains TCM knowledge from its Shaolin lineage. It has also been a strong family tradition within the Chen Family, with skills passed down from teacher to family disciples. Our Founder, Chan Heung, operated a TCM clinic in his home village of Ging Mui which he called the Wing Sing Tong clinic. His great-great-grandson, Chen Yong Fa, operates a WST clinic to this day.
Below are some key aspects of the Chen Family TCM tradition:
- Herbal medicine
- Massage
- Dietary therapy
- Cupping
- Acupuncture
- Moxibustion
- Dit Da (跌打) – healing training injuries
Part of Grand Master Chen Yong Fa’s opening of the Lohan Qigong system to the general public has always included the medical aspect of the Qigong exercises. The medical knowledge helps make Qigong practice more profound and helps practitioners ease the burden of lifestyle-related symptoms and have a more positive, healthy and happy life.
For more info see: https://choyleefut.org/about/qigong
