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Shaolin form of Qigong


Shaolin.  It's very graceful, yet from the second you start watching, you'll see it also demands quite a bit of strength,  both inner and outer.  Yin and Yang are perfectly blended.  And having that calibrated just right,  it's beautiful to watch.   I've advised my students,  if you don't want to necessarily learn these moves,   just sit back and enjoy this charming monk's performance.

The practitioner, in the video is Thich Man Tue, who is affiliated with Thich Nath Hanh's Tibetan Buddhist tradition, in particular with their Deer Park Monastery in California.

About half way through, you'll come across their version of Eight Pieces of Brocade -- maybe the most practiced qigong sequence there is. (There's another version of it shown in its entirety on this blog, as demonstrated by Laoshi Faye Yip.  And I've learned a third way, courtesy of my former teacher, Master Hawkes.)  

So if you come to my qigong class (Tuesday mornings) you'll be sure to at one point or another encounter one of the three versions I've studied.

Anyway, some unasked for advice -- break free when you're ready! As a Buddhist teacher (Pema Chodron) I very much admire advises, venture outside your comfort zone from time to time My venturing this past few months has been into the practice of Shaolin

Jing,

~ Susan




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