Eighteen Therapies

18 Forms/ Tai Chi Chi Kung (shí bā shì/taì qì qìgōng)

  1. Lifting Water
  2. Expanding the Chest
  3. Painting a Rainbow
  4. Parting the Clouds
  5. Reverse Reeling Forearms
  6. Rowing the Boat
  7. Raising the Ball to Shoulder Height
  8. Turning the Waist to View the Moon
  9. Turning the Waist and Expanding the Palm
  10. Turning Cloud Hands
  11. Scooping the Sea
  12. Pressing the Waves
  13. Flying like a Pigeon
  14. Turning and Punching
  15. Flying like a Crane
  16. Turning the Wheel
  17. Stepping as you bounce the Ball
  18. Settling the qì (or the breathe)

Standing Chan

Some of those above are covered in detail on our main qìgōng page. Below, the form will be presented in more detail. Watch this space for developments:

18 Forms/ Tai Chi Chi Kung

(shí bā shì/taì qì qìgōng)
  1. Lifting Water
01 Lifting Water - arrows - (c) Paul Maslowski
01 Lifting Water – arrows – (c) Paul Maslowski

2. Expanding the Chest

02 Expanding the Chest - arrows - (c) Paul Maslowski
02 Expanding the Chest – arrows – (c) Paul Maslowski

3. Painting a Rainbow

03 Painting a Rainbow - both sides - (c) Paul Maslowski
03 Painting a Rainbow – both sides – (c) Paul Maslowski

4. Parting the Clouds

04 Parting the Clouds - arrows - (c) Paul Maslowski
04 Parting the Clouds – arrows – (c) Paul Maslowski

5. Reverse Reeling Forearms

05 Reverse Reeling Forearms - arrows - (c) Paul Maslowski
05 Reverse Reeling Forearms – arrows – (c) Paul Maslowski

6. Rowing the Boat

06 Rowing the Boat - Sunrise Sunset - (c) Paul Maslowski
06 Rowing the Boat – Sunrise Sunset – (c) Paul Maslowski

7. Raising the Ball to Shoulder Height

07 Lifting the Ball 2 Shoulder Height - Sunrise Sunset - (c) Paul Maslowski
07 Lifting the Ball 2 Shoulder Height – Sunrise Sunset – (c) Paul Maslowski

8. Turning the Waist to View the Moon

08 Viewing the Moon - Sunrise Sunset - (c) Paul Maslowski
08 Viewing the Moon – Sunrise Sunset – (c) Paul Maslowski

9. Turning the Waist and Expanding the Palm

09 Expanding the Palm - Sunrise Sunset - (c) Paul Maslowski
09 Expanding the Palm – Sunrise Sunset – (c) Paul Maslowski

10. Turning Cloud Hands

10 Turning Cloud Hands - (c) Paul Maslowski
10 Turning Cloud Hands – (c) Paul Maslowski

11. Scooping the Sea

11 Scooping the Sea - (c) Paul Maslowski
11 Scooping the Sea – (c) Paul Maslowski

12. Pressing the Waves

12 Pressing the Waves - (c) Paul Maslowski
12 Pressing the Waves – (c) Paul Maslowski

13. Flying like a Pigeon

14. Turning and Punching

15. Flying like a Crane

16. Turning the Wheel

17. Stepping as you bounce the Ball

18. Settling the qì (or the breathe)

18 Therapies qigong - Settling the Breath
18 Therapies qigong – Settling the Breath illustration. (C) unknown

In the penultimate movement of the form, stand with the feet hip width apart and the weight of your body falling between your legs. Once rooted, very gently turn three circles in the arms so that at the end of the movement, the palms fall down the centre of the body, as illustrated.

Standing Chan

This is the ultimate movement of the form. It is called a movement for a very good reason. Externally, the only thing that should be moving having gone through the form, as above, is the lower abdomen, in time with the breathing. This is not the movement that is referred to, however. The temptation as one generally stands still is for the mind to begin to race, hence the movement…

The palms rest lightly, one over the other, on the lower abdomen at dāntián and the breathing is acutely observed. This is worth taking time over. Do not be tempted to rush in any way as this will speed the breathing and hence the mind.

Return to the main qìgōng page here.