PRIMORDIAL QIGONG

 

WUJI

Emptiness, without limits, void, The ultimate of nothingness. I could leave it there, and say that is all you need to know. Let it "become" on its own. Primordial Qigong. "Primordial" is best described as the world undivided by concepts, words, and knowledge.

That being said, I'll now add words and concepts to try to describe this state of being.

Writing this post is done without pretense. I know nothing, but I’ll tell you what I know. Primordial Qigong is more than a set of forms. It's a story, it's a science, it's a deep rooted philosophy allowing the practitioner to experience primal nothingness and then movement into creation.
The Chinese term "Hunyuan" describes the Primordial Qigong forms.

"Hun" is the equivalent of inner silence.

"Yuan" potential. We are the seed waiting to be planted.

Our "In a Park" group has begun practicing the Primordial Qigong forms and exploring the meaning.

The Primordial Qigong set of 12 movements is based on the Taoist theory of creation, the birth of the universe. As with all Taoist concepts, observations of nature and the balance of Yin and Yang, darkness and light, inspired this creation story and practice.

It’s been suggested that the forms can reverse time by leading us back to the primordial state of potential. The forms can heal.

We start in Wuji stance. Emptiness. Void. Limitless. Space in the joints, the crown of the head lifted, the feet grounded. We breathe. That's it, we just breathe.

Wuji is stillness. Taiji is movement. Wuji exists without an axis. Taiji is a polarity of darkness and light, the moon and the sun, rest and activity, silence and sound…

We lift towards heaven and root to the earth.

"Heaven" is the energy of the sun, the moon, the planets, the stars, the galaxies. We feel the warmth of the sun and the pull of the moon. Heaven = Fire = Yang energy.

We absorb the energy of the elements of the earth: water, wood, fire, and metal... Earth = Water = Yin energy.

Wait, Earth = Water? About 71 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth's water. Water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers, and even in you and in your dog.

We stand in the middle combining these energies. Creating what is called the Taiji axis.

Diagram by Roger Jahnke, the Healing Promise of Qi

Primordial Qigong as described by Feng Zhiqiang:

“This exercise is designed to use HUNYUAN QI in the nature to cleanse the JIAO and the five internal organs. The impure QI will be replaced with clear and fresh QI. The natural HUNYUAN QI will combine with the internal HUNYUAN QI” 

Note: Yes, Jiao is a monetary unit in China. Here, Feng Zhiqiang is referencing the San Jiao, the Triple Burner Meridian. This meridian helps transport fluids and disperse heat. 

Between each movement we clear Qi and invite peaceful Qi into the body. Then, we center at the lower Dan Tian. 

The twelve movements:

1. Lower the Qi and Cleanse Internally
2. Gather the Qi to the Three Dan Tian (Upper Dan Tian, Middle Dan Tian, and Lower Dan Tian)
3. Two Hands Rub the Ball
4. Open and Close the Three Dan Tian
5. The Sun and the Moon Turning
6. Circular Extension and Contraction
7. Single Leg Ascending and Descending
8. Double Leg Ascending and Descending
9. Belt Meridian Grinding
10. Heaven and Earth Open and Close
11. Collecting the Qi to the Dan Tian
12. Health Massage Techniques

There are a few YouTube videos of Primordial Qigong. There are variations of the practice. I’ve found this video by Feng Zhiqiang which is fast and in Chinese, but visually useful. 

Mimi Kuo Deemer also has offered a five session Primordial Qigong class which you may buy at Vimeo On Demand. 

And one more thing. Since this post is very black and white, I’d like to share a doodle I did a couple of weeks ago to add some color, some moon, and some sun. 

Be well, be happy, and follow your bliss

Brian