Magic Pearl Qigong
A Tai Chi Medicine Ball Exercise Routine
and Meditation Technique
General Remarks, Comments, Notes, Research, Suggestions
History
For thousands of years, all around the world, men have used stones of various weights in strength training programs. There are written references in Persian literature in 1000 BCE about wrestlers training with sand filled bags made of animal bladders. Hippocrates, in ancient Greece, had patients doing rehabilitation exercises with animal skins filled with sand. Martial artists in China also used many strength training methods, including lifting heavier stones or iron objects; and, there was widespread use in China of smaller stone balls for finger manipulation exercises. Nineteenth century strength training made use of the "Four Horsemen of Fitness" - the dumbbell, club, stick, and medicine ball. Contemporary athletes and martial artists use many of the same methods for strength training using medicine balls; and, now have the advantage of using medicine balls of various weights made of rubber, plastic, leather, glass, wood, metal, and stone.
The use of balls, stones, or sticks in fitness, healing, and marital arts in China was primarily one of person to person transmission of the practices and an oral history tradition. There is little written history on Tai Chi ball training methods from before the 20th Century. In recent times, Tai Chi Ball or Qigong Ball exercises are associated with Tai Chi masters such as Liu De-kuan (1826–1911), Chen Qing Zhou (1933-), the scholarly Grandmaster Yang Jwing Ming (1946-), and Jiang Jian-ye (1950-).
When doing the background research for the Magic Pearl Qigong, I used all of the resources cited in the Medicine Ball bibliography. Particularly useful were: The DVD by Chen Qing-Zhou on "Xinggong Tai Chi Ball: Tai Chi 18 Sphere." Sifu Yang Jwing-Ming's book titled "Tai Chi Ball Qigong for Health and Martial Arts" and his Tai Chi Ball instructional DVDs. The instructional DVDs on Tai Chi Ball exercises by Sifu Jiang Jian-ye. I studied numerous books (e.g., Chu, Goldenberg, Jespersen, Mediate, Tenke, etc.) on using a medicine ball in workouts for health and fitness. I created the Magic Pearl Qigong in 2009, and started teaching it to the Valley Spirit Qigong students in 2011. I started to publish my notes online about the Magic Pearl Qigong in 2011.
Meditation, Lore, Associations, Imagination, Visualizations
Pearls have a long history of being valued, treasured, and prized all around the world. They are extensively used in jewelry, clothing, hats, statues, and decorative artwork of all kinds. The beauty of pearls are appealing to people everywhere. Pearls are often associated with the feminine, the full moon, egg or seed fertility, ethereal glowing and emanations, yin powers, the womb, wealth, the One, Unity, circles, spheres, high ranking in society, wisdom, purity, etc. I tried to draw on these associations when naming the movements of the Magic Pearl Qigong.
The Magic Pearl Qigong also includes much symbolism, allusions, art, archetypes, poetry, scriptures, and reflections drawn from Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, Chinese mythology, Chinese Zen Buddhism, and general sphere and sacred circle symbolism. These ancient spiritual sources are intended to stimulate the Active Imagination of the Cultivator of the Way; resulting in healing, insight, and awakening.
Exercise Aspects
All movements in the Magic Pearl Qigong are done while holding a medicine ball (Tai Chi Ball) in both hands. You can hold the ball with the hands below the ball or on the sides of the ball, depending upon your comfort zone relative to the weight of the ball and the specific movement being performed. Using two hands allows a person to greatly increase the weight and size of the medicine ball used when doing the exercise routine. I feel free to move the ball around in my hands, turning it, repositioning it, and rotating it as I perform the exercises. Repositioning the hands and rotating the ball strengthens the fingers and wrists.
Each exercise movement or named posture is repeated 3 to 9 times.
Typically, in the Magic Pearl Qigong, most movements begin on the left side and you make a clockwise rotation pattern with the ball. Then, you move to the right side and make a counter-clockwise rotation pattern with the ball.
The Magic Pearl Qigong does not include stepping movements and no walking - it is pretty much a stationary exercise form.
This medicine ball exercise routine can be performed in indoor or outdoor locations depending upon the weather, circumstances and personal preference. Indoor locations provide other meditation enhancement options: incense, music, artwork, altars, etc.. Playing the Magic Pearl Qigong in different locations can offer unique and powerful advantages for body, mind, or spirit that are worth exploring.
Here is a one page summary (PDF Format) of the names I use for the Magic Pearl Qigong routine, Movements 1-8. Here is a brief summary of the instructions for performing the movements, 1-8, of the Magic Pearl Qigong routine (2 pages, .pdf).
Giving and describing directions for Tajiquan and Qigong forms
and postures requires some sort of visual cue. I normally use a clock
type of schema to help me visualize directions.
Image facing a clock on the wall in front of you.
A circle on your body from bottom lower belly S6, left side W9, top chest area
N12, and right side E3 is a clockwise circle
A circle on you body from bottom S6, right side E3, top
chest area N12, and left side W9 is a counter-clockwise circle.
Imagine standing on a clock and facing to the 12
o'clock position, and imagine this is facing north (N12). I try to
consistently use this
directional scheme.
Imagine the clock as a sphere. Rotating from W9
to E3 or E3 to W9 is a horizontal rotation of the sphere. Rotating from
N12 to S6 or from S6 to N12
is a vertical rotation of
the sphere. Rotating from N12, E3, S6, and W9 (or the reverse) is a
lateral rotation of the sphere.
When you are facing North 12, then your left side is West 9,
and your right side is East 3.
Exercise Alternatives
As all four parts of the Magic Pearl Qigong are published, 32 movements, you are welcome to pick and choose and create your own routine. An eight movement routine might better fit with the time you have available for practice, your conditioning level, or your energy level on some days. A shorter eight movement routine might enable you to engage in a bit of learning or meditation on the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) of the I Ching. Be creative, think outside the box, explore other medicine ball or meditation alternatives.
You can also do the Magic Pearl Qigong while holding one ball in one hand. Use a lighter ball. Use a ball that you can easily hold in one hand. Use one of the new squishy plastic balls so you can grip it better. When you move to the left side put the ball in your left hand. Do half of the repetitions for any movement to the left side with the palm facing up and half with the palm facing down. This will strengthen your forearms, wrists, and fingers. When you move to the right side put the ball in your right hand. Do half of the repetitions for any movement to the right side with the palm facing up and half with the palm facing down. In Bagua classes I once attended, we held a stone in one hand and did silk reeling types of exercises.
When I walk I always walk with my cane. I have adapted the movements of the Magic Pearl Qigong for use with my cane. You don't have the benefits of strength training as with the weighted medicine ball, but you do get to work some on the range of motion in your shoulders, elbows and wrists with cane exercises while walking for cardio-vascular benefits. Part of "Magic" is creativity, ingenuity, thinking outside of the box, and playfulness. It should be noted that Sifu Yang Jwing-Ming teaches a 48 movement tai chi ball form that involves both stepping/walking and Bagua circle walking, and Sifu Jiang Jian-ye teaches a tai chi ball form that involves stepping/walking. The Magic Pearl Qigong does not include much stepping and no walking while practicing.
Tai Chi Ball
The Tai Chi is a concept in Taoism. Tai Chi or Taiji (太極. literally "great ridgepole") is a Chinese cosmological term for the Supreme Ultimate, Great Ultimate, North Pole, Celestial Pole, Great Universal Ridgepole, etc. Taiji is a state of undifferentiated absolute and infinite potentiality. The Taiji is often symbolized by the Taijitu, the Yin/Yang icon, a circle or sphere. In our context, the Tai Chi Ball is a medicine ball of some kind, fancy or simple, ornate or plain, heavy or light, made out of many types of materials. Tai Chi Balls come in a variety of sizes and weights, and are made out of a variety of materials. Calling an ordinary "medicine ball" a "Tai Chi Ball" is just a way of enriching the associations for meditative purposes, and indicating its use in the Chinese internal martial art of Taijiquan or in Kung Fu external martial arts, for strength and fitness training.
Using any medicine ball involves progressive resistance training. You start with a ball that feels light to you and easily handled. You start with a small number of repetitions for each movement. You practice the Magic Pearl Qigong in the morning and at night. After the first week of practice, then you increase the number of repetitions. After an number of weeks of practicing morning and night you will gradually be able to do 9 repetitions of each movement with relative ease. Then, of course, you increase the weight of the ball. You gradually progress upward in the number of repetitions (3-9 repetitions) and the weight of the ball. Take your time. Don't injure yourself by using too heavy of a ball. Listen to your body. Take delight and play with these movements.
Keep in mind that the heavier the medicine ball you use increases the requirements for cardio-vascular and strength conditioning and makes the activity more of an "external" exercise rather than an "internal" exercise. If you wish to maximize the "internal" training, Neijia, and/or meditative aspects, then use a lighter Tai Chi ball (2-6 pounds).
I use a variety of balls weighing 3 pounds, 5 pounds, 6 pounds, and 12 pounds. I have seen Tai Chi balls made of wood, leather, steel, plastic, rock, glass, ceramics, rubber, and plastic. You will need to choose a ball that suits your preferences, strength levels, and aesthetic sensibilities. Wood balls are recommended by many knowledgeable Tai Chi and Qigong teachers, based upon their "sensing" better Qi circulation when using balls made of wood. Wood balls are more expensive than common medicine balls made of rubber, plastic, or leather. Ordinary stones are, of course, free for the finding. Wood balls and polished stone balls can also be quite beautiful.
For strength training the variables used are: 1) the weight of the ball, 2) the number of repetitions of each movement performed, 3) the number of movements performed in a training session, 4) the depth of the stances (lower = harder), 5) the speed of the movements, and 6) the focus, concentration, and mental intentions used in each movement.
List of Movement Names
Magic Pearl Qigong
A Tai Chi Medicine Ball Exercise Routine
and Meditation Technique
Part II: Movements 9-16
9. Pangu Awakens in the World Egg
10. Pangu Smashes the World Egg
11. The Luohan Tosses the Stone Ball into the Sky
12. The Stone Monkey Rolls Down the Mountain
Here is a brief summary of the instructions for performing the movements, 9-16, of the Magic Pearl Qigong routine (2 pages, .pdf).
Magic Pearl
Qigong, Part I: Movements 1-8
Lessons, Instructions, Movement Descriptions
Magic Pearl Qigong
A Tai Chi Medicine Ball Exercise Routine
and Meditation Technique
Part II: Movements 9-16
Here is a brief summary of the instructions for performing the movements, 9-16, of the Magic Pearl Qigong routine (2 pages, .pdf).
9. Pangu Awakens in the World Egg
Instructions for Movement
9: Pangu Awakens in the World Egg
Step out to the left and
take a deep horse stance with your legs wide apart, semi-squat with knees bent,
and toes pointed straight ahead.
Hold the ball away from the front of the chest at a comfortable distance.
Keep your elbows bent and down.
Look at the medicine ball in your hands.
Keep your back straight and you head upright.
The chin is tucked slightly, and the tongue rests gently on the roof of the
mouth.
Imagine your feet growing roots that extend down into the earth a distance down
and sideways equal to your height.
Stare at the medicine ball.
Empty the mind, still the mind, quiet the mind, become fully centered, and
remain at peace in the here and now.
Aim towards a state of consciousness that is a unification of mind, body,
spirit, cosmos.
Hold the position for a minute or longer as your strength, determination and endurance permits.
Return to Wuji: bring the feet together, return to being still, calm and
silent; pause for awhile, and enjoy a few slow breaths.
If Exercise #9 follows directly after Exercise #8, then be sure to rest longer
in the Wuji posture.
Comments and Notes for Movement 9: Pangu Awakens in the World Egg
There is a story in
Zhuangzi, Book 12, Heaven
and Earth, Part 4, that talks about
the kind of person that might be able to recover the "Black Pearl of
Wisdom":
"The Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) had enjoyed a visit into the North beyond the Red-Water. He then decided to ascend up the south ridge of the Great Kunlun Mountain. On his way back down from the Great Kunlun Mountain, the Yellow Emperor lost his treasured Black Pearl of Wisdom. Later, he sent his trusted emissary Knowledge to search for the Black Pearl of Wisdom, but Knowledge could not find it. He then sent his emissary Distant Vision, the clear-sighted Li Ku, to search for it, but he could not find it. Next, he sent his emissary Eloquence, the debater Khieh Khâu, to search for it, but he also could not find it. Finally, he sent his old friend Empty Mind (Purposeless) to search for the Black Pearl. Empty Mind did find and return the Black Pearl of Wisdom to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor remarked, "How strange it is that Empty Mind found the Black Pearl of Wisdom, and others could not do so. How is this so?"
- Zhuangzi, Book 12
Compare this exercise "Pangu Awakens in the World Egg #9" with
the "Standing Post" or "Embrace the One" or "Standing Like a
Tree" posture used in Qigong standing
meditation, Zhan Zhuang.
For a detailed discussion of Zhan Zhuang read Jan Diepersloot's
Warriors of Stillness: Meditative Traditions in the
Chinese Martial Arts or Michael Mayer's
Secrets
to Living Younger Longer: The Self-Healing Path of
Qigong Standing Meditation and Tai Chi.
Pangu (P'an Ku, Pan Kun, 盤古, Plate Ancient) was a
mythological giant, the creator of all things on the earth, and the first living
being. Part of the myth includes the story that at the beginning of
time the universe was contained in a black sphere or egg. Inside the egg
was the first living being, Pangu, who remains in a sleeping or unconscious state
for 18,000 years. Inside the cosmic egg was an inchoate mass, a comingling
of disorganized possibilities, an Urgrund, a Chaos. Outside the egg was
the Void, Emptiness, Wuji. Stories of the Primordial Sphere,
Cosmogonic Egg,
Cosmic Egg, or
Orphic Egg are found in
numerous cultures.
The World Egg is also a metaphor for the womb. For mammals, life begins when an invisible sperm meets an egg and conception occurs. As human beings we slowly grow for nine months within the protection of the womb, largely unconscious, as if asleep, floating in the sea of the womb. After nine months, the dramatic birth event occurs and we emerge from the protection of the womb, the human egg, and take our first breath in a new world.
Our great Planet Earth itself, now, is Our Cosmic Egg; and, outside the ozone sphere of Mother Earth, no living being can exist in the airless void of black space ever expanding.
"P’an-Ku: The basic idea of the yih philosophy was so convincing that it almost obliterated the Taoist cosmology of P’an-Ku who is said to have chiseled the world out of the rocks of eternity. Though the legend is not held in high honor by the literati, it contains some features of interest which have not as yet been pointed out and deserve at least an incidental comment. P’an-Ku is written in two ways: one means in literal translations, “basin ancient”, the other “basin solid”. Both are homophones, i.e., they are pronounced the same way; and the former may be preferred as the original and correct spelling. Obviously the name means “aboriginal abyss,” or in the terser German, Urgrund, and we have reason to believe it to be a translation of the Babylonian Tiamat, “the Deep.” The Chinese legend tells us that P’an-Ku’s bones changed to rocks; his flesh to earth; his marrow, teeth and nails to metals; his hair to herbs and trees; his veins to rivers; his breath to wind; and his four limbs became pillars marking the four corners of the world, -- which is a Chinese version not only of the Norse myth of the Giant Ymir, but also of the Babylonian story of Tiamat. Illustrations of P’an-Ku represent him in the company of supernatural animals that symbolize old age or immortality, viz., the tortoise and the crane; sometimes also the dragon, the emblem of power, and the phoenix, the emblem of bliss."
- Paul Carus, Chinese Thought (1907), chapter on “Chinese Occultism.”
"In ancient times, when there were not yet Heaven and Earth, there were only images without forms. Deep! Obscure! Broad and wide, boundless and measureless! Vaporous and opaque, vast and cavernous! No one knows where this came from. There were two spirits (shen) generated from the inchoate, which aligned Heaven and oriented Earth. Empty! No one knows where it ends. Overflowing! No one knows where it stops. Thereupon it differentiated itself and became Yin and Yang, it separated itself and became the eight poles. The firm and the yielding completed each other, and the ten thousand things took form."
- Huainan zi, chapter 7. Translation published in Fabrizio Pregadio, "The Notion of 'Form' and the Ways of Liberation in Daoism," Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie 14 (2004): 104.
"The earliest ideas of "Egg-shaped Cosmos" comes from some of the Sanskrit scriptures. The Sanskrit term for it is Brahmanda (Brahm means 'Cosmos' or 'expanding', Anda means 'Egg'). Certain Puranas such as the Brahmanda Purana speak of this in detail. The Rig Veda (RV 10.121) uses a similar name for the source of the universe: Hiranyagarbha, which literally means "golden fetus" or "golden womb". The Upanishads elaborate that the Hiranyagarbha floated around in emptiness for a while, and then broke into two halves which formed Dyaus (Heaven) and Prithvi (Earth)."
- World Egg
10. Pangu Smashes the World Egg
Instructions for Movement
10: Pangu Smashes the World Egg
Turn your body to the left
side.
Step out with your left foot, keep the knee bent, and make the left foot as
light as possible and barely touch the floor - left empty stance.
As you take the left empty stance draw the medicine ball up to your chest.
Lift up the left leg and draw the ball up above your head. Inhale as you
raise the ball.
Step out with the left foot to a bow stance (left lunge posture) and pull the
ball down in an arc as if you were going to throw it down to smash it.
Exhale as you move as if you were throwing the ball down to the ground.
Hold the ball firmly in your hands.
Draw the ball back to your chest and step back into a left empty stance.
Repeat the exercise 3 to 9 times.
Return to the Wuji posture.
Turn your body to the
right side.
Step out with your right foot, keep the knee bent, and make the right foot as
light as possible and barely touch the floor - right empty stance.
As you take the right empty stance draw the medicine ball up to your chest.
Lift up the right leg and draw the ball up above your head. Inhale as you
raise the ball.
Step out with the right foot to a bow stance (right lunge posture) and pull the
ball down in an arc as if you were going to throw it down to smash it.
Exhale as you move as if your were throwing the ball down on the ground.
Hold the ball firmly in your hands.
Draw the ball back to your chest and step back into a right empty stance.
Repeat the exercise 3 to 9 times.
Return to Wuji: bring the feet together, return to being still, calm and silent; pause for awhile, and enjoy a few slow breaths.
Comments and Notes for Movement 10: Pangu Smashes the World Egg
Compare this exercise, "Pangu Smashes the World Egg #10" with "A Lohan Chops Wood" by Master Jesse Tsao in the instructional DVD Shaolin Qigong: Luohan 13 Forms.
Pangu (P'an Ku, Pan Kun, 盤古, Plate Ancient) was a mythological giant, the creator of all things on the earth, and the first living being. Part of the myth includes the story that at the beginning of time the universe was contained in a black sphere or egg. Inside the egg was the first living being, Pangu, in a sleeping or unconscious state. Pangu awakens after 18,000 years and decides to crack the egg open and give birth to the world. This "crack in the cosmic egg" creates Heaven and Earth. The cosmos then expands, 10 feet per day in all directions, and Pangu grows as the cosmos grows for another 18,000 years. Pangu makes or chisels out the physical world during these thousands of years. Then, Pang dies and all of his body is transformed into the minerals, plants and animals found on the earth.
"Heaven and Earth were once inextricably commingled (hun-tun) like a chicken's egg, within which was engendered P'an-ku (a name perhaps meaning "Coiled-up Antiquity"). After 18,000 years, this inchoate mass split apart, what was bright and light forming Heaven, and what was dark and heavy forming Earth. Thereafter, during another 18,000 years, Heaven daily increased ten feet in height, Earth daily increased ten feet in thickness, and P'an-ku, between the two, daily increased ten feet in size. This is how Heaven and Earth came to be separated by their present distance of 9 million li (roughly 30,000 English miles)."
- Bodde, Derk. 1961. "Myths of Ancient China", in Mythologies of the Ancient World, ed. by Samuel Noah Kramer, pp. 367–408. The first written record of the Pangu and Cosmic Egg Chinese myth was by Xu Zheng, author of "Three Five Historical Records," circa 260 CE.
"One egg's lower half transformed
And became the earth below,
And its upper half transmuted
And became the sky above;
From the yolk the sun was made,
Light of day to shine upon us;
From the white the moon was formed,
Light of night to gleam above us;
All the colored brighter bits
Rose to be the stars of heaven
And the darker crumbs changed into
Clouds and cloudlets in the sky."
- Kalevala, the Finnish national epic"But the establishment of the universe was not completed until P'an Ku himself had perished; he died after eighteen thousand years of labor with his chisel and mallet; then his breath became the wind and clouds, and his beard became the streaming signs in the sky; his voice became the thunder, his limbs the four quarters of the earth; his head became the mountains, his flesh the soil, and his blood became the rivers of earth; his skin and hair became the herbs and trees, and his teeth, bones, and marrow became metals, rocks, and precious stones. Even then the universe was not adequately compacted: P'an Ku had built up the world in fiftyone stories, giving thirtythree stories to the heavens and eighteen stories to the hells beneath the earth. But he had left a great cavity in the bottom of the world, and, at inauspicious times, men and women fell down through it. A woman whose name was NuKu found a stone which adequately covered the cavity; rightly positioning it, she covered up the emptiness, and so completed the making of the wellordered world."
- Padraic Colum, Orpheus Myths of the World, New York: Macmillan Company, Universal Library Reprint, pp.237-239.
11. The Luohan Tosses the Stone Ball into the Sky
Instructions for Movement
11: The Luohan Tosses the Stone Ball into the Sky
Step out to the left and take a comfortable and solid shoulder width stance.
Hold the hands underneath the ball.
Toss the ball up into the air.
Exhale as you toss the ball up.
Catch the ball in the middle of the body as it falls to the ground.
Bend the knees a little as you catch the ball.
Inhale as you prepare to toss the ball up into the air in front of the body
again.
Repeat the exercise 3 to 9 times.
Return to Wuji: bring the feet together, return to being still, calm and silent; pause for awhile, and enjoy a few slow breaths.
Comments and Notes for Movement 11: The Luohan Tosses the Stone Ball into the Sky
Compare this exercise "The Luohan Tosses the Stone Ball into the Sky #11" with "The Pearl Goes Back into the Nest #11" of Master Chen Qing Zhou's Xinggong: Taiji Ball. Tossing a medicine ball into the air or off a wall and catching it, or tossing and catching a medicine ball between two persons, is a common plyometric medicine ball training practice, e.g., Plyometric Exercises with the Medicine Ball by Donald Chu, Ph.D..
12. The Stone Monkey Rolls Down the Mountain
Instructions for Movement
12: The Stone Monkey Rolls Down the Mountain
Step out diagonally to the left side.
Inhale as you step out.
Keep the left leg in front of the right leg, with left knee slightly bent.
Keep both feet flat on the ground.
Move the ball down the front of the left leg until it reaches at or below the
left shin.
Try to keep the back relatively straight as you lower the ball.
Exhale as you lower the ball along the left leg.
Inhale as you raise the ball outward and upward in an arc as you raise your
upper torso upwards.
Bring the ball to about face level.
Repeat the exercise 3-9 repetitions.
Return to Wuji.
Step out diagonally to the right side.
Inhale as you step out.
Keep the right leg in front of the left leg, with right knee slightly bent.
Keep both feet flat on the ground.
Move the ball down the front of the right leg until it reaches at or below the
right shin.
Try to keep the back relatively straight as you lower the ball.
Exhale as you lower the ball along the right leg.
Inhale as you raise the ball outward and upward in an arc as you raise your
upper torso upwards.
Bring the ball to about face level.
Repeat the exercise 3-9 repetitions.
Return to Wuji: bring the feet together, return to being still, calm and
silent; pause for awhile, and enjoy a few slow breaths.
Comments and Notes for Movement 12: The Stone Monkey Rolls Down the Mountain
Compare this exercise "The Stone Monkey Rolls Down the Mountain #12" with "Exercise Three" of Terry Dunn's T'ai Chi Ruler: Chinese Yoga for Health and Longevity, 1996, pp. 60-64. All of the Tai Chi Ruler exercises can be adapted for use with a medicine ball.
The Stone Monkey is the famous Monkey King (Sun Wukong) who is the main character in the classical Chinese epic novel Journey to the West. This long adventure story was written in 1590 by Wu Cheng'en.
"On the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, on the Eastern Continent of the Superior Body, there was once a Magic Stone which was thirty-six feet five inches high and twenty-four feet round. The Magic Stone was thirty-six feet five inches high to correspond with the 365 degrees of the heavens, and twenty-four feet round to match the twenty-four divisions of the solar calendar. On top of it were nine apertures and eight holes, for the Nine Palaces and the Eight Trigrams. There were no trees around it to give shade, but magic fungus and orchids clung to its sides. Ever since Creation began it had been receiving the truth of Heaven, the beauty of Earth, the essence of the Sun and the splendor of the Moon; and as it had been influenced by them for so long it had miraculous powers. It developed a magic womb, which burst open one day to produce a stone egg about the size of a ball. When the wind blew on this egg it turned into a stone monkey, complete with the five senses and four limbs. When the stone monkey had learnt to crawl and walk, he bowed to each of the four quarters. As his eyes moved, two beams of golden light shot towards the Pole Star Palace and startled the Supreme Heavenly Sage, the Greatly Compassionate Jade Emperor of the Azure Vault of Heaven, who was sitting surrounded by his immortal ministers on his throne in the Hall of Miraculous Mist in the Golden-gated Cloud Palace. When he saw the dazzling golden light he ordered Thousand-mile Eye and Wind-accompanying Ear to open the Southern Gate of Heaven and take a look."
- The Journey to the West, Chapter 1, 1590 CE, Wu Cheng'en
Here is a brief summary of the instructions for performing the movements, 9-16, of the Magic Pearl Qigong routine (2 pages, .pdf).
Magic Pearl
Qigong, Part I: Movements 1-8
Magic Pearl Qigong, Part II: Movements 9-16
Bibliography, Links,
Resources
Magic Pearl Qigong
A Tai Chi Medicine Ball Exercise Routine
and Meditation Technique
Above the Fog
Taoist and Zen poems.
Alphabetical Index to the Cloud Hands Website
Breathing Techniques:
Qigong, Yoga, Taijiquan
Chen and Yang Style
Taijiquan Medicine Ball Exercise Routines, Qigong Ball Forms
Chen Style of T'ai
Chi Ch'uan Guides, Lessons, Bibliographies, Links,
Resources,
Chi Kung (Qigong):
Resources, Lessons, Links, Bibliographies, Guides
Cloud Hands Blog
By Mike Garofalo.
Cloud Hands Website:
Tai Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan)
Garofalo, Michael P. M.S.,
Red Bluff, California. Mind-Body Movement Arts Instructor, Student of
Taoism and Druidry, Librarian, Gardener.
The
Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and
Tai Chi.
By Roger Jahnke, O.M.D.. Chicago, Contemporary Books, 2002.
Index, notes, extensive
recommended reading list, 316 pages. ISBN: 0809295288.
VSCL.
Lao Tzu author of the Tao Te Ching: Selected Translations and Commentary. Compiled by
Michael Garofalo.
Lifestyle Advice for Wise
Persons
Magic Pearl Qigong: A
Tai Chi Medicine Ball Exercise Routine and Meditation Technique. By Michael Garofalo.
Magic
Pearl Qigong, Movements 1-8, Brief Summary. 2 pages .PDF format.
Magic
Pearl Qigong, Movements 9-16, Brief Summary. 2 pages .PDF format.
Magic Pearl Qigong Classes led by
Michael Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
Medicine Ball Exercises:
Bibliography, Links, Resources, Lessons, Research
One Old Druid's Final
Journey: Notebooks of the Librarian of Gushen Grove
Pearl Qigong,
Medicine Ball, Tai Chi Ball
Pulling Onions: A Gardener's
Reflections by Mike Garofalo
Qigong Ball Routines
Bibliography, Links, Resources, Comments, Research
Qigong Ball
Exercise Routines - Blog Notes in Cloud Hands Blog
Qigong
Empowerment: A Guide to Medical, Taoist, Buddhist, and Wushu Energy
Cultivation. By Liang, Shou-Yu and Wu, Wen-Ching. Edited by
Denise Breiter-Wu.
Rhode Island, Way of the Dragon Publishing, 1997. Index, glossary,
348 pages. ISBN: 1889659029.
Qigong: Resources,
Lessons, Links, Bibliographies, Guides
Reviving the
Lost Art of Taiji Ball Qigong within Chinese Martial Arts. By
Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming, 2009. This is an outstanding brief article on the subject.
Relaxation (Sung,
Song) in Qigong and Taijiquan
The
Root of Chinese Chi Kung: The Secrets of Chi Kung Training. By Yang
Jwing-Ming, PhD., 1946-. YMAA Chi Kung Series #1. Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, Yang's
Martial Arts Association, 1989. Glossary, 272 pages. ISBN:
0940871076. VSCL.
Secrets
to Living Younger Longer: The Self-Healing Path of Qigong Standing
Meditation and Tai Chi. By Michael Mayer, Ph.D.. Orinda, California,
Body Mind Healing Publications, 2004. Index, bibliography, 281 pages.
ISBN: 0970431066. VSCL.
Shaolin Zen Buddhist Qigong:
Eighteen Buddha Hands
Silk Reeling: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotes,
Notes, Lessons
Sky Above, Earth Below: Spiritual Practice in Nature. By John P.
Milton. Boulder, Colorado, Sentient Publications, 2006. 234 pages. ISBN:
1591810280. VSCL.
Tai Chi Ball
Exercise Routines: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Lessons, Research
Tai Chi
Ball Qigong: for Health and Martial Arts. By Yang Jwing-Ming and David
Grantham. Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, YMAA Publication Center, 2010.
Index, glossary, bibliography, appendices, 301 pages. ISBN: 1594391998.
The best book on the subject. Linked to two instructional DVDs from YMAA. VSCL.
T'ai Chi Ch'uan
(Taijiquan): Gudies, Lessons, Bibliography, Resources, Styles. Cloud
Hands Website by Mike Garofalo.
The Tao
of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern
Mysticism. By Fritjof Capra. Boston, Shambhala Publications,
1975, 1999, 25th Anniversary Edition. Index, notes, 366 pages.
ISBN: 1570625190. VSCL.
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu Selected Translations and Commentary. Compiled by
Michael Garofalo.
Taijiquan (Tai Chi)
Medicine Ball Routines
Valley Spirit Grove, Red Bluff,
California. Michael Garofalo, Mind-Body Movement Arts Instructor and
Student of
Taoism and
Druidry. VSCL = Valley Spirit
Grove
Library, Red Bluff, California.
The Way
of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing. By Kenneth
S. Cohen.
Foreword by Larry Dossey. New York Ballantine Books, 1997. Index,
notes, appendices, 427 pages. ISBN: 0345421094. One of my favorite books:
comprehensive,
informative, practical, and scientific. His audio recordings from Sounds True
are also excellent. VSCL.
The Ways of Walking:
Quotes, Bibliography, Links, Resources
The
Whole Heart of Tao: The Complete Teachings from the Oral Tradition of Lao-Tzu.
By John Bright-Fey. Birmingham, Alabama, Crane Hill Publishers, 2006. 376 pages.
ISBN: 1575872471. The Reverend Venerable John Bright-Fey, Sifu Fey, is the
12th generation lineage holder of the Blue Dragon Order of Esoteric Zen
Buddhism, a distinct line of knowledge descended directly from Shaolin Temple.
Sifu Bright-Fey teaches at the New
Forest Center for Contemplative Living, Birmingham, Alabama. This
version of the Tao Te Ching is both a translation by a Chinese scholar and a
fascinating interpolation based on his religious training. He uses a
schema of interpretation for lines in each of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te
Ching based on the concepts of the Taoist Mind (mindset and world view), Taoist
Body (day to day concerns of living), Taoist Hand (training techniques by a
Cultivator of the Tao, spiritual disciplines) and Taoist Heart (core and
cherished beliefs) [p.21-]. His rigorous experiential approach resonates
with my "spiritual" practices such as: Taijiquan, Qigong, gardening, walking,
rituals, and the study of
Taoism and Druidry.
Highly recommended!
Wuji Standing (Zhan
Zhuang) Meditation
Xinggong
Taiji Ball. Demonstrated and explained by Master Chen Qing Zhou, 1933- Instructional DVD, 60
minutes. Tai Chi Sphere in 18 Postures. Mandarin with English subtitles. "A
whole series of exercises with the Chen version of the Tai Chi ball which is
generally associated with the Yang Family branch. One unique aspect is
that Master Chen Qing Zhou uses the ball almost as a massage device
keeping it tight against his torso and rolling it along the front there. Tossing
the ball, turning it, many types of movements which are also shown without the
ball directly as self massage moves." VSCL. For a compltete demonstration, refer to:
Xinggong: Taiji Ball, Demonstration by Master Chen Qingzhou, UTube, 3:16 minutes.
Here is a one page summary (PDF format) of the names
of the 18 movements in the Tai Chi Ball routine of Master Chen Qing Zhou. Master
Chen was a student of Chen Zhao Pei and Chen Zhao Kui (son of Chen Fake).
Chen Qingzhou Martial Arts Association,
Menlo Park, CA.
Biography 2.
Biography 3.
For a complete video demonstration of this form, refer to:
Xinggong:
Taiji Ball, Demonstration by Master Chen Qingzhou, UTube, 3:16 minutes.
Yang Style of
T'ai Chi Ch'uan Guides, Lessons, Bibliographies, Links,
Resources
Zhan Zhuang: Standing
Meditation
© Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Red Bluff, California, 2011
First published on the Internet on February 5, 2011.
Medicine Ball Exercises, Tai Chi Ball Exercises, Qigong Ball Exercises
Wuji Standing (Zhan Zhuang) Meditation
Chen and Yang Tai Chi Ball Medicine Ball Exercises
Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices: Bibliography, Scriptures, Lessons, Links, Resources
Alphabetical Index to the Cloud Hands Website
Quotations to Add
"Case:
Jui-yen asked Yen-t'ou, "What is the fundamental constant principle?"
Yen-t'ou said, "Moving."
Jui-yen said, "When moving, what then?"
Yen-t'ou said, "You don't see the fundamental constant principle?"
Jui-yen stood there thinking.
Yen-t'ou said, "If you agree, you are not yet free of sense and matter; if you
don't agree, you'll be forever sunk in birth-and-death."
Verse:
The round pearl has no hollows,
The great raw gem isn't polished.
What is esteemed by people of the Way is having no edges.
Removing the road of agreement, sense and matter are empty:
The free body, resting on nothing, stands out unique and alive."
- Yen t'ou (Zuigan, Song Am) was a Chinese Zen Master who lived from
800-900 CE.
Found in The Roaring Stream: A New Zen Reader, Edited by
Nelson Foster and Jack Shoemaker, p. 182
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