Last Updated on August 22, 2011
©
Green
Way Research, Red Bluff, California,
2006-2011
By Michael P. Garofalo, All Rights Reserved.
Bibliography, Links, Resources
Wuji Qigong
Aligned, Relaxed, Resilient: The Physical Foundations of Mindfulness. By Will Johnson. Boston, Shambhala, 2000. 137 pages. ISBN: 1570625182. MGC.
Chang
San-Feng, Taoist Master, Circa 1300 CE. By Mike Garofalo.
147Kb.
Cultivating
Stillness: A Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mind. Translated
with an introduction by Eva Wong. With a commentary by Shui-ch'ing Tzu.
Illustrated
by Hun-yen Tsu. Boston, Shambhala Press, 1992. 156 pages.
ISBN: 0877736871. VSCL.
Chi
Kung: The Chinese Art of Mastering Energy. By Yves Requena.
Healing Art
Press, 1996. 120 pages. ISBN: 0892816392.
Ecstatic
Body Postures: An Alternate Reality Workbook. By Belinda Gore.
Foreword by Felicitas Goodman. Santa Fe, New Mexico, Bear and Company,
1995. Endnotes,
284 pages. ISBN: 1879181223. VSCL.
Eight Section Brocade
Qigong. By Mike Garofalo.
Empty Vessel: A Journal of Contemporary Taoism, Winter 2004.
Published by Abode of the Eternal Tao, Publisher:
Solala Tower.
"Fong Ha on Yiquan Practice." Interview of Fong Ha by Robert
Teachout and Kiren
Ghei. T'ai Chi: The International Magazine of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Vol.
29, No. 1, February 2005, pp. 26-32.
Google Searches:
Primordial Wuji Qigong,
Wuji Qigong,
Wuji + Taoism
Handbooks of Daoist Practice, #9. By Louis Komjathy.
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.
Healing Tao Britian - Primordial Wuji Qigong
"Un Pas Vers la Vitalité," Une Expérience Energétique dans
L'approche des Troubles Anxieux et Dépressifs. Quebec, June, 1998.
The Magic
Pearl Qigong By Mike Garofalo.
Points on Wuji Standing. By William Oliveri.
Primordial Chi Kung
Detailed instructions by a former student of Michael Winn.
Remembering Wu Ji.
By Jonathan J. Dickau. 17Kb.
Qi Gong Courses - Wuji Qigong. Presented by Daryll Mitchell.
DVD or VHS formatted instructional
media. Produced by Renascent Centre, College of Intuitive Sciences.
Qigong: Essence of the Healing Dance. By Francesco Garri Garripoli and
Friends. Book.
Wuji Qigong.
Kahuna
Valley Workshops in Wuji Qigong in Hawaii.
Qigong for Energy: A Century Old System for Renewed Vigor and Healthful
Living.
Presented by Francesco Garri Garripoli and Daisy Lee Garripoli. Video/DVD.
Wuji Qigong.
Qigong for Healing: Slow Gentle Movements Relieve Stress and Promote Good
Health.
Presented by Francesco Garri Garripoli and Daisy Lee Garripoli. Video/DVD.
Wuji Qigong.
Ripening Peaches:
Daoist Studies and Practices
Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits. By Bill Porter
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.
This book has a companion instructional video/DVD called "Body Mind Healing
Qigong."
Website: Body Mind Healing.
VSCL.
Sheng Zhen Wuji Yuan Gong: Qigong of Unconditional Love, A Return to
Stillness.
By Li Jun Feng. Lotus Press, 2004. 224 pages. ISBN:
0914955772.
Standing Meditation: Doing Nothing and
Finding Contentment in Being Alight. Body/Mind Qigong Center,1997 57 page illustrated booklet on standing
meditation.
Standing
Qigong Meditation (Zhang Zhuan) By Mike Garofalo.
"Standing Still Like a Tree." By Victoria Windholtz. T'ai
Chi: The International Magazine of T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Volume 19, No. 6, December, 2005, pp.
6-9.
Tai Chi as Inner Alchemy.
Michael Winn. Tai Chi for Enlightenment.
Tai Chi for Enlightenment:
Primordial Qigong. Instructional videocassette or DVD and audio CD, 2
hours.
Taught by Michael Winn. Produced by
Healing
Tao USA.
Tao of
Yiquan: The Method of Awareness in the Martial Arts. Volume 2 of the
Trilogy:
Warriors of Stillness. Meditative Traditions in the Chinese Martial
Arts. By
Jan Diepersloot. Walnut Creek, CA, Center for Healing and the Arts, 1999.
Index, notes, 272 pages. ISBN: 0964997614. VSCL.
Unofficial Wuji Qigong
Website By William Oliveri.
Valley Spirit Qigong
By Mike Garofalo.
Warriors
of Stillness: Meditative Traditions in the Chinese Martial Arts.
Volume 1.
The Teachings of Grandmaster Cai Song Fang. Qigong Qi of the Center,
Essence of Taijiquan.
By Jan Diepersloot. Walnut Creek,
California,
Center for Healing and the Arts. Glossary, 226 pages.
ISBN:
0964997606. A study
of Wu Ji meditation and its T'ai Chi Ch'uan applications. VSCL.
What is Wuji Qigong? By Francesco Garri Garripoli and Daisy Lee-Garripoli.
Wudang Qigong.
By Mike Garofalo
Wuji Gong: The Infinite Beginning. Presented by Master Cheng
Bingsong. Instructional
videotape. Telephone: 209-473-4993.
Wuji Qi Gong. VHS or DVD, 116 minutes. Instructional videotape by
Jiang Jian-ye. This form
combines the Wudang Mountain Qigong and the Wuji Qigong created by Dr. Duan
Zhiliang.
Jiang's
Tai Chi Videos. Also available from
Wayfarer Publications.
Wuji (Emptiness-Chaos-Primordial
State)
Qigong from Wudang Mountain Taoists. By Mike Garofalo.
Yiquan: Power of Mind.
Karel Koskuba. 31Kb. A very good read.
Yoga of
the Mahamudra: The Mystical Way of Balance. By Will Johnson.
Rochester, Vermont, Inner Traditions, 2005. 151 pages. ISBN:
0892816996. VSCL.
Zhang Zhuang - Foundation of
Internal Martial Arts. By Karel Koskuba. 33Kb. An
excellent
informative article on the topic.
Zhan Zhuan Gong (Estar Quieto
Como Un Arbol) A very good article with photographs in Spanish.
Zhang Zhuan - Standing
Qigong Meditation By Mike Garofalo.
Return to the Main Index on this Wuji Qigong Webpage
Instructions
Wuji Qigong
Coming in the Spring of 2011.
Refer for now to my instructions in Zhang Zhuan: Standing Like a Tree Qigong Meditation.
Return to the Main Index on this Wuji Qigong Webpage
Quotations and Information
Wuji Qigong
"Primordial Wuji
Qigong form combines tai chi, feng shui, chi kung (qigong), and inner alchemy,
a powerful form of Taoist meditation. It is designed to capture the primordial
original yuan
"subtle breath" or chi ("qi") flow of Heaven and Earth, and fuse it
into the human body. It gathers chi inward to the core of one's being in graceful beautiful,
effortless spirals.
Primordial Wuji Qigong gradually dissolves all
the physical and karmic layers of tension in both
your physical and Energy Body. It ultimately opens up a profound inner space
inside your body
where your Original Spirit, the "face of your soul before you were born",
can reveal itself. This
inner space is called "wuji" (Supreme Unknown) - the Primordial space.
The design of the form incorporates every aspect
of Tao theory: Yin-Yang body channels,
5 Elements vital organ and seasonal cycles, feng shui (directionology) of the 8
Trigram forces,
(Pakua), water and fire alchemy, the 10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Branches of the
Chinese calendar,
body-spirit and microcosm-macrocosm resonance, Taoist sexual-numerology,
jing-chi-shen-wu
stages of inner alchemy, tai chi body movement principles, Original Chi -Tai Chi
-Wuji cosmology.
It is truly amazing how much is packed into one tiny little form! Grandmaster Chang San Feng created Primordial
Wuji Qigong. It has 13 movements: 12 movements
of Earth and one movement of Heaven that is done 50 times, ten times in each of
the five directions.
It was secretly practiced by a lineage of Taoist masters for the last 800
years."
- Michael Winn, Primordial Wuji Qigong Master
"About 800 years ago a Taoist Master called
Chang Sang Fong created a special form called Wuji Qigong
that was mostly kept secret but was preserved by being passed down through a
lineage of Masters. The magical,
graceful movements of this form are designed to gather the Chi or Life Force
from the four Cardinal Directions, and
from Mother Earth below, and from the Star Father of Heaven above. This Chi when
in the body connects you to
the deepest centre of your being known as Wuji. Wuj literally means Supreme
Unknown, also translated as the
Primordial or the Divine Space from which all Creation arises. In western terms
the Wuji is the Godhead from
which the Primordial Powers of Nature flow. The Tao Masters did not consider the
Centre of the Universe was
above our head but rather deep inside our body. Primordial Chi Kung is a
magical graceful form and an extremely
healing experience that takes us deeply into our own Primordial Essence. This
secret, easy to learn Tai Chi for
Enlightenment form is designed to capture the 'subtle breath' or chi ('qi') flow
of Heaven and Earth, and fuse it
into the human body. Gathering chi inward to the core of our being, in graceful,
beautiful effortless spirals,
Tai Chi for Enlightenment, gradually dissolves the physical and karmic layers of
tension in both your physical
body and your energy body."
-
Michael Winn, Primordial Wuji Qigong Teacher and Author, Healing Tao.
"This set of Wuji Qi Gong was originally from the legendary
founder of Taiji Quan (Tai Chi Chuan), Zhang San Feng
(Chan San Feng) as a form of enlightenment exercise. It has an unbroken lineage
for over 800 years handed down and
kept at Wudang Mountain by the Masters. It has made its way into our lives
thanks to Master Zhu Hui who received
it from Taoist Master Li Tong (106 years old). At first it may be mistaken for
another form of Taiji although upon practicing this form those who are able to sense Qi energy, will notice
something very special about Wuji Qigong.
It brings with it the great Masters of the past including Zhang San Feng."
- Daryll
Mitchell, Qigong Instructional DVDs
"When the mind is at peace,
the world too is at peace.
Nothing real, nothing absent.
Not holding on to reality,
not getting stuck in the void,
you are neither holy or wise, just
an ordinary fellow who has completed his work."
- Layman Pang-yun (780-808)
"Wuji Qigong is a 600-year-old Taoist cosmic form, created in
the Ming Dynasty by the famous Taoist
sage Zhang San Feng. This circular form takes the practitioner through the four
directions: east, south,
west and north, while constantly maintaining the still point in the center. By
working with the primal
energies of the five directions the practitioner is performing an energetic
ritual that works on many
different levels. This elegant and magical Qigong form combines movement,
breathing and visualization
to produce a powerful Qi field that the practitioner can then carry forth into
the rest of their life."
- Solala Towler,
National Qigong Association Conference
"If I had to choose one qigong technique to practice, it would
undoubtedly be this one. Many Chinese call standing meditation "the million dollar secret of qigong." Whether you are
practicing qigong for
self healing, for building healing ch'i, for massage or healing work on others,
standing is an essential practice. Acupuncturists feel that by practicing standing meditation they can
connect with the ch'i of the universe, and be able to send it through their bodies when they hold the
acupuncture needle. Standing is probably the single most important qigong exercise. One of the reasons that
standing is such a powerful way to gather and accumulate fresh ch'i in the body is that during the
practice of standing the body is in the optimal posture for ch'i gathering and flow."
- Kenneth S. Cohen, Way of Qigong
"Wuji Hundun Qigong, is a 1,200-year-old health
maintenance system from China handed down by 95 year-old
Master Duan Zhi Liang of Beijing, China. Drawing on Taoism, Buddhism, the
Wuji form conforms to the basic principles
of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which in fact sprung from Qigong concepts
that go back 5,000 years. Like all
Qigong in this way, the enhanced movement of Qi (life-force, bioelectric
vitality) is promoted throughout the body as
well as the storing and strengthening of Qi for good health. TCM believes
stagnant Qi leads to all pain and disease.
Proven useful for healing many diseases, this simple style actually has it's
roots in ancient wushu swordplay and
gong fu (Kung Fu) inner cultivation of Qi--as useful for the healer as it is for
the warrior...and soon we understand
how they are one in the same… Wuji Hundun Qigong is a unique blend of inner (Nei Qi) and
outer (Wei Qi) cultivating techniques. Master Duan
comes from the practical "old school" of healing arts. He believes a
practitioner must also be a teacher. A healer
must be a warrior. An intellect must pursue the arts. Our prayer is to seek
balance…and we seek balance by
letting go of "form"…and seek the essence of all things. The Mandarin Chinese word "hundun" can best be described as
"chaos." The intention of Wuji Hundun Qigong is
to consciously introduce chaos into our experience. I once met Nobel Prize
laureate Ilya Prigogine who explained
his prize-winning theory. He said, "All evolving biological systems must reach
their maxim state of perturbation (chaos)
before they take the quantum step up to their next higher state of order." He
knew nothing of Qigong (consciously)
but understood what Master Duan knew intuitively. All our destructive patterns
are steeped in the locked and
stagnant habits of our lives. Until we can "break" or change those patterns, we
are forever trapped and our
growth--and health--is limited. Introducing chaos, mixing things up a bit
energetically, can promote our natural
healing abilities to engage. Even momentary shifts from our patterned "safe
zones" can provide us conscious,
and unconscious perspective shifts. Outwardly, Wuji Qigong is an exercise and stretching system,
focusing on synchronizing the breath with slow
movements and guided visualizations. Upon deeper study, the transformative
nature of this health maintenance
modality becomes apparent. Balancing the Taoist and Buddhist traditions of
China, Wuji Hundun Qigong seeks
to strengthen the body (the mandate of the Taoists) while enhancing spiritual
life (the essence of the Buddhist
doctrines.) Ultimately, a merging of the two takes place, not intellectually,
but through "wu xing" or deep,
emotional understanding. Written and oral teaching can only seek to trigger and
stimulate you, the true
wu xing must come from within--as the truth derives from nature and is
constantly accessible. Through
cultivating your inner Qi and spirit, you become strong, not as an "individual"
against the world but as
an integral part of the world; a mirror reflecting light… Sincere practice with
an intention to remain
receptive is the key…as we come to realize the holistic nature of Wuji Qigong
will effect the body,
mind, and spirit."
-
What is Wuji Qigong? By Francesco Garri Garripoli and Daisy Lee-Garripoli.
"This practice is part of an ancient Chinese health system of exercises. One
of the first
references found about this type of exercise is in the Huang-Ti Nei Ching
(Classics of Medicine by the Yellow Emperor, 2690-2590 B.C.E.) which is, by the way,
probably one of the
oldest books in the medical field. This posture, practiced and transmitted
secretly in martial arts circles, has been openly shown to the public since the last
century. Wang Xiang Zhai, a very famous martial arts master of that period in China, made
of
this technique the base of a new martial art that he called I Chuan (Mind
Boxing). He
used to say, "The immobility is the mother of any movement or technique."
- Victoria Windholtz, Standing Like a Tree
"Wuji Qi Gong was first taught openly by
Teacher Cai Song Fang.
It is an exercise that involves meditation
in a standing position. Wuji employs the concept of "movement within
stillness" (Yang within Yin)
which means that although the exterior looks calm and peaceful, the interior is
working at an accelerated
pace. This is exactly the opposite of an everyday physical exercise such a
running or aerobics and is
a very important point in this exercise. The characteristics of Wuji Qi
Gong are divided into two main
aspects, the physical and the mental. According to Chinese medicine, the stomach and the spleen
from the center or apex of the body and
are responsible for the production of post heavenly qi. When food is
consumed and the body automatically
converts food, combined with air, into qi on a daily bais. Wuji Qi Gong
works by stimulating the stomach
and spleen meridians located in the legs thereby enhancing and accelerating the
conversion process. This
is the creation factor of the exercise. An added benefit of standing is
the tonification of the center or Stomach
and Spleen. It is well know that only when the inner is strong can the
outer be strong. This act of stimulating
the Stomach and Spleen throught standing deals with the physical. There is also an important mental aspect of Wuji Qi Gong.
In practice, the attention of the mind is brought
to the Wuji point. If this attention is not focused on the Wuji point the
newly created qi will be scattered
and will be lost. Both mental and physical aspects of the exercise are
equally important and should be
practiced in a relaxed manner. That is, no tension in the body or
the mind. Complete relaxation. This accumulation aspect of the exercise involves using the
mind in meditation. In Chinese thought, the
Yi or intention directs the Qi. Or, to put it another way, Qi follows Yi.
When practicing the exercise the
intention of the mind is brought to the Wuji point. This point is located
in the center of the body directly
behind the belly button and in front of the Ming Men point on the back. By
focusing the intention on the
Wuji point, the newly created Chi is directed to this area of the body and
stored rather than lost to the
outside world. Within the physical aspect of the exercise, there is a number
of points on the stance and posture which
are important for success."
- William Oliveri,
Unofficial Wuji Qigong
Website
"Standing Meditation is the single most important and widely practiced form
of gigong,
integrating all elements of posture, relaxation, and breathing previously
described. It
is a way of developing better alignment and balance, stronger legs and waist,
deeper
respiration, accurate body awareness, and a tranquil mind."
- Kenneth S. Cohen,
The Way
of Qigong, p. 133.
"All final spiritual reference is to the silence beyond sound ...
It can be spoken of as the great silence, or as the void,
or as the transcendent
absolute."
- Joseph Campbell
"Classical admonitions for
standing practice include: keep head upright (raise the baihui) and the body straight; eyes gaze forward and level; hollow the chest and raise
the back (careful, does not mean "hunch"); relax the waist and huiyin (perineum);
sink the shoulders and elbows; extend the fingers; keep the kua (inguinal crease) open and
the dang (crotch) rounded; tailbone hangs straight down; weight balanced over yongquan
(bubbling well points behind balls of feet); qi circulates freely and completely throughout
body."
- Michael Jones,
Zhan Zhuang
"What is the color of your head from the
standpoint of your eyes? You feel that you head is black, or that it has
not any color at all. Outside you see your field of vision as an oval
because your two eyes act as two centers of an ellipse. But what is beyond
the field of vision? What color is it where you can't see? It is not
black, and this is an important point; there is no color at all beyond your
field of vision. This little mental exercise gives us an idea of what is
mean by the character hsüan. Although its dictionary definition is
"dark, deep, obscure," it actually refers to this kind of no color that is the
color of your head - as far as your eyes are concerned. Perhaps we could
say that the invisibility of one's head, in a certain sense the lack of a head,
is the secret of being alive. To be headless, or have no head in just the
same sense I am talking about, is our way of talking about the Chinese
expression wu hsin, or "no mind." As a matter of fact, if you want
to see the inside of your head all you have to do is keep your eyes open,
because all that you are experiencing in the external, visual field is a state
of your brain."
- Alan Watts, Swimming Headless, 1966
Return to the Main Index on this Wuji Qigong Webpage
©
Green
Way Research, Red Bluff, California,
2006-2010
First published on the Internet in June, 2006.
Wuji Standing (Zhan Zhuang) Meditation
Taoism: Bibliography, Links, Resources
Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Chi Kung Website
Disclaimer for the Valley Spirit Center Qigong Website
Qigong Studies by Mike Garofalo
Valley Spirit
Center
Red Bluff, Tehama County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A.
Cities and small towns in the area: Oroville, Paradise, Durham, Chico, Hamilton
City,
Corning, Rancho Tehama, Los Molinos, Vina, Tehama, Proberta, Gerber,
Manton, Cottonwood, Olinda, Cloverdale, Dairyville, Bend, Centerville,
Summit City
Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, Igo, Ono, Redding, Shasta, Colusa, Willows,
Richfield, Fall River, Montgomery Creek, Alturas, McCloud, Dunsmuir, Yreka,
Happy Camp,
Shingletown, Burney, Mt. Shasta City, Weaverville, Williams, Chester, Orland,
Susanville, Weed, Gridley, Marysville, Yuba City, NorCalifia, CA, California.