strengthens

1

THEEIGHTBROCADES

TheEightBrocadesareatofqigongexercisthatoriginatedinChinaandare

ealsoknownastheEightSilkenMovements,

TheEightTreasuresDao-yin,TheEightPiecesofSilkenBrocade,Baduanjin,orPa

erthename,theyareatofqigongmovementsthatdateback

thousandsofyears.

JustastherearemanynamesfortheEightBrocades,therearevariousnamesfor

lalsonoticeatedand

er,themovementshavebeen

pasddownthroughtheyears,witheachmasterorsifuhavingaslightlydifferent

style.

willesimilaritiesbetweentheEightBrocadesandthefirsteightmovementsofthe

EighteenHandsoftheLohan,whichareatofexercistaughttoBuddhistmonks

eofthissimilarity,youwillalsoreadthatthe

EightBrocadesareamartialartsqigong.

aceanddo

lly,

letingtheqigong

movements,youshouldnoticeimprovedhealth,increadenergy,reducedstress,a

revitalizedmindandbody,improvedbalance,andanoverallnofwellbeing.

ProppingUptheSky

naWujistance.

fttoaHorstance.

asyouraiyourhands,palmsup.

tlevel,startturningyourpalmsout.

headlevel,yourpalmsshouldbefacing

front.

uetoraiyourhandsoverhead.

2

onyourtoes(ifpossible)asyouextend

yourarms,palmsfacingthesky,fingertipsclo

togetherandeyeswatchingyourhands.

asyousweepyourarmstotheside,with

yourpalmsfacingdown,untilyouarestandingflat

footed.

tobeingabletodo8

repetitions.

,stepwithyourleftfootbacktotheWuji

stance.

Thismovementisalsocalled"PushuptheHeavens"and"Pressingthe

HeavenswithTwoHands".Practicingthismovementhelpsbuildgood

ingtoTraditionalChineMedicine,TCM,practicingthis

movementhelpstoregulatethetripleburner,andrelievefatiguebyactivating

thefluidflowinginthetripleburnerandensuringpropernourishment

throughoutthebody.

DrawingtheBow

naWujistance.

fttoawideHorstance.

asyousinkandcrossyourarmsinfrontofyouwith

therightarminfrontoftheleft.

asyouextendyourleftarmouttotheleftwithyour

pointerfingerandthumbcreatingan"L"

sametimepullyourrightarmtotherightsideholdingthe

rightandleftarmshouldbeinastraightline.

asyourreleatherighthandandletthearrowfly.

asyoudropyourarms,palmsdown,inanarcto

yoursideasyourbodyfloatsup.

tarmwillbe

3

crosdinfrontofthebody,therightarmwillcreatethe"L"

shapeandthelefthandwillholdthestring.

tobeing

abletodo8repetitions.

,stepwithyourleftfootbacktotheWujistance.

Thismovementisalsoknownas"DrawingtheBowandLettingtheArrowFly",and

"DrawingtheBowandShootingtheSerpent".Practicingthismovementstrengthensthe

musclesofthehands,arms,ingtoTCM,practicingthis

movement,enhancesthefunctionoftherespiratoryandcirculatorysystems.

SeparatingHeaven&Earth

naWujistance.

fttoaHorstance.

asyouliftyourhands,palmsup,tostomach

level.

ueraisingyourlefthanduntilyourleftarmis

extendedoverheadwithyourpalmupandfingers

pointingtotheright.

ametime,extendyourrighthandtoyour

side,palmdownwithyourfingerspointingtothe

front.

andreturntothestartingposition,withboth

palmsupatstomachlevel.

steps3-7withyourrightarmupandyour

leftarmdown.

SeparatingHeavenandEarthmovements

tobeingabletodo8

repetitions.

,stepwithyourleftfootbacktotheWuji

stance.

4

Thismovementisalsocalled"TouchHeaven&Earth"and"PluckingStars".It

ingtoTCM,it

strengthensthedigestivesystemandaidsinpreventionofgastrointestinal

ributestotheascendingofspleen-qiandthedescendingof

stomach-qi,thuspromotingthedigestivefunctions.

ShaketheHeavenlyPillar

naWujistance.

ftintoaHorstance.

raightaheadandgazeintothedistance

yourshoulders.

asyourturnyourheadslowlytotheleft.

ur

eyessoyouarelookingoutofthecornerofyour

eyes(backwards&downwards).

asyoureturnyourheadtothecenter.

steps4-6ontherightside.

tobeing

abletodo8repetitions.

,stepwithyourleftfootbacktotheWuji

stance.

Thismovementisalsoknownas"TheWiOwlGazesBackward","Looking

RightandLookingLeft",and"LookingBehind".Asyouwarmup,turnyourhead

owly,timeyourmovementwithyourbreathing.

AccordingtoTCM,practicingthismovementhelpsyourlungs,immunesystem,

chestheesnceandblood,calmsthemind,and

promotesorganfunctioning.

PunchingwithTigerEyes

5

naWujistance.

ork

uptotwoshoulderwidths.

ightfistwithbothhands&holdboth

fistsatwaistlevelwithpalmsup.

asyoupunchoutslowlywiththeleft

iralmotionandendwiththe

leftfistpalmdown,atchestlevel.

e

fire,determination,courage,ortoughness.

Seetheenergytravelingoutofyourfist.

andrelaxasyoubringyourlefthand

backtothestartingposition.

steps4-6ontheotherside(ieextend

yourrighthand)

to

beingabletodo8repetitions.

,stepwithyourleftfootbacktothe

Wujistance.

Thismovementisalsoknownas"PunchingandGlaring","PunchingwithAngry

Gaze",and"ClenchingFistsandLookingwithEyesWideOpen".AwideHor

ingtoTCM,thismovement

helpsstimulateandrevitalizetheliver.

TheBigBearTurnsfromSidetoSide

6

naWujistance.

ftintoawideHorstance.(Tryandwork

uptotwoshoulderwidths.)

sureyouhaveastraightbackandyourkneesare

centeredoveryourtoes.

andsjustaboveyourkneeswithyour

thumbsontheoutsideofyourlegsandyour

elbowspointedtotheside.

slowlyasyoushiftyourweighttotheleft,

turnyourchesttotheleft,andyourtailbonetothe

yourrightarmtohelpyouturntothe

left.

asyoushiftbacktocenter.

asyoushiftyourweighttotheright,turn

yourchesttotheright,andyourtailbonetothe

yourleftarmtohelpyouturntothe

right.

tobeingabletodo

eightrepetitions.

,stepwithyourleftfootbacktotheWuji

stance.

Thismovementisalsoknownas"RotateHeadandTrunk","SearchtheClouds",

and"ShakeHeadandSwayButtockstoExtinguishFireintheHeart".Asyouare

completingthismovement,placeyourattentiononthebubblingwellsinthe

ingto

TCM,thismovementbenefitstheheart,getsridofheartfire,andcausthe

kidney-yintoascend.

TouchingtheToesandBendingBackwards

7

Warning:Ifyouhaveuncontrolledhighbloodpressure,don'tputyourheadbelow

,peoplewithlowerbackstiffnessorpainshouldnotbenddeeply.

naWujistance.

ftintoaHorstance.

asyouleanforward,withyourarmsatyour

urabdomeninandbendyourknees

slightlytograspyourtoes(ifpossible).

asyouslowlyrollup,vertebraeby

vertebrae.

asyouputhandsonyourbackatthe

kidneysandbendbackslowlyandgentlybend

back,lookingupwardsandbackwards.

asyoustandup.

tobeingabletodo

eightrepetitions.

,stepwithyourleftfootbacktotheWuji

stance.

Ifyouhaveuncontrolledhighbloodpressure,don'tputyourheadbelowyour

,

movementisalsoknownas"CarryingtheMoon","NourishingtheKidneys",

"TouchtheSky,PresstheEarth",and"TouchToestoReinforceKidneys".This

ingto

TCM,thismovementstimulatesvariousmeridiansinthebody.

BouncingontheToes

8

naWujistance.

ftintoaHorstance.

nhale,placethebacksofyourhandson

yourlowerbackandraiuponyourtoes.

asyoudropbackdownonyourheelsto

gentlybounceyourwholebody.

tobeingabletodo8

repetitions.

,stepwithyourleftfootbacktotheWuji

stance.

Thismovementisalsoknownas"JoltBodytoKeepAllIllnessAway","Liftthe

Back",and"Curethe1000Illness".Thismovementwillexerciyourcalves

ingtoTraditionalChineMedicinebouncinginthismanner

stimulatestheimmunesystemandhelpsridthebodyofmanydias.

TofinishtheEightBrocades

nahorstance.

ourpalms,faceinonyourdantien,withyourthumbsatnavellevel

eqiradiateoutfromyourdantienthroughoutyourbody.

,feelthinergyradiateoutthroughyourporesandskinuntilyouare

envelopedbywarmradiantenergy.

Forafewmoremoments,continuebellybreathingasyoufeeltheqiradiatingaround

andthroughyourentirebody.