The Foundation
The tree is only as strong as its root.
More generally known as Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body, Fundamentals is a complete series of neigong exercises that is over 3000 years old. It is the foundation of the internal arts and it is the best place to start.
These on-going classes teach how to overcome stress-related illnesses through deep relaxation, heal chronic joint problems and build internal power and flexibility.
The Benefits of Fundamentals
- Loosens and strengthens the muscles.
- Protects the joints, improves their range of motion and heals joint injuries.
- Improves balance.
- Increases circulation and improves breathing.
- Releases and strengthens the nervous system (reduces stress).
- Heals and strengthens the internal organs.
The three exercises that are taught as Fundamentals are:
1) Standing Neigong or Zhan Zhuang – a powerful practice used by virtually all of the top internal martial arts and neigong masters to develop internal power. It will teach you to:
- Align your body correctly in order to achieve the downward flow of qi without blocking or dissipating it.
- Open, release and strengthen your energetic and nervous systems.
- Connect and integrate all the parts of your body.
2) Cloud Hands or Yun Shou – the most complete neigong movement. It contains all the essential energy elements of Tai Chi, but is much easier to learn. It will teach you to:
- Maintain all of the standing alignments and
- Connect the whole energy of your body while you are moving.
- Move in spirals by twisting your muscles and connective tissue
- Energize your internal organs and boost your immune system
“If you could only practice one single movement for health, Cloud Hands would be it.” (B.K. Frantzis, Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body, p.153.)
3) The Spinal Stretch – a technique unique to Daoist neigong and not commonly available to the public. This is the first level of spinal neigong and will teach you to:
- Open and release your individual spinal vertebrae and thus relieve spinal tension and pain.
- Open, release and strengthen the energy of your spine.
It is especially worth while for those who wish to heal injuries, manage chronic illnesses, reduce stress or considerably enhance their martial, athletic or intellectual power.