Hu Yaozhen Nei Gong and Feng Zhiqiang Hunyuan Qigong

Hu Yao Zhen Important Points on Nei Gong and Five Animal Play (Wu Qin Shu):
The text below forms Hu Yao Zhen’s introduction to the Five Animal Play. However, it is essentially a discussion of important
points relating to Nei Gong in general, particularly exercises involving standing like Zhan Zhuang and holding San Ti Shi. The text
has many parallels with my own discussions with my Xing Yi school brother, Master Song Zhi Yong, regarding spontaneous
movement as it appears in the Xing Yi Quan practices of Tu Na Si Ba and San Ti Shi. I think it will be of interest to practitioners of
both Nei Gong and Xing Yi.
Translation from the French by Tom Bisio.

About Hu Yao Zhen

Hu Yao Zhen (1897-1973) was a master of Xing Yi Quan who was also well versed in acupuncture, Chinese medicine
and various kinds of Nei Gong. He studied martial arts in his youth, first learning Xing Yi Quan from Peng Tin Guan,
Mu Xiu Yi, and later Tai Ji Quan from Zhang Qing Lin (Yang Cheng Fu’s nephew). Hu studied Daoism, Neigong, Liu He
Xin Yi Quan, and Hua Tue Wu Qin Shu with Daoist master Peng Ting Jun. He also studied Xing Yi Quan, and Shou
Dong Chen Ji Quan Pu from Dai Wen Jun in in Shanxi Province. He then studied Buddhist Gong Fa and Zhuang Zhi
Tu Na Fa from the Buddhist monk Li Hong at Chong Shan Temple in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province.
Hu practiced and taught martial arts and Chinese medicine for several decades. He combined elements of Buddhism,
Daoism, martial arts, and Chinese medicine Hu was the author of Qigong Practice Method for Health and other books.
He shared his unique Qi Gong method in clinical practice to benefit the general public. Hu’s clinical results with Qi
Gong were well known in Beijing, and his method was recognized and was widely promoted by the Chinese
government in the late 1950’s and 60s.
Introduction to Nei Gong and Five Animal Play
The sequence of Five Animal Play exercises requires prior training in Nei Gong. When one attains a certain level of
Nei Gong, the body can move spontaneously. Then one can begin to practice Five Animal Play. After having learned
the basics of Nei Gong, you can practice the attitudes and movements of the five animals. When performing the
movements, you must achieve unity of body and spirit. Use the mind, rather than physical strength. Calm must prevail;
do not hurry. The natural prevails; do not force things. In this manner, you make the body and the joints supple, relax
the internal parts of your body, relax your muscles and nerves, transform Grain Qi, and prevent disease from
occurring.
The movements in the sequence of the Five Animal Play have no limitations. Simply strive to imitate the movements of
the five animals in accordance with the Mind-Intention. However, to facilitate your learning, I present ten basic postures
that you can refer to during your practice. Even if you do not practice Nei Gong and perform only those few
movements, you will still receive positive benefits.
The duration of Nei Gong practice varies from one person to another. Do not expect to obtain quick results. In general,
after the exercises, you will feel relaxed and full of energy. Given that the state of health differs from one person to
another, the interpretation of the important points of Nei Gong will not be the same. If you feel unwell during the
exercises, you must stop practice. You can either perform just the movements or practice Nei Gong and Wai Gong
(External Exercise) simultaneously to avoid any risk of error. If you perform the movements without the basics of Nei
Gong and only imitate the attitudes and movements of five animals, focus on the Middle Dantian (Zhong Dantian).
Practice in a natural and relaxed fashion. It is not required to combine the movements of the animals with Nei Gong,
as your health will still be improved.
The principle characteristic of this Nei Gong is to simultaneously combine stillness and movement. To a large
degree, this means to look for movement in stillness. Therefore, during practice, you must progress through stages.
You should not be in a hurry to succeed and should not look for certain reactions. When breathing or moving, you
must allow yourself to be spontaneous. Do not be too hard on yourself in avoiding mistakes, as this can harm your
health.
The other characteristic of this Nei Gong is to free yourself from breathing through the nose and mouth. Do not
interfere with the breath more than is necessary and instead concentrate on the apertures. The principal apertures
(Qiao) or cavities (Xue) [2] on which you must concentrate are Zhong Dantian (Navel), Jia Ji (under the 12th thoracic
vertebrae), and Ming Men. In general, when one talks about Dantian, it refers to Middle Dantian (Zhong Dantian).
Roughly speaking, we can divide the “Breath” (Qi) of Qi Gong into two categories. First, the breath of respiration
through the nose and mouth, which is called Post Heaven Qi (Hou Tian Qi). Secondly, there is the “Breath” (Qi) which
is transmitted to us when we are inside the body of our mother. It is called Pre-Heaven Qi (Xian Tian Qi), or
Original Qi (Yuan Qi). You should most especially not pay attention to the breathing (inspiration and expiration) that

 takes place through the nose and mouth. Instead, when you employ the Pre-Heaven Breath (Pre-Heaven Qi), it is as
though you have the sensation of “breathing” in the apertures and cavities (Qiao and Xue) on which you focus.
Furthermore, upon reaching a certain level, your body may begin to move spontaneously.
In this book, one is not concerned with breathing through the nose and mouth, but with the Pre-Heaven “Breath” (Qi). It
is not the action of breathing through the nose and mouth, but the respiration of the orifices. You should not confuse
the two and should clearly distinguish between them. It is different from ordinary breathing and beneficial to health.
Concerning breathing through the nose and mouth, you should not pay attention to them (one should breathe
naturally). In order to achieve true natural breathing and to avoid an risk of error, one should not pay attention to it
(nose and mouth breathing).
According to the explanations of the ancestors, the Upper Dantian (Shang Dantian) is located between the two eyes. It
corresponds to the Heart-Mind (Xin). The navel is the Middle Dantian (Zhong Dantian). It corresponds to the Intention
(Yi). During the exercises, the eyes are half closed and observe the Middle Dantian. This is called “Interior Vision” (内
视 Nei Shi) or “Vision of the Spirit” (神视 Shen Shi). With Nei Shi you can then unify the Heart-Mind (Xin) and the
Intention (Yi), the Intention and the Qi, and the Qi and physical force (Li), and thus activate the Pre-Heaven Breath
(Qi). Nei Shi is often mentioned in this book. The meaning of this term, which we will not return to is as follows. Nei
Gong must first be implemented from static training (without a time limit) [2]. After reaching a certain level in the static
work, the limbs of the body may move. As soon as they begin to move, there can be no question of suddenly
interrupting exercise, because you then disrupt your body. This is a mistake. On this point you must be vigilant.

Hu Yao Zhen’s Important Points on Nei Gong and the Five Animal Play (Wu Qin Shu) Part II
“First x the Heart-Mind. When the Heart-Mind is xed, the Spirit (Shen) condenses. When the Shen condenses, the
Heart-Mind becomes still. When the Heart-Mind is still, you are calm. When you are calm, you do not intervene (Wu
Wei).[1] When you don’t intervene, the Qi circulates. When the Qi circulates, you move.”
These are some of the oral formulas that must be memorized by heart when one practices the basic exercises.
Specifically, here is the method of training:
1.Before the exercises, loosen your clothing and your belt, take care of any bodily needs and rest for a moment.
Once you have xed your Heart-Mind, sit on a chair or remain standing. The environment should be peaceful and
the room should be well ventilated
2.The posture, whether sitting or standing, must be natural and comfortable. After you are in position, sense that
your Heart-Mind is calm, that the Qi is harmonious and that your breathing is even and regular. Look inside the
Middle Dantian (Navel), listen to it and imagine it. Do not pay attention to the breathing through the nose or mouth.
Bring the breathing of the nose and mouth to the Middle Dantian. Gently close the eyes and concentrate your
intention on the Middle Dantian
3.Once the Heart-Mind is xed, “inhale” the Qi of the Middle Dantian towards Mingmen. Inhale until you feel the
joining of the Qi of these two zones. When you can no longer “inhale”, wait until the Dantian naturally “exhales”
the Qi toward the front. Then inhale the Qi again naturally toward the back. So sometimes the Dantian exhales,
sometimes it inhales: this is “Dantian Breathing.” You must conform to the natural respiration of the Dantian, and
you must especially not pay too much attention to the belly as it in ates and de ates. You do not need to
coordinate Dantian breathing with the breathing of the nose and mouth
4.If the Dantian does not breathe, you should not make it breathe using the intention, nor should you direct it by
using the respiration of the mouth and nose. Just watch it [the Dantian]. If you stand or sit for a long time, observe
it for a long time. Forget the breathing of nose and mouth
5.When you are able to observe like this for a certain amount of time, your body begins to move unconsciously.
After the body is set in motion, your intention must always observe the Dantian. If the body wants to move in such
a way, then it will move in such a way. Don’t use the Intention. Don’t attend to the movement and don’t attempt to
prevent it
6.If after 30 to 60 minutes of spontaneous movement you wish to stop the exercise, say to yourself: “I am not going
to exercise more”, and at the same time stop observing the Dantian. Stop the exercise gently. You absolutely must
not interrupt the exercise forcefully or abruptly. Sometimes after a period of practice, the exercise stops
spontaneously
7.The movements may constantly change, but you must not forget to observe especially Dantian
8.In certain individuals with different physical constitutions, it is possible that spontaneous movements will never be
triggered, even after a long practice of basic exercises. If the movements do not come, do not be impatient and do
not move intentionally in imitation of others. Do not forcefully seek movement
9.If after long-term practice, the spontaneous movements are not triggered, you can also practice the Five Animal
Play and use the Intention to observe Dantian. This depends upon the individual
10.The physical constitution, age and the life conditions of each person are different. For certain individuals, the
hands are the rst to move. For others it is the legs or the head. It depends on the individual
11.If the movements are incessant, don’t be afraid. Do not suddenly stop the exercise. At the moment you want to
stop, say several times: “I am stopping. I will not move anymore.” If after the triggered motion, you roll on the oor,
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 you say to yourself: “Make me get up. Rolling on the oor is making my clothes dirty.” If the movements accelerate
more and more, you can say to yourself several times: “Slow down. It is too rapid, I can’t maintain this.” This
suggestion will make you gently slow down
12.After focusing on Dantian and beginning to move, the rst movements may be somewhat violent and change
uncontrollably. However, during the exercise, you can control these movements. The movements can follow
mental activity. If you want to go fast, you will go faster. If you want to go slower, you will go slower. If you want to
move, then you move. If you do not move, then you can concentrate and practice the exercise called “Standing
Stake” (Zhan Zhuang Gong)
13.During the exercise, there may be phenomena such as aching, tingling, a sensation of swelling, heat, itching or
sweating. These are normal reactions and you should not be apprehensive or afraid of them
14.During the exercises avoid experiencing strong emotions such as anger or melancholy. You should also lead a
moderate life, particularly in the area of sexual activity
15.Once the movements stop, close the exercise. In order to do this, men must imagine the Qi goes to the right,
beginning from a point at the top left of the navel and making 36 counterclockwise, centrifugal (outward moving)
circles around the navel (Middle Dantian). Then return in the opposite direction (clockwise) by making 24
centripetal (inward moving) circles. Gather Qi in the Middle Dantian. The direction of rotation for women is against
is the opposite to that of men. These circles are employed in order to collect Qi, and to avoid dispersion of Qi.

16.After closing the exercise, rub your hands together until they become warm. Then rub your face and head
17.During the exercise, be determined and persistent. Practice consistently one or two times daily for about 1 hour
18.Do not exercise before a meal or in the half-hour just following a meal
19.When practicing Five Animal Play, the mind must enter into a state of tranquility. Chase away the various
thoughts. Sublimating the Spirit and nourishing the Qi are the two main objectives. In standing, guide
the Qi through Intention and use the respiration of the Upper, Middle and Lower Dantian in order to coordinate
them. Activate the body movements and make your movements merge with the appearance of Five Animals.
Simultaneously, based on the sensations triggered by your body, purify the Spirit and the Qi so that the
Intention, Qi and body are closely linked. This will enable you to transform Essence (Jing), sublimate the Spirit,
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 and turn the Spirit back to sublimate emptiness. Practitioners of old felt that to fully understand the Five Animal
Play, one had to learn through one’s own experience. “If there is emptiness, there awakening; if there is
awakening, then there is circulation; if there is circulation, there is change, if there is change, then there is
transformation; if there is transformation, there is emptiness; if there is emptiness, then there is
Transcendence.” This means that after entering completely into a state of tranquility, the brain is more alert, and
the Intention and Qi circulate more freely in the interior of the body. Under the direction of the Intention and Qi, the
body moves spontaneously and transforms. Conversely, the more it changes, the more the brain becomes calm
and empty. Reciprocally, the body movements appear to be light, more exible and more natural. In view of this
explanation, Five Animal Play is not simply a technique of Chinese Boxing. The movements must combine with the
Intention and Qi. Only then will the muscles and nerves relax, the joints release and unbind, the circulation of the
blood be unencumbered, and the body be strengthened and protected from disease
20.Generally speaking, Five Animal Play is divided into three steps. The rst step is to imitate the movements, so
that they conform to the postures. The second step is to assimilate the postures and characteristics of each
animal, and learn the movements by heart. The third step is to conserve the Spirit and nourish the Qi,
accumulate Jing, and gather the Spirit, setting the body in motion through Intention. After entering into a state of
calm, the mind focuses on the ori ces. First sublimate the Qi, then think of each posture. Just thinking
spontaneously triggers the movements
21.There is no established order for Five Animal Play. You can decide to practice any of the postures and animals.

[1] 窍 Qiao: means aperture, hole, orifice, opening, key (to a problem); ⽳ Xue: means cavity, cave, acu-point. These
openings correspond to the areas of the body through which breath and Qi pass, which should be open and
unblocked.
[2] 静功 Jing Gong: Static Training or Training Stillness – Standing (Zhan Zhuang) or sitting training using the interior
vision.

[1] 無爲 Wu Wei (non-action) does not actually mean doing nothing at all. It does not signify the complete absence of
activity, but rather not overdoing – doing less, and acting without artificiality or arbitrariness.[1] Wu Wei also implies the
performance of actions which are “non-coercive.” That is, it is the absence of actions which interfere with one’s De (the
power, potential or focus of things within one’s sphere of influence). This implies a knowing that is without fixed rules or
principles and desiring without seeking to possess or control.

HUNYUAN QIGONG: TRACING LIFE TO ITS ROOT

©2007 KENNETH S. COHEN
Early draft published in the Dragon's Mouth (Spring 2000), Journal of the British Taoist Association and this revision in The Empty Vessel (Winter
2008)

The Philosophy
Hunyuan is an ancient, central concept of Daoist philosophy and meditation practice. Hun means undifferentiated unity, the state of mind and being
that occurs when one does not divide the world into concepts. In other words, hun is equivalent to inner silence. Yuan means origin or original. The
importance of Yuan is attested by the fact that it is the opening word of Qian, the first chapter of the Yi Jing (The Classic of Change). "Original [Yuan],
Penetrating [Heng], Auspicious [Li], Correct [Zhen]." This mantric phrase may be interpreted as four stages in the creation or evolution of an idea or
phenomenon; or it may represent the four seasons.

Yuan is the root or antecedent of any action. It is the creative spark or impulse, like a seed planted in Spring which is just ready to sprout. Heng is the
Summer, and represents germination and development. The character heng originally meant a sacrificial cup used to make offerings to the Gods.
Most commentators explain heng as tong, penetrating or reaching to the Gods. Li means to cut grain, to harvest or reap the benefits of what was
grown. It is thus the Autumn season. Zhen, which originally included the character for tripod means steady and correct. It also means divination. Zhen
is the winter season, when the energies of life retreat back into the ground and people return from the fields to their homes. The spark of yang is
hidden in the yin. Winter is a time for inner work rather than outer work, a time to perfect one's character and prepare for the coming year by
consulting oracles.

The character yuan was originally a composite of shang the word "above" with ren, the word "person." Hence, yuan means the upper part of a
person's body, the head, or, as we say in English to go ahead, to be first. Interestingly, the Chinese character Dao also contains an element that
means both head and first, shou. One of my Daoist teachers, the late B. P. Chan, defined Dao as "the path to the origin." We could also interpret this
as returning to the origin. When the body Returns to the Origin, it renews itself with the energy of life, the all pervading qi of the universe. It becomes
like an uncarved block of wood-- the Daoist symbol of a person uncorrupted by the stresses and worries of life. As Lao Zi says, "See the unbleached
silk, embrace the uncarved block; reduce selfishness, lessen desire." (When the mind Returns to the Origin, it becomes simple and pure like a
newborn babe, able to perceive the world with a fresh innocence.)



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 Hun with yuan becomes the concept Hunyuan, the Primordial State of Being. The term is synonymous with the word Dao itself and also with Taiji (the
Undifferentiated, as in Taiji Quan, a martial art and healing art that blends yin and yang, suppleness with strength). Philosophy and personal cultivation
are not separate categories in Daoist thought. Thus, Hunyuan is the Primal Being (God) or Beingness that both precedes and underlies all creation. It
is also the spiritual state of a person who practices Daoist meditation. That is, a meditator's goal is to become Hunyuan. We see evidence of this in the
two classic terms for Daoist meditation: xin zhai and zuo wang:
•Xin Zhai, "the fasting of the mind" --the body fasts and is refreshed when it doesn't eat; the mind fasts and is refreshed when it doesn't
think (Or as my old friend Alan Watts used to say, "If you are always thinking, you have nothing to think about except thoughts! There needs
to be a break for experience.")
•Zuo Wang, "sitting and forgetting," an old term found in the Daoist Zhang Zi classic: the mind forgets judgment and worries and returns to
a state of peace and clarity

We find references to Hunyuan throughout Daoist literature. Zhang Boduan (983-1082), founder of the Complete Reality (Quan Zhen) sect of Daoism,
learned "the Dao of Hunyuan". Lao Zi, the founder of Daoist philosophy was known as Hunyuan Sheng, the Sage of the Primordial. (A famous
biography of Lao Zi written in 1191 A.D. is titled Hunyuan Shengji, Chronicle of the Sage of the Primordial.) Lao Zi's Dao De Jing is still the most
important source for information about the philosophy of Hunyuan.

Dao De Jing, Chapter 25

There was something formed by the Primordial (hun)

Born before Heaven and Earth
So silent, so formless! It stands alone and unchanging
It circulates and revolves throughout the Cosmos, without tiring
We can consider it the mother of all under Heaven
I do not know its name, but I designate it "Dao"

Dao De Jing, Chapter 42

The Dao [the primordial] gave birth to the concept of One

The One gave birth to the Two (Yin and Yang)
The Two gave birth to the Three (Yin, Yang, and Qi)
The Three gave birth to all things.
All things have yin on their backs
And yang embraced within
They blend with the Qi to find harmony.

My Commentary: The Hunyuan, also designated Dao, creates Two, a polarity of complementary opposites known as Yin and Yang. Two creates
Three: Yang forms the heavens, Yin forms the earth; and Qi creates life. The three could also be considered Heaven, Earth, and Human, the famous
trinity of Chinese philosophy. The interactions between the Three create all things. Thus, all beings have yang and yin aspects: front and back, inside
and outside, positive and negative, light and shadow, obvious and hidden, masculine and feminine, and so on. When a human being wishes to
commune with the Hunyuan, he or she has only to center the mind on Qi, the energy of life.

What is the meaning of "blend with the Qi"? To understand this phrase we need to grasp a basic principle of Daoist qigong exercises and meditations.
The Yang of Heaven or shen exists in the body as the light of the eyes. Normally the light of the eyes rises like fire and moves outward towards things,
"illuminating" them and bringing them into awareness. In qigong meditation, the eyes turn inward to observe the microcosm.

The Yin of Earth exists in the body as sexual vitality. In everyday life, it is natural that this energy seek expression; it flows down like water, toward
earthly objects of desire. In qigong meditation, the yin sexual vitality is withdrawn; it is made to physically rise into the lower dan tian by a special
breathing practice. This is sometimes called "The Yellow River reverses its course." Sexual passion becomes a passion for spiritual growth, the power
of perseverance and dedication. Thus Yang and Yin join, fire and water meet. When fire and water meet, they create steam. This steam, representing
the unity of opposites, is the Qi, a Chinese character that shows steam rising from cooking rice.

The meaning of "blend with the qi" may be summarized as follows: In Daoist metaphysics the one creates the many. In Daoist meditation, the many
returns to the one or to the Primordial. As Lao Zi says in chapter 40, "Returning is the movement of the Dao."
Similar themes are found in Zhuang Zi .

Zhuang Zi, Chapter 7

the story of Mr./Ms. Hundun , a personification of Hunyuan

The Lord of the Southern Ocean was bright Yang. The Lord of the Northern Ocean was dark Yin. The Lord of the Center was Hundun. Yang and Yin
loved to meet at Hudun's home.

According to the story, Hundun was very hospitable to Yang and Yin, and to return the favor, Yang and Yin offered to drill seven holes in Hundun so
that, like humans, he/she could see, hear, breathe, and eat. Each day they drilled an opening. One day a mouth, one day an ear, and so on. On the
seventh day, as they completed their task, Hundun died.

My Commentary: If we are too much concerned with the world, qi leaks out, and, drained of life energy, we die. This is the meaning of the phrase: "if
you let it flow, you die; if you reverse the current, you become an Immortal." The senses are wonderful gifts, but they are tyrants if we lose the center,
the Primordial foundation of being. A person who is aware of the center acts in a centered way. Lao Zi says in chapter 47, "Without going out the door,
you can know the world." The doors are the senses, the gateways of perception. We can paraphrase this sentence: "You can understand reality more
deeply if you do not lose yourself in sensation and thinking."

Primordial Soup Anyone?

Hunyuan, Hundun, and Taiji may all be translated "Chaos," because they suggest a primal "soup" in which individual things cannot be distinguished.
According to A. C. Graham's translation of Zhuang Zi, "In Chinese cosmology, the primordial is not a chaos reduced to order by imposed law, it is a
blend of everything rolled up together; the word is reduplicative of the type of English 'hotchpotch' and 'rolypoly'..." (Chuang Tzu: The Inner Chapters,
p. 99).















 At Chinese restaurants people routinely enjoy a manifestation of the Primordial in a most mundane form, hundun soup (Cantonese pronunciation:
wonton soup)! This is the same hundun that we have been discussing. Here it means both Primordial and Dumplings. There is a proverb in Beijing
that states that at winter solstice one should eat hundun soup. At winter solstice, the dark yin is exactly balanced with the light yang; as solstice
passes yang is once more on the ascendancy, and the nights grow shorter. In the microcosm, we harmonize with the seasonal change by drinking/
eating hundun soup, in which a variety of indistinguishable ingredients are cooked into the broth, and to more directly symbolize the Primordial itself,
amorphous dumplings (the hundun or wontons) contain a mixture of minced ingredients. Professor N.J. Girardot writes in his inspiring work Myth and
Meaning in Early Daoism, "Wonton dumplings, lumpy and wrinkled, contain the basic elements for life. They float across a primordial sea waiting for
their sacrificial and consumptive contribution to the continuation of the human world of alimentation." (p.30)

A similar ingestion of the Primordial occurred in ancient China around the time of the summer solstice, the period when yin and yang are again
balanced. In southern China, it was customary to drink owl broth on the fifth or fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month (June). The owl was the creature of
hundun and the night, the time of day when forms become indistinct. The number five and fifteen also have significance here. According to Daoist
numerology, five represents the combination of yin (2) and yang (3). Fifteen represents the numerical sum of the energy of the five major organs and
is thus the primal or embryonic state from which life emerges and to which it returns.

However, the preferred way for Daoists to enter the Primordial is neither through the digestive tract nor through philosophical inquiry. Rather, they
practice ways of meditatively returning to the Primordial. They plumb the depths of their minds, bodies, and Being itself through qigong practice.

The Practice

Hunyuan Gong, Primordial Qigong, is a system of twelve meditative exercises, generally attributed to the famous Daoist priest Hu Yaozhen
(1879-1973) and his disciple, Chen Style Taiji Quan Master Feng Zhiqiang. Feng studied with Hu for approximately nine years. I learned this system
originally from one of Master Feng's senior Taiji Quan and Qigong students, Madame Gao Fu (1916-2005) and also from Master Feng himself.

Hu was equally versed in Daoism, martial arts (specializing in Liu He Xinyi), and Chinese medicine. Hu's Daoist training came primarlily from Peng
Tingjun, a disciple of Shanxi Province Daoist Priest Huo Chengguang. Hu was also a student of Zhang Qinlin (born 1887), another Daoist and martial
artist, who had been initiated into the Golden Elixir School of Daoism under Daoist Zuo Laipeng and trained in Yang Style Taiji Quan with Yang
Jianhou (1843-1917). In 1959, when Hu was 80 years old, he added a new technique to his repertoire, reporting that he studied Taiji Ruler with Zhao
Zhongdao, then age 114! (Zhao passed on four years later).

Among Hu Yaozhen's famous writings are Wu Qin Xi "The Five Animal Frolics," written in 1963 (a system he learned from Peng Tingjun) and Qigong
Ji Bao Jian Gong "Qigong and Health Preservation Training" (1959). The latter work, reissued as Bao Jian Qigong "Preserving Health Qigong,"
includes instruction in classical qigong systems, including Standing Post (Zhan Zhuang), Self-Massage (An Mo Gong), Qi Circulation (Zhou Tian
Gong), Muscle-Tendon Transformation (Yi Jin Jing), Twenty Movements for Dispelling Disease and Lengthening Life (Que Bing Yan Nian Er Shi Shi),
as well as advice on eating, sleeping, and spiritual cultivation .

I once met a Wudang Sect Daoist priest who showed me a series of exericses, which he also called "Hunyuan Gong," nearly identical to what I had
learned from Madame Gao. He stated that these exercises were part of his Daoist training on Mount Wudang. Thus, Primordial Qigong may be far
older than Hu Yaozhen or his personal teachers. At the same time, it could be considered far more recent. Qigong, like other Chinese healing and
spiritual arts, changes, evolves, and often improves over time. Feng Zhiqiang expanded on Hu's teachings, combining his lifetime of experience and
research into a system he calls Taiji Hunyuan Nei Gong (Undifferentiated Primordial Inner Work) or Primordial Qigong for short. In 1998, Master Feng
published details of his system in Chen Shi Xinyi Hun Yuan Taiji Quan Jiao Cheng "Chen Style Mind-Intent Primordial Taiji Quan Instruction
Manual" (Qingdao Publishing Company).

After practicing various qigong styles for more than 40 years, I consider Primordial Qigong to be one of the most powerful and comprehensive
methods I have ever studied. Like other qigong systems, it focuses on well being and longevity, correcting all sorts of imbalance, whether the body is
too yang (as in autoimmune disease or inflammatory conditions) or too yin (as in immune deficiency conditions or depletion). From my experience
teaching many students and physician-referred clients, Primordial Qigong has the most dramatic effect on cancer. Several years ago a Boulder,
Colorado-based radio station interviewed several students who had recently completed an eight week "Primordial Qigong" series with me. One
reported complete remission from Stage 4 Breast Cancer and admitted to the radio journalist that she had not expected to even live to the end of the
course. Another reported a 25% decrease in the strength of her eyeglass prescription. Other students noted a general improvement in energy and
well-being.

Primordial Qigong has three roots, reflecting the three major facets of qigong: martial arts conditioning, health, and Daoist spiritual cultivation.

1.Feng's version of Primordial Qigong may be practiced as part of martial arts training (wu gong ) because it includes Chen Style Taiji Quan
principles and skills. Master Feng relates movements in Primordial Qigong to the Thirteen Postures (fundamental postures and skills in Taiji
Quan) and to various Taiji principles such as zhong ding "central equilibrium," xu ling "empty and alert," and song chen "relaxed and sunk."
The connection between Taiji Quan and the philosophy of the Primordial has a historical precedent. We know that the founder of Chen
style, Chen Wangting, was interested in the concept of the Primordial because he studied the classic of Daoist meditation, the Yellow Court
Canon (Huang Ting Jing, also translated "The Gold Pavilion Classic"). He wrote, "At present, I am old and nearing the last breaths of my
life. My only remaining companion is the Yellow Court Canon." The Yellow Court Canon probably inspired Chen to incorporate Daoist
principles of meditation and alchemy into Taiji Quan. The Yellow Court Canon is the earliest source of the term dan tian, the elixir field of
vital energy in the abdomen, an important concept in modern Taiji Quan training.

2.Primordial Qigong is a method of healing qigong (yi gong). Among the many benefits of Primordial Qigong, Master Feng includes:
1.improving the function of the respiratory system, digestive system, circulatory system, and nervouse system
2.strengthening the internal organs
3.increasing elimination of toxins
4.clearing the acupuncture meridians

3.Primordial Qigong also belongs to the Daoist qigong (dao gong) category because it incorporates concepts and practices from Daoism,
such as xing ming shuang xiu "body and spirit cultivated in balance," shui huo xiang jiao "fire and water meet," and lian dan "cultivating the
elixir." Like Chen Style Taiji Quan, Primordial Qigong emphasizes learning how to concentrate on the dan tian (and how to turn the dan tian
to generate movement). External movement is always accompanied by internal movement, and for this reason Primordial Qigong may be
considered "inner work". To a large extent, the dan tian is the hunyuan. It is the place in the body where yin and yang, hun (yang soul)
and po (yin soul) and the three treasures (jing, qi, and shen; essence, breath, and spirit) are harmonized and unified. Primordial Qigong is
Daoist meditation in action.







 One of the most interesting aspects of Primordial Qigong is that it can, according to master Feng's book, "strengthen the prenatal primordial qi." I was
happy to see that Master Feng agrees with a theory that I proposed on page 33 of my book The Way of Qigong-- original or constitutional qi is not
fixed at birth, as is often claimed in Chinese medicine; rather, it can be strengthened and increased through qigong practice. According to Chinese
medicine, we have three major sources of qi: air, food, and our ancestors. First, we can absorb qi from the environment, primarily as air, but also as
light and the energy of nature. From a scientific perspective, the earth's natural electromagnetic field helps to maintain biological cycles, including the
release of hormones that control the need for sleep and food. A person who spends more time in nature is naturally healthier. Second, we absorb qi
from food. Thus, diet is a major facet of Chinese medicine and qigong, and many ancient Chinese dietary theories are now confirmed by western
nutritional science. Third, we inherit qi from our parents and ancestors. This is called "original or constitutional qi".

Practitioners of Chinese and western medicine agree that we can improve our health by paying attention to breathing, exercise, and diet. However,
they also claim that our genetic inheritance and thus our basic constitution cannot be changed. A child who is born with weak original qi is destined to
disease susceptibility. Our biology shapes our destiny. Daoism takes a different viewpoint. We inherit original qi not only from our ancestors, but also
from the universe We cannot change our ancestors, but we can change our relationship to Heaven and Earth. Primordial Qigong exercises and
meditations teach the student to blend the subtle qi of the universe with the denser qi within the body, "like fog blending with dew," as Madame Gao Fu
once explained to me. The practitioner creates a fluid boundary between inside and outside and learns to tap into an infinite well of Healing Power. Not
only does the body's original qi increase; ultimately, the practitioner becomes one with the Primordial, the spirit and healing power of all that is.