As the saying goes, "Health Qigong is the exercise to practice qi". Therefore, how to understand and learn Health Qigong from the perspective of qi? Taking "Holding the Hands High with Palms up to Regulate the Internal Organs" as the example, this paper will detailedly study its methods with the movement principle of qi from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, to explore its method connotations and exercise essentials.

First, movement knowledge of qi

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the movement of qi is called qi movement, which is the source of the development and change of all things in nature. The four words, namely ascending, descending, exiting and entering, have been used to explain the movement rule and specific manifestations of qi by the ancients. Ascending means that qi moves upward, descending means that qi moves downward, exiting means that qi moves outward, and entering means that qi moves inward. In the course of life, ascending, descending, exiting and entering are the law of gasification movements of human body, which is the embodiment of life activities. Ascending, descending, exiting and entering reinforce each other, oppose each other and yet also complement each other, completing the gasification process between the inside of human body and the external environment together. Ascend yang qi, descend yin qi, exhale foul smell, and inhale fresh air. Ascending and descending focus on the convolution of internal qi and the internal gasification process. Exiting and entering focus on the connection of internal qi and external qi, and the exchange of material between human body and external environment. Ascending, descending, exiting and entering contact the internal organs, skin, head, face and bones, which can be implemented without coming into conflict. Various phenomena of nature and life processes are all performances of upward-downward and outward-inward activities of qi.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the life activity of human body depends on the ascending, descending, exiting and entering of qi, such as respiration, digestion and absorption, body fluid metabolism, and qi and blood circulation are the results of upward-downward and outward-inward activities of qi movement of the internal organs. Then what is movement rule of qi movement of the internal organs? Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the upward-downward and outward-inward functional activities of qi can only be definitely manifested through the physiological activity of internal organs and meridians. The law mainly reflects on the mutual relations of yin and yang. In general, the five internal organs are in charge of storing essence, which are appropriate for ascending. And the six hollow organs are in charge of transformation and absorption, which are appropriate for descending. In terms of the five internal organs, heart and lungs are in the upper part, which are appropriate for ascending. Liver and kidneys are in the lower part, which are appropriate for descending. And spleen is in the middle, connecting the upper part and lower part, which is the hub of ascending and descending. The roads of yin and yang are on the left and right sides of body. Liver governs growth, ascending in the left, and lung governs purification, descending in the right, which are the roads of ascending and ascending of qi movement. Although the six hollow organs are mainly in charge of transformation and absorption, which is appropriate for descending, it also absorbs essence of water and grain, and body fluid in the process of digestion and excretion. For example, the gallbladder discharges bile, stomach digests food, small intestine separates pure and turbid, and large intestine governs body fluid, etc. It is obvious that the qi movement of six hollow organs is combining descending and ascending. Not only the internal organs and hollow organs are in the unity of ascending and descending, but each organ itself is also in the unity of ascending and descending, namely ascending and descending implied in ascending and descending. In short, the ascending and descending of qi movement of internal organs have reflected the movement characteristics of yin and yang, that is, extreme ascending begets descending, extreme descending begets ascending, and combining ascending and descending.

The human body is a complete unity. The ascending and descending movements of organs and tissues not only complete their metabolism, but also restrain each other, jointly achieving the metabolism of body, to ensure constant self-renewal of basic materials of the life activity. If there are no ascending, descending, exiting and entering of qi in human body, the life is over. Therefore, ascending, descending, exiting and entering have always been present in the life process, which are the highly condensed summary of the life law.

The movement arrangements of Health Qigong are consistent with the law of the ascending, descending, exiting and entering of qi in human life, and the mechanism of actions is to allow the actions to conform to the qi movement of human, so that the circulation of qi is more natural and smooth, thus enhancing the functions of internal organs and improving the life quality of human body.

(By Cui Jian)