Human beings are visitors of the universe and all living things are made up of energy.  The energy is the essential element to support a healthy life.  It grows inside our body but its movements are not under our control. If it becomes out of balance, a multitude of problems will arise.  If you wish to lead a harmonious life, a healthy lifestyle and appropriate exercise program must be in place.

There is an old Chinese saying “Toning up your tendons, bones and skin by external exercise” to improve your body energy and “Saving your Qi (energy) by internal exercise” to provide more supportive functions to the internal organs.  “Active Practice Method” specializes in the training of strengthening the bones and tendons and “Stillness Practice Method” emphasizes in the nourishment of Qi inside the body.  As the saying goes, “Wushu embodies Qigong, and Wushu applies Qigong in its application” clearly states how closely they are related.

The main form of exercise in Xingyi Baguazhang is walking slowly on the circle.  The movements in this exercise are simple.  It requires practitioners relax their bodies, think of “Diantien” (navel), slightly bend both legs, and combine with several standard postures to proceed with changing hand posture while walking on the circle.  Regardless of sex and age, one can practise on his own.  If you continue the practice for 5 to 15 minutes, you can achieve the effect of “Toning up your tendons, bones, and skin by external exercise”.  Thereafter, according to your health condition, adopts a sleeping, sitting, or standing posture gradually relax the body through three stages. Hold your will still and focus in the Diantien for about 15 minutes to achieve the effect of “Saving your Qi (energy) by internal exercise”.

Taichi Quan, Baguazhang, and Xingyi Quan are Chinese internal martial arts emphasize on the domination of mind (“Yi”) in their practices for strengthening physique, nourishment of mind and prolong longevity. People regardless of age and sex can practise them.  They are highly regarded as valuable and effective forms of health promotion and training exercises.

People living on earth are just like a burning lamp.  “Toning up your tendons, bones and skin by external exercise,” means help to prevent solidify, oxygenize, and exhaust burn out the oil in the lamp.  “Saving your Qi (energy) by internal exercise,” means to use your best effort to conserve energy and extend the burning process of the oil inside the lamp. 

Exercise plays an important role in one’s lifetime.  It is especially important for those who are sedentary and office workers.  The underlying principle is that due to lack of exercise, the lung cannot function to its utmost ability and atrophy of the discarded alveoli will appear. Further, a large amount of capillaries/blood vessels will face lack of blood supply, which in turn will cause weakening of the muscle and eventually lead to early declination of the function of the internal organs. The above may not be applicable to physical workers as they are already very tired after a day’s work and doing more physical exercise will cause further exhaustion to the body energy.  At this time, they need to do life enlightenment exercise, like qigong to preserve their energy.

Nowadays, people recognize that the universe is a huge magnetic field that governs the movement of all planets of the solar system.  The earth we live on is also a magnetic celestial body.  Besides sun, light, and water, electric magnetic field is also one of the surviving elements people have to rely on.  Human beings interact with the universe magnetic field and transform them into bioelectric current, an important element in regulating the physiological functions of the body.

In this modern scientific and technical world, everything has close relationship with electricity and magnetic field.  “Walking the Circle” exercise in Xingyi Baguazhang makes use of the magnetic field energy in the north and south poles to magnetize the physiological functions of the body further.  This will enable the bioelectric current in the body gradually improve the function of the circulation system; and enhance further expansion of the cells to transfer blood stored inside the body to carry out a redistribution process.  This process will gradually unclog the clogged blood vessels and those already expanded will become thicker to facilitate better blood circulation.

“Walking the Circle” exercise in Xingyi Baguazhang symbolizes a glass of turbid water.  When the cup turns, the water inside will gradually turn with the cup. When the cup spins in other direction, the water inside eventually react in the opposite direction, brushing the inner surface of the cup. If the cup stops turning, the water inside is affected by its consecutive turning action and cannot stop immediately.  When this consecutive motion stops, the water will gradually calm down leaving a clear surface with bottom full of residue and minerals. This turning phenomenon clearly supports the principles of centrifugal force and magnetism.

Baguazhang is a precious stone in Chinese martial art.  Its unique characterized turning and spinning action during “Walking the Circle” exercise experience the combination of one’s external body movement and internal tranquility under domination of mind.  This special training method can regulate and govern the nervous system to cope with the better change in the functions of the internal organs.  The change indicates a form of interaction, transmission, and circulation to the internal organs.  The combination and reciprocation of external body movement and internal tranquility can generate most of the internal organs during external body movements to achieve a better blood and “Qi” circulation to make one healthier, slow down aging process, and prolong longevity.

The turning and spinning actions in Xingyi Baguazhang “Walking the Circle” uses the body as the axis to spur the growth of the cells inside the body and improve blood circulation during exercise.  At the same time, the “Dai Mai” inside the body being affected by the turning and spinning actions will gradually coordinate, warm up, and regulate the physical function of the body.  Moreover, “Dai Mai” possesses a harmonious and governing function to the other meridian and channels.  The passage of Qi in all the other meridians and channels inside the body are vertical except “Dai Mai”, it has a horizontal circular movement.  It is situate at the tip of the 10th rib – “Zhang Men Acupoint” and through “Dai Mai Acupoint”, horizontally connected to the main meridians and channels inside the body.

It is stated in one of the old Classic Chinese Herbalist Book “the circulation of Qi inside all other meridians and channels inside the body are vertical except Dai Mai and all the side effects are left at Dai Mai.  Dai Mai will then activate its specific function to harmonize and eliminate all these defects.”  The above clearly indicates that when there is any malfunction of Dai Mai, disease starts to grow.

The external body movement (“Outer Yin Yang”  - left turn regarded as “Yang” and right turn regarded as “Yin”) can activate the movement of Dai Mai (“Inner Yin Yang” – left turn regarded as “Yin” and right turn regarded as “Yang”).  During the practice, the mind should dominate the “will” in focusing on the “Diantien” (navel) (“Yang”) and “Ming Men” (“Yin”).  The Qi at the Diantien (pre-natal Qi) and the Qi at Ming Men (post-natal Qi) are stored inside the “Jing Qi (post-natal Qi) horizontally circulates in the Dai Mai and nourished by its Qi which in turn enriched the Qi in the Diantien and Ming Men.  Under the domination of mind in doing “Reverse Breathing Method” will accelerate, the co-vibration of the Diantien and Ming Men Acupoint to generate a better circulation of the vital energy (post-heaven Qi) to different parts of the organs through the other meridians and channels.  The process will affect and reinforce the functions of the heart, liver, bladder, stomach, spleen, lungs, large and small intestines, kidneys, the three visceral cavities and urinary bladder.

When walking the bagua circle, one should raise/land the feet flatly from/on the ground with the outside foot on the circumference of the circle and the inside foot arc in so as to strengthen the supportive and absorbent function of the hip, legs, ligaments, muscles and tendons. Under the rhythmic turning and spinning actions, the joints at the legs will strengthen the muscular contraction, which will then improvise the function of the respiratory system, secretion of the spleen, the kidneys, and especially the blood circulatory system.  Most of the clogged blood vessels inside the body will gradually expand and for those already expanded will become thicker to enable a better blood circulation.  The result in the expansion of capillaries will cause swollen feeling in the palms, dorsum, waist, and legs.  Moreover, the surface of the body and limbs will become red; have a warm, and slightly burn feeling.  The expansion of the capillaries will also ameliorate many leg problems such as arthritis, varicose veins, and inflammation of shoulders.

During practice, one should erect the head, keep the neck straight, twist the waist, and sink the hip.  The waist should be the axis in order to keep your torso in a straight line thereby speeding up the co-ordination, interaction and inter transmission of the various marrows in the body.  The styles in Baguazhang hand, eye, body, step and leg movements varies a lot and requires the twisting force of the waist to assist in performing each action.  These actions will increase the speed of joining, separating, pulling, and twisting force between the spaces of the dorsal vertebra.  Further, it will enhance the expansion of the capillaries in the dorsal vertebra to generate a closed harmony of the afferent neuron, efferent neuron and relay neuron.  It further reinforces the nerves governing the movements of the bones and muscles.  Moreover, it governs the internal organs autonomic nervous system to regulate and strengthen the ability of the muscles, digestive system, and the secretion system.  It is especially benefit for those are having pre-natal Qi deficiencies, diseases caused by post-natal Qi loss, sore limbs, insomnia, frequent urination problem, and brain-fatigue (neurasthenia).  Furthermore, it helps to eliminate and harmonize various illnesses caused by the nervous system.

The various changes in the movements in Baguazhang assemble a walking dragon and a flying phoenix help to reinforce a better respiratory system.  The underlying principle is when your body is in motion; the muscles require a lot of oxygen and at the same time produce carbon dioxide.  When carbon dioxide is in excess, the respiratory nervous system will become excited and lead to a tough and fast breathing.  As Baguazhang adopts “Yin Yang Exchange Method” in its exercises, it will gradually activate the Qi in the Dai Mai.  By adopting this unique breathing technique (two steps one inhale and two steps one exhale) in the practice can help to release the excitement in the respiratory central nervous system.  Therefore, the relaxed blood vessels will be able to supply sufficient blood to the heart, increase the contraction of the heart muscle, and reinforce metabolism.  It is especially effective in preventing various kinds of heart diseases such as cerebral haemorrhage, stroke, blockage of the arteries and veins.

By adopting abdominal breathing method in the exercise will enable the lung through its self-regulating recycling process to strengthen and expand the contraction and expansion area of the diaphragm, rib muscle, and abdominal muscle.  Through this, it can impel to lengthen the lapse of each breath and escalate the workability of the lung to regulate the central nervous system in the cerebral cortex. The process will gradually ameliorate and exterminate various respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and various lung problems.

The continuous contractions and expansions of the muscles in the diaphragm, rib, and abdominal area can generate massaging effect to the liver, stomach, and intestines.  These indirectly stimulate the secretion of saliva, a desire for food, speed up intestines and bowel movements.  Moreover, it accelerates metabolism, the absorbent function of the digestive system and has a preventive and healing effect to numerous stomach problems and inflammation of the duodenum.