Tai Chi & Qi Gong - Golden Elixir Internal Arts

10/08/2025

🥋According to many oral traditions, Bodhidharma developed the Baduanjin around the 5th century in a monastery. In the 12th century, General Yue Fei is said to have refined it to improve the health and resilience of his soldiers.

📚 However, the Health Qigong Management Center of the Chinese National Administration of Physical Culture and Sports states that its exact origins remain unknown. Illustrations discovered in a Han dynasty tomb (206 BCE – 220 CE) depict at least four movements similar to those in the modern Baduanjin.

👘 The term “brocade” refers not only to the rich silk robes worn by imperial dignitaries — symbolizing health and vitality — but also to the “silken” quality of the body’s fascia when it is supple and well-nourished through regular practice.

🌊 The Silk of the body is awakened through this practice, to nourish the Qi in deeper layers of the body, including the Channels/Meridians. This is done through a deep stretch coming from release, separating the bone and flesh (Yin Jin Jing principle)

🫀 Each move also has a specific organ system that it targets.

🫁 The first one in this clip targets the Lung/Large Intestine axis (Metal Element)
— "Draw the Bow to Shoot the Eagle"

🌏 and the Second one targets the Spleen/Stomach axis (Earth Element)
— "Separate Heaven and Earth"

09/08/2025

Song to Open and Sink

Song (release) is often mistaken for being too loose/relaxed without any substance or structure.

In fact, one needs to work many layers/levels of Song, the first being Open (Kai) and often paired with Song to Sink (Chen).

Stretching deeply with a released quality is crucial for proper Tai Chi development.

09/08/2025

Song to Open and Sink

Song (release) is often mistaken for being too loose/relaxed without any substance or structure.

In fact, one needs to work many layers/levels of Song, the first being Open (Kai) and often paired with Song to Sink (Chen).

Stretching deeply with a released quality is crucial for proper Tai Chi development.

Photo:
Cui Yishi – One of Yang Cheng-fu’s top disciples, who helped spread Yang-style Taijiquan across China.

Here you can see his Large Frame postures, wide, open and still round.

03/08/2025

LI YA XUAN (Li Ya Hsuan) (1893-1976)

Li Ya Xuan is considered to have been one of Yang Chen Fu's top students and inheritors. He left behind many photographs and notes and his work is a model for Taiji practitioners. His poses show, like his name, the attribute of elegance so often identified with Yang Family Taiji Quan.

His notes point out such key concepts as:

Not moving the limbs aimlessly but with concentrated attention.
Clearing the mind while practicing.
Holding martial intent foremost.
Feeling the Qi moving into the limbs.

His five avoidances for studying Taiji Quan were:

1. Don't study with the wrong teacher.
2. Don't doubt the teacher you choose.
3. Don't indulge in bad habits like gambling.
4. Don't practice hard Kung Fu styles at the same time.
5. Don't leave your teacher too soon, before you have the true transmission.

02/08/2025

Master Yang Cheng Fu's famous 10 essential points for Tai Chi Chuan training.

1. Xu Ling Ding Jin
Lightly suspend the crown/head to lift the Spirit/Shen — and Sink the Qi — without using force

2. Han Xiong Ba Bei
Contain the chest, raise the back
(Slightly hollow the chest — not collapsed — and gently lift the upper back to align and open the spine.)

3. Song Yao
Loosen the waist
(The waist governs the whole body — keep it relaxed and agile.)

4. Fen Xu Shi
Distinguish between empty and full
(Clearly shift weight between legs — avoid being double-weighted.)

5. Chen Jian Zhui Zhou
Sink the shoulders, drop the elbows to avoid Qi from getting stuck in the upper body

6. Yong Yi Bu Yong Li
Use intention, not brute force
(Guide movement with the mind — avoid muscular tension.)

7. Shang Xia Xiang Sui
Upper and lower follow each other

8. Nei Wai Xiang He
Inner and outer harmonize

9. Xiang Lian Bu Duan
Connected and continuous
(Movement should be unbroken — like drawing silk.)

10. D**g Zhong Qiu Jing
Seek stillness within movement
(Maintain inner calm and presence even as the body moves.)

01/08/2025

Enjoy your day, and make sure you find moments of Silence.

31/07/2025

🌿 Ginger in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
生姜 Shēng Jiāng – The Warming Root of Qi

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, fresh ginger is more than a spice — it is a powerful medicinal herb that warms, disperses, and harmonizes. Used for thousands of years, it plays a key role in restoring balance, especially in the Stomach, Spleen, and Lungs.

🔥 Thermal Nature:
Warm (not hot)
→ It dispels cold, promotes circulation, and invigorates Yang.

🌱 Flavour:
Acrid (pungent)
→ It moves Qi, opens the surface, and transforms dampness.

🏽‍⚕️ Key TCM Functions of Ginger:
1. Warms the Middle Jiao
Ginger is commonly used to treat cold in the Stomach and Spleen, which can cause:

Abdominal discomfort

Nausea

Lack of appetite

Cold limbs

→ Think ginger tea when digestion is sluggish or you feel bloated after cold/raw foods.

2. Disperses Cold and Releases the Exterior
In early stages of wind-cold invasion (common cold), ginger helps induce sweating and release pathogens from the surface.

3. Warms the Lungs & Transforms Phlegm
Ginger helps warm the Lung organ system, making it useful for:

Cold coughs with clear or white phlegm

Shortness of breath

Wheezing triggered by cold air

🍲 Common Uses in TCM:
Ginger tea for morning nausea or cold digestive Qi

Cooked with food to harmonize the effects of strong herbs or meats

Added to decoctions to protect the Stomach and prevent side effects

⚠️ Cautions:
Avoid excessive use if you have heat signs: red face, dry throat, or internal heat.

Use in moderation during summer, or when Yin is deficient.

31/07/2025

https://youtu.be/xpjrpsrtZpA?si=mRK6W8HzwljgNDfW

This is a set that I teach all my beginner students in Qi Gong — the moves are relatively simple, but the focus is on the quality of the internal conditions ...

31/07/2025

Join us for Qi Gong every Friday 10 am and 4:30 pm.

https://www.torrewellness.com/class/743766c8-b931-468a-987a-26a4c33138be

Teacher Tim
Timothée Puget

28/07/2025

🌬️ METAL: The Lungs in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Connected to the Metal Element, the Lungs govern respiration, manage the Qi of the entire body, and protect us through the Wei Qi (defensive energy).

They are connected to:

The skin and the surface of the body

The Po 魄 (Corporeal Soul) — instinct, body memory, presence

The emotion of grief and the ability to let go

The nose and sense of smell

🗣️ The Lung Healing Sound: SI (SHHIII)
In Qi Gong sound therapy, the Lung is supported by the sound “SHIII” — a soft, downward exhale that calms and clears the chest.

💨 Try this:

Inhale gently through the nose

Exhale slowly with the sound “SHIII...” feel the effect of this sound on Lungs— look inside and feel.

(Photo: "Draw the Bow to Shoot the Eagle"— a posture that clears the Lungs and Large Intestine Energy (Metal Element)

26/07/2025

🌿 Qi Gong for Health Workshop
August 16, 2025 – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

📍 Muni Co-Wellness Studio, Pasig

Join us for a half-day workshop to explore the healing power of Qi Gong. This session focuses on the Daoist practice of “Turtle Tucks Its Head” (video below). This is a deeply calming movement that nourishes the spine, kidneys, and heart.

🧘‍♂️ Includes:
Qi Gong Stretching and Zhang Zhuang (Standing practice)
“Turtle Tucks Its Head” from Dao Jia Yang Sheng Gong
Qi Gong Theory lecture and free PDF+Videos of learned material
Certification option (long term)

🎟 Now only ₱3500 ( previously ₱3800 )
✔️ Limited spots – small group, relaxed pace
📲 Register here: https://www.geia-qigong.com/workshops
Guided by Tim Puget, certified Qi Gong Instructor with 15 years of experience in Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and Meditation.

25/07/2025