Where is the change?

[Anonymous]

Where is the change in Bagua? It certainly isn’t the hand waving or turning around and walking in the opposite direction. Sure, you have to change to do both but does anyone really think that is the art of Bagua? Here’s one way I conceive how change works in Bagua. I basically view everything as a change from yang to yin or yin to yang.

The Heaven palm is about bringing yang energy up the back out the extremities to above the head and to the periphery. The Heaven palm change is about how that yang energy changes to yin at the extremities. In particular, it is about how the upward flow starts to produce a yin downward flow.

Next, the Earth palm develops the yin downward flow. Down the front of the body into the earth below the feet. The Earth palm change is about that yin energy changing back to yang and starting the cycle over again.

The Wind palm combines Heaven and Earth. The energies of yang and yin mix. Both are happening at the same time and both the Heaven palm change and the Earth palm change (or more precisely the changes from yang to yin and yin to yang) are occurring simultaneously. But, there is something more happening. The Wind palm change is about how the yin downward energy enters the organs, glands, cavities and joints and changes to yang. The yin creates the yang. The yang creates the yin. The changing energy is so intertwined you can’t separate them. They complement each other. This is just another cycle, circle, or circulation.

The Thunder reverses the flows in the Wind palm. The channels are cleared more thoroughly and the Thunder palm change isn’t gentle like the energy of Wind. It is more abrupt and shocking. The Thunder palm is progresses deeper. It starts to enter the cells. In contrast, the Wind palm started in the organs, cavities and glands.

The Fire palm now combines both yang flows up the body. The yang energy is brought up both front and back at the same time. This causes a condensing into the central channel. The Fire palm change is the yang flows changing to a condensing yin in the core. The first four palm changes primarily develop the side channels. The Fire palm starts working with the core channel.

The Water palm is a natural result of the yang upward flows. Each of those flows are changing to yin flows. Those yin flows are now combining and creating yang expansion in the core. Things are getting more and more complex. All of the above are occurring simultaneously. Yin and yang are both present and complete. Whether you see yin or yang is more dependent on your point of view than reality. It is more dependent on your focus.

The Mountain palm represents the stillness and stability that comes from your awareness balancing of all these yang/yin combinations. I’m not sure what the change is here. Perhaps stillness to movement and movement to stillness.

You can’t get to the eighth without knowing the seventh palm change.

[Anonymous]

Thanks James,
Without you this forum would be pretty dead.

Where’s the change?

My most recent excursion into this area comes from DaoYin Bagua as explained by Andrew Nuggent-Head (just Google this to get it from the horse’s mouth).
Or the Lion’s Mouth, so to speak.
The difference between the postures “Lion Holding the Ball” and “Lion Opens the Mouth” illustrates the difference between Yin and Yang, respectively.
(See Bruce’s Posture 9: Lion Holding the Ball)

In short, Yang (qi) at the peripheries changes to Yin (blood) instantaneously.
Classic formula: the yi leads the qi, the qi leads the blood.

How does the qi get to the extremities?

On inhalation Yang (qi) is condensed in the lower Dantien, surrounded by dark Yin. See the Taiji icon.
The I-Ching trigram (gua) Kan, water, represents this with Yin below, Yang compressed in the middle, between Yin above.
Anatomically the Yin yao are the left and right Kidneys.
In between them is the MingMen–residence of qi heart Fire.

It’s as if the Yang (qi) gains velocity as it flows through a Venturi valve.

There qi is being challenged to be able to still flow in a position where it would naturally have difficulty, traveling across your Yin muscle and blood to the extremities.

The qi is guided (lured) (by the mind) to the extremities.
“Dao” in DaoYin means (guiding).

Now that you have lured the qi to your periphery with your mind and breath the blood will naturally follow with no effort spontaneously.

The change occurs instantaneously at all points on the periphery–with explosive power–fa-jing.

I think that the Heaven Palm facilites this.

For what it’s worth.

[Anonymous]

Robert,

First, thanks for introducing me to Andrew Nugent-head. I had found He Jinbao before, but not Andrew.

I’ve only watched the introduction class that was online so far. It is really helpful to here some of the Chinese thought and explanation. I’ve always struggled with Acupuncture: it just never made sense to me. I am hopeful that Andrew’s material can finally bridge the void.

It is really interesting to hear how you can describe the same thing with such a different reference and vocabulary. I also think that at a very simplistic level, you can see why I have started to see all of Tai Chi and Bagua in terms of yin and yang. In fact, I had planned to post on this when I saw your reply.

Take care,
Jim

[Anonymous]

It’s been about a year, but I just again started to listen to Bruce’s Audios on Meditation; he describes this process in terms of yin/inside/bending and yang/outside/stretching–
(Bagua Mastery – Installment 2: [Disc 5],
Intermediate Meditation: Balancing Inside and Outside).
Bruce stresses that we need to be aware of BOTH inside and outside simultaneously.

This is consistent with Andrew Nugent-Head’s description that the more you engage and work the yin/blood/flesh when stretching and opening joints,
then the more yang you become, there becomes more room for your yang, the yang pushes through with vigor.

Bruce describes this as the yin catalyzing the yang.
Each catalyzes the other, each catalyzes its opposite.

(Both He Jinbao and Andrew Nugent-Head were taught Yin Style Baguazhang by Master Xie Peiqi (1920-2003))

As far as acupuncture goes, you might check out Tom Bisio, “Bagua Circle Walking Nei Gong.”
In 2009 & 2011 Zhao Da Yuan taught Bisio how postures relate to the acupuncture meridians and the Extraordinary Vessels.
For example: the Stomach and Large Intestine meridians are strengthened while holding the “Heaven Upholding Palm.”

Opps Gotta go.

Happy New Year.

“Holding Up the Heavens”

[Anonymous]

It is so interesting that you brought this up at this time. I’ve been working on yin/yang lengthening and bend and stretch for weeks. I’ve been training to be extremely clear about separating the side channels at every joint, cavity and the three tan tiens.

I’ve also been working all of the channels (side and core) in both directions and then playing with their movement to correspond to the trigrams. So for example, fire would make all of the side channels expand out while the core channel condenses inward.

This is primarily a yang practice. You can practice it in eight directions (up, down, left, right, front, back, in, and out). It is also possible to practice the same eight directions in a completely yin fashion, but that’s another story.

There is a lot of physical movement at first. Eventually you start to get the yin and yang to balance and then you can refine the movement so there is less and less physical movement. This moves the yin and yang toward the center and produces a sense of stillness. It also makes the everything considerably more powerful.

I think what I’ve been practicing is consistent with everything you’ve described. I just found it in my rather convoluted way.

Take care and Happy New Year!

[Author]

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