Da Mo’s “Yi Gin Ching” Chi Kung
Da Mo whose last name was Sardili, and who was also know as Bodhidarma. Da Mo was a prince of a small tribe in southern India. It was believed he was born bout 483 A.D. At that time India was considered a spiritual center by the Chinese. Many of the Chinese emperors invited Indian priests to come to China to preach. Da Mo was one of them.
Da Mo was invited to teach at the Shaolin Temple in Henan province on the Shao Shih peak of Sonn Mountain in Teng Fon Hsien.
When Da Mo arrived at the temple, he saw that the monks were generally in poor physical condition because of their lack of exercise. He was so distressed by the situation that he retired to meditate on the problem, and stayed in retirement for nine years, during that time he wrote the book Yi Gin ching (Book of Muscle Development). Da Mo continued to live in the Shaolin Temple until his death in 540 A.D. at the age of 57.
For more than 1400 years the monks of the Shaolin Temple have trained using the DA Mo Wai Dan (Chi Kung ) exercises. These exercises used to be secret and they have only started to become popularly known and used by the Chinese people in the twentieth century. They are now being use by the Chinese military.
These exercises are easy and their benefits are experienced in a short time. The Shaolin monks practice these exercises not just to circulate Chi and improve their health, but also to build their internal power by concentrating Chi to affect the appropriate muscles. There are 12 movements to the Da Mo’s style Chi Kung. The concentration of the mind on the area being exercised and on the breath is the key to successful practice of this exercise. Without this concentration the original goal of Chi circulation will be lost and the exercise will be in vain.
For the die hard athlete, they would practice each form 50 times. A repetition consists of inhaling while relaxing the muscle or limb and exhaling while imagining that you are tightening the muscle and imagining energy flowing to that area. The muscles should be slightly tensed. After 50 repetitions they begin the next form in sequence without stopping. Beginners will find it hard to complete more than 6 forms in one practice session and 6 forms is a good number to practice anyway, since this means a session of 15 to 20 minutes. Alternatively, the student can practice the entire 12 forms with fewer repetitions of each one, so that with twenty repetitions each, the form would again take about twenty minutes. If you continue this training for two years, a tremendous amount of power and energy can be built up
These exercises will increase the nerve and muscle efficiency so they can be used to their maximum in martial arts and all other contact sports. For health purposes, practicing 6 forms daily should be enough.
Da Mo Chi Kung for WEIGHT LOSS
The Da Mo Chi Kung raises the metabolism, burning more fat, thus losing weight along with inches.
“I have lost 14 lbs, in 3 months doing this exercise, every day, 15 sets, eating and drinking just as much as before! The ONLY thing I have done different, are THESE exercises!” Pat from Glen Lakes Golf & Country Club.
Pat also attends my weekly Tai Chi / Chi Kung class at 7:45 in the morning, for the last two years.
And the great thing about the Da Mo’s Chi Kung, it can be done seated and it doesn’t matter if someone is physically challenged or an Olympic athlete going for the Gold, it works.
I just recently introduced the Da Mo’s Chi Kung to my Parkinson students and thought that they might not like it because it was a little more intense then the Tigers Claw style I have been teaching for years. I was surprised, they liked the variety and the stimulation they got from it.
“If YOU want to create solid muscle, strengthen. tone, lose weight, lose inches, and develop an overall sense of well being, and state of health, that gives you the best quality of life, try these exercises, that I have blended the best from the East, and the Best from the West ! Click here
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