Ba Duan Jin consists of eight pieces of Qi Gong exercises, each piece was designed to exercise certain parts of the body and internal organs.
- Push Two Hands to the Sky
Health Benefit:
- Help to adjust the energy and blood flow through the lung, stomach, and liver via meridians.·
- Improve the flexibility of the joint soft tissue, and prevent and cervical and shoulder problems.
2. Pull a Bow to the Left and to the Right
Health benefits:
- Stimulate acupuncture points along the Du Meridian (one of the major meridian) and adjust other meridians.
- Increase lower limb, forearm, and hand muscle strength, improve the balance, coordination, and flexibility of wrist joints and knuckles.
- Help to correct bad postures, such as hunchback and shoulder adduction, prevent shoulders problems and other illnesses.
3. Single Hand Lifting
Demonstration video ( piece 1-3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWk5vXUoLIs&t=19s
Health benefits:
- Massage the spleen and stomach, stimulate and adjust the meridians in the abdomen, chest, flank, and back.
- Enhance the flexibility and stability of the spine, prevent shoulder and neck-related illnesses.
4. Turn Your Head and Look Back
Health Benefits:
- Stimulate the cervical vertebrae and help to prevent neck problems or injuries.
- Enhance the contraction force of the muscles around the neck and shoulder, increase the range of neck movement, active eye muscles, prevent eye muscle fatigue, improve blood circulation in the neck and brain.
5. Shaking the head and Turning the Body
Health Benefits:
- Stimulating the spine, Du Meridian, Da Zhui cavity, helps to heal the heartburn.
- Improve flexibility of the neck, waist, and hip enhances the muscles around the head and neck, waist, abdomen, and hip.
6. Two Hands Touch Feet
Health Benefits:
- Stimulate the spine, and several acupuncture points along the Du Meridian, strengthen the kidney and the waist, and help to heal the chronic disease of the genitourinary system.·
- Strength the spine muscles, massage the kidneys; therefore enhance the functions of kidney and waist.
7. Punching With Eyes Wide Open
Health Benefits:
- Stimulate the liver and strengthen the bones.
- Stimulate Du meridians, muscles, and tendons, strengthening the entire body.
8. Lift the Heels and Shake the Body
Demonstration video (piece 4-8): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4yroExmOSM&t=5s
Health Benefits:
- Stimulate the spine and foot, help blood and energy flow through the meridian smoothly, and keep internal balance.
- Gently stimulate the external structure of the lower extremities and spine, relax the muscles of the entire body, and relieve muscle tension.