Direction of breath circulation

[IronFist]

How come sometimes you're told to circulate the qi up the front and down the back, and other times it's down the front and up the back?

What's the difference?

IronFist

[taijiquan_student]

Men circulate up the back down the front, and women circulate up the front down the back.

[Cody]

From what I've seen, the field of energy circulation is real complicated, and my understanding quite limited. However, I can shed some light. Written explanations are derived from two of Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming's books on QiGong.

The first concept is that there are two main vessels of Qi circulation:
The vessel located at front of body is the Conception Vessel (Ren Mai). It contains the Yin circulation. This vessel starts from the lower lip and extends down the front center of the body to the Sea Bottom cavity (Huiyin).
The vessel on the back is the Governing Vessel (Du Mai). It contains the Yang circulation. It starts from Huiyin cavity and follows outside the spine, up the back and over top of head, ending at the roof of the mouth.

Dr. Yang speaks of the Fire path and Wind path. Using the Fire path involves circulating energy up the Governing Vessel and down the Conception vessel. The Wind path proceeds in the opposite direction (up front of body and down the back). Using both of these methods in one's work helps to balance the quality of Qi (balance Yin and Yang). Exercising Wind path will cool you down.

In my experience, I use Fire Path (and reverse breathing) when I exert force (i.e. punch). I use Wind path (and "normal" breathing) to cool down or to build my energy in dan tien. That is about as much as I know.

I've never heard of training men and women differently, if that is what taijiquan_student meant. If he meant that the natural circulation is as he states, I don't know.

Cody

[IronFist]

It cools you down, eh? I'm usually hot, which I assume is because I eat a lot because I lift weights, plus I have a fast metabolism to begin with. Would some of that "cooling down" type breathing possibly help me?

Just wondering.

IronFist

[Cody]

It's possible, but I think you need more info than I have. It's not like an air conditioner, but more a balancing. hmm. would be interesting to know more detail re dispersing excess heat. Anyone?

:)

Cody

[HuangKaiVun]

Do your Siu Lum Tao, Ironfist.

Do it OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

The answer to ALL of your Iron Body questions is rooted in the repetition you do of that set.

[IronFist]

Bump because I thought this was informative until I got to HKV's reply.

IronFist