8 Silk Brocades Qi gong Workshop

Over the years, I have becomed very interested in the internal martial arts including qi gong, tai chi and meditation. The eight silk brocades are some of the oldest qi gong forms from the Song dynasty of the common era in China. It’s a sophisticated form nonetheless that thinks of your life and your body as a church, using movement and visualization to perform a ritual. These eight silk brocades are a "treasure"; the "silk brocade," as it is called, is the thread that connects your lives.

Gong

We absorb all sorts of energy around us from the sun and wind and rain and In Daoism, the body is thought of as a great vehicle to understand movement. The dynamics of movement sustain life through actions such as stretching and squatting, which enhance both flexibility and stability. The basic fundamentals of qigong are breath and intention. Qi gong is a healing ritual to harness that life force energy. The term gong means it will take work. Work requires strength, discipline, time, and commitment.

The body and soul

The upcoming class I will be teaching in February 2025 is a set of 8 exercises called the 8 silk brocades. These eight silk brocades are a "treasure"; the "silk brocade," as it is called, is the thread that connects our lives. Through movement you are weaving your life together like sewing with thread through silk. The set represents soul concepts. The earliest references were in the book of change, the I Ching. The idea is if you understand your destiny nothing will get in the way of your soul.

Movements are maps

In both Daoist cosmology and medicine the body is mapped. Each movement is paired with one of the eight extraordinary vessels and helps you to get a sense of direction in your life.

The Chong and Dai ===== Heaven and thunder.

In order, Heaven comes first; if you look up into the stars and can see something greater than yourself that’s what heaven offers. Thunder and lightning also come from above; thunder is something that awakens you.

Ren and Yin Qiao Mai=====Lake and Earth.

From heaven comes water in the form of rain. The water that pools on earth creates the marshes and lakes. Our pelvis is a basin receiving water from above to create a lake that opens up. When we are grounded we are closer to the earth. Through movements we take the time to stabilize and align ourselves to move like water. Flowing water never decays.

Du and Yang Qiao Mai=======Fire and Mountain .

The movements preserve life through stretching and squatting via flexibility and stability. They open up the hip and shoulders. The imagery continues with the interplay of wind and water which carves the earth, shaping it into hills, mountains, or plateaus. Mountains serve as a barrier against the wind. Fire creates the life force that we are all born with and is akin to human desire.

Wei Mai vessels are the biographies of our lives======Wind and Water.

Heaven provides wind and wind stirs up water. Wind moves water through our breath. The 8 extra channels represent the existence of life itself, and the changes that life involves. To get 8 extras to work, you must understand the codes. 8 extras are about believing in a purpose, a reason to be alive. Letting go of everything that doesn’t serve you to activate a deeper sense of self.

The eight extra ancestry channels each pair with one of the eight fundamental trigrams found in the I Ching (Book of Changes). The eight extras represent our ancestry, epigenetics, and destiny. How do we view aging? Even modern medicine agrees that we complete cell replication of the entire body every 10 years with changes to the skeletal system as our body ages, bones break down (osteoblasts) or grow and change (osteoclasts). Does society support or undermine our nature? In terms of nature or nurture, do you feel comfortable with who you are?

Register now (or drop in for a class) during the series of 8 silk brocade qigong classes starting February through March.

Info: The upcoming class I will be teaching in February 2025 is a set of 8 exercises called the 8 silk brocades. These eight silk brocades are a "treasure"; the "silk brocade," as it is called, is the thread that connects our lives. Through movement you are weaving your life together like sewing with thread through silk. The set represents soul concepts. The earliest references were in the book of change, the I Ching. The idea is if you understand your destiny nothing will get in the way of your soul. The form originally dates back to the Song dynasty in China. There are many variations of the same form. This one I will be teaching is made accessible to a beginner and can be performed sitting or standing.

Info: This form has a total of eight movements. Following a review of the eight trigrams linked to each movement, we will expand on going over every movement in class. The set of eight exercises is appropriate for people who prefer slower movements, like stretching and balancing, as well as those who want to learn the foundational skills of martial arts; including squats, horse stance, and corkscrew punching. After you become familiar with the form, you can practice it on your own for 20 to 30 minutes on average.

Info: The I ching or the Book of Change is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. The hexagrams listed in the I Ching form the 8 trigrams including heaven, lake, fire, water, wind, thunder, earth, and mountain. In Daoist cosmology the body is mapped and the lessons offer a sense of direction in life. One of the eight postures is called the Mountain, which supports the Liver. The mountain pose represents opposition or resistance to life. This posture is paired with the Yang Qiao (heal vessel). These ancestry vessels are the foundational aspects of the body and vitality. In the horse stance we form stability to face wind or change. Change can be difficult or even traumatic. When we can't acclimate, we build a fortress, and the mountains are harder and harder to climb. These postures teach philosophy through movement. We will study the connection between each movements in the form and pathways for healing.

Info: Open to reviewing the form including questions and clarfications on the medical advantages, and philosophy of each movement. Students can practice the whole form and I will offer one on one guidance so that each movement is well understood. I am happy to answer any questions or concerns by the end of each class. We will discuss the option of having a performance to share with friends and family after the completion of the six week series.

Host or Publisher Mark Burke Pitts