This year marked the first time I have taught the Yi Jin Jing, and I went straight into the advanced version. To my surprise, the students’ feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many reported feeling tangible benefits almost immediately after practice. This was especially striking among students who are not sensitive to Qi, several told me they could feel the circulation of blood throughout different parts of their bodies after each practice.
During the workshop, I also introduced an exercise designed to help induce embryonic breathing. Most participants were unaware that we have a second diaphragm in the pelvic floor, an area that can also participate in breathing. Some were astonished when they felt that region begin to move naturally in rhythm with their breath.
Interestingly, I recently came across an article titled “Breathing from the Anus.” It described a medical experiment — already in the human trial phase — in which highly concentrated, oxygen-rich liquid is delivered directly into the rectum to assist patients who cannot breathe properly through their lungs. In light of this, one might begin to understand why, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lungs and large intestine are regarded as an internal–external pair of organs within the body.
All of this reminds me that awareness is the first gate to internal cultivation. Without awareness, there is nothing to refine. For example, when I asked students to locate the Jia Ji point along the spine, even after clear explanation, many still could not pinpoint its exact location — their sense of it was often quite far from where it truly is. This lack of bodily awareness also appeared during the advanced version of the final Yi Jin Jing movement, in which we swing the tailbone gently to the sides without moving any other part of the body. Many found it almost impossible.
It brought me back to my early teaching years. Back then, I used to instruct Dan Tian breathing in such a way that the Ming Men (the life gate on the lower back) should move. I would even demonstrate and let students feel how that section of my spine could move independently. But over time, I realized very few people could truly isolate that area. So I simplified the method, introducing a more accessible version that still preserves the essence of the practice.
This reflection also reminds me of something my master once told me, about fifteen years ago. I asked him how to see the different types of Qi — from the trees, the stars, the moon, the mountains, and so on. His reply was simple and profound: “Just look!” The cultivation of awareness always begins there.
During the Level 3 Tai Chi Neigong workshop, students practiced each of the eighteen movements for at least fifteen minutes. Afterward, one student shared that, during one particular movement, she suddenly could see inside her body — the energy centers, acupoints, meridians, … , etc. revealed themselves as if illuminated from within. Another student described an equally extraordinary experience when practising another movement, though I must admit I’ve forgotten the exact details!
Actually, each of the 18 Tai Chi Neigong movements can stand alone as a complete qigong practice! However, since most of my students come from Tai Chi and Shibashi backgrounds, they naturally enjoy practicing in a flowing sequence. That’s why I combined the movements into one continuous form.
For the same reason, I also demonstrated how the Yi Jin Jing could be practiced as a flowing sequence during the workshop. Traditionally — and in the home study course — each of the twelve Yi Jin Jing movements is practiced independently. But performing them continuously offers unique benefits: it helps beginners memorize the full set more easily and allows everyone to move together harmoniously during group practice.
Of course, it is not easy to remember so many details after a one-day workshop. So, I promised the students to create a video of the Yi Jin Jing in one continuous sequence — for them to review: https://youtu.be/Lt8Abm4HkTs Those who already have the home study course should be able to pick this up quickly.
Many students have been asking about my next teaching tour. I will announce the schedule after deciding where I will spend my winter retreat and for how long. One thing is certain — the Daoist Neigong Foundation Online Workshop will be held within the first half of 2026. Stay tuned for more details.