7. Iron shirt Chi Kung II (Tendons Nei Kung)
-Inner tendon work -
In this, more physical body-oriented practice, the focus is on the muscle-tendon cords of our body. Who hasn't suffered spinal pain and been told by the doctor to have 'shortened tendons'? If the tendons are too short, the joints are pressed together more, the synovial fluid wears out prematurely and difficulties begin but massage and antispasmodic injections can often only provide temporary relief.
In all spiritual schools, regardless of the culture, it is known that the physical body must be prepared for spiritual practices, and the vessel body must be ready to receive awakened energies. The opened energy gates can release spiritual potentials, but the physical body must be able to store them, otherwise the gained 'consciousness' will evaporate again, like carbonic acid from an open bottle in its workshop,
Grand Master Mantak Chia demonstrates selected elements from the 'Iron Shirt Cycle', which has its roots in martial arts traditions. One of the main goals of all Chi Kung exercises (also called Qi Gong) is called 'opening the joints' to achieve a vital Chi flow in the body.
Ancient Taoist wisdom speaks of the bow and the string which, stretched over the bow, gives the arrow power to fly. This wisdom was always applied to the human body by the ancient Taoist masters. The string exercise sequence developed by Grand Master Mantak Chia deals precisely with this principle.
No matter which style or which Chi Kung (Qi Gong) form you practise: if you want to generate strength, you get it from the ground, via the structure of the legs, from the spine, via shoulders and arms into the hands and fingers, where it finally manifests itself.
Tendon Nei Kung is a fabulous, direct instruction to bring power from the earth into, respectively, through the body into the tendons and finally into the hands and fingers.