The Legend of Zen Warrior Exercises
Legend has it that the Zen Warrior exercises have a mystical origin. It is said to have been created by a man called Bodhidharma, an Indian Buddhist monk who also founded Zen Buddhism. When he traveled to China during the early 5th century A.D, he was horrified with what he saw. The monks were weak and unhealthy; they had totally misunderstood the Buddhist teachings and had neglected their body and even treated it with contempt. They called their bodies "disgusting skin sacks" and didn't exercise or eat properly and spent many hours inactive each day sitting in meditation. This all had a terrible effect on their health and it is said some of them were dying before they were even 20 years old.
In order to help the monks to improve their health and to cultivate a more positive relationship with their bodies Bodhidharma decided to devise a system of spiritual exercises. He visited the Shaolin Temple which he saw as the center of Chinese Buddhism and legend tells us he spent 2 years in meditation facing the wall using his spiritual powers to unlock the inner secrets of the human energy system. When he finished he taught the monks of the Shaolin Temple two sets of exercises, one called "sinew transformation" and one called "bone marrow washing". These exercises have been said to have been secretly handed down throughout the centuries ever since.
What are Zen Warrior Exercises?
The Chinese name for the Zen Warrior exercises is Yì Jin Jing This is normally translated as Muscle/Tendon Change Exercise or Sinew Transformation. As the name implies the exercises work through our muscles and bring great physical strength as well as good health.
The Zen Warrior exercises are one of the oldest Chinese Martial Arts practices. These exercises arrive in our hands after more than 1500 years of traveling between Temples, Masters and legends, some true, some fictional.
The exercises are said to be able to make one younger, heal illness and even lead to immortality. These stories continue to this day, some martial artists in China claim that this exercise can make one 15 years younger and newspapers have even reported a case of a 108 year old woman who after just a year of practice claimed her hair became black again after years of greyness.
Because of the legends, for centuries people have been in search of the real Zen Warrior exercises. Hundreds or even thousands of sets of exercises exist in China claiming to be the real thing. Almost all forms are just physical exercises without the internal secrets needed to make the exercises effective. I too spent many years in search for the genuine exercises and was continually disappointed by how many people are practicing this form without the slightest understanding that the whole art is about controlling and condensing spiritual energy (called Qi in China). I even visited a Shaolin temple to learn the form they were teaching to western students. The exercises were interesting and would be good for flexibility but nothing more. After many years of searching in vain I found a master who taught me the genuine art.
What are the Benefits of Zen Warrior Exercises?
The Zen warrior exercises are a system of controlling the healing spiritual force, or as the Chinese call it Qi energy, in the body. It includes meditation, breathing exercises and physical exercises involving the tensing of the muscles. They are easy gentle exercises but they also involve great focus and visualization. You need to use your will to direct not only the exertion of muscular strength but also the condensing of chi energy. This is coordinated through breathing. Breathing naturally directs the Qi and is used with the imagination and the will to charge the muscles with healing force. This force then naturally flows gently in the energy system and regenerates and renews the internal organs in the body to bring strength and youth to the whole being.
Millions of people world wide go to acupuncturists for a variety of illnesses every day but how many people know that the same force behind the healing ability is at hand every moment of every day for their own use for healing and cultivating health?
Traditional Chinese medicine asserts that the body has natural patterns of Qi. Qi, is also spelled "ch'i" or in romanized Japanese "ki". The concept of Qi is a concept fundamental to traditional Chinese culture. Qi is a form of spiritual energy which is part of every living thing that exists. It is the life force or ether of the west. This spiritual energy is intrinsically connected with the "air" or "breath". Qi is the force that is the focus of such arts as Acupuncture, Tai chi, Qi Gong or Reiki.
Chinese medicine aims to relieve these disruptions by adjusting the flow of Qi in the body. A variety of therapeutic techniques are used - acupressure, herbal medicines, special diets, moxibustion and massage to clear blockages, the most famous being Acupuncture which uses thin metal needles that are inserted into the skin/underlying tissues to reroute and balance the Qi energy. But could there be a more direct, natural way? What if one learned to control and adjust the Qi flow oneself using ones mind and body and thus bring the whole being into harmony? This is the exactly what Zen Warrior exercises are all about. It is the art of directing your spiritual energy.
