IGX

This DVD from YMAA is great. There are demonstrations of both sitting and standing 8 Pieces and detailed lectures by Yang, Jwing Ming, the creator and founder of YMAA. It looks simple, but when you try it you realize how much exercise this system actually gives you, without straining or risk of injury. Highly recommended.

I haven't seen Dr. Yang's 8 brocades but I have lots of his other DVDs. His stuff is usually pretty good.

One thing that I have seen is his students sometimes refer to the seated brocades as a basic or easier practice. They can certainly be practiced that way but they are also an advanced practice that goes beyond the standing version. The sitting version is tied into seated meditation and neigong work.

So simple is relative to the practice.

Dave Chesser wrote:I haven't seen Dr. Yang's 8 brocades but I have lots of his other DVDs. His stuff is usually pretty good.

One thing that I have seen is his students sometimes refer to the seated brocades as a basic or easier practice. They can certainly be practiced that way but they are also an advanced practice that goes beyond the standing version. The sitting version is tied into seated meditation and neigong work.

So simple is relative to the practice.

Yes...for instance Stuart Olson took those seated 8 brocades (and some additional tapping and massage) and turned it into a way to prepare for (and perform) the Microcosmic Orbit.See his recent book "Qigong Practices Of A Taoist Immortal" for the whole deal. It's a great (and very accessible) work.

Abandoned by Wolves wrote:Yes...for instance Stuart Olson took those seated 8 brocades (and some additional tapping and massage) and turned it into a way to prepare for (and perform) the Microcosmic Orbit.See his recent book "Qigong Practices Of A Taoist Immortal" for the whole deal. It's a great (and very accessible) work.

Agreed. It's a great book and pointed to advanced 8 brocade practice for once. Olson's qigong stuff is quite good.

For those of you that do this routine regularly, what benefits have you seen?

AF1 wrote:For those of you that do this routine regularly, what benefits have you seen?

The benefits you'll see depend on the details you've been given. Those are very rarely put on video or in books. Even when they are, they're hard to see.

Second, the benefits derived partially depend on your individual mind and body i.e. what problems you might have. So people's mileage will differ.

Personally I had two intestinal problems clear up from the practice and my kidney function improved. It also improved my chest breathing a bit as my rib cage has been stuck due to incorrect MA/meditation practice for many years.

AF1 wrote:For those of you that do this routine regularly, what benefits have you seen?

Olson's version of the seated brocades, and his version of standing Tai Chi Chi Kung (DuCane represents this fairly well in the "Bliss QiGong" DVD from DragonDoor) were pivotal in helping me wean myself from Xanax in my early 40's. And I NEVER caught cold or flu, even when I was working odd hours and graveyard shifts when I went back to school in my mid 40's...as long as I did the standing stuff faithfully several times a week.