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| |  | Religion & Spirituality | Home » » » Understanding Qigong: Volume Four - Four Seasons Qigong | | | | | | | Description: | | In Understanding Qigong DVD 4, renowned Qigong (chi kung) expert and author Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming discusses the theory of Four Seasons Qigong (Si Ji Gong).
Four Seasons Qigong is a well-known traditional medical Qigong practice in which one learns how to regulate the body from one season to the next to avoid common illnesses. This Qigong specializes in training the five internal Yin organs; heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen, which correspond to the four seasons the year.
It is believed that when we get sick it is often due to the body's difficulty in adapting to the changes from one season to another. For example, when Fall arrives, it is easier to catch a cold, and when Summer comes, the heart can be too excited. By practicing Four Seasons Qigong, you are able to adjust your body's Qi during the change of seasons so your health can be maintained.
This multi-language program is captured in High Definition, and builds on the theory taught in DVDs 1, 2, and 3. Dr. Yang's systematic approach to teaching offers deep insight into the ancient art of Qigong with modern scientific data to support his theory from both an Eastern and Western perspective.
? Dr. Yang instructs 25 qigong exercises & explains the healing sounds
? Basic Five Elements theory and its relationship to the organs
? Learn Four Seasons self-massage techniques
? Understand how to use qigong to alleviate depression | | | Features: | |
• YMAA Publication Center Seminar Series
• Qigong In-Depth
• Four Seasons Qigong
• Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
• 210 min
| | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming | | Director:
| David Silver | | Format:
| NTSC, Widescreen | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| YMAA Publication Center | | Run Time:
| 210 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| May 01, 2007 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 5 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 found the following review helpful:
Another DVD in the exceptionial series on QigongJun 24, 2007
By Patrick H. Dickson
"TAIJIQUAN.COM"
Understanding Qigong DVD4 is the latest and most bountiful DVD of the Understanding Qigong series. Master Yang's understanding of Qigong has grown exponentially over the years, evident in the fruits of his labors, DVDs, videos and books that he has shared with his students and readers. Fortunately, along with his growth in knowledge is equally strong growth in passing along the knowledge in ways that the average student can assimilate and find useful in their lives. I've always believed that true teaching involves being able to bring the student to an understanding of the process involved, as opposed to being able to merely recite the correct answer.
Over the years Master Yang's ability to pass on an understanding of the "key" to the knowledge being presented, has grown along with his own understanding. Many people claim to extensively study or practice the particular art or skill that they profess to embrace. Yet when you see the fruits of their efforts, they are not healthy or bountiful.
Master Yang cites the numerous ancient texts that he has studied in his quest for mastery. When his teaching products are reviewed, it becomes obvious that he can "walk the talk".
He is able to link the ancient Eastern knowledge with equally valuable modern Western knowledge. Master Yang is truly a dynamic and committed teacher. His dedication to the sharing of correct knowledge is something I am so thankful for.
One basic theme of this DVD is "Use it or lose it". Just as stagnant water is not healthy, the body also needs to have movement to keep itself healthy. Due to today's modern society the majority of people have lost their daily contact with nature and live in an artificially designed world. Master Yang explains how in the past roads were not flat and smooth, but were hilly with rough and bumpy sections. Walking on this uneven surface helped the ligaments, tendons and connective tissue to stay strong and flexible.
The roads that many people use today for jogging and exercising are perfectly smooth and flat, consequently resulting in only a small part of the connective tissue being used and strengthened. In a similar vein, I've always believed that people that work out with free weights are stronger than those who use weight lifting machines. In free weights, the person has to balance the weight from side to side and forward to back, as well as lifting the weight vertically. With a weight lifting machine, it balances the weight for you, resulting in less of a workout for the connective tissue.
Over the years I've found that persons who lift free weights have more ability to neutralize a Qin Na move on their wrist than those who use machines for weight lifting. This is due to the strengthening of the connective tissue and muscles when having to balance the weight as well as lift it.
Master Yang provides very powerful arguments for linking lack of movement to modern day medical problems, such as cancer. Someone very close to me who was not exercising had reached the point where she could not lift her arms above her head. Within a year or two she developed breast cancer. Master Yang talks about how important it is for women to learn upper body exercises to heal the body and prevent cancer from developing in the first place. Men are advised to use their legs properly in order to help prevent colon cancer. Corresponding exercises are demonstrated and explained for the various yin organs of the body.
The exercises on the DVD are excellent. Even if they were just demonstrated, with no explanation, it would be a wonderful collection of valuable, effective and useful exercises. But Master Yang goes much further than just a demo tape, he provides extensive and thorough explanations of the various movements and their specific health benefits for the various yin organs. This is not someone just mimicking the movements and putting out a video, but rather a master who is taking the time and energy to properly and fully present the material. Master Yang's growing understanding of these concepts is so very much in evidence while watching this DVD.
Master Yang tells a personal story about his mother experiencing the beginning stages of Alzheimer's Disease and how she began to lose her memory. After not seeing her for a few years, he was surprised to discover that she was no longer having problems with her memory. His mother told him that when she realized she was beginning to have memory problems, she would make a practice every day of trying to memorize phone numbers of all their friends and relatives. From using her brain every day in such a manner, it became more active, more electricity (Qi) was reaching the brain, and her memory became healthy again. When you use your muscles or your brain, you make electricity and oxygen move in your body. This leads to a healthy organism and helps prevent problems from arising as you grow older.
Master Yang provides information about the role of fascia, which being a poor conductor, separates and shields different parts of the body which operate at different energy levels and different functions. Fascia surrounds the diaphragm, which is a good conductor, expanding and contracting constantly second by second throughout the day and night. Master Yang points out that a good conductor sandwiched between poor conductors satisfies the definition of a battery. This is the middle dan tien.
In the upper half of the body are found the lungs and the heart, surrounding the heart is a sac, which is referred to in Chinese Medicine as the pericardium. The Chinese doctors believe that the pericardium is so important that it is not part of the heart, but rather a separate organ.
Master Yang explains that the heart is like an engine, and the pericardium is like the cooling system.
I like the fact that master Yang does not denigrate the Western modern science alternative, but rather, showing that it is a part of the whole, it can be used to further our understanding of how the channels in the body work, or to better see the structure of the meridians and the vessels. Master Yang states that the Chinese theories on energy are two thousand years old, and he believes that modern technology can enhance this ancient knowledge.
Even if you are experienced in Qigong, or a beginner, start with DVD1 of the series and watch them in order. And then, most importantly as Master Yang points out, "just do it". A wonderful series on Qigong and a necessity for anyone studying internal martial arts/external martial arts or body energy work, such as Qigong.
The table of contents is as follows:
General Theory Review
Herbs and Food
Sounds
Breathing
Meditation
Exercises
Chinese Documents
Song Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
Qi and Qigong
Upper Body and Lower Body
12 Qi Channels
6 Yin & 6 Yang
12 Qi Channels Circulation
12 Primary Channels / Vessels
All four Seasons
Four Seasons Exercises 1-8
Both Hands Hold up the Heaven
Large Dragon Loosens its Neck
Buddha Explores the Sea
Circle the Waist Horizontally
Regulate the Middle & Lower Burners
Loosening the Upper Burner
White Crane Loosens its Wings
White Crane Shakes its Wings
Summer & Fall (Heart and Lungs)
Summer and Fall Exercises 1-9
Forward and Backward Swinging Arms
Left and Right Windlasses Turn
Feudal Lord Pulls the Bow
Immortal Pushes the Stone Tablet
Large Roc Arcs its wings
Large Roc Spreads its Wings
Shake the Head and Swing the Tail
Baby Bird Receives the Food
Crane Shakes its Wings
Summer & Fall Massage
Winter (Kidneys)
Winter Exercises 1-4
Two Hands Hold the Toes
Phoenix Spreads its Wings
Turn the Head to see the Moon
Large Bear Softens the Waist
Spring (Liver)
Spring Exercises 1-4
Left Right Single Lifting
White Ape Picks up the Peach
Loltan Bows
Zhong Wan Up and Down
Spring Massage
Conclusion
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Consistently good instructionOct 06, 2007
By Cynthia
I've watched the entire 4 DVD series, and the practice is explained in detail. I'm grateful for the plethora of information offered in this series. ...valuable addition to anyone's library.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
ExcellentFeb 03, 2008
By D.M.K
"smart reader"
I have the entire set by Dr. Yang and it is required viewing if your serious about learning Chi-Kung. I have read a lot of books on this subject, but this set, which is very well done clears up a lot of loose ends and one really understands the energy systems much clearer.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Excellent!Jan 06, 2008
By Carlos Campos
A clear and scholarly presentation of the all different aspects of Qigong. I appreciate the fact that Dr. Yang is both a high level practitioner of this art and also a hard core scientist. Highly recommended!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Fantastic Qigong ResourceMar 30, 2010
By Alain B. Burrese
"Author, Speaker, Mediator, Attorney"
"Understanding Qigong" DVD 4 with Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming focuses on Four Seasons Qigong, a traditional medical Qigong practice that teaches how to regulate the body from season to season to avoid common illnesses and remain healthy.
The DVD begins with a brief history of Four Seasons Qigong. Dr. Yang then proceeds to looking at your body's interaction with nature. The relationship between the elements, seasons, yin, yang, energy, and your body is important, and Dr. Yang provides the basic relationships. He also quickly reviews how Qi is bioelectricity in Western science and discusses the importance of oxygen, breathing, organs, vessels, channels, and other health related issues and energy. This first section of the program is almost an hour long.
Dr. Yang then discusses Four Seasons Qigong more specifically, integrating the generalities regarding Qigong he shared with Four Seasons Qigong. This DVD then differs from the first three in the series because Dr. Yang actually demonstrates movements and breathing for you to practice. In the previous three volumes, all the lessons were lecture only. The first movements he illustrates are for stretching. They are simple to perform, but, Dr. Yang explains, effective. The simple stretching and breathing movements are appropriate for everyone.
Like many other DVDs by Dr. Yang, this program provides an extraordinary amount of information. It will take multiple viewings to fully learn and understand all of what Dr. Yang teaches. The combination of lecture and demonstrations takes just under three and a half hours. It is a comprehensive and long program. Fortunately, there is a good menu system to assist you with going to the section you want to review and practice. I really like how Dr. Yang teaches. He provides practical explanations and also encourages viewers to experiment on their own. He does a very good job of explaining complex theories in an understandable manner.
The "Understanding Qigong" is an excellent series for the serious student and practitioner of Qigong and volume 4 is an exceptionally great resource due to both the lecture and the illustration of Qigong breathing and stretching exercises to perform. The DVD also contains the standard YMAA extras.
Anyone who is serious about the study and practice of Qigong will benefit greatly from the knowledge Dr. Yang provides in the "Understanding Qigong" series. DVD 4, Four Seasons Qigong, is especially educational on this traditional medical practice. The heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen are all related to the seasons, and in this DVD Dr. Yang explains how and why, and what you can do to increase your health and reduce illness. Highly recommended for those that want to increase their knowledge on this practice, and who want to learn simple exercises and breathing drills for health.
Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series.
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