Liminality, Embodiment and the Six Healing Sounds of Qigong Patrick Emilio Carson

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Liminality, Embodiment and the Six Healing Sounds of Qigong Patrick Emilio Carson Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2015 Liminality, Embodiment and the Six Healing Sounds of Qigong Patrick Emilio Carson Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES LIMINALITY, EMBODIMENT AND THE SIX HEALING SOUNDS OF QIGONG By PATRICK EMILIO CARSON A Dissertation submitted to the Program in Interdisciplinary Humanities in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2015 Patrick Carson defended this dissertation on April 29, 2015. The members of the supervisory committee were: Benjamin D. Koen Professor Co‐Directing Dissertation Kathleen Erndl Professor Co‐Directing Dissertation David Johnson University Representative Svetla Slaveva‐Griffin Committee Member Martin Kavka Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above‐named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii Dedicated to my beloved companion Mona, without whom I would have probably never started this wonderful journey. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I express my deepest gratitude to Kathleen Erndl for her constant support and encouragement, and Ben Koen for the many hours we spent discussing the subject and the many possibilities for research the subject promises. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... x ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Methodology ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Autoethnography: A Personal narrative ............................................................................................................... 2 The Experience ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 The History ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6 Liminality ............................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Embodiment ................................................................................................................................................................... 11 The Questions ................................................................................................................................................................ 12 The Fundamental Notions of Daoism and Qigong .......................................................................................... 12 The Body .......................................................................................................................................................................... 13 The Body’s Inner Landscape ................................................................................................................................... 14 The Subtle Body ............................................................................................................................................................ 18 Qi 氣 ................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Channels or Conduits .................................................................................................................................................. 23 OrBs .................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Jing 精 ................................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Shen 神 .............................................................................................................................................................................. 25 The Five Phases – Wuxing (五行) .......................................................................................................................... 27 Yin Yang 陰 陽 ............................................................................................................................................................... 31 Literature Review ........................................................................................................................................................ 32 Chapter Outlines ........................................................................................................................................................... 39 CHAPTER 2 ........................................................................................................................................... 41 QIGONG: ANCIENT ORIGINS ...................................................................................................................... 41 Shamanic Roots ............................................................................................................................................................ 42 Daoyin ............................................................................................................................................................................... 45 v Early Medical Manuscripts ....................................................................................................................................... 50 The Mawangdui Manuscripts .................................................................................................................................. 52 The Exercise Chart – Daoyin tu 導引圖 ............................................................................................................... 55 The Stretch(ing) Book ................................................................................................................................................ 58 Principal Texts Through the Ages ......................................................................................................................... 60 From Han to Tang ........................................................................................................................................................ 62 The Yangsheng yaoji 養生要集 ............................................................................................................................... 63 Yangxing yanming lu 養性延錄 ......................................................................................................................... 64 The Daoyin Jing ............................................................................................................................................................. 65 Dao Lin Lun ..................................................................................................................................................................... 66 CHAPTER 3 ........................................................................................................................................... 68 THE SIX HEALING BREATHS ..................................................................................................................... 68 The Six Healing Breaths ............................................................................................................................................. 72 Master Daolin Method ................................................................................................................................................ 76 Master Ning’s Method ................................................................................................................................................ 80 The Yellow Court Version ......................................................................................................................................... 83 CHAPTER 4 ........................................................................................................................................... 88 QIGONG: RECENT HISTORY ....................................................................................................................... 88 The Invention of Qigong ............................................................................................................................................ 89 Qigong and Chinese Medicine ................................................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Laozi Zhongjing)
    A Study of the Central Scripture of Laozi (Laozi zhongjing) Alexandre Iliouchine A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts, Department of East Asian Studies McGill University January 2011 Copyright Alexandre Iliouchine © 2011 ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements......................................................................................... v Abstract/Résumé............................................................................................. vii Conventions and Abbreviations.................................................................... viii Introduction..................................................................................................... 1 On the Word ―Daoist‖............................................................................. 1 A Brief Introduction to the Central Scripture of Laozi........................... 3 Key Terms and Concepts: Jing, Qi, Shen and Xian................................ 5 The State of the Field.............................................................................. 9 The Aim of This Study............................................................................ 13 Chapter 1: Versions, Layers, Dates............................................................... 14 1.1 Versions............................................................................................. 15 1.1.1 The Transmitted Versions..................................................... 16 1.1.2 The Dunhuang Version........................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Web That Has No Weaver
    THE WEB THAT HAS NO WEAVER Understanding Chinese Medicine “The Web That Has No Weaver opens the great door of understanding to the profoundness of Chinese medicine.” —People’s Daily, Beijing, China “The Web That Has No Weaver with its manifold merits … is a successful introduction to Chinese medicine. We recommend it to our colleagues in China.” —Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China “Ted Kaptchuk’s book [has] something for practically everyone . Kaptchuk, himself an extraordinary combination of elements, is a thinker whose writing is more accessible than that of Joseph Needham or Manfred Porkert with no less scholarship. There is more here to think about, chew over, ponder or reflect upon than you are liable to find elsewhere. This may sound like a rave review: it is.” —Journal of Traditional Acupuncture “The Web That Has No Weaver is an encyclopedia of how to tell from the Eastern perspective ‘what is wrong.’” —Larry Dossey, author of Space, Time, and Medicine “Valuable as a compendium of traditional Chinese medical doctrine.” —Joseph Needham, author of Science and Civilization in China “The only approximation for authenticity is The Barefoot Doctor’s Manual, and this will take readers much further.” —The Kirkus Reviews “Kaptchuk has become a lyricist for the art of healing. And the more he tells us about traditional Chinese medicine, the more clearly we see the link between philosophy, art, and the physician’s craft.” —Houston Chronicle “Ted Kaptchuk’s book was inspirational in the development of my acupuncture practice and gave me a deep understanding of traditional Chinese medicine.
    [Show full text]
  • Tai Chi Retreat Course Book
    . This book is created with love and distributed free. TAI CHI DANCEIt isOF meant THE PEACEFULto provide guidance WARRIOR and by counsel DAVE for WEST those Copyrightwho wish 2010 to practise. www.taichibali.com ‐ 1 ‐ 3 Nights 4 Days Luxury Hotel 3 Mountain Treks to Lakes and Waterfalls Hot Springs Canoing Kopi Luwak 10 Classes with Qualified Instructors Retreat Course Book and DVD Transport Service USD 495 per person USD 750 for couples T A I C H I B A L I M O U N T A I N R E T R E A T is hidden deep in the foothills of the volcanic forest, where the cool mountain air of North Bali is the perfect environment to relax and rejuvenate, deepen your TAI CHI , YOGA or CHI KUNG practice, and refresh yourself with natural healing energy. The aim of this retreat is to inspire you to develop a daily practice and holistic lifestyle that creates positive changes in all aspects of your life. During the retreat a natural force field develops within you that recharges your whole being with positive energy, vitality and inner peace. Experienced international instructors guide you through the course and mountain treks. Classes and retreats can be modified for all ages and levels. TAI CHI DANCE OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR by DAVE WEST Copyright 2010 www.taichibali.com ‐ 2 ‐ WELCOME TO TAI CHI BALI MOUNTAIN RETREAT Tai Chi Bali provides authentic wisdom and training from ancient China, India and Tibet, for living in health and harmony with the natural world. Opening the heart with meditation is the return to Truth and Love.
    [Show full text]
  • The Alchemical Body in Daoism
    The Alchemical Body in Daoism FABRIZIO PREGADIO Abstract This paper surveys some of the main features of the view of the human body in Daoist internal alchemy (neidan 內丹). The first sections discuss three different terms that refer to the body; cosmological, political, theological, natural, and al- chemical metaphors used to describe it; and the use of the body as a support for the system of correspondences that tie the human being to the cosmos. On this background, the development of internal alchemy closely relates to the earlier Daoist meditation practices on the inner gods. The figure of the Red Child (the innermost deity of the human being), in particular, bears close analogies to the “embryo” that alchemists generate through their practices. The final sections are concerned with the two main alchemical charts of the human body and with the use of the Buddhist concept of “dharma-body,” which some masters describe as the true immortal body. It is virtually impossible to distinguish the Daoist understanding of the body from its understanding of the human being, and this point consti- tutes on its own a central aspect of the Daoist way of seeing. For a Daoist, knowledge of the anatomic forms and the physiological workings of the body, or any of its parts and organs, is virtually irrelevant. The physical body performs another function: it serves to support different sets of metaphors that express the relation of the whole person to the Dao, the ultimate principle to which the person owes its existence. These metaphors may be cosmological (the body as a microcosm), political (the body as an administrative system), theological (the body as the residence of inner gods), natural (the body as a “landscape”), and alchemical (the body as a laboratory for compounding the elixir), to name the most important ones.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded from Brill.Com09/28/2021 09:41:18AM Via Free Access 102 M
    Asian Medicine 7 (2012) 101–127 brill.com/asme Palpable Access to the Divine: Daoist Medieval Massage, Visualisation and Internal Sensation1 Michael Stanley-Baker Abstract This paper examines convergent discourses of cure, health and transcendence in fourth century Daoist scriptures. The therapeutic massages, inner awareness and visualisation practices described here are from a collection of revelations which became the founding documents for Shangqing (Upper Clarity) Daoism, one of the most influential sects of its time. Although formal theories organised these practices so that salvation superseded curing, in practice they were used together. This blending was achieved through a series of textual features and synæsthesic practices intended to address existential and bodily crises simultaneously. This paper shows how therapeutic inter- ests were fundamental to soteriology, and how salvation informed therapy, thus drawing atten- tion to the entanglements of religion and medicine in early medieval China. Keywords Massage, synæsthesia, visualisation, Daoism, body gods, soteriology The primary sources for this paper are the scriptures of the Shangqing 上清 (Upper Clarity), an early Daoist school which rose to prominence as the fam- ily religion of the imperial family. The soteriological goal was to join an elite class of divine being in the Shangqing heaven, the Perfected (zhen 真), who were superior to Transcendents (xianren 仙). Their teachings emerged at a watershed point in the development of Daoism, the indigenous religion of 1 I am grateful for the insightful criticisms and comments on draughts of this paper from Robert Campany, Jennifer Cash, Charles Chase, Terry Kleeman, Vivienne Lo, Johnathan Pettit, Pierce Salguero, and Nathan Sivin.
    [Show full text]
  • REVIEW ESSAY Situating the History of Medicine Within Chinese History
    REVIEW ESSAY Situating the History of Medicine within Chinese History Marta Hanson, John Hopkins University Andrew Schonebaum. Novel Medicine: Healing, Literature, and Popular Knowledge in Early Modern China. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2016. 296 pp. $50 (cloth); $30 (paper). Hilary A. Smith. Forgotten Disease: Illnesses Transformed in Chinese Medicine. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2017. 248 pp. $85 (cloth); $25 (paper/e-book). The past ten years have seen the publication of more than seventy English-language monographs, edited books, translations, dictionaries, and even a three-volume catalogue, related to the history of medicine in China. Such substantive, varied, and often ground-breaking scholarship is finally starting to do justice to the complexity of the subject and the richness of the sources vis-à-vis the better known, and thus more widely taught, history of European and Anglo-American medicine from antiquity to the modern world. Collectively bringing the field of the history of medicine in China to a new level of synthesis, these works not only demonstrate how integral the history of medicine and public health is to Chinese history but also should help facilitate the integration of East Asian medical history into more broadly conceived global histories of medicine and public health. This major boon in publications on the medical history of China over the past decade also reveals the wide-ranging methods and diverse approaches scholars have chosen to frame, and thereby exert heuristic control over, what arguably has become newly visible as the contours of a vast, complex, and essential subject of not just Chinese but human history.
    [Show full text]
  • Falun Gong in the United States: an Ethnographic Study Noah Porter University of South Florida
    University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 7-18-2003 Falun Gong in the United States: An Ethnographic Study Noah Porter University of South Florida Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Scholar Commons Citation Porter, Noah, "Falun Gong in the United States: An Ethnographic Study" (2003). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/1451 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FALUN GONG IN THE UNITED STATES: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY by NOAH PORTER A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: S. Elizabeth Bird, Ph.D. Michael Angrosino, Ph.D. Kevin Yelvington, Ph.D. Date of Approval: July 18, 2003 Keywords: falungong, human rights, media, religion, China © Copyright 2003, Noah Porter TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES...................................................................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT...........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Jiang Zemin and the Falun Gong Crackdown: a Bibliography Michael J
    International Journal of Legal Information the Official Journal of the International Association of Law Libraries Volume 34 Article 9 Issue 3 Winter 2006 1-1-2006 A King Who Devours His People: Jiang Zemin and the Falun Gong Crackdown: A Bibliography Michael J. Greenlee University of Idaho College of Law Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/ijli The International Journal of Legal Information is produced by The nI ternational Association of Law Libraries. Recommended Citation Greenlee, Michael J. (2006) "A King Who Devours His People: Jiang Zemin and the Falun Gong Crackdown: A Bibliography," International Journal of Legal Information: Vol. 34: Iss. 3, Article 9. Available at: http://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/ijli/vol34/iss3/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Scholarship@Cornell Law: A Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Journal of Legal Information by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Cornell Law: A Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A King Who Devours His People+: Jiang Zemin and the Falun Gong Crackdown: A Bibliography MICHAEL J. GREENLEE∗ Introduction In July 1999, the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began an official crackdown against the qigong cultivation1 group known as Falun Gong.2 Intended to quickly contain and eliminate what the PRC considers an evil or heretical cult (xiejiao), the suppression has instead created the longest sustained and, since the Tiananmen Square protests of June 1989, most widely known human rights protest conducted in the PRC.
    [Show full text]
  • Bodywork Therapy Jarmey, C
    References In the Library or Bookstore: Beresford-Cooke, C. Shiatsu Theory and Practice Shiatsu & Asian (Edinburgh: Churchill Livingston, 1999) Bodywork Therapy Jarmey, C. and Mojay, G. Shiatsu: The Complete Guide (Hammersmith, London: Thorsons, 1991) Lundberg, P. The Book of Shiatsu (New York: Simon and Schuster Massage & Bodywork Online: American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia [www.aobta.org] National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine [www.nccoam.org] This brochure is intended for information only. Contact your physician for diagnosis of medical conditions, and for advice on whether massage might be beneficial for you. Shiatsu and Asian Bodywork Therapy written by Patricia J. Benjamin, PhD. Forms of ABT and Shiatsu Over the centuries, different forms of ABT were developed in China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries. Acupressure is based on Chinese medicine, Tuina is Chinese massage, Nuad Bo’Ran or Thai massage is from Thailand, and Amma and Shiatsu are from Japan. Styles of Shiatsu include Zen, integrative eclectic, Namikoshi, barefoot, and five element. H E M I N G WAY Both the American Organization for Bodywork PUBLICATIONS Therapies of Asia and the National Certification 1702 Windsor Rd. #2413, Loves Park, IL 61132-7002 Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental www.hemingwaypublications.com Medicine set standards for ABT practitioners. 815-624-8580 The references listed below are good sources of © Copyright JJI Web Solutions Inc., revised 2015 information about Shiatsu and Asian Bodywork All rights reserved. No part of this brochure may be used THERAPEUTIC Therapy. or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written MASSAGE permission from the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • Qi Gong and High Blood Pressure, Part II
    Qi Gong and High Blood Pressure, Part II Published in New Health Digest, February 2007 issue Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at hypertension (high blood pressure) as being related to Liver and Heart energy imbalances and stagnation. Diet and exercise can go a long way toward alleviating these issues. In last month’s article I discussed diet changes that could be made to reduce stagnation and cleanse and improve the cardiovascular system. This article will cover the specific Qi Gong techniques that work best to help with this. There are two very effective exercises, the Liver and Heart Sounds, from an ancient form of Qi Gong called the Six Healing Sounds. These exercises date back to the 7th century B.C. and improve our health by releasing out stagnant energy as well as stuck emotions from our bodies. Do the Liver Sound first as many times in a row as feels comfortable and then do the Heart Sound next for as many times as feels good. Repeat these two exercises three times per day. Liver Sound Sit on the edge of a chair or your bed. Place your palms facing up on your lap, elbows out slightly and away from your body. Keep your back straight and relaxed and your chin in slightly. You can have your eyes closed or opened slightly. Begin the posture by bringing your hands out from the sides of the body. Liver Sound Stretch them out as far as they will go while keeping the elbows bent “Tshhh” slightly and the shoulders relaxed. Continue to raise the hands up until they (lean to left) meet over the head.
    [Show full text]
  • Meditative Movement, Energetic, and Physical Analyses of Three Qigong Exercises: Unification of Eastern and Western Mechanistic Exercise Theory
    medicines Concept Paper Meditative Movement, Energetic, and Physical Analyses of Three Qigong Exercises: Unification of Eastern and Western Mechanistic Exercise Theory Penelope Klein 1,*, George Picard 1,2, Joseph Baumgarden 1 and Roger Schneider 2 1 Physical Therapy Department, D’Youville College, Buffalo, NY 14201, USA; [email protected] (G.P.); [email protected] (J.B.) 2 Village of Healing and Wellness, St Catharines, ON L2R 3L2, Canada; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Academic Editor: Wen Liu Received: 13 August 2017; Accepted: 16 September 2017; Published: 23 September 2017 Abstract: Qigong is the meditative movement and therapeutic exercise of Eastern medicine. A growing body of evidence is validating its health benefits leading to mechanistic questions of how it works. The purpose of this article is to explore mechanisms of action related to Qigong, with the intent of unifying Eastern and Western exercise theory and to present a model for Qigong exercise analysis. Three exercises from a standardized Qigong form: ‘Plucking the Stars’, ‘Lotus Leaves Rustle in the Wind’, and ‘Pacing Forwards and Backwards’ were selected for meditative, energetic, and physical analyses. Meditative aspects include relaxation response, interoception and exteroception. Energetic aspects include stimulation of meridians through mental intent, acupressure, and self-massage. Physical aspects include flexibility, strength, articular stimulation, neuro-integration, respiratory effect, fascial stretch, visceral massage, balance challenge CranioSacral pump, lymphatic and venous return and glandular stimulation, and physiologic response to relaxation. Knowledge of mechanisms of action for specific Qigong exercises can guide operational definition of Qigong, selection of outcomes assessment in future research, inform prescriptive practice addressing clinical health issues, and advance adoption of Qigong practice within integrative health care.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultivating an “Ideal Body” in Taijiquan and Neigong
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Article “Hang the Flesh off the Bones”: Cultivating an “Ideal Body” in Taijiquan and Neigong Xiujie Ma 1,2 and George Jennings 3,* 1 Chinese Guoshu Academy, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu 610041, China; [email protected] 2 School of Wushu, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu 610041, China 3 Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff CF23 6XD, Wales, UK * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +44-(0)2-920-416-155 Abstract: In a globalized, media-driven society, people are being exposed to different cultural and philosophical ideas. In Europe, the School of Internal Arts (pseudonym) follows key principles of the ancient Chinese text The Yijinjing (The Muscle-Tendon Change Classic) “Skeleton up, flesh down”, in its online and offline pedagogy. This article draws on an ongoing ethnographic, netnographic and cross-cultural investigation of the transmission of knowledge in this atypical association that combines Taijiquan with a range of practices such as Qigong, body loosening exercises and meditation. Exploring the ideal body cultivated by the students, we describe and illustrate key (and often overlooked) body areas—namely the spine, scapula, Kua and feet, which are continually worked on in the School of Internal Arts’ exercise-based pedagogy. We argue that Neigong and Taijiquan, rather than being forms of physical education, are vehicles for adult physical re-education. This re-education offers space in which mind-body tension built over the life course are systematically Citation: Ma, X.; Jennings, G. “Hang released through specific forms of attentive, meditative exercise to lay the foundations for a strong, the Flesh off the Bones”: Cultivating powerful body for martial artistry and health.
    [Show full text]