This paper is summarizing the most important instructions that I have been given by my masters to practice the traditional Yijin . Since the release of my extensive program I am already revising the videos and will continue to do so until I feel that each lesson conveys every last bit of information and that each exercise/article will help you grasp the subjects on a profound level. After all, it is a learning process for all of us. I am not only a teacher but also a student.

It is fundamentally important to understand the theory of practice in order to stay on the correct path. Being confident with the training method means that you know what to do, trust the process and most likely not give up. Only with consistent practice, patience and perseverance will we be able to get powerful results.

In this paper I will summarize the fundamental principles and explain the process of transformation and offer you some insight based on my personal experiences.

Please make sure to read through this introduction carefully.

I’m sure by now you know that Yijin Jing is translated into Tendon Changing Classic. Technically you could call it the “Change the muscles to get tendon-quality Classics”, I will elaborate soon. “Yi “ means change or transformation and “jin” means muscles & tendons, but here also includes the ligaments, fascia and other connective tissues in the body. Together “Yijin” applies the total transformation of the body and mind and a qualitative change in the muscles and other tissues. “Jing” means classic as in the original concept of the practice or scripture that was written about it.

First of all you should know that there exist many different methods and practice sets that call themselves the Yijin Jing. Have you ever wondered about that?

The Yijin Jing itself is a series of guiding principles that have been adopted into most of the internal arts. Originally there was no movement that went along with the Yijin Jing. It was only a set of rules that governed the practice. These ingenious principles were recognized as so effective that they began to be incorporated into different arts like medical , martial arts, but also in a way for spiritual enlightenment practice.

Some systems adhered so closely to the principles of the Yijin Jing that they called themselves by this name. Nowadays however, this can be quite confusing. Today you can find many methods, including simple Qigong sets for health, prescribed by the Chinese government or sports association, that are called the Yijin Jing. Often you find that these systems are barely following the principles or at times discarded this fundamental and absolutely essential part completely. Why this makes such a big difference you will find out soon.

The guiding principles of the Yijin Jing are indeed part of many different Qigong systems. They create the frame work for effective body-development. You can see that an Yijin Jing practice is a Qigong system that combines a particular Qigong set with these principles. Generally you could say that the more a system is adhering to these principles, the more powerful it is. Let’s first look at the goal of the Yijin Jing and then discuss the principles. You’ve probably heard of the legend that says that Damo () developed the Yijin Jing as a way to cultivate body, mind and spirit simultaneously. This allowed the monks in the Shaolin temple to develop a stronger body that would not deteriorate. The results of this training are long-term, unlike conventional strength training which used to be mainly external. This meant the monks could use their strong and vital body as the vehicle for spiritual cultivation.

 The Yijin Jing describes a series of processes to put the body through to obtain great strength, vitality and health. First and foremost, the body needs to be transformed in different ways. All of the bodies functions and its efficiency need to be improved. This will make it run on a higher level, physically and energetically. Just this fact alone makes it very obvious why the Yijin Jing was incorporated in martial arts.

 Another process is helping the body regain its physical vitality. Physical vitality to the Chinese means that the body is agile and has elastic and springy qualities. If you look at young people you will notice these qualities. Unfortunately in modern days you will find that even young people are losing these qualities pretty fast. This is due to extended periods of sitting in classrooms or in front of their devices, lack of movement, or other lifestyle related reasons. The body naturally looses these qualities with age and the Yijin Jing is supposed to maintain or regain this physical vitality.

 The blood flow and the health of the blood need to be improved. This is essential in order to maintain and improve the bodies functions. Through lengthening the tissues (I will elaborate soon) and opening the joints the blood and will flow more strongly and allow the body to become more efficient and strong. This process develops the channels which ensure a smooth and strong energy supply. You can compare your body with an engine. For it to become more powerful and run better you need to fine tune it, make sure you have a sufficient energy supply and good quality fuel.

 The last process involves Qi. It is important to accumulate and strengthen it. If you do not have a sufficient power supply you won’t be able to get the same results from the Yijin Jing. The stronger the Qi, the healthier the bodies functions will be. You see that Qi cultivation and storage plays an important role. That’s why, no matter what method of the Yijin Jing you practice, you need to make sure that it involves breathing exercises, small circulation or any other internal cultivation practice that helps you accumulate and store an abundant amount of Qi.

 On its highest level the Yijin Jing was a foundation for the Xi Sui Jing (Marrow/Brain washing). With the channels opened and a strong and healthy body you are sufficiently prepared to commence the Xi Sui Jing. Whereas the Yijin Jing is to transform the body, the Xi Sui Jing is to transform the mind, purify the bone marrow and improve all the functions that are associated with it. The goals of the Xi Sui Jing is reaching spiritual enlightenment.

You can see that with the adoption of the Yijin Jing principles it was possible to elevate the training in different traditions and arts. You could improve health through medical Qigong methods or a strong combat-oriented practice like martial arts. It enabled the potential for martial arts to become a spiritual practice. This is probably the reason why in China Kungfu and body-development are closely linked to the spiritual practice. Now you know what you can expect from the Yijin Jing training. However, the benefits reach much further and its uses are much broader. Naturally, it depends on the method that is combined with the principles. In order to delve deeper into the study, let’s take a look at the 6 layers in the body that we need to consider in order for a powerful transformation to happen.

1. First and most obvious are the muscles. In practice the muscles need to be relaxed and stretched at the same time. You can see that it is necessary to maintain a degree of engagement within the body that allows us to stretch the muscles, yet relax them completely. When the muscles are relaxed they don’t influence the tissues around them anymore and therefore they will be “taken out of the equation”. The muscles are the last thing that we want to build to develop strength. One of the most important rules is that the physical and mental development must come from the action of Qi. We will elaborate soon.

2. Second are the tendons. Now here it’s important to understand the terminology correctly. The term “tendons”, according to the classics of medical Qigong, does not only refer to the literal connection of bone to muscle but also includes different connective tissues and also refers to a quality. “Tendon Changing (Yijin)” therefore does not only mean that you will develop strong tendons (as the modern western medical terminology describes it) or simply a strong connection of your muscle to your bone. It also means that you will transform your muscles and other tissues to become of tendon-like quality.

3. Next, we will need to consider the sinew channels (Jing Jin). These are often described as tendon lines that run throughout the body. They are not literal channels as in tube or pipe-shaped lines but instead they are layers of different tissues and muscles that run through the body in a similar manner as the organ channels. These lines will need to be developed and “opened up” to promote strong sinew lines of good conductivity.

4. Probably the most essential layer in this body-transformation is what’s called “Huang”. The Huang is fascia, (possibly including other connective tissues) which fills the spaces in the body and upholds the organs. You can think of it as the substance between your muscles, bones, organs and wherever there would technically be an “empty space”. It is what holds our organs and other parts of our internal body in place.

5. Another layer is the bones. The bones are the structure that everything else is attached to. The muscles, tendons, connective tissues and the Huang. In Qigong we work on establishing the alignment of the skeleton to create a strong solid structure. This provides the necessary postural requirements for the practice. In order for the the body to go through this transformation you will need to condition the bone structure into an optimal alignment. This alignment is very useful for martial arts and internal power development, but it also allows you to promote a deeper relaxation and therefore creates an ideal foundation for applying the Yijin Jing principles.

6. The last layer is the internal organs. If the organs are healthy, the body is healthy. In order for the organs to be healthy we will need to develop many of the layers equally but most importantly the channels. Imagine your channels as the power and nutrient supply. Only when we are able to provide open and clear pathways and a strong power supply our organs will develop and become healthier and run more efficiently. Finally, let’s talk about the guiding principles of the Yijin Jing. In order to build the physical body it is essential to train in the correct sequence. You can summarize these principles in 4 rules. These rules must be followed in order to gain the best benefits and harvest the most powerful results:

 Everything starts with Qi. In order to create long-lasting physical and mental health it must come from the action of Qi. Physical and mental health are closely related to the efficiency of the body and the way the mind functions. In other words, the more efficient and smooth your body and its internal processes, the better your mental and physical health. The question is how to use Qi to develop the physical body to a high level? Conventional training at the gym or simple jogging theoretically improves your health, too. Obviously we create Qi during these simple exercises as well. In this case however, they are not based in Qi but rather focus on the external, for example the muscles. Remember, the muscles are the last thing we want to build to develop strength. It was known that physical and mental health needed to be based in Qi. Qi is what is between the body and mind and and acts like a bridge to connected to both. Body and mind are linked together through Qi and therefore it made sense to base the transformation on it.

 Qi must be the guiding force and the physical will follow. Conventional weight lifting for example, directly targets a specific muscle in the body and stimulates it to grow. In the Yijin Jing it must be Qi that is leading the physical to transform. Of course this requires trust in the practice because the results won’t happen as quickly. However, direct physical stimulation is only temporarily, whereas the Yijin Jing builds the body to hold up its strength long term. The physical should transform according to the Qi. This is in fact what became the basis of Qigong. Most Qigong sets are based on these first 2 principles.

 The Qi must transform the Huang, which then transforms the tendons (the quality of the tissues). This means that the muscles and tissues of the body will change their quality and become more springy and tendon-like. Between the bundles of muscles and tissues there is something that fills the space and wraps them like the insulation of an electrical wire. This is Huang. (In the last part of this series I will explain Huang more in detail.) You can see to practice the Yijin Jing correctly we first need to cultivate Qi which will be sent to develop Huang which then develops the muscle to get a tendon-quality.

 Qi can not be forced or actively led into the Huang. Huang is literally everywhere in the body. Because of the complexity of the Huang system, which most likely involves a handful of other connective tissues, it is important that Qi mobilizes to move into the Huang of its own accord. That’s why it is important to focus on the previous principles and ensure to follow them closely. Only when the muscles “hang” and you are finding a light stretch within deep relaxation, will you be able to create the right conditions for the Qi to enter the Huang. Naturally it is also essential for the Qi to build. There must be a sufficient amount of Qi in order for it to move into the Huang. This is what emphasizes the importance of the Yin side of training. It is very beneficial for the Yijin Jing practice to complete the small circulation meditation. Let’s delve even deeper into this subject. This means I will revert to what’s written in the classics and try to explain how this process of transformation takes place.

As we have learned one of the most crucial substances in the body is the Huang. The medical Qigong classics usually mention “Huang” and “Gao” and divide them into 2 different kind of tissues. “Gao” literally means “fat” and refers to adipose tissue. This is the tissue that is used for the storage of fat. “Huang” is usually translated into “membranes” and also refers to superficial and deep fascia, the mesenterium, omentum and stroma (which are tissues that attach the organs to the body wall and the stomach with other abdominal organs, as well as other supportive tissues). They cover the whole body with a layer immediately below the skin and consist of an inner layer that is wrapping and anchoring the organs (connecting them), the muscles and the bones. You can see that the Chinese were already very well aware of this interconnected web of tissues throughout the body. In relation to the Yijin Jing and the mechanism for body-development it is safe to assume that all these tissues are meant by Huang. They are completely connected and can not be isolated. It is impossible to move any part of the body without affecting the Huang in the entire body. If you move your index finger there will ultimately be a response in the bottom of your foot, even if it’s ever so subtle. These fully interconnected connective tissues between the muscles, around the bones and in those “empty spaces” within the body are what ties up the whole body as one. The Classic of Categories says the Huang in between the abdominal cavities and the muscle patterns (Li, muscle fibre) and they extend up and down in the crevices. There is a particularly large amount of Huang in the abdominal cavity between the organs and the muscles. All of these layered tissues with different conductivity shape the real lower Dan Tian.

Let’s see how the Yijin Jing principles apply to the practical training method.

First of all, we need to build an excellent sense of internal body- awareness. This means we need to listen carefully inward and pay close attention to our sensations. Naturally, this will be difficult in the beginning. That’s why there are various exercises that help you build a strong foundation for the Yijin Jing practice. Exercises that I consider as fundamental are Qi- awareness and relaxation exercises, meditation including the small , and (Standing Pole Exercises). As a matter of fact, the Yijin Jing that I practice and teach is using the principles in combination with many different Zhan Zhuang Gong postures.

Becoming aware of Qi is part of the Qigong basics and you have probably already experienced it. Finding the Huang is a little bit more tricky. In order to become aware of the Huang you first need to be able to stretch and relax your muscles. By doing so you will get rid of any habitual tension that is very common in most of us. This is an ongoing process because due to our jobs or other activities (or lack of activities) we will always build up new tension somewhere in the body. When the muscles are lengthened and relaxed you are able to take them out of the equation, open the joints and feel deeper past the muscles. This is where you can find the Huang. The classics say you are supposed to “hang” the muscles from your bones.

This is where the postural alignment comes in. A lot of the alignment work that is part of Qigong is there to help you sit or stand in the most efficient way, mostly relying on the internal structure with the bones (vertebrae) aligned over top of each other. The postural alignment is not only important to condition the body for an improved power development but also to help you build the Huang. During the alignment conditioning or posture practice your bones should always maintain space between each other. This is where the cues “bringing the tailbone down” and “the crown of the head up” become important. This means the skeleton opens up (against gravity) and stretches lightly.I sometimes use the cue “stack your bones”, however, it is important to understand that this doesn’t mean stacking on top of each other (as in touching) but rather aligning them over top of each other with space in between them. It should result in flattening the lumbar and neck curvature. The posture that is most commonly practiced to begin understanding this concept is Zhan Zhuang. In this position you are able to relax the muscles so that they hang and stretch off of the bones. Muscle and bone will separate from each other. Bones up or away from each other (open joints) and flesh down, the muscles relax. This is the most important principle in body development. When the muscles hang you will be able to stretch the Huang. Notice that relaxation doesn’t mean your body becomes soft and squishy. The relaxation of the muscles should result in a slight stretch of the Huang.

The different practice methods of the Yijin Jing should all contain these important principles in their practical training. The Taoist (Daojia) and Xiongshi method utilize different postures in which you will need to find this state of relaxed muscles and stretched Huang. Naturally, it is very difficult to develop the Huang during a movement practice.

The process of transformation.

As we have learned the transformation needs to be based in Qi which then transforms the Huang and so on. In order for the Qi to flow into the Huang of its own accord it needs to be built sufficiently. Naturally you will need to cultivate and store an abundant amount of Qi in your lower Dan Tian. This is why breathing exercises and the small circulation training are creating the fundamental framework and strong foundation for the Yijin Jing. These exercises will help you cultivate and store Qi which you can then use to develop your Huang. When you allow the Huang to stretch through relaxing, the Qi will start to travel into it and begin to grow, thicken and strengthen it. In order for the Qi to mobilize into the Huang it is important to maintain and cultivate the correct mental qualities like “ting”, listening to the natural actions within the body and “song”, the mental release and relaxation.

One mistake many beginners make is believing that the Yijin Jing is simply a relaxation exercise in which you need to find a deep meditative state. This is only partly correct. Although a calm and peaceful mind are very important, you should start with focusing on your internal structure, the amount of relaxation and engagement and your sensations. In other words, you will need to observe consciously what happens or what you feel within your body. Naturally, this will become easier the deeper your state of concentration is. Once you have developed the necessary (internal) body-awareness you will be able to increase the effectiveness of the practice through a deeper state of meditation.

If the stretch of the Huang is insufficient, or in other words, you are not able to separate the flesh (muscles) from the bones, your Qi will end up flowing into the muscles. Even though this might help you strengthen your muscles, you will not be able to build the tendon-qualities in it. The more Qi can travel into the Huang, the more it will develop and the more “elastic strength” can be built. Qi and Huang have a symbiotic relationship. If you are familiar with the concept of the Dan Tian being an accumulation of layered tissues with different conductivity (which act as a battery) you will be able to understand this relationship. (If this subject is unknown to you, don’t worry. It is part of the Yijin Jing program, but you can also find a post about the Dan Tian on my blog). Qi is infusing the Huang and in return the Huang will develop. The tissues will grow and become stronger and therefore will also be able to conduct and build more Qi. In short, Qi travels into the Huang, it develops Huang, Huang builds Qi, Qi returns to the centre.

Once the Huang is developed to a high level it will start to change the sinews. It will open (develop) the “Jing Jin”, the sinew channels in the body. These are commonly known as the major tendon lines in the body. Opening these channels is what greatly improves the efficiency of the body and what results in physical and mental health. It is as if the Huang is growing into the sinews and changing their quality altogether. At the same time the entire interconnected web of tissues in the body will be knit together more tightly. From the sinews the transformation will continue to the muscles. The Huang starts to separate the fibre of the sinews (wrapping them) and the muscles will transform and become tendon-like quality. You can imagine this entire process as an increase in density, starting with a soft and “squishy” substance, the Huang, developed more until it becomes denser like the sinews and finally building this same dense and elasticated tendon-like quality in the muscles. When the Huang is stretched Qi flows into it. The Huang stretches into the sinews which are the tissues that form the channels. As the sinews start to open, the Qi will move into the channels which cause them to open more. The Huang will conduct the extra Qi into the sinew channels and the sinews will conduct the Qi along their entire length. Then the sinews will start to grow into the muscle.

To grasp this concept, let’s look at this process from a slightly different perspective.

The body needs to be stretched like a string on a guitar in order for the Qi to flow into the Huang and sinews. If you pick the string it will send a vibration along its entire length and create a sound. If the string was under no stretch, this would not work. It is important to release habitual tension and learn how to let the muscles “hang” from the bones. Tension in the body will create blockages which you can imagine as little solid peaces on this guitar string. It will prevent the flow of Qi along its length. (It would prevent the string from sending the vibration through its length to create a sound.) With the muscles relaxed and the Huang stretched you will activate the sinews and these tissues become like the string. The flow of Qi will be unobstructed and the channels will open. As the Qi flows into the channel the channel function will become better and stronger. As a result of this the organ function will increase because of an improved energy supply. Everything related to the opened sinew channels will improve, including physical and mental health. This is the main goal for practitioners of Qigong or Taiji for health. If you deepen this practice from here you will continue to transform the body from the inside out which is generally the goal of martial artists or serious practitioners.

To conclude this introduction I want to talk about 2 common errors that often occur. They are mostly related to the practice order of the principles. For example when your transformation is not based in Qi and you begin with developing the muscles. Naturally this happens when you haven’t developed a sufficient level of body-awareness and you remain too stiff. The Qi will flow into the muscles which contract even more and hold more tension. Even though you might see an increase in muscle, this is simply an external training method and you may as well go to the gym and lift weights.

When I first learned the Yijin Jing my mood started to change. I got frustrated, very unsettled and surprisingly angry. I was over straining my liver due to incorrect training and experienced Qi stagnation. I didn’t realize that I was targeting my tendons and approached the Yijin Jing incorrectly. In order to solve this problem you need to find the stretch in the Huang. I believe that I held a lot of tension due to my external Shaolin Kungfu training and had to get rid of this habitual tension first. Long story short, I had to go back to the basics and improve my body-awareness until I was able to distinguish muscles, tendons, bones and Huang.

If you are able to apply these principles correctly and don’t rush your training you will enjoy a splendid harvest. The body will become incredibly strong and healthy with an abundance of Qi. All its functions will be optimized and run efficiently, including the absorption of food and air, down to the cellular level. You will be able to withstand a lot more impact, physically and mentally and develop a vital, springy and elastic property within the body.

I hope this article will help you grasp the theory of the Yijin Jing. More importantly, I want you to remember these principles as you work through the program. Since this is an online training I won’t be able to do any adjustments. You will need to use your own judgment and ensure that you observe the sensations within your body carefully. Never jump to conclusions and make sure that you verify the sensation throughout the different postures. This will help you to be certain about your practice. If you have any questions just get in touch with me. I’m always happy to help.