Five Animals Qi Gong

五禽戲 Wu Qin Xi.

The Five Animals Qi Gong routine is an ancient Chinese health preservation exercise system dated circa 25-220 A.D., with the source attributed to Hua Tuo, a Classical Chinese Medicine doctor from the Eastern Han Dynasty. The name Qigong is commonly used in modern times to describe Dao Yin physical exercises that bring attention to posture, breath, awareness and state. Dao Yin is a natural method for preventative health and wellbeing using the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Five Animals Qi Gong - About

The majority of the Five Animals Qi Gong routine consist of the tiger, deer, bear, monkey and crane, though some routines have many more animals. Traditionally the lineages stem from Dr Hua Tuo's original practice, where the routine has been passed down from teacher to student over many hundreds of years. In modern times, between 2000-2003, the five animals qigong routine was standardised by the Chinese government, establishing the Chinese Health Qigong Association to bring their system to a global market. There are differences and similarities between schools and systems, in particular concerning the five animals and the five elements, where the animal's may represent a different element depending on the system you study. The image below gives some examples of where you will find cross overs between the animals and the five element theory.

The Five Animals Qi Gong uses imitations of animal movements to balance the five elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine. There are two movements per animal to practice. Each animal relates to one of the five elements e.g. the crane is associated with the fire element, and corresponds with one of the five yin and five yang internal organs e.g. the crane is associated with the heart and small intestine. The movements are traditionally performed as a complete routine that mimics the characteristics, spirit and physical movements of each animal, to become the animal. The routine is a well rounded series of exercises balancing all of the five elements through movement and breathwork.

Five Animals Qi Gong - Health

The focus of the Five Animals Qi Gong routine is for health preservation. The health and wellbeing benefits combine mental balance and physical ease. Specifically aiding respiration, lung health, heart health and blood circulation, liver health, suppleness in the connective tissue, loosening areas of muscular contraction and tension, aiding digestive health, kidney health, flexibility of the joints, spine health, muscle strength, emotional health, clarity, fatigue, nervousness and anxiety.

The message from all of the teachers I have studied the routine with, is to not focus on which element, meridian or health benefit is associated with the animal as you move. As this negatively takes you into the Westernised anticipatory mind, being led by your left cognitive brain, like ticking things off a list, prescribing your Qigong experience, expecting a result, or even forcing a result. Once you have learnt the choreography and can perform the routine independently. This is then the time to focus on the movements; the body sensations, the physical interactions, the movement of the breath, the lengthening and releasing of the tissues, the elasticity, the bones opening and closing, noticing the areas of tension you bump into, feeling into the feeling of the movements, listening inwardly and observing and playing with each Qigong experience as if it were new with appreciative attention. Being in your body for the sake of being in your body. This is Qigong!

Raising the Tiger's Paws

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Stimulates the liver by the gazing eye movements, stretching the sinews in the hand postures and when raising the arms. Breathwork circulates Qi in the Sanjiao / Triple Warmer (thoracic and abdominal cavities). The liver also nourishes the flow and storage of blood and strengthens the bone marrow.
Health: Grip strength. Increases blood circulation to the hands and fingers. Strengthens the lung system through deep breathing.

Seizing the Prey

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Strengthens the kidneys and gallbladder by stretching the lumbar spine. Nourish and balance qi in the Du mai (governing meridian) and Ren mai (conception meridian). Dredge the 12 meridians. Nourish the kidneys. Balance yin yang in the body.
Health: Increases blood circulation, flexion and extension of the spine, mobility and muscle strength in the lower back, massage internal organs.

Raising the Tiger's Paws - Key Movements

Focus on the trunk as the arms raise up passed the abdomen, chest, neck and head whilst maintaining an upright spine. Look for a cycle of expansion and compression in the abdomen and chest as you flow through the movement.

Seizing the Prey - Key Movements

Focus on the stability of the lower body, progressing from a horse stance to an empty stance with changes in your centre of gravity. Focus on the waist driving the movement of the arms, creating two vertical circles as you lift the arms up overhead.

Colliding the Antlers

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Nourish and balance Qi in the Du mai (governor meridian) and Ren mai (conception meridian). Activate yang Qi.
Health: Nourish and strengthen the kidneys by stretching around the waist and lower back. Side flexion, extension and rotation of the waist and spine. Strengthens the lower back and waist muscles.

Running like a Deer

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Stepping backwards opens and stimulates Ming Men (DU-4). Nourish and balance Qi in the Du mai (governor meridian). Stimulate Qi in the 3 yin and 3 yang meridian channels in the wrist/hand to aid the neck and shoulders. Activate yang Qi.
Health: Nourish and strengthen the kidneys by stretching around the waist and lower back. Flexion and extension of the spine. Spiralling rotation of the shoulders and arms. Strengthens and relaxes the neck, shoulders, waist and spine.

Colliding the Antlers - Key Movements

Focus on the waist, kidneys, lumbar and the coccyx. The movement is driven from the waist, the shoulders are relaxed and connected to the waist. A mistake is to let the shoulders lead the movement. The secondary focus is to compress and expand the side waist.

Running like a Deer - Key Movements

Focus on the waist, kidneys, lumbar and the coccyx. Create two bow shapes, one horizontal (arms) and one vertical (spine) as you progress to the height of the movement. This flexes the spine stimulating the muscles and connective tissue in the waist, back, lower back and sacrum area.

Rotate Waist like a Bear

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Strengthens the stomach, pancreas and spleen. Rotation and torsion movements circulate Qi in the torso: abdomen, spleen and stomach.
Health: Strengthen the kidneys by stretching around the waist. Strengthens and relaxes the waist and lower back muscles. Through the hand postures and massaging body movements this aids digestion, constipation, elimination and appetite.

Swaying like a Bear

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Strengthens the stomach, pancreas and spleen. Qi circulation in the spleen. Nourish and stimulate the liver and kidneys, regulates emotions and strengthens bone marrow.
Health: Strengthens and relaxes the waist and lower back muscles, hip joints, leg muscles. Stimulates healthy functioning of the upper and lower abdomen.

Rotate Waist like a Bear - Key Movements

Focus on creating a vertical circle that is driven by the waist, with the hands, arms, shoulders and head all following your waist movement. Through the rotation, the trunk follows an expansion and compression movement. The lower body is relaxed and centred.

Swaying like a Bear - Key Movements

Focus on creating fluid stability in the lower body, moving your centre of gravity forwards and backwards in a squatting stance. The waist drives the rotation of the body, which creates the swaying arms, helping to expand and compress the internal organs.

Raising Monkey Paws

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Stimulates blood and Qi circulation to the brain. The changing hand postures stimulate Qi in the 3 yin and 3 yang meridian channels in the wrist/hand.
Health: Massages the heart through expansion and compression. Nourishes blood circulation and strengthens the blood vessels governed by the heart. Increases fine motor control in the hands and fingers. Improves respiration and lung health. Helps develop leg muscles, stability and balance.

Picking Fruit

Traditional Chinese Medicine: To regulate the heart mind.
Health: Levels the emotions, settles the central nervous system to help reduce depression and anxiety. The eye and head movements help boost increase circulation to the brain.

Raising Monkey Paws - Key Movements

Focus on creating a rooted posture when lifting the heels and maintaining an upright spine and head as you progress towards the height of the movement. As you raise the arms up, the abdomen and anus are pulled in and released when you lower down, following an expand and compress motion. The arms follow with an even paced movement.

Picking Fruit - Key Movements

Focus on the lower body creating a stable base that co-ordinates smoothly with the upper body. The choreography of the arms is complex with a variety of movements, stretches, expansion and compress that are all repeated symmetrically on each side of the body.

Crane Stretching Upwards

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Stimulates Qi flow across all meridians. Aid Qi flow sinking to Dantian. Nourish and balance Qi in the Du mai (governor meridian) and Ren mai (conception meridian). Balance yin yang in the body.
Health: Increase blood circulation. Improve respiration and lung capacity. Aids lung health and symptoms of bronchitis, COPD and pulmonary emphysema.

Flying like a Crane

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Stimulates Qi flow in the lung meridian. Strengthens the lungs and stimulates the lung meridian through massaging movements and index finger and thumb postures.
Health: Massages the heart muscle and improves blood circulation and oxygen supply to the lungs. Helps develop balance and leg strength. Improves respiration and lung health. Improves balance and stability.

Crane Stretching Upwards - Key Movements

Focus on the lower body creating stability to co-ordinate with the opening movements of the arms, changing from the beak hand posture to open flying wings. The arms progress from a triangle posture to an arc posture, whilst the trunk goes through a coordinated expand and compress motion.

Flying like a Crane - Key Movements

Focus on creating stability to enable standing on one leg with ease and grounding. A stable base will ensure the upper body movements maintain an even flow of motion. The arm movement flows through the joints relaxing the shoulders and elbows as you raise the wrists, then by relaxing the shoulder, elbows and wrist as the arms lower.