Five Animal Frolics Qigong
This series of movements was purportedly developed about two thousand years ago. It was conceived of, or popularized by, a physician named Hua Tou, who was also an accomplished martial artist. In acupuncture, the acu-points on either side of the spine are called the Hua Tou Family of Points. From this we can infer that Hua Tou was interested in the spine and how it pertained to health. As such, this class focuses primarily on spinal movements with all other movements (ie arms, legs, hands, and feet) being of secondary importance.
This qigong set is evocative, not imitative, of the animals from which it takes its names. We are not attempting to move like a tiger or a bear because we are do not have their anatomy. We are are attempting to explore our human anatomy by evoking the essence or the animals. The essence of a tiger running is longitudinal waves of its spine (sagittal flexion & extension), seamlessly blended with rotations of its shoulder and hip joints. A deer scanning the forest rotates its spine transversely, lengthening the spine as it does so in order to avoid a crick in its long neck. A crane holds its head down and away from its body while flying to optimize its center of gravity for flight. These are principles of movement we are exploring, not literal pantomiming.
There are 26 movements in the Five Animal Frolics qigong set. This class will begin with a selection of six: two from the tiger, and one from each of the others (deer, bear, monkey, and crane).
Isometric exercise is an integral part of this class. An isometric exercise is one where there is muscle contraction, but no movement in the joints. This can be contrasted with plyometric exercises, where there is accompanying movement of the joints with muscular contraction. This class employs isometrics for several reasons.
- Isometrics protect and improve the joints.
- Without movement there is no wear & tear.
- Strengthening the tendons improves joint function.
- Isometrics strengthen the muscles to improve posture.
- Almost all pain is due to improper skeletal alignment, which results from one group of muscles being too weak, and corresponding group of muscles becoming too tight in the body’s attempt to compensate. Over time this poor alignment leads to degradation of cartilage and osteoarthritis. Even chronic pain from a traumatic injury is greatly exacerbated by the unaddressed weakness resulting from the trauma.
- An isometric contraction improves the body mind connection.
- I.e. by contracting the biceps for six seconds without moving the arms, our mind inhabits the biceps in a way it would not if we were just trying to curl a barbell.
- Isometric contractions help us get a better feel for qigong muscle activation.
- Qigong movements are predicated on muscle activation, which is different from regular movement. When I reach for something, my arm and hand just reach out for it; it is an automatic movement. In qigong, we activate every muscle involved in a form’s movement, which is the primary reason it is performed slowly.
The isometrics used in this class are separated into two categories, “muscle control” and “dynamic tension”. Muscle control is when you just contract a target muscle, i.e. the lats. An example of dynamic tension is when one arm’s flexion is pitted against the other arm’s extension, or the hip, knee, etc.
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Training Routine
Belly breathing:
- Stand in neutral stance.
- Inhale slowly and purposefully. The belly expands with the inhale. Do not hold your breath.
- Exhale, and the belly contracts. Gently pull the belly in a little farther than it would go without assistance. Do not hold your breath.
- Inhale and let the belly expand, repeating the inhale-exhale cycle like a sin wave, no holding of the breath. Do not strain. 70% effort at most.
- At least ten breaths.
Muscle Control: Lats
- Neutral stance
- Hold hands out to the side with a slight bend in your arm.
- Squeeze fists and flex your lats. Hold the flex for 6 seconds (~4 breaths)
Hold the Ball
- Neutral stance. Continue belly breathing.
- Gently pull your shoulder blades together and down. They should be flush with your back, do not let them wing out/protrude from the back.
- Raise your arms so they are level with your diaphragm, slightly bent, like you are holding a large, weightless ball.
- The raising of the arms should be accomplished by rotating them up and in with the contraction of the shoulder blades.
- At least ten breaths.
Bear Movements 1, 2
Bear Movements 3, 4, 5
Monkey Movements 1, 2
Monkey Massage 3, 4
Monkey 5 Movements
Bird Movements 1, 2
Bird Movements 3, 4, 5
Animal Hand Forms
Kelsey Healing Arts 
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