Generating Qi flow is the fundamental skill of Qigong. Without this skill, practitioners will not derive the wonderful benefits of Qigong, even when they may perform genuine Qigong techniques.
Surprisingly, not many people know this fact. As a result, they may perform genuine Qigong techniques for years as external forms, but are still weak or sickly although two main purposes of Qigong training are to make them healthy and full of vitality.
Following are shown the three Lohan Eighteen Hands exercises taught at our School, Shaolin Wahnam Institute to transmit the skill of Generating Qi Flow.
Lifting the Sky
This pattern is also found in many other kinds of Qigong. This is not surprising because "Lifting the Sky" is one of the best of all Cosmos Qigong exercises. Promotes Qi flow in the whole body, corrects posture, helps relax, promotes confidence, heals Hemorrhoids and Migraine.
Carrying the Moon
Many of our students love this exercise the most. It makes you look and feel young, and enhances your nervous system. You can have these benefits only if you can generate a shower of Qi or vital energy down your body with this exercise. It promotes health of the nervous system and back. Purifying and cleansing effect. It corrects slipped discs and promotes sexual enhancement.
Pushing Mountains
We have never failed to be amazed by the profundity in simplicity of this exercise. If you wish to overcome your Rheumatism, or to enhance your sex life, or to have internal force for martial art, or to have mental freshness - just to mention a few of its benefits - practice this exercise.
The Shaolin Eighteen Lohan Hands are fundamental Qigong exercises that can bring tremendous benefits if they are practiced as Qigong. Over the years, we have successfully used selections from the Eighteen Lohan Hands to help many people overcome illness, including so-called incurable diseases.
But if they are practiced as physical exercise, which is often the case nowadays, naturally the practitioner will only get the benefits of physical exercise. The crucial difference between Qigong exercise and physical exercise lies not in the outward form (which can be the same for both types of exercise), but in the internal dimensions of energy and mind. If one does not know what these internal dimensions are, it is unlikely that he (or she) has practiced Qigong, although he may have performed the outward form for years.
Unless you are already well versed in Qigong, even if you can perform these eighteen sets of movements correctly but without affecting the internal dimensions of mind and energy, you will only get the benefits of physical exercise. The illustrations, therefore, are not meant for self practice, but for satisfying curiosity, and perhaps as a means for preserving for future generations what the Shaolin Eighteen Lohan Hands look like.
You will be mistaken if you think that the mind and energy dimensions are not explained here because we want to keep them as secrets. Even if we explain them here, many people may not believe the explanation. Even if they believe it and follow the instructions, they may not get the desired result. Worse still, and this is a main reason why many masters “keep the secrets”, practicing advanced Qigong without a Master's supervision may bring serious adverse effects.