excerpt from the Cheng School Gao Style Bagua Zhang Manual
Chapter 4: (养生篇, Yǎngshēng Piān)
Selected Health Cultivation Arts (第四章 养生术精选)
Introduction
From the time Emperor Qin Shi Huang sent people in all directions to seek the elixir of immortality, although no “magic pill” for rejuvenation and eternal life has been found to this day, in humanity’s struggle against aging, many anti-aging factors have been discovered within “one’s own body,” and a rich body of experience for delaying aging has been accumulated. From practice, various effective methods for nourishing the body and strengthening health — health cultivation arts (养生术) — have been summarized and developed. These methods are not only summaries of experience in delaying aging but also important topics for modern humanity to continue researching ways to postpone and prevent degenerative changes in the body’s organs.
Mr. Gao Yisheng (高义盛) not only had profound attainment in Bagua Zhang (八卦掌) but also conducted considerable research into health cultivation arts. In his compiled work Health Cultivation Arts (养生术), he described health methods closely related to Bagua Zhang (八卦掌). Practitioners of the palm must be familiar with them.
Section 1: On the Three Dantians (第一节 论丹田有三)
Gao Yisheng said: There are three Dantians (丹田).
The brain is the Upper Dantian (上丹田), the sea of spirit (神之海).
Middle Dantian
The Shanzhong (膻中) point is the Middle Dantian (中丹田), the sea of qi (气之海).
Three inches below the navel is the Lower Dantian (下丹田), the sea of essence (精之海).
The upper, middle, and lower Dantians are connected by qi. Those who cultivate health all begin with quiet nurturing, regulating breath so that the three Dantians communicate, allowing true qi (真气) to circulate without obstruction. This benefits the body because there are three passes (三关) in the human body: the Yuzhen Pass (玉枕关) at the back of the brain, the Jiaji Pass (夹脊关) on the back, and the Weilu Pass (尾闾关) at the coccyx. These three passes are the pathways for the ascending and descending of essence-qi (精气, true qi).
The front three Dantians and the back three passes together form the Small Heavenly Circuit (小周天). When the three Dantians and three passes are open, qi and blood circulate smoothly, essence, qi, and spirit flourish, and qi and blood do not decline.
1. Bagua Zhang and Dan (Elixir) Cultivation (八卦掌与练丹术)
Buddhist Zen practice achieves the “sarira (舍利)”; Daoist profound practice achieves the “elixir (丹)”; secular martial practice achieves the “embryo (胎).” All mean the gathering of essence, qi, and spirit (精、气、神) to obtain true qi (真炁). From the origins of Bagua Zhang (八卦掌), its circular walking derives from Daoist elixir cultivation — “turning the Heavenly Venerable (转天尊).” Therefore, the circular walking of Bagua Zhang (八卦掌) itself is a process of elixir cultivation, connecting the three Dantians and opening the three passes on the back. In practicing Bagua Zhang (八卦掌), one emphasizes moving according to the “Twenty-Four Essentials of Internal Skill Completion Method (二十四要内功成式法),” without needing to focus intention (意守) — simply letting it happen naturally. Practice has proven that Bagua Zhang (八卦掌) is a high-level health cultivation path originating from but surpassing elixir cultivation, cultivating both “nature (性)” and “life (命).”
2. Locations of the Three Dantians (三丹田之位置)
Opinions on the locations of the three Dantians vary. Some say they are points, some areas, and some specific organs. Based on generational transmission in Bagua Zhang (八卦掌) and our own training experience, the three Dantians are cavity regions in the body centered on certain points. They correspond to the three passes on the back, mutually reinforcing each other as interior and exterior. When the three Dantians and three passes connect, the Small Heavenly Circuit is formed.
The ancients said: “The Upper Dantian is the sea of spirit, the Middle Dantian is the sea of qi, the Lower Dantian is the sea of essence.” That is, the Dantians are places where essence, qi, and spirit gather — not merely points or surfaces, but specific sites or cavities with different functional states.
Therefore, the ancients called them “fields (田)” rather than points, apertures, or acupoints. In training, “sinking qi to the Dantian (气沉丹田)” or “guarding the Dantian with intention (意守丹田)” refers to these cavity regions.
Conclusion: The Lower Dantian is a cavity region centered on the Guanyuan (关元) acupoint (in the lower abdomen), corresponding to the Weilu Pass. The Middle Dantian is centered on the Shanzhong (膻中) acupoint (in the chest), corresponding to the Jiaji Pass. The Upper Dantian is centered on the Yintang (印堂) acupoint (in the brain), corresponding to the Yuzhen Pass. Only by fully understanding the positions and functions of the Dantians conceptually can one grasp them during practice and better maintain the smooth flow of the three Dantians and three passes.
Section 2: On Essence, Qi, and Spirit (第二节 论精、气、神)
The ancients said: “Heaven has three treasures: sun, moon, stars; Earth has three treasures: water, fire, wind; Humans have three treasures: essence, qi, spirit (精、气、神).” Without Heaven’s three treasures there is darkness; without Earth’s there is no life; without humanity’s there is no life. This shows the importance of essence, qi, and spirit.
Essence (精) broadly refers to the subtle substances of the human body, including the essences of the five organs, encompassing essence, blood, fluids, and liquids. Narrowly, it refers to reproductive essence. Pre-Heaven essence comes from the union of parental essences. Post-Heaven essence comes from digested food and water. Their interaction ensures human development and health.
Qi (气) is the functional manifestation of human activities. The most basic is “true original qi (真元之气)” from parental essence, which activates organ functions. Then comes grain qi from nutrition, and air from the lungs. These form a highly active subtle substance circulating throughout the body. Life depends on this qi: “Qi gathers and form is created; qi disperses and form perishes.”
Spirit (神) is the general term for the phenomena of human life activities — the external manifestation of organ functions and the reflection of the abundance or decline of essence and qi. In life activities, transforming essence into qi simultaneously manifests as “spirit.”
The relationship among essence, qi, and spirit (精、气、神) is extremely close and inseparable. Qi is produced from essence; the transformation of essence depends on qi. Essence contains qi; qi can transform essence. When essence is complete, qi is complete; when qi is complete, spirit is complete.
The circular internal training of Bagua Zhang (八卦掌) is a process of “generating essence, transforming qi, and raising spirit,” self-regulating life processes to achieve health cultivation and fitness.
Gao Yisheng had incisive remarks on this: The human body values essence, qi, and spirit most. Those who wish to cultivate health must not damage essence, consume qi, or injure spirit. As the saying goes: An old tree lives again when grafted with a tender branch; an old person can extend life by replenishing true qi. True qi is internal qi, essence-qi, and original qi.
Essence, qi, and spirit are inseparable: Spirit is born from qi; qi is born from essence. Essence is the root of the body; qi is the master of spirit. Essence is the body’s greatest treasure and must not be wasted.
There is a song formula (歌诀) detailing the consequences of essence deficiency in the organs and the benefits of preserving it.
Section 3: Health Cultivation Essentials (第三节 论养生要诀)
The book lists numerous concise health rules and prohibitions, including:
- Speak little to nourish internal qi.
- Moderate sexual desire to nourish essence-qi.
- Eat lightly to nourish blood-qi.
- Swallow saliva to nourish organ qi.
- Avoid anger to nourish liver qi.
- Eat carefully to nourish stomach qi.
- Avoid worry to nourish heart qi.
Additional rules cover daily habits (comb hair, wipe face, knock teeth, swallow saliva, practice qi), prohibitions on excess (prolonged walking, standing, sitting, lying, seeing), dietary taboos, seasonal cautions, and lifestyle recommendations such as morning porridge, moderate exercise, and avoiding wind after sweating.
Section 4: Kidney Cultivation Method (第四节 论修肾功法)
A detailed pre-sleep routine involving sitting, tongue on palate, guarding the Lower Dantian, contracting the anus, massaging the kidney points (肾腧穴), and a lying-down practice of cupping the external kidney while rubbing the Lower Dantian, followed by gently kneading the testicles. Includes a song formula and explanations of its principles for generating essence and tonifying the kidneys. Note: Do not practice before or after sexual activity.
Section 5: Golden Fluid Return Elixir Massage and Guiding Technique (第五节 论金液还丹按摩导引术)
This section highly praises saliva (called Golden Fluid/Jade Liquid, 金津玉液) as one of the body’s three treasures. It cites modern scientific findings on its digestive, antibacterial, anti-aging, and anti-cancer properties.
It then presents Gao Yisheng’s transmitted Golden Fluid Return Elixir Massage and Guiding Technique, with a full song formula (歌诀) and detailed step-by-step explanations of each movement (sitting quietly, massaging ears, warming eyes, rubbing nose, combing hair, knocking teeth, breathing exercises, tapping the head, stirring saliva with the tongue, rubbing the kidneys, visualizing fire, etc.), all aimed at returning saliva to the Dantian while performing self-massage for cultivation and strengthening the body.
This completes the full translation of the Health Cultivation Section (养生篇). It integrates traditional Chinese medicine concepts with Bagua Zhang (八卦掌) practice. Let me know if you need any part expanded, clarified, or the next section translated!
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