Chinese language - Five-Animal Exercises

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Five-Animal Exercises

( 2008-07-07 )

The Five-Animal Exercises created by Hua Tuo were a set of medical Qigong (breathing exercises) mainly characterized by imitating animals’ actions and expressions in order to prevent and cure illness and prolong life. Five-Animal Exercises in Chinese is “Wuqinxi”, in which the “Wuqin”
generally refers to all animals including birds and beasts; the “Xi” at that time referred to activities such as singing, dancing or acrobatics, and here it means special way of exercises. Hua Tuo was the person who actually systemized the exercises and promoted it to the public.

The Five-Animal Exercises is a qigong practice imitating animal movements and manners with disease prevention, medical treatment and vitality promotion as the major functions. Qin means beast and generally referred to animals in ancient times. Xi referred to activities such as acrobatics in
ancient times and refers hereby specifically to special movements. Wuqin Xi is also known as the Five-animal Exercise or Wuqin Qigong. The one who summed up and promoted Wuqin Xi was Hua Tuo.

Wuqin Xi is consisted of 5 groups of actions imitating the movement of the tiger, deer, bear, ape and bird. It is a bionic exercise. Regular exercising of Wuqin Xi can dredge the main and collateral channels, regulate Qi and blood, nourish the viscera and strengthen muscle and bones sooth joint
activities, and thus achieves the purpose of disease prevention and life prolonging.

Enjoying the fame of "Aesculapius", Hua Tuo (145 – 208 AD) is a famous highly-skilled doctor of the Eastern Han Dynasty in China. He was born in a common Shizu family in the late Eastern Han Period and lived in the same period with another renowned doctor Zhang Zhongjing. Based on his rich
experience in medical treatment, Hua Tuo compiled a medical book, which was regrettably not handed down. The existing Zhongzang Classic by Hua Tuo was compiled by people in the Song Dynasty, probably containing partial content of Hua Tuo's book remaining at that time.

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