A Sampling of Ki Exercises

A Sampling of
Ki Exercises

Ki no Shuren Ho: The Practice and study of Ki

development

One of my favorite Ki exercises was brought to the West by Koichi Tohei. As

explained earlier in the site, Tohei is a Ki and Aikido master who fused together
the teachings of the Ichikukai and Tempukai schools with his own experiences, to
create the Ki no Kenkyukai. This particular technique hails from the Ichikukai's
Nagayo no Den Misogi practice and was developed to take the place of life and
death combat, for the purpose of achieving enlightenment. I like this exercise so
much that I practice it for no less than forty-five minutes to an hour and a half a
day. So I make my recommendations based on much beneficial experience. The
passage below is a description of the exercise from Tohei's book, Book of Ki:
Coordinating Mind and Body in Daily Life (my commentary in parentheses):

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A Sampling of Ki Exercises

Koichi Tohei demonstrating the starting

position of his breathing exercise

1. Sit in seiza (kneeling) with mind and body coordinated. Place one big
toe over the other (under you). Separate the knees by two hands width
(this is an approximation.) Put the hands on the thighs. Stretch the lower
back (upward), keep one point and relax the upper body. You will be
immovable if your shoulder is pushed or your hands or knees lifted
(actually, you'll be harder to move, but not immovable.)
2. Close the eyes (Tohei has stated at other times to only close them half-
way. I find half-way to be more effective personally, it keeps you from
drifting mentally), open the mouth a little and exhale quietly, making the
sound "Ha." If your mind is calm, your breathing will be calm and
smooth. You can see the state of your mind by listening to the sound of
your breathing. Maintain this state throughout the entire exhalation.
Finally, lean your body slightly forward (at the waist) and breathe the
last of the breath out completely. This exhalation will take about 30
seconds (the actual time varies from person to person; the duration is
less important than the quality of the breath.)
3. Keep this composure for a few seconds, then begin inhaling quietly
through the nose, making the sound of "Su" (while still inclined slightly

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forward.) Inhale as much as possible (without straining) and return to

your upright sitting posture and breathe in a little more. This takes about
20 seconds (again, actual time will vary.)
4. After inhaling, keep one point and wait about 10 seconds. Then exhale
again (in other words, repeat the process.)

Koichi Tohei demonstrating the inclined

posture of the exercise

Please note: there is much more to this exercise than meets the eye or could ever
be accurately conveyed via the written word. The above is only meant as an
introduction that will illustrate the principles of Ki development discussed
previously. I estimate that in my seven plus years of practicing this exercise, I
have, as of yet, only scratched the surface of possible benefit and understanding.

Another effective breathing exercise of note hails from Qi Gong and is referred to
as Orthodromic Breathing in Wang & Liu's, Qi Gong For Health & Longevity
(my commentary in parentheses):

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 A Sampling of Ki Exercises

Inspiration and expiration, Qi Gong style; note the

movement of the abdomen

During inhalation, close the lips and keep the body of the tongue close to the hard
palate with its tip against the upper inner aspects of the front teeth. Concentrate
the mind on the Dan Tian area (Chinese pronunciation of Seika Tanden), inhale
slowly with the descent of the diaphragm and bulge of the lower part of the
abdomen, and at the same time, mentally guide Qi to the Dan Tian. Then, hold
the breath for a little while. After that, exhale slowly with the ascent of the
diaphragm and pull in the lower part of the abdomen. (Important: the lower
abdomen should advance and recede naturally, without force. If not, you're
breathing incorrectly from the chest, rather than the Tanden.)

The above exercise shares much in common with Tohei's breathing method. They
both involve action and concentration originating in the lower abdomen, they
each advocate elongated breaths interspersed with the holding of breath, and
each is effective for the task of manipulating Ki. This particular Qi Gong exercise
is very advantageous for situations where a more formal method would be
impractical (like when you're commuting to work or at a social gathering, for
example.) You can perform this exercise without taking a specific posture or

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setting aside time for its practice, since it can be done in any posture, as long as
it's conducive to Ki flow.

Yuki

Another often overlooked but extremely effective Ki development technique is

related to Teate Ryoho, or the practice of administering Ki through the hands into
the body. Yuki, or the transference of Ki via the hands into the body, is normally
thought of as a two-person exercise: one lies or sits in a relaxed position, while the
other administers energy through touch, while concentrating on the Seika
Tanden. This, however, may not be the most advantageous example of Teate. A
far more convenient and efficient means is to dispense energy to yourself through
your hands and fingers.

Yuki pic.

The reason is simple: wherever you go, there you are. In other words, to rely on
another's Ki is to commit to training practices where you must find a committed
partner, set up regular sessions of practice, and be at the mercy of your
colleague's ability to send and/or receive Ki. This is fine for casual experience, but
for more in depth study, you must learn to both send and receive Ki
simultaneously. For this competency to be brought to fruition requires regular
indulgence. For convenience's sake then, you can't be too picky about the where
and when of practice. Self-administered Ki therapy can be performed anywhere
and at relatively any time, making it quite effective in bringing about the desired
developmental results.

Koichi Tohei calls this practice Shin Shin no Gyo, or Mind and body development.
He too has recognized that some blockages in Ki are best addressed by
administering energy directly to the affected area. Some, who have difficulty
sitting still during breathing and concentration exercises, can warm up to the

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practice by substituting it with Yuki. For them, it's much easier to concentrate on
sending Ki through the hands and into a sore shoulder, trick knee, etc. while
watching TV then it is to take a formal time out for Ki development training.

Kiatsu pic.

A reasonable familiarity with the major Meridians of the body is quite conducive
to this practice, as is a firm grounding in the mechanics of moving Ki from the
Hara to the fingertips and palms. I would recommend some training in an energy-
based healing art, such as Reiki, Kiatsu, or Jin Shin Jyutsu, for those who need
some education in the basics of Yuki and Ki Ryoho.

Moving Meditation

Last, but not least, in our discussion of Ki development exercises is moving

meditation. The most popular forms are undoubtedly Tai Chi and Qi Gong.
There are a lot of similarities between the two, as Qi Gong was instrumental in
the creation of Tai Chi. A history of who and where will have to be left to those
sites specifically concentrating on these disciplines, as it is my ambition to
contemplate the how and why.

Tai Chi pic

Just like seated exercises and Yuki, Ki-related movement relies on the control of
breath and concentration of energy to and in various parts of the body, the most
prominent location being, of course, the lower abdomen. But unlike the preceding
explanations, there's overt movement of the body, following preordained patterns
or forms.

While some Tai Chi and Qi Gong enthusiasts will advocate the strict adherence to
the forms for the purpose of manipulating Ki in a specified manner, I feel that the

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most beneficial aspects of the movements are as follows:

1. It corresponds with breath

2. It corresponds with and nicely compliments concentration
3. The movement is slow, deliberate, and with thoughtful purpose.

Qi Gong pic

During the employment of these Chinese exercises, inhalation and expiration of

breath corresponds to specific actions, timing the intake and flow of Ki with
various postures and mechanical activity. Concurrently, the practitioner also
directs their concentration in accordance with the activity at hand. For example,
sometimes one focuses on the Tanden, other times on the feeling that they're
moving through thick air, while retaining a state of relaxation.

The upshot is that this coordination expedites the Unification of Mind and body.
By moving slowly and deliberately, Mind and body stay together instead of
separating. Each time an exercise is practiced, one gets a taste of this Unity, and it
carries over into the more rapid, less convenient moments in life, where quiet
consideration is unrealistic and inappropriate, but relaxation is a must,
nevertheless.

Relaxed Taiso pic

Koichi Tohei also has his own set of movement-related exercises (besides those
practiced in Aikido technique) which address the need to learn Shin Shin Toitsu
in a dynamic physical manner. His Relaxed Taiso, Aiki Taiso, and Toitsu Taiso
arts, commonly referred to as ORE (oneness rhythm exercises) are based on a
two-count rhythm. This adds a sense of predictability to the practice that allows

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the Mind a second chance to "catch-up" with the exercise on the repeat count,
solidifying the experience of coordination. In other words, each movement has a
repetitious "echo" or reproduction of the initial advancement to instill the feeling
of Toitsu in every activity. Aiki Taiso is the one exception, as this repetition is less
emphasized in favor of more distinction being placed on the Seika Tanden. Unlike
Tai Chi and Qi Gong, however, these exercises are rarely practiced at a slow gait.

Onto: What to expect from Ki training

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