Bamai Qigong

Introduction to Bamai Qigong

Bamai Qigong (八脈氣功), also known as the Eight Channels Qigong, encapsulates the integration of three distinct elements: the Eight Trigrams, Ba Duan Jin (Eight Brocades) Qigong, and the eight extraordinary channels in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Dr. Zhang, the founder of Bamai Qigong, drew upon his profound knowledge of Chinese Medicine, an in-depth understanding of the I Ching, and his unique experience in Qigong training at a Taoist temple in Chengdu to establish this practice. Dr. Zhang regularly conducts short and intensive instructor courses in Bamai Qigong across Denmark. Additionally, he extends his teaching to workshops in China, Germany, and various international locations. His book on Bamai Qigong in English and Danish has garnered attention from Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.

Benefits of Practicing Bamai Qigong

Qi is usually translated as energy or energy flow. But I think the translation has limited the deep understanding of the word. In TCM, Qi is defined as the smallest fundamental substances/particles, which are called Yin Qi, and their functions, which are called Yang Qi. Qigong refers to a specific set of breathing, meditation, and body movement, which aims to make a better movement of Qi. Qigong has been used for health promotion for over 2500 years. The earliest practice can date back to primitive dances. In TCM classics, Qigong was called Dao Yin or guiding, meaning that people use meditation and body movements to guide the movement of Qi.

Short History of Bamai Qigong

There are four primary schools of Qigong in China, i.e., medical Qigong, Taoist Qigong, Confucianist Qigong, and Buddhist Qigong. In TCM, Qigong has been applied to improve health by supplementing the amount of Qi, reinforcing the quality of Qi, and restoring the imbalance of Qi. The Taoist practices Qigong to improve health, delay aging, and become immortal. The Buddhist exercises Qigong to reach the realm of Zen or emptiness. The Confucianist employs the Qigong practice to seek inner peace and become the perfect person.
The doctrine of Ba Gua in Yi Jing (I Ching, Book of Change) is widely used in TCM, Taoism, Feng Shui, Qigong, Internal Kungfu (e.g., Baguazhang and Taichi), arts, and so on. The theory in Ba Gua is the best model to explain the origin transformation, and transportation of Qi. Notably, in Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi (The Kinship of the Three, in Accordance with the Book of Changes), the first and most important Qigong classic in Taoist written by Wei Boyang (魏伯陽) in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), Ba Gua is firstly applied to explain the process of practicing Qigong and cultivate internal alchemy.

What is Bamai

Bamai originates from the eight extraordinary meridians i.e., Du, Ren, Chong, Dai, Yangwei, Yinwei, Yangqiao, and Yinqiao. These eight channels are widely used in Qigong. In contrast, the 12 ordinary meridians i.e., hand Taiyin lung, hand Yangming large intestine, hand Jueyin pericardium, hand Shaoyang Sanjiao, hand Shaoyin heart, hand Taiyang small intestine, foot Taiyin spleen, foot Yangming stomach, foot Jueyin liver, foot Shaoyang gallbladder, foot Shaoyin kidney, and foot Taiyang urine bladder are mainly used in acupuncture treatment. Bamai can be considered the eight main “highways” in the body, which regulate the movements and functions of Qi.

Learn more on the book Bamai Qigong

The book is available on Amazon

The Danish version of the book is available at Heyttu Shop