Iron Lung Gong Polishing – Part 2

We started the journey with Iron Lung Gong some years ago during the pandemic and with this last polishing session we can return more confident in our practice.

Sigong started this seminar with a great talk about Dao. He started by explaining that our qigong, the Dayan qigong is based on following the Dao, the five elements, the Yijing and acupuncture points. But what is Dao? It is following the nature, the environment and being sensitive about it. Dao cannot be described but you can feel it. It is like love, difficult to put in words, but once you feel it, you are enjoying being happy. China has a long history over 5000 years old and since the Yellow Emperor time many people tried to give a description to Dao. These descriptions might look different but when you reach a higher level and really understand, what they describe becomes clearer. Three such little phrases gave the opportunity to Sigong to expand on them.

“Everyday like a drunken man – No clear attitude”. People who have reached high level in Dao can look to outside people like the drunken men, but they cannot see their true level until they get more understanding. The drunken man ‘s attitude is the letting go, flowing, no system attitude. Reaching high level attitude, by no effort.

“Reach emptiness level – Can do anything – that is Dao”. Your mind becomes empty. When you reach this level, you can do anything. From nothing you get something. Do not worry about anything, then you get everything. But it is not what you want it is what you need. As a fish be fish, as an eagle be an eagle as a tiger be a tiger, as a human being be a human being.

“Create Dan in the Cauldron – Day by day- Breathe like a crane and turtle- Very slow and quiet”. Dan is the essence and Cauldron is the Dantian. Through practice you create the medicine. Practice regularly – day by day. Breathing like a crane and like a turtle. Very slow, very quiet, very sensitive, not so active, very settled. Do not force your breathing. Much slower. Follow your body. Follow nature. Observe nature. Observe animals, how they behave. Do not take everything so seriously.

The story that Sigong shared with us this time was about a boy that while traveling met a mysterious man at an inn. The boy did not think much of him at the time but that man eventually become his sword teacher and when the boy left, he had the sword fighting skill with him.

Iron Lung Gong is a very nice form and reflects this aspect of the Dao, softer at some parts and stronger at others, as necessary, in balance. This was the second part of polishing and we picked up from where we had finished last time. We had the opportunity to complete all the movements and ask questions to Sigong and practice with other students in the practice rooms, especially some movements that still trouble some of us (like the “Wild Goose rotates and closes its wings”) so that we go back and practice this beautiful form and collect the Dan in our Cauldron. At the end, Sigong lead all of us together for a last practice of the whole form and it felt very special!

by Michalis Akritopoulos

 

 

Interesting seminar on Daoism and different ways to express Dao.
Very beneficial to see the energy of all the movements again.
Thank you Sigong.
Paul Hogg
 
Very much appreciated polishing understanding of Dao and Iron Lung Gong. Next time I watch Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master films, it’ll be with deeper appreciation. Thanks Sigong, Kay
 
I really enjoyed the second Iron Lung polishing. It’s great to revisit this form and gain fresh insights into it. It has a fascinating structure lending the whole a clear pulsing energy. In some ways the feel of it reminds me of hard qigong. This is definitely going to be one of my favourites this winter. Thank you Sigong. Peter Hogg
 
I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Iron Lung Gong, especially during this lung season. Reviewing all its intricacies is very refreshing and the form itself is invigorating. It is wonderful to practice with and learn from others all over the world. Thank you, Taisigong! Heather Ferguson
 
A blessing to have another polishing of Iron Lung Gong today. Thank you Sifu for clarifying some tricky parts in this form. Hopefully with more practice it will flow. Peadar
 
Thank you Sifu for holding this polishing seminar for Iron Lung Gong. It is a powerful form that brings up the Qi and helps strengthen our lungs. A very beneficial and great form. Thank you Sifu!
-Radu
 
Thanks for another great course, Sifu. I’ve really enjoyed Iron Lung and practicing it daily – so it was great to learn what I’ve been doing wrong! Now to practice a few times to make sure I remember everything and get the foot work right! Thanks for a great form and polishing seminar. Alan
 
Sifu, thank you for the second polishing session for Iron Lung.  this is such an interesting and complex form.  Thank you again, and I hope we can have a third polishing session.  Peter W
 
I enjoyed seeing all of the Iron Lung Gong form and polishing the all the parts of the form that I was not clear about. This is interesting form that moves the body in quite different ways. Many thanks for seminar.
With my best wishes.
Allistair
 
I am so glad I did this Iron Lung seminar because it definitely needed more information. The polishing has been immensely helpful with watching Sigong demonstrate and ‘lots’ of help in the playrooms i hope I can put into practice all I have learned from today. Thank you Sigong. Sue
 
Interesting lecture on the Dao, and how masters have explained it in books over time. Good