Summary

The author describes their journey of discovering and becoming addicted to the ancient Chinese stretching exercise Ba Duan Jin, which aided in their recovery from a skiing accident and has since become a daily practice for its health benefits.

Abstract

The author recounts an incident where a skiing accident led to tailbone discomfort, prompting a rediscovery of the ancient Chinese exercise known as Ba Duan Jin. This exercise, consisting of eight movements, was instrumental in the author's recovery, offering a form of organic healing without the need for medication or complex procedures. The practice, which can be performed in about 10 minutes, is described as beneficial for health, promoting flexibility, circulation, and vital body functions. The author has incorporated Ba Duan Jin into their daily routine, practicing it at home and even while on vacation, and has become an advocate for its benefits, sharing their experience with others, including through a Medium post.

Opinions

The author believes in the healing power of Ba Duan Jin, attributing their speedy recovery to the practice.
They emphasize the importance of listening to one's own body for healing and seeking medical help when necessary.
The author values the simplicity and convenience of Ba Duan Jin, noting it can be practiced anytime, anywhere, by anyone.
They appreciate the exercise's integration of movement and breathing, which is key to its effectiveness.
The author is passionate about sharing the benefits of Ba Duan Jin, having done so with colleagues, friends, and through various platforms, including a TEDx event and Medium.
While the author also enjoys Tai Chi and Yoga, they express a preference for Ba Duan Jin due to its simplicity and effectiveness.

How I Got Addicted to This Simple and Effective Ancient Exercise Which I Have Been Practicing Daily

A body-mind stretching exercise with eight moves that is easy to learn and can be practiced anytime, anywhere, by anybody

My addiction to this ancient stretching exercise was triggered by an incident.

Our family was on a winter vacation visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico a few years ago. Before heading back home, we decided to spend a day skiing.

The powder was not great that day, a bit icy and thin cover. While getting in line for the chairlift after a couple of runs, suddenly my skis were bumped from behind, by a skier sliding down but had trouble stopping.

I was knocked down, falling hard on my butt. Being fairly slim, I felt the impact. Soon when I got on the chairlift, I started to sense some discomfort in the tailbone area.

Later on, when we were driving back home, it certainly got worse. I had to sit by leaning sideways, switching between left and right from time to time to avoid the painful area during the several-hour road trip.

New Year was still more than a week away, which means I had a bit of time on my hands before heading back to work.

Figuring nothing was broken (otherwise it would be unbearable), I started to focus on recovery. That’s how I got re-connected to this stretching exercise.

It’s called 八段锦 (Bā duàn jǐn), an ancient body-mind exercise, that originated from the Song dynasty over a thousand years ago. It’s a gentle, smooth stretching incorporated with breathing, consisting of eight movements, and each can be repeated several times. Some people also call it one form of Qigong, just like Tai Chi.

I tried Ba Duan Jin before. When I practiced it after the fall, I could sense the stretch around the sensitive area mostly during the 5th and 6th moves, which involve swing, bending, and forward extension of the whole upper body. It was a bit painful while practicing the moves, but I believed it was part of the healing process, so I kept going. Gradually the pain subsided.

Each movement comes with a description of the posture. Interestingly, I later noticed the English translation of the 5th move including Pointing the tailbone left and right and Sway the Head and Shake the Tail. I figured I must have done it right.

By the time winter break was over, I went back to work. No weird sitting posture was needed so it went unnoticed. Only when I sat for too long, the discomfort came back a bit. I continued the stretching exercise at home and reminded myself to take mini-breaks at work. The pain went way over the course of a couple of weeks. And for good.

What did I like most about this experience? Organic healing through self-care, no pain medicine, or any complicated procedure involved. And I didn’t have to take extra time off.

I gave a lot of credit for my speedy recovery to this stretching exercise. It’s not a recommendation though for anyone to copy, as you have to listen to your own body for healing and seek medical help when needed.

Since then, this has become my daily practice. It takes about 10 minutes to complete the full set of moves. The key is to move slowly and let deep breath-in and breath-out follow the rhythm of the movement.

I find it easy to squeeze in time for this exercise at home. I practice at least once in the morning before breakfast. Sometimes also catch a glimpse of headline news on GMA while practicing. Be mindful though, to get the most out of this, it would be best to fully concentrate on the movement and breathing.

While I also like Tai Chi and Yoga, Ba Duan Jin has become my favorite stretching exercise. I even do it while out on vacation in the hotel room after getting up. I like its simplicity. It can be practiced anytime, anywhere by anybody. While standing Ba Duan Jin is commonly practiced, there is also a sitting version.

The slow stretching movement combining breathing is known to benefit health by promoting flexibility, circulation, and vital functions of the body.

Ba Duan Jin is not widely known as Tai Chi. Since I became addicted to this ancient exercise, I turned into a messenger and spread the word opportunistically i.e., to a colleague who complained of back pain, to a close friend in need, at a corporate TEDx event, now at Medium (if you happen to read this). If interested, you may want to check out a few instruction videos on YouTube by searching the keyword Baduanjin.

Happy stretch.

Thank you for reading. I write about culture, work-life learning, and the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine for better living. Click here if you would like to be notified when I publish.

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