I. Meditation II. Tao Yin III. Tui Na IV. Pa Tuan Jin http://taichi.hood.org/baduanjin.htm What is Baduanjin? Baduan literally means "eight sections" and jin, "brocade". Like most popular traditions in any culture the origins of Baduanjin are shrouded in myth and legend. Some say they began several thousands of years ago. There are, in fact, historical records of exercises that resemble Baduanjin dating back 4000 years to the time of the Yao settlements. An exciting piece of evidence was unearthed in the late 1970's known as the Dao Ying Xing Qi Fa (Method of Inducing Free Flow of Chi). This silk book dates from the Western Han Dynasty and contains 44 drawings of men and women from different social classes in exercise postures very similar to Baduanjin. It is known for certain that the famous General Yeuh Fei who lived during the Southern Sung Dynasty developed a set of 12 exercises to train his army. These later, he simplified to eight. In the course of its development, Baduanjin has appeared in a number of different versions. Two fo the more popular versions are one done seated and another done standing. The seated version was devised by Zhong Li in the Tang dynasty (618-907) and rearrand rearranged by Li Shixin, a lecturer in the Physical Education Department of Beijing University. The standing version was compiled by Zhuo Dahong, associate professor at Zhangshan medical College, on the basis of several already existing standing versions. Today visitors at the Shaolin Temple in Henan, China can see statues of monks performing Baduanjin and use them as part of their daily training. List below are the names of the eight movements. Supporting the Sky with Two Hands Drawing the Bow as Though Shooting the Eagle Holding up a Single Hand Looking Back to Gaze at the Moon Leanowering the Head and Hips to Calm Heart-Fire Reaching Down to Dissipate Kidney Disease Punching with Intense Gaze to Increase Qi and Strength Shaking Body to Ward Off Disease V. Yi Bai Ching Kung VI. Kum Nye