What is Hunyuan 渾元樁

Hun Yuan 渾元(混元)

​Hunyuan (渾元) means the all.  There is an idea from pre-modern China that the universe is round shape and everything inside it is interrelated to each other.  Therefore, hunyuan means round and all.  In a Chinese martial art called Xingyiquan, there is a physical training method called Hunyuanzhuang (渾元樁).  In this training, one can feel the connection of one’s whole body by standing quietly at one posture.  Xingyiquan emphasizes the importance of using whole body to execute force.  For example, even when we strike our opponent by our hand, we are encouraged to use whole body strength.  In order to lead our whole body strength to our hand, we have to connect our whole body.  By doing Hunyuanzhuang, we can naturally program our whole body to be connected.  By connecting our whole body, we can use our whole body strength even when we move one part of our body to execute enormous strength. 

Health Meditation Technique "Biwuxing"

Xingyi Boxing Meditation"Biwuxing"

形意拳 闭五行

 In Daoism, a way to live long and stay healthy is to cultivate one’s Qi 气.  Also, one should not lose one’s Qi by over spending it.  One can spend Qi not only through vigorous exercises but also by some simple activities such as watching a television, listening to music, or singing.  We spend Qi of our eyes by watching a television or a computer screen, we spend Qi of ears by listening to music, and we spend Qi from Dantian 丹田(lower part of belly where Daoists believe humans can store Qi) by singing.

Spending Qi for a moderate amount does not harm your health but over spending will gradually harm you.  In today’s society, many people constantly watch computer and smart phone screens.  Also, some people listen to music throughout a day.  This can lead the people to over spend their Qi and harm their bodies.

Daoist martial art called Xingyiquan 形意拳 has a meditation technique which prevent spending Qi and restore it.  This meditation technique is called Biwuxing (闭五行).  This literally means closing five organs.  Five organs refer to eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and brain.  In doing Biwuxing, you are supposed to close your eyes, breath quietly and softly from your nose, do not listen to sounds outside but try to hear the sounds inside your body, close mouth lightly, and think nothing.  When you are in this state, your five organs are at rest.  When five organs are at rest, Qi of five organs are not spent.

In addition, as you breath softly and quetly, your body start to restore Qi and make your five organs 五脏 healthy.  According to Chinese medicine, five organs are connected to five internal organs.  Eyes are connected to liver, nose is connected to lungs, ears are connected to kidney, mouth is connected to heart, and brain is connected to spleen.  Therefore, Daoists believe that by nourishing five organs by Qi, one can strengthen the five internal organs.  One does not have to do Biwuxing for a long period.  Five to ten minutes of Biwuxing everyday should be good enough for health maintenance. 

Inviting Good Fortunes

Happy Chinese New Year!  恭喜發財

日本語はこちらから

Making Setsubun animation with Apple motion, pages, final cut pro, and logic pro in Apple Store Shibuya.

Can you hear the ogres saying, "Oishisou, oishisou(yummy, yummy)" and " Hoshii, hoshii (give me, give me)".


Setsbun(節分) is a Japanese festival in the beginning of February just before the beginning of spring 立春, the first solar term.  People throw dried soy beans to the ogres(beasts) to get rid of them

and invite the Otafuku(お多福）into their home. The Otafuku means many good fortunes.  Ogres represent bad fortunes and sickness.  Also, stick a smelly dried fish head on a holly and put it in front of the house entrance so the ogres won't come in.  In Osaka area, each person faces the lucky direction of the year and eat a big sushi roll which is uncut called "Ehomaki恵方巻き" silently.  "Ehomaki" means lucky direction roll.  Today, the habit of eating a sushi roll "Ehomaki" became  popular in Tokyo and other cities in Japan after 7-Eleven(セブンイレブン) started selling them in many cities.