The Origins of Baguazhang Nei Kung and Dragon Gate Taoism: Zhan Zhuang and Advanced Tree Qi-Exchange Ping Heng Kung Meditation

The purpose of this work is to relay advanced meditative teachings of the Nei Jia (內家), Internal System of Martial Arts known as Baguazhang (八卦掌), also translated as Pa Kua Chang. It is well known that Bagua walking and palms are traditionally practiced by circling trees. Many who practice this art in the West, however, or even some beginners in the East, often shrug off claims of old masters regarding the essentiality of various Nei Kung practices with trees. To those who have not done considerable work with such Nei Kung, claims about its effectiveness and centrality to Qi-development in Bagua are often assumed to be exaggerations. Some doubt the claims related to these practices, while others suspect their “exaggerated” results come from the circle walking itself and the tree is more or less irrelevant. In many cases, the beginner often rejects the practice, in that they either do not engage it in at all (focusing instead only on walking and form work), or they underemphasize both standing “Zhan Zhuang” (站樁) Meditation and Tree Qi-Exchange Meditation (平衡功, Ping Heng Kung). This text will explain the Taoist origins of this “Dragon Gate” (龍門) Lung Men) Meditation, and will detail how to practice both Zhan Zhang, as well as Tree Qi Exchange Meditation, and how the two relate.