The Five Animals of Wudang Mountain
The Wudang Mountains in China are the home of the famous Taoist temples and monasteries. This is where the secret arts of energy cultivation and Tai Chi were developed. These 1,000-year old temples, and the mountains on which they sit, are sacred to Taoists worldwide.
It is there that the Five Animals were born.
The 5 Animals
Crane ~ Tiger ~ Stag ~ Bear ~ Monkey
Each Animal Holds 4 Gifts
Flexibility
Each Animal focuses on the spine, shoulders, or hips.
These are particularly important areas to work on, since they are the core of our body. Sitting makes us stiff and old before our years. Backaches, tight shoulders, hunched backs, all that's easily relieved through the 5 Animals.
Balance
The 5 Animals creates confidence in your body. By helping you find your balance and coordination you'll reduce clumsy accidents and awkward moments.
More importantly, balance is a sign of good posture, meaning a good internal alignment of internal structures. This leads to healthier and happier organs, and who doesn't want healthy, happy organs?
Breath
As you move through the 5 Animals, you are breathing deeply and powerfully. Agitated? Anxious? Tight? You need to Breathe.
The mind follows the breath, and the breath is coordinated with the moving body, which allows the mind to be in sync with the body. Mind and body become one. This is a moving meditation, but also a way to "sit" better in your own body, to be more in tune and in flow with it.
Energy
As you move through the set, the main energy channels of the body, also known as the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, are getting stimulated, clearing any blockages along their paths.
This is done as you move and breathe through the physical aspects of the 5 Animals, and one of the reasons why this set is so important. You are working on all aspects of health at once, in a single set of exercises. Strong mind, body, and spirit.
Towards A More Balanced You
Modern life is hard on the body and the soul. Come back to your body ~ in balance with itself, the Earth beneath your feet, and the Air filling your lungs.
Will this affect your mood and mental well being? Yes. How can you feel good if your insides are out of whack, if your body is tight, if you never give yourself the 5 minutes it takes to do these exercises and release the tension you've accumulated throughout the day?
Give yourself the Gifts of the 5 Animals.
TL;DR
It's good for you, so get your ass off the couch ~ but in a slow and Taoist sort of way.
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Christopher Nelson
Chris has been doing Tai Chi and various other martial arts for over 30 years. He is focusing on integrating the age-old Taoist traditions into our modern lifestyles, with a no-nonsense approach that seeks to preserve the core ideas while discarding the cultural baggage that makes Tai Chi and Taoism hard to grasp for Westerners.
