5 phases in Internal practice

Use this as a guideline for practicing any internal art. The 5 phases are: opening, warming, active, cooling, and closing. The Opening phase is for initiation. By using breathing to settle the mind, we return to the state of Wu-Chi. Going to the state of Tai-Chi, the Warming phase is preparation. It prepares us for the following Active phase by executing various simple exercises and joint rotations to warm up the body. The Active phase, as the name implies, is the designated exercise you would like to work on, whether it is meditation, healing, or fighting application. After the main core exercise comes the Cooling phase. Just as in any other physical exercise, you need to gradually cool down before you come to a complete stop. Simply slow down the movement gradually until it comes to a stop. If you were standing up during the Active phase, slowdown your movement until you comes to the Tree Standing posture. Stand for a couple of minutes then proceed to the Closing phase. If you were sitting down during your Active phase, slow down your energetic movement gradually, until it stops at the origin, the dantien. Then proceed to the Closing phase. (If you were healing others, a Cleansing Phase is substituted for the Cooling phase. During the Cleansing phase the healer will ward off all the sick chi that was deposited into the surrounding or the healer during the healing process.) The Closing phase is where the practitioner returns back to the state of Wu-Chi, using the Closing form. (see bottom of page for Closing form)

click here for closing form

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