Five Words, Four Dysfunctions & Three Worms in a Bowl
'Raise Hands' and 'Lower Hands' to find balance
This piece explores ideas found in traditional and contemporary approaches to mental, emotional, and physical balance and well being. Combining the ‘Five Words of Self Composure’ from 5 Section Taijiquan with elements of somatic theory and Daoist medicine/mythology, we arrive at a way of practicing ‘raise hands’ and ‘lower hands’ that helps to manage hyper and hypo conditions.
Three worms (San gu)
That which is overly distracting, overly pleasurable, or overly comfortable can lead to an abandonment of behaviours that are healthy and life affirming causing the activation of ‘worms.’
The word gu (蠱) contains the character for ‘worm,’ ‘insect,’ ‘bug,’ or ‘snake’ (chong 虫), (repeated three times) along with ‘dish’ or ‘jar' (min 皿), this gives the idea of something festering in a bowl. A ‘gu’ is also a legendary venomous insect or snake—something nasty that must be overcome if one is to survive and thrive.
The word gu implies that which is confusing, bewitching, corrupting, or seductive. For example, guhuo (蠱惑) means ‘to seduce into wrong doing’ by misleading while gumei (蠱媚) means to ‘bewitch’ or ‘charm’ by sensual enchantment. A term for ‘mental derangement’ (guji 蠱疾) involves both ‘gu’ and ‘illness.’ A spreading flu virus is often referred to as a ‘bug going around.’
Gu is, as well, the eighteenth of the sixty-four hexagrams in the ancient classic text Yijing (䷑) and has to do with ‘working on what has been spoiled’ or ‘detoxifying.’ When something is not working right, a machine or computer program for example, it is described as 'having a bug in it—it is ‘buggy.’ Recognizing a bug becomes the starting place for a corrective process.
Often the bugs or worms multiply and take over due to neglect. Sometimes they are characteristic of the age and stage of a thing. In any case the situation that causes the festering must be addressed. Therefore, the hexagram is considered auspicious since it highlights the need to attend to situations in time for them to be corrected.
In Daoist physiology the three worms are thought to live in people’s bodies residing in the three energetic centre (dantian 丹田)—the head, chest, and abdomen. The notion of internal worms as parasites and spiritual agents has persisted in China for over two-thousand years. Gu are thought to feed on decaying matter in the intestines and reduce human lifespan (ming 命) by spawning disease and causing food and medicine to be ineffective.
The three worms (san gu) can be summarized as follows:
Mental overactivity (or inactivity)
Emotional craving (or apathy)
Physical inactivity (or overactivity)
Hyper and hypo conditions
It is sometimes said that there are only two types of problem: too much and too little. In a natural cycle both the yang and yin phases can only go so far and then must return to their complimentary opposite. The extreme of the yang phase is called tai-yang while the extreme of the yin phase is called tai-yin.
The word ‘hyper’ describes beyond-extreme yang conditions while the word ‘hypo’ suggests beyond-extreme yin conditions. Excess or lack in mental, emotional, or physical spheres allow the gu worms to propagate in the system.
For a person experiencing hyper conditions a burdensome tension predominates, tending to push things emotionally toward frenetic struggle. Hyper dysfunctions occur when a somatic shape becomes ‘over-bound’ in response to stress. Hypo conditions tend to drop things toward the low ebb, leading toward states of denial or resignation; they occur when structures become ‘under-bound’ as a response to stress.
In modern advanced economies dysfunctions tend toward the hyper. For example, the excessive use of electronic devices, can produce three of the worms simultaneously—mental overactivity, emotional craving, and physical inactivity. This produces a serious condition as mental and emotional preoccupations can deplete energy (qi) leaving the individual feeling weak and drained.
Hypo dysfunctions are depletive and can bring about depression.
The four dysfunctions: Rigid, dense, distended, collapsed
Combinations of these can contribute to the four dysfunctions—‘rigid,’ ‘dense,’ ‘distended,’ and ‘collapsed.’ These dysfunctions affect pulsation and circulation adversely and, consequently, disturb self-composure and well being.
The two principal expressions of hyper dysfunction, ‘rigid’ and ‘dense,’ are characterized by bracing and clenching behaviours. The main hypo dysfunctions, ‘distended’ and ‘collapsed,’ tend toward deflective and lethargic behaviours. ‘Rigid,' ‘dense,’ ‘distended’ and ‘collapsed’ are dysfunctions because they each, in different ways, affect pulsation and circulation adversely and, as a consequence, disturb self-composure and well-being.
‘Rigid’ is a hyper-outward disfunction; it is agitated and manifests itself as outward bracing. ‘Dense’ is a hyper-inward dysfunction; it is also agitated but manifests itself as inward clenching. ‘Distended’ is a hypo-outward dysfunction; it is benumbed and manifests itself as outward deflection. ‘Collapsed’ is a hypo-inward dysfunction; it is also benumbed and manifests itself as internal lethargy.
Rigid and dense are examples of of ‘hyper dysfunction’ (problems of excess) while distended and collapsed are ‘hypo dysfunctions’ (problems of lack).
Practice of the Five Words of Self Composure can remedy the four dysfunctions caused by the three worms.
The Five Words of Self Composure
Self-composure refers to a state of physical and emotional harmony characterized by the robust pulsation of the the body’s tissues and fluids and the uninhibited circulation of sensations, urges, and psycho-emotional states that make up one's life experience.
The ‘Five Words of Self Composure’ are ‘breath’ (huxi 呼吸), ‘calm’ (xinjing 心靜), ‘centre’ (zhongxin 中心), ‘root’ (genben 根本), and ‘energy’ (huoqi 活氣). While the concepts these words represent are found universally in taijiquan and other neijiaquan practices, the words are not usually presented together or in any particular sequence—however, this sequencing is the most important part of the formulation.
The ‘Five Words of Self Composure’ interact progressively in the following manner:
‘breath’ ⟹ ‘calm’ Conscious breathing soothes the system and brings about ‘calm.’
‘calm’ ⟹ ‘centre’ Calmness allows the musculature to relax and align with gravity, thereby bringing the body to its ‘centre’ and its ‘centreline.’
‘centre’ ⟹ ‘root’ A centred body stands directly above the base of support causing a stronger connection with the ground or ‘root.’
‘root’ ⟹ ‘energy’ A strong, rooted stance provides the foundation for the release of ‘energy’ and for movement.
The logic of the sequence can be summarized by a series of rhetorical questions:
Can one be calm if the breath is either held or shallow?
Answer: No. Therefore, breath must precede calm.
Can one be centred if one is not calm?
Answer: No. Therefore, calm must precede centre.
Can one be rooted if one is not centred?
Answer: No. Therefore, centre must precede root.
Can one move dynamically if one is not rooted?
Answer: No. That would be counterproductive to the expression of movement and energy.
The kind of movement sought in traditional internal-arts practices requires ‘rooting’ and is tied to what is called the ‘mobilization of qi (xingqi 行氣) for the transportation of the body (shenyun 運身).’
Using the Five Words during ‘raise hands’ and ‘lower hands’ to correct hyper and hypo dysfunctions
There are many ways the Five Words of Self Composure can be employed. To follow is a reference that can be used in correcting hyper and hypo dysfunctions during the ‘raise hands’ and ‘lower hands’ gestures that initiate most solo barehand taijiquan forms.
To correct hyper dysfunctions: During the passive and active phases of ‘raise hands’ say the word ‘breath’ (dividing it into two parts) while breathing in: “Brea—ath.” During the passive part of ‘lowering hands’ say (and enact) the words “Calm, Centre, Root” while breathing out passively and say, “Energy” during the final phase of lowering the hands. Practicing ‘raise hands’ and ‘lower hands’ in this way can help to settle hyper energy.
To correct hypo dysfunctions: During the passive and active phases of ‘lower hands’ say the word ‘breathe’ divided into two parts: “Brea—ath” while breathing out. During the passive part of the ‘raise hands’ say (and enact) the words “Calm, Centre, Root” while breathing in passively and say, “Energy” during the final phase of raising the hands. Practicing ‘lower hands’ and ‘raise hands’ in this way can help to manage hypo energy.
Applying the Five Words of Self Composure to the phases of physical action can help to keep the hyper and hypo worms from festering in the system.
Super nice compilation of our august workshop in Winchester, thank you!