BADUAN JIN - 8 Pieces of Brocade Qi Gong

The Baduanjin (simplified Chinese: 八段锦气功) is one of the most commonly practiced forms of Chinese qigong.

Usually translated as Eight Pieces of Brocade, the name of the form refers to the way the body should be able to flow as a piece of brocade or silk due to the beneficial effects of this exercise. Baduan Jin includes 8 moves.

Some of Baduan Jin moves resemble some of Yi Jin Jing's and are stretching meridians and muscles in very similar ways.  

There are 2 versions of the exercise - standing and sitting. 4 years ago I used the standing version in my warming up routine at the beginning of my classes. Actually, we are still performing some of the moves, in a slightly different form. I will consider reintroducing this exercise next fall, as it is easier to practice and memorize than the Yi Jin Jing we are currently practicing.

Michael Garofalo has published a very interesting study on this Qi Gong, (Link to Eight Section Brocade Qigong)