Pal Dan Gum

There is a set of exercises known as PAL DAN GUM that for thousands of years has been used in China and Korea for the curing of disease and the promotion of radiant health.

These exercises have been used by sages and mountain hermits for prolonging life and as an aid to spiritual development. They have been recommended by traditional Oriental doctors simply to cure difficult diseases. They are still used in modern Oriental hospitals, especially in China and Korea.

But, most importantly, they can be practiced by anyone willing to take five minutes a day for the development of improved health and increased awareness. If performed once or twice a day, the PAL DAN GUM exercises will recharge the inner organs and will purify all the psychic channels and organ meridians.

They will promote improved blood circulation to all parts of the body. The muscles and joints will become more flexible and resilient. The posture will improve and many of the common everyday ailments that plague most people will gradually disappear. This is the secret art of Chinese and Korean sages.

Before doing the PAL DAN GUM exercises, walk around quietly for a few minutes. Breathe regularly through the nose into the chest, slowly and gently. Calm the mind and body. Lightly touch your tongue to your palate.

As you do the exercises, concentrate completely on the motions, postures, and breathing. Keep your eyes half opened unless otherwise directed. Flow smoothly from one exercise to the next. Do the exercises slowly and accurately. You may repeat the ones you feel a need for. You should complete the series in five or ten minutes, and at the end of that time you will feel refreshed, relaxed, and energized.

Pal Dan Gum may be performed before or after meditation, or the “inner exercises”.

THE EIGHT PAL DAN GUM EXERCISES

This exercise drives bad Ki (energy) off from the “Three Burning Spaces” - that is, all three segments of the thorax. It thus improves circulation in all the internal organs and energizes them. It does this by stimulating the “Triple Warmer” meridian.

1. Stand erect with your feet apart, toes forward, arms at your sides.

2. Turn your hands so that the palms are up and slowly raise the hands above the head.

3. As the hands meet above the head, interlock the fingers. The palms will now be downward.

4. Rotate the hands so that the palms are upward. Push upward with the interlocked hands. As you do this, stretch upward on your toes, raising you heels slightly off the ground.

Maintain this up stretched pose for several seconds, then come back down on your heels and let the arms come back down to the sides.

5. Do this three times.

2. “OPENING THE BOW”

This exercise strengthens the chest and shoulders and balances the Ki in the body. It expands the chest, increasing lung capacity. It prevents paralysis of one side of the body in old age.

1. Stand erect with your arms at your sides.

2. Step to the left with your left foot.

3. Bend the knees so as to assume a horse-riding pose. Cross your arms in front of you at the wrists, left arm in front of the right. The fists are clenched except for the left index finger, which is extended.

4. As though holding a bow in the left hand and the bow string in the right, push out the left arm until straight. At the same time, pull the right hand to the right chest as though pulling the string. Concentrate your attention on the tip of the left index finger.

5. Relax the arms and recross them in front of you, this time with the right arm in front of the left and the right index finger extended.

6. Open the bow again, this time to the right side.

3. “RAISING THE HANDS SEPARATELY”

“Raising the Hands Separately” in the manner described here will harmonize the energies of the stomach and spleen, two closely-linked organs. It will strengthen digestion by giving contractile force to the large and small intestine meridians which flow along the arms.

1. Stand erect with the arms at the sides, feet apart.

2. Raise your hands to the solar plexus, palms up, elbows straight to the sides. The fingertips will slightly touch.

3. Raise your left hand above your head, rotating the arm so that that palm faces heaven, fingers pointed inward. At the same time, lower your right hand, palm down and fingers pointed inward, to your right side. Stretch both arms.

4. Return to the starting position.

5. Repeat the exercise on the other side.

5. Do both sides, three times each.

4. “LOOKING BACKWARDS”

This exercise relieves fatigue in the five yin organs and their partners. The five yin organs are the heart, spleen-pancreas (stomach), lungs, kidneys, and liver.

1. Stand erect with the hands at the sides and the feet apart.

2. Cross the hands several inches in front of your face. The right hand will be closest to the face.

3. Pull your hands to the sides and back, arms straight and palms forward. Turn your head to the left as far as it will go without rotating the waist. The left shoulder will dip slightly.

4. Again, cross the hands in front of you, but with the left hand closest to the face.

5. Repeat both sides three times each.

V. “SWINGING THE TRUNK AND HEAD”

This exercise was designed by the sages to get rid of fire Ki from the heart. Fire Ki is a cause of anger and frustration when excessive, though a moderate amount of fire Ki in the heart is natural and healthy.

1. Spread the legs apart and assume a horse riding pose. Place your hands just above the knees, thumbs inward.

2. Bend your body to the left side, allowing your shoulders and head to tilt to the left.

3. Return to starting position.

4. Bend the body and head to the right side.

5. Return again to the starting position.

6. Tilt the head forward, then backward.

7. Relax the neck completely and rotate the head first counter-clockwise and then clockwise.

6. “STANDING ON THE TOES”

This exercise increases the ability of the body to withstand the disharmonious influences of nature and the cosmos. It strengthens, in particular, the stomach and kidneys.

1. Stand erect with your hands at your sides and your feet slightly apart.

2. Raise your heels up slowly, hold the extended position for several seconds, then slowly return the heels to the ground.

3. Repeat twice more.

7. “PUNCHING WITH ANGRY EYES”

This exercise increases the strength and vitality of the bodily structure and internal organs.

1. Stand erect with your hands at your sides, your feet slightly apart.

2. Step to the left and bend the knees to assume the horse riding pose. Place your fists, palms up, at your waist.

3. Open your eyes very wide, as though you were angry. With the left fist, punch to the left, then return the fist to the left waist. As you punch, watch your knuckles.

4. Punch to the left side with the right fist, then return.

5. Repeat these two punches, on the opposite side.

6. Punch forward with your left fist and return. Punch forward with your right fist and return.

7. Re-assume an erect posture, knees straight but feet still well apart.

8. Punch to the left side with the left fist and return.

9. Punch to the right side with the right fist and return.

10. Punch forward with the left fist and return.

11. Punch forward with the right fist and return.

8. “HOLDING THE TOES AND STRETCHING BACK”

This exercise will increase the flexibility of the waist and legs and will help prevent all diseases. It stimulates the kidneys and increases the energy. Also, it directly influences the bladder, gall bladder, and spleen-pancreas by stimulating their meridians.

1. Stand erect with your feet slightly apart and your hands at your sides.

2. Bend your body forward, keeping the knees straight.

3. Touch your palms to the floor if possible, then grab your toes. Hold the toes for several seconds.

4. Straighten the back up slowly and place your hands on your back hips.

5. Arch your head and back backwards.

6. Do this three times.