Have you ever seen people walking around trees and wondered what were they doing?
This was my first impression when I took a walk early in the morning at 5+am at Bishan Park in a bid to recover from my health predicament in early July 2022.
Coincidentally, a few days later, my mum told me that the people were practicing Energy Bagua after she read about it in the papers.
She kept telling me that it was a very good exercise which has helped many people to improve their health and recover from incurable conditions like Parkinson's.
I was sceptical initially as I don't believe that such a simple act of walking in circles around a tree could treat diseases.
However, I decided to research more about it as I was looking for a natural solution to boost the recovery of my health condition.
I watched a few videos on Youtube and found out that the practice was taught by Grandmaster Jinbohdi who learnt the art from Grandmaster Ren.
He actually simplified the practice for common folks like us to be able to grasp and reap its benefits.
Upon reading more about it on the website, https://www.energy-bagua.com/en/ and listening to the testimonials of people who overcame untreatable conditions like Parkinson’s through regular practice of Energy Bagua, I felt there’s hope for my situation as well.
Therefore, I decided to take a step further to get some proper guidance on how to do it right.
It is a simple yet effective wellness method which is easy to learn.
Once we begin walking, our health will start to improve.
The practice deploys the concept of yin and yang.
Regular practice replenishes and balances the vital energy in our body to promote well-being since a lot of illnesses are associated with a lack of vital energy.
It’s important to persist with the practice as it will take at least 100 days of consistent practice to reap its benefits.
The practice is broken down into 3 key phases.
Key things to note before you begin.
1. Choose a spacious environment
2. Wear loose, soft and breathable clothing
3. Wear sports shoes with cushioning that is not too thick.
4. You shouldn't do the exercise when you are very hungry or just had your meals. It is fine to perform it 40 minutes after a meal.
5. Practice for 1-3 times a day is fine. If you are under 40, you can practice up to 10 times, it's fine as well. For those above 40, 3 to 4 times a day is fine as everyone's physique is different.
There are 4 key movements in this aerobics routine that will bring significant health benefits.
Performing them on a regular basis will promote the proper functioning of all our internal organs.
1. Punch and kick
A self-defensive move that promotes muscle development in your arms, chest, shoulders.
Your limbs will be more agile.
Your body coordination will improve.
2. Archery exercise
It's good for strengthening our hips and waistline.
3. Knee strike
A defensive move for escaping an attack from an enemy.
It strengthens our limps, promotes metabolism, detoxification etc.
4. Move the mountain and push palms
Helps to correct spinal issues.
Releases the vital energy channels in the body to promote well-being.
You will walk in circles around the tree for 12 cycles.
Each cycle lasts for 5 minutes and you will change direction.
There are 3 hand strokes to take note:
1. Yin-Yang Palms
You always start the practice with Yin-Yang Palms.
2. Double-Yang (Shuang-Yang) Palms
This is carried out at the start of the second cycle after you turn.
You will typically do for 1 round before changing it to Dragon Palms.
3. Dragon (Qing-Long) Palms
This is carried out after walking around the tree once.
This is important for helping your body absorb energy and should not be skipped.
The duration of the entire practice is about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Although there are videos from Grandmaster Jinbodhi demonstrating how the practice can be done in a very detailed fashion, I felt it’s still better to have teachers correct my movements while I am learning.
So I went ahead to find out whether I can learn the practice in Singapore.
Upon searching on the website, https://www.energy-bagua.com/en/worldwide/, I found out there are 2 locations where I can learn this practice.
Tel: +65-6299-1262
Email: enquiry@mabsg.com
Address: 896 Dunearn Road #02-02/03 Singapore 589472
Tel: +65-6513-1311
Email: enquiry@mabsg.com
Address: 20 Upper Circular Road, The Riverwalk #01-39/41, Singapore 058416
As Upper Circular Road was closer to my place, I decided to learn from Singapore Longevity Center.
The name of the program is Energy Bagua Elementary Class.
You have to go down physically to the centre to register for the program.
I would suggest giving the centre a call to check for the program's availability before visiting the centre.
It cost me $200 when I registered for the class on 11 July 2022.
My program was held from 25 July to 31 July 2022.
It was 7 days straight in the evening from 7 pm – 9.30 pm.
There are morning and afternoon classes available.
You can refer to this webpage, https://www.puti.sg/en/class-events-en/ for the available classes.
Be sure to register early as they are offering the classes for free now in view of the pandemic situation which has affected the income of many individuals.
I am very grateful to Grandmaster JinBohdi for having a passionate heart to serve people.
It is advisable to not have a heavy meal before the class.
You can eat until you are 70% full at least an hour before the class.
Bring a water bottle.
Wear loose clothing that you are comfortable in.
Bring along a jacket as it may get a bit cold.
The teachers are very well trained and able to provide very clear instructions to help me get accustomed to the practice.
They were very patient and understanding of my current health condition and provided suggestions on how I can benefit more from the practice.
I also invested in the Energy Bagua book to learn more about the practice.
You will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the 7 days class.
You will be assigned to a location that is nearest to your home to continue the practice.
Each location will have a few teachers that will continue to guide you in your practice.
It is recommended for you to continue the practice daily for 108 days to start reaping the benefits of this practice.
It is not something that happens overnight so don’t expect a miracle.
Refrain from washing your hands immediately after the practice. Wait for at least 30 minutes.
Drink warm water after the practice if you are thirsty.
You can download the Grandmaster App to track your progress and recap your learnings.
Better quality of sleep and less pain in their body are some common benefits derived from the 7 days class.
I actually experienced lesser lower back discomfort after attending a few days of the class.
I have shortlisted some commonly asked questions that are not related to the movements in the practice from the book, Energy Bagua.
You can refer to them below.