Recent studies have shown that regular walking may be the ultimate cardiovascular exercise. However, the circle walking exercise of Ba Gua Zhang is not simply walking. It combines the benefits of walking with Qi Gong and meditation. It also develops a refined strength that can be employed in martial arts and other physical activities. Walking in a circle with intention, correct alignment and deep breathing is the characteristic internal exercise (Nei Gong) associated with the martial art Ba Gua Zhang. Circle Walking Nei Gong is not only the foundation of Ba Gua's sophisticated fighting method, but also an incredible system of health preservation that nourishes life and staves off illness. Ba Gua Circle Walking Nei Gong is rooted in ancient Daoist longevity exercises and internal alchemy practices, which aim at re-connecting us to our intrinsic nature and inner wisdom. While smoothly walking and circling, the practitioner holds different postures or "body patterns" known as Ding Shi. Each of these postures opens, unblocks and energizes a specific acupuncture meridian or group of meridians, thereby modulating and activating the body's energetic matrix. Regular practice of Ba Gua Circle Walking Nei Gong re-programs the body to walk and move correctly with balance, power and agility, while powerfully energizing the body and calming the nervous system.
In Ba Gua Circle Walking Nei Gong: The Meridian Opening Palms of Ba Gua Zhang, author Tom Bisio, a renowned martial artist and acupuncturist, details the practice method and theory of this powerful system of internal exercise. The postures, alignments and practice methods are clearly explained and correlated with practical discussions of meridian pathways and pathologies from the perspective of internal Nei Gong practice. These discussions are accompanied by extensive illustrations, including drawings rendered from photographs of famous Ba Gua masters holding the Nei Gong postures. Also included are medical app
