‘Ba Duan Jin Qi Gong’ keeps senior citizens fit, healthy

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The senior citizens doing their Ba Duan Jin Qi Gong routine at the home.

The senior citizens doing their Ba Duan Jin Qi Gong routine at the home.

MIRI: Every Tuesday morning, come rain or shine, a group of senior citizens at Miri Home for the Aged are kept busy for at least an hour practising ‘Ba Duan Jin Qi Gong’, one of disciplines of Chinese exercise.

‘Ba Duan Jin’ or loosely translated as Eight Silk Weaving which generally refers to the eight movements of the form characters helps to ease body pain and joints and releases energy.

Master Yii Hien Tak who started teaching the senior citizens this exercise since January this year, said compared to Tai Chi, ‘Ba Duan Jin’ was primarily known as a form of medical exercise to help ease joint pain or stiffness, which usually happened to elderly people.

“Like its name, Ba Duan Jin comprises eight separate exercises, with each focusing on a different physical area suitable for both standing and sitting position.”

Yii said each movement hugely benefited different body parts.

Movements from two hands holding up to the sky; drawing the bow to shoot the eagle, gazing backwards by all means, stretch the neck to left and right alternately; two hands reaching to the toes while in standing position and swaying heads to left and right; every movement improves the well-being of the heart, lungs, spine, kidney and blood circulation.

“However, some of the old folk who may not able to reach these positions, I would usually tell them to exercise within their limit so that they wouldn’t get hurt.

“After all, exercising means to improve the health not worsening it,” he said.

Yii, a businessman and a part-time Qigong instructor, said he was happy with the outcome of each session which was attended by at least a dozen senior citizens.

“Initially, one of the members of Miri Chinese Trust Board Committee, Pong Hon Kin, approached me with the suggestion to help the senior citizens do some healthy activities.

“Since Ba Duan Jin is beneficial to young and old alike, I agreed to help out,” he said.

Miri Home for the Aged, initially called Miri Old Folks Home, set up in the 1940s, provides accommodation for the elderly and helpless people.

Today, with over 20 permanent residents, the home has been receiving much assistance from members of the public especially during festivals.