Flat Stomach Improved Vitality, The Method Behind It, Intertwined But Body Comes First

玲瓏變化布周身

Exquisite changes arrange the whole body.

法是功能之基

Method is the foundation of capability.

脾藏營，營舍意，脾氣虛則四肢不用，五臟不安，實則腹脹經溲不利

The spleen stores the reconstruction, in which abides the will. When the vapours of the spleen are empty, the four limbs are then of no use. When the five organs are not at ease, it makes the stomach distended and inhibits urine and defecation¹.

As far as the machine, the body, was concerned, deep transformations were sought after in internal practices. The goal was to make it more efficient and better suited to the needs of combat. The nurturing of vitality targeted the former. The method acknowledged the fundamental intertwinement between the body and the mind, the former actually being the lead. 

Flat Stomach Improved Vitality, Introduction

 

五臟六腑，各安其位，各司其職

The five viscera and six internal organs, each in its place, each in its function.

喜怒哀樂之未發，謂之中

When happiness, anger, sorrow and joy have not appeared, this is called equilibrium1.

A great part of improving and keeping vitality comes from the organs/emotions duo. Simply put, organs produce vitality when we exercise but lose some when faced with emotions. Hence, internal arts do not consider that post-training and post strong emotion/stress fatigue are the same. One is healthy (building vitality) and more external (moving the body) while the other is harmful (losing vitality at a high pace) and more internal (the organs are ‘moving’, not the body).