In this comprehensive video-based course, you will see that the fundamental movement in this set is a gentle swaying motion, moving weight from leg to leg but not necessarily lifting the heel of the opposing foot.
This set forms a Qigong element of a tai chi style called "hun yuan", meaning "mixed circles". The Hun Yuan Qigong was developed by Grandmaster Feng Zhi Qiang.
Grandmaster Feng, already an accomplished eternal gongfu fighter, studied Xinyiquan with Han Xiao Feng and Chen style Taijiquan with Chen fake.
He went on to create his own style known as Chen style Xinyi Huan Yuan Taijiquan and is recognised today as one of the most skilful and innovative living masters in China.
The Hun Yuan Qigong is an integral part of this system.
Significance and Legacy
Fangsong Gong embodies Taiji's paradox: profound relaxation generates power, as excess tension blocks qi. Historically, it preserved Daoist esotericism amid modernisation, evolving from Ming battlefield arts to a 21st-century tool for stress reduction, longevity, and self-defence. Benefits include improved circulation, joint mobility, toxin release, and martial peng jin—rooting practitioners in the "original heart of the universe."
The Twelve Movements
MOVE 1 – YIN YANG HARMONY (moving weight sideways, sliding palms up and down thighs)
MOVE 2 – BEAR PRESSES PALMS (pressing the palm down while the other hand raises)
MOVE 3 – EMPEROR CART WHEELS (resembles rotating a large ball- forward & backwards)
MOVE 4 – PLUCKING STARS (performed forwards and backwards rotations for the advanced version)
MOVE 5 – WHITE APE PRESENTS FRUIT (rocking the weight forward and back)
MOVE 6 – INSERT PALMS INTO SLEEVES
MOVE 7 – POURING WATER
MOVE 8 – WIND BLOWS LOTUS LEAVES (resembles swinging arms around the body)
MOVE 9 – WIND SWAYS WILLOW TREE (resembles marching)
MOVE 10 – COLLECT QI TO DANTIAN (resembles gathering energy)
MOVE 11 – HEAVEN/EARTH open & close (arm circles out & inwards)
MOVE 12 – HEAVEN'S QI CLEARS OBSTRUCTION
Origins and Philosophical Roots
Hunyuan Fangsong Gong (often translated as "Releasing into Suppleness Gong" or "Relaxation Cultivation Gong") is an advanced Qigong practice deeply embedded in Daoist philosophy and internal martial arts traditions.
The term "Hunyuan" (混元) refers to "primordial unity" or "mixed circles," symbolising the undifferentiated state of cosmic energy (qi) before the division into yin and yang—a concept central to ancient Daoist texts like the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic).
This primordial state is seen as the source of all life, where energy flows in harmonious, circular patterns, blending stillness (wuji) with potential motion (taiji). "Fangsong" (放松) means "to release and loosen," emphasising a profound state of physical, mental, and energetic suppleness (sōng, 鬆), which allows for the free circulation of qi without tension or blockage.
While the practice draws from ancient Daoist neigong (internal skill) methods—such as zhan zhuang (standing post) and daoyin (guiding and pulling exercises)—its formalised structure as a distinct set emerged in the modern era. It is classified as a "martial" type of Qigong, prioritising both health preservation and the cultivation of internal power (jin) for Taijiquan, rather than purely religious or medicinal aims.
Structure and Transmission of Fangsong Gong
Fangsong Gong is the pinnacle of Hunyuan's neigong curriculum, building on basics like Hunyuan Gong (primordial Qigong's 10–12 exercises - See separate course) and Zhan Zhuang. Originally esoteric ("indoor" teaching for advanced students), it was gradually opened for broader practice.