Unlike other forms in which each exercise in the sequence works a few meridians, almost all the Yi Jin Jing exercises work all twenty meridians (12 primary meridians and 8 extraordinary meridians), directly or indirectly. The integrated result is that the Qi rises and ebbs over the body like a wave, strengthening the tendons, building healthy bones, opening the meridians, increasing strength, and helping with disease. The Yi Jin Jing is a form of Qi Gong designed to slow down the aging process and lead to longevity, and is used both for healers and martial artists.
The Yi Jin Jing can be understood in terms of creating a balance of Yin and Yang in a number of ways. It merges force with flexibility, and it is in between the Yin of Standing Form and the Yang of full movement forms. Attributable to the Yi Jin Jing are 48 ways of meditating and 12 ways of sleeping. The martial arts world reveres it as it is considered the foundation of internal Qi Gong.
Legend has it that Bodhidarma was searching for an optimal way for his monks to maintain their health, improve meditative concentration, and prepare the way for Enlightenment. Drawing from what he had learned about Daoism, he shut himself up in the Shao Lin Temple and meditated, facing a wall for 9 years. The Yi Jin Jing was one of the forms he created, which was part of a regimen that has led many monks to live to 100 years old and beyond.
