Qi Gong – 8 Brocade of Power / Ba Duan Jin

Ba Duan Jin emerged before the Song dynasty (960-1279) and developed into a formal exercise in Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). It is one of the most popular forms of Qigong practiced today.

” Variously translated as Eight Pieces of Brocade, Eight-Section Brocade, Eight Silken Movements or Eight Silk Weaving, the name of the form generally refers to how the eight individual movements of the form characterize and impart a silken quality (like that of a piece of brocade) to the body and its energy. The Baduanjin is primarily designated as a form of medical qigong, meant to improve health.^[2]” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baduanjin_qigong

The following sciencey bit is an extract from – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ba Duan Jing movements couple tension with relaxation and activeness with quietness. Ba Duan Jin concentrates on the strong and healthy functioning of the internal organs, especially helpful for those suffering from chronic illness.

This is a comprehensive study of headline science stuff from this articale, yes I have check authinticity and facts:

Objective. To investigate the effects of practicing Baduanjin Qigong on different health outcomes. Methods. Six electronic databases were used .

Results. Nineteen randomized controlled trials were used for meta-analysis. The aggregated results from this systematic review have shown significant benefits in favour of Baduanjin Qigong on quality of life

Final Evidence base, a minus figure – is better and shows improved from the norm :

• SMD, −0.75; 95% CI −1.26 to −0.24; P = 0.004)
• Sleep quality (SMD, −0.55; 95% CI −0.97 to −0.12; P = 0.01)
• Balance (SMD, −0.94; 95% CI −1.59 to 0.30; P = 0.004)
• Handgrip strength (SMD, −0.69; 95% CI −1.2 to −0.19; P = 0.007)
• Trunk flexibility (SMD, −0.66; 95% CI −1.13 to −0.19; P = 0.006)
• Systolic (SMD, −0.60; 95% CI −0.94 to −0.27; P = 0.0004)
• Blood pressure (SMD, −0.46; 95% CI −0.73 to −0.20; P = 0.0005),
• Resting heart rate (SMD, −0.87; 95% CI −1.47 to −0.27; P = 0.005).

The aggregated results of meta-analyses examining the effect of Baduanjin Qigong on leg power, cardiopulmonary endurance, and pulmonary function remain unclear because of a small number of studies. 

Conclusions. The aggregated results from this systematic review show that Baduanjin Qigong practice is beneficial for quality of life, sleep quality, balance, handgrip strength, trunk flexibility, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and resting heart rate. Further studies are necessary to confirm the effects of Baduanjin Qigong on leg power, cardiopulmonary endurance, and pulmonary function (e.g., vital capacity), while considering a long-term follow-up. Registration Number. This trial is registered with International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO): CRD42016036966.