Ways of Walking: Quotations, Bibliography, Resources, Links 

The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine.  By Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D..  Chicago, McGraw Hill Contemporary Books, 2nd Edition, 2000.  Index, bibliography, appendices, notes, 500 pages.  Forward by Margaret Caudill, M.D., and by Andrew Weil, M.D.  ISBN: 0809228408.  An excellent introduction to traditional Chinese medicine and modern research on the topic.  VSCL. 

What is Qigong.   By Kenneth S. Cohen.  

Where the Spirits Ride the Wind: Trance Journeys and Other Ecstatic Experiences.  By Felicitas D. Goodman, Ph.D..  Illustrated by Gerhard Binder.  Bloomington, Indiana, Indiana University Press, 1990.  Index, bibliography, 242 pages.  ISBN: 0253327644.  A cross cultural study of the effects of body postures on altered states of consciousness.  Extensive notes on the widespread instances of Bear postures, rituals and totems.  

Wild Goose Qigong: Links, Bibliography, Quotes, Notes 

The Wonders of Qigong.  A Chinese Exercise for Fitness, Health and Longevity.  Compiled by the China Sports Magazine, Beijing, China.  Published by Wayfarer Publications, Los Angeles, CA, 1985.  111 pages.  275 line drawings.  ISBN: 0935099077.  VSCL. 

Wudang Five Animal Form.  Instructional DVD.  Featuring Master Zhong Xue Chao..  Introductory video, 5:32 minutes.  Instruction over-dub voice in English.  This DVD include 5 forms of Tortoise, Crane, Snake, Tiger, and Dragon.  All 5 animal's complete demonstration, introduction and teaching. List of movements. 

Wudang Five Animal Regimen    UTube Video, 5:53 minutes. 

Wu Qin Xi Qigong.  UTube Video, 6:30 Min. 

Wu Qin Xi.  By Hu, Yao-zhen (1879-1973).  Hong Kong, Xin Wen Shu Dian, n.d..  

Wu Qin Xi.  Chinese Health Qigong Assocation. 

Wu Qin Xi (Five Animal Frolics): Chinese Health Qigong.  Compiled by the Chinese Health Qigong Association.  Beijing, Chine, Foreign Languages Press, 2007.  102 pages, includes an instructional DVD.  ISBN: 9787119047799.  VSCL.  "In 2001 the Chinese government showed great interest in regulating the Qigong movement. The State Sport General Administration of China founded the Chinese Health Qigong Association, as a mass-organization to popularize, spread and research Health Qigong in cooperation with the Peking Sport University. In 2003 the organization presented the newly developed four Health Qigong Exercises on the base of excellent traditional Qigong, including:  Yì Jīn Jīng (tendon-changing classic),  Wu Qin Xi (frolics of five animals 五禽戲),  Liu Zi Jue (the art of expiration in producing six different sounds), Ba Duan Jin (eight excellent movements), to fit the people's needs of promoting their health and body, and to develop traditional Chinese national culture further. The Chinese Health Qigong Association is a member of the All-China Sports Federation.  During the process of developing the exercises, strictly scientific research methods have been followed. Primary experiments took place under supervision of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Modern Medicine, Psychology, Athletic Science and other related subjects. The Four Health Qigong Exercises can be seen as the essences from the related Qigong in various schools, inherited and developed traditional Chinese national culture.  The new Health Qigong represented by the Chinese Health QiGong Association is breaking with the old tradition of family-styles and close teacher-student relation. It is hoped that the new standardisation is supporting the international spread of Qigong in the western hemisphere.  Starting in September 2004 the "Health Qigong Magazine" became the association magazine of the CHQA. It is the only national health qigong publication in China; edtited through China Sports Press.  After the successful 1st International Health Qigong Demonstration and Exchange in 2005 the CHQA organized in August 2007 the 2nd International Health Qigong Demonstration and Exchange in Peking including an international competition and the first Duan examination on Health Qigong. At the same time, the 2007 International Symposium on Health Qigong Science was organized where important scientific studies were made public."
-  Wikipedia

Wu Qin Xi, Five Animal Frolics Qigong: Bibliography, Resources, Lessons, Links, History.  By Michael P. Garofalo, M.S. 

Xing Yi Quan (Hsing I Chuan) makes use of Twelve Animals. 

Yang Style Taijiquan

Yangsheng Gong, Daoyin, Qigong:  Bibliography, Links, Resources, History, Lessons, Guides, Quotes 

Yin Jin Jing (Muscle and Tendon Transformation Classic) Qigong

Yuli Qigong.  By Jeff Smoley.  Wujigong, Zhan Zhuang, 5 Animal Frolics, Jade Power Qigong, and Eight Section Brocade.  Jeff borrowed my disclaimer. 

Zhan Zhuang, Standing Meditation - Standing Like a Tree - Meditation and Qigong

"Man's body must have exercise, but it should never be done to the point of exhaustion.  By moving about briskly, digestion is improved, the blood vessels are opened, and illnesses are prevented.  It is like a used doorstep which never rots.  As far as Tao Yin (bending and stretching exercises) is  concerned, we have the bear's neck, the crane's twist, and swaying the waist and moving the joints to promote long life.  Now I have created the art called the Frolics of the Five Animals: the Tiger, the Deer, the Bear, the Monkey, and the Crane.   It eliminates sickness, benefits the legs, and is also a form of Tao Yin.  If you feel out of sorts, just practice one of my Frolics.  A gentle sweat will exude, the complexion will become rosy; the body will feel light and you will want to eat."
-   Hua To, History of the Later Han, Translated by Paul B. Gallagher,
    Drawing Silk: A Training Manual for T'ai Chi, 1988, p. 6.

"An ancient text, The Spring and Autumn Annals, states that in mythic times a great flood covered much of China.  Stagnant waters produced widespread disease. The legendary shaman-emperor Yu cleared the land and diverted the waters into rivers by dancing a bear dance and invoking the mystical power of the Big Dipper Constellation.  As the waters subsided, people reasoned that movement and exercise can similarly cause the internal rivers to flow more smoothly, clearing the meridians of obstructions to health.  Qigong-like exercises are found on ancient rock art panels throughout China.  Chinese shamans used these exercises and meditations to commune with nature and natural forces and to increase their powers of healing and divination.
-   Kenneth S. Cohen, What is Qigong

"Daoyin 導引 (a.k.a. Tao Yin), which literally means “guiding and stretching,” is a traditional Chinese form of “calisthenics” (Grk.: “beautiful strength”; physical exercise) or “gymnastics” (Grk.: “to train”). Traditionally and historically speaking, Daoyin practices are stretching exercises, usually combined with breath-work. Some Daoyin practices involve specific breathing (huxi 呼吸) patterns. The earliest forms of Daoyin were developed during the Early Han dynasty (206 BCE-8 CE), in the context of health and longevity as well as therapeutic movements. Daoyin practice is also sometimes referred to as Yangsheng 養生, which literally means “nourishing life.”
-   Daoyin

Crane - to develop balance, lightness and agility.  The Crain cools and relaxes your whole body, balances the heart-energy, gently stretches your ligaments and releases your spine.
Bear - to develop rooted power.  The Bear creates greater leg strength, fortifies the bones and develops energy in the kidneys, your fundamental source of vitality. 
Monkey - to develop suppleness and agility.  Become quick witted, alert and nimble.
Deer - to develop grace and relaxation.  The Deer gives a long stretch to the legs and spine, creating open, expansive movement with very flexible sinew and bones.
Tiger - to develop muscular strength.  The Tiger strengthens the waist, sinews and kidneys and builds internal power. 
-   Five Animal Frolics

"Firstly, we analyze its function in the aspect of psychological regulation as it is required that the practitioner should do it before and during each routines in the exercise of the Health Qigong Wu Qin Xi. The practitioner should mind on the Dantian and rid of the distracted thoughts with quiet mind and spirit before the exercise, get into the imitation of its physical activities of each animal in the exercise. When practicing the tiger exercise, try to imagine yourself as a fierce tiger in the mountains who is looking down upon other beasts and stretching its own pawns and about to pounce on its prey; in the deer exercise, imagine that you are prudent and mild, jogging on a green field; in the exercise of the bear, you are a clumsy bear, composed and steady, freely roaming the forests; in the monkey exercise, you become a happy and agile monkey; in the bird exercise, you are a free bird with quiet mind and flying in the sky. Therefore you can continuously regulate the mind state in the exercise and it is helpful to the relaxation of the mind. The regular exercise of this skill can transform and regulate the mind of the practitioner to relieve the spiritual nervousness, improve the emotional stability, reduce the mental stress and keep the healthy mind."
-   The Effect of Precaution against Sub-health of the Health Qigong Wu Qin Xi.  Chinese Health Qigong Association.  2008. 

"Many schools of Wu Qin Xi have sprung up in modern times, with different modifications of the exercises. Some schools even name themselves after Hua Tuo. Nevertheless, they all adhere to the fundamental principles of imitating the movements of the five wild creatures and combining physical with mental exercises. And they all have the common aim of strengthening muscles and bones, promoting the circulation of Qi and blood, preventing and curing diseases, maintaining good health and prolonging the life span.  The practice of Wu Qin Xi can be divided into two types: One emphasizes the physical exercise of the trunk and limbs to strengthen the bodily constitution. This is called "external exercise." The other emphasizes mental exercises which are supposed to imitate the spiritual activities and expressions of animals, to stimulate mental activity; this is called "internal exercise." The former division can be further divided into two groups. Vigorous practice mainly for self-defense is called "Five-Animal Boxing," which can also be used for treating illness by means of pounding or massage. When performed gently and gracefully, with the aim of strengthening the body constitution and improving the spiritual mood, it is called "Five-Animal Dance.""
-  Origins and Development of Qigong 

"The patriarch of Chinese medicine, Hua Tuo (second century A.D.) was one of the great early qigong masters.  His "Five Animal Frolics" imitate the movements of the Crane, Bear, Monkey, Deer, and Tiger and are still practiced today. Hua Tuo said that just as a door hinge will not rust if it is used, so the body will attain health by gently moving and exercising all of the limbs."
-   Kenneth S. Cohen, What is Qigong  

"The "Five Animal-Frolics" mimics the fierceness of tiger, peacefulness of deer, calmness of bear, agility of ape, and lightness of bird to train the body and mind. It can improve body strength, move blood and Qi, and relax tendons and meridians so people will not get aged quickly. It can also be used to cure chronicle diseases. Practitioner can practice all five frolics or pick only one or two to practice based on his personal physical conditions. During practice, it requires the practitioner to coordinate his thoughts, breathing, and movements. If you can practice it persistently, you will enjoy light spirit, enhanced appetite, improved agility, and firm steps. This has the functions of nurturing spirit, regulating the flow of Qi and blood, helping Jang and Fu, opening meridians, activating sinews and bones, and benefiting joints. The "Five Animal-Frolics" is also effective in preventing and curing lung diseases, asthma, high blood pressure, heart-crown disease, weak nerve system, and indigestion, etc. In addition, frequent practice of the "Five Animal-Frolics" can correct abnormal footings and walking postures, prevent wilting of muscles, and improve body balance. It is also beneficial to other symptoms. Practitioner should practice for 15 minutes twice daily, one in the morning and one in the evening. Also, the practitioner should select a field with fresh air and luxuriant vegetation."
-   Five Animal Frolics

"Born from the marriage of shamanic dance and the Chinese medical study of energy systems, The Animal Frolics offer a complete self-care toolkit of accessible techniques to transform your health and well being."
-  John Du Cane, Power Qigong: The Bear and Tiger Frolics. 

"The earliest Daoist reference to Daoyin practice appears in chapter fifteen of the Zhuangzi 莊子 (Book of Master Zhuang), which is part of the so-called Outer Chapters (8-22) and is roughly contemporaneous with the Daoyin tu and Yinshu. “To practice chui 吹, xu 呴, hu 呼 and xi 吸 breathing, to expel the old (tugu 吐古) and ingest the new (naxin 納新), and to engage in bear-hangings (xiongjing 熊經) and bird-stretchings (niaoshen 鳥申), with longevity one’s only concern—such are the practices of Daoyin adepts, people who nourish their bodies and hope to live as long as Pengzu” (cf. Daode jing ch. 29). In this section of the Zhuangzi, Daoyin practitioners are grouped in a hierarchical ordering of five lower forms of practice. Such adepts are contrasted with the Daoist sage (shengren 聖人), who does not practice Daoyin but rather aims at mystical unification with the Dao through quietistic meditation. Nonetheless, the above passage from the Zhuangzi as well as the Daoyin tu and Yinshu are among the earliest predecessors for the later practices known as the Method of the Six Breaths (liuqi fa 六氣法), a.k.a. Six Healing Sounds, and the Five Animal Frolics (wuqin xi 五禽戲)."
-  Daoyin

"In the Welsh story of Taliesin, who as Gwion Bach, transforms himself into various animal shapes to escape the wrath of the goddess Ceridwen.  Gwion transforms himself into a hare, a fish, a bird and finally a grain of wheat.  Ceridwen in an attempt to catch him also transforms herself. She becomes a greyhound, an otter, a falcon and a hen.  It is as a hen that she finally catches Gwion, who is at this stage a grain of wheat, she swallows Gwion and by so doing becomes pregnant and eventually gives birth to Taliesin."
-   Kenneth R. White, Shapeshifting in Celtic Myth. 

"Daoyin is an ancient Chinese body-mind exercise originally aimed at health care as well as physical and spiritual purification. The ascetics of past time believed it could be used to obtain the "eternal youth" (changsheng bulao).  Many different interpretations were given to the word daoyin during the ages. The following two are the most reliable: daoqi yinti - guide the qi and stretch the body; and daoqi yinliao - guide the qi to obtain a healing effect.  Both interpretations describe important aspects of the exercise and are not contradictory to each other. The first describes briefly the technique while the second refers to one goal of the exercise; actually with daoyin we guide the qi and move our body in order to obtain a beneficial effect to our health.  China has an ancient and deep tradition of body-mind care. According to historical documents already during the feudal age (770-221 BC) the so-called "life-nourishing ways" (yangsheng zhi dao) gained great importance. They were methods aimed at enhancing a long, healthy and good life, by means of dietetic regime, herbal preparations, gymnastic exercises and spiritual cultivation (such as study, poetry, meditation, etc.).  Many famous thinkers of this time argued heatedly on these issues, proposing their own "ways" and discussing those of their colleagues.  Among the various "life-nourishing ways", the physical exercise was almost universally regarded as necessary and very effective. As "physical exercise" we have to think here something much deeper and articulated than what we mean today. It was an exercise involving body and mind in a great potentially unlimited effort of self-purification. The ascetics of that time practiced and taught these techniques in order to reach long life and immortality."
-  Daoyin

"Shape-Changing in practice essentially breaks down into two main areas that for the purposes of discussion I've decided to call "Out of body" shifting and "Altered State" shifting.  The two are related: altered state shapeshifting in particular using some of the methods of consciousness altering employed in out-of-body voyages but they are sufficiently different to enable them to be considered separately." 
-   Redvane Fox 

"Sometime between the Eastern Zhou (ca 776-256 BCE) and the Qin (ca 221-206 BCE) Dynasties, they developed the Two Animal Forms (Liangqinxi), which imitate the actions of a bear climbing a tree and hanging from its branches and a crane stretching out its wings in flight.  In the former Han Dynasty (ca 206 BCE - 8 CE) a third form, the monkey, was added.  Then, over a century later, in the Later Han Dynasty (ca 25-220 CE) after the Three Animal Forms (Sanqinxi) had been strongly influenced by Taoist exercises for longevity, two more forms, based on the movements of the deer and the tiger, were added by learned doctors of medicine who developed them to help give their aristocratic patients healthier and longer lives, thus creating the Five Animal Forms (Wuqinxi).  Since then, the Five Animal Forms have give rise to a number of forms of Qigong exercises, most notably the Eight Pieces of Silk (Baduanjin) , the Everyday Stretching Qigong (Yijinjing) exercises, and the internal Qi regimens of the various Shaolin and Tai Chi schools, which can all trace their ancestry back to the original Two Animal Forms and Taoist breathing exercises."
-   Stephen Comee, Beginning Qigong: Chinese Secrets for Health and Longevity, p. 59. 

"The Five Animal Sports Qigong (五禽戲, Wu Qin Xi).  The Five Animal Sports is a well known medical Qigong set created by the famous Chinese medical doctor Hua Tuo (華陀 ) during the East Han and Three Kingdom period (東漢﹐ 三國)(25-420 A.D.). This set of medical Qigong imitates the natural movements of five animals. These animals are the Tiger, Deer, Bear, Ape, and Bird. For nearly two thousand years, this set has proven very effective for maintaining health, and for healing various illnesses."
-   Yang Jwing-Ming's Martial Arts Academy

"The Bird Frolic develops balance, lightness, and agility. It cools and relaxes the whole body, balances the heart-energy, gently stretches the ligaments, and releases the spine.  The Bear Frolic to develops deep-rooted power. It creates greater leg strength, fortifies the bones, and develops energy in the kidneys, which is the body's fundamental source of vitality.  The Monkey Frolic develops suppleness and agility. It helps a person become quick witted, alert, and nimble.  The Deer Frolic develops grace and relaxation. It gives a long stretch to the legs and spine, creating an open, expansive movement with very flexible muscles and bones.  The Tiger Frolic develops muscular strength. It strengthens the waist, muscles, and kidneys and builds internal power."
-  Five Animal Frolics

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五禽戲

Frolics of the Five Animals

Bear     

Tiger

Crane