The Six Healing Sounds (Liu Zi Jue- 六字訣), also known as the "Six Syllable Secret" and the "Six Essential Silent Sounds for Health", is a Chinese breathing technique/exercise, a traditional Qigong exercise used to balance and harmonize the body and achieve longevity.
The Six Healing Sounds are attributed to Tao Hongjing, a renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) physician who was born in 456 AD and lived until 536 AD. Tao Hongjing was also a Taoist, an astrologer, and an alchemist. As you might expect, the Six Healing Sounds were developed over the centuries by TCM physicians, Taoists, monks, hermits, and the founder of the Tian Tai School of Buddhism. Because there was confusion over how to pronounce some words, the Chinese Sports Administration collected, compared, and analyzed data. This work was supported by Chinese linguists, and in 2003, a new and revised version of the Six Healing Sounds was published and promoted as “health-promoting Qigong.” However, many variations of the Six Healing Sounds still exist today.
Liu Zi Jue regulates and controls the rise and fall of Qi (vital energy) through the inhalation and exhalation of six sounds.
Liu Zi Jue takes breathing as the mainstay, with simple guiding movements accompanying the breathing routines to regulate the functions of the liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys, and the triple heater. The guiding movements should be relaxed, soft, flexible and slow. Breathing and pronunciation cannot be disturbed by guiding movements. According to traditional Chinese medicine theories, we are an integrated part of the universe with nature. That is, our physiological function and health will be affected by nature. Zang 1 is related to and corresponds to Fu 2 and the five elements of wood, fire, earth, gold and water. The practitioner can expel the stale air produced by Zang Fu while chanting and exhaling the six sounds. Fresh air is then absorbed from nature during the corresponding movements and inhalation.
The exercises feature slow, gentle movements that are safe and easy to learn and are suitable for people of all ages and health conditions. Regular exercise helps balance the energy and function of the internal organs by strengthening the liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys, and has also been shown to have a calming effect and reduce stress.
Each organ relates to an element and has an associated sound. When Qi energy is excessive or blocked or stagnant, disease occurs.
Sounds awaken bad, excess, blocked or stagnant Qi. They remove excesses that release blockages and negative emotions. When you focus on your breath and the different sound vibrations, you relax and release stress. Negative emotions are then transformed into “positive” emotions.
The body stores negative emotions in its organs, which impairs the health of the organs and affects the person's temperament. The Six Healing Sounds transform the negative emotions stored in the body's organs and transform them into healing energy that circulates throughout the body through the Microcosmic Orbit (yin and yang channels in the body).
Air is taken in through the nose and slowly exhaled through the mouth... There is one way to inhale and six ways to exhale. The six ways to exhale are represented by the syllables Xu, He, Hu, Sı, Chui, Xı. The six ways to exhale can cure disease:
XU, “Shu”: Harmonizes the Liver Qi.
The lips are rounded and the sound is blown out like wind through the trees in the forest. Like the exhalation of the breath after a deep sigh. This is the spring energy moving through the body and making it grow. The color to be visualized in your mind is grass green , the season to be felt is spring, and your direction is east.
HE, 'Hah': Supports the Qi of the heart.
The mouth opens and yawns, allowing heat or imbalance to escape and move away from the heart. It has a powerful effect on our emotions and nervous system. The color to visualize in your mind is red, the season to feel is summer, and your direction is south.
HU, "Huh": Supports the Qi of the stomach and spleen.
It is a gentle and continuous expulsion of air, done with pursed lips, as if whistling. It relaxes the stomach. The color to be visualized in your mind is ochre, the season to be felt is Indian Summer, and there is no specific direction, because the Earth is the center, so you can practice it where you are.
SI, "Sih" supports the Qi of the Lung.
It is like a slight hissing sound that blows air out. It clears the lungs and is related to the large intestine. The color to be visualized in your mind is off-white, the season to be felt is autumn and the direction is west.
CHUI, “Shui”: Supports Kidney Qi.
It is a breathing discharge similar to the sound of water. It feels like water is flowing through the body. It supports the functioning of the kidneys. The color to be visualized in your mind is blue/black like a dark night, the season to be felt is winter and the direction is north.
XI, “Şih”: Supports the Triple Burner.
This sixth element balances the sounds and energies of all the previous organs, and has a happy mood. There are no colors to visualize in your mind, no seasons, no directions to go. It is practiced where you are. This allows the Triple Burner to be in harmony and to take care of all the other organs (especially the lungs, spleen, kidneys, small intestines and bladder). It works on the protection of the heart.
Each sound may be associated with a different gesture, posture, visualization, organ, color, season, and/or set of emotions, depending on the practitioner and technique. Some techniques use a specific set of movements instead of a gesture. You can listen to the sounds while sitting on the edge of a chair, standing, or lying on a bed or on the floor. Whether you listen to all Six Healing Sounds or just one or more, always breathe in slowly through your nose and breathe out slowly and evenly through your mouth. It is important to take the movements and sounds slowly. Stay focused and take your time.
The sounds help to invigorate blocked Qi by creating different internal vibrations and pressures in different body parts through the exhale. It's like an internal, sound-induced organ massage! Some techniques recommend repeating each sound three or six times a day.
The order of the sounds depends on whether you are doing them for health maintenance or healing. You can also do them seasonally to help your body adjust to climate changes. For example, the Heart Sound removes heat from the body in the summer, and the Kidney Sound removes cold from the body in the winter.
Especially if you are a beginner, it is best to say each Sound out loud. This way you will learn the correct pronunciation. This will also prevent you from holding your breath and stopping the flow of Qi and vibrations. Later, when you understand how the Sound is produced, you have the option of producing very little or barely audible sound.
1-Zang: refers to the yin organs - heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidney, pericardium.
2- Fu yang refers to the organs - small intestine, large intestine, gall bladder, urinary bladder, stomach and triple heater.