6 Syllable Secret

Liu Yin Chueh

“One should take air in through the nose and let it out slowly through the mouth... There is one
way of drawing breath in and six ways of expelling breath out. The six ways of expelling breath
are represented by the syllables hsü, her, hoo, sss, chway, shee. The six ways of exhalation can
cure illness: to expel heat, one uses chway; to expel cold, one uses hoo; to relieve tension, use
shee; to release anger, use her; to dispel malaise, use hsü; and to regain equilibrium, use sss.”
- Tao Hung-jing, 5th cent physician, The Maintenance and Extension of Life

Liu Yin Chueh is an antient form ov healing qigong from the Tang Dynasty witch uses
specific mouth shapes during exhalation to regulate & energize various internal organs & energy
systems ov the humane being. The theory is quite hermetic: vibratory rates produced by specific
syllables resonate with a specific internal organ & energy system. This harmony allows fresh
energy to freely flow to the organs & energy systems, thereby opening the meridians & expelling
stagnant energy. The benefits are obviously more physical than spiritual, meant to restore
balance plus better overall physical health. Note the practices utilize & are similar to the Yoga
techniques pranayama, asana & mantra, yet they are not exactly the same. Compare also Ba
Duan Jin (8 Pieces of Brocade) with Liu Yin Chueh.

What I’ve put together above & below is adapted from Daniel Reid’s The Complete Book
of Chinese Health & Healing, not to mention private correspondences & personal practice. My
intent here is to present the 6 Syllable Secret (without breaking any copyright laws btw) so that
others unfamiliar with the material might profit from their practice. Each ov the 6 Syllables are
broken down into 6 sections: Syllable, Benefits, Element, Organ, Season & Method Description.
While there are many other correspondences witch I could include (like Direction), the ones I
have here are the most commonly referred to & should suffice. For more speculative ma’atters
see my 5 Elemental Energies (Wu Hsing) & Their Correspondences, or A 777ish TCM Table.
We will deal here with practice, not philosophy &/or theory.

It is imperative prior to presenting the 6 sections I mention 6 important points ov practice.

1. Stand in the Horse stance (Ma Bu, named after position assumed when riding a horse): Lift &
step to the left with your left foot. The feet should be shoulder-width apart, parallel forward for
men & 45 degrees outward for women, with knees slightly bent. Relax muscles & joints, arms
hanging loosely at your sides, head held as though suspended from a string, chin drawn slightly
in, with a straight line running from the crown of your head down through the perineum & on
down to the soles of the feet.

2. It is extremely important to remain as loose & relaxed as possible. Your entire body should
feel as though you’re being pulled toward the earth by the force ov gravity.
3. Practice each syllable at least six times, but do not sound them out load. Aspirate each
syllable silently in the throat, using your mind to regulate & guide its frequency ov vibration into
the related organ (anatomy?!). Take a few deep-cleansing diaphragmic breaths to remove
stagnant air & energy, then start by taking a long, slow, deep inhalation through your nose,
followed by a long, slow, silent exhalation through your mouth as to pronounce the Syllable. To
help volkes out on their anatomy I have included two images showing where Our organs &
meridians/channels are located.

4. It is not necessary to practice all 6 Syllables every time. Select according to specific need
&/or as an entire workout. For beginners I suggest memorizing & practicing one Syllable a day,
then begin performing all 6 on the seventh day.

5. The body movements may be excluded, using only the aspirated breaths. This should only be
done after practicing/imprinting both body movements & aspirated breaths together.

6. Be sure not to tense your muscles or tighten your joints. Keep your shoulders as loose &
relaxed as possible.
 Hsü
Syllable: Hsü, as ‘shoo’ with lips pursed, softened by umlaut.
Benefits: “to dispel malaise”; Decongests liver & gallbladder, clearing the liver meridian.
Calms & resolves anger. Draws fresh energy into these organs, detoxifying & stimulating proper
function.
Element: Wood
Organ: Liver/Gallbladder
Season: Spring
Method Description:
1. Stand relaxed in Horse stance. Bring hands forward so palms are facing each other at thigh
level. Focus your attention/mind at the upper & middle dan tien (ajna/anahata, i.e. between
eyebrows/breast). Shift attention to center ov palms (lao-gung) & tips ov middle fingers.
2. Grip the ground with your big toes to activate liver meridian. Start inhaling slowly & deeply
into your abdomen while slowly raising the hands up & out to your sides, turning palms up
towards the sky while raising them. Focus attention on your middle fingers & palms.
When the breath is full & your palms reach shoulder level turn your palms over to face the
ground, relax the grips ov your toes & slowly lower your arms back down to your sides while
exhaling through the mouth, silently aspirating Hsü with pursed lips while visualizing a stream
ov energy flowing up & out from the liver with each breath.
3. When breath is empty & your hands are back down in front, pause & relax for a moment, then
grip big toes to the ground & commence another cycle on the next inhalation.
4. Repeat 6 times.

Heu
Syllable: Heu, as ‘her’ but without final ‘r’, with mouth open, tip ov tongue pressed against the
lower teeth, & syllable aspirating in the top ov the throat on exhalation.
Benefits: “to release anger”; Calms & expels excess fire energy in the heart & clears the heart
meridian. This practice is very effective during hot summer weather to eliminate symptoms ov
excess heart fire, such as insomnia, palpitations, profuse sweating, & hypertension.
Element: Fire
Organ: Heart/Small Intestine
Season: Summer
Method Description:
1. Stand in Horse stance & hold palms facing each other in front ov your thighs in the same
starting point as the Hsü Syllable. Commence inhalation, & as you begin to raise your hands up
& out to the sides, turn the palms so they face towards your back & extend your little fingers
outward as far as possible in order to activate the heart meridian.
2. When your breath is full & the hands reach shoulder level, begin exhaling through your
mouth, aspirating Heu as ‘her’ without the ‘r’ resonating in the top ov your throat while slowly
lowering your hands back down to your side with the little finger relaxed. Visualize hot fire
energy streaming up & out ov the heart with exhalation.
3. When the breath is empty & your hands are back down in front ov the thighs, pause & relax,
then begin the next cycle on the next inhalation.
4. Repeat six times.
 Hoo
Syllable: Hoo, as ‘who’ with the lips rounded & the tongue suspended in mid-mouth, as though
blowing out a candle.
Benefits: “to expel cold”; Improves digestive function of the spleen, pancreas, & stomach. This
benefits any sort ov digestive problem & helps eliminate halitosis caused by indigestion in the
stomach.
Element: Earth
Organ: Spleen/Pancreas/Stomach
Season: Late Summer
Method Description:
1. Stand in Horse stance & bring your hands up in front ov your lower dan tien (chi hai, 3 fingers
below navel), with palms facing up & fingers aligned. Slowly begin inhaling through your nose
as you raise both hands up along the center ov your torso.
2. When your hands reach the tan-jung point midway between the nipples & the breath is full,
begin exhaling through your mouth aspirating the syllable ‘hoo’ as you turn your right hand palm
out & around 360 degrees to face the sky. Continue raising your right hand palm upwards past
your face & above your head, while turning your left palm in & around 180 degrees to face the
ground, then push your left palm down the front ov your torso back to thigh level.
3. When the breath is empty (right palm extended up towards the sky above head, left palm
extended down towards ground below) begin the next inhalation. Turn the right palm down &
left palm up, slowly bringing your palms towards your tan-jung midway between your nipples
just as the inhalation is complete.
4. When the breath is full & your palms meet mid-chest begin the next mouth inhalation & Hoo
Syllable aspiration. Continue pushing your right hand down with palm facing ground while
turning your left palm out & around 360 degrees to face up again. Continue raising it up &
above your head to full extension.
5. When the breath is empty (left palm extended up above your head towards the sky & right
palm extended down towards the ground below) turn your palms over & bring them together
again at mid-chest level on the next inhalation.
6. Repeat six times.

Sss
Syllable: Sss, as in ‘hiss’ without the ‘hi’, with your tongue behind the lower teeth, the upper &
lower teeth slightly parted.
Benefit: “to regain equilibrium”; Clears congestion from the lungs & lung meridian, stimulating
large intestine energy. Removes excess heat in lungs & improves all respiratory functions. This
is an effective remedy for colds, flu & other bronchial ailments. It is also useful for shoulder &
upper back problems.
Element: Metal
Organ: Lungs/Large Intestine
Season: Autumn
Method Description:
1. Stand in Horse stance, bring your hands out to the front just below the navel, palms up &
fingers aligned as in previous Syllable & slowly raise your palms up along the center ov your
torso as you inhale deeply & slowly into your abdomen.
2. When your hands reach the point midway between your nipples & the breath is full, turn your
palms down, around & up again, facing outwards to either side with your fingers pointing up
towards the sky. Begin exhaling & aspirating the Sss Syllable through your mouth as you push
your hands outward towards the sides, palms outward. When your arms are extended out to the
sides with your elbows slightly bent, turn the palms down towards the ground & slowly lower
the arms back down to starting position while continuing the mouth exhalation & Syllable
aspiration.
3. When your breath is empty & your arms are hanging down loose by your sides, pause briefly
to relax & begin another cycle on the next inhalation.
4. Repeat six times.
Chway
Syllable: Chway, as ‘way’ with a ‘ch’ in front, lips slightly pursed on the initial ‘ch’, then relaxed
& open on the final ‘way’.
Benefits: “to expel heat”; Builds & strengthens kidney energy, clears & tones the kidney
meridian, stimulating the adrenal glands. This is a remedy for sexual debility & any kidney
bladder ailment.
Note: If you suffer from hypertension, avoid this exercise until your blood pressure is
normalized. If your knees are too weak, wait until you build up these muscles with other qi gong
exercises.
Element: Water
Organ: Kidney/Bladder
Season: Winter
Method Description:
1. Standing with your feet slightly closer than in the Horse stance, arms hanging loosely down at
your sides, palms facing thighs inward.
2. Take a deep inhalation, bend your arms & raise your hands slightly up in front so palms are
facing each other at navel level, then slowly bend your knees & squat down to the ground as you
exhale through your mouth & aspirate the Chway Syllable. Keep your spine fairly erect as you
crouch, slightly contracting the anus/pelvic muscles & keep the palms facing each other in front.
3. When your breath is empty & your body is crouched down in a full squat, with your arms
wrapped around your legs/knees & your palms facing out in front, begin the next inhalation &
slowly rise up to the original position. Then begin the next exhalation & Syllable aspiration as
you squat down again in another cycle.
4. Repeat six times.

Shee
Syllable: Shee, as ‘she’ with the teeth slightly parted & the lips formed in a small smile.
Benefit: “to relieve tension”; This exercise helps correct any ailments caused by imbalances or
malfunctions in the Triple heater system, including swollen thyroids, sore throat, hot & cold
spells, ringing ears, bloated abdomen, profuse sweating, & dizziness. This is a good exercise to
balance energy between the three burners, cardiovascular, digestive & genital urinary.
Note: If you have hypertension you should not raise your arms any higher than head level on
inhalation. Upon reaching head level, turn the palms out & around, then push them out to the
sides lower them back down to the starting position on exhalation.
Element: Fire
Organ: Triple Burner/Pericardium
Season: Summer
Method Description:
1. This exercise is based on a technique from the Ba Duan Jin (8 Pieces of Brocade) mentioned
above. Stand in Horse stance as before, bringing your hands together in front ov your body,
palms up & fingers aligned, & slowly raise them up along the front ov your body while inhaling
slowly & deeply. As your palms rise & your lungs fill, draw in your abdominal wall & slightly
contract the anus. When the hands reach chest level (middle dan tien) & the lungs are full,
continue up while retaining your breath, turn your palms up at eye level (upper dan tien) & raise
your hands towards the sky above your head.
2. When your palms reach full extension above the head start exhaling & aspirate the Shee
Syllable as you lower your arms back down to your sides in a smooth, full circle.
3. When your arms are back down in front ov you, turn palms up & begin another cycle on the
next inhalation.
4. Repeat six times.