This Qigong form is excellent to loosen the neck and shoulder muscles. It is an stimulate for Qi circulation; consequently increases energy.
Goals of Qigong
- Quiet the Mind
- Regulate the Breath
- Change the Shape of the Body
Quotes from our students:
"It's gentle but thorough exercise."
"Stretching is excellent."
"Good for the balance."
"You have a full body exercise without really realizing it."
"It makes my legs really strong. It builds up muscles."
"Gets breath to flow over every part of your body. "
"It calms the mind and lifts the spirits. And the music helps."
13 Joints
- 2 Ankles
- 2 Knees
- 2 Hips
- 2 Shoulders
- 2 Elbows
- 2 Wrists
- 1 Spine
21 Steps (1 minute each exercise, except for 1st)
1. Hug a Tree – 5 minutes:
Wuji, Tàijí, Mabu, Lower Knees (to lower center of mass, that is, just below the belly button), Hug a Tree (extend arms in an arc to the front, elbows downward, palms toward the center of mass), Close Eyes, Breath (moving the stomach rather than the chest)
2. Go to Heaven, Worship Buddha:
Wuji, Tàijí, chicken wing (forefinger and middle finger extended together, thumb tip touching the base of these two fingers, other fingers curled into the palm), toe tap- to the front, out, flip, clap, Buddha posture
3. Look Over Blue Sky:
Wuji, Toe Tap- diagonal, Camera, Higher, Cross Hands in Front of Chest, Hands to Sides, legs together.
4. G-ddess Presents a Peach:
Wuji, Step 45 degrees out to the side, Northern Chicken, One Arm behind in small of back, other arm overhead, look toward upper elbow, bend to side, then step to the other side at 45 degrees (using the bent leg that was forming the chicken), doing a windmill motion (hands straight out to sides, feet apart each foot at 45 degrees away from straight ahead), stretching side to side and stepping side to side.
5. 8 Celestial Beings Drunkenness:
(Like Number 3, but "Click") Wuji, Toe Tap-diagonal, Camera, Higher, Click, Cross Hands in Front of Chest, Hands to Sides and legs together.
6. Golden Lotus Dancing:
Wuji or feet fist distance apart depending on your comfort, Pinkies outward, lower hands down to knees by bending knees (do not bend over), feet flat, thumbs outward, stand up, hands up to nose, get on tip toes at top
7. Fragrance Blows Over Earth:
Wuji, Northern Chicken (Toe Tap One Foot in Front of other 45 degrees flat foot), Chinese Boxer (Step Forward with Heel and Straight Leg, then shifting weight to flatten foot), polish table, hands going forward, hands close coming back, shift weight forward and rocking back as arms polish side to side by straightening one leg while bending the other and vice versa
Note: should be with weight primarily on heels, so can smoothly step back to Wuji by pushing backward and releasing the back leg rather than pushing upward with the front leg.
8. Lotus Bloom:
Wuji, Tàijí, Lotus Flower: Lotus palm position (palms open in a "Y," palm sides of wrists together, elbows together), (Elbows Together, Wrists Together, Palms Open), Toe Tap- diagonal, Open, Arms upwards on a "V" and then arms come down to your Sides
9. G-ddess Flying:
Opposite Arm and Leg Forward concurrently, go three paces forward, then three paces back
10. Fairy Maiden Spreads Out Flowers:
Wuji, Tàijí, Mabu, Step 45 degrees, cross with foot forward, lift back foot backward, sprinkle with outward hand up and inward hand down, then (1) back foot down, (2) forward foot back to position, leaning on this foot, (3) other foot to position
OR
Mabu, Step, Cross, Sprinkle, 1, 2, 3
11. Golden Swallow Double Flew OR Double Eagle:
Wuji, Step forward Heel first, 1) Hook Arms Forward and front (fingers together in a point), 2) continuing downward Arms come Together at Sides (fingers still together in a point), While bring legs back together ("releasing" the back leg to step back, not up), Arms Out to Sides (fingers still together in a point), Rise Up on Tip Toes, Fly Up with your arms to each side so that you make a "T". 3) Then start again with hands opening flat facing forward.
12. One Step to Get to Heaven:
Big Circles crossing in front, tapping toe of one foot and stamping heel of other foot, turning in a circle
13. Opening the Window, Looking at the Moon
Wuji, Step forward with one leg while swinging arms gently out to the sides (like a swimming backstroke arm movement), bring feet together with knees bent, push both hands forward (palms facing forward, fingers pointing down), stand up a little, and repeat the movement two more times stepping with the same leg each time. Reverse the steps with the same leg for a total of three steps back, but keep the hand and arm motions the same, pushing forward each time. After 3 steps forward and 3 steps back leading with one foot, repeat the entire sequence leading with the other foot.
14. Buddha's Light Shines Over Everywhere
Wuji, Step forward with one leg and shift weight onto the forward leg, tap with the back leg, then shift weight back onto the back leg while stepping back with the forward leg thus reversing the positions of the forward and back legs. Shift weight onto the leg that just took the step (newly back leg), Tap the other leg (newly forward leg). Repeat the sequence three times, then do the sequence three times leading with the other leg.
15. Crossing A River in the Heaven
Similar to Opening the Window, Looking at the Moon except with palms pushing downward (not pushing forward). Wuji, Step forward with one leg while swinging arms gently out to the sides (like a swimming backstroke arm movement), bring feet together with knees bent, push both hands down in front of the body (palms facing down, fingers pointing forward), stand up a little, and repeat the movement two more times stepping with the same leg each time. Reverse the steps with the same leg for a total of three steps back, but keep the hand and arm motions the same, pushing downward each time. After 3 steps forward and 3 steps back leading with one foot, repeat the entire sequence leading with the other foot.
16. Celestial Being Point Out Direction of Road
Wuji, Both hands in chicken wing position (forefinger and middle finger extended together, thumb tip touching the base of these two fingers, other fingers curled into the palm) and arms pointing to the same side (one are extended out to the side, other arm bent in front of chest pointing to the same side), side step in the direction in which pointing while retracting both arms yet maintaining the same pointing of the arms, bring feet back together (by moving the trailing leg) while extending both arms in the direction in which pointing. Repeat the movement 2 more times. Then, while maintaining the chicken wing positioning of the hands, make a large swinging circular arm movement in front of the body ending by pointing in the other direction. Repeat the steps in this new direction for a total of three steps in each direction.
OR
Point to one side, step to that side; and so on
17. Arhat Brandish the Tripod
Wuji, both arms in "L" shape out to the sides, with forearm up and upper arm parallel to the floor, hands in fists*, while stepping to the side, bring the forearms (wrists to elbows) together in front of the body while maintaining the "L" shape bend of the elbow. Then, while stepping together with the trailing leg, bring the arms back out to the sides. Repeat two more times in the same direction, then do three times in the reverse direction for a total of 3 times in each sideways direction.
OR
Legs together, arms open; legs open, arms together; and so on
*Note: if you have high blood pressure, then please no fists, you hands should be open.
18. Female Immortal Present Flowers
Link fingers together, right hand on top, left hand on bottom, move hands in a large circle counterclockwise, while stepping to one side three times moving the same leg outward each time followed by bringing the legs together by moving the trailing leg. Repeat the motion toward the other side still moving the hands counterclockwise and in the same orientation.
19. Wind Swing Lotus
Wuji, Lotus palm position (palms open in a "Y," palm sides of wrists together, elbows together), Toe tap- diagonal while crossing the hands over the moving leg, while moving arms out to the sides, hands open, palm side down, lift the moving leg, return to starting position, repeat leading with the other leg.
OR
Wuji, lotus, toe- tap, arms cross, palms down, arms out, lift leg, open, return to Wuji, lotus, ...
20. Immortal Push Forward Millstone
Similar to Fragrance Blows Over Earth except with hands in fists and thumbs pointing toward each other.
Wuji, Northern Chicken (Toe Tap One Foot in Front of other 45 degrees flat foot), Chinese Boxer (Step Forward with Heel and Straight Leg, then flatten foot), roll millstone, hands far going forward, hands close coming back, shift weight side to side by straightening one leg while bending the other and vice versa
21. Mind Back to Origin
Women: right hand on stomach and left on top
Men: left hand on stomach and right on top
Pelvic tilt forward, center, back, center, side, center, other side, center, repeat
22. Rub Hands Together and Wash Face
Wuji, Tàijí, Mabu, Rub hands over face, bottom to top, outside to inside
23. Head Tapping and Shoulder Rub
Wuji, Tàijí, Mabu, Place one hand on the forehead, tap all overhead with other hand in the hook position (wrist bent, all fingers and thumbs together in a point). Put fingers on one side of back of neck and thumb on the other, massage up and down the sides and back of the neck. Massage trapezius (shoulder), squeeze, rub, and tap on shoulder. Repeat the entire sequence on the other side.
24. Ear and Lobe Rub
Wuji, Tàijí, Mabu, Pull ears in all directions parallel to ear, pull on ear lobe, rub hands on backs of ears (between ear and head), gently flick the ear
25. Circles to Rub the Stomach
Women: right hand on stomach and left on top
Men: left hand on stomach and right on top
Wuji, Tàijí, Mabu, Rub hands over stomach (1) spiral out thirty –six times (2) then spiral in thirty-six times.
26. Pat, Slap, or Wipe
Wuji, Tàijí, Mabu, With arm extending in front palm down, Pat outside (top) of arm going out, flip palm over, and pat inside of arm (top) coming back, continue patting across chest so arms are crossed on the chest, repeat on other arm.
With legs in mabu, pat down the outside of the legs, and up the inside of the legs, progressing also to cover the sides and front of the stomach
OR
Patting: Down the outside and Up the inside.
27. Rub Kidneys
Mabu, Rub mid to lower back with fists or hands
28. Buckets of Water
Wuji, Tàijí, Mabu, Pinkies out going down, thumbs out going up
29. Shake Off Excess Water
Mabu, Shake arms and hands at sides
30. Hold
Please don't move, just smile
31. Opposite Arm to Leg
32. Wrist and Ankle Disco
Make wrists buttery loose and shake them until the whole of the arms and upper body feel loose.
Make ankle buttery loose and shake it until the whole leg and lower body feel loose. Repeat on other side.
33. Shake, Slap, and Give Yourself a Hug
Hug self, using one hand to massage the shoulder with a squeeze, rub, and tap. Repeat on the other side.
Definitions
Camera = hands facing one another obliquely, forefinger and thumb in an arc "C" formation, as if holding a camera
Chicken Wing = forefinger and middle finger extended together, thumb tip touching the base of these two fingers, other fingers curled into the palm;
Northern Chicken = Toe Tap One Foot in Front of other 45 degrees flat foot;
Chinese Boxer = From Northern Chicken, Step Forward with Heel and Straight Leg, then flatten forward foot;
Wuji = feet together
Tàijí = ankles together, toes apart; like the letter "V"
Mabu = feet parallel and forward, one shoe- length apart also know as shoulder width or hip width apart.
Lotus palm position (palms open in a "Y," palm sides of wrists together, elbows together),
Thank you to L. B. Fischel.