1) Stand relaxed and upright with your feet fairly close together. Your hands should be at your sides.
2) Take a breath and bend your body forward (exhaling) so that your arms drop effortlessly in front of you and your fingers are slightly below knee level.
3) Keep both arms and legs straight. Tuck your head in so that your back forms a continuous, natural curve. Take another breath filling the abdomen.
4) Gently hold your breath. Gently guide the energy up your spine to the crown of the head. Gently exhale.
5) Straighten your body slowly, lifting your arms with your elbows straight, in a continuous arc (to the front and then above your head). As you begin to straighten, slowly and gently breathe in through your nose filling the Lower Dan Tien. Allow your eyes to follow your hands as they move upwards.
6) When the arms are straight out in front of you, face the palms outwards allowing the two palms to form a circle with the index fingers and thumbs almost touching. Focus on the circle (looking through it as if you are looking at the moon). Continue to slowly raise the palms above the head following the hands with the eyes.
7) When the hands are above the head, continue the body movement backwards so that your back bends in an arch with your hands forming the round shape of the moon above and slightly behind your head. Continue to look through the hands to the moon. Gently hold this pose and your breath for two to three seconds.
8) Straighten your body and push up with your arms (stretch).
9) Slowly lower your arms down to your sides as you gently breath out through your mouth.
10) When your hands reach your sides, remain motionless for two to three seconds to enjoy the pleasant sensation of the energy flow
11) After completing the 10-20 reps, remain still for 30 seconds to one minute and just allow the energy to flow.
Intent: Open up the entire spine, neck and central nervous system, as well as the Lung and Heart Meridians.
Helpful hint: This should not be considered an exercise. Use the energy (Qi) to help raise and lower your arms.
Rule of thumb: However long it takes you to raise your arms above your head, it should take twice as long to lower the arms
1) Stand up straight with your hands at your sides with your feet shoulder width apart.
2) Lift palms up in front of you in an arc until they reach above your head (the eyes should follow the palms).
3) Stretch upward towards the sky.
4) Slowly begin to bend forward beginning at the neck, then the upper back, then the hips (rolling the back slowly downward) allowing the arms to follow the bend of the back without bending your knees.
5) Touch the floor in front of you with the fingers (or palms).
6) Raise your heels into the air slightly twice.
7) Remaining bent over, rotate the arms with the hips to the left side touching the floor with the hands. Raise your heels twice.
8) Rotate the arms with the hips all the way around to the right side touching the floor with the hands. Raise your heels twice.
9) Rotate the hips and hands around to the front and touch the floor again. Remaining bent over, circle the hands around to the heels and touch the back of the legs. Raise your heels twice.
10) Bring the hands around to the front again and begin to straighten the back while slowly raising the arms naturally out in front of you with the straightening of the back until your back is straight and arms overhead.
11) Allow the hands to fall slowly to your sides.
12) Perform 2 rotations.
Intent: Open up the entire spine and central nervous system, as well as the Kidneys, Gall Bladder and Liver Meridians.
Helpful Hint: If you cannot raise your heels, use your toes to grip the earth (or floor).
1) Stand up straight with your hands at your sides with your feet shoulder width apart.
2) Lift up the right leg until the thigh is parallel with the floor.
3) Point the toe down and begin to slowly rotate the lower leg in a circle (like you were stirring the bath water). Keep you toe pointed downwards throughout the circle.
4) After ten complete circles, point the toe up and rotate the leg in the other direction ten times.
5) Lower the right leg to the floor.
6) Perform the same movement with the left leg.
Intent: Improve your balance and leg strength, as well as stretch the ankle, foot and toes.
Helpful Hints: If you cannot keep your balance, place your hand on a wall or table. If ten circles are too many initially, reduce the number of circles to a comfortable amount.
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