The Plow
1) While lying on the floor raise the legs straight above the body.
2) Place your hands on your hips to hold the body upright.
3) Point the toes towards the sky. Breathe easily for about a minute.
4) Continuing from the previous posture bring the feet over the top of the head keeping them straight with the toes pointed down.
5) Allow the toes to touch the floor in front of your head (again keeping the legs straight).
6) Lower your hands to the floor along both of your sides with your with palms facing down (this helps maintain balance and gets the most out of the stretch).
7) Hold the position for two minutes as you breathe easily.
8) Continuing from the previous position, raise the legs straight above the body and place the hands on the hips again to hold the body upright.
9) Point the toes towards the sky. Breathe easily for about a minute.
10) Lower the legs slowly to the floor.
Intent: Open up the entire spine and neck, as well as the Kidney and Gall Bladder Meridians.
The Floor Stretch
1) Sit on the floor with the legs straight out at a 90-degree angle to each other.
2) While exhaling, gently bend the waist downward over the left leg while reaching for your toes.
3) Place your nose on or below the left knee. Breathe easily for a minute.
4) While inhaling, raise yourself back up to the sitting position.
5) Repeat the same posture, but this time over the right leg.
6) Then, in the same position, exhale as you bend forward as far as you comfortably can straight out in front of you.
7) With both hands reach out and grab the bottoms of your feet.
8) Breathe easily for one minute.
9) Inhale as you raise yourself up easily to the sitting position.
10) Perform three full repetitions.
Intent: Open up the neck and spine, as well as the Kidney Meridians.
Look Backwards
1) In the same sitting position with your legs straight out in front of you, raise the right knee up to your chest.
2) With the left hand reach around the knee twisting towards the right.
3) Twist the torso and look as far backwards as you comfortably can while reaching with the right hand as far around the back of the body as possible. Use the right hand to balance you, if needed.
4) Hold the posture for a minute while breathing easily.
5) Straighten back out and repeat the posture this time to the left.
6) Perform two full repetitions.
Intent: Open up the neck, shoulders and spine, as well as the Liver Meridians.
Circle the Moon
1) Lying on the floor, place your hands along your sides.
2) Raise the legs about eighteen inches off of the floor.
3) While keeping the legs straight and using the toes as your guide, slowly draw a circle in one direction (building up to one minute to draw the entire circle).
4) Now slowly draw the same circle going in the other direction.
5) Gently lower the legs back to the floor.
Intent: Strengthen the Stomach, Thigh and Back.
The Serpent – Stretch the Spine
1) Lying on your stomach with your palms down (like you will be doing push-ups), use your arms to lift the body upwards.
2) Look upwards (the head facing towards the sky) while keeping your pelvic area on the floor.
3) Continue to easily stretch the neck upwards (as far back as you comfortably can) in an attempt to look straight upwards.
4) Open the mouth and stretch the tongue out.
5) Hold the posture for one minute. Breathe normally.
6) Lower yourself slowly to the floor.
7) Perform two full repetitions.
Intent: Open up the entire spine and neck, as well as the Kidney Meridians.
Back to Top Back to QG 101 Back to Qigong Practices Back to Introduction Home
