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Taiji Qigong
Taught
by: Joe Hing Kwok Chu
Recorded
by Peter Croke
Edited by
Vera Eby
Each exercise is done 16 times.
1. The shadow of the sword and the shooting star
Legs are in horse stance: The legs are one
leg's length apart.
(The leg is measured from the inseam to the foot.) The knees
are bent but not less than 90 degrees. When you bend down,
the knees move in slightly.
The torso is slightly forward so the coccyx is sticking slightly out.
Keep the elbows and arms close to the body. The
hands are brought back to the sides of the body as far as possible.
The elbows move back. Palms face up. Push the arms,
keeping them
perpendicular to the floor and mid torso (elbows are at 90 degrees).
Push the
hand and arms forward while rotating the palms, so that when the arms
are fully extended out in front of you, the palms are facing forward.
Palms should be rotated so they are facing up when pulled back and
face outward when reaching away from the body. Breathe inward
when
the arms are pulled to the body and out when the arms are stretched away
from the body.
Click here to see video
2.
The universe and heaven
and earth
Legs should be shoulder width apart.
Allow the knees to relax.
Interlace the fingers of both hands with the palms facing downward.
The
arms are in front of the body and pushed toward the ground as far as
they can go without bending the torso (elbows straight). Rotate the
arms and hands in a circular motion, keeping the fingers interlaced,
first
counterclockwise and then clockwise. Make a circle as big as you are
able to stretch the back. Imagine a big clock right in front of the
body (facing you). The first rotation is from 6 to 9. Breathe
in. When
circling upward, palms will also face upward. Next, cut
across the
diameter of the circle to the opposite side (3).
Breathe out. Then rotate the hands and arms up and around back to 9
again. Then reverse this exercise. The breathing is switched as the
exercise is reversed. Only the first rotation is at 6. The remaining
rotations are a half circle between 9 and 3.
Click here to see
video
3.
The colorful cloud at
the edge of the sky
Legs are shoulder length apart. Put one
leg behind the body and
one leg in front of the body. Legs are at an angle.
Arms and hands
are at the sides. Relax the arms and hands so they are just dangling.
Raise one arm over the head (in an arc motion). Raise the arm of the
leg
that is forward. Keep the elbow straight. Lean forward
on the front
leg as you raise the arm. (When raising the arm the heel of the leg
in
back will come off the floor.) Lower the arm; switch the legs,
and
repeat with the other arm. Breathe in as the arm moves up, and
breathe out
as the arm moves down.
Click here to see video.
4. Spreading the clouds and paying respect to the sun
Feet are placed shoulder width apart. Place the hands in
front of
the body. The palms are facing toward the body. The hands
are side by
side. The fingers are pointed downward, they are placed in front
of the
bellybutton area and about 2 inches from the body. Raise the hands
up
toward the throat while keeping them about 2 inches from the body. When
you get to the throat area, spread the hands out. Move the
hands in
opposite directions of each other. Keep the palms facing inward.
The
hands are now to the side of the body but still 2 inches from the body.
They are at forehead or above level. Rotate the hand so the fingers
are pointing up as you spread them at the forehead or above area.
Bring the hands straight down and then back to the bellybutton area.
Repeat. Breathe in as you go up and out as you come down.
Click here to see
video.
5. The moon sinking into the Yangtze river
Legs are shoulder length apart. Put one leg
behind the body and one leg in front of the body. Keep toes facing forward.
Legs are at an angle. Arms and hands are at the sides. Relax the
arms and hands so they are just dangling. Raise the arm of the
back
leg over the head (in an arc motion). Keep the elbow straight.
Breathe in as the arm moves up and breathe out as the arm moves down.
When the arm is coming down the same leg comes forward. When the
leg
comes forward, the leg is then lifted off the ground in front of the
body. Hold the leg in this spot for several seconds and then lower
to
the ground, switching the legs and repeat with the other arm.
Click here to see
video.
6. Ten piles in the sky
Legs should be shoulder width apart. Arm and hands should
dangle at the sides of the body. Raise the hands over the head
and reach to the sky. While reaching raise up on the toes and the
balls of the feet. Hold for a few seconds and then lower the feet,
the arms and hands. Return to the starting position. Breathe
in as you
go up and out as you come down. Repeat.
Click here to see
video.
1. MALE EAGLE
SPREADING HIS WINGS
Legs apart in
riding horse stance. Arms are at sides
outstretched but loose, almost at shoulder height. Right arm arcs
upwards, above the head, in a semi-circle; left arm arcs down, with palm
up,
also in a semi-circle, in front of the abdomen, as body tilts to right.
Reverse, with left arm up and right arm down.
Click here to see
2. FIERCE TIGER STRETCHING HIS TENDONS
Hands are at chest with palms facing chest, then moving
away from body, down at sides with hands open, and outstretched, as in
supplication.
Click here to see
video
3. GREEN DRAGON TURNING HIS HEAD
Hands are at
sides, about six inches from each side.
Twist to the right with the head turning to look down. The left heel
will lift
up. Then reverse and twist to the left.
Click here to see
video
4. MUD SWALLOW TOUCHING THE WATER
Hands are outstretched
on each side. Move the hands
forward to form semi-circles; the hands move up, forward, and down with
each move.
Click here to see
video
5. JADE LADY PRESENTING TREASURES
With the hands
outstretched, elbows down and hands at chin
level, move the left foot forward. Then raise the hands in front of
the face at forehead level, turning the palms toward the face and sweeping
the hands down, as if to "wash" the face. Switch feet and repeat the
hand
action.
Click here to see
video
6. EFFICACIOUS CAT CATCHING THE MICE
Legs are apart
in the rider's stance. Begin with hands in
front of lower abdomen, one crossed over the other. Then, bring
an arm up
and forward to the front as in the crawl stroke, but stopping each stroke
in front of the body rather than carrying through. Continue
with the
other arm as if doing the crawl stroke. In the meantime,
follow the
movement of each hand with the eyes.
Click here to see
video
Willow in the spring breeze
video
Duck weed in clear water
video
The good man of the great earth
video
Ten
thousand miles of ice video
The tall
mountain lowering its head video
Last
update: Dec 5, 2009; 4:18
p m. LAH
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