Knowledge

YiShenTong -- One Body Flowing

These 16 exercises begin with practice of settling and adjusting into the fundamental Central Posture. Then a series that incorporates stretching, breathing and balance. The final exercise comes full circle practicing deep breathing and the Central Posture to complete merging the body with Qi flowing around it.

General Notes for All 16 Exercises

BE SURE TO CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE UNDERTAKING THIS OR ANY EXERCISE.

Do each exercise only to an extent that is comfortable. Stop immediately if there is any pain or discomfort.

  • Qi -- The circulating vital force forming living entities.
  • Breathing -- "Belly breathing", the abdomen distends when inhaling, and draws in when exhaling. Usually inhaling is paired with extending and stretching, and exhaling with returning. Slow, deep and uniform breathing, with shorter inhales and longer exhales is usually preferred
  • Stance -- Feet should be shoulder width apart unless indicated otherwise, toes pointing straight ahead or slightly inward, and knees slightly and comfortably bent
  • Left Start -- Usually each exercise begins with moving the left first, and repeats with the right
  • DanTien -- An important region centered three fingers-width below the navel. It is a good place to collect Qi
  • Speed -- Slowly, slowly, slowly. The mind's antidote to the hectic pace of today's world. Builds the body's strength, control and balance
  • Compact Version -- Practice as below with eight times instead of ten, or do only numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7
  • Don't worry too much about left vs. right, the exact number of repetitions, or breathing.

#1 Self Preparation and Central Posture

Arrange Body and Mind

Stand comfortably erect using the stance and breathing just mentioned.

  • The body center forms a vertical axis about which movements will rotate
  • The back of the head is held high
  • The chin and shoulders are tucked back, buttocks tucked in, small of the back straight, not arched forward
  • Imagine being suspended by a string from the top of the head
  • Extraneous thinking is abandoned and concentration focuses on posture, breathing and Qi
  • When exhaling lightly, feel Qi gathering in the DanTien.

We return again and again to this Central Posture of body and mind.

#2 Neck Loosening

Relax the Neck, Clear Distracting Thoughts, Erase Eye and Head Fatigue

In the Central Posture with hands on hips, returning to Central Posture again and again

  1. Drop the chin to the chest, twice
  2. Look up to the sky, twice
  3. Tilt the neck and head to the left stretching the neck right side, twice
  4. Same to the right, twice
  5. Rotate the neck circling the head to the left (CCW), twice
  6. Same to the right, twice.

Do not force. Feel the weight of the head; feel gravity.

#3 Neck and Waist Rotation

Prepare the Spine, Relax the Back

Continuing in the Central Posture with hands on hips

  1. Turn the gaze to the left and following with the head, look down to the shoulder, lift the gaze and return to center, and repeat turning to the right. Two sets
  2. Turn the head as far as comfortable to left, gazing behind, and return to center, and repeat turning to the right. Two sets
  3. Twist the waist to the left, rotating shoulders as far as comfortable and gazing behind and return to center, and repeat turning to the right. Two sets.

Feet and knees remain stationary with toes gripping the Earth, making a rock-solid foundation for movement.

#4 Face Massage and Waist Rotation

Prevent Colds, Strengthen Bronchial System

In the Central Posture use the thumb knuckles to massage facial pressure points

  1. Glide along both sides of the nose, from nostrils up into the corner of the eye socket below the brow and then back down, six times
  2. Press the left nostril closed while twisting the waist to the left and raising the left elbow to the sky, repeat to the right. Two sets.

#5 Shoulder Rotations

Relax the Shoulders, Free Body Tension Instantly

In the Central Posture with arms hanging relaxed to sides

  1. Circle the shoulders up and forward, three times
  2. Circle the shoulders up and back, three times
  3. Raise the shoulders as high as possible and drop suddenly, three times.

#6 Spine Extension

Vitalize Internal Organs, Relieve Stress

In the Central Posture with fingers interlaced palms up in front of the DanTien

  1. Lift the hands remaining interlaced firmly to the sky, rotating the wrists as they pass the face, and extending the spine and abdomen; slowly exhale while spreading the hands in a wide arc returning to interlaced in front, three times
  2. Gently lift the hands to the sky as before and inhale, while exhaling bend to the left with hands together arcing toward the Earth, returning slowly toward the sky along the same path, and repeat, bending to the right. Three sets
  3. Now interlacing hands palms up behind the back, lift them as high as possible with arms straight while rotating the wrists to turn the thumbs down and back, consciously extending the jaw from the chest, exhaling and relaxing, three times
  4. With fingers interlaced as for (1) but wider stance and knees bent as needed to prevent back strain, bend forward as the waist pushes hands down to the Earth, three times.

Feel Qi flow more freely throughout the internal organs.

#7 Giant Waist Rotation

Relax the Waist, Train Soles of the Feet as a Foundation for Movement Stability

Remaining in the stance just finished but with hands gently squeezing a visualized beach ball at ankle level

  1. Rotate the hips and entire body moving the ball through a giant circle to the left (CCW) up and behind the shoulders and returning to its starting position, twice
  2. Same rotating to the right, twice.

#8 Inner Leg Stretch

Foster a Positive Mind and Motivation

With a wider stance than just finished and each hand grasping the front of each leg just above the knee, elbows out, fingers to the inside and thumbs outside each leg

  1. Put weight on the right leg bending the knee while the left leg extends straight and the hands push the leg backward gently, ten times (stretch further with a long exhale the last time)
  2. Same with right leg extended and stretched.

#9 Lunge Calf Stretch

Stabilize Mind and Body, Strengthen Legs

Feet remaining in the position just completed and weight transferring to the balls of both feet

  1. Turn the body 90 degrees to the right, the right knee is bent and lower right leg perpendicular to the ground, the left leg is straight with heel stuck firmly to the floor stretching the calf and back of the knee, upper body is straight vertical and both hands rest lightly on the right thigh, pushing and stretching lightly ten times, and stretch further with a long exhale the last time
  2. Turn 180 degrees left to point the opposite way, and do the same with left / right swapped.

#10 Knee and Hip Rotation

Enhance Joint Flexibility

With heels together, pushing with cupped hands over knees

  1. Squat comfortably and rise to standing, twice
  2. Same with both knees together circling to left (CCW), twice
  3. Same circling the knees to the right, twice
  4. Same circling the knees apart outward (meaning the knees initially go forward, then apart, back, and together), twice
  5. Same circling the knees apart inward, twice.

In Central Posture with hands on hips

  1. Weight the right foot 95% and place only the tip of the left foot to the Earth, circle the left knee and ankle outward (same meaning as just described), ten times
  2. Same with left / right swapped, ten times
  3. Weight on right like (1) but circling inward, ten times
  4. Weight on left like (2) but circling inward, ten times.

#11 Wrist and Ankle Rotation

Stimulate Blood Flow to the Extremities, Train Mind and Body Flexibility

Repeat the last four movements, but with the hands in front of the chest, fingers interlocked, and rotating the wrists simultaneously with the ankles.

#12 Fingertip and Wrist Activation

Increase Whole body Qi Flow, Activate Internal Organs

In Central Posture, wriggling the fingers continuously

  1. Slowly raise the arms away from the sides of the body, sweeping the hands upward in a large arc to point to the sky with palms facing each other, then lower them together in front while palms continue facing each other, to shoulder height
  2. Slowly rotate the waist until the navel is pointing 90 degrees to the left of center and arms are outstretched to each side, then same as (1) lift the arms and lower them together in front (the direction the navel is pointing)
  3. Slowly rotate the waist until the navel points 90 degrees to right of center and repeat (2)
  4. Return to center with arms outstretched, and slowly lower them to the sides.

Repeat these steps while shaking the wrists vigorously.

#13 Whole Body Extension

Release Emotional Tension, Cleanse the Spirit

In Central Posture with feet together, arms in front of the chest and hands relaxed,

  1. Push elbows back opening the chest, and then extend arms stretching fully to the front
  2. Sweep arms backward in a giant horizontal arc to behind, then arcing down and forward, then while stepping forward with the left foot only, strongly stretch the finger tips to the sky
  3. While stepping the left foot back to the original stance and Home Posture, relax the lower back, middle back and shoulders, and bring the arms down
  4. Repeat steps (1)-(3) but stepping forward with the right foot.

Perform this set twice.

#14 Twisting Shoulder Striking

Soften Mind and Body

In Central Posture with hips dropped and knees bent, the feet and knees remaining stationary with toes gripping the Earth making a rock-solid foundation for movement, waist and upper body relaxed

  1. Twist to the left, causing the right arm to swing in front and the palm to strike the front of the left shoulder while the left arm swings behind and the back of the hand strikes the right hip (kidney region)
  2. Without pausing, repeat going the other way
  3. Perform twenty strikes total.

#15 Balanced Figure Eight Arm Swings

Strengthen Arm and Open Shoulder, Build Leg Stability and Balance

In Central Posture with feet together

  1. Weight the left foot 95% and lightly touch the Earth with the right big toe one-half step forward, while raising both hands to head height on the left side
  2. Swing the arms together, moving the hands in a "figure eight" down across the front and up to the right side, then back across and up to the left, then back to the starting position, ten swings without pausing
  3. Swap left /right and repeat the set with 95% weight on the right foot.

#16 Deep Breathing

Gather Together Mind, Body and Heart, Enter Deep Rest

Recalling the first Central Posture exercise, arrange the body axis, exhale and relax the shoulders and the whole body takes the shape of a long and narrow egg

  1. With arms comfortably at the side, breathe deeply and slowly three times
    • While inhaling, visualize bringing Qi up through the sole of the foot, knee, leg, connecting in the DanTien, and up to the top of the head
    • While exhaling, visualize warm oil flowing from the top of the head, over both ears, neck, shoulder, outside of the arm, fingertips, down to the feet
  2. After three times, gently place the hands one on top of the other over the DanTien and repeat the above with three more breaths.

Feel one with yourself and the Qi flowing around and through your body.

---by Teacher Lin Yang with G E George PhD

QiGong YiShuikong

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