Flex and Stretch

Quick joint warm-up

• Ankle circles
• Knee circles
• Hip circles
• Shoulder circles
• Neck circles

Dancer's warm-up stretches

• Shoulder flex, "patty-cake"
• Shoulder girdle, cross arms in front
• Spinal twist
• Trunk flex, bend side to side, arms at side to side
• Trunk rotate, palms together, twist side to side
• Hip flex, lifting out
• Hip flex, lifting in
• Hip flex, stepping back
• Hip flex, three-point stepping
• Knee, hamstring stretch, one foot slightly forward, toe touch
• Plantar flex, on toes, toes down, sides of feet

Taiji warm-up

• Reach for the heavens… and turn… and tilt to side… and reach forward to toes
• …and squat, and rock
• Horse stance with slight pigeon toe (wing chun stance):
  • Right hand on abdomen, left hand behind, rotate at abdomen.
  • Right hand on abdomen, left hand above, thumb at solar plexus, flow up and down to heart.
  • …same, but with one foot forward.
  • Right hand on abdomen, left hand above, at chest, flow up and down to shoulders.
  • Flow up and down to shoulders, into both arms reaching forward, palms down.
  • …same, into one arm, with the other arm behind the back.
  • Both arms forward, rotate at wrists down, up, around, using full flow.
  • One arm forward, one behind back, palm facing in, rotate "break a grip" using full flow.
  • Coil both arms forward and back, starting with hands in front of chest, full flow.
  • One hand on abdomen, same foot slightly forward, coil other hand forward and back.
  • Settling, pushing the wrists; first both hands, then one hand.
  • Rotate the ball, held close to abdomen but with full rotation.
  • Push qi to the sides, draw back in.