Qigong for a high-energy day.
- Open, nurture qi, park thoughts and emotions for an hour, resolve to focus on breath and movement.
- Standard warm-ups.
Gather and tone
- Pull Qi Down (Pull Down the Heavens)
- Lift Qi Up (Gather Up the Waters)
- Massage Triple Burner (Lift Wings Like a Bird)
Centering, settling, rooting
- Ring the temple bell. Concepts: taiji pole, body axis.
- Standing horse stance. Concepts: same, plus firm rooting; yin below, yang above.
- Two-step, flat-foot new qigong therapy (stationary taiji walking). Taiji balancing.
Full set of taiji jiangan (health wand exercises)
- Use images of earth, metal, water, wood, sky/fire.
- Relax into the stretches. Pause to fully relax shoulders.
- Breathe qi into sore, blocked, stiff, scarred or inflamed areas. Breathe out toxins, excess qi.
Taiji qigong
- Seven Stars Standing Post (the acupressure points are listed below).
Time permitting, additional taiji qigong:
- Taiji Push
- Single Whip
- White Crane Spreads Its Wings
Close: nurture qi, bring tranquility, health and relaxation into the rest of the day.
Basic yin-yang concepts for taiji movement
Yin: weighted, rooted, solid.
- In taiji movement generally: the planted foot, the hand pushing down, pulling in.
- In the regular qi meridians: inside of legs and arms, front of torso, flowing up.
- In the conception vessel: flowing down from between the eyes to the pericardium.
- In seven stars taiji: start with a focus on the arms to help settle the opposite leg.
Yang: empty, active, light.
- In taiji movement generally: the raised foot, the hand lifting up, pushing out.
- In the regular qi meridians: outside of legs and arms, back of torso, flowing down.
- In the governing vessel: flowing up from the pericardium, along the spine, over the head to between the eyes.
- In seven stars taiji: start with a focus on the legs to help raise, extend the opposite arm.
Seven Stars exercise
Basic concepts
- The right arm (shoulder, elbow, hand) is connected to the left leg (hip, knee, foot).
- The left arm (shoulder, elbow, hand) is connected to the right leg
(hip, knee, foot).
- Shoulder is connected to opposite hip.
- Elbow is connected to opposite knee.
- Hand is connected to opposite foot.
- Everything hangs down from the top of the head and revolves around the "taiji pole" connecting the top of the head to the pericardium, in between the conception vessel and the governing vessel.
- "Seven stars" refers to 7 acupressure points. It also means "plough" in Mandarin, which may be a reference to what is called "the Big Dipper" constellation in the US and Canada, "the Northern Dipper" in Chinese, and "the Plough" in the UK and Ireland. It has 7 stars and it points to the northern pole star. In Vedic as well as ancient European, Siberian and North American traditions, it is called "the Bear", which is the first and fundamental of our "Five Frolic" animals. All of which is to say, Seven Stars is a profound qigong exercise. It connects 7 major energy points in our bodies, while referencing the rotation of the earth, using a metaphor that has been shared by much of humanity for thousands of years.
Acupressure points
Yin
- Shoulder star: jianjing, "Shoulder Well". Where neck and shoulder meet. GB-21.
- Elbow star: quchi or quze, "Marsh Creek". Just above the inside of the elbow. P-3.
- Hand star: laogong, "Palace of Toil" or "Old Worker". Center of palm. P-8.
Yang
- Hip star: huantiao, "Jumping Circle". At the joint of hip and femur. GB-30.
- Knee star: yanglingquan, "Sunny Side of the Mountain". Below the knee, to the outside. GB-34.
- Foot star: yongquan, "Bubbling Spring". Depression in the ball of the foot (sole). K-1.
- Head star: baihui, "100 Connections". Top of the head. GV-20 (DU-20).