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QiGong Exercise:
Gathering Earth & Sky
- Begin with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, hands relaxed at your sides. [BREATHING SLOWLY & NATURALLY] Release all the tensions in your body and empty your mind of thought.
- [INHALING] Bring your hands, palms upward in front of your tantien, fingertips almost but not touching, as if holding a large ball. Lift the ball to shoulder level (do not raise your shoulders, only your arms), imagining that the ball is the energy flowing into you through the soles of your feet and the top of your head.
- [EXHALING] Turn your palms outwards, away from your body, then press your palms straight out towards your sides as if you were pushing open a sliding door.
- Allow your hands to gently drop, palms downwards, towards your sides.
- Repeat steps 2 through 4 at least six times.
- With both hands relaxed at your sides, [INHALING] allow your arms to float upwards, out to your sides, palms down. Feel the energy of the earth pushing your hands upwards, flowing into your palms.
- When your hands reach shoulder height (don't' raise your shoulders, only your arms), turn your palms upwards. Feel the earthly chi you gathered in your palms now mixing with the heavenly chi.
- [EXHALING] Bend your elbows upwards and bring your arms together keeping your forearms parallel. Keep your palms cupped feeling the gathered chi compressing into a ball between your hands they come closer together at eye level. When the chi has been compressed into a ball about the size of a grapefruit, press it downwards towards your tantien and release the energy there. Allow your hands to continue down to your sides.
- Repeat steps 6 through 8 at least six times.
- On the sixth repetition, bring your palms together at your sternum and release the compressed chi to your heart. [BREATHING SLOWLY & NATURALLY] Allow the chi to settle quietly in your tantien.
Lotus Flower Blooms: A Healing Circle
When there are three or more persons gathered, the above rejuvenation exercise, Gathering Earth & Sky, can be performed with everyone standing in a circle. Performing this exercise in synchronization with others generates a lot of healing chi. If there are a great number of people, two circles can be formed, one inside the other, everyone facing inwards. The person or people most in need of healing energy should stand within the circle, or form the circle within the circle.
When performing this exercise with a group, watch the shadows you cast and you will quickly realize how it got its name.
Remember:
All QiGong exercises should be performed slowly, in rhythm with your own breathing, and you should remain as relaxed as possible throughout. Tension will block the flow of chi.
When breathing, inhale through the nose, and with the tip of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth, just behind the front teeth; and exhale through the mouth, allowing the tongue to drop naturally.
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