Part 5: Improving Circulation Movement (detailed description)

Part 5: Improving Circulation Movement

Function: Supporting digestion

Start:

Do the preparation breathing.

Place the feet together, heels touching and toes outward 45 degrees like a V stand.

The palms turn to loose fists facing upward beside the waist area, ready to collect energy.

Breathe in, the abdomen (tummy) tucks in gradually and gently and the chest expands.

Breathe out the chest relaxes, the abdomen (tummy) expands outward gradually and gently.

Repeat all movement minimum 3 times, preferable 6 or 9 times.

1. Breathe in, and with just one intake breath, complete the following:

2. Stretch the left arm across the chest (at 45 degrees) towards the right side with the palm up. Then curl the fingers to form a loose fist while withdrawing the arm until the fist is next to the left hip/waist, the elbow pointing backward. (focus on the turn of the waist/hip, the palms follow).

3. Repeat the same moves for the right hand.

4. Still holding the breath from the last move, while crouching down by bending the knees and keeping the back straight, rotate your wrist while forming tiger claws with your fingers, palms facing forward, the elbows drop, breath out while straightening your arms horizontally. You can exert some strength in your fingers and arms while imagining the strength and power of two dragons coming out of the sea.

5. Breathe in, while retuning to the standing position drop both palms downwards at the wrists to form pointed claws with fingers.

6. Breathe out, changing the claws into open palms, then swing both arms downwards and outwards.

7. Breathe in, bring the palms, arms outward and upwards covering the head. When the arms are up, the palms should be facing the sky, fingertips to fingertips, the elbows slightly bend.

8. Raise the heels an inch or so while breathing out fully.

9. With a deep and slightly faster in breath, raise your heels up all the way while straightening out both elbows, pushing the palms further up covering your head (Bai Hui) , the palms holding up the sky.

10. Breathe out lower your heels while bending your back forward and sliding the arms down, maintaining the palms at 90 degrees from the arms. In the bent position, your arms should be hanging straight down, with the palms downward and at the end, turn the palms upward with the fingers pointing towards each other.

11. Breathe in open the palms, then turn the palms and fingers outward from the side and bring the whole body from bending downward position to the standing position.

12. Continue to breathe in, rotate the palms inwards until the palm side is facing forward and the fingers are pointing to one another to form a circle with your thumbs and third fingers in front of and near the forehead, eyes looking at the “sun” or “moon” depending if it is morning or evening. Then breathe out gently dropping both hands and swing backwards. Breathe in to bring the arms upwards and forward until arms are at 45 degrees. At this position, breathe out with the palms facing downwards and inwards at about 45 degrees, the fingers and thumbs slightly spread and relaxed.

13. Breathe out while slowly lowering both arms and bringing both palms closer to the sides of the rib cage. When the palms are at waist level, pause momentarily before lowering down all the way.

(Repeat the above sequence and then repeat both cycles 3/6/9 times.)

Variation: with one quick out breath at the end

Breathe in, rotate the palms upward with middle fingers touching, return the body to vertical position while rotating the arms outward to the sides and bringing the hands together by forming a circle with the forefingers and thumbs slightly above eye level.

Breathe out, rotate the arms outward to the sides and continue to rotate them to the front of the torso, bring the hands together so that the palms end up in an offering position with the hands cupped and open to the sky at head height, rotate the arms downward and then outward to the side, raise and bend the elbows outward with the thumbs and forefingers straddling the side of the chest, and then lower the arms so that the hands rest on the side of the legs. All of the above is to be performed in one smooth sweeping motion (repeat all of the above 6 times)