by Master Chia
WARM UP EXERCISES
These exercises are good to do upon rising in the morning, and before doing Iron Shirt and Tai Chi. They open the spine, joints, organs and meridians. One can do these exercises in the order that is most useful to each person. The sequence can be done starting from the head and moving to the feet or from the bottom up. Note: All the exercises are to be done sequentially with feet together, apart, feet turned inwards, and feet turned outwards. Sequence:
Exercise 1:
Opening the Door of Life
Part a: Stretch the arm out by twisting the lower, middle , upper body.
Part b: From the head, neck, spine and sacrum, with 24 breaths rolling the spine down, 24 breaths roll the spine up. Each breath should be inhaled from the nose and exhaled through the mouth. AT the end of the exhalation push the stomach back to the spine
Part c: Arch the spine backwards, push the shoulders down and pull the scapula towards the spine; extend the arms to both sides; the neck can be either pulled back with the eyes to the sky, or chin tucked into the neck..
Exercise 2:
Part of Body: Hip and Sacrum
Affected area: Sacrum, Hui Yin (perineum), Sexual Centers, Pelvis
Part a: Hip and Sacrum rotations. Rotate sacrum left right front and back
Part b: Repeat the same actions with the movement originating in the hips (large circles).
Exercise 3:
Part of Body: Legs
Affected area: Joints of Legs, Psoas, Balance
Exercises: Ankle knee, hip rotations and Joint opening, Stirring the Cauldron.
Exercise 4:
Part of Body: Groin and Abdomen
Affected area: Qua, leg tendon and psoas
Exercises:
Part a: separate sacrum and hip by pressing firm and twisting the leg (femur bone) to pull the hips apart.
Part b: Qua opening. Iron shirt stance, partner checking qua opening and knee bending. Squatting in five directions.
Part c: Tan Tien suspension practice, power press to the ground counteracting force of partner who is pulling you up.
Exercise 5:
Part of Body: Trunk of Body: Tongue
Affected area: Energy centers of the spine and internal organs Exhale, flatten down stomach, spit out tongue, hold breath and pull up sexual organs and anus. Feel the empty force. Repeat in five directions.
Exercise 6:
Exercises: Opening the three gates:, in three positions, and three different ways to hold the feet.(open close parallel).
Windmill in five directions
Exercise 7:
Part of Body: Arms, chest and shoulder blades
Affected area: T5 (opposite the heart) Shoulder Well, C7, T11. Exercises: Tendon Twisting. Five direction
Exercise 8:
Part of Body: Neck Affected area : Jade Pillow, C7
Exercises: Crane Neck, Turtle neck. Monkey head (leaning to the sides.) Front lock, back lock. Looking right and left (leading with the eyes,.). Head rotation and neck joint opening. Lizard Neck.
Exercise 9:
Part of Body: Shoulder and Chest
Affected area: C7. T2, and shoulder well
Exercises: Shoulder rotation and joint openings. (Up-down, forward-back and circle), small circle and big circle. In the curve try to find the straight. Feel the connection of the tendon from the fingers to the spine to the legs and toes. Emphasis on tendon wrapping around the bone, joint lock, and power stance
TAI CHI TRAINING: ISOLATION OF STANCES
Tan Tien Awareness, in all exercises
Exercise 1: Wu Chi Stance: Empty the mind down to the Tan Tien, Sink down to the Tan Tien
Exercise 2: Tai Chi Opening: Body, arms swinging like Iron Shirt 2. Tendon tension and release, connection of the points and wave movement from feet to spine and to arm. Emphasis of the yin within the Yang, and the Yang within the yin. (See opening in Tai Chi Booklet)
Holding the Chi Ball
Exercise 3: First Ward Off or Shifting Weight:
Exercise 4: Second Ward Off
Exercise 5: Sink Back
Exercise 6: Roll
Exercise 7: Press
Exercise 8: Push
Single Whip
Exercise 9: Triple Twist
Exercise 10: Single whip
Exercise 11: Protecting the chest or Grasp the sparrow tail.
Iron Shirt Sequence
Exercise 1: Horse stance
Exercise 2: Tan Tien Training and Breathing
Exercise 3: Pushing, Sacrum, T11, C7, Base of Skull
Exercise 4: Arm structure training.
Exercise 5: Posture Training (5 iron shirt postures)
Exercise 6: Partner Pushing training.
MEDITATION
Empty Mind:
Three fires
Wisdom Chi Kung:
Charge the brain from the Organs
Empty the mind down
To the Tan Tien
To the Kidney
To Bladder & sexual organs
To Liver
To Heart
To Spleen
To Lungs
Inner Smile:
Relax and let Go