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« The Three Principles of Qigong/Taiji
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Five Animal First Set

January 15, 2020 by cotterkelsey

Tiger Deer Bear Monkey Bird Qigong Set 01

 

Mountain Pose

  • Feet within shoulder width, outsides of feet parallel (big toes might feel slightly pigeon-toed).
  • Aim tailbone between heels and elongated lumbar vertebrae downwards.
  • Sternum points straight ahead, don’t arch your back up or puff your chest up. Cervical vertebrae extend upwards, they don’t lean backwards or forwards.
  • Qigong breathing (inhale: belly in; exhale: belly out) for 10 breaths. Elongate the spine.

 

Tiger Stretching

  • Inhale, belly in, tailbone back, hinging at the hips.
    • Feel the adductors activate.
  • Legs are straight, lumbar is straight, hands in tiger claw.
  • Exhale, belly expands, curve tailbone to point between your heels.
    • Do not bend your knees.
    • As belly expands, the hips move forward.
  • Spine extends up in a wave motion, initiated by the curve of the lumbar at the onset of the exhale.
  • Pelvis moves forward, back is long, arching backwards. 
    • Head back slightly, following the wave.
    • Feel the activated adductors.
  • Inhale, aim tailbone back, belly in.
    • Adductors.
  • Pelvis moves back, through Mountain Pose, to hinge the hips again with a straight lumbar and back. This is a wave motion.
  • Repeat for 5 breaths total. Wave the spine.

 

Tiger Searching

  • Feet in a forward stance/forward lunge. Hands in tiger claw.
    • Back foot at 45°, heels in line. Back leg is straight, pressing into the heel and outer edge of the foot (little toe side).
    • Front foot forward, front shin must be 90° to the floor, perpendicular. 
      • Front knee directly above front heel, not in front of it, not behind it. 
      • Make sure the knee is rotated slightly out, do not let it come to the inside of your ankle.
  • Inhale, belly in, hands come to the front of the belly, palms facing each other.
  • Exhale, belly out.
    • Hinge waist so lumbar is straight and torso is in line with the rear leg.
      • Think of a “pole” extending from your vertex to your back heel.
    • Rotate the body to the back-foot side with the “pole” in the center of the rotation.
      • Front-foot-side hand moves forwards, palm down, level with shoulder.
      • Back-foot-side hand moves to your ribs, palm up, gently brushing the 8th/9th rib.
    • Look towards your back shoulder.
  • Inhale, belly in, hands come to the front of the belly, palms facing each other.
    • Maintain hinge of waist so lumbar is straight and torso is in line with rear leg
  • Exhale, belly out.
    • Rotate the body to the front-foot side, around the “pole”.
      • Front-foot-side hand moves to your ribs, palm up, gently brushing the 8th/9th rib.
      • Back-foot-side hand moves forwards, palm down, level with shoulder.
    • Look towards your forward shoulder.
  • Inhale, belly in, hands come to the front of the belly, palms facing each other.
  • Exhale, belly out.
    • Hinge waist up so lumbar is straight and torso is in line with rear leg
    • Rotate around the pole.
      • Front-foot-side hand moves forwards, palm down, level with shoulder.
      • Back-foot-side hand moves to your ribs, palm up, gently brushing the 8th/9th rib.
    • Look towards your back shoulder.
  • Inhale, belly in, hands come to the front of the belly, palms facing each other.
  • Exhale, torso straightens up, palms down (still in tiger claw), gaze stays straight forwards between the hands.
    • Rotate torso & hands to the back-foot-side.
  • Inhale, hands rotate into a hook, (like a “J” on the right side, a reversed “J” on the left).
  • Exhale, hands rotate back down the “J”, torso & hands rotate towards the center.
  • Inhale, hands come around like an ellipse.
  • Exhale, hands & torso rotate to the front-foot-side.
  • Inhale, hands rotate into a hook, (like a “J” on the right side, a reversed “J” on the left).
  • Exhale, hands rotate back down the “J”, torso & hands rotate towards the center.
  • Inhale, hands come around like an ellipse.
  • Exhale, rotate torso & hands to the back-foot-side.
  • Inhale, hands rotate into a hook, (like a “J” on the right side, a reversed “J” on the left).
  • Exhale, hands rotate back down the “J”, torso & hands rotate towards the center.
  • Repeat with the opposite foot forward. Rotate the spine.

 

Deer Scanning

  • Stand in Mountain Pose
  • Hands form deer antlers (thumb, index, and pinkie extended; middle and ring fingers contracted).
  • Inhale, bring hands up to throat/nose area, palms facing inwards.
  • Exhale, extend hands over your head, arms straight, palms facing outwards.
    • Extend upper back up and slightly forward.
      • Sternum faces straight ahead, not angled up nor sunken down.
    • Extend tailbone/sacrum/lumbar downwards with a very slight forward bend.
      • The spine should be a very shallow crescent, a slight “C”.
  • Inhale. 
    • Hands come down to the sides of the head.
    • Elbows extended outwards 90° from torso.
      • Pull your shoulder blades together with the rhomboids to open your arms up.
    • Aim tailbone to an ankle, activate adductors so weight transfers to that ankle’s leg & foot.
    • Step/slide unweighted foot forwards.
  • Exhale. 
    • Slightly elevate your front hip.
    • Use the forward-foot hamstrings and both legs’ adductors to pull your pelvis so your body weight is on your front foot (mud-walking).
  • Inhale. Rotate your torso to the front-foot side.
    • Extend your back into an arch.
  • Exhale. Wave the spine so that your chest comes forward.
    • Tailbone moves forward. The spine is back in the slight “C”, but with a twist.
  • Wave the spine four more times.
  • Return torso to neutral, aim tailbone to forward-foot heel, and mud-walk the back into Mountain Pose.
  • Repeat on the other side. Wave the spine within its rotation.

 

Bear Pushing

  • Feet in a forward stance/forward lunge. Hands in extended claws.
    • Back foot at 45°, heels in line. Back leg is straight, pressing into the heel and outer edge of the foot (little toe side).
    • Front foot forward, front shin must be 90° to the floor, perpendicular. Front knee directly above front heel, not in front of it, not behind it. 
      • Make sure the knee is rotated slightly out, do not let it come to the inside of your ankle.
    • Hands in front of belly, fingers pointing up.
  • Exhale, “bear pushing the sapling,” hands come forward to full arms’ length.
  • Inhale, rotate back knee externally so that the back leg bends. “Sapling pushing the bear.”
    • Front leg stays straight, lean back and keep neck in line with the rest of the back, so that you’re looking slightly up.
      • Torso in line with front leg.
    • Hips & shoulders facing forwards.
    • Hands come back to belly, fingers still pointing up.
  • Exhale, continue back knee’s external rotation so that the leg straightens, pull with forward leg’s hamstrings. 
    • Don’t allow forward knee to pass over forward ankle, keep forward lower leg 90° to the floor/ground.
    • Arms extend, “bear pushing the sapling.”
  • Repeat two more times.
  • Fourth time: inhale, lean back and rotate torso to the front-foot-side.
  • Fifth time: inhale, lean back and rotate torso to the rear-foot-side.
  • Switch stance and repeat. Wave spine, rotate spine, and connect spine to adductors, hips, hamstrings, and feet.

 

Monkey Grooming (Rubbing & Scratching)

  • Roll/massage over kidneys & hips.
  • Tap with closed hand over kidneys & hips.
  • Massage inner corner of eyes.
  • Massage backwards in line from above eyes to the nape of the neck.
  • Dominant hand sinks into depression over spine at nape and massages
    • Off-hand presses down gently into the vertex of the head.
  • Hands move out to the mastoid process and massage.
  • Massage forward along the parietal bones (sides of the skull) to the temples.
  • Massage temples.
  • Massage under cheek bones to the nose.
  • Gently massage eye socket.
  • Massage from just below the eye, down passed the corners of the mouth to the chin.
  • Massage outside & inside of jaw, moving back to the corner.
  • Massage down SCM muscles on either side of your neck.
  • Cross hands; massage to middle of collar bone.
  • Massage down pec. minor (outside of chest)
  • Massage down pec. major (middle of chest)
  • Massage either side of rectus abdominis (outside the six pack)
  • Massage where rectus abdominis inserts into the pelvis.
  • Massage back up the midline to just below the ribs.
  • Squat step forward and “brush hair” three times.
  • Squat step other foot forward and “brush hair” three times.

 

White Crane Spreads its Wings

  • Inhale, feet within shoulder width.
    • Hands rotate inwards with holding fist, knuckles facing each other.
    • Slowly bend the knees, aim tailbone backwards.
  • Upper arms come to 90° from torso.
    • Elbows continue the rotation until arms are pointing straight out from the torso at 90°.
  • Exhale.
    • Arms rotate downwards until they are parallel with the torso.
    • Aim the tailbone between the heels, and straighten the knees.
  • Repeat four more times.
  • Open fingers into extended feathers, place one hand atop the other.
  • Step forward with the top-hand foot.
  • Mud-walk.
    • Inhale. Aim your tailbone to the forward heel & slightly raise your forward hip.
    • Exhale. Pull your pelvis forward using your forward-leg hamstrings & both adductor muscles.
    • Come to a stop with feet side by side.
    • Aim tailbone between your heels & use your adductors to bring weight to equal distribution in both feet.
  • Step forward with bottom-hand foot.
    • Mud-walk.
  • Step forward with top-hand foot.
    • Mud-walk.
  • Repeat, and switch hand position for the mud-walking. Wave the spine while spreading your wings.

 

Closing Movement

  • Inhale. Step backward with right foot & begin forward arm circle.
    • Aim tailbone to right heel, slightly elevate your right hip.
    • Use right quadriceps muscles and both adductors to pull your pelvis backwards to the right foot.
  • Exhale. Bring left foot even with the right foot & close forward arm circle; bow forward with hands in front of your sternum.
  • Inhale & elongate spine within the bow.
  • Exhale & hinge waist upwards ⅓ of the way.
  • Inhale & elongate spine within the bow.
  • Exhale & hinge waist upwards ⅔ of the way.
  • Inhale & elongate spine within the bow.
  • Exhale & hinge waist upwards to standing.

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