Kelsey Healing Arts

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.