Basic Movements to Stretch the Body and Release the Bioenergy
Please remember the guidelines for mastering the self-applied health enhancement methods (SAHEM). These movements are meant to be the seeds of your own inventiveness. Please, do not sabotage your mastery by thinking they must be done a certain way. Make it up, make it fun, spread the word. Learn from others, add favorites, steal from the masters; they are always willing to share. Be careful, honor your limits. Bring the breath and relaxation practices together with the effort of the movements, that is the balance. When you have made contact with the extent to which gentle movement has a profound health effect, you have become a part of the solution to the medical crisis. Note on the numbers: The suggested numbers of applications per day and the number of repetitions are present because we love and need guidance. However, everyone is unique, and the numbers are really up to you within the context of the guidelines about fun, limits, the comfort zone, etc. Enjoy!
1. Preliminary Standing Posture
Stand with the feet at shoulders width, toes pointed forward. Allow the shoulders to relax, the neck and head to be perched directly on top of the shoulders, deepen the breath. Allow the knees to be slightly bent. Bring the pelvis into its position as a bowl in which the organs rest by rocking its bottom forward helping the lower back to uncurl and elongate. Soften the gaze. Turn your awareness toward a sensitivity to whatever the body energy or Qi might feel like.
2. Shaking the Whole Body to Release and Circulate the Energy
From the preliminary position begin to wiggle the fingers and bounce, deepen the breath. Increase the bounce and allow the hands to begin to shake. Add shaking of the head and shoulders. Relax the jaw. You will find that this is one of the best exercises to bring immediate sensation of the energy or Qi. Exaggerate the movement, prolong it, shift weight from foot to foot, make sounds, find your own best way to use this exercise.
Application Suggestions:
- Health maintenance: 2 to 3 times per day.
- Health enhancement: 6 to 10 times per day.
- Disease intervention: 10 to 15 time per day.
- Getting started: Take this dose carefully to start. If you have physical limits, 2 to 3 times per day. Once you get the energy going, try to direct it to the organs and glands.
3. Twist from the Waist, Swing the Arms Ringing the Gong
From the preliminary position rotate the torso. The movement should seem to come from the waist, although it is actually initiated at the ground from the feet. The shoulders follow the waist and the arms follow the shoulders, they just dangle and swing. Turn the head completely -as far as it will comfortably go- to look behind. The breath is full and there is a dynamic relationship between action and relaxant. Bring as much relaxant to the movement as possible. Notice that the arms and hands hit the body. This hitting or thumping can become purposeful when aimed at the reflexes of the kidneys, spleen and liver. This will be discussed in the section on self-applied massage.
Application Suggestions:
- Health maintenance: 2 to 3 times per day, 20 to 50 repetitions.
- Health enhancement: 6 to 10 times per day, 20 to 50 repetitions.
- Disease intervention: Start slowly and build up to 10 to 15 sessions per day, 20 to 50 repetitions.
- Getting started: 2 to 3 sessions per day. This exercise alone has tremendous benefits, and it can be done briefly as a warm up. Explore its effect if done hundreds of times. Honor your limits.