Exercises
Ki ball
This is very basic and is used to pretty much feel and control your Ki. First though you gotta know where it is. Your ki flows throughout your body through energy channels called meridians, you have many centers where energy gathers in the body (these usually coincide with chakra locations) the main one you will be working with is in your abdomen, the general area is below the belly button a few inches and a few inches in. now here is the exercise.
First thing you must do is relax just relax and breathe naturally. then hold your hands out in front of you as if you were holding a ball. (about 6-12 inches apart) now visualize your Ki in your abdomen coming up and thru your arms (remember to stay relaxed) have the ki go thru your arms into your hands and then out of the palms to gather to one point between your hands and build a ball of ki (you can have it as a ball of light or whatever you want it to look like). After you feel you have made a ball try pushing your hands together. if you feel heat, pushing, pulling, tingling or all of these when you push your hands to squish your ball then congratulations you've just successfully moved your ki, felt it, and shaped it into your desired shape.
Grounding
This is a somewhat important exercise and there are many different interpretations on what it is supposed to be used for but it all boils down to one thing, Regulation. To ground you must stand with equal weight distribution on your feet so that there is 50% on one foot and 50% of weight on the other. Relax breathe naturally and visualize and feel roots come from the bottoms of your feet and into the earth deeply (as deep as you feel you need them). and relax KNOWING that these roots will bring energy from the earth if you need it, will get rid of negative energies and put them safely into the earth. A different version of this is to use the roots to pull energy from the earth to add to your own but I don't normally do that because I feel it would cause a dependence on outside energies...so I don't suggest you do it either.
Seeing Energy (third eye)
This is simpler than it sounds. you can gain this through much practice with energy and this sense will just open up or/and you can exercise this sense to help speed this along...pretty much both go hand in hand. So first thing first Relax. feel out your energy in your body...see if you can feel an energy center or area in the middle of your forehead or between your eyebrows. after that is done visualize this as an eye ( try to see it as it currently is, partially open, closed) now visualize and feel this eye opening slowing and becoming awake. after your sure youve done this enough make a ki ball and try to look and see your ball. if you see heat-waves, "smoke" or faint light youve done it just keep practicing.
Qi-Gong exercises (the 8 treasures)
First of all i must explain a basic posture for this which will be called Tai-Chi posture. this is done by simply standing upright with your feet about shoulder-width apart and parallel to each other. Bend your knees slightly so they are not locked. think of softening the joint. allow your tailbone to tuck under a little with the bend of the knees. relax your chest and shoulders. let the chest sink slightly (dont be a hunch back just let it all naturally happen) feel your arms ahnging naturally at your sides. imagine that your head is suspended above your body as if a string is attatched to the crown and pulling it upward. feel the neck get longer and release. open your lips oh so slightly as if you were starting to smile. touch your teeth lightly together and let your tongue touch the upper palette just behind the front teeth. (dont clench your teeth!!) finally let all your muscles relax, breathe fully and let your gaze "go inward" as if you are looking straight ahead while looking at nothing in particular (also known as the unfocused focus)
remember to do each of these moves at least 10 times.
Holding up the sky with both hands
start standing in good tai chi posture.
interlace your fingers low in front of your body, keeping your palms facing down.
slowly lift your interlaced fingers upward along your body. when they reach chest-height, rotate the palms so they face skyward.
continue their path straight upward and slowly lift yourself onto your toes so your heels are about an inch or two off the ground. stretch the arms and palms to the sky as if you are "holding up the sky"
unlace the fingers and let the palms float down to your sides, keeping your heels up. when the hands reach your sides you can drop your heel (still thinking steady balance and making no big clunks)
repeat steps 1 through 5 to continue the movement.
Opening the bow to the left and to the right.
From your correct and balanced standing posture take on big step to your left and assume the riding the horse stance.
cross your left arm across your chest palm in so the palm is at about shoulder-height. the left fingers assume a shooting position with the first finger extended; the other three fingers are curled in to the palm and the thumb is cocked in to the palm. your right arm crosses your chest over your left arm. the right fingers are in a loose fist. when you get the hand position down assume the crossed body position as you step out into the wide stance.
look to the left, exhale, and uncurl your left arm to your side with the wrist cocked back as you push your palm to your left. pulls your right elbow back high to your side as if you are pulling the strings of a bow to shoot an arrow. feel the stretch across the chest.
push off your right foot to close it in your left foot and return to a standing position. at the same time pull in your left arm across your body, keeping the elbow straight and starting to relax the fingers while your right hand simply pulls in farther across your chest.
your hands are in the opposite starting position. repeat the entire routine, stepping out to the right with the right palm pushing out, to complete one cycle.
Raising one single hand.
stand with your hands palms up at about waist-height. inhale before you begin.
rotate the left palm out and then push it straight up above your head, as you simultaneously rotate your right palm out and down and push it down to you side. exhale as you push up and push down.
return your hands to the opposite position and repeat on the opposite side.
Looking Behind you
Stand straight with your wrists flexed slightly so your palms face down, fingers forward. your elbows bend slightly so the hands feel as if they are floating. inhale before you begin.
turn your head and look over your left shoulder as far as you can with out straining or pulling your torso around with you and then exhale (avoid lifting or dropping your chin as you look behind you)
repeat turning your head to the opposite side for one repetition.
Bending over and wagging head and tail.
start in a riding the horse stance with your hands on the top part of your thighs thumps pointing backward so the space between your thumb and first finger cups the thigh muscle. keep your torso and spine straight.
Bend forward a little from the hips (keeping the spine straight to prevent slouching) keep the feet rooted on the floor and the toes relaxed.
Move your upper body and head toward your left thigh to start a small controlled circling motion continue the circling so the torso moves down in front of you to your right thigh and then back up to the center slightly. as your torso circles to the front your tail "wags" or makes a circling movement behind you.
repeat the wagging and circling, starting at the right thigh first
stay in the riding horse stance for a few moments
Reaching down to toes
Stand with your arms at your sides. inhale and lift your arms to your front and then upward, fingers in and palms out. exhale and begin to circle the arms backward; then release your elbows so you can place your hands on your lower back above your buttocks.
bend backward just a little, lifting your chest upward and using your hands in your lower back to support the weight of your upper body.
release forward from your hips so your upper body and head starts to move forward toward the ground. at the same time let your hands slide down the back of your buttocks and legs as far as they can go.
release your hands and try to touch your toes.
inhale and let your arms reach out in front of you fingers in and palms out as you return your upper body to an upright position. let your arms continue to circle backward as you exhale and release your hands back to your lower back.
repeat steps 2 through 5 to continue the movement
Punching with angry eyes.
stand with your feet about 3 feet apart in a slightly modified riding the horse stance.
pull both hands in palms up to your waist with your elbows pulled back and squeezed in. both hands are in fists with fingers and palms up. your hands and body are relaxed. inhale before you begin.
Extend your left arm in front of you while rotating your arm so the fingers are down. dont overextend or lock your elbow joint. while you extend your left arm pull your right elbow back a little rather and squeeze tightly with both fists
get "angry" or intense and focused. exhale as you press outward with your fist.
return the left arm to the starting position and relax your arms, fists, and body.
repeat on the opposite side.
Jolting the back of the body
(this movement good for people who practice lentation if they are veterans or just starting out (like me) because it works the adrenal glands among other things.)
Start in an upright posture with your arms hanging at your side and palm held softly against your thighs.
inhale and push the top of your head straight up, rising as high as you can on your toes by pushing them into the ground
hold for a second and then exhale and return to the starting position.
repeat steps 1 through 3 as many times as needed to continue the movement.
