little fundamental exercise

[soaring crane]

Hi,

 

I'm writing this out for my courses and thought I'd share it here. This the first movement from a small routine we cann "Triple Gestalt". Gestalt is the German word and I really couldn't find a more appropriate english word for it. I'm going to meet a friend for a photo session tomorrow and we'll make some photos for this form, too.

 

It's really simple. But the simple forms have the most potential for energetic interpretation, in my expeience. This routine came from a Daoist tempel, supposedly, but I don't really know the history of it at all.

 

I also have a pretty detailed description of the basic stance, but it's still in German.

 

I'd be thankful for any feedback regarding the composition. I know it's simple, but is the text understandable?

 

Here:

 

The Triple Gestalt

 

 

 

 

This instruction assumes knowledge of the basic Qigong stance (Wuji).

 

 

 

 

Triple Gestalt 1, the Grand Opening

 

 

 

 

Make sure the armpits are open (just turn the elbows a little outward) and the palms (Laogong) are open to the rear. Relax the hands and connect the fingers energetically with the Earth. Imagine long fingers rooted in the ground.

 

 

On the next natural inhale: Without bending at the elbows, let the arms rise in front of you and upward until your palms face forward and your fingers are pointing to heaven. Try not to let the shoulders rise with the arms. Always do arm-raising motions as though someone you trust is standing behind you, holding warm hands on your shoulders.

 

 

Your hands should be about shoulder-width apart. Connect your fingers energetically with Heaven.

 

 

On the exhale: Let your elbows slowly sink, pulling your hands downward, palms facing forward as though wiping a glass pane, and feel your fingers stretch like elastic bands. Pull down to shoulder or chest height, where the arms come to a natural, comfortable stopping point.

 

 

Inhale intentionally into the chest and at the same time lift the elbows upward to the sides; your palms will turn downward and face toward Earth; your fingertips will meet in the middle. Coordinate the movement with the breath.

 

 

On the following exhale, sink inwardly from breast to abdomen and push your hands downward to about the belt line. Continue sinking inwardly through your pelvis, thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet and soles of the feet, and then deeper, into the Earth. Let your arms return to the starting position.

 

 

 

 

Allow one or two breaths before starting the next repetition.

 

 

3, 9, or 27 repetitions are generally recommended but you can do as many as you like.

 

 

 

 

(Triple Gestalt 2 brings us into the lower Dantian and TG3 connects all three)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the space

 

 

 

 

weird.. i don't why the paragraph breaks are so huge. All I did was use color and some bold tags...

[thaddeus]

 

I'd be thankful for any feedback regarding the composition. I know it's simple, but is the text understandable?

 

I guess the pictures would clear up any confusion, but it's not clear if your arms are straight up in the air for #1. It sounds like they are..and the whole transition to that point..maybe a side shot?

T

[sean]

Nice post. I'll give this a whirl when I get home. Looking forward to seeing your pictures. If you want any help sizing/uploading/posting them, shoot me an email at [email protected].

 

Thanks,

Sean

[Yoda]

nice one.

[Spectrum]

tt 4 pics

[soaring crane]

hi again,

 

Was out yesterday taking photos and then remembered that my camera (old Canon G2) also has a little video funtion. The photos are a lot nicer and I'm actaully making a little instruction sheet for a class. But I posted the video at youtube for you. I was a little rushed as the video function only has 30 seconds...

 

It's not much but I guess it makes the written instruction more clear. I also have the other two movements on video and am trying to get them loaded as well, but having problems... Also need to write up instruction in english.

 

youtube clip

 

Peace

[thaddeus]

Also need to write up instruction in english.

 

youtube clip

 

Peace

nice work!

notice how when you raise your arms you are pushing up from the ground? It's hard to write that in the instructions and definitely will not be seen in the photos. Same for how your arms come down. But it's really important to get that right otherwise one is just flapping arms up and down..my two cents is that the video will be more effective than the photos--and more effective than the written instruction (unless you go into that detail).

T

[soaring crane]

Hi Thaddeus,

 

thank you :-) Yes... it's really hard to put everything into writing. I could probably write ten pages describing everything that goes into the little "Arm flapping", lol.

 

For example, I guess it looks like I'm raising up by straightening nmy legs knee-band style. But that's not it at all. The knees are just relaxed the whole time and the lifting is coming from my middle. It's really just a Qi movement and the legs straighten out because that's just what they do...

 

I'm making the written version for people from my own course, people who've learned with me. They just have trouble remembering the moves, you know? So I'm making them a visual aide. I used to work in pre-press and like playing around with graphics and layout (am i nuts?).

 

I got the next two movements loaded now. Unfortunately they both got chopped off at the end. You can hear my freind Erhardt counting the time for me. He made me laugh...

 

I'll write up a description tonight or tomorrow. The third one actually gets quite powerfull after a few reps. The little thing I do with my hands in the beginning is a way of charging up the Tiger Mauls (what do you call them in english? Between thumb and forefinger...) and this in turn boosts the power in Laogong and then the whole thing gets pretty intense as they come together above the head and get separated again...

 

here:

 

Triple Gestalt Two

 

Triple Gestalt Three

[Yoda]

the youtube helps, thanks.

[Spectrum]

Nice wrist action. Is there a sticky for small fundamental exercises somewhere? Little nothings seem very Taoist.

Edited February 24, 2007 by Spectrum

[soaring crane]

lol, this little routine is supposedly purely Daoist and actually quite old. There's another very small exercise we learned called the Source of the Light that's really simple but sooo powerful. Thing is, these are just taught to beginners as an introduction to Qigong. And then they're fogotten as we move onto bigger "better" things.

 

But after four years of ignoring them, I've returned to them and really discovered how much thought went into them and how well they reach the deeper levels of the Qi bodies. Less physical action allows for more Qi action sometimes. And a lot more individual interpretation.

 

I would really love to learn more of these kinds of things, if any of you have similar exercises and a crappy little video camera, well, that's all ya need