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Quick Links to Postures 1-17 | 1 Lifting Arms | 2 Opening the Chest | 3 Painting the Rainbow | 4 Separating Clouds | 5 Rolling Arms | 6 Cloud Hands | 7 Raise the Ball | 8 Carry the Moon | 9 Pushing Waves | 10 Loosening the Trunk | 11 Touch the Sea, Look at the Sky | 12 Rotate the Wheel and Point at the Moon | 13 Parting Wild Horses Mane | 14 Brush Knee and Push | 15 Grasp Sparrows Tail | 16 Fair Lady Weaves Shuttles | 17 Punching
Consult the "seated stage" notes in posture 1 regarding sitting / chairs.
Begin with hands lightly resting on the thighs, palms down.
Bend forward a little over your right leg, crossing your wrists over your right knee. Then sit back, straighten your torso and raise your crossed arms upwards in front of your body. With both hands above your forehead turn the palms upward.
With palms still turned up, push both arms out and down on both sides of your body, palms pushing down against the thick "water". Bend the arms and bring both hands back in front of the body.
Now repeat these two movements on the left side (bending towards the left knee).
Refer to the "Lunging-Bow" directions in the footwork section.
Applying the footwork to the posture:-
When you step forward with into "Lunging Bow" posture (with either leg) bend slightly towards the forward knee and cross your wrists about above the knee.
When you move your front leg back under your body, straighten your torso and move your still crossed-at-the-wrists hands back to the front of your chest and raise them above your forehead, palms facing you. Look at your hand and turn the palms to face the sky. Then separate the hands and move them outward either side of the body in a big circle. When they come together at waists height, the palms are facing the body again and the opposite leg steps out (ready for the wrists to join over the knee again).
Repeat these both sides several times.
Be careful to maintain 50% weight on both legs. Even though you are bending from the waist you are NOT moving weight or centre of balance forward.
Touch the Sea, Look at the Sky is taken from Shibashi (18 Breathing Exercises).
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