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34 EXERCISES

12. ROTATE THE WHEEL AND POINT AT THE MOON

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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


STAGE 1: SEATED

Consult the "seated stage" notes in posture 1 regarding sitting / chairs.

Begin with hands lightly resting on the thighs, palms down.

Clockwise Circle

Inhale

Lift both arms to the left side of the body; imagine a giant clock face in front of you. Hold arms outstretched, parallel, a few inches apart, beginning at 7 o'clock then move them to the left upwards, clockwise up past 12 o'clock above the front of your head around to the right side and down past 5 o'clock.

Exhale

Continue to move your arms to the left until you get back to 7 o'clock. Now make a charm finger in each hand by pointing the index and middle finger together while the thumb wraps around the 4th and 5th finger (as if pointing a pretend gun). The charm fingers point over the left shoulder.

Counter-Clockwise Circle

Inhale

Open your hands and move your arms back down together towards the right side of your body counter-clockwise past five o'clock then continuing through 12 O'Clock to the left past 9 o'clock and on to 6 o'clock.

Exhale

Continue to move your arms to the right until you get to 5 o'clock, then make a charm finger in each hand, pointing over the right shoulder.

You can then inhale and prepare to move your arms to the left for another full clockwise circle to exhale when you get to 7 o'clock, pointing over the left shoulder and so on.

When seated, you must bend the arms when the pass the 6 o'clock point.

Repeat several times.

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STAGE 2: STANDING STATIC

Stand with feet at shoulder width and parallel, toes facing directly forward. Legs should be straight with Knees slightly bent.

Perform the torso movements as in the seated stage while keeping the lower half of the body - including the hips - still. Only move the arms and torso.

While standing you can keep the arms outrstetched when they pass the 6 o'clock position.

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STAGE 3: STANDING WITH FOOTWORK

METHOD: "REAR BALANCE STEP"

Refer to the "Rear Balance method in the footwork section.

APPLICATION

Applying the footwork to the posture:-

Stand with feet at shoulder width and parallel, toes facing directly forward. Legs should be straight with Knees slightly bent.

Perform the torso movements as in the standing stage with these additional steps:-

During the clockwise circle when the arms point over the left shoulder, step behind the left foot with the right foot. During the anti-clockwise circle and the arms point over the right shoulder, step behind the right foot with the left foot.


NOTES

Rotate the wheel and point at the moon posture is taken from Shibashi (18 Breathing Exercises.

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Return to Posture Index || Previous Posture - 11. Touch the Sea, Look at the Sky || Next Posture - 13. Parting Wild Horses Mane

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c 2018 Michael Davies