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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.
Raise both arms either side of the head palms inward (facing each other).
Look to your right and turn the torso to the right, lowering your right arm to the right until it reaches upper chest height. The right palm faces up. Simultaneously the left arm bends so that the left palm faces downward and comes within a few inches of the Crown of the head.
The left arm does not move much, just bends at the elbow.
Look to the front again as you move the arms back to the beginning position either side of the head.
Look to your left and turn the torso to the left, lowering your left arm to the left until it reaches upper chest height. The left palm faces up. Simultaneously the right arm bends so that the right palm faces downward and comes within a few inches of the Crown of the head.
The right arm does not move much, just bends at the elbow.
Repeat several times.
Consult the "important points" in exercise one regarding "moving in water".
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.
This posture uses "Swivelling on the Ball of the Foot" method. Refer to these notes for the method.
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 seated stage with these additional steps:-
Turning to the right, place about seventy per cent of the weight onto the left leg and turn the upper body and the right leg to the right (you lift the right heel and swivel on the ball of the foot). The right toes move a few inches to the right. As you return to face forward, arms returning to beginning position, turn the right foot to face front again.
Now repeat on the left side, swivelling on the left foot.
Painting the Rainbow is taken from Shibashi (18 Breathing Exercises).
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