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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.
With both palms turned upward on your lap, turn the trunk to your right. Both palms remain facing up as you move your arms to the right as though carrying something over your right shoulder. Go as far as is comfortable.
Move your arms back down to the centre of the body to rest on your thighs, palms down.
Turn both palms turned upward, turn your torso to the left and with the palms remain facing up move your arms to the left as though carrying something over your left shoulder. Go as far as is comfortable.
Bring your arms back down to the centre of the body to rest on your thighs, palms down.
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. Instead of resting the hands on the thighs, start with them just in front of the thighs, turned to face the thighs. From here you can turn the palms outward when you begin the turning movement.
Carry the Moon posture uses the the "Swivel on the Ball of the Foot" footwork.
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:-
As we turn to the right and move the arms over the right shoulder we lift the left heel and swivel on the ball of the left foot and turn the left foot (and the leg) a few inches to the right. Then we when we return to the front we turn the left foot to face the front again, lowering the left heel to the ground. We follow the same movement when we turn left (lifting the right heel and swivelling the right leg / foot to the left).
For the very advanced - when you return the torso to face the front and straighten the foot/leg which has turned you may also add a Chinese squat as you exhale. Consult the "Chinese Squat" section in exercise one.
Carry the Moon posture is taken from Shibashi (18 Breathing Exercises).
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