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Opening the Door of Life

Begin in the same stance as for Waist Loosening. Twist to the left as in the Waist Loosening exercise, initiating the movement from your hips. Let your right arm swing across the front of your torso, raising it up to head height with the palm facing away from you. At the same time, let your left arm swing around the back and place the back of your left hand over the Door of Life point—the point on the spine opposite the navel (figs. 6.22 and 6.23).

When you reach your full extension, relax, and then extend again by loosening your lower back. Feel the gentle stretch and increased extension coming all the way from the Door of Life area, not from the shoulders. Extend in this way 2 or 3 times.

Twist to the right and repeat the steps as above on the right side. Repeat 9 times on each side.

Fig. 6.22. Opening the Door of Life

Fig. 6.23. The Door of Life

Elephant Swings His Trunk

Let go of your arms and move your hips back and forth, throwing your arms forward and back with the momentum of your hips and loosening your shoulders and neck (fig. 6.24).

Fig. 6.24. Elephant Swings His Trunk

Squatting to Open the Sacrum

During these squatting exercises, breathe into your lower tan tien. Keep your chest relaxed and feel a force pulling you down as you squat down to the earth, and then a force pulling you back up.

Squatting in Front of a Wall

A good strategy for developing the squatting position is to face a wall while you practice. Some people tend to bend the head forward first, or bend the back and then lean forward. Using a wall will help you see whether you are bending too much.

Start by standing 18 cm or more in front of a wall. (Eventually you can move closer to the wall.) Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. (When you improve your squatting ability, place both feet together.)

Place both hands at your sides, with the tips of your fingers touching the thigh bones (fig. 6.25).

Slowly drop down from your groin, like you are sitting down; drop till you can’t go any further, and lightly bend your knees. If you bend too much your knees will hit the wall.

Fig. 6.25. Squatting to Open the Sacrum

Squatting with a Partner

To squat down you can also use the help of a partner or the edge of a table. Be sure that you go straight down and bend from the kua (the groin).

When you work with a partner, stand facing each other with legs shoulder width apart. Stretch out your arms and firmly grasp each other’s wrists.

From this position, squat straight down together from the kua while supporting one another. Sink as deep as you both can without leaning forward.

Clenching and Tapping the Teeth

Clench and tap the front and both sides of your teeth several times (fig. 6.26).

Fig. 6.26. Clenching and Tapping the Teeth

Chi Massage

Knocking on the Kidneys

Locate the kidneys just above the lowest, or floating, rib in the back on either side of the spine. Make a fist and hit the kidneys with the back of the fist between the wrist and knuckles. Hit only as hard as is comfortable.

Alternate hands and sides of the back.

Rub your hands together to warm them. Then rub your palms up and down over the kidneys until they feel warm.

Slapping Down the Yang Meridians and Up the Yin Meridians of the Legs

The yang meridians of the legs run from the lower back down the outside of the legs to the feet. The yin meridians of the legs run from the feet, up the inside of the legs to the front of the hips.

Using the palm of the right hand with as much force as feels comfortable, start slapping at the low back and kidney area on the left side. Ideally you want to activate the energy with a firm but comfortable slap.

Slap from the low back area down the outside of the left leg and connect to the yin meridians on the inside of the ankle.

Slap back up the yin meridians on the inside of the leg.

When you get to the front of the hips, return to the lower back and go down the yang meridians and back up the yin meridians again. Complete this entire cycle 3 times.

Then switch hands and slap