8 Piece Brocade Summary

Eight Piece Brocade

 This is a summary of the exercises we are doing at the Park Road Class.  Eight exercises that conmbine to address all aspects of basic good health.

NB This is a summary and not instructions, just to remind people what we have been doing in class.  I don't think it's possible to practice Chi Kung well without a teacher to explain what they really mean and to point out what they notice about the way you practice.

So talk to a teacher.  And in my classes please feel free to ask me any questions at all.

Title:   Connecting Heaven and Earth

Purpose:        Opens the armpit and side of rib-cage.  Engages Heart and Small Intestine Meridians.

Exercise:        Both palms over head.  Raise and open palms, pushing feet into floor.  Return palms to over the head.

Pointers:        Check pushing from centre of back down through feet and up through palms.  Activate soles of feet.  Relaxed shoulders.  Feel equal connection

Title:   Drawing the Bow

Purpose:        Relaxes the chest and enables breathing.  Loosens muscles around front of chest.  Engages Lung and Large Intestine Meridians.  Helps to dispose of troublesome thoughts.

Exercise:        Horse riding stance.  Bring shoulder blades together.  One arm straightens palm outwards, the other draws fingers across front of chest.  Image is of drawing a bow.

Pointers:        Feel like you’re sitting down (on a horse).  Source movement from between the shoulder blades not the arms.  Front of chest relaxes around the clavicle.

Title:               Plucking Stars

Purpose:        Tonify the flesh (muscle system).  Calms the mood.  Assists digestion and transformation of energy.  Engages Spleen and Stomach Meridians.

Exercise:        One arm rises in an arc centred around the shoulder blade.  The other arm descends to be in line with trouser seam.  Finish by pushing down with 3 limbs and extending upper arm.

Pointers:        Energy should not stay risen in this exercise.  Remember 3 limbs down 1 up.  Feel sense of connection between middle of shoulder blades and the sacrum

Title:               Cow gazes back at the moon

 Purpose:       Strengthen lateral muscles in torso.  Engage Liver and Gall Bladder Meridians.  Clear Chi stagnation.  Make Chi move.

Exercise:        Palms in front of chest.  Rotate torso as far as reasonable with arms still in front of chest.  Bring torso back to midline.

Pointers:        Feet planted firmly on the ground.  Rotate the torso, don’t stretch it.  Feel like there’s the force of a spring inside that wants to bring you back to centre.  This is internal alchemy – aiming to build energy not to expend it.

Title:               Stretching overhead.

Purpose:        Loosen the intercostals muscles in the side of the chest.  Softens abdominal oblique and transverse muscles.  Engages Gall Bladder Meridian.

Exercise:        Raise arm over head and lean over to side.  Hold position just as the lean becomes a stress for whole of side of body.

Pointers:        Do not stretch.  Maintain a sense of connection from hand to foot.  Emphasise balance over stretch.  This should not feel an effort.  Avoid twisting or dropping pelvis.

Title:               Boatman

Purpose:        Strengthen and lengthen the muscles in lower back.  Strengthen feet and thighs. Engages Kidney and Bladder Meridians.  Improves will and determination.

Exercise:        Raise arms above head.  Crouch down arms extended on front of body.  Rest wrists on knees.  Push into floor with feet to rise.

Pointers:        Keep back upright and flexible when descending.  Sit backwards rather than move knees forward.  Don’t tighten knees.  Push gently into the floor with feet and rise slowly.  Rising too quickly can cause light headedness

Title:               Punching with wide eyes

Purpose:        Build up transforming and moving chi in the body.  Bring chi to centre and encourage it to expand throughout body.  Engages Liver and Spleen Meridians in particular

Exercise:        Horse riding stance.  Bring one fist to chest height in front of body and the other to just above hip at side.  Use momentum to build tension internally and connect through floor.

Pointers:        Check body feels rooted into floor, with a sense of upward force through feet and not just descending down back.  Keep shoulders back and do not punch forward.  This looks like a punch but it isn’t.  Feel like spring coiling inside.

Title:               Warm the Kidneys

Purpose:        Warm kidneys and lower back.  Engage Kidney Meridian.  Support deeper softer breathing.  Calm the spirit.

Exercise:        Feet shoulder width apart, place back of hands over each kidney.  Bounce centre up and down in a way that allows hands to rotate over kidney area.  Do this for 8 breaths

Pointers:        This is a very gentle Yin exercise, ankles knees and hips all soft.  Posture opens up Kidney Meridian in chest. 

Geoff Hogan

23td Sept 2011