Eight Direction Exercise
Movement 9
9. Stretching the back
Bring hands in front of the chest with fingers interlaced and palms facing down. Bend down at waist, getting down as close as possible to the floor, stretching the lower back and legs. Inhale, lifting torso parallel to the ground, rotate at the waist in the direction of the left foot. Exhale, lowering the hands down to the left foot. Perform on the right side. Place hands behind the ankle, relaxing the knee joints. Inhale, stand up, hands tracing up the back of the legs, and up to the Ming Men (lower back area). Rotate palms outward on Ming Men. Raise hands up along the back as high as possible, and trace the hands through the under arms, and up to the eye level, palms facing inward. Think of chi flowing through the arms into the hands. Exhale, relaxing knees, and lowering hands to the waist, Chi flowing down to the Dantian, palms facing upwards. Inhale, palms facing down, raise the arms up parallel to the body. Exhale, bringing hands in front of the chest, interlacing the fingers. Bend down to the floor, extending arms to the ground.
