Crane Stands on One Leg (5 Animals)
Audio File
Instructions
Begin with feet together and one hand resting inside the other, palms up, in front of the body. Draw a deep breath into the abdomen; as you exhale, step out to the left to shoulder-width; spread the hands apart, rotating the palms to face down.
Form your forearms and hands into “wings” by keeping the hands flat and fingers extended but touching each other. The line from the elbow to the fingertips is straight.
To help with balance on this qigong exercise, you can place your feet closer together. Hold your arms out slightly to your sides.
As you exhale, bend your knees, lean forward slightly from the waist, and sweep your wings down in front of the body until the wrists cross in front of your knees.
Inhale as you rise up and lift your crossed wrists to your heart, palms facing the body.
Simultaneously on the same inhale, turn palms outward and lift your knee as the arms circle out to shoulder height, palms facing down.
Exhale as the arms sweep back down as you lower yourself into a crouch on your one leg and the wrists cross again in front of your knees.
Lower the raised leg and then raise the other leg as you rise up again, inhaling.
Continue this sequence of circling the arms and alternating legs for as long as feels good.
Close the exercise by inhaling and sweeping the arms up and out from the sides of the body until the hands hover just above the head, palms down. Exhale and slowly draw both hands down and towards the Dantian (the body’s energy storehouse), located one and a half inches below the navel. Align the palms and place both hands, palms-inward, over the Dantian as you take one more deep breath into the abdomen.
Step the left foot in towards the right to finish.
Modifications
The classic form of this qigong exercise has you essentially performing one-legged squats. An alternative to this is to lift one knee as usual but then to lower that foot to the ground as you sink down. Then as you rise up again lift the other knee, but bring the foot down as you sink.
Another alternative is simply to lift your heel instead of your knee, keeping both legs engaged at all times.
Contraindications
N/A
Parts of Body Benefited
Legs
Shoulders
Arms