Flying Pigeon (18 Movements)

Video Transcript

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. 

  • Relax and place both hands at a comfortable distance in front of the abdomen, side by side and with thumbs up, as if holding a ball, Make sure that the lower (lumbar) spine isn’t arched, but straight (imagine having a small weight suspended from the tailbone, pulling the back into alignment).

  • Step your right foot a pace in front of you and put most of your weight on it as you exhale (you can rotate your back foot’s toes out 30 degrees to the left if that is more comfortable).. 

  • As you inhale, gently shift the weight to your back leg as your hands simultaneously spread apart until both arms are open, like a pair of wings, stretched only as far as is comfortable. Keep the arms relaxed and don’t lock any joints or pull the hands so far back that you can no longer see them in your peripheral vision. 

  • Exhale and shift the weight back to the front foot, closing the arms and returning the hands to their starting position. You can lean a little forward in this position, so long as the knee doesn’t extend over the toes and you keep a straight line from the lumbar spine up through the neck and crown. Do not strain your back.

  • Continue to shift backwards and forwards, opening and closing the arms for as long as feels good. Then switch feet and do an equal number of repetitions on the other leg.

  • 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

  • Feel free to adjust the scope of the arm movements in scope so that they are comfortable. You can also lower your arms as you spread the wings to protect the shoulders.

Contraindications

  • N/A

Parts of Body Benefited

  • Back

  • Legs

  • Chest

Other strategies for emotional support:

Depression

Grief

Other strategies from:

Qigong