Rolling Arms (18 Movements)
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 chest so that the parallel palms face each other (about 6 inches apart) and your thumbs point up. 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).
As you inhale, turn your waist slightly to your right (keeping knees facing the front/toes) and press your left hand forward directly in front of/away from your chest while you simultaneously draw your right arm directly back along your rib cage by pulling the elbow behind your back (taking care not to raise your shoulder towards your ear).
When the right elbow reaches its comfortable terminus, drop the right forearm and circle the hand down behind you and back up so that it comes back up to ear height.
Exhale as you turn your waist back to neutral, pushing your right hand gently past your ear and back to the front as your left hand simultaneously draws back.
The two hands briefly meet where they started, facing each other and holding a ball in front of your chest.
Without pausing the motion, inhale and perform the same movements to the left side, pushing your right hand in front of you while drawing your left elbow back and swinging the hand up and around to the ear.
Continue to alternate sides and coordinate with your breath for as long as feels good. Try to get the sensation that the movements of the arms are controlled by the turning of the waist from side to side. Keep the shoulders down and back and relaxed throughout.
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
Can be performed while seated in a chair, preferably with feet firmly on the ground.
Contraindications
N/A
Parts of Body Benefited
Shoulders
Back
Torso