Swing Heavenly Ball (Rising Lotus)
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.
Hold hands a comfortable distance in front of your waist, palms facing each other and about 8-10 inches apart, as if holding a ball.
As you inhale, twist your waist to the right and simultaneously draw the hands apart to a comfortable distance, but not so far apart that the shoulders and upper back muscles are engaged. Keep your mind focused on the connection between the centers of the two palms as the hands spread apart. Don’t twist so far that your knees fall out of alignment with your feet: it can be a gentle turn
As you exhale, draw the hands back together to their starting position as you rotate your torso back to face the front. Continue to focus on the connection between the palms.
Repeat these motions to the left.
Continue to alternate the expanding and contracting to each side of the body as you continue to breathe.
If you’d like, you can sink into your legs as your hands draw together and then stand up tall as you pull your hands apart and twist gently.
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. Begin by holding the ball comfortably in front of the abdomen, above the legs.
Contraindications
N/A
Parts of Body Benefited
Chest
Torso