HUNGRY TIGER POUNCES UPON PREY
This Qi Gong posture comes from a form called the Shaolin Neigong, which was developed by monks in China at around 65 A.D. It was originally developed as part of a fighting technique, but it was subsequently realised that such postures brought internal health to particular organs and systems in the body. Many of these postures activate specific acupuncture points.
STARTING POSTURE
One leg is bent at nearly 90 degrees in front of the body, and the other stretches backwards and is straight. Feet are flat on the floor. The torso faces the bent knee. The palms face the floor and form an equilateral triangle with a point on the lower abdomen three finger-widths below the umbilicus. This point is the deepest centre of essence in our body.
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Breathing in, palms turn to face the sides of the body and move upwards to beneath the lower ribs.
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Breathing out, hands bend to face forward, extended to form a right angle to the wrist. Bend the waist towards the bent knee while palms push forwards to full extension over the head.
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Breathing in, straighten the waist while wrists twist to face upwards and then hands form a fist before being pulled backwards to the point beneath the lower ribs.
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Breathing in, fists open and hands turn to face the floor, pushing down to the starting posture. Feel the energy held in the hands disperse into the Kidneys in the lumbar area of the back
Change to the opposite side and repeat. Repeat nine times facing each direction.
Ideally, start facing the left and finish facing the right.
It is important that you simply breath normal – i.e. don’t take big exaggerated breaths. Match the speed of the movements to the speed of your breaths, not the other way.
