Eight Pieces of Brocade...............................Ba Duan Jin................The Best Eight Moves!
1. Pressing Heaven with Two Hands
Stand in horse stance, feet wider than shoulders and parallel, knees slightly bent as far as comfortable, tail bone tucked in to keep spine straight. With palms facing thighs, inhale and raise arms to shoulder height, palms facing out. Exhale and push hands skywards as if lifting a bar weight with hands slightly bent back at wrist. Eyes follow the hand at all times during the exercise. Reverse process by inhaling as hands return to shoulder height and exhaling as palms return to thighs. Do eight cycles. (heart, lungs, stomach, liver).
2. Shoot the Bow and let Arrow Fly
Stand in horse stance. With wrists; back to back and tucked under chin.
Begin by inhaling and extending left hand facing out with index finger facing up ,thumb facing forward. Eyes follow left index finger, weight moves to right side... Right hand moves to right shoulder (at right ear) as if pulling a bow string. Feel the stretch as the right hand pushes out, palm out. Eyes follow right hand. Weight move to center. Exhale as both hands return to the start position. Repeat on right side. Do four sets on each side. (eyes, lungs, kidneys, legs).
3. Wise Owl gazes Backwards
Stand in Wuji. Make beak with left and place at lower back between kidneys (this is the Ming men, the gate of life), about four inches away from torso. On the inhale, the righ hand, at chest height, fingers up and palm facing left, pushes left so that the whole upper torso moves to the left. Turn as far as is comfortable, head and eyes follow the moving hand. Exhaling, return to the start position while changing hand positions. Do four moves on ach side. (spleen, immune system).
4. Bridging Earth and Sky
Stand in Wuji. Hands at the heart meridian with left hand nearest the body. Inhale as the left hand rises above head and the right hand moves downwards the side. Each hand is bent backwards slightly as they push to separate; the eyes follow the rising hand. On the exhale, the hands return to the heart meridian but the “next” rising hand is always nearest the body. (stomach, pancreas, spleen). Repeat on the right side. Do four sets each side.
5. Punching with Tiger Eyes.
Stand in horse stance with elbows at waist, hands in relaxed fists facing each other. Right hand punches forward turning fist downward, blow out through nostrils. Hand opens, circle, turns palm up and returns to starting position (pulling in Qi) as a relaxed fist. Repeat with left hand punching. Start again but this time the punch is to the right side straight out from shoulder. Then the left side. Start again with both hands punching forwards and to the side. Head will follow a moving hand alternating sides when punching to the side. (liver, blood, heart, eyes).
6. Bowing to the Sun
Stand in horse stance, as low as is comfortable. Place hands on hips thumbs pointing backwards. Inhale and exhale as you bend forward from the waist keeping the back flat and looking to the sky. Inhale as you come half way back and exhale as you bend to the left. Inhale as you return to center and exhale as you bend to the right. Inhale as you straighten up and lean back, and exhale as you return to starting position. Do two sets on each side. (heart and waist).
7. Bring in the Qi
Stand in Wuji. Hands start right over left at heart meridian. Open arms to the side and backwards with head turning to follow the right hand as the hands move to meet above head. The hands move downwards and return, on the exhale, to the start position with fingers intertwined. Hands turn over on the inhale as they rise above head, eyes following hands. Hands move forward an down as back also bends forward on the exhale. Bend only as far as is comfortable. At lowest point, bend knees and open arms to the sides and inhale as you start to come up. Eyes follow one hand: making a rotation movement with neck. Exhale as
hands return to heart meridian with right over left. Do eight sets.
8. Clearing Finish
Stand with feet together, toes slightly turned out. Hands over kidneys. Rise up on toes as high as comfortable. Drop back down on heels, clearing throat as if you were a cat clearing a hairball. Do 8 times.
This is one of many " Eight Brocades".............all are very good exercises. The student of Qigong has to choose the "Ba Duan Jin" which suits their needs best.
Here is another from the internet,
See also version from Sifu Cheung. (under Shibashi Sect)