Monday, February 25, 2008
Muscle Development Through Hip Rotation Yoga Exercise
Hip Rotation
Benefits
Nourishes and opens up the hips fully
Tones the muscles of the waist
Focus
Keep your legs strong, so that you feel steady to rotate your hips as widely as you can without upsetting your balance.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Inhaling, circle your arms overhead, and bring your palms together. Interlock your fingers, with index fingers pointing up.
Look up at your hands. With your pointed fingers, "draw" a small, imaginary circle on the ceiling in a clockwise direction. Move your hips at the same time, also in a clockwise direction.
Make a slightly larger circle, with your arm and hip movements still coordinated.
Make progressively larger circles until you have completed 7 circles. With each rotation, stretch and lengthen through your arms and fingers as you bend forward, sideways, and backward. Bend fully in each direction until you feel your waist and back muscles begin to work. On the last rotation, your interlocked fingers should come low to the floor as you bend forward.
Pause and rest.
Start "drawing" large circles, close to the ground, in a counterclockwise direction. Make progressively smaller circles as you come back to the starting position, with your arms directly above your head.
Repeat the sequence in reverse, starting with small counterclockwise circles that get progressively larger, then making large clockwise circles that get progressively smaller.
Drop your arms to your sides, shrug your shoulders, and relax.
Liver-Stimulating Exercise
Benefit Increases the circulation and flow of prana to the liver to improve its function
Focus Firmly massage your abdomen.
Stage 1 Stand with your feet hip-width part. Place the palm of your right hand on your right upper abdomen, at the base of your rib cage.
Stage 2 Press your palm across the middle of your abdomen along your lower rib bones.
Push your palm up to your breastbone, to the left about 6 inches, down your lower rib bones, and back across to the right lower rib bones. (This pushing from right to left and back again constitutes one repetition.)
Repeat this movement firmly 36 times.
Kidneys This simple Chinese exercise should be done in the morning.
Benefits Stimulates the adrenal glands and the kidneys by increasing circulation and the flow of prana
Improves eyesight
Keeps the skin smooth
Strengthens libido
Focs Imagine the heat and energy flowing from your hands into your kidneys to promote healing.
Kidney Massage Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and lean forward a little. Rub the palms of your hands vigorously together to bring warmth into your hands and fingers, then place your hands over the small of your back.
Massage the small of your back by rubbing up and down, then in a circular motion around your lower back for 1 minute.
Pummel Kidneys Clench your fists, and pummel the small of your back for approximately 1 minute.
Repeat this alternating massaging and pummeling action for 1 minute at a time until you have completed 5 minutes, total, of both movements.
Benefits
Nourishes and opens up the hips fully
Tones the muscles of the waist
Focus
Keep your legs strong, so that you feel steady to rotate your hips as widely as you can without upsetting your balance.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Inhaling, circle your arms overhead, and bring your palms together. Interlock your fingers, with index fingers pointing up.
Look up at your hands. With your pointed fingers, "draw" a small, imaginary circle on the ceiling in a clockwise direction. Move your hips at the same time, also in a clockwise direction.
Make a slightly larger circle, with your arm and hip movements still coordinated.
Make progressively larger circles until you have completed 7 circles. With each rotation, stretch and lengthen through your arms and fingers as you bend forward, sideways, and backward. Bend fully in each direction until you feel your waist and back muscles begin to work. On the last rotation, your interlocked fingers should come low to the floor as you bend forward.
Pause and rest.
Start "drawing" large circles, close to the ground, in a counterclockwise direction. Make progressively smaller circles as you come back to the starting position, with your arms directly above your head.
Repeat the sequence in reverse, starting with small counterclockwise circles that get progressively larger, then making large clockwise circles that get progressively smaller.
Drop your arms to your sides, shrug your shoulders, and relax.
Liver-Stimulating Exercise
Benefit Increases the circulation and flow of prana to the liver to improve its function
Focus Firmly massage your abdomen.
Stage 1 Stand with your feet hip-width part. Place the palm of your right hand on your right upper abdomen, at the base of your rib cage.
Stage 2 Press your palm across the middle of your abdomen along your lower rib bones.
Push your palm up to your breastbone, to the left about 6 inches, down your lower rib bones, and back across to the right lower rib bones. (This pushing from right to left and back again constitutes one repetition.)
Repeat this movement firmly 36 times.
Kidneys This simple Chinese exercise should be done in the morning.
Benefits Stimulates the adrenal glands and the kidneys by increasing circulation and the flow of prana
Improves eyesight
Keeps the skin smooth
Strengthens libido
Focs Imagine the heat and energy flowing from your hands into your kidneys to promote healing.
Kidney Massage Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and lean forward a little. Rub the palms of your hands vigorously together to bring warmth into your hands and fingers, then place your hands over the small of your back.
Massage the small of your back by rubbing up and down, then in a circular motion around your lower back for 1 minute.
Pummel Kidneys Clench your fists, and pummel the small of your back for approximately 1 minute.
Repeat this alternating massaging and pummeling action for 1 minute at a time until you have completed 5 minutes, total, of both movements.
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