Bear Frolic Chi Kung Exercise #1

1.  The Big Bear Turns from Side to Side

Movement Description of Big Bear Turns from Side to Side 

Chi Kung (Qigong) Exercises

Bear Frolic Exercise #1: The Big Bear Turns from Side to Side
This webpage provides a detailed description, including photographs, of this movement.

Step out into a Horse Stance.  Face towards N12.  The Horse Stance should feel be rooted, centered, balanced, and stable. 
Place your hands on your hips. 
Bend the upper torso down, flexing forward, keep the back straight and head up. 
Move the upper torso slowly towards the right side to E3.  Try to remain bent forward until you reach E3.  Inhale. 
Keep your hands on your hips throughout this exercise.
Gradually lift the head and torso until you are upright and the face and chest are facing towards E3. 
Your right elbow should be pointing towards S6 and your left elbow pointing towards N12. 
Gently turn the head only to the left and look towards N12.  Intently gaze towards N12.  Enjoy the stretch.  Exhale. 
Gently bring the head back to face towards E3, the whole body is in an upright posture. 
Bend forward at the waist and draw the head and torso downward towards E3.

Move the upper body, flexed forward, from right side to the left side for 180 degrees, moving from E3 to W9.  Inhale. 
Gradually lift the head and torso until you are upright, and the face and chest are facing towards W9. 
Your right elbow should be pointing towards N12 and your left elbow pointing towards S6. 
Gently turn the head only to the right and look towards N12.  Intently gaze towards N12.  Enjoy the stretch.  Exhale. 
Gently turn the head only back to the left, and face W9.
Bend forward at the waist and draw the head and torso downward towards W9.
Move the upper body, flexed forward, from the left side to the right side for 180 degrees, moving from W9 to E3.  Inhale. 

Repeat the movement sequence from side to side, 3 to 8 eight repetitions. 

Breathe freely, comfortably, and deeply during this exercise.  Inhale-Exhale listed are suggestions. 
Try to avoid too much muscular tension as you move from side to side and up and down.  Extend rather than tense muscles. 
Move slowly and comfortably. 
Try to stay relaxed (Sung), alert, calm, and peaceful. 
Visualize, if you like, a mother bear coming out of a cave and powerfully turning from side to side to survey the outside world. 

Return to Bear Spirit Posture or Wu Ji Stance. 


This version of "Big Bear Turns from Side to Side" is the same as exercise in the Eight Section Brocade Qigong.

Bear Frolics Chi Kung Exercises

Bear Frolic Exercise #1: The Big Bear Turns from Side to Side
This webpage provides a detailed description, including photographs, of this movement.

Five Animal Frolics Chi Kung (Qigong, Nourshing Life) Exercises

Dragon Chi Kung Exercises

Valley Spirit Chi Kung


Each Monday, for the next year, I will be posting on this blog short descriptions of exercises from the Five Animal Frolics Chi Kung Practices. I began this project on 3/7/2016.  By the end of this project, you will have 52 Animal Frolics Qigong exercises.  Each webpage for the specific Animal Frolic Chi Kung exercise will also have photographs of me doing the exercise described each week.

Nourishing Life practices and exercises to improve fitness, maintain good health, increase energy, calm the mind, and improve the chances for longevity have a very long documented history in China.  A healthy and long life are goals of Taoist theory and practices.  Animal Frolics Chi Kung exercises date back to Dr. Hua Tuo (207 CE).  

"Wu Qin Xi (Five Animal Frolics): Chinese Health Qigong. Compiled by the Chinese Health Qigong Association. Beijing, Chine, Foreign Languages Press, 2007. 102 pages, includes an instructional DVD. ISBN: 9787119047799. VSCL. "In 2001 the Chinese government showed great interest in regulating the Qigong movement. The State Sport General Administration of China founded the Chinese Health Qigong Association, as a mass-organization to popularize, spread and research Health Qigong in cooperation with the Peking Sport University. 

In 2003 the organization presented the newly developed four Health Qigong Exercises on the base of excellent traditional Qigong, including: Yì Jīn Jīng (tendon-changing classic), Wu Qin Xi (frolics of five animals 五禽戲), Liu Zi Jue (the art of expiration in producing six different sounds), Ba Duan Jin (eight excellent movements), to fit the people's needs of promoting their health and body, and to develop traditional Chinese national culture further. 
The Chinese Health Qigong Association is a member of the All-China Sports Federation. During the process of developing the exercises, strictly scientific research methods have been followed. Primary experiments took place under supervision of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Modern Medicine, Psychology, Athletic Science and other related subjects. 
The Four Health Qigong Exercises can be seen as the essences from the related Qigong in various schools, inherited and developed traditional Chinese national culture. The new Health Qigong represented by the Chinese Health QiGong Association is breaking with the old tradition of family-styles and close teacher-student relation. 

It is hoped that the new standardisation is supporting the international spread of Qigong in the western hemisphere. Starting in September 2004 the "Health Qigong Magazine" became the association magazine of the CHQA. It is the only national health qigong publication in China; edtited through China Sports Press. After the successful 1st International Health Qigong Demonstration and Exchange in 2005 the CHQA organized in August 2007 the 2nd International Health Qigong Demonstration and Exchange in Peking including an international competition and the first Duan examination on Health Qigong. At the same time, the 2007 International Symposium on Health Qigong Science was organized where important scientific studies were made public."
- Wikipedia