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Worksheet: Interdisciplinary access

Sheet 7: Wind in gymnastics

Most exercises in Western sports and gymnastics do not convey any content and have their only purpose in training specific muscles, stretching the muscles and bones, and activate the body.

In Eastern sports this is different, although the final issue is also to keep your body fit. But they have more concepts in gymnastics which include more than just body functions:
the soul, the universe, and also understanding nature, listening to music.

Qigong uses many allusions to nature to describe the different exercises.

Exercise:

One exercise is called

Separating the clouds with swinging arms:

You stand at ease, feet apart, slightly in the knees, hands at your knees (left figure),
then you lift the arms to your shoulders, stretch you body and become as tall as possible,
turn your palms outside, and push with your palms the heavy clouds apart (tension in your arm muscles).
And when you separate the clouds and breathe out with open mouth you should imitate the wind.

Do this exercise 10 to 20 times.

Further links on this topic:

English: (US)
www.qi.org/
www.qigonginstitute.org/

Deutsch:
www.qigong-info.de/
www.taiji-qigong.de/
www.qigong-gesellschaft.de/

About this page:

- Author: - Dr. Schrettenbrunner - University of Nürnberg - Germany
- scientific reviewing:
- educational reviewing:  Dr. Schleicher / J. Heres
- last update: 09.09.03