This is the opening move of the famous qigong form, Eight Pieces of Brocade (Ba Duan Jin).
It’s a really good stretch of the whole upper body, particularly the back, shoulders and sides.
In terms of Chinese medicine, the move regulates the Triple Burner. It is one of the body’s organs in Chinese medicine but can be seen as a metaphorical container for the main organs of the body, consisting of three parts – upper, middle, and lower burners, it balances and circulates Qi throughout the body, regulates the water functions, and facilitates the workings of other organs which it ‘contains’.
The first move of Eight Pieces of Brocade balances the triple burner.
You can learn more about the theory of qigong and tai chi here with Notes on Tai Chi here on Substack, or check out www.taichiapp.com for more qigong and tai chi.
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