Opening up the chest exercise

[GrahamB]

There seems to be a lot of interest in opening up the chest area, so I thought I'd share an exercise I do quite regularly that I've found beneficial for IMA.

'Expand and step'

Stand heels together toes out 45 degrees and relax, arms by side

1. Breathe in. Raise up onto balls of feet as you bring your palms together as if in prayer, up the front of the body, over the head (in contact) and down the back of the head until your wrists nestle in the nape of the neck, fingers pointing down.

2. Breath out. Step forward with right leg and move to a forward bow and arrow stance (70% weight on front leg), but on the balls of the feet.

3. Breathe in. Back to feet together (weight 50/50) on balls of feet.

4. Breathe out. Step forward with left leg. Still on balls of feet.

5. Breathe in. Back to feet together. Still on balls of feet.

6. Breathe out. Step right leg to side stance (weight 70% on right leg) still on balls of feet.

7. Breathe in. Back to feet together. Still on balls of feet.

8. Breathe out. Step left leg to side stance (weight 70% on left leg) still on balls of feet.

9. Breathe in. Back to feet together. Still on balls of feet.

10. Breathe out. Lower heels to floor as you take the hands back over the head and down the front of the body to the arms at the side.

Benefits: Opens up chest area, ribs and is good for full chamber breathing. Good for balance, and improves muscle tone in legs.

[RobP2]

Or

Stand with your hands in the air (like a surrender position). your partner stands back to back, slide his hands into the crook of your elbows and gently pulls.

[GrahamB]

Or

Stand with your hands in the air (like a surrender position). your partner stands back to back, slide his hands into the crook of your elbows and gently pulls.

Hmmm.. I don't think my wife would go for that in her current condition (pregnant!)

Oh.... by partner you didn't mean... oh right....

[RobP2]

Lol - congratulations, you fertile old thing you.....

[GrahamB]

Lol - congratulations, you fertile old thing you.....

It's all the Chi

[Darth Rock&Roll]

yi jin jing has chest expansion and cavity opening as a gong within the cycle of gongs that it is.
you can of course separate out the gongs that are in longer sets of qigongs and work them individually once you grasp the whole sequence.

[cdobe]

Lol - congratulations, you fertile old thing you.....

It's all the Chi

Constant fact checking part 456:

No, it's the Jing.

Congrats to you wife. Who's the father ?

CD

[GrahamB]

Congrats to you wife. Who's the father ?

CD

Don't know - but when i find him he's in real trouble!

[Dmitri]

bring your palms together as if in prayer, up the front of the body, over the head (in contact) and down the back of the head until your wrists nestle in the nape of the neck, fingers pointing down

That feels like a great "opening" position for the arms; I'm gonna add it to the little things I do (on this subject) throughout the day.
(Without all the stepping stuff... who needs balance anyway. )

Thanks for sharing.

[GrahamB]

bring your palms together as if in prayer, up the front of the body, over the head (in contact) and down the back of the head until your wrists nestle in the nape of the neck, fingers pointing down

That feels like a great "opening" position for the arms; I'm gonna add it to the little things I do (on this subject) throughout the day.
(Without all the stepping stuff... who needs balance anyway. )

Thanks for sharing.

I often wonder if the stepping stuff is just something to do while you hold the position with the arms - but at least you're doing something with your legs at the same time, better than doing nothing I guess Although you could do it seated....

[Dmitri]

Playing around a bit... Some ideas:

With arms kept in that position, try:
- bending your torso forward/back/left/right;
- rotating around slowly, while keeping the torso bent to the max in all directions;
- twisting it left/right while being upright;
- twisting it left/right while being bent to the max forward, (then) backwards, left, right. E.g. (with the arms up there over/behind your head), bend upper-body to the left as much as possible, then, staying bent, twist torso to look up, then down (both to the max)

Just some ideas to try, FWIW.

Feels nice.

but at least you're doing something with your legs at the same time, better than doing nothing I guess

Well yeah, but the subject matter is "Opening up the chest exercise", right?

[GrahamB]

Playing around a bit... Some ideas:

With arms kept in that position, try:
- bending your torso forward/back/left/right;
- rotating around slowly, while keeping the torso bent to the max in all directions;
- twisting it left/right while being upright;
- twisting it left/right while being bent to the max forward, (then) backwards, left, right. E.g. (with the arms up there over/behind your head), bend upper-body to the left as much as possible, then, staying bent, twist torso to look up, then down (both to the max)

Just some ideas to try, FWIW.

Feels nice.

Thanks, sure does. Reminds me a bit of the Wu version of White Crane Spreads Wings....

[Dmitri]

Yeah as far as torso goes, yes, but arms/shoulders is what makes this a very different kind of stretch...

Gotta remember to continuously keep the fingers reaching down the back (and elbows up), otherwise during all that twisting they "sneak out" into an easier-to-hold position...

[cdobe]

Here's a good chest opener from our Wu style lineage:

Grab your own wrist behind your back, pull the arms and shoulders down. Now, bring your head into alignment and raise from the baihui. Expand the upper chest area up and out.

Viola