Guang Ping Warmup Exercises

The Guang Ping Warmup Exercises we practice come from the Guang Ping Yang Style of Tai Chi.

This list is provided for current students to help remember the moves when practicing at home and is not intended to provide comprehensive instruction.

  1. Waist circles (video here)
    -Feet together
    -Hands on either side of the spine
    -Big circles with the waist
    -Keep your head from bobbing around
  2. Hip stretches (video here)
    -Feet shoulder-width apart
    -Hands on hips
    -Move hips straight across, then half-circle around the back
  3. Knee circles (video here)
    -Feet together
    -Bend the knees slightly–do not overextend
    -Start with clockwise circles
    -Straighten, exhale, relax the upper body
    -Repeat, but counter-clockwise
  4. Bend the Back Seven Times (video here)
    -Feet shoulder-width apart
    -Bend the knees slightly–do not extend past the ball of the foot or buckle your knees
    -Bend back, inhale
    -Exhale as you straighten back up
  5. Side bends (video here)
    1. Arms relaxed
    2. Reach over your head
    3. Fingers laced together
  6. Uphold the Sky to Balance the Triple Warmer (video here)
    -Lace the fingers together, inhale as you push palms towards the sky
    -Bring hands down to the sides and exhale
  7. Raise a Single Hand to Balance the Stomach and Spleen (video here)
    -One hand over the head, palm up; other hand palm down at your side
    -Inhale as you stretch up
    -Exhale as your palms come toward each other, as if you are compressing a ball between your hands
  8. Look Backward to Balance the Lungs
    -Turning your head side to side, looking over the shoulders
  9. Roll the Shoulders (video here)
    -Feet shoulder-width apart
    -Relax the arms
    -Inhale as you shrug shoulders back
    -Exhale as you slouch and roll shoulders forward
  10. Horse-Riding Stance Exercises
    1. Waist rotations
    2. Wave Hands Like Clouds (watch review video here)
      (Think The Karate Kid’s “Wax On, Wax Off”)
    3. Wind Rolls the Lotus Leaves AKA Rollback and Brush Knee
      (“Slam a door and wipe a tabletop” or think of The Karate Kid’s “Sand the Floor”
    4. Phoenix Extends a Single Wing (watch review video here)
    5. Drill and rise
    6. White Ape Offers Fruit