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The Hand-Swinging Exercise. Reposted from Huaxia Dong’s Complete Collection; modified. Share on WeChat: The Hand-Swinging Exercise. Summary: This exercise originated from a portion of the Da Mo Yi Jin Jing techniques from the ancient Shaolin Temple in China, and it is also a very popular hand-swinging practice these days. The hand-shaking exercise has many benefits for health. From the perspective of meridians, it helps to unblock several meridians in the hands, and it is particularly effective in unblocking the pericardium; it can serve as a substitute for massage of the pericardium. The hand-shaking movement – its benefits: http://www.hudong.com/images/enlarge.gif. This movement is mentioned in the writings of Wei Boyang, a Taoist from the Han Dynasty, as well as in those of Bodhidharma, a Buddhist from the Southern and Northern Dynasties; it is also considered to be a secret technique not passed on by practitioners of Xingyi Quan. It primarily achieves this by maintaining a calm state of mind, eliminating distracting thoughts, allowing for natural relaxation, and moving the hands in a leisurely manner; this stimulates the body’s physiological functions, unblocks the meridians, promotes the flow of energy and blood, and activates various areas connected to the heart through the fingers. Through rhythmic periods of excitement and inhibition, it helps the body achieve balance between yin and yang. The throwing motion actively moves the shoulder and elbow joints, causing the wrist to vibrate. As a result, it helps to activate the muscles and bones, and promotes the circulation and smooth flow of qi and blood in the three yin meridians of the hands (the Lung Meridian of the Hand-Taiyin, the Heart Meridian of the Hand-Shaoyin, and the Pericardium Meridian of the Hand-Jueyin), which is highly beneficial for the health of the heart and lungs. This method also has a good effect on improving memory and reducing mental stress. Experimental evidence shows that the hand-flipping movement can increase the production of endorphins in the human brain, thereby achieving effects of calming, soothing the nerves, and stabilizing emotions. Some medical experts believe that as the arms move back and forth during the hand-shaking motion, in order to maintain the body’s center of gravity, the feet naturally press down on the ground alternately, thereby exerting a massage effect on the Yongquan acupoint. Practice has shown that the throwing motion is indeed effective in treating chronic diseases. In particular, it has a good adjuvant therapeutic effect on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, dizziness, neurasthenia, cervical spondylosis, kidney diseases, irregular menstruation, hemorrhoids, and other conditions. Waving motion – Method 1: Stand upright, concentrate, look straight ahead, keep your knees slightly bent, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. 2. Stand with the entire sole of the foot flat on the ground, pressing the toes against the ground, just like in the horse stance in Tai Chi. 3. Relax both arms and slowly raise them to shoulder height. 4. Swing forcefully from top to bottom and from front to back; focus your mind on the palm while keeping your arm relaxed. Raise the arm swung backward as high as possible; since everyone’s flexibility varies, there’s no need to force it. 5. Inhale when lifting, and exhale when lowering. 6. Returning to the third action, slowly raise both arms with relaxed arms; no need to use force, keep the movement gentle. 7. Keep both arms relaxed and straight, count silently in your mind, gradually reaching from fifty to a hundred times. About fifty times, the tips of the fingers will feel warm due to the improved blood circulation; this is a beneficial exercise. By practicing it consistently, three times a day, one can maintain high levels of energy both mentally and physically. The hand-shaking exercise – the sixteen principles starting with the character \"Yi\": For the upper body, it is appropriate to be in a state of \"emptiness\"; the character \"emptiness\" refers to a state of vacancy, meaning that the upper body should be completely empty. The upper part should be \"empty\"; the character for \"empty\" denotes emptiness, implying that the upper part is completely void. It is appropriate to use \"solid\", as this character conveys the idea of solidity; thus, one can imagine a structure that is light on top but heavy below. The head should be in a \"hung\" position; by \"hung,\" it means suspended, as if there is a rope holding up the hair at the top of the head. The mouth should be in a state of \"following\"; by \"following\", it means keeping the mouth slightly closed. The chest should be like “cotton” – cotton being soft and limp; the chest is meant to be as soft and weightless as cotton. The back should be in a state of \"extension\"; by \"extension\" is meant being upright, that is, naturally straight. The waist should have an \"axis\" – an axis is the center of a wheel; imagine your spine rotating from side to side. The arm should be \"swayed,\" moving gently as if rowing a boat. The elbow should be \"stable\"; the elbow is equivalent to the wrist, and when swinging the hand, one should use steady strength to swing it backward. The wrist should be \"heavy\"; when swinging the hand, apply force to the wrist, just like the heavy head of a hammer, to make the swing natural and powerful. The hand should move in a “rowing” motion; rowing implies moving the hand backward as if rowing a boat, which also causes the internal organs to be continuously moved. The abdomen should be \"solid\"; if it is as solid as iron, then there will naturally be a sensation of being lighter on top and heavier at the bottom. Cross the saddle with ease; keep the feet slightly on the reins, and let the riding position remain natural and relaxed. For the anus, it is advisable to \"lift\" it, raising the anus upward. Keep the hips slightly lowered, the waist straight, and the heels firmly grounded like rocks. The toes should be used to \"grasp\"; by mentally imagining the soles of the feet as if they are gripping the ground, one naturally achieves a state of \"emptiness above and solidity below\". Movements involving shaking the hands – Precautions: It is advisable to perform these movements on an empty stomach; if done after a meal, wait two to three hours first to avoid affecting the stomach and intestines. Keep your head level and look straight ahead. The number of times you shake off your hand can be as many or as few as you want, depending on each person’s physical strength; there’s no need to force it. The gesture of letting go – Example: Mr. Tan Kah Kee, who is hailed as \"the banner of the overseas Chinese and the glory of the nation,\" worked hard throughout his life and faced many difficulties in starting his business, yet he managed to live to the age of 88. According to Chen Guoqing, one of his five sons, Mr. Chen’s method for maintaining a long life involved doing 15 minutes of hand-shaking exercises every morning.