Nine Temple Exercises Part 3
Following on from my previous post, here are the last three movements in the sequence of the Nine Temple Exercises.
7 Advance/Retreat – stimulates liver, gallbladder, kidneys, spleen and colon
Stand with feet hip width apart, facing forward, knees slightly bent. Keep feet parallel throughout the whole movement. Shift weight to the right foot and turn your body to face left.You will feel a pull in the waist area. Shift weight to the left foot, still facing in the same direction so that your shoulders are parallel with your feet. Turn to face right. Shift right. You are advancing. Repeat this movement about 9 times shifting and turning from side to side.
Now retreat. When the weight is on the left foot and you are facing left, instead of turning, shift weight to the right foot. Turn to face right. Now shift to the left, still facing the same direction. You are retreating. Repeat this movement about 9 times.
In this exercise you are mainly moving your upper torso, turning 180 degrees each time. Try to resist movement of the legs and feet as you turn. Be gentle and slow. Placing your hands on your abdomen will help with your focus.
8 Corn Grinding – activates kidneys and strengthens thighs
Place feet approximately two feet apart and bend the knees. Lean forward slightly from the waist without any strain. Imagine there is a table at knee height. Move the hands with palms facing down in a circular motion, as if you are grinding corn on the table. Shift weight gently from side to side as the left hand makes a counter-clockwise circle and the right hand makes a clockwise circle. The hand movement here is similar to the movement wave hands in clouds in taijiquan.
9 Cleaning the Mirror – stimulates kidneys, strengthens lower back, back of knees, inner thighs; prevents hemorrhoids
Stand with feet about shoulder width or a little wider apart. Place hands in front of your chest with palms facing away from the body. Imagine you are cleaning a large, round mirror which is bigger than you are. Bring your hands up the center of the ”mirror” and then circle the left hand out to the left side and the right hand out to the right, as if cleaning the outer edges of the ”mirror”. At the same time bend into a squatting position as the hands move down and to center. Keep the back relatively straight as you continue to squat. Try to keep the feet flat on the ground without raising heels. As you rise back up, bring the hands back to the center and up the ”mirror” again. Repeat about nine times. Pause each time between repetitions. The more slowly you do this movement and the deeper you squat, the stronger your legs will become.
Note, if you are looking for the Temple Exercises online, you may find slight variations in the movements. Try them out if you wish and choose to practice those which feel most comfortable for you. Remember to be aware of your body’s signals and discontinue anything that causes pain of any kind.
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