INSTRUCTIONS & VIDEO
This finger stretching exercises helps to promote strength and flexibility through all of the fingers equally. As we dominate with one hand over the other in our daily activities and even ‘work’ some fingers over others, this exercise will encourage balance.
Begin with feet apart and the body relaxed. Sink the weight, feeling the feet on the ground. Allow the breath to sink to the belly and let it slow down naturally. Feel the shoulders soften and allow the arms to become light.
Raise the arms to a comfortable height in front of the torso.
Rotate the palms down and softly open through the hands.
Starting with the thumbs, extend along the length of your digit to the end, as though pointing out through the ends of your thumbs.
Relax the thumbs.
Next, stretch and extent along the length of your index fingers, all the way out through the ends.
Relax the index fingers.
Repeat and extend through the length of your middle fingers.
Relax the middle fingers.
Again stretch, now with the ring fingers, all the way out through the ends.
Relax the ring fingers.
Finally stretch and extend along the length of the little fingers.
Relax the little fingers.
Repeat this exercise three to nine times.
When performing this exercise it is important that you try to apply the same pressure to all of the fingers. When you become comfortable with the movements of the fingers, remember the softness of the shoulders and the sinking of the weight. Try to feel the movement of the fingers through the whole body, as though the movement begins in the feet.
Author: Tina Faulkner Elders
Images: Tina Faulkner Elders
FINGER STRETCHING EXERCISES VIDEO
More Qigong Exercise Videos and Instructions
This article is part one of the series Introduction to basic Qigong for beginners.
Two more stretching exercises with Tina we filmed a few years ago.