Wow! Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain

This simple qigong sequence captures the essence of all that is beneficial in moving meditation. It combines deep, rhythmic breathing with synchronized muscle motion. The three parts express joy, self-acceptance, and peace respectively. Your daily qigong practice can consist of just these three gestures. This meditation is especially powerful at sunrise and sunset.

Wow!! is the rapturous wonder with which we greet each new day. We receive the blessings of heaven and earth. As taught by Chungliang Huang, we take a deep breath, then exhale as we trace the wu ji glyph with our arms circling wide in exuberant expansion. We fill the wu ji circle with gratitude for the miracle of life.

Tiger is the wild beast that contains our animal nature, the parts of ourselves that we cherish and those that we seek to reject. But Tibetan Buddhist Chogyam Trungpa said, “There is no part of ourselves that is the villain, the enemy.” Inhale, cross your arms over your heart. Embrace Tiger is the act of honoring of all aspects of Self with compassion and forgiveness.

Mountain is the place of grounding. When Tiger has stirred up ferocious thoughts and emotions, even positive ones, Mountain returns heart and mind to stillness. Press your palms toward the ground and exhale, breathing down through the lower body, through the feet, into the earth.