Warm-ups

Buddha Hand Daoist Meridian Stretching

At Madison Daoguan, after meditation, we routinely do “Buddha Hand”. This is a series of body, arm and hand movements coordinated with breathing. This practice will open meridians, joints and nourish internal organs (Neigong).

This practice incorporates methods that have been used by Daoists to maintain health and longevity since ancient times. Some of the methods were taught to us by Wang Yen-nien, a Daoist Abbott and our teacher. Some of the methods were taken from other sources. We have combined these methods into a beautiful, flowing movement sequence for coming out of sitting meditation, and into standing.

It is important to know that Buddha Hand can be performed:
• sitting in half lotus
• sitting in full lotus
• Burmese-style sitting meditation postures
• sitting in a chair
• standing as a Qi perfection (Qigong) exercise or as warm-up exercises in preparation for Absolute Boxing (Taiji Quan) practice.

Buddha Hand has many movements however, due to time constraints we generally have students do a shortened version. The movements are fairly easy to follow, and Daoist breathing method (Tu Na Dao Yin) is utilized in concert with movement.

Buddha Hands video featuring Don Coleman
created by our photographer Kerry G. Hill with photographs.

The movements are fairly easy to follow, and the breath is called:
Xi = inhale
Ho = exhale
(This is Mandarin Chinese and how we were taught, so this is what we do.)

Chris Hayden, another Taiji Daoguan student who also does Asian bodywork therapy, Rolfing and is a Zen practitioner, states, “The series of movements that students do at the Daoguan help to spread the energy developed during meditation throughout the body. The meditation itself builds energy in the central channels of the body, known as reservoir channels. The Buddha Hand movements stretch and activate many other channels which run through the arms, legs, head and trunk. This balances the energy and puts it to use.”