Tai Chi Gong | Root & Rise

Ground into the earth, lengthen through the spine, and move with the rising energy of Wood — the element of growth, renewal, and upward momentum. This gentle Qigong flow guides you through movements that root the body downward while encouraging an expansive, lifting quality through the upper body. Like a tree drawing water up from deep roots, you'll find steadiness below and freedom above.

Suitable for all levels. No experience needed.

Transcript

Welcome to this practice for cultivating the wood element. In the wood element, We want to cultivate a sense of transforming feelings of stagnation, Low energy, And also feelings of annoyance and anger into a feeling of growth. In abundance, Prosperity, And a feeling of rising. With the power of the earth and the energy of the sky. So I really want you to concentrate on this feeling of we're rising. At the same time as being rooted. We're grounded, Yet being creative and connecting to a feeling of abundance. So as you come into your stance. Be about hip to shoulder width apart, Feet firmly into the ground, Knees slightly bent. Slight drop in the tailbone and connect to this feeling of the spine rising and the body relaxed. First movement, We're just floating hands. So you're gonna sink a little into the heels, And in the feeling of pushing off the feet, Powering through that legs, The arms just float up to about shoulder height. As we rise. It's a feeling as if almost there's strings on the pinky and a string on the crown of the head. And as you exhale, You sink back into the earth. Feel slight difference in the pressure through the feet. So as you come up, You're pushing off the balls of the feet, About 55% in the balls of the feet. And as you come back down, About 55% into the heels, 45% into the balls of the feet. So as you come up, A feeling of floating arms. Crown floating as well. Exhale and sink. Three more. We're just going to add a little bit more movement, Though the arms are going to be doing the same. So now as you come up with the arms. You sink into the hips, And it's as if you're sitting in a high chair or a bar stool. Sinking into the heels, Sitting down like you're sitting. Then as you exhale, Push off the balls of the feet. Push the hands down and rise. Let that crown of the head rise up. Sink into the earth as the hands come up. Exhale, Rise. Really connect to this feeling. We root down into the earth as the arms rise. The inhale. Exhale, Pushing off. And rising, Three more like this. It's a feeling of almost pulsing through the earth. And relax and connect to that feeling. Once again, We're really kind of cultivating this principle of feeling rooted into the earth and rooted in our lives and being grounded at the same time connected with a feeling of rising. Creativity, Abundance. We're going to work on a movement now connecting sky and earth. Bit of a side stretch so you're going to bring both hands up the center line. One hand will go up, One hand will go down. The upper hand palm is up facing the sky. The lower hand is facing down facing the earth and just a gentle lean to the low hand side. Let the crown as if you're once again floating that head up. Exhale, Hands come, Lower hand palm up. Top hand palm down, They'll meet around here at the sternum. Inhale. Stretch. Exhale. Relax. Really kind of opening the space. The organ that we really cultivate. Work with here with the wood element is the liver. Lower part of our abdomen. So really opening up and balancing. We'll do one more each side. Bring it down. We're going to continue that feeling of moving sideways, But we're going to introduce a bit more twisting, Getting this looseness through the torso. You want to act as if you have two balls, One in your left hand and one in your right hand. So what we're going to be doing, I'm going to be moving my left side to my right. I'm going to be taking my left hand as if I'm handing the ball to someone up and to the right or putting it on a high shelf. My right hand's gonna be going behind my back, And I'm off, So I'm moving to my right side, I'm coming off my left heel. It's my inhale, As my exhale comes, I come to the middle. I switch the sides, My right hand now is handing the ball up to the left. Shell for someone. Inhale, We exhale. Reach up, Gentle twist. Relax. One more each side, And then we're gonna do something that kind of looks like this. Continues this practice, But a little bit more. Now what we're going to do is if you have a small ball in your hand. So you have like a small ball. Now we're going to come to the side and now it's like you're passing it behind you. Watch the middle point of the ball. Make sure you're not over twisting. Gently come to your edge, Be very mindful. Don't stream. Inhale as you hand the ball backwards. Is if you're handing it to someone behind you who's taller. And one more each side. And relax. Come on back and just feel into the body. We're going to bring the feet together. With this movement, I really want you to connect with the feeling of just this like. . . Strong tall tree like a redwood or a sequoia with deep roots yet rising quality up through into the sky so feet are together you're going to take the hands Bend your knees. Sink into the heels a bit more, Then push off the balls of the feet, Rise as tall as you can get. You're going to interlace the three fingers with the index fingers together, The thumb together. Stretch up. And then as you inhale, It's a feeling of someone pulling you up by the wrists. And as you exhale, Let the hands come to the head and sink more into the feet. Grabbing the floor with the toes, Sink into the heels. Inhale, Rise. Exhale root. Inhale, We rise. Connect to that feeling through the legs, Through the spine, As tall as you can possibly get. Then root down into the feet. We'll do this one more time. And then let's come back down, Keeping the feet together. Now we come back up again but instead of interlacing the fingers. Stretch up, Palms face the head. Exhale, Connect to the feeling like a. . . Spine is tall, Rising quality, You're as tall as can be, And yet the body relaxes as much as it can around that rising spine. Rise. And relax in root. One more. And then to finish off, We're going to do. . . A mudra that they use for the wood element, As well as this feeling of like a bamboo swaying in the wind. So you're going to take one hand. Doesn't matter which, Put it up by your head. Midpoint of your chest, The heart center, So the palms facing the opposite way. I have my left hand, Palm facing right. I take my right hand, And I have the fingers pointing to the ground so both hands are facing the same direction. Just feel that elongated quality of the spine. Body relaxed, Feeling rooted into the ground. Let the body sway. They call it bamboo swaying in the wind. Just let the body be. Don't try to control anything. And then switch the hands up. And relax. Feel into the body. Remember this wood element which is connected to the season of springtime. Where things start to grow. We want to manifest this feeling of growth, Creativity, Abundance, While at the same time being like a tree, Being rooted into the ground, Being grounded in our lives. And work on that as we move throughout the seasons. Thanks for joining me.