While Standing, Rotating the Arms

[Anonymous]

While standing, I’m finding that rotating my arms inward seems to make my chi rise, while rotating outwards seems to make my chi sink. But in the videos, Bruce says rotate inwards to sink, and outwards to raise. Am I doing something wrong?

[Anonymous]

My guess would be you are doing nothing wrong.
Just as your thumbs represent rotating out and in, so can your pinkies.
This might change with practice, but I wouldn’t worry about it and just keep track of which way the rotation makes chi go up or down and use it as necessary for you.

[Anonymous]

Hi James,
Not saying this is “right” but just sharing my own experience of current learning- that sometimes rather than feeling one absolute direction of rising chi while rotating arm tissue out , I experience it as chi spiralling “outwards” to the extremities of the body which includes a sense of sinking – as its also going outwards to the feet, toes, fingers, scalp and beyond- not quite describable as a simply ‘upward’ direction. Then with arms rotating in- it can feel the reverse -like chi spiralling more inwards though body but also including some sense of up as “in”. Hope thats not confusing!

Sometimes I feel a downward compression and then I use rotation of the arm tissue outward to make more open space internally somehow going a sense of internal uplift (particularly connecting mind to the legs/neck which can get tight) which seems to help the sense of general flow. I think just paying attention to what is happening and being curious is good progress, and subtly grows with our practice- which keeps changing.

Regards
Nick

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