Tai Chi Brain-Boosting and neck-Strengthening Exercises

Sha Xuezhou's Brain-Boosting and Nece-Strengthening Exercises are a set of Tai Chi internal exercises that nourish the brain, strengthen the neck, and effectively prevent and treat cervical spondylosis, cervical and shoulder syndrome, stiff neck, neurasthenia and other diseases. (1) Wuji Jingzhuang: The practitioner sits with their face south and back north, their hands naturally placed on their knees, palms facing down, and the tips of their feet slightly turned inward, with the whole body relaxed. Then, slowly raise both hands to shoulder height, then turn the palms of both hands, with the palms facing each other. Relax the shoulders, lower the elbows, and tuck in the chest while moving the back. (2) Tai Chi Opening and Closing: Slowly open and close the hands to draw qi or rotate and knead qi, symbolizing the absorption of the essence of heaven and earth into the palms. When there is a feeling of "primordial qi" in the palms that cannot be pulled open or closed, it is said that "qi has been obtained". The breathing should be long, slow, even and in a reverse abdominal position. (3) Holding the vital energy to the top: Continue the momentum, hold the vital energy with both hands, comb it up from the front hairline to the back hairline. Then it runs from the back of the hairline along the back of the neck to both shoulders. Finally, let both hands hang naturally with the fingertips pointing down, symbolizing the release of the pathogenic qi from the head and neck into the ground through the fingertips. At the same time, make a soft "SHH" sound from the mouth. Do it nine times in a row. (4) Head Cover and push out: Continue the momentum, cross your fingers with both hands and place them at the back of your neck. Use the heel of your palm to hold the neck muscles and apply moderate force to lift and press 36 times. (5) Three drums beating simultaneously: Continuing the momentum, cover your ear holes with the palms of both hands and tap your brain 36 times with your index fingers. At this point, you will hear the sound of a drum beating in your ears. When done, suddenly release both hands to the sides. (6) Divine Tendon and Bone Pulling: Slowly place both hands on your knees, naturally lift your head and neck upwards, relax and lower your shoulders to create a pulling posture for your neck, and at the same time, pay attention to the downward movement of your qi. Do it for about 3 minutes. (7) Green Dragon Emerging: Continue the momentum and slowly swing your head to the left and right sides to the maximum extent. Do this 9 times. (8) Full-body patting: Stand up slowly and pat your hands from head to foot with moderate force in sequence. Note that the sequence of patting should be from top to bottom, from left to right, and from front to back. The entire body should be patted. (9) Nectar Bath: Stand still and relaxed. Slowly raise your hands from both sides of your body, keep your arms straight, and then slowly connect them from the top of your head to your lower abdomen. The mind captures the sweet dew from the sky, washing away the pathogenic and impure qi both inside and outside the body like a shower. Repeat this posture nine times in a row. Finally, slowly cross your hands and place them on the lower abdomen at the dantian area. For men, the left hand is inside; for women, the opposite is true. Rest quietly and conclude your practice. After finishing the exercise, rub your hands, dry bathe your face, rinse your mouth and dry comb your hair 36 times each. Note: 1. The place for practicing martial arts is suitable to be indoors or outdoors with fresh air and elegant environment. 2. Relaxing the tendons and plucking the bones means that while the head and neck are depressed upward, they are relaxed and sunken downward from below the shoulders. To better experience the feeling of "the qi sinking", you can exhale slowly and deeply, and carefully feel the comfortable sensation of your qi rippling down to your abdomen (lower dantian) as you exhale. When suppressing the tendons and moving the bones, do not use stiff force; instead, do it naturally. 3. Gargling is a dry rinsing action, usually about 36 times. The saliva in the mouth is slowly swallowed into the abdomen in three mouthfuls, with the intention of gathering the three treasures of essence, energy and spirit into the dantian. 4. When performing the "Green Dragon's Emergence", one can open their eyes according to their own adaptation level. If they feel comfortable doing it, they can open their eyes, and vice versa. However, it should be noted that when the green dragon emerges from its head, it needs to sway its head and neck extremely slowly, and try to push it to the left and right sides as much as possible. 5. When doing the Tai Chi brain-boosting and neck-strengthening exercises, self-activating exercises generally do not occur. If they do occur occasionally, you can use your thumbs to knead the temples for a moment, and then gently tap the Baihui point on your head several times with your hollow palms to eliminate them. When your neck sweats after practicing, first dry the sweat on your neck with a towel, and then apply a hot towel to the back of your neck. The therapeutic effect will be more obvious. 7. One can practice martial arts accompanied by soothing, gentle and cheerful music. This exercise should be done 2 to 4 times a day. It usually takes about 30 minutes to complete one practice session. It's better to practice in the morning and evening. However, as long as you have free time and can calm down, you can practice without being bound by the time.