POWER ANIMAL FROLICS, T'ai Chi / Yoga / Qigong For Children

Chi Chi Chimp

Swinging Through The Trees: Stand with feet shoulder width apart or a little more, slight bend in the knees. Raise the arms up over your head, palms facing toward each other like you're holding a big ball of energy. As you shift your weight from leg to leg, imagine your waist and arms are tracing an infinity symbol or figure 8. Flow from side to side.

Pulling Limb To Limb: Stand with feet shoulder width apart or a little more, slight bend in the knees. Bring your softly closed fists to shoulder height, elbows bent and in close to your body. Start to open your left hand and reach out with that hand like your grabbing the limb of a tree. Close your fist around the limb. Then shift your weight over to the left leg and simultaneously bring your hand back in toward the shoulder. Repeat on the other side. Feel like your pulling yourself or swinging from limb to limb.

Looking For Leopards: Feet start with heels close together and toes turned out, slight bend in the knees. Start with soft fists, palms up at the t'an tien. Take an empty (no weight) step with the left heel and extend the arms outward about chest high. Palms face away from you and fingertips are up. As you shift the weight on to the left leg, make soft fists with the hands. The left arm stays out extended and the closed palm curls back toward your body by bending the wrist. The right arm draws back so the right hand (palm curled back toward your body) is even with the left elbow. The backs of your hands are facing away from you. As the weight shifts and the hands curl back toward you, turn the head and look over the right shoulder. As you shift the weight back to the right leg, the head turns back to center, release the fists as the arms circle back down to the starting point, and then make soft fists as the hands actually return to the starting point at the t'an tien. Reverse the process stepping out on to the right heel.

Chi Chi Chimp Sees A Leopard And Crouches Low: From the point in the foregoing movement where the arms are extended, the fists curled, and the weight has been shifted forward, put your weight fully on the left leg. Bring the right foot forward and place it at a 90 degree angle to the left foot with the heel of the right foot toward the inside of the left foot at about toe level. As you step with the right foot, the left hand (release fist) drops down and circles out to the left and back up so the back of the hand is facing you (fingertips are to the right in front of the right shoulder). As you bend the knees and sink down, the body turns a quarter to the right and the right hand (release fist) drops down and circles out to the right in a full extension (fingertips away from your body, palm to the back). Rise up and take a small step forward with the left foot. Closed fists come back to t'an tien and start again only this time with the right foot leading.

Catching Falling Fruit With One Hand: From starting position step out on to left heel. As you do the arms rise up so the left arm is extended out with palm up at shoulder level and the fingers on the right hand (palm up) point in toward the middle of the left forearm. As you step on to the right foot the hands move out away from each other and circle down before rising up the middle and reversing positions (right arm extended and left hand facing it).

Catching Falling Fruit With Two Hands: Same as foregoing, only hands rise up breast high, even with one another about 3 to 4 inches a part, and palms up.

Eating Fruit: Same as foregoing, only hands rise up just under the chin with heels of hands touching or very close together and the fingers pointing outward to the corners (looking between your little fingers you see a "V" shape).

Monkey Mischief: Starts like Catching Falling Fruit With One Hand. From the position with the left foot forward and left hand up (right hand facing it at mid forearm) bring the right foot forward to meet the left. As you do, the hands make fists from the inside and turn out away from the body so the back of the hands are facing you at shoulder level. As you step forward with the right foot, the hands open up and circle down and away from each other. As you then step forward on to the left foot, the arms come up the center and end in the position of Eating Fruit (palms up under chin, heels of hands touching, fingers to corners). Then repeat the sequence stepping forward with the right foot, right arm up, etc.

Tail Chasing: Feet are fairly close together. Extend the arms out to the sides, shoulder height, palms facing up. Focus your eyes on your right hand. Shuffling your feet as necessary, turn in circles to the right. Turn very slowly at first. As you practice and learn to keep your balance, you can spin faster and faster. Keep your eyes focused on the palm of your right hand the whole time you are turning. When you stop turning, keep your eyes focused on your right palm until any dizziness or imbalance subsides.

See No Evil (cover your eyes with your hands and focus your attention on your breath as it flows in and out).

Speak No Evil (cover your mouth with your hands and focus your attention on your breath as it flows in and out).

Hear No Evil (cover your ears with your hands and focus your attention on your breath as it flows in and out).

Think Only Great Thoughts (cover your head with your hands and focus your attention on your breath as it flows in and out).