Shen Gong Exercises

The Shen Gong exercises are from the Tao Tan Pai Taoist Elixer system. They are a
complete system for strengthening the spirit, qi and body. They are done standing and seated.
Care should be taken to keep a relaxed and comfortable feeling throughout the practice of
these exercises.

Shen Exercise #1 - Great Bird Spreads Wings

1. Curl the tongue to touch the roof of the mouth. Breathe into the Dantian or lower belly.

2. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose.

3. Feet together standing erect and looking straight ahead, arms and hands at side.

4. Step out to right, shoulder width apart, feet straight.

5. Raise arms up along the sides to shoulder height. Arms, hands and fingers pointing out to
the sides. Keep fingers together. Relax. Look straight ahead. Focus the attention on both
hands. The eyes are just able to see both hands equally when looking straight ahead.

6. Hold the position as long as is comfortable. Do not strain to hold this position. Keeping the
shoulders relaxed will allow you to stay in this position longer.

7. End by relaxing the tongue to a flat position and exhaling from the mouth. As you are
exhaling, allow the arms to float slowly down the sides of the body. Time your exhale so you
are fully exhaled by the time the arms reach the sides.

8. Take 3 breaths, inhale nose, exhale mouth, breathing in the Dantian.

This exercise strengthens the Shen-Spirit Mind.

Before going to Exercise #2, step in with the right foot.

Shen Exercise #2 - Twin Dragons Out of the Cave

1. Curl the tongue to touch the roof of the mouth. Breathe into the Dantian or lower belly,
inhaling nose, exhaling mouth.

2. Feet together, step out to right twice as far as in exercise #1. Keeping the back straight,
sink down as your bend your knees. At the same time as you bend your knees, raise the arms
and hands straight up in front of the body, keeping them straight and relaxed and shoulder

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width apart. Inhale as the arms float up into position. When the arms are at shoulder height,
focus the attention and gaze inbetween the hands.

3. Even though you are looking directly inbetween the hands, you are looking at both hands
equally. To do this, you must look in the middle. Keep your shoulders relaxed.

4. Relaxed inhales and exhales from the Dantian. Inhale and exhale through nose. Hold for as
long as is comfortable.

5. End by bringing the arms and hands in toward your body. Then slowly allow the hands
and arms to move down and raise the body up. It is as if the hands are pushing a cushion of
air down and the body comes up as you exhale through the mouth.

6. Take 3 breaths, inhale nose, exhale mouth, breathing in the Dantian. Step in with the right
foot.

This exercise strengthens the muscles and tendons.

Shen Exercise #3 - Spirit Dragons Come to Meet

1. Tongue is curled on the roof of the mouth. Inhale through nose and exhale through nose.

2. Step out to the right, shoulder width apart, feet parallel, body straight, shoulders relaxed.

3. Raise the arms and hands up out in front of the body, palms facing inward, hands about a
foot apart. When hands reach eye level, the index finger and thumb touch each other.
Fingertips pointing directly at each other about shoulder width apart.

4. Look directly in the center space between both hands. Relax.

5. Breathe into the Dantian, inhaling and exhaling through the nose. Hold as long as is
comfortable.

6. End by uncurling the tongue, exhaling through the mouth, turn hands so palms face down.
Collapse elbows in toward the body, hands moving down, finally ending on sides of the
body. Relax hands on the sides of the body. Time exhales with arm movements.

7. Take 3 breaths - inhale through nose and exhale through mouth. Step in with right foot.

This exercise circulates the Qi.

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Shen Exercise #4 - Green Dragon Out Of Sea

1. Tongue is curled on the roof of the mouth. Inhale through nose and exhale through nose.
Center the breathing in the Dantian.

2. Feet together, step out with right twice as far as in the previous exercise (same stance as in
#2).

3. Bend the knees as the hands begin to move in front of the body. Begin by bringing arms
and hands upward. Keep the palms facing toward the ground. Fingers point straight out, keep
fingers together. The arms remain bent at the elbows. The arms and hands are shoulder width
apart. The hands move up to the level of the 3rd eye or center of forehead. Then the hands
move down to the lower Dantian. Inhale through the nose as the hands omve upward, exhale
through the nose as the hands float downward. This is a relaxed fluid movement.

4. The eyes focus on the center space between the hands, but keep the head straight. Only the
eyes move. The attention is on both hands equally as in the previous exercises. Do as long as
is comfortable.

5. End by uncurling the tongue as the hands are at the up position. Exhale through the mouth,
lower the arms and hands slowly down toward the sides of the body. At the same time,
straighten the knees. Once up, you should be fully exhaled.

6. Looking straight ahead, take 3 breaths. Inhale through nose and exhale through mouth,