%206409df%202.png)
Breathing
Breath Out sinking for prep
Breath In rising up
Breath Out sinking
Visualization
and
Philosophy
As you prepare to practice Flutter and Gather the Chi, imagine that you are a great white crane with a long beautiful neck and large graceful wings. The move begins with you crossing and uncrossing your wings in front of you just as the beautiful crane might gently stretch its wings forward and back when it first wakes. As your arms rise up and your legs straighten, imagine that your long neck is stretching to breathe in an invigorating breath of fresh air. Your arms are gathering chi as they rise. As your arms lower the chi is brought with them. The chi is washed down the front of you gathering old spent chi and replacing it with the freshly gathered new chi.
Purpose/ Benefits
During the flutter portion of Flutter and Gather the Chi the chest muscles are stretched and contracted helping to reduce tension in the area of the heart and lungs. The effects of opening/stretching the heart and lung region of the torso are similar to the effects of Crane Stretches Wings. The heart and lung do not have to work as hard to get oxygen to the body which results in slowing the heart rate, lowering the blood pressure, and reducing stress.
The movements in the Gather the Chi portion of the move is very similar to the movements in Chi Breath. The purpose and benefits of both moves are nearly identical. The purpose is to improve lung function and increase relaxation. This is done by bringing air all the way to the bottom of the lungs on each inhale.