The Morning Set

晨功六式

Six movements, six minutes — the everyday warm-up you see in Chinese parks at dawn. Joints, breath, circulation. No experience, no equipment, no account needed.

Dawn Breathing · 晨息

Stand facing the light with feet shoulder-width apart, knees soft, arms hanging. Let the hands float up in front of the body to chest height as you breathe in, then sink as you breathe out. The arms do not lift the breath — the breath lifts the arms.

面向晨光而立，兩腳與肩同寬，膝蓋微鬆，兩臂自然下垂。吸氣時雙手隨息浮起至胸前，呼氣時下沉。不是手帶起呼吸，而是呼吸托起手。

  1. Feet shoulder-width, knees softly bent, tongue resting on the upper palate · 兩腳與肩同寬，膝微屈，舌抵上顎
  2. Inhale — palms float upward to chest height, facing up · 吸氣，兩掌向上浮至胸前，掌心朝上
  3. Exhale — palms turn over and press down to the lower abdomen · 呼氣，兩掌翻轉下按至小腹前
  4. Repeat six times, each cycle slower than the last · 重複六次，愈做愈慢

Breath · 呼吸 — In through the nose, out through the nose. Let the belly move before the chest does.

Dragon Turns Its Head · 龍回首

Turn the head slowly left, then right, as if looking behind you over each shoulder. Then roll the shoulders backward in large, slow circles. This is where a night of sleep collects — the base of the skull and the tops of the shoulders.

緩緩向左轉頭，再向右轉頭，如同回望肩後。而後兩肩向後緩緩畫大圓。一夜睡眠的僵滯，多聚於後腦與肩上。

  1. Turn the head slowly left, eyes following, pause for one breath · 緩緩向左轉頭，眼隨頭走，停一息
  2. Turn slowly right, pause for one breath · 緩緩向右轉頭，停一息
  3. Roll both shoulders backward six times — large circles, slow · 兩肩向後畫圓六次，圓要大要慢
  4. Roll both shoulders forward six times · 兩肩向前畫圓六次

Breath · 呼吸 — Breathe into whatever feels tight. Never force the turn — go to the edge of easy, not the edge of possible.

Swinging the Arms · 擺臂

Turn from the waist and let both arms swing loose, wrapping around the body — one hand tapping the lower back, the other the lower belly. The arms are ropes; the waist is the axle. This is the movement you will see most often in a Chinese park at six in the morning.

以腰為軸左右轉動，兩臂隨勢自然甩起纏繞身體 — 一手拍後腰，一手拍小腹。臂如繩，腰如軸。清晨六點的中國公園裡，此式最為常見。

  1. Feet shoulder-width, weight centred and even · 兩腳與肩同寬，重心居中
  2. Turn left from the waist — let the arms be thrown by the turn, not lifted by the shoulders · 以腰帶動，向左轉，兩臂自然甩起
  3. One hand lands on the lower back, the other on the lower belly · 一手拍後腰，一手拍小腹
  4. Turn right, alternating left and right, looser with each turn · 向右轉，左右交替，愈轉愈鬆

Breath · 呼吸 — Natural breathing — do not pace it to the movement. Let the momentum do the work.

Knocking at the Kidney Gate · 叩腎

Make loose, hollow fists and tap the lower back on both sides of the spine — never on the spine itself. The tapping is light and rhythmic, more like rain than hammering. Then rub the same area with the backs of the hands until it feels warm.

兩手鬆握空拳，輕叩脊柱兩側 — 切勿叩擊脊骨本身。力道輕而有節，如雨落，非如錘擊。而後以手背摩擦此處，至微熱為度。

  1. Make loose, hollow fists — never tight · 兩手鬆握空拳
  2. Tap either side of the spine — never the spine itself · 輕叩脊柱兩側，切勿叩擊脊骨
  3. Tap thirty-six times, with the weight of falling rain · 叩三十六下，力道如雨
  4. Rub the same area with the backs of the hands until it feels warm · 以手背摩擦後腰，至微熱為度

Breath · 呼吸 — Exhale on each tap. Feel the vibration travel down into the hips.

The Morning Pillar · 晨樁

Stand still. Feet shoulder-width, knees unlocked, arms hanging slightly away from the body as though holding a large soft ball. Crown lifted, tailbone dropped. Do nothing else for two minutes. This is the hardest movement in the set, and the one that changes people.

靜立不動。兩腳與肩同寬，膝不鎖死，兩臂微離身體，如抱大球。頭頂虛領，尾閭下垂。兩分鐘內別無他事。此式最難，亦最能改變一個人。

  1. Feet shoulder-width, toes relaxed and spread on the ground · 兩腳與肩同寬，腳趾放鬆抓地
  2. Knees unlocked — softly sunk, never locked straight · 膝不鎖死，微沉
  3. Arms hang slightly away from the body, as if holding a large soft ball · 兩臂微離身體，如抱大球
  4. Crown gently lifted as if suspended; tailbone dropped · 頭頂虛領，尾閭下垂
  5. Eyes half-lowered. Do nothing else. · 眼半垂，什麼也不做

Breath · 呼吸 — Slow, deep, natural. If the legs begin to shake, that is normal — soften the knees slightly and stay.

Sealing the Practice · 收勢

Bring both palms to rest over the lower belly, one hand over the other. Three slow breaths. In every Chinese park, no one walks away from practice without closing it first — the gathering matters as much as the work.

兩掌相疊，覆於小腹。三息，緩而深。中國的公園裡，無人練完便走 — 收功與練功，同等要緊。

  1. Rest both palms over the lower belly, one hand over the other · 兩掌相疊，覆於小腹
  2. One deep breath in, released slowly · 深吸一息，緩緩呼出
  3. Repeat three times · 如是者三
  4. Let the hands drop. Stand a moment longer before walking away. · 兩手放下，靜立片刻再走

Breath · 呼吸 — Three deep breaths. Do not rush the last one.