Lift Heels Bend Knees is the seventeenth of the 18 qigong exercises that make up the Shaolin 18 Lohan Hands. Also known as 提 踭 彎 膝 and QI ZHENG WAN ZUO, it does exactly what the name suggests — and demands a notable degree of balance and concentration to perform correctly. Knees making snap, crackle, and pop sounds during this exercise are common and not a cause for concern.
Key Benefits of Lift Heels Bend Knees
When practiced as qigong — not merely as physical form — Lift Heels Bend Knees offers the following benefits:
- Beneficial for the knees
- Encourages qi to flow to the extremities of the body
- Brings relief from arthritis and rheumatism
- Opens the meridians in the legs, allowing negative qi to drain efficiently through the feet
- For those ready for advanced practice, promotes the Small Universal Qi Flow — the continuous flow of qi through the Ren and Du meridians, associated with radiant physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health
An Important Note on Form vs. Qigong
The benefits above are only available when this exercise is practiced as qigong — with a Qigong State of Mind (QSoM) and genuine energy flow. Practicing the physical movements alone — the form — will not produce these results. The form is not the art of qigong.
Learning Lift Heels Bend Knees directly from a qualified qigong instructor is strongly recommended, particularly given the balance and coordination required.
Next in the 18 Lohan Hands
The next exercise in the set is Divine Crane Rotates Knees — the final exercise of the 18 Lohan Hands.
