Lifting the Sky is the first of the 18 qigong exercises that make up the Shaolin 18 Lohan Hands. Also known as Both Hands Lift Sky, 雙 手 托 天, and SHUANG SHOU TUO TIAN, it is one of the most widely practiced qigong exercises in existence — and for good reason.
Key Benefits of Lifting the Sky
When practiced as qigong — not merely as physical form — Lifting the Sky offers the following benefits:
- Excellent for generating and sustaining energy flow
- Overcomes posture problems
- Good for those with a bad back
- Benefits people who find it hard to relax, think too much, or struggle to focus
- Can provide relief for post-birth incontinence
- Has been used successfully with students experiencing haemorrhoids — with the additional instruction to gently imagine everything below being pushed back into its correct position as you lift the sky
Why Lifting the Sky Is the Most Versatile Exercise in the Set
Lifting the Sky works across the full spectrum of qigong practice — from beginner to master level. A newcomer can use it to address health and vitality issues; an advanced practitioner can use the very same pattern to achieve profound states of energy and awareness. As one student described it:
“This is my favourite pattern because it’s the Swiss army knife of all qigong exercises. By practicing this one pattern I can enjoy all the benefits from radiant health to spiritual joy.”
This range is rare. Most exercises in the 18 Lohan Hands set serve specific purposes — Lifting the Sky serves all of them.
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 Lifting the Sky directly from a qualified qigong instructor is strongly recommended. You can learn from a book or video, but the effort required is greater and the benefits are reduced.
Next in the 18 Lohan Hands
The next exercise in the set is Shoot Arrows Left Right — exercise 2 of the 18 Lohan Hands.
