Qigong is not complicated, and you do not need to be flexible, fit, or coordinated to start. These eight movements are some of the most common beginner exercises in the practice, and they build on each other in a natural order: loosen up, settle the breath, then move slowly with the body, breath, and attention working together. You can do them standing or, where noted, seated. Wear comfortable clothes, give yourself a little space, and go slower than feels necessary. Slow is the point.
If this is your very first time, you may want to read how to start Qigong from scratch first, and if you are wondering whether any of this is worth your time, you can see what the research says about Qigong. Otherwise, start at number one and take your time.
'A moving hinge doesn't rust. We have to keep them moving.' Christopher Grant
1. Shake and Release
Loosens the whole body and wakes up circulation before you begin
What it is: A light, bouncing shake through the whole body. It is the simplest way to release surface tension and get things moving before the slower work.
How to do it: Stand with your feet about hip width apart and your knees soft. Let your arms hang. Gently bounce from your knees so a loose shake travels up through your legs, hips, spine, shoulders, hands, and jaw. Keep your jaw and hands soft. Let everything jiggle. Breathe naturally through the nose. Do this for thirty seconds to a minute, then stop and stand still for a few breaths and notice the buzz.
Gentler option: Sit in a chair and shake just your hands, arms, and shoulders, or bounce lightly on the balls of your feet without standing.
2. Belly Breathing (Lower Dantian Breathing)
The foundation breath under every other movement
What it is: Slow breathing into the lower belly, the area a few inches below the navel that Qigong calls the lower dantian. This is the breath you return to in every practice.
How to do it: Rest one hand on your lower belly. Breathe in slowly through the nose and let the belly expand gently into your hand, so the lower ribs and abdomen widen rather than the chest lifting. Breathe out slowly and let the belly soften back. Keep it easy and quiet. Aim for a longer, smoother exhale than inhale. Ten slow breaths is plenty to start.
Gentler option: Do it lying down with your knees bent and a hand on the belly. Lying down makes the belly breath easier to feel and is a fine way to practice on a low-energy day.
3. Gathering the Qi
A simple rising and settling movement joined to the breath
What it is: A slow scooping gesture where the arms float up as you breathe in and settle down as you breathe out. It teaches the core Qigong skill of matching movement to breath.
How to do it: Stand with soft knees. As you breathe in, let both arms float up and out to the sides and then forward to about chest height, palms turning up, as if lifting something light from the ground. As you breathe out, turn the palms down and let the hands sink slowly back down in front of your body, elbows soft. Move at the speed of your breath, not faster. Repeat six to ten times.
Gentler option: Make the arm movement smaller and lower, only lifting to waist height, or do it seated.
4. Cloud Hands
A flowing side-to-side movement for coordination and calm
What it is: A continuous, drifting movement where the hands trace slow circles across the front of the body as your weight shifts from side to side. It looks like clouds moving across the sky, which is where the name comes from.
How to do it: Stand with feet a little wider than your hips, knees soft. Let your weight shift gently onto your right foot as your hands drift to the right, one hand near shoulder height with the palm toward you and the other near the belly. Then shift your weight to the left as the hands trade places and float across to the left. Keep the hands moving in slow, soft circles and let your waist turn with them. Breathe naturally. Continue for six to ten shifts each way.
Gentler option: Keep your feet still and only move the arms and waist, or reduce the weight shift to a small sway.
5. Holding Up the Sky
The opening movement of the classic Eight Brocades set
What it is: The first of the Ba Duan Jin, the Eight Brocades, one of the oldest and most widely taught Qigong forms. It gently stretches the whole front of the body and opens the breath. If you enjoy it, the full beginner guide points you toward the rest of the set.
How to do it: Stand tall with feet about hip width. Bring your hands in front of your lower belly, fingers loosely interlaced, palms up. As you breathe in, raise your linked hands slowly up the centerline of your body, and near chest height turn the palms over so they face the ceiling and press gently upward as your arms straighten overhead. Look up slightly if it feels good on your neck. As you breathe out, release the fingers and let both arms float back down out to the sides. Repeat six times.
Gentler option: Do not reach fully overhead. Lift only to a comfortable height, keep your gaze level, and skip the neck extension.
6. Drawing the Bow
A steady movement that opens the chest and builds a little strength
What it is: Another movement from the Eight Brocades, named for the motion of drawing a bow and arrow. It opens the chest and works the arms and legs gently.
How to do it: Step your feet a little wider than your hips and bend your knees into a shallow, comfortable stance. Cross your wrists in front of your chest. Turn your gaze to the left. Extend your left arm out to the left with the index finger pointing up, while the right hand draws back toward your right shoulder as if pulling a bowstring. Feel the chest open. Breathe out as you draw. Then release, return the hands to center, and repeat on the other side. Do three to five times each way.
Gentler option: Stand more upright with less bend in the knees, and make the arm reach shorter and slower.
7. Separating Heaven and Earth
A stretch that lengthens the sides of the body
What it is: A movement from the Eight Brocades where one hand presses up and the other presses down at the same time, lengthening the torso from both ends. It is said to support digestion and even out the breath.
How to do it: Stand with feet hip width, knees soft, and both hands in front of your belly, palms up. As you breathe in, turn one palm up and press it slowly toward the ceiling while the other palm turns down and presses toward the floor, so your arms move in opposite directions and your torso lengthens. Keep both shoulders relaxed. As you breathe out, bring both hands back to center in front of the belly. Switch which hand goes up and repeat. Do four to six times on each side.
Gentler option: Press only as far as feels easy, keep the elbows a little bent, and do it seated if standing tires you.
8. Horse Stance Basics
The foundational standing posture behind almost every form
What it is: A wide, low standing position that grounds you and builds patient leg strength and steady attention. Almost every Qigong form is built on some version of it, and holding it quietly is a practice in its own right.
How to do it: Step your feet a little wider than your shoulders, toes pointing roughly forward. Bend your knees and sink your weight down as if you were about to sit on a high stool, keeping your knees tracking over your feet and not collapsing inward. Keep your spine long, your chest soft, and your tailbone dropping toward the floor. Rest your hands in front of your belly or on your thighs. Breathe slowly and hold for as long as it stays comfortable, starting with fifteen to thirty seconds and building over time.
Gentler option: Bend the knees only slightly, narrow the stance, or sit on the front edge of a sturdy chair to feel the same grounded, upright quality without loading the legs.
How to put these together
You do not need all eight in one sitting. A good beginner flow is to start with a minute of shaking, settle with ten belly breaths, then pick two or three of the moving exercises and finish standing quietly in an easy horse stance. That is a complete practice in ten minutes. The order matters less than the habit. What makes Qigong work is not doing it perfectly, it is doing it often, slowly, and without strain. If anything hurts, make it smaller or come out of it. There is never any need to force a shape or keep up with anyone else.
As you practice, you may start to feel warmth in the hands, a light tingling, or a settled, quiet feeling in the body. That is normal, and it is a good sign the practice is doing what it is meant to do.
Want these guided, in order, from home?
The Jump Start Your Energy course walks you through gentle beginner Qigong at your own pace, so you never have to wonder if you are doing it right.
This is educational content, not medical advice, and none of these exercises are offered as a treatment or cure for any health condition. Move within your own comfortable range and stop if anything causes pain. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or have any concern about exercise, check with your own practitioner before beginning a new practice.