Rotation is one of the basic Mother Movements of Ying Lung Hsing bagua qigong. Rotation is done using the legs and the hips to rotate the pelvis. The pelvis should not tip or tilt but should be held as though it were a bowl that you didn't want to spill. The spine is held straight like a ridge pole and the body moves with the pelvis.
The rotation should be clean and without side to side movement as if the spine was a pole that extended into the ground and out the top of the head. Be sure to keep the weight evenly distributed throughout the feet.The legs should do the work of the rotation. The shoulders should move as one with the hips. The lower back should be open and the pelvis slightly tucked under as if you were sitting on a stool.
Here are some basic exercises for developing rotation.
Swing Arms
The body does clean rotation while the arms swing freely. Let the arms and shoulders relax. Don't over rotate the upper body. You can stimulate the adrenals and the lymph by adding cupping hands, and gently striking the upper chest and the lowerback. This is a very basic (important) exercise common to many traditions.
Water Wheel Arms
Here we are learning to use the body to propel the arms. The body rotation powers the arms in circles along a verticle plane in front of the centerline. The movement here is as if you were cranking a large wheel. Be sure not to lean out. Take care to stay sung and let the legs and body rotation do the work.
