Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong bent knees and 7 steps and harmony of the universe

Hi
Does anyone know if knees are to be bent doing these 2 exercises? When doing 7 Steps, as you raise left leg up, I've been keeping right leg straight( and I've been getting more knee pain more in that knee than when I'm doing it the other way around. Should I be keeping the "straight leg" very slightly bent, while I raise the other leg for the pumping action?
Alos in Harmony of the universe, same question. When I'm extending left leg and foot, is my right leg supposed to be striaght or with knee slightly bent? It's impossible to tell from the DVD nor is it clear in the manual.
Does it matter either way? I'd wondered before but now with some increased pain in my kness, especially the right one, I'm wondering if I've been doing it correctly. Or perhaps I bounced too strenously when I did bouncing, or maybe it's just blockages coming out. Any advice on this would be great.

In love and light,
Peggy

Yes, there is always a slight bend in the knees, but do what most feels natural as you move the other parts of the body. It can be mostly straight if that feels better. Or you can do it sitting it or lying down until you feel better.

In "7 Step" back leg is slightly bent. In "Harmony", when both feet are on the ground, knees are slightly bent. When tilting or extending, let the leg straighten if that is what seems natural.

The bouncing can be very light bouncing.

If you are experiencing knee pain and you have found a variation that helps alleviate that, do that. Everyone is built differently. The forms are basic help guides not meant to be followed slavishly. They help guide the energy and open channels.

The more importantly thing is the mental focus and the breathing.

The motions support these. Much more that than the other way around (though they all support each other, the "yin/yang" balance is more on the "yin": i.e. mental imagery/feeling/visualization/focus and breathing, than on the "yang" (i.e. physical activity).

Too much straightness blocks channels. But so too, does hyperextension of the knee. One has to find one's own balance point on all of these.

Most important thing: feel the flow of the energy.