Baduanjin 3: Separating heaven and earth

Baduanjin (say "bah-dwan-jin") is a set of eight gentle qigong movements from China. It is also called the "Eight Section Brocade." Each movement joins slow stretching, steady breathing and calm attention, and each is done on both sides of the body.³

The third movement is called "Separating heaven and earth." It is also known as "Holding one arm aloft." One hand presses up toward the sky while the other presses down toward the ground. Then the hands switch. It stretches one side of your body at a time, so it is often easier on the shoulders than lifting both arms at once.

Why this movement matters

Qigong (say "chee-gung") is a mind and body practice. It uses slow movement, deep breathing and focused attention.¹ Baduanjin is one of its best-known forms, and its moves are short and easy to repeat.

In this third movement, you stretch the whole side of your body, from your hip up through your raised hand. Your other arm reaches down, which lengthens the side of your neck and shoulder. Because the arms move in opposite directions, the movement also trains you to coordinate both sides of your body at once.

Matching slow movement to a slow breath can help you settle. Slow breathing is one way to bring on the relaxation response. That is the body's calm state, with slower breathing, a lower heart rate and lower blood pressure.⁷

In traditional Chinese medicine, this movement is linked with the stomach and spleen, which stand for digestion in that system. Some teachers say the stretch through the middle of the body helps digestion. These are traditional ideas, not tested claims. Traditional practice

What the research says

Research looks at the full set of eight movements, not at this one movement alone.

• Mood and worry. A 2018 review pooled studies with about 2,300 people who had physical or mental illnesses. People who did Baduanjin had less depression and anxiety than comparison groups. But more than 1 in 3 studies had a high risk of bias, and Baduanjin was often added to other care. The authors warned the benefits may be overstated.³
• Sleep and pain. Another 2018 review found that Baduanjin improved sleep quality by a small to moderate amount, based on only 7 studies. It also found less muscle and joint pain. All the studies were done in China, and none hid group assignments from the people scoring results.⁴
• Thinking and other measures. A 2018 review of 22 studies found that Baduanjin may help memory and thinking, as well as mood and physical measures, across age groups. The authors said better and longer studies are still needed.⁵
• Depression in general. A large 2024 review of exercise for depression found that tai chi or qigong eased depression by a moderate amount. Confidence in this result was very low, because the trials were few and small.⁶
• Balance. The NIH says a 2019 review of reviews found enough evidence to support qigong for balance training and fall prevention. Research on older adults' overall health is still limited.¹

Before you start

• Talk with your doctor if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, a shoulder or wrist problem, dizziness or a recent surgery. Ask how your health might affect your activity.⁸ If you are pregnant, ask first, since some moves may need changes.¹
• Pick a safe spot with no rugs or cords, near a sturdy chair or counter. Wear flat shoes with good grip.
• Warm up gently. Roll your shoulders and circle your wrists a few times. Take some slow breaths.
• Know the hand shapes. The hand that goes up turns so the palm faces the sky. The hand that goes down turns so the palm faces the floor. Both palms stay flat but relaxed, not stiff.

Steps: the standing version

Start in the relaxed stance from our tai chi lesson 1: feet about hip-width apart, knees soft, body tall, shoulders loose.

1. Start at your belly. Bring both hands in front of your lower belly, palms facing up, fingertips pointing toward each other. Leave a small space between your hands.
2. Begin the in-breath. Slowly raise your left hand up the front of your body, palm still facing up. Your right hand stays near your belly.
3. Turn the top hand. When your left hand reaches about chest height, turn it so the palm faces the sky. Keep lifting it up past your face toward the left side, above your shoulder.
4. Turn the lower hand. At the same time, turn your right palm to face the floor. Press it down beside your right hip, fingers pointing forward.
5. Separate heaven and earth. Push your left palm gently up and your right palm gently down, as if pulling the sky and the ground apart. Let your knees straighten without locking them. Keep your elbows slightly soft.
6. Pause and stretch. Feel the long stretch along your left side. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears. Finish the in-breath, but do not hold your breath.
7. Breathe out and return. Let your knees soften. Lower your left hand down the front of your body. Bring your right hand back in front of your belly. Both hands end palms up, as in step 1.
8. Switch sides. Now raise your right hand up and press your left hand down, using the same steps.
9. Repeat. Left and right together make one round. Start with 3 rounds. Move slowly and smoothly the whole time.

The breathing

The rule is simple: breathe in as your hands move apart, and breathe out as they come back together. Breathe through your nose if that is comfortable. Let your belly swell gently on the in-breath and soften on the out-breath.

Your breath sets the speed. If you run out of breath before your hands are fully apart, move a little faster or take a small extra breath. Never force your breath or hold it. If you feel light-headed, breathe more gently and rest.

The chair version

Sitting is a good choice if you use a wheelchair, have poor balance or tire easily. It is also a safe way to learn the hand pattern first.

1. Choose a sturdy chair without wheels. If you use a wheelchair, lock the brakes.
2. Sit toward the front of the seat with your feet flat and hip-width apart. Sit tall, without leaning on the backrest.
3. Rest both hands in your lap, palms up, fingertips pointing toward each other.
4. Breathe in. Raise your left hand up the front of your body, turning the palm to face the ceiling. Lift only as high as feels good. Shoulder height is fine.
5. Press down with the other hand. Turn your right palm down and press it gently toward the seat beside your right hip. Keep your body upright and both sit bones on the seat.
6. Breathe out. Bring both hands back to your lap, palms up.
7. Switch sides and repeat. Do 3 rounds. When you finish, take a few normal breaths before you stand up slowly.

Safety and cautions

• Shoulders. The shoulder moves more than almost any other joint, which also makes it less stable and easy to injure. Torn rotator cuffs, frozen shoulder, tendinitis and arthritis are common problems.¹⁰ If you have one, raise that arm only as far as is pain-free. Bending the elbow more is fine.
• Wrists. Pressing with a flat palm bends the wrist back. This can bother people with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome (a squeezed nerve in the wrist) or an old wrist break.¹¹ Keep your wrist straighter and press more lightly, or let your hand relax.
• Neck. Some teachers have you look up at the raised hand. If you have neck pain or dizziness, keep your eyes level and look straight ahead.
• Balance. As one arm goes up, your weight can drift to one side. Keep your weight even on both feet and your knees soft. Keep a chair or counter within reach.
• Pain. A mild stretch is good. Sharp pain is not. If something hurts or does not feel right, stop and get medical advice.⁸
• Learning from a page or video. The NIH notes that learning from a book or video does not ensure you are doing a move correctly or safely.² A teacher can help. Qigong teachers do not need a license, so ask about their training and experience.¹

Try it this week

Common problems

I mix up which hand goes up and which goes down.

That is very common. Practice slowly in front of a mirror, or say it out loud: "Left up, right down." Learn the hands first without the breath. Add the breath after a few days.

My raised shoulder hunches up toward my ear.

Lower your raised hand a little until your shoulder can relax. Think of reaching up with your hand while your shoulder blade slides down your back. A smaller, relaxed stretch is better than a big, tense one.

My wrist hurts when I press my palm flat.

Ease off. Keep your wrist straighter and push with less force, or keep your hand soft and only point it up or down. If wrist pain lasts or wakes you at night, see your doctor.

I lean to one side when I reach up.

Imagine a string pulling the top of your head straight up. Keep both feet planted and your hips facing forward. If leaning continues, use the chair version for a while.

Can a person living with dementia do this?

Often, yes, though switching hands can be confusing. Sit facing each other and move together like a mirror. Use short cues such as "This hand up, this hand down." If switching is too hard, raise one arm at a time and skip the pressing down. See our caregiver pages for more ideas.

Next movement

When this movement feels natural, go on to Baduanjin 4: Wise owl gazes backward. It adds a slow, gentle turn of the head and upper body.

You can also follow the whole set in our Baduanjin practice studio, read the qigong and Baduanjin overview, or try tai chi and strength and balance training. If falls worry you, see fear of falling and preventing falls.

Education only. This page is general information written from the sources listed. It is not medical, legal or financial advice and does not replace a doctor, therapist or lawyer who knows your situation. How we write and check pages.