Separate Heaven and Earth

调理脾胃须单举 · Tiáo Lǐ Pí Wèi Xū Dān Jǔ · Movement 03 of 8

From a standing position with hands at the sides, raise one palm overhead while pressing the other palm down toward the hip, creating one long line through the side of the body. Hold for a moment, then release and swap sides. The movement stretches the sides of the torso and is one of the simplest to perform from a chair, because only the arms change position.

Works on: side body, digestion, shoulders
Time: 1 min
Difficulty: Gentle
Seated version: Yes

The standing version of Separate Heaven and Earth

Let the centre of gravity rise slightly. Rotate the left arm inward and lift it so the left palm is level with the chest, palm facing inward and fingertips angled upward; at the same time rotate the right arm inward with the right palm facing the abdomen and the fingertips angled down.
Continue rotating and raising the left arm, turning the left palm upward to press above the head on the left side, the elbow slightly bent and the force reaching the heel of the palm, palm angled upward with the fingertips pointing right, the middle fingertip on the same vertical line as the Jianjing point. Open the shoulder thoroughly so that the vertical line from the raised middle finger falls on the Jianjing point and you can feel that line dropping past the ear. Rotate the arm fully inward, keep the elbow slightly bent and the body upright, press down through the wrist so the palm lies flat facing straight up, and pull against the downward hand. At the same time continue rotating the right arm inward and press the right palm down to about 10 cm beside the right hip, elbow slightly bent, force reaching the heel of the palm, palm facing down and fingers pointing forward. Pause briefly and hold the stretch.
Relax the waist, sink the hips and let the centre of gravity descend as the knees bend slightly. Sink the left shoulder and bend the left elbow to rotate the arm outward and down, bringing the left palm back to chest height with the palm facing inward and the fingers angled upward; rotate the right arm outward and draw the right palm in front of the abdomen, palm facing inward and fingertips angled down. The hand leads ahead of the elbow as it turns outward and passes up in front of the face before rotating inward to rise, so that the middle fingertip travels an arc that passes but does not cross the centre line in front of the body, and the lowering path follows the same arc as the raising path.
Continue descending as the knees bend, rotate both arms outward and lower them, and cup both palms in front of the lower abdomen, palms facing up with the fingertips opposite each other about 10 cm apart.

Breathing

Inhale to raise the upper hand, exhale to press down and release. Breathe out as the hands change.

The seated version

This is the part most other guides leave out. If standing for a full round is difficult, uncomfortable or simply not something you want to do today, the movement still works from a chair.

From a chair, sit tall with both feet flat on the floor and hip-width apart, hands resting palms-up on the thighs, and keep both sitting bones evenly weighted. On a chair the hip-width seat does the work of the standing foot placement, so there is no step-out, no horse stance and no knee bend; the seat stays level and the torso stays upright.
Inhale. Rotate the left arm inward and lift it so the left palm is level with the chest, palm facing inward and fingertips angled upward; at the same time rotate the right arm inward with the right palm facing the abdomen and the fingertips angled down.
Continue rotating and raising the left arm until the left palm presses above the head on the left side. Rotate the arm fully inward, keep the elbow slightly bent and the body upright, and press down through the wrist so that the palm lies flat facing straight up, with the palm angled upward and the fingertips pointing right. Open the shoulder thoroughly so that the vertical line from the raised middle finger falls on the Jianjing point, the point at the top of the shoulder, and you can feel that line dropping past the ear. Reaching the raised hand forward or out to the side is the fault this correction names.
At the same time, rotate the right arm fully inward and press the right palm down to about 10 cm beside the right hip, elbow slightly bent, force reaching the heel of the palm, palm facing down and fingers pointing forward. The upper hand and the lower hand pull against each other along one long line, so press down rather than resting the hand on the thigh; a light resting touch is not the same action and loses the opposition. Pause briefly and hold the stretch.
Exhale. Sink the left shoulder and bend the left elbow to rotate the arm outward and down, bringing the left palm back to chest height with the palm facing inward and the fingers angled upward; rotate the right arm outward and draw the right palm in front of the abdomen, palm facing inward and fingertips angled down. The hand leads ahead of the elbow as it turns outward and passes up in front of the face before rotating inward to rise, so that the middle fingertip travels an arc that passes but does not cross the centre line in front of the body, and the lowering path follows the same arc as the raising path.
Rotate both arms outward and lower them, and cup both palms in front of the lower abdomen, palms facing up with the fingertips opposite each other about 10 cm apart.
Repeat on the other side, one to three rounds each side, with both sitting bones staying in even contact with the chair.

Helpful cue

Float one hand overhead while pressing the other down on the thigh

Do not do this

Letting the raised arm pull the shoulder up instead of reaching from the ribs.
Leaning the torso sideways to fake the stretch rather than lengthening upward and downward.
Forgetting the downward hand, so that the up-and-down opposition between the two hands is lost.
Reaching the raised hand forward or out to the side. Open the shoulder and bring it up to the correct position, so that the vertical line from the raised middle finger falls on the Jianjing point and you can feel that line dropping past the ear.
Letting the raised hand sit flat with the palm facing forward and upward. Rotate the arm fully inward, keep the elbow slightly bent and the body upright, press down through the wrist so the palm lies flat facing straight up, and pull against the downward hand.
Carrying the middle fingertip past the centre line in front of the body. The hand leads ahead of the elbow, turning outward and passing up in front of the face, then rotates inward to rise, so that the middle fingertip travels an arc that passes but does not cross the centre line, and the lowering path follows the same arc as the raising path.

Who should take extra care

Reduce the overhead reach if you have a frozen shoulder or recent shoulder surgery.
Keep the head level; do not tilt it toward the raised arm.

Safety first

Ask your doctor before starting if you have heart disease, uncontrolled blood pressure, dizziness or fainting, a fall in the last 6 months, surgery in the last 3 months, diagnosed osteoporosis, a hip or knee replacement, a painful joint, or pregnancy.
Pain is a stop sign. Stop with burning, pressure or sharp pain; ordinary muscle tiredness is different from pain.
For seated work use a sturdy, armless, wheel-free chair with a firm seat against a wall. Keep both feet flat, and use a stable book under the foot if you need it.
For every standing or balance movement keep a fixed support within one arm's reach.
Never hold your breath. Breathe with the movement, and return to normal breathing when the effort rises.
If you feel dizzy, sit down, wait one minute, and end the session for that day.
Drink water, practise at least one hour after a meal, and use non-slip shoes or a non-slip bare-foot surface.
Use a comfortable range. Forward bends come from the hips with a long, neutral spine; avoid sudden twisting.
This programme is not medical treatment and does not replace physiotherapy.

What the research says

A systematic review and network meta-analysis of traditional Chinese exercise therapies reported beneficial outcomes including improved blood glucose and blood lipid levels, with Baduanjin achieving better total cholesterol and triglyceride outcomes at training periods of 12 weeks or longer.

Sources

General Administration of Sport of China, Health Qigong Centre, Common Errors in Baduanjin and How to Correct Them (per form)
Group standard for Baduanjin (Chinese Health Qigong Association / China Association of Chinese Medicine), graded movement breakdown — consulted via a government re-publication, 2026-06 (full citation not yet recorded)
Narrative review, Baduanjin and physical activity participation for older people (2026)

Common questions

Can I do Separate Heaven and Earth sitting down?

Yes. The seated adaptation keeps the side body, digestion, shoulders work and removes the standing balance challenge. Both feet stay flat on the floor. The full seated steps are listed further down this page.

How long does Separate Heaven and Earth take?

About 1 minute for one round at a slow pace. The quality of the movement matters more than the number of repetitions — move slowly enough that your breathing stays even and unforced.

What does Separate Heaven and Earth work on?

It mainly involves the side body, digestion, shoulders. In the traditional framing it belongs to the 调理脾胃须单举 principle; practically, it is a slow mobilisation through that area rather than a strength exercise.

When should I be careful with Separate Heaven and Earth?

Reduce the overhead reach if you have a frozen shoulder or recent shoulder surgery. Keep the head level; do not tilt it toward the raised arm.

What else is Separate Heaven and Earth called?

In Chinese it is 调理脾胃须单举 (Tiáo Lǐ Pí Wèi Xū Dān Jǔ). English sources use Separate Heaven and Earth, One Hand Up One Hand Down, Push High and Low and One Arm Raises, One Arm Presses. The movement is the same in every case.

Written by LiHe — practitioner, teacher and consultant in qigong and traditional health practice. Review status and sources are shown below where available.

This is general movement education, not medical advice. It does not diagnose, treat or cure any condition. Read the full disclaimer.

The Chinese names are the traditional names of the movements. They are not medical claims, and this site does not diagnose, treat or cure any condition.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-08
Movement data: Standing form follows the Chinese Fitness Qigong Association standard routine. The chair versions are this pack's own adaptation, written for a seated reader.. Version v0.5.