Sway the Head and Shake the Tail

摇头摆尾去心火 · Yáo Tóu Bǎi Wěi Qù Xīn Huǒ · Movement 05 of 8

From a wide stance with both palms resting lightly on the thighs above the knees, shift your weight to one side and let the tailbone lead the upper body across into a slow arc, the head and hips moving in opposite directions before returning upright. Repeat on both sides. It is the most demanding of the eight movements in the standing form; the seated version keeps the hip hinge, the weight shift and the head arc while removing the load from the knees.

Works on: lower back, hips, spine
Time: 2 min
Difficulty: Demanding
Seated version: Yes

The standing version of Sway the Head and Shake the Tail

Shift the weight to the left leg and step the right foot out to the side until the feet are about three foot-widths apart, both knees naturally straight. At the same time raise both palms to chest height, rotate the arms outward so the palms turn up and are held apart above the head at a slant, elbows slightly bent, palms facing diagonally up and fingertips facing each other. Keep the gaze forward.
Continuing without pause, lower the centre of gravity and bend both knees slowly into a horse stance. At the same time let both arms fall to the sides, bend the elbows and rest the fingertips lightly on top of the knees, wrists dropped, fingers angled forward. All five fingers turn inward and the heels of the hands stay lifted clear of the legs so the hands carry no weight at all, and the torso stays upright. Keep the gaze forward.
Raise the centre of gravity slightly, so the weight lifts a little before the fold. Keep the gaze forward.
Move the weight to the right, bending the right knee and slightly bending the left knee. At the same time tip the upper body to the right about 45 degrees. Keep the gaze forward.
Lower the weight slightly into a right-offset horse stance and, at the same time, turn and fold the upper body forward over the right leg, bringing the gaze down to the right toes. Raise the centre of gravity slightly and shift it right before folding; the seat stays at the same height, so the head and the tail swing at two different levels, the head high and the tail low.
Move the weight to the left into a left-offset horse stance and keep the upper body folded as it rotates left towards the left front diagonal. The eyes travel past the tip of the nose to keep looking at the right foot, the foot on the side you are folded towards, and hold that gaze until the head begins to turn the other way.
Shift the weight slightly to the right and send the right hip out to the side. The tailbone rotates to the right, forward, left and back until it reaches directly behind, while the weight follows the tailbone back between the legs and the knees stay bent. The chest is slightly drawn in and the head turns left and back until it is directly behind, the gaze going upward. Around the lower abdomen as the axis, the head and the tail each travel about 270 degrees in the counter-clockwise direction, the head from right to front to left to back and the tail from left to back to right to front. The neck and the waist stay fully relaxed, so the whole torso swings instead of only the shoulders rocking.
Draw the chin and the tailbone in at the same time, sit the tailbone down and stand the body back up, then lower the weight into a horse stance. Keep the gaze forward.

Breathing

Inhale in the upright centre; exhale as you move through the arc.

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.

Sit forward on a stable chair with both feet flat and a little wider than the hips. Turn all five fingers of each hand inward and rest the pads of the fingers lightly on the inside upper surface of the thighs, above the knees. Keep the heels of the hands lifted clear of the legs so the hands carry no weight at all, and keep the torso upright. The standing form lowers into a horse stance before the swing; a chair has no stance to lower into, so the upright torso and the unweighted hands are what prepare the swing here.
Move your weight clearly onto one sitting bone and tip the upper body to that side about 45 degrees, hinging from the hip and keeping the spine long rather than rounding. Both sitting bones stay in contact with the chair throughout, but the weight shift has to be obvious in the way the pelvis tilts, and the tilt has to be visible from the front. Sending the hip on that side out to the side is what starts the tailbone turning; the tilt on its own is not the movement.
Let the eyes go first. Look past the tip of the nose down to the floor on the side you are tilted towards, and hold that gaze until the head begins to turn the other way. The 2018 correction text writes this rule for the standing form, where the body folds towards the foot on the side you are tilted towards; a seated version has no forward fold, so the rule is kept with its anchor moved to the floor beside that thigh. The eyes travel first and the head follows them, and the eyes never swing backwards around the head.
Keeping the gaze on that side, send the tailbone out to the side, then forward, then to the other side, then back, until it reaches directly behind. Around the lower abdomen as the axis, the head and the tailbone each travel about 270 degrees in the counter-clockwise direction, the head from right to front to left to back and the tailbone from left to back to right to front. Keep the neck and the waist fully relaxed; if either of them stays stiff the movement collapses into shaking the shoulders while the tailbone is left behind. Keep the head higher than the tailbone, at two different levels, and keep the seat at the same height, so the difference between the two levels comes from the head travelling rather than from the seat lifting.
Draw the chin and the tailbone in at the same time and come back upright to the centre. The standing form finishes by settling into a horse stance; from a chair you stay seated, so the finish is an upright seat with the weight spread evenly again. Repeat the whole sequence on the other side, one to three rounds each side.

Helpful cue

Shift weight side to side, tailbone leading - never circle the neck

Do not do this

Circling the head all the way around, which compresses the cervical spine at the back.
Folding too far forward and lifting the seat, so the head and the tail swing at the same level instead of the head staying high and the tail low.
Swinging the tailbone backward only, with no forward swing of the tail.
Stiffening the neck and the waist, so the movement becomes shaking the shoulders without the tail following through.
Looking away from the foot on the side you are folded towards, instead of letting the eyes pass the tip of the nose to reach that foot.
Letting the heels of the hands press their weight into the thighs, which pushes the torso forward.
Rounding the lower back instead of hinging from the hips.
Moving fast enough that the breath becomes ragged.

Who should take extra care

Avoid this movement if you have an acute lower back injury or recent spinal surgery.
Never complete a full backwards neck circle — move the head only through the front arc.

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

One systematic review of 26 Baduanjin studies reported that only four studies (15%) recorded adherence below 80% across the intervention period, and noted that Baduanjin is simpler, less physically demanding and more time-efficient than Yang-style Tai Chi.

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 Sway the Head and Shake the Tail sitting down?

Yes. The seated adaptation keeps the lower back, hips, spine 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 Sway the Head and Shake the Tail take?

About 2 minutes 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 Sway the Head and Shake the Tail work on?

It mainly involves the lower back, hips, spine. In the traditional framing it belongs to the 摇头摆尾去心火 principle; practically, it is a slow mobilisation through that area rather than a strength exercise.

When should I be careful with Sway the Head and Shake the Tail?

Avoid this movement if you have an acute lower back injury or recent spinal surgery. Never complete a full backwards neck circle — move the head only through the front arc.

What else is Sway the Head and Shake the Tail called?

In Chinese it is 摇头摆尾去心火 (Yáo Tóu Bǎi Wěi Qù Xīn Huǒ). English sources use Sway the Head and Shake the Tail, Shaking Head and Wagging Tail, Rotate the Body and Sink and Shake the Head and Swing the Tail. 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.