Baduanjin (Eight Brocades): the full sequence, step by step
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What are the eight Baduanjin movements, in order?
| # | What the body does | Common name | Repeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Press both palms overhead | Two Hands Hold Up the Heavens | 6 |
| 2 | Draw a bow each side | Drawing the Bow | 3 per side |
| 3 | One arm up, one arm down | Separating Heaven and Earth | 3 per side |
| 4 | Look back over the shoulder | Wise Owl Gazes Backward | 3 per side |
| 5 | Lean and circle the torso | Swaying Head and Tail | 3 per side |
| 6 | Slide hands to the feet | Two Hands Hold the Feet | 6 |
| 7 | Punch forward, eyes wide | Clench Fists and Glare | 3 per side |
| 8 | Rise on toes, lower heels | Bouncing on the Toes | 7 |
This is the order of China's standardized Health Qigong form from 2003.[2] Health Qigong is the name for the qigong forms that a government-founded Chinese association compiles and publishes in standardized versions.[3] Repeats follow a Chinese city health bureau's guide.[4] Some versions swap 6 and 7 or repeat each movement 6 to 8 times.[5] Traditional names carry old ideas about the organs, so we name what the body does.
How do you do Baduanjin step by step?
Inhale as you rise or open, exhale as you sink or close.[6] The movements follow published excerpts of the May 2026 standard, which builds on the 2003 form.[7] Horse stance means feet wider than the shoulders, toes forward, knees bent only as far as feels comfortable. Movements 5 and 6 take your head low, so read the easier versions further down first.
Ready position. Stand with feet together. Shift right and step the left foot out to shoulder width. Bend your knees and round your arms in front of the navel, palms in, as if holding a ball.[7]
1Press both palms overhead
Interlace fingers at the belly, palms up.
Inhale: straighten legs and press palms overhead, glancing up, then look ahead again.
Exhale: bend knees, part hands and float them down to the belly.
6 times
2Draw a bow each side
Shift right, step the left foot wide and cross wrists at the chest.
Inhale: in horse stance, push the left hand out, index finger up, pull the right hand to the shoulder and look left.
Exhale: shift right, step the left foot back in, bring hands to the belly, then switch.
3 times per side
3One arm up, one arm down
Feet shoulder-width apart, hands at the belly.
Inhale: straighten legs, lift the left palm overhead and press the right beside the hip.
Exhale: bend knees, return hands to the belly, then switch.
3 times per side
4Look back over the shoulder
Inhale: straighten legs and rotate straight arms outward, about 45 degrees from the body. Turn only the head, slowly and only as far as is comfortable, to look back over the left shoulder.
Exhale: face front, bend knees, press palms beside the hips, then look right.
3 times per side
5Lean and circle the torso
Shift left, step the right foot wide, raise palms overhead, then sink into horse stance, hands on thighs.
Exhale: lean toward the right foot, only as far as is comfortable.
Inhale: sweep the torso across to the left and circle up to center, then repeat starting left.
3 times per side
6Slide hands to the feet
Bring the right foot in to shoulder width, straighten legs, raise arms, bring palms to the chest and slip hands under the armpits to the back.
Exhale: slide palms down the back and legs, folding forward only as far as is comfortable.
Inhale: reach forward and let the arms lift you slowly upright.
6 times
7Punch forward, eyes wide
Shift right, step the left foot wide into horse stance, fists at the waist.
Exhale: slowly punch the left fist forward at shoulder height, eyes on it.
Inhale: open and circle the hand, close the fist, pull it to the waist, then punch right.
3 times per side
8Rise on toes, lower heels
Stand with feet together or, for more support, hip-width apart, arms at the sides.
Inhale: lift heels and stay up briefly, without holding your breath.
Exhale: lower them slowly and set them down softly.
7 times
Closing. Float arms out about 45 degrees, rest hands on the lower belly, one over the other, then let arms drop.
Where does Baduanjin come from?
The name means "eight pieces of brocade," a fine cloth, and Chinese texts mention the set from the Song dynasty (960 to 1279).[8] China's General Administration of Sport published the standardized form in 2003.[2] The Chinese Health Qigong Association and the China Association of Chinese Medicine issued a joint standard in May 2026, based on that form.[6] NCCIH, the US federal research center, lists Baduanjin among qigong forms.[9]
How can you adapt it?
Options without a source are our adaptations and sit outside the standard form.
- Less range: Stand taller in horse stance, as a Chinese health qigong researcher advises beginners.[6] In movement 5, lean only a little and keep your head above hip height. If that is still hard, do 2 rounds per side.[4] In movement 6, stop at the knees.
- Head and balance: In movement 1, look straight ahead if looking up makes you dizzy. In movement 8, keep one hand on a chair back.
- Bones: In people with osteoporosis, bending forward and twisting at the waist can raise the risk of broken bones in the spine, Mayo Clinic says.[10] Skip 5 and 6 and ask your doctor first.
- Seated: On a firm chair, do the arm and head parts of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7, and lift heels for 8. Skip 5 and 6. We made this selection, and it has no traditional lineage. A separate traditional seated set also exists.[8]
- Shorter: Practice a few movements on their own.[6] See qigong for seniors.
How do you start in the first weeks?
This plan is our suggestion, based on the 2026 standard's advice: one round a day at first, at least 3 practice days a week.[6]
- Week 1: Learn one or two movements a day, shape first.[6]
- Weeks 2 and 3: Do one full round on at least 3 days a week and add the breath.[6]
- Week 4 on: Add a second round if comfortable.
New to qigong? Start with qigong for beginners.
Is there a free Baduanjin video?
Yes: EASY to FOLLOW Health Qigong Ba Duan Jin from Tai Chi United, about 15 minutes. It follows the Chinese Health Qigong Association's updated routine, so small details may differ. See also the YouTube channel comparison.
What is Baduanjin good for?
A 2026 overview of 261 reviews shows where research on Baduanjin has concentrated: heart and circulation, muscle and joint pain, memory and nerve conditions, metabolism, mood and sleep, cancer and recovery after surgery, and lung disease, with evidence of low or very low certainty.[11] Many people practice Baduanjin as a slow daily routine. See what studies report on qigong and whether qigong is safe.
What next?
- Follow along: EASY to FOLLOW Health Qigong Ba Duan Jin from Tai Chi United.
- Next set: the 18 Shibashi movements, a longer flowing set.
- What studies report: qigong benefits.
Sources
- Xinhua, 2026-08-07, 八段锦这样练才养生, “How to practice Baduanjin so it nurtures health” (in Chinese)
- Zheng et al. 2013, The effect of Baduanjin exercise for physical and psychological wellbeing of college students: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (Trials)
- Ji Hong Tai Chi & Qi Gong, What is Health Qi Gong?
- Heshan City Health Bureau 2024, 强身健体，你学会八段锦了吗？, “Build strength and health: have you learned Baduanjin yet?” (in Chinese)
- Rising Moon Tai Chi, Baduanjin
- People's Daily via China News, 2026-10-15, 动静相宜，八段锦这样练, “Movement and stillness in balance: how to practice Baduanjin” (in Chinese)
- Sina, 2026-06-10, report on the 2026 Baduanjin group standard: 八段锦国家级“教材”来了, “The national ‘textbook’ for Baduanjin is here” (in Chinese)
- Ji Hong Tai Chi & Qi Gong, Eight Section Brocade: Baduanjin (PDF)
- NCCIH, Qigong: What You Need To Know
- Mayo Clinic, Exercising with osteoporosis: Stay active the safe way
- Yuan et al. 2026, Baduanjin Exercise Across Clinical Conditions: An Umbrella Review (J Evid Based Med)