Wu Dang 5 Animal Style

About This Class

This Wu Dang Five Animal Qigong class with Terry Kvasnik guides practitioners through a traditional sequence rooted in Chinese Taoist philosophy. The session opens with joint-loosening warm-ups — neck rolls, shoulder circles, waist rotations, knee circles, and ankle circles — followed by meridian tapping from the shoulders down through the legs, belly (Dantian), and lower back to wake the body and encourage chi flow. The core practice works through five animal-inspired movements: the Dragon (waist twists with reaching arms), the Tiger (shoulder blade squeezes and forward leans), the Leopard (lateral stretches in a wide squat), the Snake (low sweeping drops close to the ground), and the Crane (single-leg balance with wide arm extensions). Throughout, Terry emphasizes staying relaxed, breathing naturally, moving as if through water, and bringing inner awareness to the Dantian — three finger-widths below the navel. The class closes with three grounding breath cycles and a visualized energy-sealing dome gesture. Despite the gentle, flowing appearance of the movements, practitioners develop internal heat and a sense of energetic activation, making this a grounding yet subtly invigorating practice suitable for a wide range of bodies.