I strongly suggest you keep a daily journal to keep track of any changes you feel over the 21 days, even though I know you most likely won't actually do it, but if I'm wrong, and you actually do decide to keep a journal, I recommend writing short statements regarding the following topics:

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• Date

• Sleep Quality

• Mental State (Mood or most prominent emotion for the day)

• Muscles & Joints (aches, pains, stiffness, etc..)

• Digestion (appetite, bowel movement quality, bloating, etc..)

• Energy Level

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The Meridian Stretching Sequence makes subtle changes in your body's internal environment, and these changes can effect many different systems in the body, and not just how your muscles and joints feel. Though there is no specific studies to back up the following observation, I have seen many people who claimed that their sleep quality improved, or their chronic digestive issues cleared up after doing the sequence for a few weeks. You may not notice these gradual changes, and journaling can help you look back and have a tangible record of how this Meridian Sequence is benefiting your well-being.

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Try to fill in your journal at the same time every day for the 3 weeks. You can just as well journal every few days or once a week if that suits you better.

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Instructions for Proper Technique

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The movements are to be done with a receptive mindset. That is to say that you should be focusing internally on the subtle sensations within your body. The stretches should not be forced or feel too intense. If you feel a very strong sensation in one part of the body, it is a sign that you are doing the meridian stretch incorrectly. Each stretch opens a full chain of tension along the length of the body, and an even sense of tension along that line should be felt.

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The meridians are chains of tension that span from head to toes and chest to fingers, and the idea is to stimulate an entire chain of tension with each movement, so try and adjust to create an even sensation throughout every joint involved. Each meridian is paired with another, and associated with one of twelve internal organs.

With each stretch, focus on taking slow, natural breaths. As you exhale, you can sink deeper into the stretch, and as you inhale, let your breath subtly move your body.
 

• Move slowly

• Try to move into the positions with your whole body as one

• Pay attention to the subtle sensations in the body

• Breathe naturally and hold each stretch for the length of  3-5 breaths

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This routine shouldn't take more than 10 minutes a day once you learn the techniques. I recommend that you make time to practice at least once every day for 6 weeks to feel the cumulative effect of this simple, yet powerful modality.

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For the first two weeks, please devote a little extra time (20-30 minutes) for your practice each day. Repeat the exercises a few times and watch the movement in the video carefully each time. Repetition and consistency in practice is necessary to learn these movements correctly, so make sure you can keep up these longer sessions for the first 2 weeks. As you practice and experience the movement for yourself, more things will stand out to you when you watch my movement in the videos. 

After the first 2 weeks, do the basic meridian stretching sequence once per day for 5-10 minutes for 6 weeks and if you can, keep a journal to log how you feel. If you have any physical pain, tension, or immobility, take note of any changes as you go. Sometimes when things change gradually over time, we don't notice as much, so journaling can really help you see how much of a change this daily practice has on your body when the days add up. See the bottom of the page for my suggestion for journaling.

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Accessory Meridian Movements

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It's up to you if you want to jump right into the basic meridian stretching sequence, but I suggest taking a few days before the challenge to explore these meridian movements. These are accessory exercises for each meridian that helps prime the body for the meridian stretching sequence. Once you learn these, you can use one as a warm up for any stretches that you find challenging in the basic Meridian Stretching Sequence. You can do these as a sequence, or before each respective basic meridian stretch: