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The stances have many benefits, many of
which are only revealed once the stances
have been performed regularly over a period
of time.
Two direct and almost immediate benefits
can be obtained from the stances.
- The first is that they exercise the
body gently and without pressure. They
are very low impact exercises which can
be performed no matter what your age or
ability. The stances can be modified to
compensate for injury and disability in
order to gain the maximum benefit from
them.
- The second is that they promote
complete breathing using the whole of
the lungs. This has shown to be
beneficial to asthma and other
respiratory ailment sufferers.
Regular practice of the stances brings
other benefits including improved body
posture, firmer stomach muscles and
increased flexibility. Indeed those
suffering from injury, stiffness in the
joints and other restrictions to their
movement can gain increased mobility and
suppleness from performing the stances on a
regular basis.
The stances can also be a form of moving
meditation which is useful for
relaxation and in relieving stress and
tension.
No special equipment or clothing is required to perform the stances. It is recommended loose fitting clothing be worn and women may feel more comfortable wearing trousers.
Very little space is required in order to perform the stances. There must be sufficient room to turn unrestricted to the right and then the left and enough headroom to stretch your arms above your head.
The main requirement for the stances is that they are performed in an uninterupted and unhurried manner. This is to ensure that they receive your complete attention. At the simplest level the stances can be performed in about five minutes for each side so can easily be fitted into a busy shedule.
Positioning the Body: Performing the stances involves moving the body into set positions which mirror the shape of the runes. These movements are performed in a similar way to Tai Chi. The diagrams below are for the right hand stances observed from the east. Each stance is shown with its corresponding rune name.
The sequence of the stances is given
below reading left to right, top to bottom,
i.e. FE, UR, THOR, AS, REI, KREFT, HAGL,
NOD, IS, AR, SOL, TYR, BJORK, MANN, LAUG and
finish with YR. Both the right side and left
side follow this sequence.
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FE
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UR
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THOR
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AS
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REI
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KREFT
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HAGL
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NOD
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IS
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AR
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SOL
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TYR
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BJORK
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MANN
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LAUG
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YR
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