Qigong stretching

This is my term for integrating simple stretches/nerve glides with a qigong practice. Basically, exploring full ranges of motion within the context of active awareness. There are some important principles:

-- healthy range of motion is more important than absolute range of motion: stretching should not be a test. In my case, tension and discomfort in my right hand/arm/shoulder makes arching my fingers back in a forearm stretch quite... unhealthy. Simply put, it doesn't feel good. If I push it anyway, and complete the stretch at an intense angle, I usually feel worse. My dysfunction is not the absolute length of my muscle fibers/tendons/whatnot, but a much subtler discord in the entire nervous/muscular cascade of my right arm, from wrist to neck. Sharon Butler refers to something similar as the "stretch point". What I'm describing could be thought of as an exploration of the "stretch point" with a qigong, active awareness.

-- intention is important: in a very real way, I feel I am retraining my movement patterns and muscle memory. Qigong stretching is more a process of choosing a movement with every cell in your body than a static state/position that you reach.

-- move from the core: spinal awareness must be at the core of qigong therapy. Many days, I don't even get past my spine in my practice! Many qigong practitioners do all sorts of fancy stuff... sending, receiving and whatnot... which I can't wait to get more into. For the moment though, spinal work is so rewarding and necessary that I rarely move beyond it. If we take a simple arms-extended-out-from-sides posture (a.k.a. crucifix, my current favorite), start from the spine and go into the shoulder blades with your awareness. Each progressive inclusion (shoulders, elbows, forearms, wrist, hand, fingers) should be with them the context of strong, consistent awareness of all previous areas. When I've achieved a fairly consistent level of awareness from spine to fingertips, still with slightly bent arms, I begin "sending" energy out of my fingers... and spend the rest of the session/stretch reintegrating areas that I lose track of, exploring stagnant spots, adjusting... exploring small spontaneous movements...