Step 16: 十字手 (Cross Hands)

1. Continue to sink back onto your right leg and feel your left toes being lifted, leaving your left heel pivoting lightly on the ground.
2. Turn your waist clockwise, turning your left toes clockwise too with pivot on the left heel as you feel your left arm being thrust forward while your right arm is being drawn backwards.
3. Continue turning your body and your left foot until you have turned right 90 degrees. You will feel your left palm turning anti-clockwise at the wrist to face the front. Simultaneously, as your right palm is being drawn back, it also turns anti-clockwise to face outwards too, right in front of your chest.
4. When your left foot has turned 90 degrees to the right, step down the toes lightly and start to shift your body weight onto your left leg while you feel your right heel being lifted. As you sink more onto your left leg, feel your lifted right heel turning inwards in a clockwise direction with pivot on your right toes. At the same time, while your left arm remains stationary, feel your right palm (facing outwards) circling upwards and in a clockwise direction (up, then to the right side and then down) with pivot at the right elbow until both lower arms are somewhat out-stretched, both palms facing the front, as if like lightly pushing a giant ball in front of you.
5. Still balancing very much on the left leg, relax the shoulders and continue to lower both arms while you pull your right foot in so that both feet touch lightly on the inner side of the heels. When the two heels touched, both your arms should be completely lowered and criss-crosses at the wrists area, fingers pointing to the ground, palms facing inwards, right palm on the outer side.
6. Continuing to balance on the left leg, next open and step your right foot to the right, so that both feet are shoulder-width apart and the two in-steps more or less parallel.
7. Next, sink your weight down on both feet and feel the 'Gong Tui' (躬腿) effect lifting both palms upwards and criss-crossing at the wrists until both sets of fingers are pointing upwards (about 45 degrees). At the end of the move, both arms are still criss-crossed at the wrists (now the right is on the outside instead), 8 - 10 inches away in front and protecting your chest. Ensure that both your elbows are all the time pointing down and not sideways.