Starting position: Stand with heels together, toes a little apart, weight evenly distributed on both feet and knees slightly bent, arms slightly curved at your sides with palms facing backward.

1. Sink your weight onto right foot and lift left heel slightly off the ground as you bring hands back-to-back in front of body.

2. Place left heel near ball of right foot as you turn fingertips toward body, then upward toward the sky, and raise back-to-back hands until fingertips reach neck height with palms facing to sides. .

3. As hands slowly continue to rise turn palms first inward toward your body, then toward each other, and finally forward in front of your face with tips of thumbs and forefingers touching. .

4. Shift most of weight onto left foot as fingertips reach the top of your forehead and curve forward to extend out from forehead so palms face the ground, base of thumbs resting lightly on forehead, and elbows extended out to the sides. .

5. Form a Nun with tips of fingers extended as far forward as toes of left foot, knees bent slightly, and weight mostly on left foot. .

6. Shift weight back onto right foot as you begin to slowly lower your elbows and withdraw your hands until fingertips are once again level with forehead, palms facing forward.

7. Bring left foot next to right foot as you continue lowering your arms, and turn palms toward each other, then toward you, then outward toward the side so hands are back-to-back, fingertips pointing toward the sky.

8. When fingertips are at waist height, shift weight evenly onto both feet and let arms separate to the sides, keeping elbows slightly bent, and then turn palms toward the back with a circular motion until they come to rest at your sides with fingertips pointing toward the earth.

9. Repeat full sequence starting with opposite foot; then repeat sequence eight more times on each side.

EXPERIENTIAL POEM

Nun

Nun is an elegant still point
As the flow of consciousness moves through time
Toward the wholeness of redemption.
One foot steps into the future with its heel
Alongside the toe of the present
As hands rise in a fluid circling,
Undulating upward to the tip of the head
Where fingers point forward to link
In an invisible line to the leading toe below,
A subtle extension in a shadow universe
To the supple spine supporting the middle path of the Nun
Which manifests as weight moves to the center,
Softness within stillness, elbows like soul wings
Extended outward in eager anticipation.
Weight changes, fingertips retreat backward past forehead,
Past heart to hips, drawing with them a taste of geula
Until, as forward foot closes, they return to their resting place,
Pointing to the earth with renewed confidence that peace will come.

• Movie of Nun.