As I do my ritual practice, I find that I have to remind myself: “ Stay with the Basics!” It is easy to simply “go through the motions” and not really “do” Qi Gong. The one thing that I find myself slipping into is not keeping my focus on the unification of the Movement and the Breath. It is a cardinal rule: When you initiate the movement, (up, open, or to the left, etc.) you initiate the inhale. You continue that inhale until you have completed the entire opening movement. You begin the exhale when you begin the closing movement. The exhale lasts until you have completed the entire closing movement.
I find that when I get sloppy with my practice, it is because I have not kept the focus on proper breathing. When we focus on the breath and meeter it to match the movement we are actually allowing our mind to empty out the “thoughts” that run through our mind like a drunken monkey. Our mind becomes a blank screen, a place for inspiration. Use your breath in the ritual to achieve this every time you perform your ritual and you will find your life is changing. You are more aware.