T’ien-ku Chin., lit. “heavenly drum” ; Taoist health exercise. To “beat the heavenly drum,” the practitioner places the palms of his hands over his ears in such a way that the fingertips touch behind his head. He then presses upon the middle finger of his right hand with the index finger of his left and allows the latter to slide off the former, so that it knocks against the back of his head, producing a sound similar to that of a drum.
This exercise is performed before various breathing exercises and is said to prevent harm ful influences.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
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