sunyata namaskar

Colours and Elements in Tantric Psychology

2009-07-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

Embracing Emotions as the Path

Colours and Elements in Tantric Psychology

by Ngak’chang Rinpoche & Khandro Déchen

Via http://arobuddhism.org/articles/embracing-emotions-as-the-path.html

Only through direct experience can we begin to perceive our world differently. Philosophical speculations and intellectual conjectures that are not experienced cannot be integrated into our fundamental perception of the world – they will remain abstractions. It follows that the experience of meditation practice is essential as a means of realizing the Buddhist view, for it is only within the development of the meditational experience that we become transparent to ourselves through witnessing the mechanics of our stylized perception.

According to the Tibetan yana whose path is the transformation of neurotically confused emotions into their enlightened equivalents. Compare Sutrayana—the path of discovering emptiness through renunciation—and Dzogchen—the path of remaining in rigpa by means of self-liberation.

To read a page about Tantrayana, click on the link.',CAPTION,'Tantrayana',WIDTH,300,OFFSETY,20,HAUTO,VAUTO,FGCOLOR,'#DFDFDF',BGCOLOR,'#660000',TEXTFONTCLASS,'glosstext',CAPTIONFONTCLASS,'glosscaption');" onmouseout="return nd();">Tantric view there are three spheres of being: the outer world of our surroundings, the inner world of our perceptions, and a spatial continuum that underlines and interpenetrates both. This spatial continuum displays itself as five fields of primary energy, which make up the elemental basis of both external and internal phenomena. These fields are solidity or earth, fluidity or water, combustion (heat) or fire, motility or air (wind), and emptiness or space without content. The primary purpose of Tantra is transmutation, which, rather than trying to ‘get rid of our problems’, facilitates the transformation of their intrinsically enlightened energy.

Tantra sees us as being symbols of ourselves: we are not the ‘real thing’, simply colourful energetic vibrant free energies that are utterly real. The enlightened being that you actually are, and have always been – this is ‘the real thing’, rather than the collection of neuroses, anxieties, and habits with which we are familiar. So, the pattern and individual character of our psychological and emotional framework is ’symbolic’ in the sense that we symbolize our own enlightened being in ways that take the form of one or a number of the elemental fields: earth; water; fire; air; and space.

Our expressed personality is derived from the encyclopaedia of symbols of our enlightened nature. As such it offers the key to discovering that nature.

Every state of mind, however distressed or distressing, is linked dynamically to an aspect of the intrinsic freedom of the non-dual play of our free elements. The yana whose path is the transformation of neurotically confused emotions into their enlightened equivalents. Compare Sutrayana—the path of discovering emptiness through renunciation—and Dzogchen—the path of remaining in rigpa by means of self-liberation.

To read a page about Tantrayana, click on the link.',CAPTION,'Tantrayana',WIDTH,300,OFFSETY,20,HAUTO,VAUTO,FGCOLOR,'#DFDFDF',BGCOLOR,'#660000',TEXTFONTCLASS,'glosstext',CAPTIONFONTCLASS,'glosscaption');" onmouseout="return nd();">Tantric methods reveal that mind is intrinsically free (unconstrained by symbols), and that this complete openness of mind needs to be personally disclosed rather than created. There is no concept here in which one has to artificially re-structure oneself according to a spiritually healthy philosophical perspective – all positivist intellectual formulations, are based either on wishful thinking or naïve idealism rather than on direct experience. So, although the view of our distorted emotional patterning which we are now about to explore may be a positively creative perspective, if it remains in the realm of theory it won’t actually be of any real use.

As soon as we are able to witness our stylized perception directly we will become aware of whether what we are exploring is heartfelt or intellectually fabricated. When we are able to see ourselves in operation, then other people also become increasingly transparent to us, and this may facilitate compassionate responses of less restricted scope. In healing ourselves, we may develop the clarity and insight essential if we are to facilitate the healing of others.

To discover the raw methodology of embracing emotions as the path, we need some understanding of the Tantric perspective, in which human beings are seen as lacking psychological health and freedom. In Tibetan medicine, the first premise which prospective doctors have to acknowledge is that they themselves are ill. The doctor/therapist – patient relationship is considerably influenced by the fact that Tibetan doctors see themselves as having specific knowledge to help others suffering from more severe and externally manifested variants of their own illness – the illness of duality. This duality is the mind-constructed division of Dzogchen perspective, emptiness is always only relative, due to the non-duality of form and emptiness. Emptiness is perceived directly in the practice of shi-nè.

To read a page about emptiness, click on the link.',CAPTION,'Emptiness',WIDTH,300,OFFSETY,20,HAUTO,VAUTO,FGCOLOR,'#DFDFDF',BGCOLOR,'#660000',TEXTFONTCLASS,'glosstext',CAPTIONFONTCLASS,'glosscaption');" onmouseout="return nd();">emptiness and the non-duality of form and emptiness.

To read a page about form, click on the link.',CAPTION,'Form',WIDTH,300,OFFSETY,20,HAUTO,VAUTO,FGCOLOR,'#DFDFDF',BGCOLOR,'#660000',TEXTFONTCLASS,'glosstext',CAPTIONFONTCLASS,'glosscaption');" onmouseout="return nd();">forms which continuously arise from (and dissolve back into) emptiness. When we polarize emptiness and form, and then reject emptiness in favour of form, we enter into Dzogchen, it refers particularly to the attempt to separate form and emptiness; or more subtly to separate duality and non-duality.

To read a page about duality, click on the link.',CAPTION,'Duality',WIDTH,300,OFFSETY,20,HAUTO,VAUTO,FGCOLOR,'#DFDFDF',BGCOLOR,'#660000',TEXTFONTCLASS,'glosstext',CAPTIONFONTCLASS,'glosscaption');" onmouseout="return nd();">duality. This occurs when we react inappropriately to the intrinsic spaciousness of being in terms of mistaking the intrinsic spaciousness of being as emptiness. This maladaptive reaction appears to be our ’characteristic human predilection’, and seems to evolve in five recognizable patterns of distorted experience. The five patterns take their character from the elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) as they manifest in terms of our emotional/psychological energies.

These maladaptive behavioural patterns are all designs or scenarios that we have personally evolved, their performers, to create the sensation of well being or security. We all have these ‘perceptual philosophies’ and ultimately, although we may consider ourselves to be well-balanced, emotionally stable people – we all are subject to the continual irritating prickle of ‘life’, which is never quite what we want or need it to be. The people whom we may describe as being emotionally /psychologically unstable or unbalanced have merely complicated these ‘perceptual philosophies’ and act out highly convoluted ‘sub-plots’ that can be farcical or tragic. If we have such problems, it is because our life circumstances have ‘conspired’ to facilitate our integration of increasingly distorted ‘perceptual philosophies’. In order to unlearn these unhelpful ‘skills’, we first need to examine the apparent benefits we derive from implementing them.

These peculiar benefits take their characteristics from our distorted reactions to the ‘intrinsic spaciousness of being’; each characterized by the qualities of the five elements. Exploring the nature of each maladaptive habit pattern requires that we examine the nature and functioning of the natural elements. From a merely intellectual point of view, the psychology of Tantra is delightfully picturesque and poetic in the way that it draws ‘analogies’ between the elements and the states of mind to which they are linked. To the practitioner of Tantra, however, they are not analogies, but dynamically linked configurations of lived experience. The system of elements and their subtle psychological/emotional counterparts enables Tantric practitioners to see the phenomenal world as a psychological teaching aid. We have explored these ideas more fully and in less condensed language in Spectrum of Ecstasy.

Five distorted reaction patterns

Let us look at these five distorted elemental reaction patterns. The reaction of the distorted Earth element to the intrinsic spaciousness of being is one of insignificance and insubstantiality, and the tangent we take leads us to cultivate solidity and power. The need to surround ourselves with overt displays of wealth and dominion grows out of our deep-seated sense of poverty and worthlessness. To compensate for this hollowness, we become builders of empires – we hoard wealth and accumulate seemingly cogent definitions of who we are in terms of status, ownership, control, fame, worship and dominance. Concretisation and obduracy feed the rigidity of our frames of reference – territorialism and arrogance lead us further into antisocial interpersonal behaviour.

The distorted Water element’s reaction to the intrinsic spaciousness of being is one of fear, and the tangent that we take is aggression, in which we feel justified in lashing out. Justification feeds our anger and sense of resentment and we see the world as a field of combat. We come to regard ‘emotional-overkill’ as an effective means of keeping our fear at bay. If we feel ourselves to be powerless, we necessarily feel compelled to arm ourselves with physical, intellectual and emotional weaponry. We magnify the ‘strike-potential’ of others out of all proportion, because we identify them with the spaciousness we fear. We rapidly ‘learn’ that attack is the best form of defence. But when we feel ourselves to be naturally empowered and confident, we can afford to be gentle and tolerant.

The distorted Fire element reaction to the intrinsic spaciousness of being is one that gives rise to the feeling of isolation and separation, and the tangent that we take is one in which we generate the compulsion to consummate, and to cling to the comforting proximity of people, places, things and ideas. We find our world to be an emotional desert and attempt to crowd out our loneliness by indiscriminately grabbing at the experience of union with any focus of our fleeting attention. In some ways, this pattern is similar to the distorted earth-style reaction – but whereas the distorted Earth style finds only the sensation of emptiness and insubstantiality in the process of hoarding and scanning, the distorted fire style finds only the emptiness of isolation and separation in the process of consummation. In the earth style we misinterpret the discovery of insubstantiality as the need to consolidate further; we need to scan mightier ramparts and bastions of personal reality. In the fire style, we misinterpret the discovery of isolation/separation as the need to unify as quickly as possible with further and yet further focuses of seductive proximity.

The distorted Air element reaction to the intrinsic spaciousness of being is one of groundless anxiety and the tangent we take involves us in self-generating suspicion that accelerates in such a way as to make further acceleration the only possible option. We suspect that complex contrivances are in motion, born out of the sinister unknown, whose designs are to undermine us in ways that are not immediately apparent. We lack any sense of stability – we feel that whatever sense of somethingness which we are manipulating to counter the threat of oblivion exists ridiculously precariously in comparison to the lurking threat of that worrying ‘nothingness’. We become tense, agitated and hyperactive as we keep our concentration continually moving – trying to keep everything under surveillance at once. We never know in which moment we could be tricked or treacherously betrayed if we falter in our vigilance. Our feelings range from envy through jealousy and suspicion to paranoia; and finally, psychosis. In some ways, this pattern has similarities to the distorted water element reaction, but whereas in this style, we fear direct, coherent and obvious assault, the air style is one in which fear in the form of uncertainty and nervousness arises out of not knowing how and when suspected assault will manifest. So, rather than lashing out at ‘obvious’ but mistaken threats we engage in high-tension speculation. The water-style defence mechanisms are fairly direct and brutal – we could compare them to jet-fighter planes or battleships. But the air style defences are far more complex, intricate and indirect; there is absolutely no trust involved in anything – we wouldn’t even get our fighter planes off the ground because we would become involved with interminable double-checking. We become obsessed with grotesquely convoluted analyses of the range of hidden plots against us – we could compare the air-style maladaptive pattern to counter-counter-counter-espionage against double/triple/quadruple agents.

The distorted Space reaction is fundamental, it underlies the other four because it is the initial misapprehension giving rise to the other four and into which they subsequently collapse. This fundamental distorted pattern is one in which we are quite simply and utterly overawed/overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of space. The tangent that we take is maybe better described as one in which we feel completely unable to take any kind of tangent – we become incapacitated and depressed. We cut off from the outside world and become introverted, locked inside ourselves – we play blind, deaf, dumb, insensate and numb to experience – we seek shelter in oblivion.

These five distorted reaction patterns exist within each other and most ‘healthy’ people have a balance of these patterns in their less tortuous manifestations. Some ‘healthy’ people have imbalances of one or more element patterns but their energy generates qualities, abilities and talents as well as destructive habits and tendencies. Some people have great elemental imbalances that become fuelled by circumstances to such an extent that we designate them as emotionally unbalanced or psychologically disturbed. But whatever the imbalance, the essence of Tantric psychology is that our distorted element reactions to space are dynamically linked to our liberated potentialities.

Five liberated energies

The territorialism of the distorted earth element neurosis can be transmuted into non-referential appreciation and spacious generosity. The aggression of the distorted water element neurosis can be transmuted into clarity and insight.

The obsessiveness of the distorted fire element neurosis can be transmuted into active-compassion – the passion beyond passion. The paranoia of the distorted air element can be transmuted into uncodified confidence and self-accomplishing activity. The deliberate depression of the distorted space element reaction can be transmuted into ubiquitous intelligence and pervasive awareness.

Element	Response to Intrinsic Spaciousness	Reactions to the response	Effect of transmutation
Earth element	Feeling of insignificance	Cultivation of solidity and power	Equanimity
Water element	Fear, feeling powerless	Lashing out, recklessness	Clarity
Fire element	Isolation, loneliness	Clinging to comforts	Compassion
Air element	Anxiety, vulnerability, paranoia	Excessive analysis	Confidence
Space element	Sense of being overwhelmed	Incapacitation, depression	Pervasive intelligence

With this model of perverted perceptual philosophies and emotional habit patterns (as distortions of the liberated energy of our emotions) we are able to see ourselves in a different light. The painful aspects of our emotional personalities (as well as the joyous aspects) are doorways to our liberated potential. Experiential familiarity with the Tantric view of the emotions enables us to recognise in ourselves, vibrant open qualities within what has come to be devalued as merely emotionalism.

If we look carefully at anger for instance, we can see many of the qualities of clarity, as distorted yet recognisable reflections. Anger is hyper-intelligent – often in a state of anger we release heightened capacities of wit and memory. Sarcasm is delivered with speed and unusual accuracy – we know just where the exposed emotional nerves are in others and we make rapier thrusts at them with the surgical sharpness of our hatred.

Taking emotions as the path

In this view of our emotions as ‘reflections’ of fields of liberated energy, our method of freeing ourselves is one of making direct contact with our emotional energies rather than one of becoming involved at the level of reactions which involve ourselves in expression, repression or dissipation.

These three familiar methods of working with emotions are linked to the three Dzogchen, it refers particularly to the attempt to separate form and emptiness; or more subtly to separate duality and non-duality.

To read a page about duality, click on the link.',CAPTION,'Duality',WIDTH,300,OFFSETY,20,HAUTO,VAUTO,FGCOLOR,'#DFDFDF',BGCOLOR,'#660000',TEXTFONTCLASS,'glosstext',CAPTIONFONTCLASS,'glosscaption');" onmouseout="return nd();">dualistic tendencies: attraction, aversion, and indifference. These are the ways in which we react to everything that presents itself as long as we ‘hide’ from the spaciousness of being. Attraction, aversion, and indifference underpin the fabric of our motivation as long as we equate the intrinsic spaciousness of being with annihilation, and as long as we have this conception that we can only react in these three ways. We continually scan our perceptual horizon in order to establish reference points to prove to ourselves that the intrinsic spaciousness of being is a figment. And so we are attracted to whatever makes us feel solid, permanent, separate, continuous and defined. (Solidity, permanence, separateness, continuity, and definition relate to earth, water fire, air, and space.) We are averse to anything that suggests the opposite and indifferent to whatever we are unable to manipulate. It is this dense web of motivation and patterned perception that almost entirely restricts the natural ‘sparkle’ of our being. We cannot get rid of the cause of our painful feelings by repressing them, or by expressing them, or by dissipating them.

Many people have found that through being helped to express their anger (for example) they have overcome such problems as depression (which can be caused by repressing feelings of anger), but this has led to the mistaken view that it is healthy to express anger. In Tantric terms, to express anger is only to intensify the distorted reflection and to create further illusory distance from the liberated energy of that emotion. To express anger is only to condition us with a pattern of perception that triggers angry responses more readily in more varied situations. Simply speaking, if we regard our anger as a healthy release, we’re just training ourselves to be angry people. We avoid the side effects of repression, but we acquire the side effects of expression. Dissipation is the least injurious activity in terms of side effects whether dealing with anger or with any emotion, but it doesn’t deal with the root of the dilemma. Until that is directly confronted, an emotion will always re-emerge when our circumstances trigger one of our five distorted responses.

The practice of meditation in the context of embracing emotions as the path gives us another option. This option is one in which we neither repress, express nor dissipate our emotional energy. But one in which we let go of the conceptual scaffolding and wordlessly gaze into the physical sensation of the emotion. This is what we describe as 'staring into the face of arising emotions in order to realise their empty nature’. This is where meditation becomes an essential aspect of our method of discovery. The form of meditation we will discuss here comes from the system known as Trèk-chöd, which means ‘exploding the horizon of conventional reality’. Trèk-chöd involves finding the presence of awareness in the dimension of the sensation of the emotion we are experiencing. Simply speaking, we find the location of the emotion within the body (it may be localised or pervasive). This is where we feel the emotion as a physical sensation. We then allow that sensation to expand and pervade us. We become the emotion. We cease to be observers of our emotions. We stare into the face of the arising emotion with such completeness that all sense of division between ‘experience’ and ‘experiencer’ dissolve. In this way we open ourselves to glimpses of what we actually are. We start to become transparent to ourselves. Through this staring, the distorted energy of our emotions liberates itself. In the language of trèk-chöd it is said: ‘of itself – it liberates itself’, and ‘it enters into its own condition’. In order to use meditation in this way, we need to have developed the experience of letting go of obsessive attachment to the intellectual/conceptual process as the crucial reference point on which our sense of being relies. In short, we need to be able to dwell in our own experiential space without manipulating whatever arises to referential ends. We need to experience mind, free conceptual activity – yet qualified by the effulgence of pure and total presence.

Through the practice of meditation, we discover that we can make direct contact with the unconditioned essence of our spectrum of liberated energy. We can embrace our emotions and realise the unending vividness of what we are.

Tibetan yoga

2007-05-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

Into the Mystic

http://www.yogajournal.com/wisdom/464_1.cfm

Still largely cloaked in mystery, ancient Tibetan yoga practices are slowly being introduced in the West, but teachers remain cautious about revealing their secrets.

By Elaine Lipson

While the Chinese occupation of Tibet has stirred the outrage of the world's spiritual community, it has also brought many of Tibet's religious secrets into the light of day. Tibetan spiritual masters have carried their knowledge and traditions to the West, capturing the imaginations of mystics, seekers, and scholars everywhere. In fact, stories that began to trickle out of Tibet in the first half of the twentieth century were no less than fantastic—yogis who could generate immense inner heat, enough to survive unclothed in the harsh and freezing Tibetan landscape, who could literally open the tops of their heads and transfer consciousness to another, and who could transport themselves effortlessly across vast distances at superhuman speed.

A growing body of knowledge about Tibetan spiritual arts and beliefs, utterly magical and almost hallucinatory in their drama and complexity, has begun to articulate the meditation and visualization practices that helped generate these powers and, more importantly, the states of mind and spirit that made them possible. But there have been frustratingly few specifics about physical movement practices that are Tibetan in origin. Though tantalizing hints are woven into texts describing the meditation and pranayama practices of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism and other Tibetan teachings, most of the references are general and vague, with reminders of the extremely clandestine nature of these practices. But movement practices do indeed exist, and in fact play an important role in the trinity of body, mind, and spirit that grounds Tibetan theology.

Until very recently, Westerners have had few clues in the search for knowledge of these Tibetan yogic paths. In the past few years, however, select teachers from two Tibetan spiritual communities now centered in the West have begun to share their long-secret, carefully guarded movement practices. Both of these practices are forms of what is called, in Tibetan, 'phrul 'khor, pronounced "trul-khor." Trul-khor is the generic name for Tibetan movement practices, and today, two forms of trul-khor are being taught in the West.

The first form is called Yantra Yoga (not the yantra yoga of India, which is associated with geometric images) and is taught by Chˆgyal Namkhai Norbu, leader of the Dzogchen meditation community based in Naples, Italy, and Conway, Massachusetts. Norbu, who is beginning to make the practice more widely available, was born in Tibet in 1938 and recognized as the incarnation of a great Dzogchen master at the age of 2; he recently retired after serving 28 years as a professor of Tibetan and Mongolian language and literature at the Oriental Institute of the University of Naples. He is a living holder of the Yantra Yoga teaching, which stems from an ancient text called The Unification of the Sun and Moon and which descended through the famous Tibetan translator Vairochana and a lineage of Tibetan masters, according to Snow Lion Publications, which publishes an extensive catalog of Buddhist books and other materials.

The second form was brought to the West by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, a master of the Bˆn school of the Dzogchen meditative tradition. In 1992, he founded the Ligmincha Institute, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, with branches in Texas, California, Poland, and Mexico; its aim, according to Ligmincha literature, is to "introduce to the West the wisdom traditions of the Bonpo which are concerned with the harmonious integration of internal and external energies." One part of these wisdom traditions is the Tibetan yoga practice that Ligmincha practitioners call Trul-Khor. (In this story, the capitalized term "Trul-Khor" refers to the movement practice taught by the Ligmincha Institute's authorized teachers; the lowercase "trul-khor" is a generic term referring to Tibetan movement practices in general.)

Both Yantra Yoga and Trul-Khor are forms that have been kept intact through centuries, and that are designed to create a state of "natural mind" for the devoted disciple. With newly available workshops, classes, instructional videotapes, and soon-to-be-published books, Tibetan yoga is bound to attract the interest of Westerners. Those who know the practices say they hope these yogas will not be diluted or modified as hatha yoga has been. Powerful and demanding when fully engaged in, these disciplines will probably never find their way into the class schedule of every health club in America. The serious seeker who finds this path, however, will discover the magic of an ancient tradition still intact.

The Magical Wheel

"Trul-khor" means "magical wheel," says Alejandro Chaoul-Reich, a teacher associated with the Ligmincha Institute and a Ph.D. candidate in religious studies at Rice University in Houston. Chaoul-Reich learned Trul-Khor, a set of seven cycles with a total of 38 movements, at Tritan Norbutse Bˆn monastery in Kathmandu, and was then able to verify the movements against an original Tibetan text with his teacher, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.

The form known as Yantra Yoga has 108 movements in all (a number considered auspicious because it echoes the 108 canonical texts of the Buddha). Yantra Yoga is one of the few trul-khor practices of the Buddhist tradition that authorized teachers will transmit, at least in part, to students who are not engaged in the traditional three-year retreat process, and who have not completed a lengthy series of prostrations, meditations, and mantras.

The Eight Movements of Yantra Yoga, a recently released videotape from Snow Lion Publications, represents a remarkable breakthrough in making Tibetan movement practice universally available. "It's out now because Namkhai Norbu is willing for it to be made public," says Jeff Cox, president of Snow Lion. "Norbu is concerned that people do these movements properly, and with the release of this video, I think he's making a statement that he thinks enough people will be able to learn and benefit from it." The eight movements demonstrated on the videotape can be considered a preparatory method for balancing one's energy system, Cox says; a book with extensive instructions for the full system of Yantra Yoga is being translated from Tibetan by Adriano Clemente of Italy, a student of Norbu's, and will be published by Snow Lion.

Fabio Andrico, also of Italy, is the tape's instructor; originally a student of hatha yoga, as were many trul-khor practitioners, he met Norbu Rinpoche in 1977. "I met Yantra Yoga and my teacher after having studied hatha yoga for several months in southern India," says Andrico. "A friend of mine told me that a Tibetan teacher was giving teachings on an advanced form of yoga which deepened particularly the aspect of the breathing, so I decided to go to the retreat in southern Italy." More than 20 years later, Andrico is helping to disseminate the teachings he calls "subtle and powerful."

When asked to compare trul-khor to hatha yoga, Andrico notes that Tibetan yogas vary; just as there is a wide range of schools and traditions in hatha yoga, the same is true in the lineage-specific forms of trul-khor. "But to make a generalization," Andrico says, "the principle difference is that in Yantra Yoga we have a continuous sequence of movement while in hatha yoga there is more emphasis on static forms. In Yantra Yoga, you do not stay in a position for a long time—the position is only a moment in the sequence of movement, ruled by the rhythm of the breathing and the application of one of the five kinds of breath retention."

Chˆgyal Namkhai Norbu expands on these differences in his introduction to The Eight Movements of Yantra Yoga. "In Yantra Yoga there are many positions similar to those of hatha yoga, but the way of getting into the positions, the main point of the practice and the consideration, or point of view, of the practice of Yantra Yoga is different," Norbu says. "In Yantra Yoga the asana, or position, is one of the important points but not the main one. Movement is more important. For example, in order to get into an asana, breathing and movement are linked and applied gradually. The [hatha yoga] movement is also limited by time, which is divided into periods consisting of four beats each: a period to get into the position, a certain period to remain in the position, and then a period to finish the position. Everything is related in Yantra Yoga. The overall movement is important, not only the asana. This is a very important point."

Michael Katz, author of The White Dolphin (Psychology Help Publications, 1999) and editor of Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light by Namkhai Norbu (Snow Lion Publications, 1992), has been practicing Yantra Yoga since 1981 and teaches in various locations, including New York City's Open Center, through the Conway, Massachusetts-based Dzogchen community. He agrees that the focus on breath is a primary point of difference between Yantra Yoga and hatha yoga as it's taught today in the West. "Yantra Yoga seems more active, movement-oriented—at first blush that's the distinction," Katz says. "I think there's a very strong emphasis on the breathing process, and a lot of the exercises that are presented in the form of yoga are designed toward developing advanced breathing exercises."

The Trul-Khor taught by Chaoul-Reich shares this emphasis on movement and breath. "One of the more obvious distinctions with hatha yoga is that in Trul-Khor the postures are not fixed asanas, but are in continuous movement, some very vigorous," Chaoul-Reich says. "Another peculiarity of Trul-Khor is that one is holding the breath during the entire movement and only releasing it at the end of the posture. Some say that because of its forceful nature, Trul-Khor is similar to what is called Kundalini Yoga in the West," he adds.

The Tang of Tibet

Another series of movements said to be Tibetan in origin is known as "The Five Rites of Rejuvenation" or "The Five Tibetans." These unusual, rhythmic movements, which have circulated for decades among yogis but are finding new popularity today, have been credited with the ability to heal the body, balance the chakras, and reverse the aging process in just minutes a day. Legend says that a British explorer learned them in a Himalayan monastery from Tibetan monks who were living in good health far beyond normal lifespans. Skeptics say that no Tibetan has ever recognized these practices as authentically Tibetan, however beneficial they may be.

Yoga teacher Chris Kilham, whose book The Five Tibetans (Healing Arts Press, 1994) has contributed to the practice's current popularity, makes no claims of certainty about the series' origins. "Whether or not the Five Tibetans are in fact Tibetan in origin is something we may never ascertain," Kilham writes. "Perhaps they come from Nepal or northern India...As the story has it, they were shared by Tibetan lamas; beyond that I know nothing of their history. Personally, I think these exercises are most likely Tibetan in origin. The issue at hand, though, is not the lineage of the Five Tibetans. The point is [their] immense potential value for those who will clear 10 minutes a day to practice."

Kilham believes the Five Rites have "the tang of Tibet," and others agree that there are similarities to Tibetan yogas. "I personally don't know if they're for real," says Andrico. "Oddly, some of the five movements—one especially—resembles one of the eight movements of Yantra Yoga, but it's done without any knowledge of integrating the breathing with the movement, which is a fundamental point in the practice of Yantra."

Whatever their origin, the Five Tibetans/Five Rites share both method and potential madness with trul-khor practices. "These exercises seem to speed the flow of energy or prana up the spine and through the chakras," says Jeff Migdow, M.D., a contributor to Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth, Book 2 (Doubleday, 1998), director of the Prana Yoga Teacher Training course at the Open Center in New York City, and a physician in holistic practice with an office at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts. Furthermore, the Five Rites are potent in their intensity. "If people do them incorrectly, they may experience dizziness or nausea," Migdow says. "The exercises are deceptively simple but very powerful."

"The Five Tibetans combine posture, breath, and motion to create a dynamic energetic effect," Kilham says. "They do not require either exceptional strength or flexibility, but with a minimum of both, they can generate significant energetic power, which is then used in meditation to shatter the cognitive boundaries of the mind and achieve a transcendent state."

Whatever the provenance or effects of the Five Rites/Five Tibetans, it seems clear that the practices of Yantra Yoga and Trul-Khor are keeping ancient, secret traditions alive and intact in a way that hatha yoga, perhaps, can no longer claim. "I think [Yantra Yoga] is very much as it was when it was first introduced. There's an unbroken lineage," Katz says. "It's rarely presented to the public, which limits the likelihood of the distortion of the lineage. This may not be the case with some hatha yoga traditions, where there are various interpretations. I think the lineage in this particular tradition is very strong."

Chaoul-Reich echoes this reflection on the adaptation of hatha yoga traditions, agreeing that teachers of Tibetan yoga must weigh the risks of compromising tradition against the risks of losing these practices altogether if they are not taught more widely. "Through the years we've seen many kinds of yogas, which were originally from Hindu sources, that seem to have been adapted for the Western mind, body, and lifestyle. Today we even see hatha yoga courses in gyms which seem to be just stretching exercises," Chaoul-Reich says. "Don't get me wrong—I believe it's a way that these traditions can reach more interested people that would probably not come if the methods were not adapted. I believe it's a challenge, too, to be able to instruct without corrupting the teachings, yet acknowledging the audience."

"I do have concerns that the complexity [of Yantra Yoga] will disappear," Katz says, "But I've come to the conclusion that Norbu Rinpoche, who is the guardian of this tradition, has the bird's-eye view. If he feels it's more important that it be practiced more accurately by a very few, he'll make the call. All the Tibetan teachers want to make sure these traditions are not lost, and so would like people to practice. At the same time, if it's not practiced as accurately as they would like, they have a strong feeling it's not worth it." The jury's still out, Katz says, on how much Tibetan yoga will be revealed in a much more public way.

Is It Magic?

If it seems startling that any tradition could remain so mysterious and little-known today, when virtually every culture and every corner of the world has been explored, it may reflect the power that these practices are said to have. As mentioned above, early Western visitors to Tibet reported yogis with phenomenal, almost unbelievable, powers. While trul-khor practices may have been only a small part of the spiritual landscape—and lifetime devotion—that made these feats possible, the movements are nonetheless considered to be powerful. While holding unlimited potential for healing and balancing the body, mind, and spirit, these movements were and are also considered possibly dangerous to those who use them recklessly or without adequate instruction. In the West, however, the current level of teachings available will not take students to dangerous extremes.

Theoretically it's possible to develop these powers through the practice of trul-khor and, in particular, the "unification of the sun and moon," Katz says. "I'm not aware of any current Western practitioners who have taken it to that level...but I do believe these practices are profound. Someone who was to devote his life, in retreat, to these practices could develop these kinds of capacities," Katz adds.

Most Westerners are, instead, at what Katz calls a "spiritual beginner" level, which limits our capacity for such extraordinary feats. Moreover, trul-khor can have negative consequences if performed improperly or with arrogance. "It's been described as a 'sharp path,' meaning it can cause negative health problems if it's done incorrectly," Katz says. "It really can't be done frivolously."

Those potential negative health effects that can result from misuse of these movements are making teachers all the more cautious, adding to the mystique and the secrecy of the teachings. The dangers are more subtle than sprained ankles or sore muscles. "Breathing is intimately connected with energy," says Snow Lion's Cox. "Breathing can affect a person's energy system more deeply than movement. So there are usually warnings not to overdo or try to force things, like holding the breath too long or doing too many repetitions," he adds.

"You're playing with some of the energies of the body, the internal circulation of air," agrees Katz. "If you direct or force the internal airs into the wrong channels, you can disrupt the natural processes of the body. These are quite powerful exercises, and doing them improperly even for a short time can result in insomnia, digestive problems, whatever—or, in the extreme, if you were to abuse the practice, you could have mental problems such as anxiety or depression," he says.

Healing & Purifying

Done correctly, these movements can be equally powerful as agents of healing and balancing the body and mind, beyond the extremes of supernatural abilities or destructive forces.

In fact, the trul-khor systems are intricately designed to maximize positive effects on the body and mind. Ancient Tibetan medicine identifies five elements—space, air, fire, earth, and water—which correlate to organs in the body and to emotions, both positive and negative. Chaoul-Reich says that the Bˆn tradition, in particular, explores the elements, though the system is also used in Tantra, Tibetan shamanism, and Dzogchen, and is similar (but not identical) to the five elements in traditional Chinese medicine. In the Trul-Khor of the Bˆn tradition, the first, or preliminary, cycle of movements is an introduction to the breath. The second, more vigorous, cycle specifically balances the five elements and their corresponding afflictions.

The 108 movements of Yantra Yoga also address the body's "channels," says Andrico. "There are three families of preparatory exercises apart from the eight movements [shown in the video]. There are five movements to mobilize the joints and five movements to control the channels. Before that we practice a breathing exercise designed to expel the impure prana." In the complete system, these are followed by 25 positions, called yantras, with two variations of each for a total of 75 movements divided into five groups. Finally, says Andrico, there is a series called the vajra wave, designed "to correct any possible obstruction of the flowing of prana created by distraction during the practice."

Ultimately, the intention of both Yantra Yoga and Trul-Khor is to clear all of the qualities identified as unwanted obstructions, imbalances, distractions, or afflictions, including negative emotions. In this state of purification, the student can begin to experience "the natural mind."

"The basic goal is to be able to continue in a state of relaxation—a natural state without tensions, but in the full presence of our potentiality," Andrico says. For both Yantra Yoga and Trul-Khor, meditation is an integral part of the practice; the bodily movements are designed to be experienced with the meditations that are part of each tradition's lineage. "Yantra Yoga is meant to be done in conjunction with meditation, particularly from the Dzogchen and Vajrayana tradition," Michael Katz says. "It's good for people who are particularly oriented toward balancing their yoga practice with a very intact spiritual tradition." Yet here in the West, those people seem to be a rare breed, and in fact hatha yoga is often presented as only a physical pursuit. "Tibetan Yoga is little known and practiced exactly because it is so doggedly focused on conscious training and liberation," says Chris Kilham.

Buddhism, on the other hand, is often presented as a meditative and intellectual religious practice without a physical component. For this reason, says Katz, Westerners have been relatively slower to seek out traditional Tibetan yoga practices than to adopt Buddhism's more ethereal components.

"Buddhism tends to be presented in a rather sedentary and intellectual manner in the United States," Katz says. "It's unbalanced, with an insufficient emphasis on the physical body. [Trul-khor] is a way to balance out that problem." Although Tibetan yoga may have been somewhat overlooked, the fact remains that a cloak of secrecy has surrounded it.

For Namkhai Norbu and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, releasing these teachings is a matter of necessity—to preserve the traditions—as well as one of generosity, in sharing what they believe can be a beneficial practice leading to spiritual awakening.

But it's also an act of courage, as they send their ancient, closely guarded traditions into a modern world that is likely to change them.

Yet if these teachings can make a successful transition to Western culture in the eyes of Tibetan spiritual elders, it's likely to propel even more of Tibet's secrets into the open.

Resources

Tsegyalgar, the U.S. center for the teachings of Namkhai Norbu, in Conway, Massachusetts: (413) 369-4153; e-mail:74404.1141@compuserve.com; www.3dsite.com/n/sites/dzogchen.

The Eight Movements of Yantra Yoga: An Ancient Tibetan Tradition (videotape), by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, with Fabio Andrico, instructor. Snow Lion Publications: (800) 950-0313; www.snowlionpub.com.

Ligmincha Institute, led by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche: (804) 977-6161; e-mail: Ligmincha@aol.com; www.ligmincha.org.

Elaine Lipson is a Colorado-based writer specializing in yoga, organic foods and natural health, and textiles. She has practiced the Five Tibetans since 1993.

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche explains YAMANTAKA

2007-05-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Witch Bottles

2007-04-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

Witch Bottles
by Faerie K. for Vox Paganorum
translated from the Finnish by Faerie K.

http://www.ecauldron.com/witchbottle.php

Witch-bottles are probably quite familiar to many Pagans, at least as a concept. Witch-bottle isn't a poor little Witch in a bottle, or hold something Witches drink in their gatherings. They are more akin to a "bottled spell". The tradition originates from British folklore, traveling with British immigrants to the Americas, if not further. Many modern Pagans have included Witch-bottles in their collection of spells, widening and diversifying this old tradition - and making it more comparable with their personal ethics.

A Bit on the History of Witch-bottles

The history of Witch-bottles goes back hundreds of years. The origins of this tradition has been dated to the 1500's. They were used most actively for a couple of hundred years. This is the same time when the Witch-hunts were going on. After this period, the tradition slowly waned. The last historical Witch-bottle was found in a cabin built in mid 19th century, in Pershore, Worcestershire (UK).

The actual bottle of a traditional Witch-bottle during the 16th and 17th century was a German stone bottle called "bartmann" or "bellermine" bottle. Similar bottles of stone material were manufactured in Holland and Belgium. The technique wasn't mastered in England before the 1660's and bartmann bottle manufacturing was rare in Britain.

The bottle got its name from a cardinal called Bellarmino only after the Witch-bottle tradition had already begun. These bottles had a round belly and they were decorated with a facial image of a grim looking bearded man and a medallion of stylized floral or natural imagery.

Even though these bottles were being manufactured actively in Germany long before the time of Bellarmino - who was against the Reformation - these bottles were given their familiar name as a satirical comment on the Cardinal. His bearded figure resembled the typical bearded man depicted on these bottles.[1] Later on, the bearded image was taken to represent the Devil, which suited well for Witch-bottles, after all -- witches were considered as people allied with the Devil.

Glass bottles were also used, but according to my sources they were never as popular as Witch-bottles as were the bartmann ones.

Old Witch-bottles contained things like bent iron nails, human hair (head hair and pubic hair) and urine. Urine as an important ingredient of a Witch-bottle has been long known in folk traditions, but actual findings with the bottle still containing urine have been rare. However, all of the Witch-bottles found in England which were tested for urine, did prove positive. Other traditional items contained in Witch-bottles include small bones, thorns, needles, pieces of wood and in some cases heart-shaped pieces of cloth.

The bottles were most often found buried under the fireplace. Other sites include under the floor, buried in the ground there, and plastered inside walls. The fireplace is, from a magical point of view, a security risk as it has a straight connection with the open skies above. It was believed that the curse of a Witch or even a Witch herself in a shape-shifted form could get into a house through the fireplace. Another security risk was the doorway, as doors are opened and closed several times throughout the day. In addition to the fireplace, the bottles were often hidden near the doorway.

On the Original Uses

The most active period of Witch-bottle usage and the Witch-hunts don't coincide by accident. The fear of Witches produced ways of protecting oneself against them during times when slightest misfortune was easily interpreted as being caused by a curse put on one or another member of the family. From the point of view of a present day Witch, the original purpose for building a Witch-bottle wasn't that pleasant: they were intended to keep Witches and Witches' curses away. The contents of a Witch-bottle was designed to not only divert an attacking Witch, but also to cause her to suffer the agonies brought on by all the nasty things inside the bottle. To put it simply: to turn the curse back to the curser.

The urine in the bottle symbolizes the target of the curse. The curser and the target of the curse were believed to have a strong connection and the curse was believed to target not only its intended victim, but also the bodily fluids of the target. When the bottle was placed in a way that made it easier for the curse to meet with the urine (in the Witch-bottle) before the actual target, the curse hit the bottle and not its intended victim. This is why the bottles were usually hidden where they were. The importance of pubic hair and hair was similar to that of the urine.

Witch-bottles are very much a part of age-old traditions of sympathetic magic with its intentions of causing pain for the Witch with the contents of the Witch-bottle. According to folk beliefs, the use of Witch-bottles sometimes brought the Witch herself, writhing in agony, knocking on the door - begging for somebody to break the Witch-bottle and promising to reverse the curse.

The Witch-bottle was believed to be active as long as the bottle remained hidden and unbroken. People did go though a lot of trouble in hiding their Witch-bottles. Those buried underneath fireplaces have been found only after the rest of the building has been torn down or otherwise disappeared.

Modern-Witch-Bottles

Very generally speaking, the modern day Witch-bottles are very similar to historical Witch-bottles in their basic structure, even though their intended purpose has changed. The most common purpose for constructing a Witch-bottle today is capturing negative energies targeted at the constructor of the bottle, her family or her home. Even though some bottles are "mirroring" in nature, they aren't normally built to cause agony to the sender of negative energy/caster of curses. Some Witch-bottles are intended to change negative energy into positive one and then release it into the surrounding area. This kind of bottles could be classified as "guard and protect"-bottles.

The basic structure of Witch-bottles can be used for purposes other than protective: for financial gain, for helping with artistic creativity, to call forth positive energy (instead of "just filtering out negative energy"), for improving health, etc.

One could say that the basic principle is the following: practically speaking, a Witch-bottle is a container of some sort, usually a jar or a bottle, which is filled with objects and often also liquids which fill a given magickal purpose. The person making the Witch-bottle, or in other words, the one casting the bottled spell, can charge the objects magickally beforehand and build the bottle to work on this charging until the need of renewing the spell arises. Witch-bottles can also be built to recharge themselves by the energy they 'capture' for as long as the bottle stays unbroken, whether it be years or centuries.

Instead of magickally charging the items, one can build a bottle whose the powers are based on its contents, but cumulatively so, resulting with powers stronger than the sum of its parts. Also this version can be designed to be seasonal or "one time lasts a life time".

What Do Modern Witch-Bottles Contain?

The typical contents of the basic protective Witch-bottle today is quite similar to that of the traditional one: bent iron nails (some say they are better if old and rusty while others say clean and unused are best), thorns, rusty razor blades, broken glass or pieces of broken mirror (some say breaking a mirror for Witch-bottle use causes bad luck, others claim that breaking a mirror for this particular use will not cause bad luck except for people sending negative energies to the bottle builder), or other sharp and dangerous "nasties", urine of the bottle's builder, often also menstrual or other blood. One could use semen as the masculine counterpart for menstrual blood. The bottle is often a common tight-lidded glass jar, or a bottle with a rather wide mouth.

Other types of Witch-bottles may contain sand or different colored sands, crystals, stones, knotted threads, herbs, spices, resin, flowers, candles (no, you won't burn them inside the bottle), incense (you won't burn it either), votive candles, salt, vinegar, oil, coins, saw dust, ashes etc etc. Actually, everything used in "normal spells" can be used in this bottled version of a spell, the Witch-bottle.

Additional materials include candles and/or wax to seal the bottle/jar with. The rest of the materials depend on the ritual in question (if any) and the religion of the builder of the bottle.

On the Hiding Place

A Pagan living in their own house may be able to hide the Witch-bottle in the traditional way under the fireplace, under the floor, or in the walls. However, it is more common to bury the bottle in the yard in a place where nobody will accidentally break it while digging in the garden. One such place is behind stones under the stairs. For a Pagan living in a terraced house burying the bottle in the garden should work well - as long as you are careful not to attract too much attention to yourself while burying an odd object (the bottle) during the correct phase of the Moon, at night, with just candle light, wearing suspicious looking ritual garments.

Apartments can be a difficult place to live in when you're trying to find somewhere to hide a Witch-bottle. Or, at least it may seem like that! Digging a hole and burying the bottle in the yard may be not only difficult, but also quite likely not allowed. Nosy kids can dig the bottle up and hurt themselves on the contents. Not to mention that in the right (or wrong, to be more precise) neighborhood could cause lots of trouble for the Pagan attempting to hide a bottle in the yard.

However, the situation is not that impossible! The bottle doesn't need to be situated near the home in order for it to work. If you are constructing a bottle intended to be a personal safety guard, it can be buried in a forest or sunk in a swamp. With a Witch-bottle designed to guard a given home and those living in it, you can use a large flowerpot by the front door or on the windowsill to bury the bottle in to. In this case, the bottle should be small enough to fit in the flowerpot - with the plant!

Another idea I've heard is putting the Witch-bottle into a closet next to the front door, where it could easily do its job as a guardian and protector of the home and its inhabitants. However, this solution might cause some trouble if the same thing that happened to one Pagan happens to you: the Witch-bottle she kept in her closet worked very well - until it one day literally blew up. The bottle was of the very traditional type, so cleaning up after this wasn't that pleasant, as you can well imagine! While refining the idea further, we ended up putting the bottle in a covered bucket filled with soil and then putting the bottle inside the bucket in the closet.

For a Pagan still "in the closet" or living in something like student housing with a room mate these ideas may not be that usable. There's still no need to panic, as Witch-bottles can be made in miniature size, too. One witch working with test tubes in her professional life worked out recycling methods for test tubes as miniature Witch-bottles small enough to fit in the flowerpots on her windowsill. If you want to use test tubes, make sure you can close them tightly. There are also miniature bottles and jars available at various gift shops which can be used as well.

It should be noted that not all Witch-bottles are designed to be hidden away. Some are intended to be left out in the open, for example on the windowsill, on your altar or on your (work) desk.

Some Instructions

The next part contains some instructions for making Witch-bottles. I won't be including any particular instructions for rituals. First, because the exact rituals used depend on the religion of the person crafting the Witch-bottle and rituals aren't even always necessary. One doesn't even have Pagan religious inclinations for constructing a Witch-bottle. One of the persons who has made a Witch-bottle with my instructions is completely unaffiliated religiously, doesn't consider himself a Pagan, and is more or less an Atheist. He is, nevertheless, very happy with the results. Second, planning the ritual (if one decides to have one) can be considered an important part of constructing a Witch-bottle. As important as planning and gathering the objects used. Third, if you are using a pre-made ritual, you can easily end up repeating somebody else's words and copying somebody else's motions, without proper emotions. Finally, modifying things to suit you better is in this context not only allowed, it's recommended!

Basic Bottle for a Modern Witch

This is the tried and tested basic Witch-bottle, suitable also for modern day Pagans. The bottle is intended to be one that protects its maker, often also the maker's home and family, from negative energies. Depending on how the bottle is made and on the maker's Will, the bottle can be one that gathers the negative energies in itself (capturing), one that sends the energies back to where they came from (mirroring) or one that changes negative energy into positive (transforming). I would say, however, that this traditional Witch-bottle isn't the best suited one for the last option.

Materials

Glass, earthenware or stone bottle or jar, with a tightly closing cap. Size depending on how big you can easily hide. Size doesn't matter that much, so be reasonable.
Protective gloves for handling items you'll be putting in the bottle. A Witch-bottle won't help you much if you manage to get a blood poisoning while constructing one.
Wax or candles to seal the bottle. Black is a good choice.
Another jar for "potty" if you don't have one. Aiming isn't that easy, especially if you're trying to hit something like a Witch-bottle. So, you'll need something to pee into - and of course you'll need your urine.
All kinds of "nasties": Nails, rusty and bent (you can bend them yourself, too). Pieces of barbed wire, thorns, burrs, pieces of glass and/or mirror, needles etc.
Some things to choose from: Menstrual blood (if you are female) or semen (of you are male). You can drain menstrual blood from your menstrual pads or tampons, in order to get semen. Well, you do know how to get it. Word of advice, though - if you are using sex magick as a part of your Witch-bottle building ritual, do try to remember that you were supposed to collect some of the semen to use in the bottle. It's not that easy to collect it out of your partner, you know. Other blood - get a sterile needle from the pharmacist and remember to buy some band-aids as well. You can also add your pubic or other hair to represent yourself. An egg can also be included.
Bandages should be readily available, in the case something happens. A lot of the stuff you're putting into the bottle is sharp.

Preliminary preparations

Gather all the necessary items, your bodily fluids being the very last ones as you don't want to store them even for a day. You can collect other items intended for a Witch-bottle over a long period of time, storing them until you have all the necessary items and enough of them. Items found on the ground suit the purpose well. Cut metal items into smaller pieces if necessary so that they fit into the bottle you've chosen. If you're using a very small bottle, remember that will need only a very very small number of each item or alternatively small items (broken needles, tiny nails etc).

Choose a date to suit your magickal workings best and plan your ritual, if these things are important for you. Waning moon is often considered a suitable time for building a Witch-bottle. The ritual can consist of just the visualization of the bottle's intended use.

You can use the following to help with your visualization:

Your bodily fluids are intended to symbolize yourself, they are part of your essence and are traditionally used in magick. Instead of having the negative energies hitting you, they hit your "representative" in the Witch-bottle, the part of your essence.

For a capturing bottle: The "nasties" inside the bottle are intended to capture the negative energies - the metal captures them, the glass confuses and cuts them, the thorns puncture them and iron (and egg) dissolve them. You can visualize the negative energies drowning in the urine. If you are building a mirroring bottle, visualize the glass and mirror mirroring the negative energy back to its sender or to grounding it to earth. For a transforming bottle you can use colored glass and visualize the negative energy transforming into positive one before continuing on its journey forward to benefit you, your home or the universe.

Choose the place to hide your Witch-bottle before you make it. Be sure you have all the necessary equipment like a shovel. By the time the bottle is finished, it's too late to start pondering "but where will I put this thing?" If you are going to bury the bottle in the ground, choose the place so that people or animals will not dig it up.

The Actual Making of the Bottle

Have all the necessary equipment and items at hand in a place you consider best suitable for the task, at a time most suitable for you. Cast a circle, if you feel one necessary. You can build the bottle and have your ritual at the site of where you will hide it or do everything else in one place and then take the ready bottle elsewhere to be buried.

Fill the bottle with items you've chosen until they form a disgusting mixture. Shake the bottle to mix the items, if necessary. If you are including an egg, don't break it and add it as the last of the solid items. Remember to leave enough room for it as well.

After this, add urine, menstrual blood or semen, or prick your finger with the sterile lancet and add as the very last thing a few drops of your blood. You won't need large amounts, blood and semen are considered potent, so few drops will do.

Close the cap or lid and seal the bottle. You can carve symbols of your choice (for example runes, a sigil), being careful not to break the seal. If this happens, remove the wax and start the sealing process again.

If you are going to go to another place to hide the bottle, clean up after yourself especially if there is any chance that somebody else will get to the place where you were building your bottle before you come back from hiding it! If you did cast a circle before starting, take it down. Remember to ground yourself (if you are creating the bottle at the place where you're hiding it, you can do this afterwards).

Travel to the hiding place and hide your Witch-bottle in a suitable manner. Banishing words suit the situation well and if you don't know how or don't want to use traditional banishing spells or something similar, you can even swear like a drunken sailor! You can bury the bottle upside down, putting more nasties in the hole you buried around the bottle before covering it all up. If you are hiding the bottle somewhere inside your home, hide it the right way up.

Wiccan Version

The Wiccan versions of the Witch-bottle which follow are more suitable for the Wiccan view of the world, magick and ethics. They are often intended to capture the negative energies or prevent it from ever arriving and - what's important - prevent it to harm the home and its inhabitants. Many of these Wiccan versions are very much like the basic bottle described above, so it isn't necessary to repeat everything over. However, you can use wine, (apple) vinegar or blessed (salted) water instead or in addition to urine. The nails used may be new, etc.

Many Wiccan Witch-bottles use herbs, with the herbs being chosen according to their magickal qualities. There are sometimes very specific instructions given for the gathering of each herb and other items, including correct phases of the Moon. The herbs and other objects may be put in the bottle the previous day, letting the bottle stand by the witch's bed over the night. In the morning, you can add (morning) urine to the bottle, after which the bottle is closed and sealed utilizing Wiccan rituals. Some instructions state that the bottle will be placed in a cupboard or closet, so you don't necessarily have to carefully hide it.

The following instructions are a basic version of a Wiccan version of the Witch-bottle, using herbs. You can do everything using a longer/more complex or a shorter/simpler route, depending on your own inclinations. You can for example start collecting the necessary items on a given phase of the moon (for example on the day before New Moon) and perform the ritual on the next Dark Moon. Or, you can collect the items when you have time for it and build the bottle at any phase of the moon (with protective spells, you don't always have to wait for the right phase of the moon - you do it when you have to). You can utter a suitable spell with every item added to the bottle, summoning the spirit of the item/accessory and meditate for a while - or you can speak your chosen words after the bottle is filled. You can make the bottle as part of a ritual, or you can construct a ritual especially for this occasion. One reason why I'm being so vague with the instructions is that I'm not Wiccan myself.

Materials

Bottle or jar, with a tightly closing cap or lid
Sea salt
Crystal or stone, for example turquoise, obsidian or black onyx.
Herbs, for example acasia, aloe, lilies, lime, lotus, agrimony, corn, cayenne and black pepper, dried onion, salvia, frankincense, basil, mint, myrrh, garlic, rosemary, mistletoe, pine needles.
A few nails or needles
Wine, (apple) vinegar or urine
Thread
Black candle for sealing
The usual tools used in the ritual section

Preliminary Preparations

You can choose the herbs and crystals you are going to use according to their special qualities or use some of those I've listed. You can also use a drop or two of an essential oil instead of a herb. You can choose the number of herbs and solid items in general (in this case, essential oil is counted as "solid") to put in the bottle on numerological grounds either so that the number of all solid items is a specific one, or that you will use a certain number of herbs. Suitable numbers are 7, connected to protection, or 9, connected with the Goddess.

Gather the necessary items. Clean the bottle you are going to use. Wash it with warm soapy water carefully (if you can use a specific soap made for protective purposes, so much the better) and dry it well. You can leave the bottle over night in the light of a full moon to charge it. Choose a place to hide the bottle. For a bottle to be filled as part of a ritual or ritually, it is a good thing to have all the necessary tools at hand, on your alter. You can also construct your ritual and spells and chants beforehand.

The purpose of the crystal (which isn't absolutely necessary, the list is given as an example - including the liquid items) is to use it's magickal qualities, the same goes with the herbs. The salt is there to purify and bless the target of the Witch-bottle (the person(s), home to be protected). The nails and needles ground the negative energy and you can also visualize it being then sent back to its sender, threefold. The thread tangles the negative energy in a knot similar to what you are tangling the thread into and to bend the energies away from the builder of the bottle. You can also visualize the negativity tripping over to the thread. The urine represents the builder of the bottle. When using wine or vinegar you can visualize the negative energies drowning in the liquid, with vinegar acting as a purifying element as well.

The Actual Making of the Bottle

If you're constructing the bottle as part of a ritual, you can perform the ritual opening as usual.

Start filling the bottle with the salt. After the salt, add needles or nails, bent or straight. After this, it's time to add the herbs. The crystals and the thread you've tangled into a "ball" can be added next. If you are adding liquids, that is done after the solid items.

When the bottle is otherwise finished, you can raise energies with a suitable chant (I've seen the traditional "Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna" recommended for this purpose) and directing it into the bottle, after which you close the bottle and seal it with the wax of the candle.

End your ritual as usual and bury the bottle into a suitable place or otherwise hide it. You can burn incense on the hiding place to seal the spell properly.

Witch-Bottle to Show Off

Witch-bottles that are intended to be left out in plain sight are not usually made to that much protect their makers, but to bring the one who has cast this bottled spell something she or he wants. The usual reasons are the reasons so common with other types of spell as well: the wish the gain more love, material gains, happiness, creativity.

I won't give any specific instructions, only basic principles:

Select the bottle or jar used according to its color, shape or the simple fact that it is pleasing to the eye. Go through the magical qualities of herbs, colors, essential oils, metals, crystals etc and choose the ones you'll use in the bottle according to how well they suit your intended purpose. You won't normally use any liquids (except for a few drops of essential oils) in bottles left in the open, they are "dry bottles". Aim for a harmonious whole. That means: don't try to squeeze in your bottle every single herb or crystal associated with, for example, wealth. Too much is too much!

Pick a few suitable herbs or oils, one suitable crystal, one suitable color. To represent the color you can add (silk) ribbon to the bottle or tie a ribbon around it, or paint a symbol representing your goals with the chosen color. You can also make a "hat" to cover the lid of the bottle, making it out of black cloth and painting a symbol on it with fabric paint or magic marker, or use the color of your spell as the color of this "hat". You can use colors as colored sands or salts. Even metals have their own magickal correspondences, so you might want to use metal dust or chips.

If you are following the phases of the moon or other celestial objects in your magick, take them into consideration while constructing the bottle. It is up to the bottle's maker whether to use a formal ritual or not.

As a basic principle, it could be suggested that sands (and metal dust/chips) usually go to the bottom, herbs and oils on the sand and the crystal in with the herbs.

Final Words

You can easily develop a large number of versions of the basic Witch-bottle to suit your (and others') needs and life situations. Even during the time historical Witch-bottles were in use, there were new versions being developed, so why not today?! There is no One True Witch-bottle (even though there probably are people who would like to claim so), only bottles more like the traditional ones and bottles of more modern variety. I have run into all kinds of bottles myself, some being love-raising bottles on the brink of going over the level of good taste and ethics (some actually going overboard) to bottles constructed to bind a given bad person very tightly. The many varieties speaks volumes for how effective this type of spell work can be and how versatile it is.

[1] Oxoniana, vol. i. p. 232, tells how the bottle got its name: "One of the Fellows of Exeter (College), when Dr Prideaux was rector, sent his servitor, after nine o'clock at night, with a large bottle to fetch some ale from the alehouse. When he was coming home with it under his gown the proctor met him, and asked him what he did out so late, and what he had under his gown? The man answered that his master had sent him to the stationers to borrow Bellarmine, which book he had under his arm; and so he went home. Whence a bottle with a big belly is called a Bellarmine to this day, 1667."

Pyrokinesis

2007-04-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Dynamo Jack

2007-04-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

If You're Conscious, How Can You Die?

2007-04-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

"COHEN: Yes. But one could live next to a chemical plant and get poisoned, or live next to Chernobyl and get cancer from radiation, and that wouldn’t necessarily have anything to do with any negative thinking, right?

RAGNAR: It’s a hard question to answer because people get very sensitive when you say anything about personal responsibility. But I think that if I had been living in the Ukraine, there would have been something inside me that said, “Get out of here, boy; get out of here.” You know, whenever a severe storm comes, if you look around here, the animals are gone. They disappear; they know. All you have to do is listen to nature, and it tells you everything and anything you need to know about life. The animals know without knowing all the time. Not some of the time, not part of the time, but all of the time. And we do too.

COHEN: But there were thousands of people who would have had no warning. I mean, that has to be part of the equation, doesn’t it?

RAGNAR: When do we have no warning? I’ve said this so many times, and I know it bugs people. It irritates them when I say, “Look, you never have an accident without being warned at least three times in advance. It’s just that you fail to hear or see or perceive the very warning that’s before you.” Nothing happens to us without us first being told about it. It’s like the tsunami. Where did the animals go? They already knew.

COHEN: Yes, that was amazing.

RAGNAR: Well, we have the same faculty.

COHEN: But let’s say you’re driving through a town where the water has been completely polluted, and you don’t know it. And you happen to go to a diner and drink a cup of tea or something, and then eventually, you get cancer as a result.

RAGNAR: You’d know it. You’d know it ahead of time.

COHEN: But how would you know?

RAGNAR: Are you familiar with behavioral kinesiology, or muscle testing?

COHEN: Yes.

RAGNAR: Okay. How is it that certain things weaken us and certain things strengthen us? Our body tells us. Our body sends us a signal, and that signal either weakens or strengthens us. The other day, someone was asking me about some testing equipment for kinesiology. And I said, “I don’t need the testing equipment. I’ve already got it; it’s inside me.” I can look at something or think of something, and I know the feedback loop. I know whether it comes back “this is good” or “this is bad.” It’s the same feedback loop that all animals have.

COHEN: So, in other words, you’re saying that when you become more and more conscious, you become more sensitive to what you should do and what you shouldn’t do, a direction to go in or a direction not to go in, a place to eat or a place you shouldn’t eat, that kind of thing? That your intuition will evolve in leaps and bounds, and you will experience a level of sensitivity and intuitive knowing that most people would ordinarily be unaware of, or wouldn’t even be able to imagine?

RAGNAR: Precisely. Now, I know people will say, “You’re making me feel guilty now. You’re making me feel uncomfortable because I don’t have that.” And I say, “But you can. It’s something that develops in time. It’s all called consciousness.” Some of us have been at it longer, that’s all. Some of us have grown up faster. It’s just a part of our evolution. We grow more conscious if we work at it, and if you make a commitment to work at it, then you have the ultimate protection. You’re always in the right place at the right time for the right reason—you are never not. Nothing can happen to you that you do not designate if you are that conscious.

Now, let’s say my belief is wrong. Okay, we’ll find out. But the neat thing is that your confidence is bolstered once you realize that the process works. It works in little ways, and if one is conscious enough to see it working in little ways, then you will see it working in dramatic ways. I choose to believe that everything works because you are more conscious. If you’re conscious, everything works in your favor. And if you’re unconscious, everything works against you.

COHEN: Is that because if you’re more conscious, you’re at one with the life process? So then the process itself opens up within you and before you and around you?

RAGNAR: I’ll give you an example. The other day, a wild coyote came out of the forest, came right up to me. I was outside, and I opened the door and said, “Do you want to come in?” It said, “Sure.” And it came in. I said, “Let me fix you a meal.” So my wife and I fixed him a meal. I handed him a cookie, and he said, “Thank you, I really appreciate that.” I said, “Well, I appreciate your visit. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Coyote.” And so now Mr. Coyote comes back and forth. But this is the relationship we have with all the animals because I see that as an extension of my own energy. This is life force, just the flow of life force. It’s like I have a kite, and he’s on the other end, and the wind is blowing, so he runs through the forest. And then when I wind up the kite, here he comes again.

We have deer, a whole bunch of deer, and when we walk out there, they come up and nose me. We give them apples. I know the wildlife people in the park would go crazy if they heard me telling this story. But I say, “Hey, they love me, because I love them, and they have nothing stopping them from feeling that.” We have a wild boar—I mean, you ought to see this thing. He’s got a mane like a big black lion and burning red eyes—especially at night—and these big tusks. It would scare the hell out of anybody if they saw him. We call him by name; I call him Rasputin. He comes running up and dances around in a circle on the deck. He loves us. And this thing is totally wild. If a stranger came here, they’d never see this happen. They wouldn’t see a bear, they wouldn’t see a deer, and they certainly wouldn’t see the coyotes. The birds leave, too, when the vibrations are wrong or off.

Now, what does that tell you about life? All life is one, and if you’re in harmony with it, you can walk out into the middle of a forest, walk up to a strange deer, and touch it. The first time a mama bear came, I was out in the woods. I laid down in front of her, and she came over and sniffed me. And I showed her that I was totally surrendered, that I wasn’t going to hurt her. I have not one ounce of fear or negativity about these animals. You know, she was pregnant, and she brought her three cubs. She brought them right to our bedroom door, and we babysat the cubs while she went off and had some free time. This is on a regular basis. I’ve got photographs of this. The cubs would come in the bedroom, and we’d watch them until she came back half an hour later. And then off they’d go with their mama, because there’s no disconnect. There is no separation. It’s all one beautiful picture. However, when people with other energies come—people with fears and apprehensions—they don’t see a thing. The world changes. It’s a different world. And between the two worlds, I choose this one."

- http://www.wie.org/j30/ragnar.asp?page=1

The corporation as magickal entity

2007-04-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

www.lvx23.com/words2.html

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The corporation as magickal entity

This article explores the identity of the corporate body and how it can often become an independent entity, outside the control of any singular individual. In magickal terms the corporation can, by virtue of its presence in memespace and its influence over the collective human psyche, become the magickal construct known as an egregore. Much of this can apply to all corporate or cooperative bodies, but the lifestyle providers that dance on our TV's, follow us down the streets and in our cars, and who gently invade our homes and minds, are the most powerful and compelling.

The modern corporation is far more than simply a building full of people that creates a product or manages resources. It exists in physical space, data space, and in aetheric space. It is a collective of intentional will committed to self-preservation, growth, and profit. It wields language and media to establish its presence and identity in the age of global trade. The corporation is unified in its focus, executes on its desires, and manipulates resources in accordance with its intent. It is in many ways an individual composed of many cooperative cells. Like the human body, the corporation maintains its identity and function in spite of the continuous recycling of its cells. The structure persists by its own will and inertia. The corporation is not bound to any one location. It can move, disperse, and distribute through data networks. It behaves with a single will, informed by the will of the corporate collective, bent towards the same end: maintaining the existence & continued growth of the corporate entity.

The genesis of the corporation was as a representation of the shared interests of a group. Soon it evolved to have the legal status roughly equivalent to a person. It has become an independent entity with the same rights as an individual (or more). Its person-hood reinforces its self-identity and the identity it projects to the world. It wants to appear human and be regarded as such. This is the only way to find intimacy with the consumer; the only way the corporation can generate trust and acceptance. This identity begins with the corporate vision but soon moves into the minds of the consumer culture where it can tap into a deeper level of emotional associations. It is at this point that it has evolved from a business entity into a psychic one.

Corporate Sigil

The corporation is recognized by its products - the output of its collective will manifesting in the material plane - and by its image - the constructs it builds up around itself, intentionally & unintentionally, through advertising, marketing, its actions and its transgressions. As the corporate image becomes more and more focused and defined, it is easier to package and deliver to the minds of consumers. While the internal corporate identity may wear one mask, the public persona usually wears another. It is this basic deception which gives power to the emergent egregore and allows it such access to our dreams & desires.

The coporate logo is a sigil used to represent it to the world. The logo is a way to encapsulate a highly complex system in a single, easy to digest image that can be fed to the masses. The better the corporate sigil, the more that people identify with its logo, and the less they look beyond its representation of the corporate ideal. The sigil is a spell cast upon the world to ensnare us in its allure and avert our eyes from its indiscretions. The corporate image employs a vast army of trained psychoengineers hired explicitly to exploit the psychological and perceptual weaknesses of the consumer culture. They distill its carefully crafted identity into emotional aggregates, surgical abstractions designed to re-associate the faceless corporate entity with ideas and images and slogans that appeal to the human animal on a subconscious level.

The corporate logo is then a further abstraction of the crafted image, containing within it the cultural weight of its associations, wrapped in a simple image easily absorbed and remembered. The corporate entity clothes itself in meaning and uses symbolism to represent that meaning. Now the Nike "swoosh" represents far more than just a company that sells shoes. It is athleticism, adventure, competition, endurance, work & struggle. Michael Jordan. Nike Town. Sweatshops and personalization agitprop. When Jonah Peretti (espn.go.com/page2/s/farrey/010227.html) made international news for trying to personalize a Nike shoe order with the word "sweatshop", the Nike meme expanded to include this as well. (this was an excellent example of a simple magickal assault on a corporate egregore.) And remember when they used the Beatles song "Say you want a revolution" in a TV commercial? This is the egregore clothing itself in pop culture in order to gain greater access to the collective consciousness.

Corporate Egregore

An egregore is a magickal entity that functions with its own will. It is unique from a deity or godform in that it is explicitly a human creation, rather than an inherent archetype or psychic representation. It is given life by the intent of its creator and is initially designed to fulfill a certain goal. This is typically the role of a servitor as a servant to its master. But if the servitor gains enough power it can become an egregore, independent from the will of its creator. It takes on a life of its own. When the Nike execs go home for the evening, the egregore lives on in media, in the minds of consumers, and in its product set behind glass windows, walking the streets, sitting in our homes. Indeed, if successful it will persist through generations, drawing devoted servants into its halls - servants who will work hard to extend its presence in the noosphere.

Satire and cultural appropriation are indicators that a meme has grown beyond the scale of its original intent. As it passes through more and more heads its identity expands further into the global mind. As the egregore yields more of its identity to the mass culture, it grows beyond the control of its servants. They must simply respond and adapt to the consumer climate. There is a subtle feedback loop here. The egregore influences culture, which in turn sets greater demands on the egregore and its product.

Brand association with genres, lifestyles, and cultural identity bring meaning and depth to the inherent soullesness of the corporate egregore. It's power grows as it occupies more bandwidth in memespace, and as it clothes itself in emotional aggregates, feeding on dreams & desire. As pop culture evolves, so too will the masks of the egregore, enlisting celebrities and popular trends to peddle its product. Even after the inevitable demise of its material foundation, the egregore lives on as a relic of antiquity - a memory of pop culture.

Targets

With this profile of the corporate egregore - the magickal lifestyle branders - it should be possible to identify points of entry for magickal attacks. If the egregore occupies aetheric space, then it is open to aetheric assault. It must be remembered that it has entered our space and we ultimately make the rules.

One method is reprogramming brand associations. Engage the corporate sigil directly, then methodically re-brand it internally. Make associations with the opposite of its advertising intentions. Re-brand your conception of Nike with weakness, exploitation, plastics, petroleum byproducts, and failure. By changing your own internal aetheric representation of the corporate brand you weaken its hold on the collective psyche.

The sigil can be further re-engineered by altering it to have a satirical or contradictory message. It can then be re-associated in trance & ritual, or printed on t-shirts & bumper stickers. Then send them to the employees. Use agitprop to re-image the corporate meme in a way that is counter-productive to its goals. Reveal it's hidden secret in public satire.

As the corporate egregore expands into memespace and becomes more and more integrated into pop culture, it leaves more and more traces of itself. Logos, ads, product placement, branded wrappers, product carried by consumers, news items, parodies & satire - all of these can be regarded as it's children, like tentacles spreading through the aether. As such, they are potential points of entry... tunnels back to the source. This technique is, of course, dangerous. Putting yourself in a highly suggestive state and then merging into a corporate logo is not recommended. Who's existence is more widely believed? Yours, or DuPont's? But for the bold, there is a potential path here.

Magickal assaults can use these techniques to invoke the egregore, but what do you do once you're there? The fundamental assumption within the corporation is that stuff is important. That goods & services are necessary to human survival and happiness. Conversely, the most terrifying reality of the corporation is that it is impermanent. It's always struggling against market factors, shareholders, and fickle customers; employee negligence & stupidity; corporate watchdogs and bold journalists. Strike with the inner peace of impermanence. Strike with the relentless change of time, who brings down all attempts at order. Strike with hawk-headed gods and egyptian queens. Strike with the legends and myths of humanity, rich with depth and meaning and integrity. Amidst the backdrop of history, the corporation is a fleeting moment. Show it this truth. Plant seeds of aetheric chaos.

The Big Boys

Most of this paper has been oriented towards lifestyle providers and high-profile manufacturers. But what of the dark forces, the archons of war and exploitation? Are magickal assaults on such entities viable? Safe? Bechtel, Halliburton, the Carlysle Group - these are the real powers stalking the planet. These shadowy egregores prefer to keep as low of a profile as possible. You'll not find any corporate sigils lying around like keys to the vault. An effective angle uses good 'ol guerilla journalism. Get the word out. When the profiteering and lies become public knowledge, the dark egregore is exposed and weakens. It can no longer function unfettered. How many people knew what Halliburton was 5 years ago? Now the egregore is under assault. Draw them out of the shadows, then attack with the light.

The best magick is practice. Your money is your voice. Try not to buy corporate products. Buy local and independent. If you're buying designer clothes, don't wear labels. Cut them off or blot them out. There's no way to stop supporting corporations completely. the luxury of the first-world is supported by the cheap labor of the third. But support good businesses, and don't give your money to the bad ones. Educate people about the worst corporations, and strike the egregores in their inevitable moments of weakness.

Finally, never under-estimate the Tibetan Buddhist rituals of compassion. If you gain access to the mainframe of the egregore, feed it your inherent love for the beauty of nature, the mother creator, the genetic link binding us to life and love and light. The ideals and dreams of the human animal are the most powerful weapons we have in our vast arsenal of evolutionary technology. Sigilize your deepest adoration of the earthly kingdom and give it as an offering to the heart of the corporate egregore.

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Daoyin

2007-04-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Daoyin

http://www.daoyin.it/e_Daoyin.htm

Daoyin is an ancient Chinese body-mind exercise originally aimed at health care as well as physical and spiritual purification. The ascetics of past time believed it could be used to obtain the "eternal youth" (changsheng bulao). The first historical reference about it appears in Zhuangzi, a Taoist text written between the 4th and 2nd century BC:

Breathing in and out, exhaling and inhaling, they get rid of the old to absorb the new. They swing like bears and stretch like birds - all this they do in order to have long life. They are Daoyin disciples, people who nourish their form seeking for longevity like Pengzu.
(Zhuangzi, Keyi)

Many different interpretations were given to the word "daoyin" during the ages. The following two are the most reliable:

daoqi yinti - guide the qi and stretch the body
daoqi yinliao - guide the qi to obtain a healing effect

Both interpretations describe important aspects of the exercise and are not contradictory to each other. The first describes briefly the technique while the second refers to one goal of the exercise; actually with daoyin we guide the qi and move our body in order to obtain a beneficial effect to our health.

Yangsheng
nourishing the Life

China has an ancient and deep tradition of body-mind care. According to historical documents already during the feudal age (770-221 BC) the so-called "life-nourishing ways" (yangsheng zhi dao) gained great importance. They were methods aimed at enhancing a long, healthy and good life, by means of dietetic regime, herbal preparations, gymnastic exercises and spiritual cultivation (such as study, poetry, meditation, etc.).

Many famous thinkers of this time argued heatedly on these issues, proposing their own "ways" and discussing those of their colleagues. Among the various "life-nourishing ways", the physical exercise was almost universally regarded as necessary and very effective. As "physical exercise" we have to think here something much deeper and articulated than what we mean today. It was an exercise involving body and mind in a great potentially unlimited effort of self-purification. The ascetics of that time practiced and taught these techniques in order to reach long life and immortality.

Theory

The concept of "qi" (ch'i - according to Wade-Giles transcription) has no equivalent in today's western culture. In the oldest Chinese sources it is seen as the vital element that generates and unifies all the universe. It is often translated as "energy", "vital energy " or "breath", "vital breath".

According to ancient Chinese physical concepts, the qi pervades and animates all creatures. The whole universe is alive, starting from Heaven and Earth, the parents of all beings. The human being lives, as do all of the other creatures, between Heaven and Earth, and is their evident fruit. Its head is round like the vault of Heaven, its feet are flat like the Earth's surface. The head points to the sky, and the feet hold him up resting on the earth. Among all creatures man is regarded as the most perfect because he bears the symbols of Heaven and Earth, he combines the natures of Heaven and Earth.

Man lives thanks to his inner qi (yuanqi - original vital energy) that he gets from his parents and loses with the death. Zhuangzi describes this concept so:

Man comes into the world by a qi condensing. It is this qi that, when it condenses, gives birth to the life and this same qi that, when it dissipates, brings death.
(Liou Kia-hway. Zhuangzi, Adelphi, 1982)

The human qi gets nourishment and circulates thanks to breathing, eating and physical and mental activity. Through the breathing we absorb the pure qi of the air (qingqi) and expel the dirty qi (zhuoqi). From the food we eat we absorb the nourishing qi of several natural elements.

Beside these "nourishments" coming from outside, the man can help himself in keeping his qi healthy by suitable physical activity that can allow him to avoid blocks and stagnations. Actually the qi is not stationary within the body but it circulates steadily, like the blood and the lymph. If there are blocks, stagnations or if it doesn't circulates in a proper way, we have a pathological situation.

The main meanings of the world qi in Chinese life nourishing and gymnastic techniques are the following:
1. air
2. human vital energy
3. universe vital energy

These meanings are often not separated, on the contrary, most of the time they are present together.

Qigong

The world "gong" means "ability, work"; "qigong" (ch'i-kung according to Wade-Giles phonetic transcription) is the "work on qi", as well as the ability resulting from this work.

The Chinese also ascribe to qi many uncommon phenomena like Prana therapy, invulnerability to blades, glasses, fire, electric current, or the ability to break bricks, bend iron bars, etc. All of these faculties, and many others, are listed by the Chinese under "qi abilities" rather than qigong.

The oldest traces of the word qigong go back to Tang dynasty (618-905) Taoist books, such as Taiqing tiaoqi jing (Supreme Purity qi regulation Classic), describe breathing, visualization, or meditation techniques, aimed at purifying oneself in an attempt to reach immortality.

In the martial arts qigong - or better said neigong ("inner work") - is used to strengthen the vital energy and, widely the body and the mind. All Chinese traditional martial art schools (wushu) have specific neigong exercises. Some of them, so-called "inner schools" (neijia), have melted together such exercises with the martial technique, originating an integrated whole. The most famous inner schools are Taijiquan, Baguazhang e Xinyiquan.

With reference to health promoting techniques, the term "qigong" seems to appear not earlier than 1910 and only at the end of the 1950's it started to be used on large scale. Today it has a much bigger diffusion than the more correct world daoyin, especially outside China.

The three regulations

Daoyin works on three different but always combined levels.

1. body level yundong daoyin (motor guiding)
guiding the body to the required positions and movements
2. breath level huxi daoyin (breath guiding)
controlling and guiding the respiration according to the required ways and rhythms
3. mind level yinian daoyin (mind guiding)
controlling and guiding the body to the required positions and movements and the respiration according to the required ways and rhythms, by mental focusing. At the same time, focusing the mind also on certain specific points and coordinating all these operations in one single integrated and complete action.

The roots of this triple action are to be found in the so-called 3 regulations (santiao), axe-principle of every traditional daoyin exercise. The "3 regulations" are:

- regulate the body (tiaoshen)
- regulate the breath (tiaoxi)
- regulate the mind (tiaoxin)

According to classical Chinese physiology, body and mind are a whole that cannot be divided. The mind lives thanks to the body and vice versa, both depend on each other. Ruling and cultivating properly the body cannot be done without using the mind, neither could it be possible to rule the mind and obtain the best concentration without a correct use of the body and the respiration. The respiration cannot be controlled without using the correct positions and a proper mind focusing. All the deepest oriental body disciplines acknowledge these principles.

Daoyin yangshenggong

Daoyin yangshenggong (Daoyin life nourishing exercises) is the result of a long and deep research on ancient daoyin techniques carried out by professor Zhang Guangde of Beijing Physical Education University.

Its soft, fluent and harmonious movements are aimed at improving energy circulation within the whole body, to loosen the joints, tone up and oxygenate the muscles and to relax the nervous system.

Several clinical tests made in China and examinations done by medical specialists and researchers from all over the world, have proved Daoyin yangshenggong to be effective in improving the health, preventing and healing many acute and chronic diseases without showing any side effect.

Daoyin doesn't restrict itself to the health aspect. Thanks to its deep and meticulous work on concentration, respiration and movements, daoyin is also a wonderful method for self-cultivation and inner growth. With daoyin we can establish a close connection between body and mind and restore the inner harmony that so often gets damaged in our stressful daily life.

Professor Zhang Guangde

Zhang Guangde was born in 1932 in Tangshan, Hebei province, the town where in 1955 the first Qigong Clinic was established. Coming from a medical family background, in 1955 Zhang Guangde was enrolled in the Wushu Dept. of the Beijing Institute of Physical Education, where he graduated in 1959 becoming first teacher and then Senior Professor.
In the 70's he devoted himself to daoyin research, ending with the development of the Daoyin yangshenggong system that today is practised by more than 4 million people spread in all the five continents.
Today Zhang Guangde is Professor and Researcher of Beijing University of Physical Education Wushu Dept, Honorary General Director of "Zhang Guangde's Daoyin Yangshenggong Centre" , Permanent Member and Vice-Secretary of the Chinese Wushu Research Association.
Untiring in his devotion to daoyin cause, he decided to travel the world in order to introduce daoyin benefits to the greatest number of people. He has been invited to hold classes and seminars in Universities in France, at Oldenburg University (Germany), at Tokyo University and at the Japan Sport University.

Five Natures and Three Hearts

Daoyin yangshenggong is based on the so-called "Five Natures" (wuxing) and "Three Hearts" (sanxin).

The "Five Natures" are:

1. systematic nature xitongxing
2. scientific nature kexuexing
3. effectiveness shixiaoxing
4. artistic expression yishuxing
5. great spread guangfan shiyingxing

The "Three Hearts " are:

1. pure heart zhenxin
2. enthusiastic heart rexin
3. patient heart naixin

The "Five Natures" refer to the criteria that lead to the construction of the exercises.

Daoyin yangshenggong is a complete system of training, it isn't restricted to a single exercise pattern or to a single aim. The construction of every exercise has been carried out in a "systematic" way, considering several aspects. As far as possible nothing has been neglected in building-up the daoyin routines.

It has a "scientific nature" because the creator, by composing the single routines, did not just passively transmit the old tradition but also had a great concern for researching and testing the scientific principles of the exercises.

"Effectiveness" because the exercises formulated by professor Zhang were based upon objective principles that proved to be effective also according to modern scientific knowledge.

"Artistic expression" because the different forms have not only a pragmatic aim but play a significant role as well as an aesthetic and artistic model in spiritual and physical expression.

"Great spread" means that the creator strove to reach a possible compromise between technical, pedagogical and diffusion needs, composing exercises that are not boring, repetitive and complicated but relatively simple, varied, elegant, beautiful, and appropriate in length and intensity.

The "Three Hearts " refer to the mind attitude of Daoyin devotees.

"Pure Heart" means that the practitioner should have a pure and unpolluted approach towards the discipline and the training; he has to get rid of any conditioning, worry, suspect or doubt. This is the best condition to learn. A pure heart and a sincere mind allow for a better life with ourselves and with others, as well the opportunity to absorb quickly the teaching.

"Enthusiastic Heart" means enthusiasm towards study, practice and learning. Enthusiasm is a wonderful motor for learning, it enriches our life and our person making it more active and dynamic, and it helps us to overcome the difficult moments too.

"Patient Heart" is an essential requirement to learn any discipline and even more to learn a demanding art like Daoyin. "Patience" means to be patient with ourselves and with others. Daoyin characteristics force us to cultivate patience, a very necessary and often mistreated virtue in today society.

Technique

Daoyin yangshenggong system provides sitting and standing, static and dynamic symmetric exercises, with various degrees of difficulty, to be performed also with specific musical excerpts in order to help concentration and relaxation.
The exercises are aimed towards special goals and have distinctive features, but every single exercise is at the same time quite complete in itself and enough for personal training.

5 Elements poster

2007-03-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

October 08, 2004

Yay easier

http://www.egomagick.com/heartwood/archives/weekend/index.php

I stayed up until 6:45am doing my 5 Elements art project. At least it's done, out of the way, and I don't have to worry about it all week. My choices seemed to be: spend 7 hours last night busting it out in order to obtain something decent, or work twice that long over the course of the weekend and next week in order to turn in something lame.

See, in order to have it printed, shipped, and delivered on time, I had to have it to the printer this morning. Eastern Time. So it got mailed out this afternoon. And it should arrive here on Wednesday.

Since mail is only delivered here three times a week, it wouldn't have worked to have it shipped Monday.

So I did a nice 24x24 poster, digitally... the alternative was to cobble together something handmade, at a place where I have zero studio space, precious few art supplies, haven't been feeling enough creative abundance to create seriously in a physical way, and the closest art store is at least an hour away.

I think I made the best choice, but who knows. Anyway, here's what I came up with:

Notice the colors in the center. They symbolize the "control cycle", for example Water controls Fire (it extinguishes it), Earth controls Water (think riverbanks), etc, so the color for Water overlays a bit of Fire's space, the color for Earth overlays ab it of Water's space, etc.

The thing I realized after finishing is that the shape in the center, the pentagon, is the Discordian symbol for control. So I was really pleased with that bit of unconscious symbolizing.

You can download a PDF version if you'd like to print a copy for yourself. Just don't sell it or try to turn it in like you did it ;-)

Playing With the Clouds

2007-03-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Playing With the Clouds: The Foundations of Taoist Dream Practices

by Juan Li

http://www.healingtao.org/deutsch/artikel2.htm

The beginnings of dream practices in China are lost in the depths of antiquity. It is said that the emperors of the Shang Dynasty some 3500 years ago had attached to their court a category of ritual performers called Zhan Meng in charge of interpreting dreams and facilitating dream divination. These dream specialists worked together with the shamans and other ritual specialists interpreting omens which appeared either in the clouds, natural events or in dreams so as to chart the best human course of action for the emperor and other government officials.

The interest in the experiences which took place in dream state were not only confined to the government. There was a group of individuals who in the inaccessible recesses of the sacred mountains, far removed from ordinary human interaction, explored the infinite potential of dream state. These practitioners were those who followed the way of nature back to its origins living a simple life in accordance with the rhythms of nature. They were called Taoists, from the word Tao meaning path or natural way of living.

Like the ancestry of the dream practices, there have been Taoists in China for over 4000 years of recorded history. Very little is known about these Taoists, even in China, because they carried out their practices in utmost secrecy. Not because their practices were dangerous and had to be hidden, but simply because one very important aspect of their self cultivation was withdrawal from ordinary society so as a to cultivate a point of view radically different from most people.

Over the centuries the Taoists developed a highly efficient and coherent system of practices aimed at realizing the full potential of human beings. The Taoists were not content with having good health, and living a quiet life. Their practices were aimed at developing not only the physical aspect of their being but most specially the subtle and invisible aspects called the energy body.

The Way of Energy

A fundamental aspect of Taoist practices is the concept of energy or life force. Energy was understood as a vital force which is at the foundation of all phenomena, both physical and subtle. This energy which they chose to call QI manifests in a wide spectrum of variable intensities or frequencies. From the most subtle which is invisible to the eyes and can only be perceived with the most refined sensitivities in states of mental calm and heightened awareness, to increasingly denser aspects which we begin to perceive as emotional states to the densest aspects as solid matter. A modern analogy would be from radiation which we are unable to sense consciously, through electricity which gives a good shock to a stone which is easily felt as very hard. The ancient Taoists would sense all these states not as separate but rather as a spectrum of variable intensities.

Constantly aware of this energy which animates everything the Taoists went on to explore the non-physical aspects of the life force in their own bodies. The physical body we all can touch and feel is only the densest aspect of the life force, the grossest aspect of the energy spectrum. There are increasingly subtle aspects of the spectrum where the life force never reaches densification.

Every time a Taoist sits down to calm the mind and meditate something very peculiar takes place. The focus of the five senses and the mental attention begins to shift gradually from the dense physical to the more subtle aspects of the body. The longer the practitioner is able to remain calm without distracting thoughts arising or getting drowsy the more refined the sensitivity to the life force becomes. Some ancient Taoists by remaining focused on the subtle energy for hours day after day were able to sense the life force circulating through their bodies. After years of practice they were able to chart the flows of the life force in their subtle bodies with precision through what is called the energy meridians.

The discovery of the energy meridians brought a level of refinement to the Taoists practices where soon it began to have a profound effect on healing the body. Illness was understood as arising when the circulation of the energy was blocked from reaching organs and glands. It was observed that from the blockages at the subtle level of circulation, in time a physical malady would appear precisely in those areas affected by poor circulation.

In order to keep energy circulation at an optimum level the Taoists created a large variety of exercises, dietary practices and meditations. However good circulation is not enough to maintain good health. The Taoists noticed that our emotional states have a profound effect on the quality of the life force circulating through the meridians. If a person is very angry there is an increase in the heart beat and the circulation of the blood. The rate of breathing changes, often accelerating. Body temperature and muscle tone also increases accordingly. The body is literally boiling over with energy. However the quality of the energy boiling over is very poor due to the negative effect of anger.

It was noticed in antiquity that if a person goes to sleep with a tremendous amount of unresolved anger, first of all falling sleep becomes extremely difficult. There is mental agitation and the person is talking internally for hours. Then when eventually fatigue overcomes the body and the person falls asleep, there is invariably a succession of dreams where anger predominates.

In their refined exploring of the subtle energies the Taoists were able to feel where the emotions, both positive and negative, arise in the body. In the case of anger it was noticed that profound changes took place in the liver. This organ not only became more hot, but it could also become constricted and blocked so much that the circulation of the life force required so much effort that pain was felt on the side of the liver.

With the discovery of the profound effect that emotions have upon the quality and circulation of the life force the Taoists created an entire branch of practices to refine the emotions. One of the simplest practices discovered was that of the Inner Smile, whereby the practitioner sends a smile of appreciation to any part of the body along with a continuous wave of positive feelings. Another very powerful practice which developed was that of the Six Healing Sounds, where certain sounds are made which induce the vital organs to vibrate more harmoniously thus releasing tensions and blocked emotions in the organs.

The Emotions And Dreaming

One of the great insights of ancient practitioners was the fact that, if a daily regimen of energy practices is maintained-specially refining the emotions-the quality and quantity of dreams changes. If a person goes to bed after having cleared the vital organs from unresolved emotions the amount of emotional dreams and nightmares dramatically decreases, sometimes to the point that they disappear completely. This does not mean that the person ceases to have dreams, but rather that the quality of the dream shifts from restless to harmonious and pleasant.

One of the greatest insights gained exploring the connection between dreams and energy practices was that dreams are experiences taking place at the level of the subtle bodies. In other words, as a person begins to fall asleep and the senses gradually disconnect from the physical world, they turn inward. A process akin to having a good meditation. As the senses turn inward, the consciousness which was focused on the physical world through the senses also turns inward-in the direction of the subtle energy body.

The Taoists consider falling asleep as a process no different from entering into a meditative state. Just as in deep states of meditation if the body is fatigued the practitioner may fall asleep and go unconscious, so going to sleep has to take place, paradoxically, when one is not fatigued. For the Taoists falling asleep is an open door for playing fully conscious with the subtle energy body and carrying out energy practices without the limitations of the physical body.

Every time we let go into sleep our consciousness shifts its focus from the physical dense body to the subtle energy body at the other end of the spectrum. If we speak of sleep then it is of the physical body, since the subtle aspects never falls asleep. The subtle energy aspect operates 24 hours through our lives. We may not be consciously aware when we shift our conscious focus to the subtle body, however we all do that many times during our waking hours. For example we all had the experience when we were children in school of sitting bored through an uninteresting class. Then as the teacher continued talking we gradually began to go with our minds somewhere else. We began to dream with the eyes open about doing something far more enjoyable at that moment. Our conscious focus was far away from the classroom and the teacher. If this day dreaming went on for a long time, and all of a sudden the teacher asked us a question, we had to forcefully bring back our mental focus to the teacher, with predictable inability to answer the question properly. Ordinarily we say we were fantasizing at that moment, doing something which was not real in a physical sense. The Taoist would not call it fantasizing but rather shifting attention from the physical to the subtle, just as when we are dreaming in bed.

Dreaming is not an action which is confined to falling asleep. We dream 24 hours a day. A part of our consciousness which is not fully engaged in the physical plane dealing with day to day problems is focused on the subtle aspects of the body. Many times a day we shift conscious focus from physical reality to subtle reality. Our awareness at that moment may be focused on a friend that is at the other side of the planet. Sometimes if our focusing is intense enough something unexpected may happen: the phone rings! It is our friend calling from the other side of the planet to tell us they were thinking of us just at that moment. Has this happened to you? Ordinarily we call these happenings `coincidence'. A word for labeling the unexplainable. For the Taoists familiar with the full spectrum of the life force this is not something unexplainable. When we shift our mental focus onto someone far away at that instant we are in direct contact with the subtle body of that person. The geographical distance is irrelevant.

One of the insights which opens as one begins to consciously shift mental focus from the physical to the subtle is that the life force is not limited by physical reality. It could not be because the physical is just one aspect of the energy spectrum. There is the rest of the spectrum operating simultaneously beyond the physical. So energy is not limited by space, nor time which is also a function of space.

Every time we place the head on the pillow and fall asleep our consciousness focuses its gaze upon a dimension which is not limited by time or space. A dimension which is extremely fluid and efficient because it is not limited by time or the constraints of distance. In dream we have all experienced how in the fraction of an instant we can change from walking to flying across the landscape or being here and then on the other side of the moon.

The practices developed by the ancient Taoists around dream state were designed to tap into the inexhaustible reservoir of possibilities that transcending time and space offers. One essential notion they got rid of was the ordinary belief that dreams are fantasies with no basis on reality. A dream may not have any basis on physical reality, but then physical existence is not the only realm of experience there is. What we ordinarily call reality is limited to physical experience and is just a fragment of the totality of being. Dreams, intuitions, feelings we dismiss into the dust bin of the not-real. The Taoists would call that a fragmented vision.

The Practice of Dynamic Sleep

A fundamental goal of Taoist dream practices is the ability to enter dream state deliberately, as an act of will, fully conscious. Ordinarily as we begin to fall asleep and relax our senses disconnect one by one we become progressively unconscious, entering a twilight zone which rapidly eclipses into total darkness. From that moment on until we finally awaken several hours later we lose awareness of where we are or that we are asleep.

In Taoist dream practice one of the first things the practitioner does is make a firm decision to remain conscious as one enters dream state. This initial step is done by voicing a mental command of what one intends to practice or experience during that sleep session.

The sleep command is a powerful expression of willpower which is usually voiced over and over as the practitioner prepares to sleep. This repetition of the sleep command, like all energy practices is to be done with complete awareness and mindfulness, rather than mechanically or unconscious. As one begins to enter the twilight state of drowsiness the sleep command begins to function like a beacon guiding the consciousness across the threshold of the unconscious.

Opening Circulation

The sleep command however is not the initial step in dream practice. Dream practices are not isolated from other modalities of Taoist exercises. Usually a novice in the Taoist system will begin by learning to open communication with the life force through a series of exercises designed to open the flow of the energy meridians. Only when the meridian system is circulating properly and a degree of physical and emotional balance has been attained does one begins dream exercises.

It has been discovered since ancient times that if the circulation of the life force is not balanced, the resulting imbalance manifests very clearly in the quality of one's dreams. Generally as the meridians are opened and one learns to regulate the emotions through specific energy practices, there is a reduction of ordinary dreams. One begins to have less and less of turbulent emotional dreams which originate from congested organs and in its place the luminous dreams of profound experiences begin to manifest from time to time. A practitioner, who for example has been keeping dream journals for several years, after a months of intense meridian exercises and meditations usually report very infrequent dreams that are very widely spaced apart. After some time they also begin to experience greater clarity in dream state. Dreams are more vivid, the images more powerful carrying a sense of transcendence.

In Taoist practice it is said that as we improve energy circulation and begin to harmonize the emotions in the organs there is a change in the quality of one's energy from a gross state to a refined one. This is reflected as better health both physically and mentally. As the quality changes one can also say that the potential of the individual changes. The nervous system, the brain, the glands, the vital organs are all able to function at a greater degree of harmony. Instead of investing a great part of their vitality fighting illness and trying to maintain balance in the midst of fatigue and emotional upheavals, the organism is operating in an energy surplus mode.

The state of energy abundance is fundamental for the unfolding of dream practices. A Taoist invests years of constant effort bringing about such state. If dream practices are attempted otherwise when the body is tired and fighting imbalances, then one discovers that nothing happens, because the body needs the sleep for the basic function of resting the nervous system and the brain and repairing damaged tissues.

The Foundation of Calming The Mind

Preliminary to dream practices are also the states of mental calmness brought about by long meditations. When the senses turn inward in deep practice, the brain changes waves from active Beta to Alpha, deep Alpha and in experienced meditators to Theta and even Delta. This sequence of changes is very similar to that taking place as we fall asleep. The brain moves from polarization in Beta to greater integration in Alpha, Theta and Delta. This means that a regular meditator has learned to `fall asleep' consciously seated quietly in a cushion.

We need to sleep in order to integrate the hemispheres of the brain and allow the nervous system to rest and repair itself. This essential step is accomplished in the hours of the night when we cease activities and turn the senses inward like a meditator. So if a person is meditating daily and able to integrate the hemispheres of the brain to some degree there is a resulting change in sleep patterns. Most experienced meditators need less sleep than people who do not practice. As their practice progresses is not unusual to begin sleeping an hour less after a few months. Some advanced practitioners get by with only three to four hours and in the Tao system there have been many great sages who eventually transcended the need to sleep at all. A sign of such people would be the absence of a bed in their house!

The Sharping of Mental Focus

If a practitioner has reached the level where the sleep pattern is changing through practices of concentration and circulation of energy then there is also an increase in the ability to focus the intention for long periods of time.

In meditation when the senses are turned inward the attention is focused on something such as the breath, an energy center or the circulation of life force in a meridian. As the years go by the practitioner automatically develops greater capacity to remain focused without distractions when the attention is placed on something. This is an increase in mental power and also an intensification of the will or intention.

In dream practice the intention which has been strengthened in sitting practice is then developed further in dream state. The Taoist aims at entering the normally unconscious states of sleep fully conscious, carrying forth the awareness and the intention like a candle in the wind.

The sleep command being voiced as one falls asleep is the first stage in training the intention to remain sharply focused through the ocean of the unconscious. This simple gesture opens the possibility of extending consciousness into areas where normally we go blank. The Taoists view dream practice as an opportunity to train the intention and the will in conjunction with the subtle aspects of the body. In other words consciousness which is used to being active only when awake in the physical learns to be awake in the subtle also. This is the subtle dimension which is operating 24 hours of the day.

The Breath And Calmness

Ancient Taoists discovered that as the mind becomes calm during meditation a similar process of calmness takes place in the way we breathe. The breath and consciousness are intimately connected and the change in brain waves that accompany a good meditation are in fact facilitated by a corresponding change in the gross breath passing through the nostrils.

Agitated states of mind are generated when the left hemisphere of the brain is most active. This is when we generate Beta waves. At the same time that the left hemisphere activates there is a predominance of breathing through the right nostril.

Our breathing alternates from nostril to nostril throughout the day. Generally we breathe through the right nostril from 45 to 90 minutes and activate the left hemisphere of the brain becoming more active. Then for a brief period of 3 to 5 minutes we breathe through both nostrils as the left nostril eventually takes over activating the right hemisphere of the brain. When the right hemisphere of the brain is active we enter into a more relaxed mental state with less activity and less agitation.

In meditation in order to enter into a state of calmness a change in the breathing pattern has to take place. If the practitioner is activating the left hemisphere through the right nostril breath then the first change will be to switch it to the left nostril, inducing calmer states to manifest. Eventually as the practice deepens and the brain becomes more integrated the breath takes place through both nostrils at the same time. This is the state where Alpha, Theta and Delta waves begin to manifest.

The Sleeping Tiger

In dream practice the practitioner aims at entering calm states of mind as quickly as possible. Taoists have traditionally brought about such changes by adopting the position known as `The Sleeping Tiger'.

In the Sleeping Tiger position one lays on the right side of the body. The right hand may be cupped around the right ear or under the pillow. The left arm is extended resting on the left side. The right leg is slightly bent at the knees, supporting the body, and the left leg is extended without making it totally straight. The purpose of this posture is to press on the right side of the ribs upon certain acupuncture points which induce a rapid change of the breath from the right nostril to the left. In this posture the road is open to enter the calmer states of mind and eventually induce simultaneous nostril breathing.

The posture of the Sleeping Tiger was not confined to practitioners in China only. The same posture is adopted by dream practitioners in Tibet and India. The same posture has been found in a sculpture of the sleeping priestess or goddess in the Hypogeum in the island of Malta dating from 3800-3600 BC. The Hypogeum is believed to have been used for receiving prophetic healing dreams by practitioners who spend the night within its precincts.

The Sleeping Tiger posture is not only used for entering dream practice it is also the ideal posture for entering death. In Asian art the Buddha at the moment of death is always shown lying on the right side with the right hand cupped around the right ear.

The Practice of Deliberateness

A novice after adopting the Sleeping Tiger posture and voicing the dream command will then have a long and rocky road still ahead. at the beginning usually nothing happens. One goes unconscious as usual or if too anxious to accomplish the goal of the practice have difficulty falling asleep. Worse yet some practitioners keep waking up over and over without having a restful night of sleep. What is lacking is a key ingredient of the practice which is going to sleep with deliberateness.

Normally we go to sleep without clarity of purpose, we simply cannot go on from fatigue and exhaustion so we lay down and close the eyes. Whatever happens next is beyond our conscious control. In dream practice the scenario is totally different. The practitioner has a clear goal and is carefully creating the right conditions to fulfill it. But not everything is tight control, there is also the conscious ability to let go into the unknown with the same deliberateness of a swimmer who jumps from a diving board.

One lets go into the unknown voicing the command ready to accept whatever happens.

The Stages of Dream Pracice

If the desire to succeed in the practice is excessively strong then, the ancient Taoists warn, one is headed for trouble. First because frustration and impatience is going to develop as we fail to reach our goal. Second because excessive force is a quality which has to be balance with yielding in order to develop the energy practices to their highest potential.

It is suggested in dream practice that we begin with the simple command to have a restful sleep regardless of how many hours we sleep. From that one follows with the command to remember dreams or simply to awaken at a certain time without alarm clocks. From those simple commands then one can eventually build up to the monumental task of becoming conscious within the dream that one is asleep.

The ability to become conscious that one is asleep in the middle of a dream requires that the awareness focuses with such intensity that it is not only possible to maintain the thread of the dream but also at the same time step back to realize that one is dreaming. This is made possibly because there is a surplus of energy and sleep is not being used primarily to rest and repair the body.

The body has to be rested and balanced for dream practice to unfold. If one is fatigued or carrying a heavy burden of unfinished emotional situations then progress will be very very slow. The body will be mainly occupied with maintenance without a surplus to `play in the clouds' as the Taoists would say.

Power Naps of The Sleeping Tiger

It is generally assumed that dream practice is best done at night time when the day is done. Taoists dream practitioners are not content to have only one opportunity per day at entering dream state consciously so the practice of power naps was developed early on.

Power naps consist in taking short naps several times a day, lasting anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. The frequency of power naps allows the practitioner to develop the necessary skills at entering dream practice very rapidly. A by product of power naps is that the body is truly rested so sleep is truly deliberate and not out of fatigue.

One of the greatest Taoist dream practitioner of the past was Master Chen Tuan of Henan province in China. He lived during the 10th century and practiced power naps in a cave at the sacred mountain of Hua Shan in west China. It is said that visitors had often to wait while the master completed power naps. Chen Tuan is said to have realized the highest levels of Taoist practices in dream state, spending months at a time in deep conscious sleep. Beyond the constraints of time and space in a dimension that it extremely fluid.

The Realm of Fluidity

The physical dimension is the portion of the energy spectrum most affected by time and space. It is a dimension where there is a tremendous gap between wish and fulfillment of the wish, or between imagination and realization. It is a dimension where anything we do is limited by time and at the same time takes time to accomplish. One of the direct experiences which arises out of consistent dream practice is that time and space have no influence whatsoever in the subtle energy dimensions. Time and space are not a limiting factor and play no role whatsoever in phenomena. It is extremely hard for physical beings to imagine the state beyond time and space, specially if we have no direct experiences of subtle energy in our bodies or consciousness.

We all have experienced in our sleep the extremely fluid nature of dreams. We are able to fly, move great distances, transform ourselves into something else, become objects or simply turn into pure consciousness without a body. These are all random experiences of transcending physical corporeality.

As mentioned before dream practices are not truly aimed at working with ordinary dreams arising from unresolved emotional states or poor energy circulation. And Taoist dream practices have nothing to do with dream interpretation. The ability to remain conscious in dream state is for learning to play in the dimensions without time and space. Dimension where imagination and reality are one and there are no limits.

Master Chen Tuan during his long naps learned to transcends the mental limitations of time and space. One very common problem practitioners have to overcome is the unconscious projection of physicality into the non-physical dimensions.

When describing dreams or talking to ourselves in dreams we are limited by the language of time and space. We speak of `going somewhere', `hurrying up' and `coming back tomorrow' and so on. One of the habits the dream practitioner learns is to be present all the times speaking the language of the instant that has no past or future, just eternal now.

In conscious dream state anything that is imagined is experienced simultaneously as dream reality. If one thinks of a house, there is a house instantly. This is totally different from the dense physical dimension where the thought of a house, and the mental image of a house does not manifest a physical house right away. As we all know the thought of a house might take years of effort to manifest. This is why Taoist say that the physical dimension is very dense and very inefficient when it comes to manifesting reality. There is a tremendous gap between imagination and manifestation.

In the fluid state of conscious dreaming it is possible to have direct experiences in an instant. Experiences which are as real and powerful as physical reality. If in a dream we have a very strong experience of loving someone, as we awaken into the physical dimension we still carry the emotional impressions of that love experience throughout the day. If dream state was pure fantasy there would be no powerful impressions to carry during the day and no emotional residue to recall.

Sustaining Focus

The ability to remain focused in conscious dreaming is made possible by the cultivation of mental power and increased vitality. Beginners who are able to awaken within the dream do so for very brief instants before either awakening fully into the physical or going unconscious into deeper sleep. Sustaining focus is very much like learning to ride a bicycle. One has to maintain a crucial balance for indefinite time, which in this case is not awakening into the physical or going unconscious, and at the same time carry out the numerous exercises for developing the use of the will and the intention.

As we grew up we learned to focus our attention in the physical world through all of the physical tasks such as learning to walk, talk and memorize in school. As babies our attention span for concentrating on anything was very limited and could not be sustained for more than a few seconds. As we entered school we learned more and more to use our mental focus for longer and longer uninterrupted periods. Usually the best students are those who from very early learned to focus their attention with intensity for long periods of time. A great teacher would be one who is able to keep the attention of the students fully engaged for long periods of time also. So in the physical dimension we become skillful at sustaining focus of the consciousness for long periods of time.

In dream practice the ability to sustain focus is a skill that develops gradually with much difficulty and many set backs. This is so because sustaining focus in the physical dimension requires only a fraction of the energy it takes for doing so in the fluid dimensions beyond time and space. A good analogy would be the difference between trying to run underwater and on the ground.

Surplus Energy

The fuel for dream practice is surplus energy-not only abundance of vitality but specifically a surplus of vitality to be invested in learning to sustain conscious focus in dream state. The preliminary energy practices mentioned before lay the foundation for starting dream work but they are not enough. At some point the practitioner has to dig deeper into the available resources and learn to utilize them more and more efficiently.

The obstacles and lack of progress encountered in dream practice serve as a mirror revealing where the weak points and blockages are in one's overall energy structure. There is usually a deepening work in the area of the emotions, which is where a large portion of the available vitality is trapped in unresolved issues. There is also a process of harnessing the energy outwardly spent through the senses. Fluidity in both the physical and mental state is cultivated through movement exercises such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong. So there is a progressive movement towards excellence and efficiency that gradually transforms the individual into a new being.

The Mastery of Timing

One of the crowning insights of the ancient Taoists is the awareness that we are at the most fluid and efficient when we are operating at the right moment. If we carry out some action during the wrong timing then a monumental amount of energy is required to produce results and sometimes even that is not enough. In contrast when the action is riding the river of the right timing there is a minimum of effort needed to accomplish extraordinary things.

One of the deciding factors in all energy practices is the recognition of the right timing. In dream practice it means that one learns to listen to the body and the life force. Listening for that moment when the totality of one's being points in one direction with uncompromising power.

Listening to the right timing means that the Taoist is totally committed and available to the practice whenever it calls. This is the result of a decision taken fully conscious at some point in the past. Without a strong decision and a definite commitment there is no way to begin directing the life force in the direction we want to go.

Ultimate Purpose of Dream Practice

The development of the intention and the will, the ability to sustain focus through the subtle dimensions, the harnessing of one's vitality and the ability to become fluid and abandoned at the right timing are all directed at one important experience. That is the transition of consciousness at the moment of death from the physical to the subtle body.

Dream practice is the training ground for learning to utilize the intention, the will and consciousness in conjunction with the subtle energy body. At the moment of death there is a separation of the consciousness from the physical body into the subtle energy body. A crossing from time and space into the ocean of infinity.

The dream practitioner is someone who through sustained effort has learned to swim in the ocean of infinity without tiring or becoming scared. Someone who is consciously at home in the complete energy spectrum of the life force. Someone who is no longer fixed on the physical dimension as the sole reality worth exploring.

For the Taoists the ability to embrace the full spectrum of the life force is the most important task a human being can accomplish in this lifetime. It is said that `If one realizes the Way in the morning one can die at peace in the evening'.

The great insight of the ancient Taoists went even beyond life and death. So detaching the consciousness from the physical into the subtle dimensions is not an end in itself. It is simply a beginning of another cycle of being. A new cycle which continues under different conditions from the physical and yet carries a precious gift from the world. The gift is the `luminous pearl' of indestructible insight condensed through the alchemy of refining the intention and the will. The traveller takes only that from the crossing through this world.

BIOGRAPHY OF JUAN LI: Was born in 1946 in Cuba from Cuban and Chinese parents. In 1969 became interested in the dream work of Carl Gustav Jung and upon graduation from the University in 1970 came to Zurich to study at the Jung Institute. Since 1969 he began to keep a daily record of his dreams, some of which he illustrated in watercolors. From Zurich he went to India where he began to study yoga, eventually becoming acquainted with the Hindu dream practices. After 1971 he began to reside in Nepal where he continued his yoga studies with several Tibetan teachers. It was there that he became aquainted with the Tibetan dream practices. In 1982 he met the Taoist master Mantak Chia who introduced him to the inner teachings of Taoism and the internal energy work. By 1985 enough changes had taken place in the energy meridians and the organs that the entries in his dream diaries became very few and widely spaced apart. Ordinary dreams were reduced to a minimum and instead conscious dreaming began to take place with regularity.
In 1988 Master Chia asked Juan Li to begin assisting in teaching the Taoist system in Europe. From that time on he spends the greater part of the year conducting classes in several countries of western Europe. Among his classes one is dedicated to the dream practices. Juan Li and his wife Renu Li reside now in Santa Fe in the Southwestern United States.

Shamanism in Ancient China

2007-03-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

Shamanism in Ancient China

http://www.fortunecity.com/business/influence/1805/page_of_the_eldest_son.htm

Traces of earliest shamanism in China itself have been found in Yang-shao cultures c. 5000 BC. At Lung-shan (c. 3500 BC) archeological sites there is also some of the earliest evidence of shamanic practice. In their rituals they used masks, especially animal masks. Shamanism, originates from the Tungus people of Siberia, a region that shares a frontier with north China, where Neolithic settings, dating from 6,500 to 5,000 BC have been found. Linguistically the Tungus people are related to the Manchu. The Tungus culture had well developed agriculture, domestication of the dog and rudiments of pottery. A collection of poetry (Elegies of Ch'u) from c. 300 BC tells of shamans (women and men) who perfumed themselves in orchid water and while attired is the most elaborate and beautiful costumes, and danced to entice the gods down to their realm. The shamanic culture (post Neolithic) of China is mostly linked to the area south of the Yang-tze River.

Mask,above Lung-shan culture, c. 3500-2000 BC.

Pan-po Neolithic Bowl, below, Shaman?

It was the shaman's responsibility to keep the River god, Ho (Yellow River) pacified so that there would be no flooding. In the court of Wu Ting of the Shang Dynasty, c. 1225 BC there must have been problems with drought for there are many records of the shaman making offerings for rain. The shaman might also ask about wind, earthquakes, crops, and hunts. The shaman would commune with spirits of the mountains and waters and seek assistance from his totem animal. The power animal could help in interpreting dreams or foresee danger and death. The totem could transport him while in his trance to other worlds. A common way of summoning the power animal was to ritually kill one such animal and release its spirit. Later the legendary Emperor Yu of the Xia Dynasty (c. 2,000-1600 BC) summoned his power animal, the Great Bear in order to harmonize heaven and earth and stop floods and other problems from the natural world.

The Shu peoples lived in what is modern day Szechwan and parts of Yunnan province in western China. Lao-tzu is said to have traveled there to learn the secrets of immortality. The area was remote and populated by tribes who practiced shamanism in accord with the ancient ways. One practitioner, Chang Tao-ling established a cult in Szechwan and southern China. He claimed that Lao-tzu had revealed to him powers to heal the sick and ward off evil. Chang used talismans which were pieces of yellow paper containing writing in red. The writings were themselves magic invocations to spirits and deities. In this way the power of the deity was channeled into the talisman. Talismanic rites became part of organized Taoist religion and was widely influential as an organized religion throughout China.

(Left, above, talisman for constipation) (Right, above, a sorcerer of the Shu culture, c. 1100 BC.)

(below, shaman from Shang Dynasty, colorized, explicitly sexua, Toyoko Museuml)

Shamans also communicated with spirits and would be possessed by spirits. The wu shamans were noted for exorcism, fortune telling, rain making, and dream interpretation. The shamans who kept contact with mostly nature-related spirits at the ceremonies and sacrificed to them. In the Shang dynasty a shaman might himself be sacrificed, especially when there was a critical need for rain. In the chi or jiao sacrifice a shaman (or a sacred cripple) was burnt or exposed to the sun as a prayer for rain. Shamans were especially important in keeping away natural calamities and it must be for this reason that they bore the responsibility for droughts and were sacrificed.

Shamans would also actively intervene in the underworld to find out ways to trick the Lord of Death. Shamans often traveled to the other worlds to rescue the souls that had been lost by sick persons or performed exorcism rites to rid the body of evil spirits. The modern Taoist method of saving a lost soul for healing purposes is to be found in The Heavenly Way by Hua-Ching Ni which he says is an elucidation of Chapter 54 of the Tao Te Ching. Wu shamans were said to originated the practice of medicine. The Chinese character for doctor, yi, is a depiction of a feathered shaman dancing while holding a quiver full of arrows. According to Jhampa MacKenzie Stewart, the arrows "represented spiritual power, or righteous qi, to drive off evil influences." One can surmise that the shaman's arrows may have been acupuncture needles.

Shamanism had a tremendous impact on Taoism in all its forms. Lao Tzu was said to be a native of the state of Ch'u, a vassal state south of the Yang Tze River which was the stronghold of shamanic belief. There are many parallels between the powers ascribed to a shaman and an immortal or sage: Both are immune to poison, both travel across the stars, and have power over the elements and perform feats of incredible power. But with time, as Taoism became an organized religion that deified Lao Tzu, the rites and ceremonies of shamanism were either absorbed into Taoism or faded from memory only to live on in secret martial arts societies and a few mystical cults.

Hexagram 51, above .

The ancient symbols of the serpent and the turtle together, which in ancient times belonged to the "black shaman" were so powerful that the command or imperial staff of the army always flew such a flag as part of the imperial escort.

The Shamanic Oracle of Change by Martin Palmer and James Ramsay is one of my treasured books. In divining the merit of this book the Sage gave the Hexagram 45, Gathering Positive Energy, which is unusually high and I would say the Sage recommends the book as well. The Heavenly Way by Hua Ching Ni is recommended for those interested in the healing arts. The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner is a good basic treatement of the subject. The Shape of the Turtle, Myth, Art, and Cosmos in Early China by Sarah Allan speaks of the role of the shaman in ancient times.

Diviner's Notes on Hexagram 51: Speaks With Thunder!! If the third line changes , clairvoyant experience may occur . (first 2 lines belong to earth; second two lines, to human life; third two lines, to heaven) All hexagrams are read from the bottom up. In Ching terminology "thunder" means the voice of God usually coming through a person clairvoyantly.

From Siberian shamans we see that the principal instruments of the shaman were the drum and rattle. The repetition of the drum and rattle created an altered state of consciousness that allowed the shaman to travel to the Upper world or the Lower world. The shaman also sang and chanted in a monotonous yet rhythmical tone that would rise as the drumming and rattle rhythms become faster.

Intoxicants such as cannabis and alcohol are common. Sacred plants such nightshade, datura, belladonna, peyote and certain mushrooms such as psyllosybin and cubanis or their derivatives, depending on the geographical location, are also utilized.

The dance is the principal way a shaman travels in his altered state. Today the Pace of Yu still is practiced in mystical Taoist sects and practitioners of the internal martial arts. The shamans of Tuva, a small Siberian country, among others, still perform the ancient ritual under the vast skies of Siberia and perhaps still feel the ceremony's awesome power and majesty.

Left, American Indian shaman dances.

Shaman vs. Diviner

Shang Mask

Some historians point to divination on bones as a form of shamanism. I cannot agree. A shaman is one who will go into the invisible worlds in order to change things by virtue of his magic and his ability to enter into other worlds and engage such beings as demons and evil spirits. The shaman takes an interventionist role. A diviner, on the other hand, "reads" the will of heaven. If the outcome is unfavorable, the diviner will try to show a more favorable result by the medium of divination. The line may be blurred, especially in ancient times, but a diviner is not a shaman. In other words, a diviner may see a flood coming and will divine that it will be favorable to move to higher ground. A shaman may see the flood coming and will travel to the flood gods and try to change their minds or do battle with the river demons.

Taoist Alchemy - Symbolic Language

2007-03-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

Taoist Alchemy - Symbolic Language

http://www.flowinghands.com/mbs_htm/mbs.art.alchemy.htm

The language of Taoism is a language that is about the truth. It expresses the fundamental core of life. It is about nature and nature’s principles and as such is eminently real. For those who have eyes to see it, it is without equal for revealing the essence, depth, and authenticity of things. It is an eloquent language which speaks plainly.

Yet not all people have an eye to discern the subtle language of the inner “Way” of nature. For this reason many who have attained the Tao have used symbolic language to explain the “secrets” and workings of the Tao. As with other spiritual traditions, this language has sometimes been misinterpreted and turned into a misguided path, yet many people have been enlightened by such language. It has served it purpose many times over during the times when it was properly understood.

To those of another age or culture this symbolic language is very cryptic and mysterious. Especially when the symbolic language became very timely and clique-ish. Still, at its best and most universal symbolic language can open up the eyes of many people. It can offer a slightly different slant on essential truths, helping those who are close to understanding, but not fully clear on the deepest meanings. Symbolic language elucidates and elaborates. It allows the truth to be seen from different perspectives allowing certain people to come to grips with the deeper meanings of the way of Taoism. In the final analysis, all the words of symbolic language are meant to point to the same active and actual reality. This is where one really wants to find oneself in the end.

In all ancient Taoist methods the whole process of speaking about these things was a way of approaching the truths of reality. The methods and words were meant to help people understand life and to approach certain ways of cultivating themselves. Often these old methods were given Alchemical contexts. This has been and often continues to be the cause of many ideas being misconstrued and misinterpreted. Some people have in the past and still to this day continue to misunderstand the alchemical texts. They unfortunately think the texts refer to the use of actual chemical substances to induce enlightenment, but this is not in fact what alchemy was truly about.

Alchemical language was chosen because of the subtle intonations of the words. These intonations were used to guide the practitioner through the morass of intricate meanings of philosophical and psychological concepts. Words like heaven and earth, fire and water, lead and mercury, tiger and dragon, the jade furnace, medicine, mysterious pass, golden elixir, immortal embryo, gate of no gate, and many more terms stand as cryptic guides to the world of truth and self-cultivation. One simply needs to look at the words and phrases closely, study the classic texts, and relate it to what is actually happening in real life.

Alchemical language is a challenge, to be sure. In the end, it is at the very least, an intriguing and interesting path to explore the incredible truths of inner and outer life. Scholars and practitioners who are willing to explore the ancient alchemical language can be rewarded with deep insights about the present — and, as well, about the way the ancient practitioners of Taoism perceived the world.

Once true sense is enjoined, without concealing, without deception, the original spirit can arise and the biased and illusioned spirit can be overcome. The method of reaching this point is not a matter of conscious contrivance or manipulation; it is a matter of attaining the natural, “living” sense of vitality and reality which exists in every being. To do this is to understand outside cultural prejudice and learning. One must be very clear-minded. Impartial objectivity must be used to see past one’s own personal agenda and what it calls for or needs. Such a mind-set is sometimes referred to as non-doing. It is very important in solving the cryptic problems of alchemical language.

Those who are interested in Taoist alchemical language and its deeper meanings must look into the code words and figure out the hidden meanings behind the cryptic and difficult to fathom symbols and phrases. Hearing ideas like “heaven” and “earth”,”fire” and “water”, “lead”, “mercury”, “tiger” and “dragon”, “jade furnace”, “medicine”, the “mysterious pass”, “golden elixir”, the “immortal embryo”, and the “gate of no gate” one must not think such words refer to the preparation of chemical potions to ingest or parts of the body, but remember that these words and phrases are symbols. They use a language which speaks of one thing to allude to another.

Fire and Water
The concepts of “fire” and “water” do not refer to actual fire and water. They are symbolic of deeper sides of our nature. The fervor and impetuosity of people is passionate and volatile and so it is referred to as fire. The other side of people’s character, the calm, centered, more contained and wise side is steady and careful. It has a more settled quality, a “softness”, a “flexibility” which contrasts with the fiery and volatile side, and so it is referred to as water. Using the more contained and settled “water” side is using thoughtfulness, logic, and control to nurture and guide our more impulsive and wild side. Using the other side of our disposition, the excitable and temperamental “fire” nature, to complete and balance the often too staid and overly controlling “water” nature is allowing that side of our character expression. By finding a balance between these two sides of our makeup we become more complete and whole.

Lead and Mercury
The ideas of lead and mercury use the ideas of “lead”, which is heavy and dense, and lasts a long time without disintegrating, and “mercury” which is lively, active, and doesn’t last a long time, to refer to states of mind. What is called “lead” in the alchemical texts is not ordinary material lead but the deep rich sense of true knowledge. This true knowledge is solid, deep, long-lasting and unbending like the sense one gets from “lead”. What is called “mercury” in the alchemical texts refers not to actual material “mercury”, but to the yin aspects of reality’s nature; the side which is pliant, effervescent, spontaneous, unfathomable, and metaphysical. Because it is difficult to pin down and is formless and elusive this aspect of reality and consciousness is likened to mercury.

The Tiger and the Dragon
Alchemical language, when speaking of the “tiger” and the “dragon”, in most cases refers to either of two basic considerations. It means either the “tiger” as the physical aspects of life and the “dragon” as the spiritual aspects — these are sometimes called the ordinary tiger and ordinary dragon. However, the terms are also used to refer to the non-ordinary aspects, or the aspects such as those of the conditioned consciousness and the emotionally obsessed or illusioned consciousness in relation to the evolved consciousness which has learned to transcend the “ordinary” states of being conditioned or being emotionally obsessed. When, through the self-cultivation work, one refines away the conditioned temperament and the obsessing emotional habits and feelings, then the “ordinary” tiger and dragon are overcome, and the “true tiger” and “true dragon” of primordial essence arise. When this happens a clarity is awakened which is so clear and fundamentally beautiful that it seems like a bright light or a shining “mystic” pearl. When this clarity is firmly in place it pervades the universe without hindrance.

The Jade Furnace
The “jade furnace” is symbolic language for the “container” or “field” within which the work of self-cultivation and empowerment takes place. It is called “jade” because the mellow and beautiful tones of jade are like the calm serenity and steady going quality of the work.

The term furnace is used because it evokes the idea of slow cooking or slow evolution, just as one slowly evolves and changes when one applies oneself diligently and perseveringly in self-cultivation practice. The jade furnace does not refer to some specific place in the body. It would be a mistake for people to conceive of it in such a manner. One must go deeper than such surfacy approaches.

Medicines
The “medicines” of alchemical language don’t refer to physical medicines one should take into one’s physical body, but to the medicines of real inner knowledge and conscious and conscientious practice. Ideas of yin, yang, subtlety, sensitivity, quietude, tranquility, perseverance, balance, evenness, honesty, sincerity, patience, simplicity, objectivity, etc. are the real “medicines”. To think that the terms alchemical “medicines” or spiritual medicines refer to mundane physical substances is to fall way short of proper and deep understanding.

The Mysterious Pass
The mysterious pass is profoundly subtle. It is not an ordinary aperture or place of the body which has shape and form and can be pointed to. The mysterious pass is immaterial and formless, and is without physical location. It is where essence and life abide. It is the intangible which connects with the primordial source. It is called the opening of the mysterious female, the door of birth and death, the commencement of non-being, and the great valley, yet all these terms refer to a basic immaterial quality of consciousness which has to do with reaching open and vital spiritual essence. Proceeding rightly it could be called objectivity. Proceeding wrongly it could be called obsession. Proceeding rightly it could be called clarity. Proceeding wrongly it could be called aloofness. Proceeding rightly it could be called balance. Proceeding wrongly it could be called illusion.

The mysterious pass is the access way which leads to the stabilization and preservation of essence and life.

The Golden Elixir
When one’s self-cultivation conforms to what is appropriate for the times and circumstance, the real can solidify, the false can disperse, and the “golden elixir” can crystallize. To undo the false and establish the real is to open up the conditions for the golden elixir. It is possible to evoke the realness of the golden elixir, and not actually recognize it, however, due to delusions, personal and cultural agendas, and bias. When the golden elixir is established and recognized, true blissful tranquility settles in place and the calmness of autonomous and non-personal knowing is attained. The golden elixir is called golden because it is even, shining, and mellow like the quality of real truth. It is called the elixir because it is the fountainhead and source of all that is real, genuine, and actual.

The Immortal Embryo
After birth the fundamental and original essence is without knowledge, yet it is full. As life progresses, as knowledge is gained, that fundamental primordial essence generally becomes seduced and distorted by external influences. The cycle of life rises and one moves away from original sense and imbalance and delusion replaces true original autonomous wholeness. Yet if one follows the course of self-cultivation assiduously, on can turn around the situation and regain the vitality, wholeness, and bliss of original fundamental essence. Too often people cannot recognize true unblemished sense; they mistakenly take physical locations in the human, earthly, or heavenly body as places which will help them regain the fundamental source and harmony. They indulge in bogus practices in efforts to once again establish their original “face”. They look to the abdomen, the torso, or the head as places where the immortal embryo should reside. They go through complicated fantasies and mental gyrations, fooling and deluding themselves. It is no wonder such people struggle all their lives , only to grow into old age without attainment.

The immortal embryo is not a physical entity. It is a state of consciousness. It is called an embryo because if one attains it one regains the simplicity and clarity of an infant. It is called immortal because the state of mind to which it refers is the universal and undying essence which hasn’t changed since the beginning of time and will never change. It is called the embryo because it is a “second beginning” which parallels one’s physical birth — yet now takes place on the spiritual and psychological plane — it is the beginning of one’s true, undiluted life. It is called immortal because when one contacts it, one contacts that which all enlightened beings since time immemorial have realized. To live in contact with it is to live in contact with that which is significant at all times and all places. To regain it one must come face to face with that which is nameless and void. One must know reality without the filters and buffers of fantasy and bias. One must not be too much or too little, one side or the other, too up or too down, too full or too empty. One must be absolutely precise and without tendency — a million times sharper than a razor’s edge. Then, following the course of nature, the immature can mature and what has been lost can be regained again.

In the end, the path of Alchemy is simply a spiritual path. Being a spiritual path, it must be a path of “realness”. To follow such a path is to follow practices which help one to remain authentic and true to oneself and to the original source of all things. To follow such a path is to eschew delusion and acculturation. It is to know the path of the universal, the path of yin and yang, the whole path of the heart and rationality as one, and the path of nature. To cleave to the course of usual conditioning is to be ensconced in the mundane which doesn’t know its own beauty. To cleave to the course of usual conditioning is to miss being an “enlightened and empowered immortal being”.

Silk Reeling

2007-03-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Silk Reeling

http://www.yangfamilytaichi.com/about/articles/rep/2002-08-26

Much of the literature available in English about the topic of silk reeling is of the puff piece sort, leaving one with the impression that silk reeling is important but failing to provide much in the way of concrete, down-to-earth information. I came across an excellent and important article in Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan, a 1963 book by Shen Jiazhen and Gu Liuxin. What follows is a translation of the silk reeling section of the first chapter of that book (this part was written by Shen Jiazhen). I think that practitioners of all styles will find this quite interesting. This translation is something of a work in progress. I would enjoy hearing your comments and corrections.

Silk reeling is a subject rarely talked about in Yang family taiji. Though you don't hear much discussion of the topic under this name, actually Yang style also does contain most of the same elements elaborated as silk reeling in other styles (though the shape of the hands in Yang Chengfu style - fingers slightly curved, palms slightly extended - is different from that shown in figure 1 below).

Jerry,
2002-08-26

The Third Characteristic: Movement with Spiraling, Forward and Backward Silk Reeling

Boxing manuals dictate:

Moving energy (yun4 jing4) is like pulling silk
Moving energy is like unwinding silk (silk reeling)
As you open and extend as well as draw in, you must never depart from the taiji [symbol shape]
Once the most subtle hand begins to traverse a taiji [circle], the traces of it are completely transformed into nothingness.

From the 4 rules listed above we can see, Tai Chi Chuan movements must be in a shape like pulling silk. Pulling silk [from a cocoon] is done by a circular motion, and because it combines pulling straight and circling, naturally it forms a spiraling shape, which is the unification of the opposites of straight and curved. Silk reeling energy or pulling silk energy both refer to this idea. Because in the process of unreeling, extending out and pulling back the four limbs likewise produce a sort of spiraling shape, therefore the boxing manuals say that whether in large, extended movements or compact, small movements, one must absolutely never depart from this type of Tai Chi energy which unites opposites. Once one has trained in this thoroughly, this silk reeling circle tends to become smaller the more one practices, until one gets to the realm where there is a circle but no circle is apparent, at which point it is known only by intent. ¹ This is why the third characteristic of Tai Chi Chuan is that it is an exercise which unifies opposites with silk reeling, both forward and backward.

I. The Essence of Movement Like Silk Reeling

When we say in Tai Chi Chuan the movements must be like unreeling silk, or like pulling silk, these two images both mean that the shape of the movements is like a spiral. At the same time that this spiraling must go in a curve - much like the way a bullet follows the spiral rifling in a gun barrel so that as it moves through space it has an inherent turning in a spiral shape - it also has a trajectory along another line like that of the bullet hitting a target. Silk reeling energy in Tai Chi Chuan has this same kind of quality.

As we have already explained, movements must be like silk reeling, but how in our actual movements are we to realize this theory? In fact it's quite ordinary and simple: within the requirements for the entire movement, as you move, the palms rotate from facing inward to outward or from facing outward to inward, ² causing them to form a shape like the Tai Chi symbol (see figure 1). At the same time, owing to the rotation of the palms inward and outward, there is manifest in the upper body a turning of the wrists and upper arms and in the lower body a turning of the ankles and legs ³, and in the torso this is manifested as turning of the waist and backbone. Combining the three, this forms a curving line turning in space with its "root in the feet, commanded by the waist, and manifested in the fingers". This is a requirement which we must achieve in Tai Chi Chuan. Because of this the boxing manuals particularly point out that whether in broadly extending out or in shrinking and drawing in, we can never for a moment depart from the Tai Chi energy of rotating the palms and turning the wrists and upper arms. This is precisely like the way the earth turns on its own axis at the same time it moves in a curve around the sun. That is why Tai Chi energy is not circling in a plane but rather spiraling upward in three dimensions.

Figure 1. Forward and Backward Silk Reeling
(Larger version)

Figure 1 Explanation:

1. The solid line is shun (forward) silk reeling and the dotted line is ni (backward) silk reeling

2. The numbered points on the chart are the places where the shun and ni silk reeling alternate

A. Left hand silk reeling B. Right hand silk reeling

II. The Function of Moving Energy in Silk Reeling Style Spirals

Figure 3. Spiraling Pulling Silk Movement

Figure 2. Simple Curve Movement

If as you practice Tai Chi the hands just extend out straight and retract straight without rotating the palms and the legs bow forward and sit backward without an accompanying left and right turning, this will produce the defect of directly resisting force with force. (see figure 2). In order to correct this defect, we must use spiraling energy. Because a spiraling curve leading a radius is transforming; if any pressure pushes against this spiraling pole it can easily lead the pressure into emptiness and so transform it. This is a scientific way to transform energy. From figure 3 you can see the function of it.

This spiral style of silk reeling is where "Tai Chi" gets its name. This type of spiraling exercise is uniquely Chinese and seldom found elsewhere in the world. From the viewpoint of physical training, this can help one make "all the joints link up" as you move and push ⁴ and from there advance to the realm of 'matching inner and outer' and 'if one part moves all parts move'. This also has the function of creating a kind of massage for the internal organs. At the same time it stimulates the spirit manifested externally, strengthens the cerebral cortex, as well as strengthening the entire body structure and organs.

In addition silk reeling energy has important functioning for martial applications. The core of Tai Chi Chuan martial applications is the understanding energy referred to in 'know yourself and know your opponent' and 'know opportunities and advantages'. Understanding energy can be divided into two categories: (1) understanding with regard to your own energy, which is to say understanding the energies of your own movements, to be obtained from form practice; (2) understanding with regard to the energy of others, which is to say understanding the energy of the other person, to be obtained from push hands. If you want to know others you must first know yourself; this is the process by which we gain understanding. If you want to make the self-knowledge gained from form practice advance to the realm of high levels of development, then you must learn the skill of practicing whole-body movement. The skill of whole-body movement is learned from making inner and outer match up and making all the joints connect up together, and these two are produced from spiral style silk reeling movements. Thus for martial applications, silk reeling energy is extremely important.

III. The Types of Silk Reeling Energy and their Essential Points

Shun Silk Reeling <-- Basic Silk Reeling --> Ni Silk Reeling
                           |
                Positional Silk Reeling
                           |
------------------------------------------------------------
left-right  up-down  in-out  big-small  advance-retreat

Figure 4. Twelve types of silk reeling

According to qualities and capabilities, Tai Chi Chuan silk reeling energy can be divided into two basic types. The first is 'forward' (shun) silk reeling where the palms rotate from facing inward to facing outward. Within this group almost all consist of Peng (ward off) energy (see the solid lines in figure 1). The second type is 'backward' (ni) silk reeling where the palms rotate from facing outward to facing inward. Within this second group the bulk consists of L� (rollback) energies (see the dotted lines in figure 1). These two categories of silk reeling exist throughout the process of each Tai Chi Chuan movement, and are infused in it from beginning to end. As a result, within all moves is contained the alternation between the two energies: peng and l�; they are the basic contrasts within all movements and at the same time they transform into each other within a unified context. Because of differences in position and transformation, these two kinds of silk reeling can be further sub-divided by positioning into ⁵ types (see figure 4). Left-right and up-down positioned silk reeling together form a whole circle. Then if you add in in-out it makes the two-dimensional circle in a plane change to a three-dimensional circle, and that is precisely the quality that Tai Chi style spiral movement must have. Next, in order to have left and right returning to the beginning, connecting and following the opponent, all joints connected so the whole body works together as a unit, we add the two pairs big-small and advance-retreat, in order to satisfy special fitness and application needs. Therefore, in every movement of Tai Chi Chuan, above and beyond the basic 'forward' and 'backward' types of silk reeling, we have at least three pairs of positional silk reeling combined together. If you can only grasp this rule, as you circle in your movements you have a definite source of support for both learning and correction, making it all much easier. Whenever in your practice you feel that a move seems wrong or lacks energy, you can adjust the waist or legs to correct the spot where silk reeling is not appropriate, then you can correct the move. So getting a good grasp of the silk reeling can provide a tool for self correction. Let's take a few examples to illustrate this.

(1) "Cloud hands" -- This move, among the thirteen powers is the only one to include both doubled 'forward' changing into doubled 'backward' left and right large silk reeling. When you perform this move, the basic silk reeling of the two hands is 'forward' palms going from facing inward to outward, changing into 'backward' palms going from facing outward to inward. The positional silk reeling of cloud hands is left-right, up-down and a slight amount of in-out. Left-right and up-down make a circle in two dimension. If you then make the circling include a slight in-out, you can turn it into a three dimensional circle in space, enabling the qi to stick to the backbone.

(2) "White Crane Spreads Wings" -- The basic silk reeling is one 'forward' one 'backward', which is a relatively common pattern in the form. The positional silk reeling is left-right, up-down, and in-out. Because it has one 'forward' one 'backward', as the left hand performs 'backward' silk reeling going in and down and the right hand performs 'forward' silk reeling going out and up, the combination of the two, according to the requirements for the connection between the two arms 5, results in right going up and left going down, a right 'forward' left 'backward' separate and ward off circle.

As the two examples above show, although the various movements of Tai Chi Chuan seem to have an awful lot of different shapes and different ways of transition, when analyzed from the point of view of their basic silk reeling, they are actually extremely simple. All the Tai Chi moves fall into one of three categories of silk reeling: "doubled 'forward'", "doubled 'backward'" and "one 'forward' one 'backward'". If you use this method to analyse and work on the form you frequently practice, and put it into a chart format, this can become a good source of support for your practice. And with this kind of aid, you can become clear about the different kinds of energies, and achieve 'inner and outer match up' as well as 'all the joints link together' and thus on the basis of improving flexibility, attain to the proper requirements for correct postures.

IV. Getting a Grasp on Spiral Movement

Silk reeling, this third characteristic, is where Tai Chi gets its name, and functions as detailed above. That is why our predecessors, in order to help learners properly perform movements as though reeling silk, included a section in "Discussion of Tai Chi Chuan [Tai Chi Chuan Lun] devoted to this very subject as a practical summary of how to move energy. The first section discusses silk reeling energy. In order to get control of this third characteristic of Tai Chi, you just need to compare [your moves] to this portion as you practice and use it regularly as a standard when practicing the form, and then you can obtain correct postures and movements. Below we will summarize and explain this portion.

(1) Grasping the Third Characteristic Via Essential Spirit

A. "In each an every motion, the entire body must be light and nimble". If you can raise your spirit, then you are able to avoid having dull and heavy thought processes; this is the way to achieve lightness. If your intent is able to change nimbly, then your intent will not get hung up on one point only; that is the way to achieve nimbleness. The first step to grasping silk reeling energy is for the entire body to be light and nimble during the process of movement. Only then can you set up favorable conditions to support silk reeling movements.

B. "In movement you must link all the joints together as a whole." In moving like reeling silk, if you want to be light and nimble, it is particularly necessary to link together. This is an important environment for movement and must not be overlooked as you practice. For detailed analysis of this, please consult the section on the 5th characteristic of Tai Chi of the present chapter of this book.

C. "The spirit should be roused and the qi should be kept within." ⁶ If the conscious mind cannot be concentrated on the movements and you think of other things then this will result in confused thought and clumsy spirit, and so the spirit will be difficult to rouse. At the same time you will also be unable to keep the qi within so as to follow the mind, and the result will be your qi and postures will be scattered, energy won't be collected within, and the torso will move chaotically. Therefore, you must first and foremost anchor your thoughts to continuous and uninterrupted movement, and that way the spirit will naturally be roused. Next, you must make the breathing of the lungs coordinate with the movements. Because the spirit is roused, the qi is naturally kept within and doesn't get scattered. When the qi isn't scattered the spirit guides the head and inspires movement.

Summarizing the three requirements noted above, "In moving energy be light, nimble and linked together, with spirit roused and qi collected within" are mandatory essentials which must be grasped in order to grasp silk reeling energy.

(2) Grasping the Third Characteristic Via Energy Distinctions

A. "Don't allow slippage." When you utilize silk reeling energy, whether 'going forward' or 'going backward', endeavor to cause the 8 energies (ba men jing [translators note: earlier in the book identified as peng l�, ji, an, cai, lie, zhou, kan]) to move along the back of the spiraling curve. This is to say the spiraling contact surface must not be sometimes on the back of the curve, sometimes within the curve. This is the easiest defect to encounter in silk reeling. The moment you slip into the inside of the curve, not only do you weaken the peng energy, but you also lose the touch or contact quality of silk reeling. As a result, the moment you allow slippage, the energy cannot get to the contact surface of the spiral and you lose the silk reeling function of leading the opponent. (see figure 5).

Figure 5 Silk Reeling Slippage (text: "Slippage")

Figure 6 Silk Reeling Indenting and Protrusion (left text: "Indenting" right text: "Protrusion")

B. "Don't allow indenting or protruding spots." During the entire process, the route in which you employ silk reeling energy must be a smooth curve, forming smooth and even postures. At the same time, it is also required to be soft and rich in flexibility, and that is one way of getting rid of indenting or protruding spots. Even when you emit energy, you still must swing out like a supple whip. This way, because the body and hands are extended, the body and limbs are like an inflated tire, and in their contact with things have the ability to follow contours and stick against them. The moment you have indenting and protruding spots in moving energy, it creates corners or angles, producing defects of resisting force with force, and thus causes the movement of energy to lose its spiraling, turning function. (see figure 6).

C. "Don't allow ending and resuming spots." In the process of silk reeling, whether 'forward' or 'backward', always endeavor to reel to the end. When we say 'to the end' we mean not only arriving to the point where this move deploys its energy against its target but also to the place where it connects to the next move. Arriving at this point, via a folding transition 7, connect to the next silk reeling, taking the energy and connecting it to the next move. Since the energy does not end, there is no need for resumption. If you reel to halfway and the energy is cut off, and then resume it again - that is just wrong. Because once silk reeling has ending and resuming, this is a crack or opening. This crack or opening not only loses the function of leading the opponent, but also allows an opportunity and an advantage for the opponent. That is why we say this is not permitted in moving energy and silk reeling. (see figure 7). Beyond this, even when you emit energy, although there is a cutting off and resuming, you still must have the requirement: "the energy ends but the intent doesn't, the intent ends but the spirit can connect." This is what is known as [seemingly] cutting off but connecting back up again.

Figure 7 Silk Reeling Must Not Have Ending and Resuming (upper and lower text: "This section must not have ending or resuming) (Left and right text: " Transitional folding area) (left and right sides encircled word: "Slow") (Upper middle: Slow --->speeding up energy ---> Fast) (Lower middle: Fast <--- speeding up energy <--- Slow)

In summary the three entries above explain how in the process of silk reeling, which is also the process of moving energy, you must not have the defects of slippage, indenting or protruding, or ending and resuming. If even one of these three defects is present, you will be unable to deploy the proper functions of silk reeling energy. This is a problem which you must not ignore in your practice.

In order to facilitate grasping this topic, I will now summarize the requirements:

(1) Silk reeling energy is the source of the name 'Tai Chi Chuan'. Without silk reeling energy we would not be able to make the energy circle round the body and limbs so all tend to rise upward, attaining to completion in one qi.

(2) We need to understand the requirement to 'link everything together'. Not only does moving energy require going through all the joints, it also needs to be sent through the muscles and sinews above and below the joints. This is the function of spiraling silk reeling.

(3) Tai Chi Chuan has a pair of basic silk reeling categories as well as five pairs of positional types of silk reeling which make up one of the best tools for learning and teaching Tai Chi.

(4) 'Move energy like reeling silk' can only be accomplished under the conditions of lightness and nimbleness and linking everything together. At the same time, the spirit must be roused and qi kept within.

(5) In the use of silk reeling energy, you must avoid the three defects of slippage, indenting and protruding, and ending and resuming.

Footnotes

[author's footnotes from original Chinese]

[1] In the unique small-frame Tai Chi of Yang Shaohou in his later years, one could only observe the emitting of energy and not the moving of it. This was because the circle of movement for energy was so small that you could not see it; one could only observe the emitting of it. That is the fullest development of circles so compact they were invisible.

[2] When we refer to rotating the palms from facing inward to facing outward or from facing outward to facing inward, we are using the index finger as the standard. For example in figure 1, when the hand goes from point 1 to point 2, the index finger rotates from inside to outside, so that is called shun (going forward). When the hand goes from point 2 to point 3, the index finger rotates from outside to inside so it is deemed ni (going backward).

[3] When we refer to the trajectory of the legs in silk reeling, we are using the the turning direction of the knee as the standard. So when the knee circles diagonally from close in to the crotch forward and turning outward and down, or starting from out away from the crotch circles diagonally backward turning inward and going upward, this is deemed shun (forward). When the knee circles diagonally from out away from the crotch forward turning in and up, or when the knee circles diagonally from in close to the crotch backward turning outward and down, this is deemed ni (backward).

[4] "All the joints link together" is the fifth characteristic of Tai Chi Chuan.

[5] The connection between the two arms means as you move, it is as though there is a string connecting the two arms, and when one arm moves, the other arm also moves under the condition that it is able to keep the string tight with peng energy. That is to say we need to always keep a peng energy between the two arms which makes them tend to pull apart.

[6] Spirit and qi can both be roused, and both can be kept within. That is why 'Discussion of Tai Chi Chuan' says: "If you want the spirit and qi to be roused, first raise the spirit, then the spirit does not get dispersed."

[7] For the meaning of folding, see the 6th characteristic of Tai Chi Chuan. [maybe in a subsequent column we can look at this]

Thanks to Rocky Yang for providing a cleaned-up version of figure 1.

Email your comments to jerry@yangfamilytaichi.com

The third rep is seeking manuscripts for guest commentary.

Lengthening And Peng

2007-03-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Lengthening And Peng

http://www.yangfamilytaichi.com/about/articles/rep/2004-08-31

We publish here a translation of the second section of the first chapter of Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan, a seminal 1963 work by Shen Jiazhen and Gu Liuxin (this part was written by Shen Jiazhen).

I used the text contained in Renmin tiyu chubanshe, Taijiquan Quan Shu, 1988, which is a reprint of the original, 1963 edition plates.

Chinese text: I, II, III

Jerry,
2004-08-31

The Second Characteristic: An Exercise of Springy Lengthening of the Body and Limbs

Boxing manuals dictate:

Gently lead the head to press upward (xu ling ding jing), sink the qi to the dantian.
Reserve the chest and pull up the back, sink the shoulders and droop the elbows.
Relax the waist and round the crotch, open the kua and bend the knees.
Spirit collected and qi kept, body and arm lengthened.

From the 4 sayings listed above we can see that "Gently lead the head to press upward (xu ling ding jing), sink the qi to the dantian" are lengthening of the body, "Reserve the chest and pull up the back" is to lengthen the back by using the front of the chest as a support; "sink the shoulders and droop the elbows" is to lengthen the arm and hand; "Relax the waist and round the crotch" as well as "open the kua and bend the knees" cause the legs to freely rotate, which is the result of lengthening the legs under the conditions of this type of special posture. Therefore the footwork of taiji requires, under the conditions of rounded crotch, relaxed waist, open kua and bent knees, the use of rotating ankle and leg in order to alternate full and empty. Externally this is manifest as the silk reeling energy of the legs, but actually internally this tends toward the lengthening of the the legs.

This series of lengthening motions additionally generates a lengthening of the entire body, causing torso and limbs to create a springy flexibility and produce peng energy, and because the entire body is lengthened, this naturally stimulates the spirit to lift. Because of this, you need only have this lengthened posture to avoid generating the defect of strident force (brute force), making favorable conditions for naturally relaxing open and lengthening torso and arms. Therefore "An exercise of springy lengthening of the body and limbs" is the second characteristic of taijiquan.

I. Lengthening the torso and limbs

As mentioned above, when practicing taijiquan you must lengthen the torso and limbs in order to increase the flexibility of the entire body; only with this flexibility can one go on to create peng energy. That is to say, peng energy arises from springy flexibility and flexibility arises from lengthening of torso and limbs. As to how each part of the body is to lengthen, we will now explain according to the boxing manuals:

Gently lead the head to press upward (xu ling ding jing) and sink the qi to the dantian --- What is referred to as pushing up energy and gently lead is to take a forward pressing energy (ding jing) and lead it gently upward; sinking the qi to the dantian is to take the qi and make it sink down toward the dantian; combining these two there is an intent to pull apart in opposite directions, which causes the torso to have a feeling of lengthening.
Reserve the chest and pull up the back --- "Reserve the chest requires that the chest neither puff out nor cave inward, allowing the chest to function as a support to elongate the backbone, because in physics a weight-bearing column is not allowed to be bent. Relying on this support to pull up the backbone is to elongate the backbone. In this regard, beginners are cautioned not to regard curving or hunching the back as pulling up the back, because if you hunch the back then the chest will cave inward and in this way lose the function of the front of the chest supporting the back, thereby not only causing the back to lose springy flexibility but also harming ones health.
Sink the shoulders and droop the elbows --- The main use of sinking the shoulders is to make the arms and shoulders, because they droop downward, become solidly connected. Only if the arms and shoulders are solidly connected can the arms have root. At the same time, owing to the lowering of the elbows, the area from the elbows to shoulders is lengthened. When the arms and hands proceed in spiraling, silk-reeling motions they use the elbow as a center. At the same time, the lowering of elbows and standing of wrists can cause the area between elbows and wrists to lengthen. Therefore the sinking of shoulder, drooping of elbow and standing of wrist is the lengthening of the entire arm.
Rotation with opened kua and bent knees --- This is the lengthening of the legs. The legs are standing on the surface of the ground, so lengthening them is relatively difficult. And so setting forth the requirement to open kua and bend knees, we require that within this defined posture (rounding crotch) we use spiraling movement to alternate full and empty, and this mainly manifests itself in the rotations of the knee. In this way, as the outside rotates outward this causes the outside to lengthen and the inside to contract. Matching up this rotation of the leg to the rotations of the arms, hands and body creates whole-body rotation and with gradual improvement one can attain to total body strength such that "the root is in the heels, emitting through the legs, controlled in the waist and manifested in the hands".

Summing up the above-mentioned four rules, we can see that taijiquan requires lengthening of torso, arms and legs. Hence not only does this springy flexibility through lengthening create the basic peng energy of taijiquan, but it can also naturally lift people's spirit and avoid the defect of inappropriately rousing strength to create brute force. 1

II. The Physical Function of Lengthening Body and Limbs

When energy is applied to muscle it can undergo a finite elongation, but once the external cause of the lengthening is removed it immediately returns to its original shape. This is the inherent flexibility of muscle tissue. Most common exercises train and improve this kind of flexibility. In accord with human physiology, this type of muscle flexibility in expansion and contraction can give rise to the following four functions:

It can improve the ability of the muscle itself to expand and contract and facilitate circulation in the dense net of capillary vessels within the muscle.
It can increase flow of fuel and waste products within the cells and stimulate the entire metabolism.
It can promote the exchange of gases within the muscles and all other organ systems.
It can increase the amount of oxygen within the body and at the same time raise the rate of oxygen efficiency within each of the organ systems.

Taijiquan is not a simple movement of the limbs. Externally it manifests as the spirit in motion with highly complex postures while hidden within it is the spirit gathered and qi collected, such that the the mind moves the qi. This has been elaborated above in the description of the first characteristic. Additionally, taijiquan not only trains both inner and outer, but also, under the conditions of entire body and limbs elongated, is a process of winding and unwinding, forward and reverse silk reeling. In this way it not only brings about excellent training in flexibility for the muscles, but also raises the rate of blood circulation, thus curing diseases caused by poor circulation. This is an important result of the elongation of body and limbs and the lifting of the spirit in taijiquan. Also, the springy and flexible movements of taijiquan have an observable effect in lowering blood pressure, because as the muscles expand and contract they are able to create adenosine triphosphate (? sanlinsuan and xiantaisuan), substances which are able to dilate the blood vessels. At the same time, as we perform these movements in which each part is connected together, inside the muscles the number of opened capillary vessels increases by several times, thus broadening the cross section of blood vessels carrying the blood and so lowering the blood pressure. Additionally, when you practice taiji, because the muscles are repeatedly expanding and contracting, it is difficult for the blood vessels to harden. The process of winding and unwinding in forward and reverse silk reeling particularly prevents the hardening of blood vessels. People who have practiced taijiquan for many years can, as they practice, feel the blood vessels expanding open in their back and limbs. As soon as they begin to do the exercise they feel loose and comfortable, and if they are unable to practice for a while, there is a sensation of being closed up. These phenomena are the result of the increase and decrease of the number of opened capillaries.

III. The Eight types of Jing and the Springy/Flexible Peng Jing

Taijiquan requires that we use intent rather than brute force, but this is not to say that we use intent but not strength (jing), because taijiquan is constructed of the eight types of jing. All of these eight types of jing contain elongated springy flexibility, that is why they are called jing (energy) rather than li (force). Although these eight jing have different names, in reality there is only a single peng jing, the other seven merely different terms for the same thing in different positions and functions. Therefore taijiquan can also be called by the name peng jing quan. We will now analyze the content of these eight jing in order to further aid in grasping the second characteristic:

Within the context of the entire move, when the palms rotate from facing inward to facing outward, that is called peng jing.
Within the context of the entire move, when the palms rotate from facing outward to facing inward, that is called l� jing.
When both arms simultaneously use peng jing and intersect to peng outward, that is called ji jing.
When the palms press downward encircling somewhat and while not losing contact, exercise peng downward, that is called an jing.
The paired separating peng jing when the two arms cross going left and right or forward and backward is called cai jing.
When peng jing is curled up and then within a short distance fiercely strikes out, that is called lie jing.

[under construction]

Footnotes

[author's footnotes from original Chinese]

[1] Lengthening causes the body and arms to have an internal sensation of thin and long whereas inappropriately rousing strength causes the body and arms to have a sensation of thick and short. Therefore lengthening body and limbs naturally does not cause the defect of rousing strength and creating brute force.

Email your comments to jerry@yangfamilytaichi.com

The third rep is seeking manuscripts for guest commentary.

SILK REELING

2007-03-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

EXCERPTS FROM "ILLUSTRATED EXPLANATIONS OF CHEN FAMILY TAIJIQUAN"

BY CHEN XIN

http://www.taiji-bg.com/articles/taijiquan/t29.htm

Chinese reprint of Chen Xin's book is available through this site - click here!

PART ONE

ILLUSTRATED EXPLANATION OF SILK REELING ESSENCE OF TAIJIQUAN

Translated from Chinese by Jarek Szymanski; © J.Szymanski 1999

In the brackets I either put my own explanations or added certain words for better understanding (if in normal font); or put Pinyin (transliteration) for certain terms (in italics).

Only after I read about the Taiji circular illustration in ancient classics I realized that to practice Taijiquan one has to understand silk reeling essence. Silk reeling is a method of moving Central Qi (Zhong Qi). If it is not understood, then the boxing is not understood either.

The first white path and black path are like Taiji Yin and Yang existing within Wuji (Limitless). The second white path and black path are like Taiji that gives birth to two Yi; these two Yi are Yin and Yang, e.g. Heaven and Earth. The third white path and black path are like Qi of Yin, Yang and Wuxing (Five Elements) that every man has and needs to live. The fourth white path is what Mengzi called Noble Spirit (Haoran zhi Qi); black path is man's Animal Spirit (Xue Qi, literally Blood Qi) which, if joins Morality and Justice (Daoyi), becomes Spirit of Righteousness (Zheng Qi, literally Upright Qi), e.g. Noble Spirit. The fifth white path is the Mind of Dao (Dao Xin), the one that governs Qi. Qi can not move without Principle (Li), this Principle is within one's Character (Xing). Black path is Human Mind (Ren Xin), what sages and men of virtue called Personal Mind (Si Xin). White point inside is Restraining Thought (Ke Nian), while black point is Deceitful Thought (Wang Nian). Only saints are able to keep Restraining Thoughts only and get rid of Deceitful Thoughts. Deceitful Thoughts are what Gaozi called feeding sexual desire (Si Se Xing). All humans have them. If a man could get rid of these selfish thoughts so that they would never appear, then (he would be) of pure heavenly nature (e.g. of pure primordial nature). (If one is) of pure heavenly nature, then while practicing boxing one would move following Nature's Mystery (Tianji), naturally, lively, the original shape of Taiji would be unintentionally revealed in my body.	Illustration from Chen Xin's "Illustrated Explanation of Chen Family Taijiquan" showing relation between Taiji and Chansijing (Silk Reeling Essence)

	The words in the second internal circle (outside the little Yin-yang symbol) are: Ke Nian (Restraining Thought; on the right), Wang Nian (Deceitful Thought; on the left), Si Nian (Personal Thought); then, following the spiral, are: Bailu Haoran zhi Qi (White Path Noble Spirit), Heilu ji Xue Qi (Black Path is Animal Spirit), Rensheng zhi Yinyang (Yin and Yang of Human Life), Tiandi zhi Yinyang (Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth), Taiji zhi Yinyang (Yin and Yang of Taiji)

The three big external circles advance Yin and Yang from their beginnings; three internal circles say what Yin and Yang are being governed by. Three internal circles, e.g. what a man receives, are all within third circle, and originally there was no need to draw any further circles. (However since I) was afraid (that people would) practice boxing without understanding the principle of Qi governing, so there had to be another picture drawn, and (I tentatively) draw it to make it easier to understand. What is important is that three internal circles are all within third circle, third circle is within the second one, the second one is within the first one. This drawing explains particularly the core of guarding life (Wei Sheng), wonderful formula of Qi returning (Huan Qi). (If one) is expert in moving Qi (Yun Qi), only then one can guard one's life; if one can guard one's life, then there is support for one's Character Restoration (Fu Xing), and Qi can rely on (this). Such Taiji Boxing is a study beneficial for body (Shen) and mind (Xin), character (Xing) and life (Ming). Sages say that cultivating one's moral character lies in Character Restoration, which means guarding life and moving Qi are the core of cultivating one's moral character and restoring it. (I do) not know (if this is) correct or not, for the time being (I gave) illustrated explanation to make it more funny.

PART TWO

ILLUSTRATION OF SILK REELING ON HUMAN BODY - EXPLANATION OF FRONT VIEW

Illustration of Silk Reeling on Human Body - Front View

Coiling power (Chan Jin) is all over the body. Putting it most simply, there is coiling inward (Li Chan) and coiling outward (Wai Chan), which both appear once (one) moves. There is one (kind of coiling) when left hand is in front and right hand is behind; (or when) right hand is in front and left hand is behind; this one closes (He) (the hands) with one conforming (Shun) (movement). There is also one (coiling) that closes the inside of the left (side of the body) and the back of the right (side of the body), and another which uses the through-the-back power (Fanbei Jin) and closes towards the back. All of them should be moved naturally according to the (specific) postures.

Once Qi of the hand moves to the back of the foot, then big toe simultaneously closes with the hand and only at this moment (one can) step firmly.

This power (Jin) comes from Heart (Xin), on the inside it enters bones, on the outside it reaches skin, it is one (power), not multiple (powers). Power is Qi that comes from Heart. If it is moved in central and right way, then it is Central Qi (Zhong Qi); when it is nourished, then it is Noble Spirit (Haoran zhi Qi).

On the chest: Heart - the Source

Below: Below Qihai (acupuntcure point) there is Huiyin (point), where Renmai (meridian) has its beginning

ILLUSTRATION OF SILK REELING ON HUMAN BODY - EXPLANATION OF BACK VIEW

At the back (the power of) the head propping up is (called) Propping-up Power (Ding Jin); large vertebra is the dividing line, below (this) dividing line is the back (Lь), the central bone is backbone (Ji), both kidneys are (called) Waist. Whether foot is Empty (Xu) or Solid (Shi) depends on hand, if hand is Empty then foot is also Empty, if hand is Solid then foot is solid too.

Illustration of Silk Reeling on Human Body - Back View

Below: Dumai (Meridian) passes from the front along the dotted line (down) to the bottom of the sea (e.g. below Qihai point)

THEORY OF SILK REELING ESSENCE OF TAIJIQUAN

Taijiquan is the method of silk reeling (coiling).

(There is) coiling forward, coiling backward, coiling leftward and rightward, coiling upward and downward, coiling inward and outward, small and big coiling, conforming (Shun) and contrary (Ni) coiling. Their importance lies in (ability to) coil once (the opponent) is lured (Yin) or once (one) steps forward ("enters" the opponent), and not in using specific applications of specific postures. If specific applications of specific movements are used, then Yin and Yang are not at their (movements and applications) roots. Common people (those who do not know Taijiquan) will see (the practitioner) as a weak (soft) one. This is the impression given on the outside. If talking in terms of the state of mind (Shenyun), when hands are crossed hardness and softness are equally used according to one's wishes. Those who are not long on this path (of Taijiquan practice) are not able to thouroughly understand these details. Both shoulders (should) drop down, both elbows (should) sink; delicate like a virgin seeing a man, unbridled like a fierce tiger descending a mountain.

Hands are like a balance, weigh something and you know its weight. The path of martial arts practice is to have such a balance in your heart (mind). This invisible balance is to approach (examine) the opponent according to his movements forward and backward and his speed, using the spirit (mind) mastered in everyday practice. To weigh visible signs using invisible balance, and adjust according to what both hands feel, add less or more weight (when necessary), this (who is able to do it) is called Excellent Hand (Miao Shou, master).

FOUR POEMS ON SILK REELING METHOD OF TAIJIQUAN

SEVEN-CHARACTERS ANCIENT POEM (e.g. poem with seven characters to a line)

In movement Yang is born, stillness is in Yin, movement and stillness combined are the root.

Without doubt you will find joy inside roundness, and see the Truth of Heaven through turns and circular movements performed at will.

SECOND

Yin and Yang have no beginning nor end, creation resides in coming and going, bending (Qu) and extending (Shen).

Consider thoroughly this information, move the Vital Principle in round turns performed without restraint.

THIRD

At times it is clear at times it is not, closing (He), opening (Pi), staying at one place (Lai), tearing (Si), lifting (Ti) are linked;

Many moments of ignorance have to pass before the Principle will become clear, but with sudden inspiration it becomes (clear like) a glass.

FIVE-CHARACTERS ANCIENT POEM (e.g. with five characters to a line)

The Principle is without boundaries, but its sources are (even) in (little) ants.

Do not peep at the garden for three years, have one will and focused spirit.

It is necessary to study from a good teacher, and also visit wise friends.

Follow the rules in all respects, and a narrow beam of understanding will appear.

Next level is deeper than the previous one, the meaning within the levels is without boundaries.

Opening (Kai) is linked to Closing (He), Openings (Kai) and Closings (He) pass on from one to another in order.

Sometimes one is guided into victory, and cannot stop practicing even though one wants to.

Time, study and efforts to the utmost, and your skill will grow every day.

If only there is no obstacle, you will suddenly understand Great Void.

2007-03-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

Look how embarrassing for the great and mighty google! If this entry is cut off in a most unskillful manner on your screen, visit this link to read its content. http://www.chineseboxing.com/pages/CBII%20Articles/rooting.html

Rooting

The Secret of Getting Power from the Earth

by Gaofei Yan and James Cravens

In studying the ideas which lie behind the “internal martial arts,” we recognize that internal means that there may be concepts and principles that are underneath the surface or not apparent as they would be in the external martial arts. While looking at these deep aspects, such as chi and internal power, one of the most intriguing principles is the study of rooting. Rooting may not sound like an exotic topic, but if one is to develop the energy skills that we hear the legendary masters attained, rooting must be understood, as well as practiced.

Everyone in the martial arts agrees that one needs good balance and many use the word rooting in speaking of this balance. Rooting is not just having good balance, it involves much more. Most beginners neglect this aspect because technique, counter technique, and the various ways to fight seem to be what initially captures their interest. After a period of time, the serious students, through much practice and thought, discover that they are losing power when they move and when they try to strike. They may have a strong shoulder or a big punch, but it is segmented and not part of a unitary body effort. This is because they have no root.

Chen Zhaopi, the 18th generation Chen family master and master of Chen Xiao Wang, Chen Zhenglei, Chen Shitong, and Wang Xian, said the following: “If one cannot come to recognize how the weight moves distinctly back and forth between the two legs, then the upper and lower body cannot work together and connect. If the upper and lower body cannot connect, then you cannot absorb the opponent’s force. If you cannot absorb the opponent’s force, you cannot use his force.”

After two years of dedicated practice, Mr. Yan’s teacher, Chen Quan Zhong, told Mr. Yan that he still had no Kung Fu, but had only begun to have a little root. Therefore, it would serve us well to look closely at how to attain this principle of rooting, because we can safely say that if there is no rooting, there will be nothing else. The study of the “internal” will give us the secret of true “rooting” and teach us how to get power from the ground.

The great internal arts have various ways to achieve the skill of rooting. In the art of Xing-yi (mind-will boxing) much time is devoted in particular to developing the San ti Shi or “Three Body Posture.” In the style of Bagua Zhang (eight diagram boxing), they use the idea of walking in a circle in order to build up the root. In Tai Ji Quan one develops the root by studying what the body must do in order to keep the weight’s center balanced while moving very slowly. Push hands practice, a two person touching exercise, then uses speed in order to develop this balance under more difficult circumstances.

Even though each art uses different methods in order to build and develop the root, other factors are important such as intensity and regular practice. Zhang Ju, who was a master in the art of Xin-Yi, practiced so hard that he would finally collapse and fall down asleep. Sun Lu Tang, one of the most famous internal boxers in Chinese history, practiced the “plowing step” wherever he went during the day. Even while standing around he would be practicing. Chen Xiao Wang practiced so hard he could barely bend his knees after practice.

Note: A variation of this article was published in Tai Chi magazine last year. Because of the importance of this topic, we have decided to use this article for the benefit of our readers.

Many people use the term rooting but have varied ideas about what constitutes its meaning. Let’s examine the details so we may understand its substance. First, let’s look at what it means to lose root or not to have it at all.

People lose root because they use the wrong part of the body to focus their strength. For example, when the shoulder moves first in an action to strike, it is incorrect. One should use the lower body to drive the force. No matter how hard one attempts to be soft, they will never truly relax and have power until the lower body drives the force.

Photo #1, #2 Photo #1 (correct), #2 (incorrect) When the hand in “Brush Knee” touches, the body should sink as in picture #1, not as in #2. In #2 the chi will rise, but in #1, the chi sinks and the power is balanced in the legs and opponents arm.

Even when one uses the lower body to drive the force, the root can be lost because the shoulder, as well as any other joint or part of the body may interrupt the transference of power. When there is tightness or loss of coordination between the various joints and parts of the body, root will be lost. The hip, leg, etc. must act as one! Many times things inside the body fight against each other. For example, if the inguinal crease (part where the legs connect to the torso) at the hips is tight, the flow of energy will be broken in the body, breaking the root. When one practices in this way, the tightness or lack of body unity can give one the tendency to get injured. Sometimes one locks a joint. The hips and shoulders are typical joints that students will lock which breaks the root.

Photo #3,#4, In #3 the right shoulder is locked and left shoulder is too loose or limp. The left hip is locked and the left knee is limp. #4 photo is correct.

Photo #8,#9 In #8 the chi stops in back because the back is bent and the chest is forward. #9 is the correct way.

At the other extreme, the body can be too loose or limp which will also cause the root to be broken.

Photo One

Photo Two

Photo Three

Other causes that disrupt a continuous root include psychological reasons. Being frightened suddenly is a common example of how one’s energy will rise, taking away the potential power from the ground through rooting. Other emotions, such as anger, happiness, sadness, and being excited, can all play a role in losing root since they distract the mind from its focus. Losing root while sparring is an example of how psychological pressure locks up the body causing the root to be lost.

Finally, the reason for a lost root is often a combination of several postural problems. When one loses root, his movement or force cannot change directions and his body is segmented and not unitary. Internal power should be round and unitary, not linear and segmented. Roundness has the quality of continuation and flow, while linear does not contain this quality and will cause the body to stop and start, producing a segmented non-unitary action.

We see from the discussion so far that when one loses root, several factors are involved: the amount of tension in the muscles, the way in which the body connects and works together, and the ability to produce a powerful product in terms of projection.

There are many misconceptions about what root actually is. Some believe that it means having strong legs or having a low stance. Some believe that it is developed only by practicing static postures. People who train only in this way usually cannot fight.
If root is so desirable, how then does one build the root? Many people may agree on a quality or principle being useful, but “how” is always more important than “what.” The method that will step by step get you to the point of rooting is often what is missing. As mentioned earlier, many people and styles have different ways to build the root. In the style of Xing-Yi the old way is to practice 60% in static postures and 40% in movement. In Tai Ji Quan the solo form is a major factor in training, while Wuji standing posture with no motion, Tai Chi stillness postures, and heavy weapons (Long staff (Dagan) and Guan Dao) exercises are also practiced. In the art of Bagua Zhang one walks a circle to build up the root. In spite of these different methods, the requirement is basically the same. Certain things must be true about the body, the movement, the Qi (energy), and the mind.

Body

1. The body should be straight. The body sinks and the head hangs as if suspended or pulled upward lightly from a string. This opposite stretch creates a straighter spine which then allows muscles to relax, giving more flexibility and movement to the body.

2. The waist must sink; sometimes one side may sink. This sinking has always been recognized as necessary in rooting.

3. Muscles on both sides at the inguinal crease should relax. If one does not relax, chi will not go down into the legs. This also aids in the process of straightening the lumbar curve in the back.

4. Two Huantiao (the points just behind the side hip bones) must be rolled back and out; these are also acupuncture points.

5. The distance between the upper inner thighs (dang) is the same width at the front of the inner thighs as at the back of the inner thighs. For example, if one assumes a toe-in hour glass stance, the distance at the rear of the inner thigh is greater than at the front. If one tucks the hip forward, the distance at the front of the inner thighs is greater than at the rear of the inner thighs. In Yang style Tai Ji they say they put the whole body on two legs, and the Chen style of Tai Ji explains this by saying it is like taking a seat or a sitting position while standing. The upper inner thighs should have a shape like an upside down letter “U” and not like an upside down letter “V.”

6. The acupuncture point called the Huiyin or perineum, as well as the anus, is internally pulled upward. This keeps the small heavenly circulation or the chi unblocked.

7. The “Wei Lu” refers to keeping the lower back straight during the posture or movement.

8. The entire body through to the legs must screw inward which will open the inner thighs. The knee should not be inward, but should be lined up straight with the foot’s direction so that the power from the ground will not be broken. One will actually feel an outer pressure on the outside knee as the legs screw inward toward the ground.

9. The acupuncture point “Wei Zhong,” located on the leg behind the center of the knee should always be strong. The knee will have to be bent and not kinked inward in order for this to be right.

10. Toes should grip the ground and the yong quan points (located just below the ball of the foot but just on the toe half of the foot) in the bottom of the feet become empty, which contributes to all movement and stability. The yong quan points are also known as the “bubbling well.”

Photo #4,#6,#9 Refer to ten points

Photo Five

Photo Six

Photo Seven

Photo Eight

Photo Nine

Movement

Photo #10 - Chen style Da Lu

In order to have a proper root, movement should never go by arm alone but by the whole body. The weight is transferred by turning the body.

Each internal art develops the root in various ways. In Xing-Yi, the classics state that the power of the technique is 70% from the lower body and 30% from the arms. Many misunderstand this teaching to be kicking rather than the lower body. Without this lower body emphasis, there is no rooting.

In Tai Ji Quan one moves very slowly, balancing over the yong quan points in the bottom of both feet in order to find and control the center of the weight. This assures that the force can come from the ground and not be stopped inside the body.

Furthermore, on a punch, the front leg must also screw and not be “loose” so that the whole body can contribute to power going out of the hand. The sensation is that the ground below moves in opposite directions due to this inward screwing with both legs. During the punch, a loose front leg creates a large energy loss going out the front knee. In Tai ji we say that the front leg has no “Peng Jing.”

Photo #5 (wrong way) Photo#6 and Photo #6B - The knee must not go limp but allow power to back up and back the punch.

Qi (energy)

The Qi in the body will flow properly when the three acupuncture points are lined up properly. These points are:

1. Bai hui - located on the crown point.

2. Hui yin - located between the genitals and the anus; this point should close and lift.

3. The intersection between the two yong quan points The intersection is somewhere between the feet depending on the posture.

These three points should all be lined up vertically. One cannot overemphasize the need to relax. When the three points are lined up in a relaxed manner, the Zhong Qi (centered chi) gets larger. Chi is a difficult subject for those just beginning to study, and the concept of centered chi is difficult as well.

Mind

The mind and spirit must be strong in order to keep chi from rising, which will destroy the effort of rooting. The mind must be very centered and controlled. Many people practice Chan (Zen) exercises, or something similar, in order to accomplish this. This, of course, has a parallel in life since the mind must also be kept centered every day in order to handle all circumstances.

When practicing, one should use imagination so that one can image clouds or a river to create evenly flowing movement. One can go fast yet stay quiet. When traveling in an airplane, one feels very still even though the speed may be 500 m.p.h.. Enemies to the mind are anger, fear, and various other emotions and distractions. They raise the chi high in the body, making the body tight and again destroying the root.

All of these requirements to building root support each other and connect to each other in a complimentary fashion. After a long time you will understand the beautiful harmony of the requirements. The straight plumb line requirement causes the thigh to go in, but when one takes the two points in the hip out the knees move out opening the thighs up properly. Another example of harmony between the requirements is that when the legs are down and when one sinks, the practitioner can use the whole body as a unit.

What kind of feeling is obtained from rooting? Should we feel something when we root? The feeling that is derived from rooting is that the upper body is empty and the lower body is full. In push hands or in application when two people are linked together, if one person is rooting and the other is not, the lever principle comes into effect. One person has the power of his chest and arms versus the other person which is using the entire body as a unit. Everything else being equal, the unitary rooted person has three times the leverage. It is like someone who is standing on ice pushing hands with a person on dry ground.

Photo #14 - Lose right knee-chi stops in back-force only from elbow out-short leverage vs. long leverage-black one on ice - other on dry ground.

Another feeling derived from rooting is that of smooth movement. The body turns as a unit; it also gives turning a greater range of motion. The body can turn in any direction.

Photo #11, #12,#13 - Mr. Yan can change to #12 or #13 from #11 depending on which way the Opponent goes. This is changeability.

Whether in fighting application or when interacting with an partner in some sort of dueling, one must yield and follow the opponent or the root can be shattered.

Root also allows the body to calm down and feel centered. In Bagua Zhang one walks a circle to build the root. It is said that after a long time, the eyes will be able to see very clear. This speaks of awareness and sensitivity. For example, one can taste the sweetness of bread if his or her taste buds are sensitive. Rooting allows the eyes to become clearer. In contrast, when one is angry, he does not see clearly.

When one sinks properly and allows the chi to sink, it is very intense. One may not be able to hold the posture for very long when he truly learns to sink and root purely.

The intensity can be greater with a root. Li Wen Bin, a master of Xing-Yi, taught a member of the Chinese National Hockey team who was very strong and could lift a two hundred pound weight over his head over one hundred times or more very easily. When placed in the proper rooted position, he could not hold a Sun ti shi (Xin-yi posture) for very long when he let the chi sink purely.

Chen Tai Ji sets up the root initially by standing in the posture called Wu Ji. Wu Ji refers to absence of movement. From the Wu Ji comes the Tai Ji. In the Wu Ji one can feel the three points in one line in order to feel the centered chi. The weight should be centered over the yong quan points in the bottom of the foot.

Every posture is like Wu Ji. Some people practice for many years and never feel the centered chi or root. In September of 1992 a Spanish martial art team visited Chen village. A famous teacher in Spain asked Chen Shi Tong to correct his posture. The posture was called “Walk Obliquely.” He held the stance and Chen Shi tong corrected every part of his posture properly. While changing his posture, he began to have an unusual feeling in his body. His eyes showed a big surprise. He could not hold the posture very long. He grabbed Mr. Yan’s arm (who was the interpreter) and began to say the word “Big Tree” many times. He wanted Mr. Yan to tell Chen Shi Tong what he was feeling. If the instructor is good, he will put you in the posture and you will feel the “centered chi,” or the “Big Tree.” A good instructor is very important in the development of many steps in internal boxing. You may have the knowledge, but a good teacher can cause you to get the proper feeling.

In Chen Tai Ji there are many ways to make the opponent’s chi rise. One way is to use chin na (grabbing, grappling, etc.) to cause the chi to go up. When one touches the fighter or in push hands, you want to find out the person’s direction of force and center, so you listen to his energy.

Photo #15, - Mr. Dees in rollback and Mr. Yan in Press. Mr. Yan finds tightness in Mr. Dee’s shoulder.

Photo #16 - Mr. Yan follows the tightness in the shoulder.

We have discussed why root is important, why people lose their root, how to build the root, and the feelings derived from rooting. The principle of rooting is a product of the principle coming from the Tao Te Ching, the most famous book in China.

The Tao Teh Ching was written by Lao Tzu who described the way of the universe. This book told people how to control the world. Its conclusion was that you control the world by controlling yourself — that you have more control in this world if you simply learn to control your own self and balance.

As this idea was factored into the internal martial art, it was discovered that when one learns to root, he has much greater control of his own balance as well as greater potential of power coming from the ground.

In the book Xing-Yi Quan Xue, The Study of Form-Mind Boxing, written by the famous internal martial artist Sun Lu Tang, translated by Albert Liu, and compiled and edited by Dan Miller, an interview with Sun Lu Tang’s daughter, Sun Jian Yun states that “her father did not think there was any secret way to practice the martial arts. He emphasized that there were two words which described correct practice, Zhong He, which translates to mean ‘balanced’ or ‘neutral’.” It is always easier to reach a goal if the goal is very clear. Why be rooted in martial movement? It is because our goal is to be balanced.

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Last updated - 7/22/2001

Chinese Boxing Institute International

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DISCLAIMER

The author and publisher of this material are NOT RESPONSIBLE in any manner whatsoever for any injury which may occur through reading or following the instructions in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described in this material may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people, and the reader should consult a physician before engaging in them.

Four Great Leg Strengtheners

2007-03-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Step away from the squat machine and strengthen your quadriceps, calves, and feet on your yoga mat.

By Alisa Bauman

http://resistancetraining.wordpress.com/2006/10/26/four-great-leg-strengtheners/

It’s no surprise that fitness videos and gym classes with titles like “Yoga Buns and Legs” place a heavy emphasis on the classic standing postures. Unlike weightlifting, which isolates particular muscle groups, yoga’s standing postures efficiently and effectively strengthen the leg as an entire unit. In addition, yoga often strengthens and stretches the muscles in your legs simultaneously. When you’re doing Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II) to the right, for example, the quadriceps muscles of the right leg contract powerfully, the left quads firm, both inner thighs lengthen, and, in tighter students, the left calf receives a moderate stretch. When done correctly, standing poses also strengthen the muscles that protect the knee and ankle joints and help you build a better foundation for your whole body. “They teach the muscles in your legs to hold your joints in proper alignment,” explains Dario Fredrick, an exercise physiologist and Iyengar Yoga instructor in San Anselmo, California. By teaching you to properly plant your feet and align your knees and hips, standing poses improve your posture and coordination in everyday activities, not just during your time on the mat. As you learn proper alignment, you’ll activate and strengthen the smaller, less-used, and often weak muscles in your arches, lower legs, and inner and outer thighs rather than relying solely on the larger leg muscles.

Four Great Leg Strengtheners

The exercises featured in this article—the Utkatasana Vinyasa (Chair Pose Sequence), the Utkatasana Padangusthasana Vinyasa (Chair Pose Tiptoe Balance Sequence), Virabhadrasana II, and Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)—collectively condition the fronts of the thighs, the backs of the thighs, the hips and buttocks, the inner and outer thighs, the lower legs, and the feet. Each one of them, however, conditions the legs in its own unique way.

Utkatasana vinyasa. Much like that old weightlifting standby, the squat, Utkatasana firms your quads and buttocks muscles. If you’re aligned properly, you’ll also balance the effort between each of the four quads and work the muscles of the outer thighs and hips—not to mention the abdomen and upper body. Proper alignment is crucial to getting the full benefits. Your inner and outer thighs must work in a balanced way to stabilize your knees directly in line with your feet; if your knees tend to collapse in or splay out, it’s a sign that one muscle group is predominating and the other is weak. By keeping your knees in proper alignment, you’re automatically working to improve your weaknesses.

The more you bend your knees, the more you’ll work your legs and stretch your calves and Achilles tendons. When you move into Ardha (Half) Utkatasana, bending your legs even deeper and bringing the torso more parallel to the floor, and then add the torso twist of Parivrtta (Revolved) Ardha Utkatasana, you make both legs work even harder.

Utkatasana Padangusthasana vinyasa. This sequence combines upper leg work like that of Utkatasana with a strong activation of the calves—and tosses in the element of balance for an added challenge. Rising onto the balls of your feet, you engage the muscles in your feet and calves and use muscles all through your legs and upper body to make the constant minute adjustments needed for balance. As you squat, you continue to strengthen your feet and calves while amping up the work of the upper legs and buttocks. Although the exercise looks a bit like the calf raises you might do at the gym, it works and stretches your feet and legs more thoroughly.

Virabhadrasana II. In this pose, your forward leg works much like it does in the lunges you might perform in a floor exercise class at a gym. As you bend the forward knee, you’ll probably feel the work most strongly in your quadriceps. But to lengthen the inner thigh of this leg and keep your knee aligned over your ankle and pointed toward your second toe, your front outer thigh and hip muscles must also contract. The gluteal muscles and the hamstrings will also firm, both as you hold the posture and as you rise out of it. And all of that activity is just what’s going on in the forward leg!

Not surprisingly, beginning students tend to focus on the forward leg in Virabhadrasana II, but Fredrick points out that the rear leg gets as much of a workout when the pose is done correctly. If you properly activate that leg, grounding through the outer edge and big-toe ball of the foot and firming all the muscles toward the bones, you’ll feel your arch and the inner edge of your leg lift and stabilize. Then, says Fredrick, “you’ll be able to hold the posture longer. In other words, you’ll receive even more of the pose’s conditioning benefits.

Trikonasana. This pose strongly works the quadriceps, the muscles at the sides of the lower legs, and the muscles of the inner and outer thighs and hips. In Trikonasana (see page 74), the actions of the muscles in both legs are quite a bit like those of the back leg in Virabhadrasana II. The quads need to engage strongly. The lower leg muscles must work to ground the feet evenly. And, as in the Utkatasana variations and Virabhadrasana II, you should keep the kneecaps of each leg pointing in the same direction as that leg’s toes; for most people, that means lots of hard work for the muscles that externally rotate the thighs.

As with all standing poses, the more attention you pay to alignment, the more the pose will help you condition not just the major leg muscles but also the smaller muscles that contribute so much to subtle movements, balance, and coordination.

A Practice with Legs

Try incorporating the Utkatasana series, the Tiptoe Balance, Virabhadrasana II, and Trikonasana into Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). This flow sequence, developed by Karley York, a yoga instructor at Bally Total Fitness in Studio City, California, will slowly build your strength and endurance in each of the included standing postures.

Stand erect with your feet together in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Exhaling, bend forward into Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend). Inhale, then exhale to step back into Plank Pose and lower to Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose). Inhale to come into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose); exhale to come into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose). Inhale to step your right foot forward between your hands, and come into Virabhadrasana II. Hold for 5 breaths.

As you exhale, move into Trikonasana. Hold for 5 breaths, inhale to return to Warrior II, and hold for 5 breaths. Then exhale to return to Downward-Facing Dog. Hold for 5 breaths and inhale to step your left foot forward, coming into Warrior II on the second side. Hold for 5 breaths and then, as you exhale, move into Triangle and hold for 5 breaths. Inhale to return to Warrior II, hold for 5 breaths, and then exhale into Downward Dog. On your next exhalation, step first one foot and then the other forward into Uttanasana.

As you inhale, move into Utkatasana: Bend your knees, lift your torso, and extend your arms overhead. Hold for 5 breaths, then exhale to come into Ardha Utkatasana for 5 breaths. Twist into the revolved version for 5 breaths, return to Ardha Utkatasana for 5 breaths, then twist to the other side for 5 breaths. Come back into Utkatasana, then lift your heels to come into Utkatasana Padangusthasana for 5 breaths. Inhale to straighten your legs, staying on tiptoe and bringing your arms overhead. Exhale to bring your heels back to the ground and your arms down to your sides. Repeat the whole sequence if you wish.

—A.B.

Alisa Bauman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.

September/October 2004

This article can be found online at http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1386_1.cfm

Utkatasana : Awkward, Powerful Pose

2007-03-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Utkatasana : Awkward, Powerful Pose
http://resistancetraining.wordpress.com/2006/10/26/utkatasana/

click on link or image for original source


Improves overall body strength Opens pelvis Relieves menstrual cramping Shapes lower muscles Cuts fat pocket under butt Aligns skeletal system Good for digestion Good for relieving joint pain Good for preventing immune disorders Rids arthritis in the knees Improves flexibility in toes and ankles Relieves sciatica Works liver, intestines and pancreas http://www.fallschurchyoga.com/postures.shtml

Ekapâda Utkatâsana

En cucliyas en un sólo pie

[PDF] Postures in Practice

Taoist standing practise - core stability

2007-03-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

http://resistancetraining.wordpress.com/2006/12/10/taoist-standing-practise-core-stability/

traditional exercise practised by martial artists over the centuries, Standing Practise (Zhan Zhuang) is known for its surprising toughness (postures are traditionally held for at least 60 to 80 minutes) and for its ability to develop health, strengthen the bones and tendons, increase core stability, correct any muscular-skeletal misalignments (crucial for lop-sided sports like golf, javelin, tennis etc), increase sensitivity to balance, and develop a powerful competitive spirit

The six benefits of Standing Practise are as follows:

Physical strength and stamina
Relaxation
Grounding
Lower Abdominal Breathing
Opening the energy gates of the body
Cultivation of intrinsic energy

Other benefits include correcting misalignments of the skeleton and cultivating a calm, aware mental state (’Here and Now’ thought). The more advanced posture you are going to learn here, will continue to help train all the above, and due to its intensity and demanding nature, it will help to prepare your mind for increased focus, intent and competitiveness.

San Ti Shi - Three Body Posture

The foundation of Xingyiquan (Hsing Yi Ch’uan) is its stance keeping practise of San Ti Shi, which means “Three Body Posture” or “Trinity Posture”. Hsing Yi Ch’uan is one of the three Chinese internal martial arts, alongside the more well-known T’ai Chi and the more esoteric style of Ba Gua Ch’uan. To get a rare glimpse of these ancient arts in action, watch a film called “The One”, staring Jet Li, in which he plays two roles - a good guy and a bad guy - the first using the fighting skills of Ba Gua Ch’uan and the other using Hsing Yi Ch’uan . These arts are known for their physical toughness and for their ability to develop the practitioner’s mind to a level where the mind sets the intent for the physical movement - Hsing Yi Ch’uan actually means “the mind that forms the fist”. The exercise you are going to learn here will help you set your mental intent for the movement skills of any sport and is particularly good if you are a competitive athlete, as it will help to increase your level of intent or desire by training your mind, breathing and nervous-system to stay focused yet relaxed under pressure.

San Ti Shi - How to Stand

Stand with your feet about half shoulder width wide, the toes of both feet parallel and pointing straight forward
Gently tuck under your lower back to take out the lumbar curve
Unlock your knees and sink your weight into the balls of your feet
Turn your right toes out about 45 degrees and shift your weight onto your right leg - then step forward with your left leg, keeping your left toes facing straight ahead
Keep your weight 70% on your right leg and 30% on your left leg
Keep your centre of gravity mid-way between your feet, rather than predominantly on either the right or left leg
Turn your hips and shoulders 45 degrees to the right, matching the direction of your right toes - your eyes and head point straight forwards, in the direction of your left toes
Relax your shoulders - bring your left arm in line with your left leg, arm and fingers pointing straight forward and your elbow relaxed and in line with your left knee
Bring your right arm in front of you - waist height - and touch the outside edge of your right thumb against your lower abdomen, about 2″ below your navel (this is your T’an Tien - the body’s natural centre of gravity) - your right fingers point forward and your elbow is relaxed and holding your ribs
Keep your chin tucked under, to take the curve from the neck and hold your head upright, imagining the crown of your head is suspended by a balloon on a thread
Gently touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth
Breathe in and out through your nose
Relax all the muscles of your body and try to be aware of your breathing
Look straight ahead

For a left back-stance (the opposite of that described above), simply mirror the posture on the other side of your body. Try 3 minutes each side at first and gradually work up to 10, 15 or 20 minutes each side.

What to expect

With your waist and shoulders facing right, while your eyes, fingers and intent are directed forward, you are learning to train your ability to release energy from the T’an Tien - your body’s natural centre of gravity - which is used all the time in sports yet rarely trained in isolation. In the martial arts, this stance is used to develop Fa Jing or explosive power in your punches, and if you want to experience this, try this exercise once you can hold the San Ti Shi posture each side for at least 5 minutes:

Starting in San Ti Shi, sink your weight deeper into your feet
Make a loose fist with your right hand
Throw your hips forward and release the punch at waist height, keeping your shoulder, elbow and wrist relaxed - your punch should end up in line with your T’an Tien (2″ below your navel) - your hips and shoulders will now be facing forwards
As you punch, simultaneously grip and pull your left hand back to your waist, turning your left closed fist upwards as you do so - feel as if you are grabbing and twisting someone’s belt-buckle and are pulling them towards you with your left hand, while punching with your right
Focus on the T’an Tien - the pivot point around which the hips turn - this is an energy centre about the size of a golf ball, located 2″ below your navel. Imagine the ball rotating and that in turn, your hips, shoulders, arms and fists are all thrown into place as a result

If you really want to give yourself a challenge, try this exercise standing in front of a lighted candle and use the intent, relaxation and speed combined in your punch to generate enough force to put out the flame. Once you can do this up close to the candle, step back a little and try again.

Learning to hold the San Ti Shi stance for 10 or more minutes each side will really train your core stability muscles to keep you relaxed and poised while keeping only a narrow base. Usually we are comfortable with a wider base and generally stand and play sports with our feet under our shoulders. Narrowing your stance like this while lengthening your stride will help to lower your centre of gravity and increase your relaxation response, which in turn makes your body denser and stronger. This type of training also strengthens the bone marrow and tendons and is used a great deal in Traditional Chinese Medicine where it is considered a form of Chi Kung or energy training.

Having a strong intent and competitive nature is vital to achievement in sports, whether you are competing against others, against your own self, or against the time-marker on the treadmill. Masters’ level swimmers who have trained in San Ti Shi, agree that their intent pool-side while warming up and getting ready to enter the water has increased dramatically, as has their opponents reactions to them on account of their indomitable body-language (a much over-looked weapon in the athlete’s arsenal). I believe San Ti Shi can be used to great advantage by any athlete who has to face the starting blocks in some form or another. I have even worked with a potential Formula 1 driver who has used San Ti Shi as part of her race preparation including psyching herself up on the grid at the start of a race.

Any time you need to initiate an all-out performance of pure action without heed to reaction, internal chatter or self-observation, then San Ti Shi is the training tool for you. But remember, the exercise really starts to work, just at the point when your mind wants to give up (”I’m bored”, “this hurts”, “God, is that only two minutes?”).

Stay with it, relax and breath and in no time you’ll be stronger, quicker, ready for competition, and above all, focused. Next time, we will look at elements of T’ai Chi for extreme and endurance sports.

Article Reference

This article, written by Jane Storey, appeared in Issue 37 of the Successful Coaching Newsletter (November 2006).

bio(”JST”)

About the Author

Jayne Storey is a specialist in T`ai Chi and uses this to help athletes and teams with balance, posture, body-mechanics, attention control, co-ordination, stress management, mindfulness….and also to create the right internal conditions for accessing the sporting zone/flow state. Jayne can be contacted through her website at www.jaynestorey.com

http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/wuji.htm

House of Strength

2007-03-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

An ancient workout in the making.

A blog about Zen and other stuff

2007-03-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

http://hardcorezen.blogspot.com/2006/10/nashville.html

Reporting this morning from Nashville. I spent 15 hours yesterday driving with my mom and dad along the highways of America. It's not often I get to really see the land of chain fast food restaurants and Wal Marts that is this here United States. Had my first Taco Bell meal in a decade or more and remembered why I stopped eating that garbage. Though I must admit, when I first turned vegetarian I was glad for Taco Bell as it was the only place for a quick, cheap non-meat meal.

I wanted to write something profound about koans. But my dad's got the TV blasting here in the hotel room. I often forget there's a whole segment of the society that enjoys having crapp-o TV shows carping at them 24/7. I took to turning off the radio on my driving shifts. My dad's got one of them XM radio deals. 200 channels and nothing on. Noise, noise noise.

If you're interested in Buddhism, the first thing you need to do is get rid of all that noise. Turn off the TV, the radio and -- for God's sake -- the Internet and get down to some real practice.

The Eight Postures

2007-03-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

Ba Shi

The Eight Postures correctly aligns the joints in a still, meditative position. Holding each position strengthens the tendons, muscles, and ligaments to build a solid structural foundation.

Once proper alignment has been habituated, the Eight Postures then develop coordination of the joints within the transitions of each position. This practice teaches you how to use your body weight to generate power, no matter how big or small you are!

At the end of your technique, your posture will turn to stone releasing devastating power to your attacker!

1. Ma Bu: The Horse stance resembles the posture of a horse rider, with both feet pointing forward as if standing on railroad tracks, the knees obstructing the birds eye view of the toes, and both shins in vertical alignment. The body weight should be evenly distributed between both lower extremities, and the hips should be slightly rolled forward to facilitate elongation of the spine resulting in increased blood, breath, and metabolic flow. Relax the quadriceps and accessory muscles, and attempt to utilize the kwa (area of the psoas major and iliac crest) to maintain the position.

2. Gong Bu: The Bow stance is established by moving the midline closer to the achilles of the front foot. The weight should be distributed 70% to the front foot, and 30% to the rear, with both toes at a 45 degree angle pointing away from the body.

3. Xu Bu: The Empty Step resembles the posture of a cautious cat, thus its alias “Cat Stance”. The weight is distributed with 90% on the rear foot, with 10% on the toes of the front foot.

4. Ru Huan Bu: The Circle Entering Stance holds the front foot turned in 45 degrees supporting 80% of the weight, while the rear femur is slightly vertical with the rear foot on its ball supporting 20% of the body weight.


5. Du Li Bu: The Single Leg stance holds one knee close to the corresponding shoulder, with the posted leg bent and rooted supporting 100% of the body weight. 6. Pu Bu: The “Falling Stance” is often used to destabilize the opponents balance. The rear foot supports 80% of the body weight and the front foot supports 20%.

7. Niu Bu: The Twist stance allows both lower extremities to support the body weight evenly, with the front shin parallel to the ground.

8. Gou Bu: The Hook stance distributes 80% of the body weight to the rear foot, with 20% on the heel of the front foot, which is turned inward to hook the opponent’s achilles tendon.

Universal Tao Articles

2007-03-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

*Articles (185)*
Adductors Exerxises - The Professor	Alkaline & Acid Food List - Dr. Young
Alkalarian Bodylight System - Dr. Young	Aging Process - Dr. Patrick Flanagan
Ancient Art of Ambrosia - Saida Desilets, Founder of Jade Goddess	An Eyeful a Day Keeps the Doctor Away - J. Hayter
Awakening to Zero Pt - Gregg Braden	Ba Shen Chi - David Shen
Beyond Success & Failure - Willard Beecher	Benefits of Stevia - James A. May
Brain Grows New Cells - Dr. Nottebohm	Biggest Secret - David Icke
Body Memories, Kan and Li - Professor S. R. Harrop	Breathing - Dennis Lewis
Breaking the Death Habit - Leonard Orr	Chaotisches Geflecht - Master Chia
Cetyl Myristoleate - Dr. Charles L. Cochran	Child Astrology - M. J. Abadie
Chakrasana (Wheel Posture) The Professor	Child Astrology - M. J. Abadie
Chi Nei Tsang I - Master Chia	Chi Nei Tsang II - Master Chia
Chi Nei Tsang Interview - Master Chia	Chinese Medicines - Krasov
Chinese Animal Signs - Susanne White	Colloidal Silver - Dr. Robert Becker
Curse of Meat Eating - Bob Zuraw	Cosmic Healing Chi Kung Retreat - Master Chia
Cosmic Channeling - Master Chia	Cosmic Nutrition - Master Chia
Cosmic Healing Exercies - Master Chia	Cultivating Energy of Life - Eva Wong
Darkness Retreat - Annabella Morelos - Chan	Detox and Support Formula - Bill Rich
Diamond Bone Breathing - Master Chia	Darkness Experience - Bryan Bertch
Das Tao der Liebe: Altchinesische Geheimnisse des Schlafgemachs - Urania Belin e.V	Door to All Wonders Summary - Dennis Huntington
Eight Immortals of Taoism - Yanling Johnson	Enzymes & Intestinal Flora -Bill Rich
Embarking on the Way - Solala Towler	Energy Center Diagnosis - The Professor
Emotional Release Through The Inner Smile - Doug Hilton	EMDR and the Six Healing Sounds - Sharon Joy Ng Hale, M.A., Ph.D.
Empty Force - Paul Dong	Exercises for Feeling Young - Kenneth Cohen
The EM Eco-Revolution by Caroline Robertson	EASTERN RETREATS By Caroline Robertson
Eye Improvement - Dr. R. A. Richardson	Eye Techniques - Bob Zuraw
Feeling Good Grows on You - John Starman	Female Ejaculation - Saida Desilets
Fire & Water Practices - Omraam Aivanhov	Folate for Everybody?
Gluteal Region Exercises - The Professor	EM Eco-Rovolution
Great Stillness - B.K.Frantzis	Greatest Kan & Li - Michael Winn
Greater Kan & Li - Michael Winn	Guidelines for Eating - Derrick Leggett
Healing Remedies - Bill Rich	Hidden Brain in Gut - Sandra Blakeslee
Hidden Brain in the Gut - Sandra Blakeslee	Holofiber- Bill Rich
How to Master the Abdominal - Ed Judinville	How to Breathe - Ernesto Galardo
Hydrogen Cars are Coming - Dan Baum	I Ching - Juan Li
I Ching - The Professor	I Ching- Ageless Wisdom - Joseph Scott
Internal Vision - The Professor	Immortal Taoist Rituals - The Professor
Inner Alchemy - Master Chia	Immortals Chung and Lu - Eva Wong
The Inner Smile by Caroline Robertson
Involuntary Chi Kung - Master Chia	Inner Smile and Healing Sounds - Spafford C. Ackerly
Kan & Li Supplements - Master Chia	Kan and Li Darkness Meditation - Master Chia
Kombucha Tea Recipe - Marica Kerwit	Laughter - Master Chia
Leg & Back Muscle Exercises - Tony Jones	Lesser Kan & Li - Michael Winn
Liver & Gall Bladder Flush - Hulda Clark	Liver/Gall Bladder Purge - The Professor
Making Sperm - Natalie Angier	Male Ejaculation - Colin Cambell
Man Who Listens to Horses - Monty Roberts	Man Who Planted Trees - Jean Giono
Mer-Ka-Ba-Flower of Life - Drunvalo Melchizedek	Modern Taoist Master - Master Chia
MSM - Bill Rich	Methysulfonylmethane - MSM - Bill Rich
Native Cure Black Salve - Mountain Livingston	Neck Exercises - Bob Zuraw
Nine Star Astrology - The Professor	Noni (Morinda Citrifolia) - Neil Solomom
On Writing - Stephen King	Opening Energy Gates - B.K. Frantzis
Overcoming Mental Depression - Robert Zuraw	Organic Apple Cider Vinegar - Paul Bragg
Organs of Forgiveness - Mantak Chia	Overview of Universal Tao - Master Chia
Jesus & Lao Tzu - Martin Aronson	Pearls of Wisdom - J. Krishnamurti
Perfect Eyesight - Bob Zuraw	Perfect Body - Roe Gallo
Planet Mars - Master Chia	Planet Jupiter - Master Chia
Planet Saturn - Master Chia	Power of Internal Martial Arts - B.K. Frantzis
Power to the People - Pavel Tsatsouline	Practice of the Inner Smile - Master Chia
Quadricep Exercises - The Professor	Quest for Spiritual Orgasm - Master Chia
Raw Life - Paul Nison	Rebirthing Affirmations - Leonard Orr
Relaxing into Being - B. K. Frantzis	Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
Ring Muscles - Master Chia	Rhythmical Breath Retention - Minke de Vos
Russell 66 Rules - Bill Russell	Sacred Geometry - Leonard Orr
Sea Water Cleanse - Lydia Harmon	Secret of Light - Walter Russell
Sexual Reflexology - Master Chia	Sick and Tired - Dr. Robert Young
The Sexual Energy Elixir by Caroline Robertson	The Power of SEX
Six Healing Sounds - Amir Fatir	Skill of Happiness - Jim Leonard
Something in this Book is True - Bob Fressell	Sperm - Meredith Small
Spherical Breathing - Drunvalo Melchizedek	Sprouts - Steve Meyerowitz
Taoist Secrets Reviews - Richard Myers	Tai Chi Body Types - Joseph K. Kim
Tai Chi Chi Kung II - Master Chia	Tai Chi Chi Kung II Movements - Master Chia
Tai Chi for Balance & Health - Jim Concotelli	Tai Chi Ji Tsu - Ricardo Ramirez Garcia
Taoist Alchemy Salt - Insan Jukyom	Taoist Esoteric - Master Chia
Taoist Body Characters - Sinium	Taoist Immortals - Eva Wong
The Taoist Path by August Christopher	Gorgeous Tao Garden by Caroline Robertson
Tao Garden Herbal Steam Bath-Master Chia	Tao of an Uncluttered Life - Karen Hicks
Taoist Master Mantak Chia - Mackenzie Stewart	Tao Rejuvenating - Dean Jones_Odyssey NAMASTÉ
Tao System (Spainish Language)	Tao Te Ching - Edward Brennan Tao Huang
Tao Yin Practices - Master Chia	Tao Garden Morning Exercises - Master Chia
Tan Tien Chi Kung - Master Chia	Tao (Watercourse Way) Alan Watts
The Tao Way - Winston Churchill	The Tao and Agape Love - Bob Zuraw
The Book - Alan Watts	The Heart, a Mind of its Own - Bill Strubbe
Three Minds Into One - Master Chia	The Tao - Remaining Still - Solala Towler
Through the Power of the Inner Smiles - Master Chia	Track of Water's Secret - Johann Grander
Universal Tao's Goal - Master Chia	Complete Urine Therapy - Coen Van Der Kroon
Universal Tao Energetic Medicine - Master Chia	Urine Therapy - Cohen van der Kroon
Usage of Green Papaya - Dr. Kurt Koesel	Walking the Circle - Master Lao
Want to Feel Good Again - Bill Rich	WaterOZ - Bill Rich
Wheatgrass - Ann Wigmore	Why Practice Regulated Breathing?- Minke de Vos
Wisdom Chi Kung - Master Chia	Yang Family Tai Chi-Rene Navarro
Yin Yang - Derrick Leggete	You've Got Some Nerve - John Starman, M.A

http://www.universal-tao.com/article/index.html

Qigong Meditation podcast

2007-03-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

qigong audio meditations and exercise videos

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Stance Training

2007-03-03T15:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.hungkuen.net/training-stancetraining.htm

Hung Gar is known for its strong, stable stances and puts much emphasis on stance training. Needles to say that stance training is considered to be an extremely important part of Hung Gar and their importance cannot be stressed enough. They are the foundations of all techniques and movements, as well as being one of the most important key elements to the successful progression and advancement in the art. Contrary to what some modern martial artist may think, stance training is a must and the proper training and development of stances is crucial to any Hung Gar practitioner.

In the past, Hung Gar students were encouraged and devoted much of their time to the training of stances. Traditionally it was a common practice for the beginning students to spend anything from six months to one year of solid stance work alone before they were allowed to learn anything else. Day after day the student was required to assume a low horse stance - sei ping ma and hold this position for extensively long periods of time. This time period was usually ranging anything from the burning of one- incense stick to three-incense sticks, which in total is about 3 hours. In the modern times of today, this kind of training is rarely done or seen anymore. There are variety of reasons why most modern martial artist don't bother with such gruelling training anymore most of which usually comes down to change of times, way of living, personal attitudes and needs. In some peoples case pure laziness and lack of patience. The fact of the matter is, despite its extreme importance, most martial artist of today don't even spend 10 minutes a day training in gung fu, let alone 3 hours of stance work every day. Unfortunately majority of today's students are looking for quick results, always anxious to learn new techniques and move to the next stage without proper understanding or mastery of what they were taught in the previous stage. In other words they try and run before they can walk. Traditional training methods such as these are no longer appreciated nor seem useful and worst of all the enormous benefits offered by this type of training are often over looked or totally ignored.

What is all the fuss about? one may ask and wonder why should one has to devote so much time and effort to training of stances? There are many reasons, but to sum it up the main purposes behind stance training are: strengthening and conditioning of the legs, training the mind and the spirit, rooting, internal energy training and last but not least to improve posture-structure, all of which support each other and connect to each other in a complimentary fashion.

Strengthening and conditioning of the legs is one of the most obvious benefits of stance training. Correct stance work will train and condition the whole, not just a specific part or area. It will build and strengthen the muscles, joints, bones and tendons of the legs as well as other related parts of the body. Regular and proper training will enormously increase the power, strength and endurance of the legs. It will also improve the speed and flexibility. The practitioner will be armed with extremely powerful legs, which can be used to attack or defend.

Mental conditioning, the training of the mind and the spirit is also an important part of stance training. Tempering and controlling the mind is one of the hardest parts of gung fu training. A gung fu practitioner must have a calm, focused mind and a strong spirit. Long durations of stance training can be extremely boring and very painful. This being the case, most people, especially beginners' cant sit in a low horse stance for a very long time, even if they have strong legs. Hung Gar practitioners need total concentration, patience, willpower and determination to be able to hold a low horse stance for an extensively long period of time. As mentioned above, in the past Hung Gar practitioners were required to do six months to one year of solid stance work alone before they were allowed to learn anything else. One of the main reasons behind this type of training was to test a students mental, moral and physical strengths and weakness. Those who couldn't cope would soon drop out and quit.

Developing a solid root is an extremely important goal of all gung fu practitioners and one of the main reasons behind stance training. Stability and balance are the first things that come to mind when talking about rooting. Although this is true, rooting in gung fu involves much more than just having a stable stance or good balance. Beside other things rooting involves correct body structure, relaxed body, sinking of energy etc. Some people also have the false idea that having a solid root is being too static and stiff. One must be rooted at all times regardless of stance or position. It is said that when standing be like a mountain, strong and unmovable, when moving be like the wind, swift and fast. Despite its importance most beginners and even those who has been training for many years experience much difficulty in achieving a solid root, mainly due to lack of understanding and not enough practice. They are easily pushed over and have neither stability nor balance even when they perform the simplest techniques. They lack strength and speed in their techniques and cannot generate power using the whole body.

Stance training focuses a great deal on internal energy or chi - qi cultivation that is also one of the most overlooked factors when talking about stance training.

http://www.hungkuen.net/training-basicstances.htm

Stances are, without a doubt an important part of Hung Gar training. Hung Gar training includes number of different stances which are common to most gung fu styles. The following is a brief description of the stances found in Hung Gar style, important points to bare in mind and most common mistakes one can make. Please note that this is only an introduction. There is much more to these stances than the descriptions given below.

Sei Ping Ma / Four Level Horse Stance

Sei Ping Ma also known as Ma Bo (Horse Stance-step) is so called because it resembles a person riding a horse. This is one of the most faundamental and important stances in Hung Gar and can be found in almost every style of Chinese martial arts. This is a strong, stable stance, which provides a strong foundation. Sei ping Ma like all the other stances must be practiced regularly to improve your balance, strength, speed as well as many other important factors including the mental and internal aspects of the art. When practicing horse stance there are important points to follow.

Important Points
• Body weight even on both legs 50/50
• Sink down not forward
• Toes pointing forward
• Knees turned out
• Back straight, buttocks tucked in
• Body relaxed and weight sunk down

Common Mistakes
• Toes pointing out
• Knees too inward or too outward
• Feet too near or too far apart from each other
• Back not straight, buttocks sticking out
• Body too tensed
• Body leaning forward or backward

Ji-Ng Ma /

This stance commonly known as bow and arrow stance is another common stance which can be found in many other martial arts. Ji-Ng Ma is a strong, firm stance where the weight is usually distributed 60/40. With this stance knee of the front leg is bent and the back leg should be straight.
The waist is fully turned facing forward, the knee and the feet of the leg forward is turned in. Ideally thigh of the front leg should be parallel to the floor.

Important Points
• Waist turned, body square
• Back leg straight- feet flat on the floor
• Knee of the front leg turned inward
• Feet(toes) turned inward
• Back straight and shoulders relaxed

Common Mistakes
• Front Feet pointing forward
• Back leg not straight
• Stance too far apart or too close
• Back heel off the floor
• Front Knee not bend enough

Dui Ma / Hanging Horse - Cat Stance

This is a flexible stance where most of the body weight is placed on the rear leg. The rear leg is bent at the knee and the weight is sunk straight down, the front leg is also bent at the knee and only toes of the front feet touching the floor. Ideally thighs should be parallel to the floor. Initially begin with a higher stance and and through gradual progression lower the stance. Ensure the backside is tucked in making sure the spine is straight.

Important Points
• Back straight, body facing forward
• Weight sunk down
• Most of the weight is place on rear leg
• Front leg bent, toes touching the floor

Common Mistakes
• Weight placed on front leg
• Front Toes not pointing down
• Rear leg is not bent enough
• Front leg straight and locked

Gam Gai Duk Laap Ma - The golden chicken stands in one leg

Gam gai duk laap ma ( The golden chicken stands in one leg ) is most commonly referred as crane stance. This common one-legged stance is done by having one foot solidly planted on to the ground while the other leg is lifted of the floor by bending the leg at the knee and raising the knee higher than the waist. The foot of this leg should be turned inward.
This stance requires a strong foundation and balance. Make sure the straight leg is not locked.

Important Points
• Knee is raised high
• Back straight
• Weight sunk down the leg into the floor

Common Mistakes
• Knee not raised enough
• Supporting leg locked
• Body leaning backwards

Kei-Lun Bo -- Quai Ma / Unicorn Step --- Cross stance

This stance is formed by taking a step forward and crossing one leg infront of the other by creating a 90 degree angel while turning the waist and squatting down. When in this stance the front foot is flat on the floor while the heel of the back foot is raised of the floor leaving the ball of this foot touching the ground.
Important Points • Back straight • Waist turned, both knees bent • Sink the weight, squat down	Common Mistakes • Leaning forward or backward • Knees not bent enough • Heal of the rear foot touching floor

Nau Ma - Twisting Horse

This stance is exactly the same as Kei-Lun Bo(Quai Ma), the only difference is this stance is performed on the spot by turning/twisting the waist instead of taking a step.This stance requires a lot of waist action and is a very flexible and mobile stance. It can be used both for offense or defense.
Important Points • Back straight • Waist turned, both knees bent • Sink the weight, squat down	Common Mistakes • Leaning forward or backward • Knees not bent enough • Heal of the rear foot touching floor

Tau Ma- Stealing Horse

Ta ma is similar to Nau Ma and Quai Ma in the sense of appearance, however the usage is slightly different. Tau ma is generally known as retreating step where the front foot is placed behind the rear leg
Important Points • Back straight • Waist turned, both knees bent • Sink the weight, squat down	Common Mistakes • Leaning forward or backward • Knees not bent enough • Heal of the rear foot touching floor

Lok Quei Ma / Kneeling Horse

This stance is is a strong and stable stance, where one can rise and drop quickly to attack or defend the lower parts of the body etc.Lok Quei Ma is formed by keeping one foot flat on the floor while bending the same leg at the knee and squatting down, while the other leg is bent at the knee which is lowered down near to the ground and brought close to the heel of the foot which is flat on the floor.

Important Points
• Back straight
• Waist turned, both knees bent
• Sink the weight, squat down

Common Mistakes
• Leaning forward or backward
• Knees not bent enough
• Heal of the rear foot touching floor

Reverse Bow Arrow

This stance is the reserve of Ji-ng-ma. The stance is formed in the same way where the legs, feet , knees are positioned the same and back straight as always. With this stance body is slightly more lower to the ground.
Important Points • Back straight • Waist turned, both knees bent • Sink the weight, squat down	Common Mistakes • Leaning forward or backward • Knees not bent enough • Heal of the rear foot touching floor

Yee Gee Kim Yeung Ma / Character "two" goat capturing stance

Yee Gee Kim Yeung Ma is a strong, stable stance. It is formed by having the feet about shoulder with apart, tucking the pelvis in, turning the toes and knees inwards in a shape of triangle and sinking the weight down. Due to its shape, some people reffer to this stance as triangle stance.

sunyata namaskar

Colours and Elements in Tantric Psychology

Embracing Emotions as the Path

Colours and Elements in Tantric Psychology

by Ngak’chang Rinpoche & Khandro Déchen

Five distorted reaction patterns

Five liberated energies

Taking emotions as the path

Tibetan yoga

The Magical Wheel

The Tang of Tibet

Is It Magic?

Healing & Purifying

Resources

Elaine Lipson is a Colorado-based writer specializing in yoga, organic foods and natural health, and textiles. She has practiced the Five Tibetans since 1993.

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche explains YAMANTAKA

Witch Bottles

A Bit on the History of Witch-bottles

On the Original Uses

Modern-Witch-Bottles

What Do Modern Witch-Bottles Contain?

On the Hiding Place

Some Instructions

Basic Bottle for a Modern Witch

Wiccan Version

Witch-Bottle to Show Off

Final Words

Pyrokinesis

Dynamo Jack

If You're Conscious, How Can You Die?

The corporation as magickal entity

Daoyin

Daoyin

http://www.daoyin.it/e_Daoyin.htm

Yangsheng nourishing the Life

Daoyin yangshenggong

Professor Zhang Guangde

5 Elements poster

October 08, 2004

Yay easier

Playing With the Clouds

Playing With the Clouds: The Foundations of Taoist Dream Practices

by Juan Li

Shamanism in Ancient China

Taoist Alchemy - Symbolic Language

Silk Reeling

Silk Reeling

The Third Characteristic: Movement with Spiraling, Forward and Backward Silk Reeling

I. The Essence of Movement Like Silk Reeling

II. The Function of Moving Energy in Silk Reeling Style Spirals

III. The Types of Silk Reeling Energy and their Essential Points

IV. Getting a Grasp on Spiral Movement

Footnotes

Lengthening And Peng

Lengthening And Peng

The Second Characteristic: An Exercise of Springy Lengthening of the Body and Limbs

Boxing manuals dictate:

I. Lengthening the torso and limbs

II. The Physical Function of Lengthening Body and Limbs

III. The Eight types of Jing and the Springy/Flexible Peng Jing

Footnotes

SILK REELING

Four Great Leg Strengtheners

Step away from the squat machine and strengthen your quadriceps, calves, and feet on your yoga mat.

By Alisa Bauman

Utkatasana : Awkward, Powerful Pose

Taoist standing practise - core stability

San Ti Shi - Three Body Posture

San Ti Shi - How to Stand

What to expect

Further Reading:

Article Reference

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Stance Training

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