Regulating the breath: Week One

• Day 1-3: Breath normally and pay attention to your breathing pattern for 5 to 10 minutes daily. You can do more if you are inclined to do so.
• Day 4-7 : Deep Breathing - Breath through the nose , long, slow, even, quiet breaths. Try to breathe into the diaphragm. Relax the chest. It doesn't rise and fall as much. Breath to a count of four. Do five to ten minutes daily.
• Supplementary Exercise : The Relaxing Breath - Inhale silently saying "calm." Exhale Silently saying "relaxed." This can also be used to relax a different body part as you breath, any time. It's good for relaxation, stress reduction and when recovering from an illness.

Instructions for Taoist Yoga

1. The most important preliminary instruction is to practice every day.
2. Find a space with good lighting and ventilation, neither too hot nor too cold.
3. Keep your mind peaceful and at ease during the physical exercise. Stay calm and relaxed.
4. Wear loose fitting clothes during the exercise. Cotton or a Raw - Silk Kung Fu outfit is preferred.
5. Don't eat before you practice in the morning as it effects digestion and tends to make you sluggish and tired.
6. Eat what your conscience tells you to eat. There is no hard and fast rule on maintaining a diet.
7. Smoking is frowned upon
8. Excessive alcohol should be avoided.
9. The use of narcotic drugs is forbidden.
10. Men should try to decrease the number of times they ejaculate.
11. Never practice with a full bladder.
12. The best time to practice is between 11 p.m and 1 a.m, 5 p.m and 7 p.m in the evening. In the morning, the hours of 5 a.m to 7 a.m are the best.
13. Practice everyday for at least for 15 minutes.

Regulating the Mind

Regulating the mind involves calming the mind, calming the emotions and learning to use your mind to guide and direct the flow of your CHI - Energy. A major goal of the Tao masters was silencing the mind. The Taoist Exercises help in working on achieving this goal. Silencing all the thought processes of the mind usually requires a real effort of will power applied over a substantial period of time. One reward for calming down the mind is our increased ability to concentrate. This results in becoming able to learn techniques to focus inside of ourselves and get in touch with our organs.

Sexual Yoga

The most powerful form of Essence in our body is our sexual energy. There is sufficient Jing in one sperm cell and one ovum to provide the vital energy necessary to create a life. The Practice of Sexual Yoga is based on the principle of our ability to convert Sexual Essence (Jing) into Life force energy (Chi). The Sexual energy is the only form of energy in the body that increases in force when activated. Sexual Yoga is used to transform Sexual Jing into Chi and provide the body with more energy.
Men lose Jing Chi when they ejaculate and women do so during menstruation. This energy can be conserved through Sexual Yoga and breathing. This can be further converted into CHI. The final step involves balancing the body's male and female energies. This cab be done through techniques like single cultivation and dual cultivation.

Self Massage Rejuvenation

Self Massage Rejuvenation consists of simple exercises and techniques that are aimed at specific parts of the body. There are a whole lot of techniques for massaging the face, ears, nose, teeth, gums etc. They detoxify the glans and organs using light slapping and tapping. A major part of these techniques involve massaging the abdomen using the navel as the focal point. Self Massage Rejuvenation revitalizes the body. It tones and beautifies the body. It gets your Chi and Jing flowing. This technique is really important for success in Taoist Yoga.

Packing Process Breathing

The Iron Shirt Packing Process breathing is a variation on the practice of Reverse Breathing. It was a secret technique of the Taoist Martial Artists and is the foundation of the Iron Shirt Chi Kung. These martial artists learned to build an internal "Iron Shirt" that was impervious to the blows of their opponents. It also softens the tendons and the rest of the body as well. It helps grow roots into the ground and draw energy from the earth.

Regulating the Organs and Fascia

The connective tissue that is highly important to the practice of CHI KUNG is the Fascia. It surrounds our internal organs. Its is the sticky stuff around our heart and lungs and liver and the rest of our organs. The Fascia is used to regulate the balance of Yin CHI and Yang CHI in the organs. Heat is released from the organs through the Fascia which acts like a thermostat. The Fascia can be packed with Vital Energy and this in turn strengthens the internal organs. By packing the Fascia with CHI, the Fascia is strengthened and protects the internal organs.

Regulating the body

Once you learn the basic breathing techniques, the movement of the breath is used in regulating the body. Movement of CHI within the body can be regulated within the body to flow with the inhalation and exhalation of the body. The basic goals of Chi Kung is to learn to control the flow of CHI within the energy channels. There are lots of places within the body where the CHI doesn't flow smoothly. Wherever it hurts or feels numb, the CHI is not flowing freely. The exercises involved in regulating the body is regarded as CHI KUNG. These are moving exercises. They combine movement and breathing.
The exercise involved in Taoist Yoga have many interesting names and histories. The Tao Yin is almost 2500 years old. It evolved to promote health and cure certain diseases by combining regulated, controlled breathing with physical exercises. It is very good for the lower back, legs, neck and shoulders. There are many such exercises which we will be learning in the coming few weeks.

Negative Ions

The Taoist's believed that there is a life sustaining force in the atmosphere apart from major components like oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The Air has charged particles floating through it that are called IONS! The most important ions are NEGATIVE ions. They supply the electrical current within our body's cells. If our source of negative ions is depleted, we face weakness, we feel tired or become depressed. The Taoist's believe that the highest concentration of ions is found high up in the mountains. In cities, these ions have depleted due to pollution, working conditions and various other aspects of modern living. Negative ions attach themselves to the floating air and reduce the pollutants. This is proved Science and various high - end ionizers are being used to provide a healthier environment and better air.

Regulating the Breath

A nice thing about the breathing exercises is that they are really easy. They can be done anywhere and any time. There are two basic breathing techniques:

1. Abdominal breathing
2. Reverse breathing

Abdominal and Reverse breathing form the base of all the Chi Kung techniques. The Study of Chi Kung combines movement and breath. The most basic exercise to start with is Deep Breathing. It stimulates the Original Chi (Yuan), also called as vital energy. They are the building blocks to achieve physical and mental harmony. The breathing exercises increase our intake of oxygen and bring our abdominal muscles more into play. And also the Diaphragm. It is the decreased intake of oxygen that results in memory loss and other problems as we grow older. This can be brought to halt through the breathing exercises.

The way to begin

Chi Kung begins with the practice and study of Human Chi. Basically Chi Kung is concerned with making us healthier and slowing down the aging process. It uses the Three pronged approach. Regulating the Breath, the Body and the Mind. This approach will help us immensely in improving the way we live our lives and increase our longevity. This will definitely help you in living your life in the way it was meant to be!

The Body Lords

A Taoist has to first know the inner workings of his or her body. It begins with knowing the five primary internal organs: the Heart, Lungs, Liver, Kidneys and Spleen. These are the Body Lords.
By learning to regulate the body's five major organs, you learn about yourself in a way you've probably never thought before. But in a very real sense, you are getting to know yourself.
The world and everything in it and on it is composed of five elements. It is a vital part of the Tao Medical Theory. Energy manifests itself as five basic forces. Fire, Water, Metal, Wood and Earth. We each have these five forces within us. Each of our five major organs is the storehouse for one of these five forces. When they are in balance, we feel good and healthy. By learning to regulate our five major organs, we learn to harmonize the five elements in our body.

The Silence

What we think of ourselves is only something that we have self created. The Taoist's understand that we are not born with an ego and when they die, it will disappear. We have to learn to ignore the ego and let our original nature regain control of our lives.
The Shen came from the The Jing which is converted into The Chi at conception. Our original mind possessed no ego. The process of Chi Kung involves revitalizing and restoring our original Chi. It is a process of Rejuvenation. Part of the procedure involves restoring our Original Mind. This mind has no Ego, no Self thoughts, no Self awareness. The Ego is something that we created as we grew up. The real mind is Silent. To silence the mind is one of the higher goals of CHI KUNG.

Yin and Yang

The key to understanding YIN and YANG is to realise that there is always an underlying third member that is the silent partner. This third member represents balance and harmony.
In our body we must balance the Yang CHI received from our father's sperm cell with the Yin CHI received from our mother's egg. The point to remember is that our Original CHI was created from equal doses of Yin and Yang. In Chi Kung, Yin and Yang manifests itself as active and receptive. Any two thoughts, ideas or actions that are opposed to each other or balance each other, form a Yin and Yang relationship.
Yin and Yang seek balance. In our bodies this balance is often lost. As the strength of the original CHI weakens, it loses the ability to keep us in perfect balance.
Yin and Yang can be thought as two poles of a battery. One is negative and the other is positive. Together, they work to keep the body and it's component parts in balance. If one pole goes out of balance, it must be adjusted by an infusion of energy from the opposite pole. Our upper body, above the novel is considered Yang and the lower body is considered as Yin.

Yuan Ying

Everybody receives their original essence from the union of their mother's ova with their father's sperm cell. This is called the original essence - Yuan Jing. The amount of Yuan Jing in each person varies. To sustain our life and enhance it, we must conserve our original Jing.
The amount of our original Jing determines our original Chi. We can see that the original energy carries us and sustains us throughout our lives, from the moment we are born to the time of our death. Many of the Chi - Kung practices are designed to restore the free flow of energy throughout our body's channels!

Shen - The Third Treasure

As explained in my earlier post, The Tao is the source of everything. Chi and Jing are the two great treasures from the Tao. The third treasure is Shen. It includes all the activities of our mind including consciousness, thinking, dreaming, personality and ego. It means the Spirit! the taoists believed that this was the part of us that could gain immortality. Just as Jing could be converted into Chi, Chi can be converted into Shen. All exercises involving thinking, concentrating, visualizing or meditating involve Shen. Thus, Breath relates to CHI, the body relates to JING and the mind relates to SHEN. Practicing CHI KUNG involves the control, conservation and increase of our Energy, Essence and the Mind!

Jing : The Essence

The major source of CHI comes from the various forms of liquids and hormones produced in our body. This includes blood, the hormones secreted by glands in our body and the sexual fluids. Together, they form the CHING or JING! Thus, JING is the essence of our life!

Jing also refers to the essential nature of all things. Everything in the universe has Jing, living or dead! Food and breath are the main sources of Jing outside our body! As we age, the primary source of Jing in our bodies come from our sexual organs. In men it is found in the Semen and in women in the Ova. As we reach adulthood, the sexual Jing converted into Chi becomes the body's primary driving force!
The Taoists realised that loss of semen resulted in loss of Jing in men and the same happened with women during menstruation. The Taoists came up with various ways to preserve this almighty JING!

Energy Circulation

Just as our body has a circulatory system for the transportation of blood, it also has a Chi or Energy circulatory system. Chi moves throughout the body in channels or meridians. They are most popularly known as acupuncture meridians in the west.
Our bodies have thirty two main channels through which CHI flows. The two primary channels is the Governor channel (Du Mai) over the head and the functional channel through the front of the body. Most of the other thirty two channels begin in the fingertips or toes and flow into the body.
What we are talking about here is simply the flow of energy through the body.

What is CHI KUNG?

Kung refers to any training or study that requires a real effort over a sufficient period of time. Chi Kung refers dealing with CHI over a long period of time. Literally, CHI means Air. Chi Kung originally refers to the practitioners of breathing exercises. From breath, the meaning expands to the breath of life or the life force. It is the energy of life.
The Taoists looked at life from a different perspective than westerners. They explored the Life Force Energy. They found that they could use their minds to learn to control their Energy (CHI). The Taoists combined the breath and mind and found new ways to control the Life Force Energy. They found ways to move the Life Force Energy with their mind alone.

What is TAO?

The Tao translates into English as The Way. The way includes everything that you have thought about and everything that you have never thought. Nature follows the way. The Wy controls the course of the universe. Tao underlies all reality. The Tao symbolizes the totality of things. It is a cosmic thought. Everything is connected as you expand your awareness to understand and wonder at the enormity of the way. The Way is awareness. When you practise the way, you feel connected. You learn to deal with one's energy and and that of the cosmic universe. One who walks the way learns to control one's energy.

Background

Until recently, the health practices of the Taoists were unknown in the west. This was due to the fact that many of the teachings of the Taoist Masters kept their teachings secret and they were not available even to the general Chinese public. But now, much of the teachings have come into the open as true Tao Masters have begun teaching in the west. The Tao Masters believe that through the process of Taoist Internal Alchemy, it is possible to develop an immortal spirit that exists independently from the physical body.
The Taoist techniques involve a three pronged approach:

1. Regulating the breath.
2. Regulating the mind.
3. Regulating the body.

Thus the Taoist practices are an integration of Mental, Physical and Breathing exercises. This is necessary to build a firm foundation to practice the Art of Tao.

Introduction

The Taoist techniques of health, rejuvenation, longevity and sexuality are great possesions.

They require no special equipment or skills. They become your greatest possesions.

They can be taken wherever you want to.

They will transform your life and rejuvenate it, maintain your health, increase your life span and sex life!

The Taoist Practises are simple and easy to perform

People from all walks of life can learn them and live longer and healthier lives!