Neophyte

Hi guys, I want to know the technique for swallowing one's saliva. I read about it in books by Dr. Yang, and in Taoist Yoga, but I'd like more details on it so that I can do it properly. The books I have don't explain it in enough detail. Dr. Yang describes it in his book "Eight Simple Qigong Exercises for Health", however, I don't have that book. Could you guys tell me what I need to know to perform this exercise effectively? Thanks!

I have the tip of my tongue touching the palate 24 hours a day, not just when I meditate, but I don't get much saliva production, just normal human amounts. Thanks for your reply. Oh okay; in Dr. Yang's other books he kind of gave the impression that it was expressed in detail, making it seem like there was so much to the exercise and that I needed to by his 8 Brocades book. So the explanation in Taoist Yoga is all need, I infer. Thanks for your reply.

Here is a song sung by a 17 year old girl from Norway. She also wrote the song and so the lyrics are all in Norwegian. Nevertheless, I enjoy meditating to this song. There is a lot of good metal music to meditate and do qigong to--and this is one of them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aqZmvL0g2E

I hope nobody has forgotten this thread--I've been busy and so haven't added to it. No, I haven't finished it--almost though. I've read up to and into chapter 14, and I studied the book closely up to chapter 11, inclusive. It's taken me so long because I had found it so confusing, but it all is making sense now. I'll finish excogitating the whole book ASAP. Thanks for the info. I searched the internet for this book (amazon.com, barnes&noble.com, etc.) and haven't found an available copy anywhere. Does anyone know where I can find it?? If anyone has any more info for this thread, I'm eager to hear it!

Thanks joeblast, I'll check out that book. I don't think I know what 3dt breathing is, but you say I should know that before doing mco? Taoist Yoga says that at the second gate (opposite the heart), Taoist Yoga calls it point 'D', one must slow down the flow, or pause, for cleansing. But I thought that the whole rise along tu mo was a cleaning process (and the whole descent along jen mo was purification). Also, isn't it dangerous to slow down the flow at that point, because it can inadvertently enter the heart, causing heart attack? Other books say one must speed up past that point. Taoist Yoga also says that point 'J' along the descent of jen mo, one must pause for 'purification', which is right in front of the heart. Also, what does one do to cleanse and purify when paused at those points? Thanks deci belle, I'll check out the Mantak Chia volumes about the Immortal Sisters style.

Hello y'all, I've been practicing Nine Palaces Qi Gong since the spring of this year, and I've also been practicing "Health Maintenance Qigong" (or Medical Restorative, Baojian, Yiliao Qigong). Also, I sit in full lotus everyday, while reverse breathing. First, let me tell you about the health benefits I've had. By the time I finish practicing Nine Palaces or Medical Qigong, the soles of my feet vibrate intensely and this sensation can last for an hour after practice. That's not all, my abdomen feels warm and vibrates. My kidneys feel very warm and vibrate, and this vibration slowly rises up my back, to about my neck. The physical sensations I feel are very pleasurable. In fact, my kidney area seems to be permanently warm and comfortable--which is something I had never felt before I started practicing Qi Gong. I feel very good about those sensations and would like to continue practicing... But I recently developed something else. I don't know if this is a possible effect of incorrect practice, but my scalp hair suddenly started falling out. I don't know why, but it's falling out at a rate faster than men who are balding. It could be completely gone within 2 or 3 weeks max. It is not genetic hair loss, nor from excessive sexual activity. I don't know why I am experiencing this but I'm freaking out and worried that I am practicing incorrectly. What should I do? Because I really want a full head of hair! Is it reversible? All responses are very appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Everyone, 1. Why is it important to "form a circuit of eight psychic channels when meditating"? 2. What exactly does it do and what happens if one practices without ever forming this circuit when meditating? Taoist Yoga, by Luk, says: "The linking of the four limbs shuts the four gates so that the centre can be held on to." This implies that "forming a circuit to shut the four gates" will help to fix spirit in its original cavity (when one empties their heart of all thoughts and concentrates on original cavity, between and behind the eyes). 3. What other meditations are benefitted by forming the circuit? 4. What is the importance of "shutting the four gates"? Please explain. (I searched TTB archives but found nothing about the four gates). 5. Does sitting in Full Lotus (with the hands positioned so that the negative embraces the positive), form the circuit? (Thus the legs in Full Lotus would mean the positive embraces the negative). The sitting posture described in Taoist Yoga is thus: "The left leg should be placed outside and close to the right one; this means the positive embracing the negative. The thumb of the left hand should touch its middle finger and the right hand should be placed under it (palm upward)with its thumb bent over the left palm; this means the negative embracing the positive. This is what the ancients meant by forming a circuit of eight psychic channels." Thank you for reading and thanks for replying. All responses are appreciated. Neophyte

Hi again, I have an important question on sitting postures. One part of my daily training is Embryonic Breathing, as described in "Embryonic Breathing" by Yang, Jwing-Ming. I'm confused about what sitting postures are best when practicing different types of meditation. "Taoist Yoga" by Luk, says that the best meditation posture is: "The left leg should be placed outside and close to the right one; this means the positive embracing the negative. The thumb of the left hand should touch its middle finger and the right hand should be placed under it (palm upward)with its thumb bent over the left palm; this means the negative embracing the positive. This is what the ancients meant by forming a circuit of eight psychic channels." I currently practice sitting in this posture and focusing on, and counting my breathing--And I currently use Normal Abdominal Breathing, with raising and lowering of huiyin with each breath. When my mind is focused, I then fix my mind on upper dan tian, which is the very first step of embryonic breathing, according to Yang, Jwing-Ming.

Question: Is this the best sitting-style for what I'm doing? Or would it be better to sit in full-lotus position (with hands positioned as described)? Yang, Jwing-Ming suggests a very different sitting style. So how should I sit?

Hey Matt, I'm relatively new to this subject on which you are writing. I am, though, reading and learning. If you don't mind my asking, you wrote that you did reverse abdominal breathing so as not to be overwhelmed by the sexual energy. I understand this. Then you stated that you wanted to get to work on converting the sexual energy in you dan tien before it starts to circulate in your MCO. 1. To do so requires sitting in full lotus, but what accompanies (sitting full lotus) to accomplish this conversion process? (I will carefully read the full lotus thread, btw, but it may not be clear enough.) 2. Why didn't you want it to circulate in MCO at that time? Thanks. Neophyte

Hi folks, I'm new here and I'm new to the study of Tao. I'm currently reading (and practicing) Taoist Yoga, by Charles Luk. I'm looking forward to learning a lot from you folks; and hopefully I will progress in my training. Greetings, Neo

Thanks for the info, Eric. I will definitely be purchasing Blofelds books and your 100 Days book--it looks very promising. I noticed that you also have a book called, "Taoist Yoga and Sexual Energy: Transforming Your Body, Mind, and Spirit". Does this book also have information covered that 100 Days does not? The book looks very good, judging by what I read about it on amazon.com. Thanks again, Neophyte

Hi Eric, I'm currently thirty-one years old. I was first exposed to Tao and Qi gong when I was 14 y.o. I learned the material from a magazine which was published back then (I don't konw if the magazine is still in circulation), called "Qi Gong". It taught me self-massage and kidney exercises. That is all that I studied until age 20-21, when I did train with a teacher. However, it wasn't a one-to-one training; I was in a class. It was Qi Gong but I don't know what branch of qi gong. I practiced this for a couple of years then abandoned qi gong and tao until about 6 months ago, when I purchased Luk's book. I have since then also started studying the book Qi Gong for Total Wellness, by Dr. Baolin Wu. I was told that this is a good book for beginners, so I will be focusing on the teachings of this book for some time. It is an introduction to the 9 Palaces System. I am also expanding my knowledge by studying some books by Yang, Jwing-Ming. I decided to not emphasize Luk's book for the present. However, I still want to have a solid understanding of everything discussed in the book, so that I can master that book as an endpoint to my training, many years from now. (Basically, I simply want to acquire and secure the knowledge of what is taught in that book, as early as possible; I certainly don't plan to practice and make progress in that book until years from now, when I am well experienced.) Sorry for the length, but everything I wrote has importance. Thanks very much. Neophyte

Thanks Oleg. Hi Eric. Thanks for looking into it for me. Appreciated. So the book is definitely incomplete. However, there could be enough complete information on this material which is little known right now, but which just needs to be translated from Chinese and published. It may take decades, but more information will probably be eventually published and revealed. So I'm definitely not giving up. I'll just have to realized that it's a life-long effort. I studied the book up to chapter 10 thoroughly, and I came to learn that though the book may seem confusing at first, when studied patiently, it is definitely coherent and makes perfect sense. I understant everything that he writes, now. I must say that it does, actually, seem complete, but I admit that there may be more to the exercises than he alludes to. He explains them so that they seem simple to perform. That's why I've been practicing the first six steps. However, I may be missing many elements to the exercises that he doesn't include in the instructions. So my practices may be pointless. I was going to make a discussion post about acquiring info on microcosmic orbit. (I recently purchased more books on qigong, but they don't explain the technique of mo at all.) Are there any known books that do? Are there any about inner copulation? Judging by what you tell me, there may not be; but if there is any info on them out there at all, anywhere, then I want to find it. You also said that you found the instructions for the diagram on page 68 with two immortals mounted on a dragon and tiger shooting beams of light into a cauldron. If you happen to recall the title and author of the book that you found the instructions in, could you please tell me?; I'll look into that book. (Don't give me the actual instructions, just the title.) Sorry for the long post, but thanks. Neophyte

Thanks guys, for welcoming me to the board. Hi Eric. I haven't been back to this thread since I first posted, so I didn't see your response until today. You said that Luk's book is incomplete and that I should seek out other sources. I eventually want to master the material in Taoist Yoga, so what books do you recommend I use to build up skills so that I can eventually begin to practice from Luk's book? And when I do become skilled enough to begin Taoist Yoga, what books give the missing information to make Luk's book complete? (I know that it is necessary for me to find a Master, and I will soon begin looking.) Thanks. Neo.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I noticed how Luk continually talks about how important it is to find a teacher. If there is no realistic way that I can master the techniques of internal alchemy, etc, taught in this book without a teacher, then I need to find a teacher now. My question is, how do I go about finding a teacher? If anyone has any information for me about where I look, questions I ask, etc., etc. please let me know. (Sorry for my lack of knowledge, I'm very new to this.) So what books are best as "stepping stones" that lead up to the material taught in Taoist Yoga? I eventually want to master the techniques taught in Taoist Yoga, but if it is best for me to return to that book in the future, and use something more basic for the meantime, then I will train using those simpler books. If anyone has any advice on what books are best (as preludes to Taoist Yoga), please let me know. Thanks.

Thanks for your replies. I don't know where you'd find a description for it on the internet. I got the instructions from Taoist Yoga by Charles Luk. The instructions are simply to sit down in meditative posture, calm your mind, then stare at a circular object until your eyes water. This loss of tears supposedly removes latent ailments from the body before they develop into illnesses.(These tears are supposedly different than tears that form when you cry.)I do it by keeping my eyes open and not blinking. It is then immediately followed by Calming Fire, in which you sit in the specified meditation posture, focus attention to the spot between and behind the eyes (called tsu ch'iao) and swallow saliva (in a certain manner). I'm just trying to rid my body of latent ailments, so that I don't develop sicknesses in the future. I just sat in the meditative posture that Luk describes. It forms a circuit of the eight psychic channels. I then open my eyes wide and I try not to blink, while staring at a circular object. So the exercise is pretty simple. Within a few seconds my eyes begin to water and I still keep my eyes open until the feel as if they are about to break out of their sockets, then I close my eyes. My pupils burn, which I think is a positive sign because the book implied that the exercise causes burning sensation. It then says to do Calming(slow) Fire, which soothes the pupils "which otherwise might be injured by the heat"; so I always do this after practicing the shifting fire technique. I did not know that forcing the exercises causes chi blockages, so I won't put so much exertion into future practices. The circle I use I place about a metre away (roughly 3 feet). The author isn't clear on how far way it should be. He only says that should be "neither too close nor too far and neither too high nor too low", which isn't very helpful. I will try your advice about looking at my fingernail held at arm's length. The exercise is supposed to be done every morning and every evening. I only did it in the evening, and only did it for a few days before stopping.

I recently started reading "Taoist Yoga" by Charles Luk. I have never studied "tao" before, so all of this is very new to me and I'm still confused by a lot of it. I have a few questions that I hope Tao Bum members will be able to answer. Chapter Five discusses Quick and Slow Fires. My question is in regards to Quick Fire. The author says to use a hypnotist's crystal ball. "Place it in front of you and sit in the usual meditative posture." The author writes: "After gazing at the ball for some time tears will flow." I didn't try it yet, because I don't have a crystal ball. But the instruction seems overly simple. My questions: 1. Does simply staring a crystal ball actually make tears flow? 2. Is there anything that I can substitute that works just as well? If not, what type of crystal ball do other taoists use? 3. When do I practice this? and How frequently? I encourage you to answer because I really need any advice you might have. Thanks, folks

To answer your question, slow fire is used to soothe the pupils after practicing quick fire, and to clear the psychic channels. Yep, it involves concentrating on the center of the head, but also plugging the heavenly pool with your tongue and then swallowing saliva. I practiced it like that, but only did it a couple of times. And I did it at the hour of tsu, not during the negative half of the day. Hence my questions. Is the saliva from pineal gland more effective than regular saliva? I've been having problems with this exercise. How do you do it to get the honey-like pineal fluid to fill mouth, as opposed to regular saliva? Also, if anyone knows about when to practice quick and slow fires and positive/negative halves of day, see my post 15 in this thread for my questions. Thanks, any knowledge shared would be appreciated.

So you're saying that this exercise doesn't eradicate all the illnesses latent in the body? The book says that this exercise (accompanied by slow fires) will destroy the roots of illnesses in the body, by getting rid of them through the eyes. If this doesn't work, then what does? How do I use tears to rid my body of diseases? Thanks for your help.