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What is internal alchemy, anyway? Post your views/experience here. Here are some of my own thoughts on the matter: Internal alchemy practice is actually a specific type of 'system' with (at least fairly) specific goals, although those goals them self can appear rather vague such as 'immortality' and 'returning to dao', and different 'neidan' schools may define those goals somewhat differently. Although a neidan system may include some qigong and neigong practices and physical movement practices, etc., it will also typically include specific meditation practices with the specific purpose of achieving the goals of 'immortality' and 'returning to dao' and similar. Different qigong and neigong practices available out there are not necessarily at all (and usually aren't) 'internal alchemy'/ 'neidan' specific, although some such practices may have similarities or overlap to some neidan practices from some neidan schools. One problem is that throughout China's history, terms and concepts and practices from neidan systems have sometimes been borrowed and mixed in with other 'systems' which may have very different goals and views from neidan, so you can get martials arts or health/medical practices which may use some similar terms and concepts as used in neidan, but which may well be used somewhat differently. The point is, from what I have gathered, qigong practices and neigong practices which may have some similarities to some neidan practices, are not necessarily at all directly related to neidan, and they usually have quite a different focus. The whole thing becomes even more murky when you throw into the mix that there are different schools/sects which may include neidan or similar practices, but which may have quite different practices and views from other neidan systems. For example, some of those schools may have strong daoist religious aspects interwoven with their 'neidan' practices, and others may not. Therefore, there really is no clear cut right and wrong in all this, in my view. There is also the problem that during the Chinese cultural revolution, the Chinese people destroyed many Chinese temples and beat and killed many daoist and buddhists, and burned many books, etc, and forbade anyone from practicing such 'superstitious' practices. The end result was when the cultural revolution began to subside and the Chinese government began to allow daoists and buddhists and others to start these types of practices again under the close supervision and directon from the Chinese government , much had been lost, and people were left to try to piece together some of these systems and practices again. The takeaway from all the above is, from my perspective, anyway, there really is no clear cut way to say such and such a system is 'true and pure neidan'. This has helped open the door for various charlatans and self-deluded people to start offering and promoting various practices as being 'neidan'. Often such people will insist that what they promote is the only really 'authentic' practices, and they may spend a lot of time criticizing and putting down other systems and teachers to try to bolster up what they are offering. Some of these fakes and self-deluded people may only have read through some old daoist neidan texts and practiced some qigong practices and then declare them self to be an 'expert' on the topic, and start promoting them self and implying that they are some kind of very accomplished 'master'. Yes, in my view, it really is that much of a mess. So, what can an aspiring student do to potentially find a suitable teacher if they are interested in such things? In my view, you really can only use your best judgement and try to get to know the teacher for some time, if possible, and see if they seem to truly embody some of the principles and abilities they claim their system should bring. Can they answer questions in a clear and practical way, or do they just throw around more terms and concepts or become dismissive when asked questions, and seem unable to explain anything in a clear way? Can the teacher demonstrate in some clear and practical way that they have real accomplishments in what they are claiming to offer? Can this teacher provide clear details about their own teachers and lineage (there are self-proclaimed 'masters' out there who have made up their lineage and teachers). In the end, the aspiring student can only use their best judgement and try to find something which resonates with them personally. What some people may insist is a true 'accomplished master' may appear to be a complete fraud or self-deluded person to others, so in the end you will have to go with your own judgement. Keep in mind that traditional neidan practice would typically require several hours of practice a day as a minimum, and some (many?) neidan systems require celibacy, as well, so such practices are not really suitable for many people. What are your views/experience with neidan?

Endless debates over what is correct and what is not correct. Endless debates over what is better and what is worse. Every day fare in the kingdom of the ego. Up and down, east and west, hot and cold. Which is correct? Which is not correct? Which is better? Which is worse? Which all-knowing and all-seeing being can answer these questions with absolute authority? Who here on this Earth can say what immortality is? If anyone can live forever, they must be very rare. No, it's about spiritual immortality, you say? What is spirit? What is spiritual immortality? This person says this. That person says that. Which all-knowing and all-seeing being can answer these questions with absolute authority? What use is self-cultivation if it is not practical? If what a person practices has value and benefit for them, is it not good? If what a person practices improves their health and state of mind, is it not good? What does it matter what this person or that person says about some particular cultivation method? If what a person practices has value and benefit for them, is it not good? If what a person practices improves their health and state of mind, is it not good? I am just a human standing on a vast Earth, surrounded by a vast universe. I do not know anything about spiritual embryos and immortality. Nebulous clouds which no one can seem to agree upon. Beautiful images for the ego to picture and behold. In this world we must be practical. Will it help us through our work day? Will it give us better health? Will it give us a better state of mind? Will it help us to interact with others in a more positive way? Will it help ease the aches and pains as we grow older? What is ultimately real, and what is ultimately not real? What is ultimately of value, and what is ultimately not of value? I do not know. Which all-knowing and all-seeing being can answer these questions with absolute authority?

There's a new book discussing the practice of Internal Alchemy. https://www.amazon.com/Internal-Alchemy-Everyone-Chungtao-Ho-ebook/dp/B07JC96GVR/ Anyone got this?

I mean seriously? Inner alchemy is just a fragment of taoist doctrines. Why do people care so much? Are they ready? Most people don't know what they are talking about and very few even practice it. The way I see it only 1 in a million are ready for that. So really, why there is so much talk about this practice?

Damo mitchell has written two books on the subject of internal alchemy, namely, White Moon on the Mountain Peak and A Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong. So my question is for someone interested in chi gong/nei dan practical and theoretical aspects which one of these books is necessary? or maybe both of them are complimentary and should be read together?

Taoist GrandMaster Wang Li Ping will be teaching a ten day intensive in China, starting on the afternoon of Dec. 21st and ending at noon on the 31st. Mr. Richard Liao will be translating. Please email [email protected] for complete details. www.dragongate-academy.org Our goal is to build a bridge between Master Wang Liping and everyone interested in Taoism. We wish to benefit all to communicate their experiences during their practice to learn the Taoist Golden Elixir system. We hope the heritage of Dragon Gate shall live on in the new era to enrich lives everywhere.

Does anyone have any experience with convincing Reiki with Internal Alchemy and where the energy of Reiki falls in Dsoist modalities? I have my own thoughts as to what it is and where it falls but I wanted another opinion.

I'm new to the game and I'm having difficulties establishing a firm daily practice. I understand the general concepts, but don't know the practicals. I'm more advanced in other forms of energy practice but I'm just beginning my journey into internal alchemy. 1) What's the fastest way to gather energy in the dantian? 2) How do you Cultivate Jing? Gathering Qi in the dantian is one thing but how do I generate life force? (jing) Or is it Jing that gathers in the Dantian... 3) I can sense energy, but I can't distinguish between the three types yet. Is there a practice specifically for enhancing sensing? Or is that just attained as you go kinda thing. 4) I'm trying to get used to reverse abdominal breathing but I can't get used to it. It completely disturbs my meditative state. I feel like I'm doing something wrong. It's different from "Reverse Breathing", right?

I've been thinking a lot about this lately as I slowly, slowly re-engage with my own practice after a period of illness. I'm starting to think we're overcomplicating things. I've practiced and read about a great many systems of meditation and energy cultivation--which seem to grow increasingly complex the further I get into them--and they may be losing the plot, as it were. Simple "sitting and forgetting" and a more active component (Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga, etc) are helping me regain ground faster than any of the more complicated systems. So maybe we should just return to basics? It's a thought, and I'd love to hear yours.

here you can find a partial translation of a previously untranslated text called da cheng jie yao (essentials of the shortcut to the great achievement), the ite features more information about wudang and daoism, as well as offering a schoalrship for people who are less well-off. http://fiveimmortals.com/the-essentials-of-the-shortcut-to-the-great-achievement/

Hello Everyone, I thought I would throw out an opportunity for those interested in potentially having professional english translations of eastern alchemical texts. This is the original post from another forum: Translation Suggestions I am very interested in having more English translation of Eastern alchemical texts available to the public, however, my knowledge of these alchemical texts extends only to the ones already available in English. So, to the point: if there are any texts out there that you know of which would be a wonderful contribution to the Western understanding of Eastern Alchemical practices (internal and/or external; theoretical and/or practical), that you would like to see professionally translated into English, it would be my pleasure to add them to the pool of texts to be considered on the other forum (alchemyforums.com). Either that, or you can join the other forum and become involved first hand with the submissions

Fabrizio Pregadio has revised and expanded his article "The Way of the Golden Elixir: An Introduction to Taoist Alchemy." It's a 72 page long historical overview of neidan. It's nicely formatted and pretty to look at and free. Here's the link: http://www.goldenelixir.com/files/The_Way_of_the_Golden_Elixir.pdf Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone - I'm currently reading the 600 page book by Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson, titled Daoist Internal Alchemy: Neigong & Weigong Training. I'm not too far into it, but I've come across the most wonderful page. Please know that I did receive Dr. Johnson's approval to quote his book for purposes of our discussions. Below is the email he sent - what a kind and wonderful man he must be! 'Hi Barbara - Yes, by all means please feel free to use this material...and thank you for asking. The primary purpose for originally writing the Daoist Alchemy book was to assist others and sharing this life transforming information. That's why we're here...:-). Best wishes always, Dr. Johnson' (I was surprised to actually hear back from him personally - his website is www.daoistmagic.com) Please pardon the length of this post: THE FOUR TYPES OF VIRTUES The ancient Daoists believed that the cultivation of Virtue has its reward, both within Heaven, and within the Dao. These energetic and spiritual rewards are without shape or form, and are the magical stepping stones used by most Daoist disciples to access the secret teachings hidden within the various Spirit Realms. In high levels of Daoist Magic, the acquired magical powers of a disciple are not totally dependent on his ability to practice powerful Qigong and Shengong exercises, but are also dependent on his ability to cultivate Genuine Virtue. According to the Huimingjing, "If you do not have Virtuous Power (De), even if you encounter the Dao, Heaven will certainly not grant it to you. Why is this? Virtuous Power and the Dao are like a bird's wings. If one is missing, the other is useless. You must have dedication, devotion, compassion, moral integrity, and obey the Five Precepts (no killing, stealing, adultery, lying, or intoxication). Only then do you have something to hope for. With each kind deed, the disciple's Heart becomes purer and the subtle activities of his True Spirit increase. This allows the gap between the Qi of the disciple's Yuan Shen (Original Spirit) and the radiant light of the Shen Xian (Eternal Soul) to be reduced. Daoist priests traditionally divide De (Virtue) into four categories: Apparent Virtue, Yin Virtue, Mystical Virtue, and Genuine Virtue. Each type of Virtue represents a specific level of spiritual cultivation, and is described as follows: #1 APPARENT VIRTUE This is considered to be the first level of Virtue. However, in this level of compassion, all charitable acts are visible to others and are immediately rewarded with material and/or verbal gratitude. Because in Apparent Virtue there is an even exchange of energy, no accumulation of spiritual energy is cultivated. #2 YIN VIRTUE This is considered a transitional stage of spiritual evolution. At this level the disciple performs kind deeds without expecting any form of reward. This is the foundation of a true cultivator of the Dao, and is considered to be the preliminary stage to go progressing towards the level of Mystical Virtue. #3 MYSTICAL VIRTUE This is considered to be a higher form of Virtue. It is the expression of Virtue by mystics in the process of cultivating and nurturing their True Shen. These disciples are able to do good deeds without people knowing about their charitable actions. They are both knowingly and unknowingly helping others and society by healing the sick, helping people in trouble, protecting the balance of nature, etc. #4 GENUINE VIRTUE This is considered to be the highest form of Virtue. It is pure, genuine, natural, and un-contrived. It is performed spontaneously, without any formulated mental process, as an natural expression of the individual's internal connection with the Dao. In order to first help a disciple develop his Virtue, he is required each night to take inventory and accountability of all of his moods, thoughts, and actions. Everything that occurred during the day must be accounted for. In this way, the disciple begins to observe all of his actions without judgment, and is slowly being introduced to the skill of projecting his spiritual consciousness as an active observer. I just couldn't pass up the chance to share these wonderful explanations on to The Bums. Can it be said any better?

Hello, I am just wondering (if they exist at all) what the specific systems of practice were in Taoism and if there are any specific resources from which to learn them, books or websites that illustrate/explain the practices. I have done some searches but not come up with anything conclusive. I am aware of the existence of Neidan, Qigong, Tai Chi (I have only practices Tai Chi), but am wondering what the specifics are of such practices. Basically, I am looking into adopting a new practice or set of practices and am up for hearing any/all recommendations for books, websites, systems, or, possibly teachers/schools. You can review my previous readings/practices on the lobby. I acknowledge the effectiveness of non-dual teachings, self enquiry (Mooji, Adyashanti, Gangaji, Jeff Foster, Nisargadatta, Ramana), the direct pointing, realising what is always present, but, anxiety problems cause a lot of reactivity for me that is hard to cut through. So, I am hoping/thinking that, in addition to non-dual teachings, of starting a practice (meditation, energy work, etc) where I can hopefully cut through some of the internal noise/dissolve some of the conditioning, or re-wire my brain through a practice and the phenomena known as neuroplasticity, so I can get to a place of abiding silence and I can go deeper with my realisation and self inquiry, or simply just get to a place where I am anxiety free and happy. I am also interested in Chinese/Taoist Healing (mainly for mental health [which still has a physical cause in the brain, so should be no different from 'physical health' healing]). I hope I am posting in the right place. Best Wishes

I've been practicing Fusion for a few months (the first 4 fusion formulas). I sit in half lotus as my preference, rather than chait sitting. I'd just like some tips on condensing techniques and how you create a denser pearl... I'm open to any fusion tips people care to share...

Hi bums, I would like to share this file, which I happened across in my wanderings through soulseek users files. It is not copyrighted or a matter of protected rights in any way, and seems to be an essay written by Michael Winn about Daoist Internal Alchemy. I hope that you enjoy it and that it brings benefit to your practices! The following is a quote from the beginning of the file.