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What is Jing (essence) from a Taijiquan perspective?

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What is Jing (essence) from a Taijiquan perspective?

If Chi (energy) is "internal movement", then what is Jing (essence)?

How can Jing (essence) be cultivated from a Taijiquan perspective and by using the Taijiquan principles?

This thread is about Jing (essence), not about Jin (power).

 

Edited by Wells
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9 minutes ago, Apeiron&Peiron said:

 

Depends on the tradition. Most old traditions will help with internal alchemy. Either through unique ways that it balances the energy of the body or through the specific circulation and refinement of energy/ "the elixir" (which can mean different things to different people). 

 

In short: yes---good lineages relate directly to alchemy. But it is the weigong that helps to smooth over and help-along the neigong.

Good answer, but I'm unfamiliar with weigong.  May I ask what it is, and how it smooths things out?  

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So just doing a random Tai Chi form such as Wu short form isn't going to help me achieve internal alchemy by itself? If I'm retaining currently, am I doing anything just with Wu short form?

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27 minutes ago, Apeiron&Peiron said:

Maybe a little bit....

 

In general, tai chi doesn't do as much for purifying energy unless your channels are already cleared-out to some extent. So you might be able to get some sensitivity and possibly some energy motion. But, it is better to qigong rather than tai chi if you are "retaining". Tai chi doesn't usually have enough repetition/resonance to clear and refine channels in a time-effective way. It is a good health practice alongside of a qigong practice, though. 

 

 

 

Thanks :) So if I'm doing Eight Pieces of Brocades, Dragon and Tiger medical qigong (first movement) and Cloud Hands (as well as Wu short form) each morning, this should be helping to clear out my channels? What would be missing with me retaining and internal alchemy? Would I need to specifically do something such as LDT meditation or MCO as well?

Edited by morning dew

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abdomen = earth = sexual energy = ldt = jing

 

heart = human sphere = emotional center = mdt = chi

 

head = heavens = spirituality = udt = shen

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32 minutes ago, rainbowvein said:

abdomen = earth = sexual energy = ldt = jing

 

heart = human sphere = emotional center = mdt = chi

 

head = heavens = spirituality = udt = shen

Sorry for the tangent but..

This is why I like the hermetic practice of the Archaeous where you stack the elements onto your body and as you get progress through the levels move further into astral elements of it.  - http://abardoncompanion.de/Arch-Info.html

 

"..At every step in the Archaeous, one works in conscious cooperation with the pathways of influence and power which Nature herself provides.  The technique mimics one of Nature's most essential processes: Integration + Separation + Re-integration . . . the rhythm of life itself.  To this fundamental equation, is added the practitioner's own magical will, along with the focus of healing.."
 

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1 hour ago, Apeiron&Peiron said:

I am probably not qualified to give advice. But, if you are not well established with a complete system, you would benefit from limiting some of the variety and just doing a lot more time with one system and its specific movements. Internal alchemy doesn't happen until you are well established with the basics of qigong. 

 

A type of stillness meditation helps to transmute generative force to vitality. If you do an hour or two of qigong and followup (either immediately or later in the day) with at least a half hour meditation, you would be on your way to establishing a good foundation for alchemy. 

 

People say a lot of things about MCO. Personally, I don't have a problem with it. But it doesn't really relate to inner alchemy except (possibly) as a way of breaking up blocks that can form while sitting for long durations and clearing out some stagnation that can occur when you begin "retaining". Though "retaining" is the wrong word---if you are doing practice correctly, there is nothing to retain. 

 

 

Yeah, some good advice here, IMO. I'm still trying to sort out my morning routine.

 

When you say half an hour of meditation, are you talking about single point just focused on the breath, or are you talking about focus on LDT?

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44 minutes ago, rainbowvein said:

thelerner, why mimic Nature with techniques when you can just follow her?

 

I never did do astral...

hmnn, I guess its because we see the physical with our eyes, and that we can follow but there are levels (in some systems) of reality beyond the gross physical, and to follow them we need.. other awarenesses.  (awarenesi?)

 

well in the case of Archaeous (http://abardoncompanion.de/Self-HealingArchaeous.html), it starts with physical, then integrating the astral, the mental, vacating the physical, vacating the astral, resting the mental then a process of re-integration and equilibrium of the elements.  Nine lessons in all.

 

Course I pretty much stop at lesson one, the physical and doing it as zhan zhang exercise, standing and feeling the stacks.  I've done the deeper levels but they don't connect as well.  In general I find simple and stick to it. 

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29 minutes ago, Apeiron&Peiron said:

 

You could do anything. Spring forest qigong would advise "self-focus" like repeating the notion "I", "I", "I", etc. to find out where your sense of "I-ness" or self is. Kind of like the neti-neti process.

There is also the focus on emptiness. This is what I like doing because it is a good way to let different blocks and stagnations fall away. But, it's difficult to describe. Because a lot of people will think it is like a blackness of sort of "unknowing", oblivious state. And that's not really it. It's like if you meditate to a state of one-pointedness and then have your awareness begin to notice that there is more going on. But you don't jump from one point to another. It's just a more clear and unfettered state.

 

With regards to focusing on specific points, the lower dantian and area between and behind the eyes are good. Focusing on the lower dantian can concentrate your spirit and intent energy there so that qi can accumulate.

Focusing between and behind the eyes is considered a good method because it can help you find "true breathing", which will help clear energy obstructions to the act of breathing and also allow you to relax so that energy moves naturally. 

 

Basically, if you focus between and behind the eyes in the correct way, breathing will be natural and you can get some of the same effects of putting attention directly in the lower dantian. If you are good at having a sort of split awareness of things, it would be good to have awareness and intention between and behind the eyes and a loose awareness on the lower dantian.

 

But you can pick and choose whatever you want. You could also do Pore breathing---breathing energy in through the skin and having it compress into the lower dantian and then, on the exhale, releasing different blockages to the edge of the universe. 

 

There are all kinds of things you can do.

 

Thanks for taking the time to explain all this; it's been a very useful conversation for me. :) 

 

Seeing as I'm doing BKF's Wu Tai Chi and his Cloud Hands, it would probably make sense to do his outer dissolving as a meditation. I think it's good advice of yours to keep it in a single coherent system.

 

I don't think I'm anywhere near being physically and energetically in shape to be doing internal work right now. My time will probably be better spent getting a few years under my belt of BKF's stuff so I can get in shape for alchemy later on.

Edited by morning dew
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20 hours ago, Wells said:

What is Jing (essence) from a Taijiquan perspective?

If Chi (energy) is "internal movement", then what is Jing (essence)?

How can Jing (essence) be cultivated from a Taijiquan perspective and by using the Taijiquan principles?

This thread is about Jing (essence), not about Jin (power).

 

Tai Chi is but one aspect of Taoist Internal arts and this aspect is martial in nature.

 

The Tai Chi form is two things. A means of retraining the body in correct stance, posture and movement. Secondly a series of possibilities in martial arts.

 

Tai Chi Form would not be practiced for the generation of jing.

 

Unfortunately Tai Chi is now rarely taught and practiced as a martial art but simply as a form of exercise. The principles are also rarely taught which is unfortunate as they are the magic ingredient which make things work and without them there is simply the waving about of ones hands.

 

So to answer your question Jing would not be cultivated from a Tai Chi Chuan perspective but from associated practices of Neigong. Various schools of Tai Chi may use different practices but they would all have the same aim. This would be found in any complete system of Taoist Internal Arts. But it is a fortunate student who can find a teacher competent to educate them correctly, it is also a fortunate teacher who can find a student prepared to put in the time and energy to be so educated.

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A nei dan teacher in my area that i talked to actually had a requirement to learn and practice taiji for at least  2-3 years before he would even teach them begining stages of nei dan. Thats just one man's opinion but it is what i have come to agree with now. Iv heard some say you dont need any kind of post heaven practice just jump straight into nei dan, but he found that most people had so many blockages and couldnt even quiet their mind for a few minutes so he made that requirement because taiji helps work through them in a unique way. And i dont know, maybe it was different in older times, people were more connected to the earth and their bodies, not as many distractions, maybe in that case there was no need for any post heaven practices.

 

I actually practiced qigong with dedication for 2 years before i took up IMA with very little results. IMA started to open me up in a way qigong just didnt do by itself, and maybe it was just i needed the in person instruction, but when i visit the qigong now i can really feel the difference. But i am no expert. Taiji practiced correctly actually is neigong. traditionally IMA should focus on some physical conditioning, building awareness, relaxation, qigong and neigong, and even going into some nei dan. One of the reasons i really began to appreciate them is because they are well rounded systems. But then again, its getting harder to find the traditional IMAs .

 

So from my understanding, jing in IMA means the same thing. The practices aim to cultivate all of the 3 treasures, jing included.but does taiji by itself work with jing in the same way nei dan does? No I dont think so, but it lays a good foundation for the later work. 

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Taichi is a very advance concept and it is not one that is easily understood.

 

Here's a hint: Think of it like this when you relax your body vibrates then the chi around the body expands and the body itself starts to rejuvenate enhancing yin...Then you start to move this energy thru the body healing it and making you stronger enhancing yang.

 

Using yin to activate and nourish the yang. Do this and the taiji state will attained and one will gather ever higher levels of yin and yang chi thru the taichi form....

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Taijiquan practice will cause one to gather yin and yang chi many times thru the practice of the form one time if done correctly.

There should be times when doing the form that the body feels hot amazingly hot  then times when it just feels full and rich.

 

This is experiencing the taji state while doing the form. For one is gathering yin and yang chi while doing the form.

 

If this is not happening it is because the yong quan cavities are not open.

Edited by Purple Gold Qilin
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