In order to strengthen the Jing you should consolidate your Qi,

To consolidate the Qi one must first bring the Jing to stillness,

Use this method, master the Qi and the Yuan Jing will not disperse;

If the Jing is consolidated, the Yuan Qi is no longer dispersed.

The Yellow Court Classic* states:

The consolidation of the Shen causes the Jing to still,

In this way the old can be made young.

The Jing that becomes Qi is transformed upwards,

If the Qi is not made strong then the Jing is scattered.

The Qi transforms to saliva and flows back downwards;

If the Jing does not return to the source then the Qi is made imbalanced.

It is like water being heated in a cauldron –

If there is no Qi how will Qi be produced?

When Qi descends and is compressed we apply the warmth of the furnace and it generates more Qi.

If Qi rises without mental governance it disperses as emotions and is lost.

Though water flows downwards it is not shed;

If it flows upwards it is not lost.

As it flows upwards, water becomes Qi,

When Qi sinks it becomes water.

This forms the rotation of the water wheel.

The Yellow Court Classic states that this is the eternal path to immortality.

The result of the consolidated Jing and mastered Qi is evolution.

The vulgar people do not know the importance of mastery of Qi;

They do not practice this art and so they lose their Jing and Qi frivolously.

When Qi becomes Jing and is lost from the body it is useless.

When Jing becomes Qi and is shed from the chest it is wasted.

The Yellow Court Classic states that if you can consolidate the congenital, mastery is yours.

The elevation of spirit takes place within the workshop of your body.

Understand the art of transformation and contact Dao,

Dao is within the understanding of the body’s natural cycles.

Through alchemical conversion returning to the source is a certain.

Repeat the full cycle nine times and one will arrive at the stage of original being.

*The Classic of the Yellow Court is an ancient Daoist text which forms part of the Daoist canon known as the Daozang.

Below is a brief explanatory commentary on this classic. I have focused on key points with regards to alchemy from the point of view of a beginning to intermediate practitioner. The beauty of Daoist classics is that they are multi-layered in their meaning. You will often find that returning to them periodically yields very different understandings each time. These understandings will develop according to the level you have attained in your practice.

In order to strengthen the Jing you should consolidate your Qi,

To consolidate the Qi one must first bring the Jing to stillness,

Use this method, master the Qi and the Yuan Jing will not disperse;

If the Jing is consolidated, the Yuan Qi is no longer dispersed.

In this first section we are shown the cyclical relationship between Jing and Qi. Though Jing generates Qi, Jing also relies on Qi. Qi governs transformation and so the conversion of Jing into fluids and developmental processes requires the existence of Qi. This Qi cannot exist without the generating action of Jing. The instructions here are to stop the ‘scattering’ of your Qi. This helps it to consolidate and thus help the Jing to convert in a more efficient manner. Qi is primarily scattered through emotions and according to Daoism it is the interaction of your sense functions with the outside world then stimulates the mind towards emotional shifts. In short, consolidation of the Qi can generally only take place through learning to attain a state of inner stillness. This requires shutting off the senses through sitting meditation practice. Conversely, the Qi can only be consolidated if the Jing become still; this takes place through a combination of healthy living, adequate rest and moderation of sexual activity as these all stir the Jing to movement. Sexual and base desires are a large factor in the ‘movement’ of the Jing and so great importance was given over to learning how to govern these sides of your nature. They were never denied but instead acknowledged for the natural and largely inconsequential mental factors that they are and in this way a practitioner learns how not to be a slave to the desires of the Jing.

If you can achieve this then the Yuan Jing, the original essence, will not disperse. The Yuan Jing is the true Jing that was given to you prior to your birth. It is one of the important substances in the generation of the alchemical pill. At the same time, as the Yuan Jing grows still, the Yuan Qi, original energy, will also consolidate to a state where it can be mentally contacted. The Yuan Qi is also required to start forming the alchemical pills; elixirs generated internally through mastery over the congenital substances. As a side note the Yuan Qi is also sometimes known as Yuan Xi, original breath, within classics. In essence Yuan Xi would be Yuan Qi when it is in motion.

The Yellow Court Classic* states:

The consolidation of the Shen causes the Jing to still,

In this way the old can be made young.

In the second section of the classic we are shown how the famed longevity aspects of Daoism come forth. Though they were never an original aim of Daoism they were a healthy by-product of the practices. If you manage to attain consolidation of the Jing and the Qi then the cyclical relationship between the two will begin to initiate consolidation of the Shen. This is human spirit and when we can bring it to a certain state then the mind is stilled. This in turn generates more stillness within the Jing and thus the ageing process is slowed. We are being shown a clear sign of progress within this section of the classic.

The Jing that becomes Qi is transformed upwards,

If the Qi is not made strong then the Jing is scattered.

Through consolidation of the Jing, the Qi and the Shen we develop an efficient transformational process within the body. There is less wastage of the three substances of Jing, Qi and Shen through mental activity and inefficient internal activity. The result is that the Qi begins to rise upwards within the body as an advanced aspect of the micro-cosmic orbit which is a well known part of Daoist Qi Gong practices as well as alchemy. In essence this circulation takes place on may levels with the most basic being the circulation of acquired Qi through the Du and the Ren meridians. At higher stages this circulation takes place as the Jing to Qi conversion is heightened resulting in a flow of Qi through the deeper channels of the back and spine.

Here there is also a brief warning of possible problems at this stage. The Qi must be strong and healthy when you reach this stage in your practice. If it is not then the Jing will start to move once more. Consolidation is lost and the foundation of your work is weakened. A clear sign which practitioners experience is that when they try to initiate the rising of the Qi they are suddenly overwhelmed by sexual desires and erotic fantasies. This is because the Jing has become hyperactive as the Qi is not strong enough to support in its stillness. If this happens over a long period of time then you run the risk of developing an imbalance known as ‘poison Fire effects the Heart’. This is referring to a rising of impure Qi driven by sexual desire. Over time this starts to pervert the emotional standpoint of the Heart-centre, sexual deviances and fetish-like behaviours can manifest. In extreme cases it has been known that paedophilic tendencies can occur though in many cases it simply turns into a supercharged sex-drive. In the case of this starting to happen you should return to your foundation practices and return to this level of training when you have fully established a firm footing in the basics of work with Jing, Qi and Shen.

The Qi transforms to saliva and flows back downwards;

If the Jing does not return to the source then the Qi is made imbalanced.

When the true Qi of the micro-cosmic orbit reach the top of its cycle it starts to convert into fluids. These fluids manifest as large amounts of saliva which contain vital essences. They should be swallowed down with the gentle intention of them reaching the lower Dan Tien. When this happens then the vital substances complete their internal orbit. The Jing which had become Qi becomes saliva and then back to Jing. This is required if there is to be no leakage of Jing. It is needed back at the start of the orbit in order to keep generating Jing. This is vitally important to understand. We always wish for a transformational cycle that works to converts from Jing upwards and then back down into Jing. If we do not ‘recycle’ then imbalance in the Qi is the result and so the root of problems in our practice is established.

It is like water being heated in a cauldron –

If there is no Qi how will Qi be produced?

This is a direct reference to the conversion of Jing to Qi within the Ding, the ‘cauldron’ at the centre of the lower Dan Tien. The Jing is often represented metaphorically with the element of water which is in part due to its classification as a very Yin substance whilst at the same time being a reference to the important role that Jing has in the creation of various body fluids. There is heat involved because as Jing transforms into Qi it generates an expansion inside the lower abdomen. The result of this is a clear feeling of inner warmth as well as, commonly, a sensation of something bubbling in the belly, much like something being brought to boiling point within a cauldron.

We are also, once again, reminded of the importance of recycling the Qi as there must be an energetic catalyst for everything that takes place. Qi is the great transformer, the bringer of change and so its presence is required for anything to take place within our body or indeed the entire cosmos.

When Qi descends and is compressed we apply the warmth of the furnace and it generates more Qi.

The ‘compression’ being discussed here is the retraction of the lower abdominal muscles as well as the raising of the perineum (some schools sates that it is the anus rather than the perineum though in practice I find little difference). This contraction of the lower abdominal region causes the Qi to be compressed within the Ding along with the Jing. This is what serves to ‘cook’ the substances and thus begin the alchemical process of change inherent within Nei Dan. Detailed instruction on this process is generally required in order to progress safely and effectively. I would advise seeking out a teacher for this in order to receive first-hand instruction but if you feel you would like to read about the practice then you can refer to my book: ‘White Moon on the Mountain Peak – The Alchemical Process of Daoism’. In this book I cover the foundations of alchemy, including this process, in great detail.

If Qi rises without mental governance it disperses as emotions and is lost.

I am not sure whether it is disrespectful to criticise a classical text but I am about to. If there are any immortal spirits becoming angry at me right now; I am terribly sorry!

I have often felt that this line from the classic is a little misleading as it may sound like it means we need to use the mind to govern the Qi. This misunderstanding has dictated the methods of many contemporary schools who prescribe using the intention to forcibly raise the Qi upwards within their body. This is often used in conjunction with focusing upon certain meridian points along the Du and the Ren circulation in an effort to directly generate the micro-cosmic orbit. The result of this kind of practice is generally that a strong tangible sensation of Qi movement can be felt but it is then weaker when you are no longer focusing upon directing the movement yourself. The use of the intention also disturbs the Jing which is no longer still and so a weak foundation is built for further development. With the foundation weakened the Qi then disperses and students may experience a range of results which can include heightened emotional swings, feelings of anger, depression or, in a small percentage, more severe reactions.

The true circulation must be generated trough working with the furnace and the cauldron and building a systematic conversion within the Jing, Qi and Shen as they stabilise. This is the method outlined within this text.

The ‘mental governance’ it is referring is the ‘governance of your own mental state’ as in, keep your mind still and focused upon what you are doing. Do not become distracted and aim for a gentle but firm meditative state of awareness throughout the entire process. If the mind moves through a lack of governance then Qi becomes emotion and thus it is dispersed.

Though water flows downwards it is not shed;

If it flows upwards it is not lost.

As it flows upwards, water becomes Qi,

When Qi sinks it becomes water.

This forms the rotation of the water wheel.

This section is essentially a summary of what is taking place if you practice correctly. It reminds us that ‘recycling’ the Jing through the body as more refined substances and then back again is the key to the water wheel, another term for the micro-cosmic orbit. In this way our inner environment is directly matching the water-cycle of the external world.

The Yellow Court Classic states that this is the eternal path to immortality.

A rather grand claim but in theory this can lead you towards the highest levels of attainment within the Daoist tradition.

The result of the consolidated Jing and mastered Qi is evolution.

Evolution is of prime importance of Daoists. They recognise that there is a natural process of transformation taking place within us all of the time. This process is directed by the Jing and then adjusted by the emotional content of Qi combined with the awareness of Shen. We will not stop the process of transformation taking place on a daily basis within us but we can learn to master its energetic mechanisms and gently direct it in a more healthy direction. This is the Daoist path of spiritual evolution.

The vulgar people do not know the importance of mastery of Qi;

They do not practice this art and so they lose their Jing and Qi frivolously.

When Qi becomes Jing and is lost from the body it is useless.

When Jing becomes Qi and is shed from the chest it is wasted.

The ‘vulgar people’ is both a somewhat politically incorrect term for those people in the world who do not practice Daoism as well as a metaphorical term for the sense functions which are thought of as having their own form of consciousness. This sense-consciousness is linked to the generation of emotional responses. In this way the text is telling us that our senses and our emotions are no aid on the oath to governing our Qi efficiently.

Our Jing and Qi should not be shed from the body (Qi is lost through the chest as emotions from the middle Dan Tien) any more than they have to as once they are gone they are useless to us.

The Yellow Court Classic states that if you can consolidate the congenital, mastery is yours.

It is common within classical spiritual texts to refer back to even older spiritual texts. In this way the writer is humbly showing that their knowledge came from those before them and that they deserve no credit for any achievements. It also helps to lend credibility to the texts teachings.

The elevation of spirit takes place within the workshop of your body.

Your body is your workshop. The external alchemist had his alchemy room and the internal alchemist has their body. The workshop must be well maintained in order for good results to take place. We should maintain our physical health and wellbeing to the best of our abilities if we are going to keep our ‘workshop’ an effective place to carry out our work.

Understand the art of transformation and contact Dao,

Dao is within the understanding of the body’s natural cycles.

Dao is the indefinable source of all existence as well as the underlying truth that permeates throughout all of existence. To define Dao is impossible with either words or the intellectual mind; it can only be experienced. This experience can only come through contacting these natural transformational cycles within our energetic system and working with them to make them more efficient. Then we observe and maintain our practice in order to move deeper into Daoism.

Through alchemical conversion returning to the source is a certain.

If you practice this method and master it then your spirit will be led back to the source, the original state of true being that Daoist seeks. In contrast to many other traditions, Daoism did not believe that human spirit had to be taken to a higher state. Instead the evolution process they discuss actually shed the distortions that prevent us from operating according to the original state of being that sits within each of us, the source of all awareness that can directly contact Dao.

Repeat the full cycle nine times and one will arrive at the stage of original being.

Many practitioners mistakenly believe that they must circulate these energies a literal nine times on order to master the method. This is really not the case. Numbers are often used metaphorically within Daoism (as with many other esoteric traditions) and we must understand what this number means. Nine is the number of Heaven. Three is the first Yang number (Yang is odd) within Daoism as the number one is considered a ‘whole’ number representing full union. Two is Yin as it is even and so Three is the lowest Yang number. Within Daoist symbolism we have the Gua or sacred symbol of Heaven as shown below. This symbol is made up of three solid Yang lines.

The Heaven Gua

Each line is Yang and so numerically is represented by the number three. There are three of these lines and so three multiplied by three equals nine. Thus nine is the number of Heaven.

Essentially by utilising the number nine the classical text is showing us that we must follow the way of Heaven. Heaven is eternal (as stated in the Dao De Jing) and unmoving. In this manner we must sit beneath the teachings of Heaven and be patient and persevering in our efforts. Alchemy takes time and we must be prepared to dedicate much time and effort to our training if we are to attain the Gong Fu or alchemy through the method outlined here.

Humility is an extremely Yin state of being. To be able to place yourself behind others is a difficult thing but important in Daoism. Energetically, this serves to create a powerful vacuum within your Xing (nature), which draws spiritual learning towards you. When humbling yourself before a true master (or a deity in religious Daoism), you are manifesting the potential to draw teachings into the centre of your being. This is why so many practitioners in the past have had deep spiritual experiences when prostrating themselves before statues of Daoist immortals. In Daoist teachings, it should be one of your aims to be humble beneath the entire universe and understand humility before all beings. In this way the power of Dao, which flows through the cosmos, can enter you and make every aspect of life your teacher.

True and False Humility 

There are various difficulties here, though. First, humility cannot be forced upon yourself. If you try to be humble, you just create false humility, which is a very common facet of human nature. False humility is often a mask for arrogance, hidden by a verbal expression of humility.
To become humble, you must understand that being humble is a very scary thing. Humility opens up the core of your being to the outside world, which leaves the acquired mind feeling extremely vulnerable. This feeling of insecurity then causes the acquired mind to try to strengthen itself through building more layers, more pieces of projected, emotionally based untruth, behind which the true self hides. Each and every time you have been hurt, made to feel small or stepped on by another, you have probably moved yourself further from a state of humility. It is for this reason that the early stages of any internal practice should really be to free yourself from as many tethers to the acquired mind as you can. By purging these emotional imbalances, your mind begins to feel more secure and therefore humility does not seem so scary a state of being. The vacuum opens and then the ‘cup has been emptied’. Only at this stage can true teachings be realised.

The concept of Ming can be seen as an amalgamation of the ideas of destiny, fate, life-purpose, individual will and personal vitality. These ideas are intertwined into a single stream of divine information that flows between the poles of Heaven and Earth.

Any attempt to balance a person’s connection to Ming must take all of the above concepts into account. The level of harmonisation a person can achieve with their Ming is manifest within the expression of their personal health. To stray from Ming results in a breakdown of harmony.

Conversely, to work with the base frequencies of life and nourish the health is to align oneself with Ming. This is the purpose of bodywork within the Daoist tradition. Balance the vehicle of manifestation to locate personal connection to Ming.

The Release of Physical Disharmony

Practice within the wisdom tradition of Dao leads a person to restore vitality to the physical through practice on three levels:

• Refinement and restructuring of the body. The conductor that sits between the realms of spirit and manifestation.
• Energetic consolidation of the internal information sources of Jing and Qi. To harmonise the transformation of these treasures.
• The harmonisation of the spirits influence over the manifest form.

Ming can only communicate through our body if we are able to efficiently ‘conduct’ its teachings. Factors involved in the blocking of Ming include poor health, low vitality, organ-based imbalance and a lack of ability to ‘enter the stream’. To enter the evolutionary process of alchemical change a person must resolve these issues.

The Release of Source Imbalances

The Daoist Tantric method of seeking harmony involves the cyclical entering of still and dynamic states. A follower of the way learns how to lead the centre towards a state of equilibrium and yet at the same time engage with the chaos of organic human energies. The powers of Heaven and Earth combine within the cauldron of the lower Dan Tian energy field. In this way the teachings of Dao may enter the body and begin the releasing process of Daoism. Both challenging and liberating, this is the path of reuniting with Ming.

From imbalance, to chaos, to re-patterning to harmony of the first vehicle.

Our Xing is our expression of nature, consciousness and awareness. Based within the ethereal realm of spirit, the Xing is the root of our being as well as the manifestation of the state of Xin or ‘Heart’. Ultimately the aim of all eastern mystical traditions is the aim for elevation of Xing. Though the paths may differ the goal is always the same.

Xing incorporates the concept of true nature, the enlightened wisdom mind held out of our reach only by our lack of awareness. Encasing this aspect of nature is the acquired mind. The combined information of the mental clutter accumulated on a second-to-second basis over the course of our lives. The mundanity of illusory life serves to distort the connection we have to existence. This is the reason for the demise of true Xing within human beings.

The Lens of Acquired Being

Some traditions saw the distortion of human Xing as the root of suffering; others as the reason we are caught in the cycle of rebirth so fundamental to many religions. To the Daoist’s, the Xing’s quality dictates the lens through which we view and experience our life. From the single origin of human awareness comes the potential for enlightened comprehension of reality or biased mental conditioning. Freedom of spirit based upon endless compassion or entanglement in pointless drama.

The lens of acquired being is based within the emotional energies which bind us to the layers of conditioned thinking. It is these bonds which must be severed through Nei Gong training in order to elevate the spirit to a state where it can reconnect with Dao.

The Layers of Release

The process of release begins with the surface layers of emotional mind and then works deeper towards the core of being. Such layers dissolve in order to generate more space within our Heart:

• The surface expression of emotional experience must be shed. This takes away the key distortions of imbalanced mind.
• The primary lens of mental distortion must be worked with and released into a space of elemental neutrality.
• Programmed biases and mental conditioning should be let go of in order to purify the sense faculties experience of life.
• Erroneous factors in the developed sense of self should be worked with in order to shed the intellectual concept of ‘I’.
• The deepest layers of releasing involve letting go of a sense of division and ultimately the borders between soul, spirit and Dao.

Through an exploration into the ever-deepening process of mental and cognitive release a person can be led towards experience of undistorted virtue. The highest expression of Xing within Daoism.

Though any internal work is ultimately an attempt to transcend the realm of form, we must still accept that we live within the confines of physicality. To ignore the vehicle of the body and its interrelations with the external world of form is a  state of imbalance. Alongside this we must also realise the important nature of the work which we carry out as a part of our wider community. Though periods of retreat are important for our development, to live in full-time retreat is to deny as aspect of our being. The ‘impermanent’ phase of life is still an aspect of Ming which we are inextricably connected with.

The wider Ming of life is an interconnected web of cause and effect. No aspect of Ming exists apart from the wider picture of the collective. Like ripples in a pond, our actions and reactions reach out into the spiritual connection which manifest between us. Ming is a cycle of information out out and information taken in; this is a rule of existence. For this reason any true follower of the way recognises the importance of their expression out into the realm of Ming.

Integrity and Truth

Like attracts like. The spiritual ‘magnetism’ of the universe will bring to a follower of the way that which they put out there or else that which they need. In order to resonate with the higher aspects of this governance of Ming we must learn to express ourselves through the mediums of truth and integrity. Without these expressions we will only bring to us more distortions. A lack of truth brings an inability to perceive truth. Without a true experience of the world we cannot manifest integrity.

Truth is a result of dissolving of the distortions of Xing (our nature). It is not a ‘forced’ way of being but rather an expressed result of inner conversion.

Beneficial Work

The classical eastern path of beneficial expression is the art of healing. Healing may take the form of medicine, spiritual guidance or practical teachings. Human need exists upon many levels. These levels can be summarised as requiring the following interventions:

• The practical level of the physical realm – charity, kindness and generosity are expressions of virtue for this level
• Medicinal assistance on a physical level – the arts of Chinese medicine, nutrition and internal practice are aimed at this level
• The spiritual freedom of consciousness elevation – the arts of alchemy, meditation and Nei Gong are aimed primarily here
• The cognitive guidance of the spiritual path – the ancient ways of the spiritual path are as relevant today as they were in ancient times

Through engaging in such actions we work with the ‘magnetism’ of Ming to assist all beings on the path towards Dao. At first these are external expressions but with time such expressions become something deeper, an intangible spiritual ripple which moves out from our centre to effect those around us an a second-to-second basis. When this state has been reached then the ‘ripples’ of our actions are a true expression of virtuous being.

If we can understand this then there are no need for precepts or strict rules. Cause and effect is the key as well as understanding the need for ‘giving service’ and cultivating a kind way of being.

The Daoist tradition is a large and comprehensive tradition of multiple arts. Each of these arts developed in response to an element of the Daoist understanding of life and existence. The chart below shows the integrated nature of the arts studied and taught within Lotus Nei Gong:

Together these arts make up the methodology which the school follows in order to move towards the elevation of spirit. They are classical systems and pointers along the road to Dao. The tools which are used in the pursuit of the dissolving of false-self.

In order for their to be development along Ming (life-path), a foundation must be built in the essence. From here structure must be formed in the vehicle of the impermanent body. The work of Tantric conversion towards higher states of connection takes place within the microcosm of the body and this work is a helping hand up into the realm of spiritual work.

Note that this is a long path though. Not all have the time to study such a complex system of life development. This is only the syllabus for those dedicated to the pursuit of Dao in a complete manner. The majority of people will benefit from engaging in the practice of only one or two elements of the Daoist arts. We simply place them together like this so somebody may see the bigger picture of there tradition.

Note also that when we say ‘Tantric’ we are referring to ‘direct work with energetics’ and not sexual techniques as if often associated with the term.

The Ding and the Lu are two important regions of the energy body utilised within Daoist alchemical meditation. The Ding is the ‘cauldron’ whilst the Lu is the ‘furnace’ or ‘fire of cultivation’. When working with these aspects of our inner universe it is crucial that we develop an understanding of their location, function and the process of awakening them. If we look at the various arts and practices that have come out of the Daoist tradition we can see that each has it’s own terminology and unique ways of working. Understanding the nature of the Ding and the Lu is important to alchemical meditation whereas they are rarely discussed within less intricate practices such as Qi Gong.

The Ding is situated within the centre of the lower Dan Tien. Many think that the Ding is the lower Dan Tien itself but this is not the case. The lower Dan Tien is made up of numerous layers that can divide and rotate freely around each other like various layers on a gyroscope. This segmentation of the lower Dan Tien takes place as people move deeper into Nei Gong practice. It can be directly experienced as a series of individual rotations taking place within the lower abdomen.  The size of the Dan Tien can also adjust according to the level of internal attainment of the practitioner. At highly developed stages it merges with the other energy centres of the body and three separate Dan Tien are no more, only Dan Yuan exists, the microcosmic manifestation of Hundun, original chaos. Unlike the various outer layers of the lower Dan Tien, the Ding continues to exist until such a time that, according to classical teachings, the body is totally dissolved into light; a state known as the attainment of the ‘diamond body’ within ancient teachings. When a person has achieved the state of Dan Yuan it is said that their entire energetic and spiritual field rotates as one unified whole rather than in separate rotational pathways as is the case for the majority of living beings. Obviously such high states of accomplishment are rarely achieved in modern or indeed times past; on top of this there is the added limitation to many people’s practice that their logical mind will not allow them to accept that such things are even possible.

The Ding is said to be roughly an inch in size for men with a woman’s Ding being slightly smaller (Those Daoist’s are very exact people when they keep records). It is the key place within which Jing is consolidated, Qi is converted and alchemically generated inner substances are immersed in order to ‘rebirth’ the spirit into its original state. This all takes place through controlled use of the breath and the Lu furnace. This process stimulates the Ding to generate an energetic catalyst for transformation.

Many of the esoteric teachings within Daoism are encoded within their architecture and artwork. Over the years as I have travelled to different temples and holy sites across Asia I have taken the time to examine the artwork closely. Teachers can manifest in many different places, not just within people you meet. Ancient art and architecture is a gateway to the past if you know how to read it. The image below is an example of a Ding respected as a cauldron in a Daoist temple:

The Ding is the body of the cauldron. These cauldrons are common in most Daoist temples and used to send offerings to the Heavens in the form of incense, magical offerings and even pretend money. They always stand upon three legs as shown. The number three represents the trinity of either: Jing, Qi and Shen, Body, Breath and Mind or Heaven, Man and Earth. These are the three powers that must be brought together in order to complete the alchemical process within the Ding in order to generate alchemical change.

When Daoist monks or nuns burn their offerings of incense within the centre of the Ding it sends smoke up into the sky. This is the spirit of the offerings moving up towards the Heavenly immortal realm. Microcosmically this is manifested as the movement of the spiritual energies upwards into the ‘Heaven’ of the body, the pineal gland and its energetic counterpart, the upper Dan Tien. This is the result of correct and efficient usage of the Ding and the Lu.

Classical Depiction of Ding and Lu

The above image shows the Ding on the right and the Lu on the left. The trigrams above the two symbols denote them as either extreme Yin or Yang. The process of alchemical transformation relies on the two opposing powers of Yin and Yang being brought together to form energetic union.

Within the body the Ding exists within the lower abdomen, as stated above, within the centre of the lower Dan Tien, whilst the Lu is the furnace which is essentially the energy around the region of the perineum. The image below shows the physical location of the Ding and Lu within the body.

The Ding and Lu within the Body

Initially, when starting out within alchemical training a practitioner will need to help the energy within the centre of the lower Dan Tien, the location of the Ding, to begin stirring. This is generally achieved through periods of silent sitting practice with the awareness gentle resting within this region of the body. It does not usually take very long for a practitioner to begin feeling the activity of the Jing and Qi within the region of the Ding. The resultant feeling is one of gentle heat within the lower abdominal region. This is generally accompanied by a gradual stilling of the mind as well as a feeling of contentment that is a direct result of the Jing and Qi within the lower Dan Tien having a stabilising affect upon the mind.

In the intermediate stages of practice, the breathing method is changed so that the perineum is gently raised upon inhalation. This brings the Ding and Lu together so that they have an energetic relationship with each other. The reaction is that the ‘furnace’ is lit and the alchemical reaction within the lower abdominal region increases. The feeling of heat becomes more tangible; there is also a clear sensation of movement that feels much like water bubbling and thus the foundations for alchemical practice have been established.

Within the Daoist tradition, understanding the nature and location of the Ding and the Lu was key to initiating alchemical change as well as beginning the conversion of the three treasures of Jing, Qi and Shen.

If we compare various lines of teachings from within the Daoist tradition we can see how different masters passed different methods onto their students. The variations in the methods being transmitted down through the generations within their school were largely due to the aims of their training. In contemporary Qi Gong schools we can still see today two main models of understanding with regards to how the energetic system works. Each of these models provides a different conceptual outline of the Dan Tien locations. As a student in China I was initially confused by these differences of opinion as I was training with teachers from both lines. Of course each teacher claimed that they had the correct and true transmission whilst my other teachers were mistaken. It was only once I moved deep enough into the alchemical processes of Daoism that I begun to develop an understanding of why these differences had manifested within each teachers training. Firstly let us look at the two different models. Below shows the first and arguably most common model for the location of the three Dan Tien.

The Energetic Model

Here we have the lower Dan Tien situated, as stated above, within the lower abdomen. It’s location will vary from person to person for various reasons. These can include such factors as individual body shape and size, age and even geographical location. This is because the human body is a direct microcosmic manifestation of our outer environment. With regards to the lower Dan Tien, this can be seen as being like the molten core of our planet whilst the equatorial line is manifested within our body as the Dai Mai or ‘girdling meridian’. This meridian runs around our waist as shown below. It actually has several other minor branches which are not depicted but the main pathway of the meridian depicted is the line which has a direct relationship with both the equator and the lower Dan Tien.

 The Equator, the Girdling Meridian and the Dan Tien

People living closer to the equator or even on it will find that the lower Dan Tien actually sits further up within the body whilst those living further from the equator will find the lower Dan Tien is situated lower down. This difference in distance is subtle but as a person who travels extensively it is very clear to feel how the Dan Tien shifts if you are practicing enough to be familiar with its general location. Directly below the lower Dan Tien should sit the perineum and an important meridian point known as Hui Yin. It is here that the alchemical Lu is situated. It is an important task for all practitioners of the internal arts to locate the lower Dan Tien early on in their practice, especially if the conceptual model shown previously is the model used within your system.

The middle Dan Tien sits within the centre of the chest at the height of your heart. Microcosmically this energy centre corresponds to the energy of the sun in men and the moon in women. Nourishing this area of the energy body through directly bathing the chest in either sun or moonlight is a common spiritual practice by many traditions including the Daoists. This is the emotional centre as well as the place in which the mind and our Qi interact with one another.

The upper Dan Tien sits within the centre of the head with the pineal gland being the physical anchor by which this energetic sphere attaches itself to the realm of manifestation.

I tend to refer to this common model of the three Dan Tien as the ‘energetic model’ as it tends to be used by Qi Gong and Nei Gong methods concerned with energetic movement, rotation and refinement. Commonly practitioners are aiming to nourish the body with an increase of Qi from the environment, circulate it more effectively through the body and then finally refine it upwards so that it nourishes the consciousness. There may be a number of variations on this theme but this tends to be the general theory behind those practices which utilise the ‘energetic model’. It is common within medical Qi Gong as well as spiritual Qi Gong and many Nei Gong systems.

The image below shows the second common model for understanding the location of the three Dan Tien.

The Alchemical Model

In this model, the lower Dan Tien is situated right on the perineum itself. It is much smaller than the lower Dan Tien is seen to be within the ‘energetic model’ and its location is non-variable from person to person. The middle Dan Tien is situated within the centre of the body. This is a region of the body commonly known as the ‘yellow court’ and it corresponds to a meridian point known as Zhong Wan. If you wish to locate this area on yourself then measure four fingers width from the upper border of your naval as shown above. This will get you in the rough region; now palpate around a little until you locate a slightly tender region of the body. In many people there is a slight depression to be found as well. The upper Dan Tien, like the previous model, is located within the centre of the head.

I refer to this as the ‘alchemical model’ as it is the view of the energy body commonly used by systems of practice greatly influenced by Daoist alchemy. Unlike pure Qi Gong methods, alchemy aims to work with far more subtle and refined aspects of the body’s energetic substances. These ‘substances’ are drawn directly from the congenital region of our spiritual makeup. Practice at this level is complex and requires in depth instruction to ensure that any success is achieved.

As I mentioned earlier, whichever model is being taught, it is common for the teacher to state that theirs is the correct model. The fact is, both are correct, it just depends upon what your aims are in the practice. The confusion comes when both models use the same term, the Dan Tien, to discuss the energetic conversion centres they are focusing upon. In actual fact the term Dan Tien has become something of a general term for ‘gathering, refining and circulating’ regions of the energetic matrix when it should instead be referring to a specific function; that of storing and generating the ‘Dan’, the alchemical elixir sought out by generations of Daoist practitioners. If truth be told, a Dan Tien is not really a Dan Tien unless a person has actively reached the stage of generating the internal elixir, the alchemical pill which manifests at high levels of an internal alchemists practice. Prior to reaching this stage what you actually have is just a Tien, an energetic field which has the potential to interact with Jing, Qi and Shen in various ways depending upon how you use them.

In order to avoid confusion, when I teach, I use the common names of the three Dan Tien when discussing the energy centres shown in the ‘energetic model’. I then use the alternative, alchemical names for the centres shown within the ‘alchemical model’. When put together what we have is the combined model shown below. This is a model used within more esoteric systems of Daoist practices. These systems use a combination of Qi Gong, Nei Gong and Nei Dan in order to achieve their aims.

The Combined Model

In the combined model we can see that the lowest energetic centre is the Lu, the furnace. Above this is the lower Dan Tien with the Ding, the cauldron, at it’s centre. Above the lower Dan Tien is the yellow court and above this again is the middle Dan Tien. Situated within the centre of the head is the upper Dan Tien; the energetic centre agreed upon by almost all systems of practice.

With this model we can see how the Ding and the Lu interact with and function alongside the three Dan Tien.

The manner in which they work together will vary according to the stage a practitioner has reached. Within my personal teaching I generally take students through an early process using Qi Gong exercises, both moving and stationary. In this case the concerns are shifting energy through the body as well as purging the body of energetic toxins, a substance known as Xie Qi or ‘sick energy/information’. In order to do this more energy is brought into the body via the lower Dan Tien and then circulated through various orbits known commonly as the ‘microcosmic orbits’ or the ‘small water wheels’. The mind is calmed through deep rhythmic breathing and this helps to centre the middle Dan Tien. As the emotional centre starts to grow still this changes the quality of the Qi being circulated. It no longer carries with it the energetic debris of a person’s emotional high and lows. This is much healthier for the body and with continued practice a person will guide healthier energetic information to the various channels and organs of the body.

This establishes a foundation in good health. This is important for a person if they wish to progress steadily onto more alchemical practices. When they are ready to move on then they begin to work with the Ding and Lu in order to generate transformation with regards to how the internal system functions. If we look at the image below we can see how the body’s energetic circulation via the three Dan Tien takes place prior to the introduction of work with the Ding and the Lu.

Standard Energetic Circulation

In this instance the Jing, our essence, moves from the region of the Kidneys down towards the perineum where it starts to go through various natural processes. The first is the generation of body fluids including your sexual fluids. The second is the continuation or our ageing process. The Jing carries within it a seed of information, a kind of inbuilt code if you like that governs the speed and nature of how we age and eventually die. How fast we move through this process depends upon how efficiently we govern our inner processes and how well we look after our health. On top of this, of course, is natural strengths and weaknesses which are an inherent part of all of us. The third function for Jing to carry out is conversion into Qi when it is combined with the air we breathe and the food we eat. Essentially if we breathe effectively and eat healthy food then less Jing will be used in the creation of Qi but there will still always be a certain amount of our Jing being processed into Qi all of the time. This Qi moves upwards into the middle Dan where it converts into Shen and nourishes our intellectual mind. It is for this reason that many Qi Gong practitioners find that their mind grows calmer and more capable with regards to problem solving and similar functions.

During this process we lose energy through dispersal and emotional movements. More than anything our emotional swings and extremes drain us of the Qi we are converting from Jing each second.

Through practices such as Qi Gong we help to make this process more efficient and for many this can be life changing in itself. To be able to generate more energy within the body, feel more vitally charged and more centred in the mind is important on so many levels. Governing this process is the foundation of deeper work, alchemical work using the aspect of the energetic system shown within the ‘alchemical model’. Once we introduce the Ding and the Lu we have the ability to convert the body’s functioning over to the process shown in the image below. This is the beginning of true alchemical change.

The Alchemical Circulation

Through a combination of guidance from a teacher and perseverance a practitioner will be able to engage the process of the Ding and the Lu. As the Lu, the furnace, is ‘lit’ it starts to generate a change within the way that the Jing convert within the body. The interaction of the Lu with the Ding establishes the ‘cauldron’ of conversion within the centre of the lower Dan Tien and in this way the energetic substances of the body begin to ‘cook’. This changes the three processes of the Jing outlined above so that the following changes take place: Firstly the Jing still produces bodily fluids; this does not change. Secondly the ageing process begins to slow down and in many cases even reverse; nothing too extreme, you wont become an infant again, but it is common for thinning hair to become thicker and wrinkles on the face to fade away. It is within this process that the longevity of Daoist practitioners is to be found. It is true that even those who still live an ordinary length life tend to look a lot more youthful in their face than would be expected for their age. I will also let you in on a little secret here. Many people I met in China marvelled at the lack of grey hairs that their teachers had. Students would be amazed at 60-70 year old teachers without even a single grey hair on their head. The truth is that a lack of grey hair is often seen as a hallmark of Qi Gong mastery and consequently many Qi Gong masters in China dye their hair regularly so as to keep up the illusion! The third and most important change in the way that the Jing circulates is that more is converted upwards into Qi and this is added to by the essence contained within the sexual fluids. This essence is extracted by the actions of the Lu furnace and sent upwards to join the Jing being converted into Qi within the lower Dan Tien. The result of this is a far higher degree of vitality as well as a lessening of base sexual desires which were previously generated by the spiritual actions of the sexual fluids. This is an important aspect of the training for many practitioners as overcoming base desires is a serious hurdle to many internal processes.

The increased levels of Qi nourish the body to a far higher degree and this in turn generates a higher degree of Shen. Now instead of nourishing the intellectual mind it instead invigorates a persons deeper underlying consciousness. This is vital for spiritual evolution as a person’s true nature can begin to grow whilst the acquired layers of the mind begin to become less dominant.

This process of transformation must take place for serious practitioners of the Daoist arts as without this kind of work they will forever be stuck within the early, surface stages of their training. Of course, for many this is enough. Those who simply want a deeper level of relaxation and improved vitality, alchemical work is not required. But for those who wish to understand the deeper layers of Daoist transformational practices they must learn to govern and improve the efficiency of their internal processes. This largely requires understanding the conceptual models of the Daoist energetic system as well as the use of the Ding and the Lu.

One simple, but often very underestimated, key to feeling good and having mental strength is to nurture good physical health. A healthy, well-functioning body leads to a well-functioning mind and a body full of energy. There are several ways to promote health and you can incorporate healthy living and mindfulness into many aspects of life. When we are mindful, we do not allow space for unnecessary emotions and arguments to arise. The word emotion is derived from the Latin term emovere, which means “to stir up”. Emotions stir up and set our energy in motion. The movement of emotions can easily lead to some energy being wasted on things, such as created dramas or negative memories that have stayed with us like old angers and sorrows. In Daoism the emotional energy primarily gets expressed through the middle Dan Tien. When the emotional energy is centered it will not be wasted, it will be able to build up and later be refined into Shen, which can be used in meditation. To change and affect ingrained negative thought patterns to the better we need mental effort. When the middle Dan Tien/emotional centre is strong, the energy will be able to rise to the upper Dan Tien and this in turn enables a person to practice spiritual arts. It is experiencing spirituality that will create change deep in the core and the congenital meridians. Before a person has practiced long enough to make the conversion of Jing to Qi to Shen stronger, spiritual exercises will mainly be beneficial for health, but after this stage the process can go much deeper. Two people can perform the same exercise, but depending on how open the energy system is in the two people’s bodies, the practice will have an effect on different levels. There is a major difference in doing spiritual movements depending on how open the meridians are and how efficient the Qi flow is. When the meridians are open and the body is free from stored up mental and physical tensions, the body becomes “empty” and it can start to work as an empty vessel where the energy of Heaven and Earth can come into the body. When energy is not wasted on negative feelings, energy and mental strength will increase massively. Leaving the old negative emotions behind, having our consciousness tuned into what is really important, we will be healthier, more energised, and receive inspiration for how to lead our lives, being in connection with our true Ming. When bad habits change to positive ones, a positive upwards spiral will start to take place. Taking care of our health and emotional balance will lead to more energy and more mental strength etc.

Here are some ways of incorporating mindfulness and health nurturing practices into everyday life. 

Whilst Eating

Chinese medical food therapy – this can be used to strengthen whichever imbalances you have. Food is your medicine. All foods have different qualities and affect or strengthen different organs and bodily functions. With a healthy body it is much easier to have, and maintain, a healthy, strong mind.

Whilst cooking and preparing food – use Chinese food literature to guide you to the best meals for the season and your body type. This is an easy way to learn how to balance and nurture yourself. When CM food therapy is second nature, and when you have awakened your energy system, through, for example, Nei Gong practice, you will have developed an internal and energetic sensitivity. When the lower Dan Tien has been freed up and you can easily tune into your energy system, you can guide yourself to what is most beneficial to eat. You can learn to tune into the foods and feel how its information and energetic frequency affect you. You will be able to feel to which organ energy of the food you have eaten travels, and if it has a positive or negative effect. You will now know what is good for your body as you put it in your mouth or maybe as soon as you see it. When you can do this you do not have to follow the dietary guidelines so intensely, now you can start to use intuition instead. Feel what the body needs rather than what your mind wants to eat. Decide what meal to have by asking yourself what is the healthiest thing for you to eat at this moment, rather than what your desires are. Base it on climate, season, and bodily and mental imbalances. By choosing what to eat according to what your body needs, you will feel refreshed and energized waking up in the morning. For example, some basic signs for Liver disharmonies are: you often feel angry, or easily annoyed; you maybe have eye problems; you might have stuck diaphragm and breathing; you possibly have a bitter taste in your mouth. This indicates that there is an excess of, or stagnated, Liver Qi in the body, and it shows you that you need to consume foods that cool, detox and free up the flow of Qi of the Liver. Green foods would be particularly good because the colour itself is related to the Wood element and the Liver. Examples of these are lightly steamed green vegetables, like broccoli, kale, spinach, and asparagus. Drink chamomile tea and lemon water. Avoid alcohol, fatty greasy foods, and an excess amount of meat because these will add to the imbalance. There is much literature on the subject so I do not need to add long lists of effects of different food types here. A very detailed book that I would recommend you to get is Healing with Wholefoods by Paul Pitchford.

Dao de Jing, verse 35: The Weakness of Sensual Pleasure

Hold onto the Dao and all under Heaven will follow,

The myriad things will live in harmony and peace.

Fine food and good music may please your senses while the Dao is tasteless and soundless.

Good food soon fades away,

Good music soon becomes tiresome,

Yet Dao is eternal and inexhaustible.

Cleanse Body, Mind and Spirit – Regularly take the advantage of longer or shorter detoxes and fasts to give your digestive system a break. This helps clear the digestive tract and benefits the health of all the organs involved in the digestive process. Small, easy, regular detoxes help cleanse the body of built up toxins that are stored in the fat, tissues and digestive tract of the body. During fasting the body begins to use the energy that is normally used for digestion to heal and repair the body instead. It is a very powerful cleanse for both body and spirit. I strongly recommend staying in a retreat setting during a cleanse, because the body will dispel many built up emotional and physical toxins. This process can be very exhausting and it can make you feel very bad during it, or it can make you feel great and have lots of insights, or both. It all depends on how much is built up and how healthy the body is. I recommend staying in a retreat centre because you are trying to shed old, negative stored-up tensions and emotions; this can be very hard if you have everyday normal life around you. It is necessary to take away all external stresses during a fast, because the body will need to use its energy to cleanse and heal the body. Another reason to stay in a detox centre is that you are very likely to feel nauseous, weak, light headed etc, so it is very good that people around you know what you are doing and can help you in case it is needed.

There are many different types of cleanses; total fasting, fasting with colema, just water and liquid supplement fasts, grape fasts or just fasting with 1 type of cleansing steamed vegetable etc. They can vary in lengths but most commonly they are done during 2½ to 7 ½ days. If you have never done it before I strongly recommend starting with a short fast, to see if it feels right for you. It is also important it is done at the right time in your life, when everything is settled and calm around you, not if you have lots of stresses going on in your life. It is also important to read up on the subject a lot before you start, if you need, take help of specialists to figure out which type of cleanse would be best for you. Then you need to come up with a plan of what you are going to consume prior to the fast, during (herbs, supplements, teas, juices etc.) and afterwards. It is important to break the fast in the right way, to enable the digestive system to start up in an easy way again, without causing it problems. Fasting and detoxes can be very beneficial, but they can also be damaging if they are done in a wrong way. I would recommend doing it in a warm place, not somewhere cold because then the body needs food to be able to keep itself warm. For more detailed information read The Dao of Detox by Daniel Reid.

I have found detoxes and fasting beneficial for my body, mind and spirit. It makes me feel light in body and mind, improves physical health and digestion, greatly increases my flexibility, brings clarity of mind and focus and allows me to feel energy much more strongly, especially during Qi Gong and meditation. It is also extremely effective in reducing one of life’s strongest attachments – craving for foods. If you make a conscious decision to not even think about foods you would like to eat, it is also a way of fasting your mind, and it will have a similar effect on your mental desires and senses. If you are into any spiritual practices, it is easy to see how this is beneficial. Because it helps quieten your mind and desires, you will pay more attention to things that are more important in life and you will experience more clarity of mind.

Buy the right type of food for your imbalances – When buying food mainly just choose the items that will strengthen your imbalances of organs and mind. Just put your most beneficial foods on a list and make those types of food a habit to buy. Forget about unhealthy cravings – if you do not buy it in the shop you will not have the possibility of getting something unhealthy from the cupboard. It will be easier to have healthy eating habits, if everything in the cupboards is healthy.

Importance of posture – Sit with good posture whilst eating. This will allow space for the digestive organs to work, and allow Qi to move freely through your body. Breathe well; this allows your diaphragm to move up and down which massages the abdomen and improves digestion. Do not sit still for too long after eating and do not sit in a slumped position. This will inhibit digestion and cause stagnation in the body and digestive tract. As you probably know, it is very beneficial to go for a walk after eating.

Moderation – Practice moderation whilst eating, not greediness; allow this to flow into the rest of life. Dao De Jing on moderation;

 Exert from Dao De Jing verse 67:

I truly have three treasures that are mine to own:

The first is compassion,

The second is moderation,

And the third is humility.

With compassion I am fearless,

With moderation I am giving,

With humility I naturally rise to my natural state.

Find these three treasures to attain transcendence.

Let the digestive organs rest – Keep the stomach free of food in between meals. This will benefit your digestive energy, and your energy in general.

Do not drink much with your meal – the Spleen transforms the food into energy and nutritive Qi for the body much more easily if it is not swamped with liquid. This is not often thought of in the Western world, but is more prominent in some Asian countries. Drink in between meals instead. By drinking more in between meals you will help flush toxins out of your body, keep your body hydrated, have easier bowel movement, feel lighter, alleviate pain and feel more energized. An especially good drink to have is water with lemon or lime in it. It is very energizing, alkalizing and detoxifying. If you have to drink with your meal, have a small or half a cup of hot herbal tea or water. The warmth aids digestion due to the increased warmth/energy given to the Spleen.

Eat organic foods – it is good for you and the planet. Eating foods that are treated with chemicals and pesticides poisons the body. Pesticides and other chemicals that are used inhibit the vegetable’s natural ability to resist bacteria and parasites. This information then transfers into your stomach, making it less able to naturally fight bacteria and fungus.

Some more food for thought – According to Taoism, everything is made up of vibrational frequencies – information and consciousness permeates all. The ancient Taoists and modern quantum physicists both realised this. The information from what we eat goes directly into our physical and energy body and interacts with it. For example, if you eat meat from an animal that, when it was alive, was treated very badly, causing the animal fear, panic, depression and anxiety, this information goes directly into your being and affects it on a physical and conscious level. We are not just causing the animal harm but also ourselves. Therefore it is important to be very conscious if or when you choose meat. There was some interesting research carried out by a man called Cleve Baxter in 1966. He found and recorded on his research equipment that plants, just like other living things, had a reaction just before they were about to be cut into pieces. He even found that the plant reacted to the thought of hurting it. This seems to show that plants are more advanced than humans! He found that he could prevent the negative reaction of the vegetable before they were eaten, by explaining: I have to eat you to sustain my life. The researcher found that his health and energy levels went up dramatically when he changed the way he saw and interacted with plants. This suggests to me that we should be very conscious, respectful and grateful to the food we eat…

Whilst Walking

Nourish the energy of the Kidneys – To benefit your physical health, energy body and posture whilst walking, push off the acupuncture point Kidney 1 (located underneath the ball of the foot). This pulses and activates the point, which then sends more Earth force up the Kidney meridian into the body. This helps energize the body and directs more Qi upwards, which leads to a more upright and healthier posture. A healthy posture is essential for all bodily functions and processes to take place efficiently. Later you can also learn how to expand your Heart energy, raise your Shen and to project out through your eyes at the same time. This balances the energetic relationship of the Heart and the Kidneys.

Whilst Sleeping

Let go of the day – Before going to sleep, let go of the day mentally by using your breath. Use, for example, Sung breathing to release any stored habitual tensions from everyday life. If you do not know how to practice Sung breathing, please read Daoist Nei Gong by Damo Mitchell. By learning how to harmonize your breathing, you will be able to better harmonize your mind and the five Spirits that make up your being – Po, Hun, Shen, Yi and Zhi. This will enable you to sleep well and wake up refreshed.

Sleep practice – later on in the Nei Gong training you can learn sleep practice. It is used particularly to harmonize the relationship of the Hun and the Po, the spirits that make up our soul. The Hun is considered Yang, it is the ethereal and eternal soul. The Po is our mortal soul; it is Yin and the aspect or our mind that connects us to physicality. The Po roots the Hun in physicality, without this foundation the person would be delusional. In Chinese thought it is said that our Hun (Soul) goes wandering during the night into spirit realms. When the Hun and the Po are in balance you stop dreaming. You will only “dream” when the Hun needs to tell/warn you about something in your future. It can warn you about future negative events that are going to take place in your future and Ming/destiny if you carry on living in the way you are, or it can, for example, show you when there is going to be a major change in your life. The Hun and the Po’s relationship give an interesting explanation to why one can feel confused when waking up in the morning. During the night the Hun has been able to move freely in the spirit world, and when awakening one becomes restrained by the Po because it connects us to physicality.

Soul Travel – Another thing you can do whilst sleeping is to practice soul travel. You can leave your body and travel in different realms if you manage to free your Ling from the physical body. In order to be able to do this you usually need to have practiced many years of Nei Gong or other internal practices.

Whilst Sitting

Increase Earth force whilst sitting – Use the opportunity when sitting to bring more energy up from the ground through the acupuncture point Kidney 1: ‘Bubbling Spring’. Do not use the backrest on chairs; always sit further forward so your feet can be lightly pressed into the floor, as this brings more energy up your legs from the ground. This can enable you to feel the bubbling of Qi in the area of the acupoint Ki:1, hence the name ‘Bubbling Spring’. The light pressure from your feet down into the ground and the increased energy flow up the legs also enables your vertebrae to be better pushed open. This will lessen the common problem of spine compression whilst sitting. It is much easier to feel the energy moving if you have already started practicing Nei Gong, but it is easy to get the physical benefit from it straight away. Just make sure your upper body is a little more upright and forward than normal.

Sit on the floor, increase flexibility naturally – Throw out sofas and chairs from at least one room; just sit on the floor on cushions and mats. It is much more natural for the human body than constantly sitting on chairs. It will help to naturally mobilize your body and to keep it supple and flexible by sitting in different positions on the floor.

Practice Spirituality

Practice Internal Arts – Practice Nei Gong or any other type of spiritual arts to awaken your energy system and to help purge old stuck tensions and emotions. Open up your mind and physical body for spirituality and what really matters in life. Do not get lost in triviality.

Break Negative thought patterns – Use conscious effort to break negative thought patterns and habits. Replace reoccurring negative thoughts and feelings with positive ones.

Ethics and morals – Practice ethical and morally right behaviour. Physicality is an illusion, but consciousness is not. Therefore behaviour is very important.

Balance emotions through Qi Gong movements – Use Qi Gong, such as Five Elemental Qi Gong, to aid the balancing of your elemental and emotional make up.

Balance your emotional state through mental effort – Use the theory of the 5 elements, choose your weakest element and strengthen it through Qi Gong, Chinese Medicine food therapy and work to change any negative emotional habits. The human brain is addicted to repeating the same emotional patterns over and over again (for more info watch: What the Bleep do we know?) Look at the emotions and elements you struggle with, use effort to change them and embrace and nurture the virtuous manifestation of them instead. For example, if you have a wood and Liver/Gallbladder related imbalance; and struggle with indecisiveness, inner frustration, anger outbursts, asserting yourself onto others, impatience etc. Just acknowledge your weaknesses but don’t overly worry about them, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Then envision and feel what changes you would like to see in yourself. When you have acknowledged which areas you want to strengthen then you can start to practice; if you are indecisive, practice fast decision making. If you are impatient and have to assert yourself onto others in most situations, make a point of practicing patience and listening to others. It is not easy to just say; change your behavioural patterns, but by knowing where you are going and with help from Nei Gong practice, Qi Gong, Martial Arts, food therapy and acupuncture it will be easier to make the change happen. In Chinese Medicine the organs, emotions and our mental strength are all linked. See the chart underneath to help map out which areas, energies and organs you could strengthen to improve your well-being.

 The 5 Spirits in balance, out of balance and their virtues:

Smile a lot – Smiling slightly pulls the muscles on the sides of the mouth, the front of the neck and the top of the chest. This pulls open the side branches of the Chong Mai on the chest, opens the chest, the Heart energy and the middle Dan Tien. This means that smiling literally makes us happier! The more we smile, naturally we will become happier because of the activation of the Heart energy.

Consider what is really important in life. Do you allow space for this in your life? Does the way you live your life nurture good health, emotional balance, mental strength and spiritual growth for yourself and others?

Live healthily

Use practices to improve your Physical body, Energy body and Spirit.

Follow your natural path to Spirituality and Dao.

Li and Kan – Fire and Water

Within Qi Gong and Nei Gong practices, the merging of Fire and Water refers to bringing the Qi of the Heart and Kidneys into such a state whereby they can communicate with each other. Here there is an alchemical reaction between the two of them whereby the excitable function of the Heart’s energy balances the more reserved energy of the Kidneys. This takes place on an energetic level and is accompanied by tangible sensations of Qi flow within the torso which generate distinct reactions within the body.

The alchemical interaction of Fire and Water through Daoist meditative practices takes a slightly different form as here we are discussing the mental/spiritual/psyche aspects of the Heart and Kidneys rather than their energy. In this case we are discussing the difference between the acquired mind and the congenital mind and the imbalances that have caused our consciousness to divide into two halves in the first place. Here the trigrams of Li and Kan can be discussed as follows.

Li has two Yang lines on the outside representing the virtuous nature of wisdom. Unfortunately, at the centre of these two lines sits a single broken Yin line representing the biases and acquired knowledge which is getting in the way of accessing or trusting our inherent wisdom.

Kan has two broken Yin lines representing mundane thoughts and trivial attachments. They are surrounding a single solid Yang line that represents intuitive understanding of the nature of reality. We could access this intuitive knowledge (and indeed many people do on occasion) if only we could dig it out of the mundane thoughts which are burying it.

Philosophically Fire is said to rise and Water to sink within the body. Since Fire sits above, at the level of the Heart it is inevitable that it will blaze upwards, mostly fuelled by our emotional states, which cause it to move away from the Water energy which it needs to mix with. Water sinks downwards represented by the wastage of our essence which we do not adequately preserve throughout our lives. This causes it to move away from the Hearts energy and in this way we divide these two forces even more. As they divide, they cause the ageing processes to hasten and the formation of the acquired nature (sometimes called the ego) is sped up. Realisation is pulled even further away from us as our mundane thoughts and conditioned thinking overtakes us. The ‘tool’ of the mind has become the master of consciousness and thus elevation of spirit is denied to us. The separation of Fire and Water is shown below:

The Separation of Fire and Water

In order to change this, through alchemy we must mix the energies of Fire and Water which meet halfway at a location within the body known as the Yellow court. If we are to get the two to meet with each other we must locate the Dragon and Tiger and cause them to copulate. Alchemical language like this can be confusing at first, especially when it is also multi-layered but let us see if we can take this apart so that it makes sense.

Firstly, the copulation of the Dragon and the Tiger means different things on different levels. On the level of Jing (physicality) it can actually refer to sexual practices known as dual-cultivation practices. The male is the Dragon and the female is the Tiger. Specific tantric and energetic practices enable these two to combine their energies and so mix the Fire and Water essences with each other through physical union. This would be considered the lowest level manifestation of Dragon and Tiger energies mixing and generally only used within Daoist sects to form a foundation of good health within the physical level of the body. The second level of Dragon and Tiger mixing refers to the energies of the Liver and the Lungs which can interact with each other on the Qi (energy body) level. This would take place within some forms of Qi Gong exercise. The third level can refer to the mixing of the spiritual energies of the pineal and pituitary glands which will produce a fluid which moves through the body restoring health to many of the body’s tissues. This is probably the least used definition of the Dragon and Tiger terminology to be honest and mainly understood in this way within more esoteric Daoist sects concerned with attaining physical rather than spiritual immortality. The final (and most relevant to alchemical meditation practices) is the meeting of the Yin line within the Li trigram with the Yang line within the Kan trigram. As this happens it is said that the positions of Dragon and Tiger have become reversed.

By subtracting the Yin line from the centre of the Li trigram we have found the Dragon. This can only be stirred by finding true stillness in the Heart-Mind through prolonged and diligent sitting practice. This will cause the Yin line to sink downwards as ‘to sink’ is the true nature of Yin. In the early stages of the practice this will enable the Fire energy of the Heart to stabilize and stop rising as it is now anchored into the body by the Yin ‘Dragon’ line. In the same way we must stimulate the Yang ‘Tiger’ line of the Kidneys to movement which will cause it to rise. This lifts the Kan ‘Water’ energy preventing it from sinking as before. Now the ageing process is slowed and the early stages of alchemy have been entered into.

If we can do this for long enough and effectively enough we will cause the two centre lines to meet within the Yellow court. This will result in the two lines ‘copulating’ which reverses the centre lines of Kan and Li. The result is the formation of the Qian and Kun trigrams which are pure Yang (three solid lines) and pure Yin (three broken lines). Now Fire and Water will be gone and alchemically Heaven and Earth have been produced instead. This brings harmony to the body which will in turn lead a practitioner towards true stillness, the emergence of the congenital nature (consciousness) and the dissolution of the acquired mind.

All of this is the precursor to ending the movement of the breath, mind and spirit to generate the three congenital treasures, the key ingredients which form the alchemical agent; the mystical elixir of Daoism