Excerpt
andlt;Bandgt;From Chapter 2andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Wisdom Chi Kung Theoryandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Western science has discovered that when people are heavy thinkers, when they worry a lot, are full of anger, jealousy, hatred, or other negative emotions, their brain activity can consume 80 percent of all their total body energy. The brain is a heavy user of energy and when it begins to use its energy, it doesnand#8217;t stop if it is not told to. The rest of the body has only 20 percent of its energy to use for all the other intricate functions needed for daily activity. You can imagine why at the end of the day most people go home and and#8220;veg outand#8221; in front of the television. There is no energy in the body left to do anything. andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; One of the things that many religions have tried to do through meditation is to discover how to stop people from thinking. How do you stop the monkey mind from spinning constantly? In this chapter, we will introduce you to the monkey mind concept, how to recognize it when it begins, and how to respond correctly to its perpetual activity. andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The whole secret of the Wisdom Chi Kung practice is just to smile down, relax, picture the eyes like a and#8220;sun shining on the waterand#8221;; suddenly you will start to feel something like steam starting to rise from your sacrum. You will feel this energy move up and begin to charge the brain. Now, if you expand the mind out and connect with the universe, you can bring the universal energy back and store it in the organs. When that energy is transformed and charged back up to the brain, it will bring the brain functioning to a new level. This energy has been transformed and digested so that the brain can use it effectively. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Taoist Meditation and Breathing to Begin Wisdom Chi Kungandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;To begin the practice, we always learn to expand our breath before the practice begins. Any time you are sitting down for meditations this preparation is very important. We will do the spinal cord breathing in the sitting position. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;1. Sitting on the sitz bones, sit on the edge of the chair, spine erect, feetandlt;BRandgt;touching the ground. This way the lumbar will be open, the energyandlt;BRandgt;can circulate, and you can rock on the base of the spine. If you sitandlt;BRandgt;and cannot rock, this means you are sitting on the tailbone, whichandlt;BRandgt;impedes the circulation of energy.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;2. Inhale and exhale first 9 times, then 18 times, finally 36 times. Breatheandlt;BRandgt;in through the nose and out through the mouth and imagine the breathandlt;BRandgt;pumping through the spine, elongating and expanding the vertebrae.andlt;BRandgt;Rock the kidney, smile down to the spine. This breathing is very peaceful;andlt;BRandgt;just sit, breathe, rock, and smile to the spine and the organs.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;3. When you have finished the 36th repetition, rock the spine, one vertebraeandlt;BRandgt;at a time, starting with the lumbar and working all the way upandlt;BRandgt;through the 24 stories to the cervical spine.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;4. Rocking the sacrum and the lumbar back and forth on the sitz bonesandlt;BRandgt;will activate the sacral pump. This movement is called and#8220;riding theandlt;BRandgt;horse.and#8221; It is very useful because it creates good movement of theandlt;BRandgt;bones along the whole length of the spine--these are very smallandlt;BRandgt;movements, very internalized. When you rock like this throughoutandlt;BRandgt;the meditation, you create a vibration rising up the spine from theandlt;BRandgt;base of the coccyx and the lower lumbar area, activating the sacralandlt;BRandgt;pump.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;5. Rock with spinal cord breathing (see chapter 4 for more details),andlt;BRandgt;allowing the energy to flow up the entire length of the spine, activatingandlt;BRandgt;all three spinal pumps--the sacrum, the door of life, and theandlt;BRandgt;cranial pump--and feeding energy to the brain.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;6. To help activate the cranial pump use the and#8220;Crane Neck,and#8221; pressing theandlt;BRandgt;tongue to the roof of the mouth. The nature of your saliva can giveandlt;BRandgt;you a sign that the energy is moving. When the saliva comes out in aandlt;BRandgt;big rush, very sweet and fragrant, youand#8217;ll know that the cranial pumpandlt;BRandgt;is open. When energy charges up to the brain and the brain starts toandlt;BRandgt;activate, it starts to secrete a very sweet fragrant substance (nectar) thatandlt;BRandgt;is very nourishing and healing for the rest of the body.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;7. As the saliva moves, feel warmth coming back to the navel and theandlt;BRandgt;door of life. Move your hand, touch the navel, remember keep theandlt;BRandgt;Tan Tien warm and keep the door of life warm. At the Tanandlt;BRandgt;Tien, feel a connection with the brain secreting the sweet nectar. Feelandlt;BRandgt;the pumps activated and the organs smiling. Your eyes are like the sunandlt;BRandgt;shining on water.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;8. Move your hand near your heart, activate the heart fire, and makeandlt;BRandgt;your heart soft. Feel the love and remember to keep the Tan Tienandlt;BRandgt;warm. The heart will charge energy right into the center of the brain.andlt;BRandgt;This love and joy from the heart fills the brain and transforms negativeandlt;BRandgt;energy. When the sun is shining on water, the water changes toandlt;BRandgt;steam.andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; We can integrate this loving energy into the beginning of the andlt;BRandgt;Wisdom Chi Kung practice, expanding and furthering the practice andlt;BRandgt;in the next chapter.