method "was a series of magical procedures endowed with a specific efficacy, allowing one to go into fire without being burned and into water without drowning, in imitation of Master Ning himself. It included a method of guiding the breath, [xingqi], and contained four series of exercises in which rhythmic breathing, retention of breath, and movements of arms, legs, head, and torso were done successively." Each of these series was named after a particular animal: the breath-guiding procedures of the Toad, Tortoise, Wild Goose, and Dragon, with exercises representing the movements and breathing of these animals. For instance, the "Dragon Procedure of Circulating the Breath": Bow the head and look down; remain without breathing (the equivalent of) twelve (respirations). With both hands massage from the belly down to the feet; take the feet and pull them up to under the arms; remain without breathing (the equivalent of) twelve (respirations). Place the hands on the nape of the neck and clasp them there" (Maspero 1981: 549–550). Ceng Cao's (曾造) 12th-century Taijing daoyin yangsheng jing quotes Master Ning: "Guiding the Breath, [xingqi], controls the inside, and Gymnastics, [daoyin], controls the outside." (tr. Maspero 1981: 542). See also Anapanasati, Buddhist mindfulness of breathing Pranayama, Yogic technique for controlling breath References Bishop, Tom (2016), Wenlin Software for learning Chinese, version 4.3.2. Campany, Robert Ford (2002), To Live as Long as Heaven and Earth: A Translation and Study of Ge Hong's Traditions of Divine Transcendents, University of California Press. Despeux, Catherine (2008), "Xingqi 行氣 Circulating Breath," in Fabrizio Pregadio (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Taoism, Routledge, 1108. Eberhard, Wolfram (1968), The Local Cultures of South and East China, Alide Eberhard, tr. Lokalkulturen im alten China, 1943, E.J. Brill. Engelhardt, Ute (2000), "Longevity Techniques and Chinese Medicine," in Kohn Daoism Handbook, E. J. Brill, 74-108. Eskildsen, Stephen (2015), Daoism, Meditation, And the Wonders of Serenity – From the Latter Han Dynasty (25-220) to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), SUNY Press. Harper, Donald (1998), Early Chinese Medical Literature: The Mawangdui Medical Manuscripts, Kegan Paul. Huang, Jane (1998), The Primordial Breath: An Ancient Chinese Way of Prolonging Life through Breath Control, revised ed., 2 vols., Original Books. Komjathy, Louis (2003), Handbooks for Daoist Practice (Complete Series: 10 Volumes), Yuen Yuen Institute. Kroll, Paul W. (2017), A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese (rev. ed.), E.J. Brill. Luo Zhufeng 羅竹風, chief ed., (1994), Hanyu da cidian ("Comprehensive Dictionary of Chinese"),