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Laurene Powell Jobs promoting US immigration reform with new websiteLaurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, has given a rare interview to promote her new website advocating the "Dream Act" for immigration reform.
Powell Jobs spoke with Yahoo's The Lookout news blog and revealed her interest in the Dream Act was sparked by College Track an after-school program she founded in 1997 to help underprivileged high school students prepare for college.
The website is called "The Dream is Now," and it can be found at thedreamisnow.org. It features videos from illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children the same people who would be aided by the "Dream Act," which provides an opportunity for permanent residency.
Powell Jobs completed the project, which launched on Tuesday, with filmmaker Davis Guggenheim. He was previously responsible for the films "An Inconvenient Truth," which features former U.S. vice president and current Apple board member Al Gore, as well as "Waiting for Superman."
The Dream Act has floated around congress since it was first introduced in 2001, but has failed to pas. It would allow people under the age of 30 who illegally entered the U.S. before they were 15 and who have lived here for more than five years to earn legal status. From there, they could potentially become U.S. citizens.
Laurene Powell Jobs at the 2012 State of the Union address.
Powell Jobs said she and Guggenheim wanted to enact a "demystification" that would "put a face to these people." The website offers their individual stories in an effort to support passage of the Dream Act.
Last year's State of the Union Address was attended by Powell Jobs after she was invited by President Barack Obama. The widow of Steve Jobs was seated behind First Lady Michelle Obama in the balcony box of the U.S. House of Representatives.
On Topic: General
- Tech shuttle drivers approve Teamsters contract, Apple working with contractors to raise pay
- This week on AppleInsider: Apple Watch at Best Buy, Apple Music numbers, Apple TV news & more
- IBM reportedly plans to purchase up to 200K MacBooks for employees
- Facebook completes first full-scale drone for spreading Internet access to remote regions
- AppleInsider podcast talks Apple Watch at Best Buy, rumored iPads, Steve Jobs movies & an Apple car

subset: commoncrawl


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NYU student Asher Vongtau rescued after getting stuck between buildings for 36 hours
Student was found conscious while stuck in an 18" gap
Tom Mendelsohn
Tom Mendelsohn is The Independent's online student editor. It's a cliché, but he truly does believe that children are our future.
Monday 04 November 2013
A student from New York is in serious condition after he survived a 10-storey fall, only to end up trapped between two buildings in an 18-inch crawlspace for 36 hours.
Asher Vongtau, 19, is currently being treated in hospital following his ordeal, after he was freed from a tiny cavity between a parking garage and an New York University dorm building in lower Manhattan.
Vongtau, from Pittsburgh, was only found after worried friends reported his disappearance – and rescuers heard his cries for help.
It is not certain how he fell; he was last seen by friends early on Saturday, apparently running frantically up a stairwell after a false fire alarm, having left his room.
"I don't want to elaborate on what we were doing in there,'' fellow student Mike Yablon, 19, told The New York Post.
Vongtau wasn't reported missing to school officials until Saturday night, and at first they thought it was a prank.
"They didn't want to check the cameras until tomorrow," said Yablon. "We finally got them to go check it out, and they found his cellphone up there [on the dorm roof]."
Rescuers report that he was conscious when they found him on Sunday evening, and that it took "about an hour and a half to get him out", as they had to break down a wall
"We had our companies use pneumatic tools to extricate the victim,'' Fire Chief Joseph Schiralli told The Post.
"I'm just completely stunned — he's actually one of those responsible kids,'' his mother said as she prepared to visit him in hospital.
His condition is described as "serious but stable".
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Transcript of "The eight-extraordinary-meridians-qigong"
1. THE EIGHT EXTRAORDINARY MERIDIANS QIGONG James MacRitchie 1
What's in a name? Qigong, Chi Kung, Chee Gung... 'Qi' is also at times written as 'Chi', but is pronounced 'Chee'. 'Gong' is also written as 'Kung' and 'Gung'. 'Qi' means Energy, Vitality or Life.'Gong' means Working, Developing or Cultivating. So, Qigong can mean 'Working with Energy' 'Developing Vitality' or 'Cultivating Life' The author's preferred term, and the titles of his books, is Chi Kung - however - Qigong is used in this document because it isnow the predominant term in use internationally. 2
Hello, and Welcome to this document on Qigong.I hope this information is as valuable to you as it has been to me, and many others. Qigong increases the energy and life inside you. Try it, and find out for yourself. Jim MacRitchie 3
About This DocumentThis document is a PDF files, which means that the pages are fixed,as if they were photocopies, and cannot be changed. The pagedesign and layout is important to illustrating and understandingthe information.It has been designed to be used in a number of ways.- You can just read it off the computer.- You can print out on your own printer - section by section, oras one complete document.- It can be sent by email, or downloaded and taken to a photocopyor printshop who will print and bind it.- It can be printed out as a complete double-sided book.- It is designed with odd numbered pages on the right side, andeven numbered pages on the left, so that double-page spreadsface each other, therefore there are some blank pages in places.Please set your computer display to show it this way.- You can also send it to anybody, anywhere, over the internet,the world wide web, as it is condensed into a very small filesize of just over 1 megabyte, about the size of an averagephotograph. It can be sent as a simple 'attachment'.- An audio version is available, where the practices are led asif you were in a class. Details are in the Afterword section.This material is copyrighted, but there is no charge or cost. Ifyou are reading this it belongs to you, and you can pass it on orgive it away to whoever else you think would benefit from learningabout Qigong and doing these most valuable practices.Good Wishes. 4
Part I AN INTRODUCTION TO QIGONG Part IITHE EIGHT EXTRAORDINARY MERIDIANS TRAINING PROGRAM Book Review QIGONG FEVERBody, Science and Utopia in China David A. Palmer 5
AN INTRODUCTION TO QIGONGPreface- What Is Qigong?- Your Energy System- How It Works- A Language Of Energy- Applications- Qigong In Everyday Life- The Environment and Ecology- The Future Of Qigong- Summary- Practices To Experience Your Own QiAfterword 6
PREFACEIt is strange to say that if you are a 'Westerner' you maybe reading about Qigong for the first time, but if you are an'Easterner' this will be as familiar as breathing, eating andwalking.How can this be, that part of the world knows about Qigong sinceearliest pre-history, and another major part of the world is nowhearing about it for the first time?Being a Westerner myself I asked that question, and came up withsome remarkable answers.But, before proceeding, I should state that by 'West' and 'East'I do not mean geographical locations. These terms are used inthe way they have commonly come to describe the cultures thatdeveloped from Greco-Roman tradition, and those that originatedfrom China - they are used here in that general sense.The three most surprising answers were:First, this knowledge has been held in secrecy in China and theEast - reserved for the aristocracy, monks, doctors, martialartists and the most privileged. It was taught by word of mouth.Everybody knew about it, but only the elite few knew how to doit. This was one of their most precious possessions, and a sourceof power and authority, and they guarded it jealously.Secondly, there is no knowledge or understanding of the humanEnergy System in the West, there is no tradition or history - fora variety of questionable reasons. There is no equivalence toAcupuncture and the energetics of Oriental medicine, which formsthe basis of Eastern health care, fitness and spirituality. Thereis nothing to compare it to in the West.Thirdly, the organization and architecture of the mind andthought is different. The language and writing is different.Quite simply, the East and the West think differently. Andtherefore the two traditions experience themselves, and theirrelationship to the world and nature, in different ways. 7
In fact, it may be that the understanding of Qi/Energy is theprimary difference between East and West.There are, no doubt, many other reasons why the West has notknown about Qigong, but in the observation and experience of thisauthor these are some of the main ones.However, with the opening up of the world over the last century,and now instant global communication and the Internet, thisinformation can be spread and shared in a way never beforepossible. The first book this author wrote on the topic, whichis embedded in this document, had to be written, designed andprinted on paper, sailed across oceans in ships, trucked inlorries to warehouses, to eventually be unpacked from boxes andplaced on shelves in bookstores, in the hope that somebody wouldbuy it - usually to cover the cost of the above procedure. Thiswas in 1993 - just 15 years ago.Now, if you are reading this document it is yours. It belongs toyou, right now. You own it. And you can send it to anybody youwish, anywhere in the world, at the touch of a button.The most important and closely guarded secrets of one of theworld's oldest cultures have now become instantly available forfree.Why Free?• Because the world needs this knowledge now.• If I tried to sell it, you may not get it... or be able to afford it.• It is copyrighted through GNU Free Documentation License, but there is no charge or cost for its use.• And because Qigong has important personal, social and global consequences.On a personal level it is about health and well-being, relieffrom pain, suffering and illness, aging well, clarity of mind,and promoting peace, happiness and long life. 8
On a social level it is about understanding more of yourrelationship with the energy of the community, society andculture around you, and how they effect and interact with you -and vice versa.On a Global level it is about correct function and management ofyour own energy system, to maximize its operation and efficiency,and minimize the need and use of external energy sources and theenvironment. It addresses 50% of the Global Energy Crisis - ourown personal energy.It is about understanding what we truly are, and how we reallywork, and what we can do about it. It is about emotional,psychological and spiritual health. It is about each person beingat their best.Qigong is the missing piece of Western civilization.But it has not been much available in China itself either, for avariety of reasons.China is complex, and quite different from the West. The Chineseare justly proud of their long history and accomplishments, andtheir new status as a world leader. But they do things differentlythan in the West. China was ruled by Emperors for the whole ofits 2,000+ year history, until the last century. It has neverbeen a democracy. Power has always been from the top down,not the bottom up - it has never been any other way. This hasrecently caused considerable misunderstanding and friction withthe West in the areas of human rights and freedom.The simple truth is that the Chinese authorities just don't 'get'Democracy. They do not understand it because they have neverexperienced it. It makes no sense to them - for them the leaderslead, and the people do what they are told. Their social systemis Authoritarian, and it has always been that way.The story of Qigong in China over the last 60 years and itsinteraction with Governmental Authority is fascinating, and isdescribed in the excellent book 'Qigong Fever - Body, Scienceand Utopia in China' by David Palmer who looked at it all froma sociologist's point of view. It tells the whole story of whathappened, from the 'discovery' by the Communist troops in 9
World War II, through the wide-spread popularity as a 'massmovement', the scientific research and the opening of Qigonghospitals and clinics in the 1970s and '80s, to the crack down inthe '90s. What happened may be best summarized in the followingquote:"The Qigong Movement was born during the Mao era, reached itszenith in the post-Mao reform years of Deng Xiaoping, andimploded under Jiang Zemin".'Qigong Fever' is fascinating reading and should be read byanybody seriously interested in understanding what actuallyhappened in recent years to Qigong in China itself. There is areview of this book by myself, which is attached at the end ofthis document for those people interested.Hopefully the following 'Introduction to Qigong' and theaccompanying 'Eight Extraordinary Meridians Qigong TrainingProgram' will give you an overview to what you can do toenable you to practice Qigong yourself, as it already has forhundreds of students. It is the product of 30 years practiceas a Classical Acupuncturist, 25 years teaching Qigong, andtwo trips to China. It is the condensed version of three bookson the topic. It is the result of creating the National Qigong(Chi Kung) Association USA, attending multiple internationalconferences, studying with numerous teachers, and being as widelyexposed as possible. It is the author's life's work to date.For whatever it is worth to you, and whatever sense it makes toyou or questions it answers, it is given in respect and gratitudefor having learned this work from my various teachers and thelineage of the tradition.And it is given in the spirit of a personal gift to whoever mayreceive it, to pass on to you the most important thing that wasever given to me, one of the greatest secrets of energy and life- Qigong.James MacRitchieBoulder, Colorado.Summer 2008. 10
AN INTRODUCTION TO QIGONGWHAT IS QIGONG?In translating from Chinese into English there is not a singleequivalence of one word into another. There are often multipleinterpretations. Qigong does not have a singular exact meaning,not least because there is no equivalent or comparison inthe West.'Qi' means Energy, Vitality or Life.'Gong' means Working With, Developing or Cultivating.So, Qigong can mean- Working with Energy,- Developing Vitality, or- Cultivating Life.It is a collective name given to a vast array of practices thathave been developed over 2,500 years, by one of the world'soldest cultures. At the time of writing it is not the year 2008in China, but 4706.There are different styles, traditions, systems, schools,teachers... all with their own unique way of doing it.There are hundreds, some say thousands, of forms of Qigong. Thecomparison could be with music or dance. How many ways are thereto play the piano or move to music? 11
Most Qigong are external forms of movement and exercise, whichare known as 'Wei Gong'. Others are internal, similar tomeditation, and these are known as 'Nei Gong'.Nei Gong is the basis of the accompanying set of practices calledEight Extraordinary Meridian Qigong.However, all of the styles of Qigong have one thing in common,one fundamental basis that they all share - the human energysystem. They all operate and function in terms of the anatomyand physiology of the energy system, its structure and function,which follows as exact and specific principles and rules as all ofthe other human biological systems.Following is an brief overview of this energy system.YOUR ENERGY SYSTEMThe energy system according to Qigong is most familiar throughAcupuncture. However, it should be noted that 'Acupuncture' isnot the name this practice is called in China - there it iscalled Zhen Jou, which translates simply into Needle and Heat.The name Acupuncture was apparently invented by a Jesuit priestwhen he saw it being performed in China in the 11th century. Ithas now become mainstream in Western cultures and can be foundanywhere. Acupuncture has been a virtual revolution in healthcare in the West in the past 50 years. When the author began hisAcupuncture practice in Boulder, Colorado, a city of 100,000people, just over 25 years ago/a mere quarter of a century, hewas the only registered practitioner in the town - now thereare over 100 practitioners fully licensed by the State, and twoschools. The reason for this is very simple and straightforward- it works, because it works with the Energy System that is thecontrol system or blueprint for everything else.Qigong does the same, except that you do it yourself. It is goingto be a similar revolution as Acupuncture, but in Self Care.The energy system consists of pathways or lines of energy whichare called Meridians or Channels. Please take note that theterms pathways, meridians and channels are interchangeable, andmay appear in different ways in this document. In Chinese, a wordcommonly used is 'Mo', as in 'Du Mo' or 'Ren Mo'. 12
There are 20 major channels.Twelve of these relate to specific internal organs or functions,which are: Heart, Small Intestine, Bladder, Kidneys, Pericardium,Triple Heater, Gall Bladder, Liver, Lungs, Large Intestine,Stomach and Spleen. Along each meridian are 'points' which havevery specific functions. The 14 Main Meridian ChannelsEight of these channels are known as the Extraordinary Meridians.Of these '8 Extras' only two have points of their own - theothers leapfrog and criss-cross over the points on the otherchannels. 13
The Eight Extraordinary Meridians Governor/Du Mo Conception/Ren MoBridge/Yang Qiao Mo Bridge/Yin Qiao Mo 14
The Eight Extraordinary Meridians Belt/Dai Mo Thrusting/Chong MoLinking/Yang Wei Mo Linking/Yin Wei Mo 15
These 8 Extras are divided into two sets of four each - a primaryset and a secondary set.The four primary ones operate within the torso, and are known as:- Governor Channel/Du Mo,- Conception Channel/Ren Mo,- Belt Channel/Dai Mo, and- Thrusting Channel/Chong Mo.The four secondary ones, which back-up or support the primary setand run into the arms and legs, are known as:- Yang Bridge/Yang Qiao Mo,- Yin Bridge/Yin Qiao Mo,- Yang Linking/Yang Wei Mo, and- Yin Linking/Yin Wei Mo.These 8 Extras may be accessed and controlled by a specialgroup of points called the Master and Coupled Points, which aredescribed in detail later.Together with some sub-branches and connecting channels, these20 meridians/channels/pathways constitute the full number ofchannels in the body familiar in Acupuncture. Nobody has any moreor less.However, there is another set of important centers usedparticularly in Qigong. These are called the Three Tan Tien,which can be translated as The Three Elixir Fields or the ThreeEnergy Centers. These are located in the core of the body alongthe Chong Mo. They are located in the lower abdomen, the centerof the chest and the middle of the head.The Three Tan Tien contain The Three Treasures, which are knownas Jing, Qi and Shen, which can be translated as Essence, Energyand Spirit. The Three Treasures are considered to be the mostimportant possession a person has, and are nurtured, cultivatedand protected. See the accompanying illustrations and diagram.Qigong works by operating and affecting these channels and centers- to increase the volume and heighten the frequency of yourenergy, and put it under your conscious control. 16
The Three Tan TienThe Union Of The Three Treasures - Jing, Qi, Shen 17
HOW IT WORKSThere are basic laws and rules by which these pathways work.They are based upon the principles of the The Dao, which can betranslated as the Way of Nature.Daoism is one of the oldest philosophies in China. It predatesrecorded history. Daoism is concerned with understandingthe correct nature of events and how things work. It can beunderstood as the Chinese equivalent of the Western word,Science. In the same sense, Science can be understood asWestern Dao.There is another aspect of Daoism which became its religiousversion - there is a Daoist Church, with its own Pope, priests,nuns, temples and rituals, but none of that is described ortouched upon here. The Daoism described here is its secularnon-religious aspect.Daoism is described in the well-known books the Dao De Ching- 'The Book Of The Way And Its Virtue', and the I Ching -'The Book of Changes', amongst many other great classics.The Dao operates according to specific laws. There are many ofthese, with levels of subtleties, indeed there are scholars whodeal with nothing else. However, the primary ones used here are:Wu Ji, Yin Yang, The Eight Principles, The Five Elements, theTable of Correspondences, The Eight Trigrams and Wu Wei. 18
Wu JiWu Ji means The Great Nothingness, the ground of all being, thatwhich existed before anything else came into existence.Yin YangYin Yang is the division into two separate poles, sometimescalled positive and negative. This is familiar through the well-known symbol, which is now ubiquitous - from high philosophy toskateboards, medicine to earrings. There are five principles ofYin and Yang: Everything has a Yin and Yang aspect; Every Yin andYang can be further divided; Yin and Yang create each other; Yinand Yang control each other; Yin and Yang can each transform intothe other.The Eight PrinciplesYin and Yang polarity form the basis in Oriental Medicine of whatis known as The Eight Principles. This is a way of understandingand describing the state and condition of the Qi according toeight parameters. There are four pairs of opposites - Yin/Yang, Interior/Exterior, Deficiency/Excess, and Cold/Hot. Forinstance, a person may have an internal energy condition thatcould be described as yin, interior, deficient and cold -or- yang,exterior, excessive and hot. In a practical sense this allows fora way of thinking about a specific condition or situation, andtherefore to be able to decide on a course of action to take thatwould resolve the differences and then bring things back intocorrect balance. 19
The Five ElementsThe Five Elements are known as Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal andWater. This is a way of understanding and describing the natureof things in basic categories according to their inherentqualities. There are many ways in which the Five Elements caninteract together, and these differences form the basis for wholeschools of thought in Daoism.It is perhaps easiest to understand the Five Elements inrelationship to the seasons of the year. The succession of theseasons is the basic condition under which all life has evolved.This is so fundamental that we tend to not even notice it asbeing our primary pre-condition; just as if we asked fish what itwas like to swim in water, they might answer, incomprehensibly"What's water?".The seasons are based on the rotation of the Earth around the Sunat approximately a 23.5 degree angle off its axis. Some currentscientific opinion is that this angle is caused by the gravitationeffect of the moon. The seasons always follow the same sequence,always have and always will. They never miss one, or jump one,or go in the opposite direction. They are stable and predictableand provide the basic metronome of life. Although in the West weconsider there to be four seasons, in Daoism there are five. Thefamiliar Western sequence is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter;however, in the Daoist view it is considered that the period ofLate-Summer (sometimes called Indian Summer) is a separate anddistinct season of its own, the point of balance and harmony. 20
Each of these seasons has a particular quality to it, whichreflects its character and nature. Each of these qualities isdescribed in terms of an Element or Phase. These Five Elementstranslate as Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Wood is thepower or force which motivates things to grow in the Spring;Fire is the heat and activity which reaches a peak in Summer;Earth is the ground which provides a foundation for everything,reaching the center point of Late Summer; Metal is the mineralswhich return to the ground in Fall; Water is the snow and ice ofWinter.The Five Elements and seasons also have corresponding organsrelated to each one.- Spring/Wood is the Liver and the Gall Bladder.- Summer/Fire is the Heart and Small Intestines, and also the Pericardium and Triple Heater.- Late Summer/Earth is the Spleen-Pancreas and the Stomach.- Fall/Metal is the Lungs and the Large Intestine.- Winter/Water is the Kidneys and the Bladder. The Five Elements 21
In addition there are many more relationships of the FiveElements, including the emotions, which are illustrated in thefollowing Table of Correspondences.The Table Of Correspondences.This is the classical Chinese way of understanding our holisticnature and the relationship between all of our different parts.These relationships are expanded into many other aspects oflife, and provide the basic foundation for this comprehensiveand integrated way of looking at, and experiencing, the World.This way of seeing things ties all of the different aspectsof ourselves into one integrated and interrelated whole.For example: the physical level of organs, senses, tissues,functions; the emotional level of our basic feelings; the mentallevel of our abilities of planning, decision making, willpower,differentiation, sorting, control etc; and the various dimensionsand levels of our spirit.The Table of Correspondences also extends into the relationshipsof colors, sounds, odors, times of day, flavors, etc. It isan understanding of the relationships of all our parts, andtherefore is one of the original Holistic views of the world.It is Internal Ecology. It is worthy of our best attention andconsideration. It provides a foundation for an integrated viewand comprehension of who and what we are, and how we operate andfunction, which has withstood the most rigorous test and scrutinyof all - the test of time. 22
The Five Levels of The Five Elements 23
The Eight TrigramsThe Eight Trigrams, or 'Ba Gua', is a system of understandingthat describes the basic nature of change, how it works, and howto work with it. It is considered by some people to be a diagramof the primary dynamics of reality.The Trigrams consist of eight sets of three lines. The top linerepresents Heaven. The bottom line represents Earth. The middleline represents Humankind. These lines can be either Yang whichare unbroken, or Yin which are broken. The two primary trigramsare full Yang and full Yin, representing Heaven and Earth. Whenany of these lines change into their opposite, they create one ofsix possible permutations - Thunder, Water, Mountain, Wind, Fire,and Lake.The trigrams can be placed in particular relationships toeach other in the form of an eight-sided figure, the Ba Gua.There is an Earlier Heaven (Ho Tu) and a Later Heaven (Lo Shu)arrangement, which corresponds to the pre-natal and post-natalcirculations of energy. Earlier Heaven Ba Gua Later Heaven Ba Gua 24
Wu WeiThe term Wu Wei describes an attitude to The Dao and life. Itis a way of looking at the world and what happens, and actingappropriately. Wu Wei has been translated as 'non-action' or'non-interference'- however, in the opinion of the author thishas often wrongly been understood as meaning 'doing nothing'. Onthe contrary, it means being in such Harmony with the Dao thateverything happens as it should, of its own accord. It may alsobe described as correctly understanding something in terms of itsenergy dynamics, and then taking the appropriate action.This has been called 'The Water Way', because the essentialnature of water is to fill whatever it comes to, and then keepon flowing. Sometimes it is indeed appropriate to not interfere,but at other times it is necessary to put every last ounce ofeffort and resources into something. You do the correct action/non-action in the situation. We all have the experience of doingsomething exactly right, so that it all went perfectly.This is Wu Wei.The State of HealthSo what is the state of energy-health? How is it measured,assessed, described?The state of correct functioning of your energy/control-system/blueprint can be described as when it works the way it isdesigned to, and how it is supposed to. This has five particularand specific characteristics that can be described as being whenyour energy has:1. BALANCE, and2. FREE-FLOW, with3. THE RIGHT QUALITY,4. GOOD VOLUME, and5. CORRECT RELATIONSHIPSWhen you have these five characteristics then you have thenecessary foundation for the state of health and correctfunction. Your give yourself the Best Option. 25
The PulsesAcupuncturists and Oriental Doctors can technically measure thiscondition by feeling/palpating 12 separate pulses on the wrists,as well as other indications such as a person's color, the soundof their voice, the spirit in the eyes, the odor, the mannerismsand emotions etc. The pulses are a unique characteristic of themeridian system. They are the basic way in which the Chi in the12 major meridians, and therefore a person's energy, is readand monitored clinically. Each of the 12 organs/officials has aseparate and distinct pulse, which can be felt and "read" by thefingertips of a trained and experienced practitioner. These pulsesare located on the radial artery of the wrist, and they may alsobe felt at the ankle and neck.There are three positions on each wrist, one at the normalposition for feeling the heart-rate pulse, opposite the styloidprocess, then another a fingertip in front of this, and the thirdposition a fingertip behind. In each position there are two levels— one superficial, the other deep, so therefore there are sixpositions on each wrist, making a total of 12 pulses altogether.This a most revealing and comprehensive technique, and it islimited only by the skill and experience of the practitioner. Reading 'The Pulses' Pulse positions and their Correspondences 26
A LANGUAGE OF ENERGYEnergy is Life, but a Language of Energy does not exist in theWest. To discuss the experience of Qigong we need an 'EnergyLanguage'. Language gives us both a means of expressing andcommunicating meaning, experience, and sensation, and a way ofunderstanding these things ourselves.Without an Energy Language we have no way of describing andunderstanding our energy, or how to work with, control or developit. Without an Energy Language we are limited to vague, amorphouswords and strange gestures, instead of having meaningful,interesting and stimulating dialogues. Without an Energy Languagewe cannot discuss it with others or compare it with another'sexperiences.The way in which someone learns how their energy feels is byfirst doing a particular practice and then paying attention tothe effect, and thereby getting the feedback. In this way youwill build-up an Energy Language vocabulary and will slowlyand gradually create your own internal library of memories andrecords of how this feels. Doing the practices, reading thesensations, and remembering and recording them, is the best wayto learn. It requires a passive and receptive attitude of mind.This section proposes an 'Energy Language', to initiate andstimulate a dialogue between teachers, practitioners and others,and to devise a means of talking about energy experiences so thatpeople can discuss them in meaningful ways.Language, any form of language - movement, sound, images... -is inherent in the structure, the hardware, of our brains; theimportant issue is how it relates to meaning, which in turnrelates to our internal sensations and feelings. A language isa means of expressing and communicating internal feelings andsensations.Qigong takes this one step further, by looking at how feelingsand sensations are based upon our internal energy states. Thiscould be simply described in the following diagram, whichoperates in both directions:Language > < Meaning > < Sensations and Feelings > < Energy State 27
To develop a useable Energy Language in the West we need todescribe the meaning of the sensations and feelings of variousenergy states in simple, common and familiar Western terms.The following is a proposal for an Energy Language of sensationsand feelings, based upon classical Chinese principles of ourenergy anatomy and physiology, and upon principles the author hasfound to be true through personal practice and teaching.The four components of an Energy Language are:- Yin Yang,- The Five Elements,- The Percentage Scale, and- Volume Control.Yin YangYin and Yang are the two basic divisions of everything. Theyare the polarities. Someone mainly knows something by comparingand contrasting it against something else. Although thereare numerous ways that this could be defined, the three majorcategories discussed here are Quality, Movement and Position.Sensations of Qualities:YIN YANGLight HeavyEmpty FullWeak StrongDull TinglingMurky ClearDark LightSensations of Movement:YIN YANGStill MovingSinking FloatingFalling RisingStuck FlowingContracting Expanding 28
Sensations of Position:YIN YANGBottom TopBelow AboveDown UpRight LeftFront Back CenterThe above are terms of quality, movement and position whichdescribe something in relationship to its opposite - its Yin andYang aspect.The Language Of The 5 ElementsThe 5 Elements, which are sometimes also known as the 5 Phases,are basic to the Daoist way of looking at the world. They are away of understanding the essence of something. They are not incomparison to an opposite, but a description of their own basicirreducible nature.The following is a description of the 5 Elements and the relatedorgans, temperature, color and direction. Wood Fire Earth Metal WaterOrgans: Liver Heart Spleen Lungs Kidneys Gall Bl Sm. Int Stomach Large Bladder Pericardium Intestine Triple HeaterTemp: Warm Hot Mild Cool ColdColor: Green Red Yellow White BlueBlackDirection: Right Up Center Left DownThe two components of Yin Yang and 5 Elements constitute thefoundation of a language for describing your sensations.For example:A sensation can feel light, rising, strong, clear, on the right,warm and green. 29
Or, heavy, sinking, full, at the bottom, murky, cold and blue/black.Or, flowing, yellow, on the left, mild, smooth and tingling.Any combination of sensations is possible. It is important topay attention to the experience of a sensation, and how it couldbe described in words. When it is put into language, it can beremembered and recalled.The Percentage ScaleIn addition to the above two aspects of classical Daoist thoughtthere is another ability our awareness appears to have whichis most important in assessing a sensation or feeling. This isthe ability to discern and distinguish relative proportion asa percentage. It is like having an internal "scale" from 0% to100%.This is intuitive, but in the experience of the author it isextraordinarily accurate. People know what is going on insidethemselves, how much there is of a particular sensation, becauseit is they themselves who are experiencing it, and although itis subjective there is no other way to assess it. During Qigongpractice a person should trust their own intuitive sense of this.This can most easily be described in units of quarters, with ascale ranging from 0-25%, 25-50%, 50-75%, 75-100%.However, it is also easily possible to assess it in finerdistinctions - 15%, 37%, 62% etc.A person can "read" the amount of energy or sensation in anygiven place with their mind. They can then divide it up andhold it, using their mind, in different places for differentpercentages e.g. put 25% of your attention in the hands, 25% inthe feet and 50% in the navel. Now divide it equally in thirds,and put one third of our concentration into each of our ThreeTan Tien!In Qigong we can decide what level of attention to direct to anygiven area, and how long to maintain it there. 30
Volume ControlWe all have the natural ability to change the volume andintensity - the power - with which we do something. Just as itis possible to touch so lightly that its difficult to discernif we actually touched at all, it also possible to use maximumforce and power - touch "as light as a feather" or "like asledgehammer". Try this yourself, now. Because the mind moves theenergy, a person is able to instantaneously decide and modulatethe intensity with which they do something.This is important because when someone begins to do Qigongpractices it is best to do them lightly and quietly at first. Toomuch volume or intensity and it may be too much to easily handle,or create undesired side effects. If this happens then turn downthe volume, 'back off', decrease the intensity. Later, slowlyincrease it step-by-step, staying within the limits of comfortand capacity, until the desired or appropriate level is reached.So, combining Yin and Yang, The 5 Elements, The Percentage Scaleand Volume Control provides a basis for a language of energy.A person learns what a particular internal sensation feels likeby doing the practices, and putting it into words. In this waythey can build a vocabulary and lexicon of energy, and begin tolearn its grammar. They begin to learn the language of energy.Try thinking in these terms and discuss your experiences withothers. The questions then become "What kind of Energy?", "Whereis it?", "What is it doing?", "What is the difference between onekind of energy and another?"The foregoing are working notes on ways in which a Western EnergyLanguage can be proposed and developed. If we can develop sucha language we can talk and learn and share together about oneof the most important and fundamental parts of ourselves - ourenergy - to everybody's benefit. 31
APPLICATIONSA Complete ToolboxQigong can be used for many purposes and all kinds of reasons.It is like a toolbox in which there are many different tools,all with different applications. Some of them are simple andstraightforward, while others are so complicated that youneed specialized instruction from someone who is trained andexperienced. It is as important to pick the right tool as it isto understand the method of using it.Generally, the more simple and broad-based something is, thenthe more people who are able to do it; the more refined andspecialized it is, then the fewer people who are interested in itor who can gain access to it. Millions of people can do simplestanding postures which require minimal instruction, while onlythe very select few are initiated into the higher levels ofInner Alchemy in the monastic tradition of spiritual cultivation.A Compendium Of ApplicationsThe following is a compendium of the applications of Qigong. Someof them may seem so obvious or mundane that you may question whythey are being stated; other things may seem quite fantastic,leading you to you wonder how they can be possible. Sports 32
FitnessThere are many applications of Qigong for fitness. Saying that youare using Qi for fitness in China is like saying you use musclesfor exercise in the West — it is nonsensical to try to separatethe two. Long established in the East at all levels of society,from morning "stretches" to full workouts, this form of exerciseis swiftly entering the mainstream in the West. There are classicsets for health and fitness — self-massage, The Eight Pieces ofBrocade (Ba Duan Jin), The Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi), WildGoose Qigong, Flying Crane Qigong, Swimming Dragon Qigong —specific exercise sequences each with its own purpose and benefits.SportsThere seems to be little history of competitive sports in China,but in recent years this has mushroomed, especially with the2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Qigong will become widespreadin the fields of sports and athletics in the West because theenergy system underlies everything - strength, power, flexibility,stamina, endurance and speed. In the arena of professional sportssuch attributes are the very currency of exchange. The 'Best'win the prizes. Every newspaper has a sports section, and sportsreports appear on every TV news broadcast. For some people itis the very purpose of their lives. So, it would hardly be asurprise if Qigong, which improves every aspect of physicalperformance, suddenly appeared everywhere. After all, it wouldonly take one Gold Medal/World Cup Winner, or one Super Star orHead Coach, to attribute their excellence and success to thisstrange Oriental movement and meditation stuff, for everyone tostart doing it... with their kids.Martial ArtsThe martial arts are particular to the East. Although all othercultures have fighting forms, in China they have been elevated toa national preoccupation. Following the arrival of the Buddhistmonk Ta Mo from India, around 500 C.E., at the Shaolin monastery,the monks began to cultivate physical strength through the Muscleand Tendon Changing Training and Bone Marrow Washing practice(which uses methods to clean accumulated fat from the center ofthe bones and thereby produce plentiful clean, fresh blood cells—one of the "secrets" of longevity.) They also developed 33
Iron Shirt training, in order to be able to withstand hardblows without damaging essential internal organs. Practitionersdemonstrate remarkable feats of strength and ability. Anotherapplication is in Tai Chi Chuan, the flowing "shadow boxing,"which was used for combat and fighting.Health and HealingOf the many applications of Qigong, this may eventually becomethe most widely known in the West. There are a number of formsand styles. "Medical Qigong" and "Qigong Healing" are performedby a practitioner who transmits their energy to a patient. Thesestyles depend on a comprehensive working clinical knowledgeof the meridian and energy system, as well as the principlesinvolved in Oriental diagnosis and treatment. "Exerciseprescriptions" are given for particular illnesses and diseases.Chinese Qigong medical books are full of these exercises andpractices. Qigong is a term that can be used to cover manydifferent forms of therapy, but Acupuncturists, who are nowwidespread and established, may well become the vanguard of a newgeneration of Western Qigong Healers.SexSex is one of the most compelling and perplexing aspects oflife. In the Oriental system, one's sexual energy is associatedwith the primary motivating energy, the biological, animal levelof our being. This is known as Jing, which is one of the ThreeTreasures — Jing, Qi, and Shen. The retention and cultivationof Jing is seen as essential in order to progress to higherlevels of energy and spirit. Qigong can open up this new worldof sexuality. There are two aspects to developing this sexuality— "solo cultivation" and "dual cultivation". As implied, solocultivation is practiced on one's own, dual cultivation witha partner. Qigong can develop sexuality from the primarybiological level, through the emotional level to the cultivationof the spirit. This is described in more detail in Part II, theaccompanying practice and training document. 34
Qigong for LongevityOne of the most common stereotypes held of China is that of the"wise old sage." It really is difficult to know to the nearestdecade how old some Chinese people are. Longevity is one of thegreat prizes in China, and it shows that you have understoodthe Dao and lived it. In China it is said that if you died at120 then you died young. It is not necessary to become ill justbecause you have grown old - instead, it depends on the quality,volume, and purity of your essence, energy, and spirit — yourJing, Qi, and Shen. This cultivation and preservation is one ofthe higher purposes of practice. 82 years old, and on top of her world 35
Extraordinary Human AbilitiesIt is widely recognized that certain people have highly developedpsychic and paranormal abilities. There are people who can dothings for which there is no obvious explanation within thecurrently accepted laws of physics and science. In attempting tounderstand the mechanisms involved with extraordinary abilities,one needs to understand that they are operating at a higher levelthan our normal sensory perceptions and experience. While thereare only limited sensations and experiences we can normallyperceive with our sense organs, extraordinary human abilities arerelated to being able to perceive at broader, higher, and finerlevels. Through Qigong practice and cultivation it is possible to"tune" our sensory apparatus to higher frequencies.Spiritual DevelopmentSpiritual cultivation is part of all cultures, and each societyhas its own ways and means of approaching it. Many culturesprotect their spiritual secrets, and often these are esotericand only revealed to the initiated. Within Qigong these esotericpractices are known as "Inner Alchemy", and they are practicesthat develop heightened states of being. Many means have beenused to protect this knowledge, and it is only relativelyrecently that ancient texts have become available in the West,and that Eastern teachers have been passing on their knowledge toselected Western students. In order to cultivate the spirit body,Daoist monks refine and purify their bodies, thereby raising theirenergy bodies to a higher frequency and volume.ImmortalityThe pursuit of Immortality is a basic theme of Qigong. It isrooted in the most ancient traditions and goes back to theearliest shamanic tradition. The actual procedure, which iskept very secret, involves condensing the energy-body into a"pearl", which then enters into the Immortal Realm. This pearlis the condensed essence of what we are, the purified stuff of theuniverse that we each have inside us, the spark of starlight thatwe call "life." The spirit or essence can then be trained toleave or re-enter the body, through the Qigong point called BaiHui, at the top of the crown, while the physical body remains in 36
deep meditation. When it is time to finally leave forever, thenthe practitioner has complete control over the process, and canchoose the exact time at which to depart. The pearl/spirit thenleaves the body for good, and the physical body "dies."Applications In SummaryThe above is an overview of the general categories andapplications of Qigong - for Fitness, Sports, Martial Arts,Health and Healing, Sex, Longevity, Extraordinary HumanAbilities, Spiritual Development and Immortality. Each one isused for its own specific reasons, and each has its appropriateplace. It's all a question of what is applicable and appropriatefor whom and when.There are parallels to Qigong in all cultures, and definitelyso here in the West. Qi is an essential part of our being andit may be unknowingly cultivated anyway - there are saints andholy men and women in every culture. The key is to find out whatis appropriate and right for you, now, and take it from there.Hopefully this brief guided tour of the applications of Qigonghas at least mapped out the general territory.*************** 37
QIGONG IN EVERYDAY LIFE24-Hours-A-Day QigongThis describes a state where your energy is running correctlyat all times. It is in your conscious awareness and under yourcontrol.Your energy operates all of the time — from the moment ofconception through every moment of your life. When it stopsworking, so will you.When you pause what you are doing and practice Qigong you takea special time to focus on a particular purpose with yourattention. This is the only way to learn. The practices in theaccompanying document on Eight Extraordinary Meridians Qigonggive you a range of possible ways to do this.However, once you have learned these or other practices, theybecome part of how you know and experience yourself. They changethe relationship between your mind, body, and spirit, bringingthem into a more fully integrated whole. You know what yourenergy system is, how it works, what it is doing, how to read it,and how to bring it back into correct alignment and balance.Carrying out a specific practice for a particular purpose is adesirable and necessary thing. But there is a way in which youcan also have your energy running, at a somewhat lower level, allof the time. This is called 24-hours-a-day Qigong. This does notrequire stopping what you are doing, but it does require payingattention so that your energy is in your consciousness and underyour control. After a time you not only experience your energy asbeing 'within' yourself, you also experience it 'as' yourself.In fact, it becomes who and what you are. You become energyexperiencing itself.Holding on to your QiIt is also necessary to become aware of what to avoid — thesituations, places, people, and events that will drain energy outof you, if you let them. Traveling in the rush hour, sitting ona subway, being in the middle of vast crowds of people, they canall be draining. In these situations there is nothing to do but 38
protect yourself. Draw your external energy, your Wei Qi, tightaround you like a protective coat and seal your energy in, butdo not take any external energy into you. Slowly circulate theMicrocosmic Orbit. Conserve and protect your energy as you wouldyour wallet or purse.If you encounter a person who drains you, either because theyneed your energy for themselves or because they are attempting torob you of it, then again draw in. Do not give it away or let itbe taken. Be aware of how this feels and happens, and avoid orminimize such encounters in the future.In the same way, avoid places that are energy draining. Thereis good energy and bad energy of location. Some places can evenbe dangerous. Learn to identify the difference and stay awayfrom places that do not nourish or feed you, keeping your ownenvironment as clear, clean, fresh, and uncluttered as possible.Remain aware of the dynamics of the events and situations thatyou are involved in. It is not always possible to control events,but you can often decide whether or not to engage in them. Inextreme cases, this may involve changing a job, moving somewhereelse, or ending a relationship.When you practice 24-hours-a-day Qigong your energy is workingall the time. Food and diet are important aspects of this.Daoists consider that we generally eat too much. In a naturalstate the body can get-by quite adequately on one meal a day— it has evolved to do so. Periodic fasting to cleanse out anyaccumulation of toxins and waste is also essential. At the veryleast do this a couple of times every year, once in the springand once in the fall. If you are not familiar with how to fast ina safe and controlled way, then seek advice and supervision froma health professional such as an Oriental Medicine practitioneror a naturopath.With enough Qigong practice you can just draw in energy as anatural event. Your mind can read and modify your Qi as itrequires. When you move or act you can do so in ways thatpreserve and accumulate energy. With 24-hours-a-day Qigong youcan end a busy, productive day refreshed and relaxed. 39
24 Hours, 12 MeridiansIn the West, we measure our days by dividing them into 24hours. This is simply a convention we all agree upon in orderto interact together. Each hour is divided into 60 minutes andeach minute into 60 seconds. It is usually a delicious delight,reserved for holidays, vacations, and days-off-work to "losetrack of time," to not know what hour of the day it is. Butthere is also a way of knowing time through the energy system.The superficial/surface Qi circulation runs in a continuous looparound the body, progressing from one channel and organ to thenext in a strict sequence. The Qi surges round our bodies in a24-hour cycle as if mirroring the Earth's rotation, and this actsas an internal metronome timing all of our biological functions.If we understand this circulation and what it affects and when,then we can align ourselves with our own natural internalrhythms. It is a way to synchronize with your natural biologicalcycles and therefore maintain better health. The Qi energy peaksor crests in each of the 12 meridians for 2 hours each, and atthese times it has an emphasized effect on the correspondingorgan/function/official.7am–9am Stomach/Yang Earth9am–11am Spleen/Yin Earth11am–1pm Heart/Yin Fire1pm–3pm Small Intestine/Yang Fire3pm–5pm Bladder/Yang Water5pm–7pm Kidneys/Yin Water7pm–9pm Pericardium/Yin Fire9pm–11pm Triple Heater/Yang Fire11pm–1am Gall Bladder/Yang Wood1am–3am Liver/Yin Wood3am–5am Lungs/Yin Metal5am–7am Large Intestine/Yang Metal 40
Qigong in LeisureMany activities are natural Qigong. Many things that people doinherently function to activate the energy system. They arenatural and spontaneous expressions of the body's energy. What isyour natural Qigong? What do you already do that has an effectupon your energy system? How could you experience your energymore by changing your attention and focus? Try paying attentionto what you already do, and observe your energy. The followingare some common activities.WalkingSimple walking has powerful effects upon the energy. When you walkyou breath more deeply, and take in the outside air. Most peoplespend the majority of their time indoors, and the quality of theair degrades. A brisk walk will draw fresh heavenly Qi into you.When you walk you are upright and your feet are in contact withthe ground — this activates the Yungchuan/Bubbling Spring pointin the center of the soles. The movement of the hips activatesGall Bladder 29 and 30, which are powerful centers of Qi. Therhythmic alternating swinging of the hands and feet bring Qi intothe extremities. If you do not have to drive or take a bus, thenwalk. Afterwards it feels good.GardeningMany people garden. Some have vast estates and elaborate gardensdesigned by landscape artists, some have an area around theirhouse, and some have window boxes and indoor plants. In Chinathere are many public parks landscaped according to Feng Shuiprinciples (this is pronounced 'Fung Shway' and is known as the'art of placement' or landscaping). Outdoor gardening bringsdirect contact with the primary Earth. You stand between Heavenand Earth. Having your hands in the soil does you good, and youdraw in energy through the Lao Gong points in your palms. Workingwith and caring for live plants is an interaction with theirfresh, live, energy. Similarly, fresh, homegrown food, straightfrom the ground is self-evidently preferable to canned andpreserved goods. 42
SwimmingSwimming involves floating in water. You are horizontal ratherthan vertical and your body can move up and down vertically,and this is a relief to the muscular and nervous systems, andit induces relaxation. A "floatation" tank, which fully supportsthe body and in which there are no external stimuli, creates aprofoundly deep and relaxing experience. But swimming involvesthe rhythmic movement of the arms and legs, and this distributesand equalizes the energy channels that run up and down the limbs.It puts the center of focus on the abdomen, centered on thenavel. It is especially good for older people, as it relievespressure on the joints. Swimming also activates the fluids in thebody, which comprise a large portion of our bodily constituents.This is how we all began, floating in the amniotic sac.Other sports and activitiesMany other exercises or sports activate and affect the energysystem. Bike riding, running, tennis, dancing, soccer, andskiing, to name but a few, can all be seen to have energeticdimensions. When people engage in these activities they work offthe accumulated, stagnant energy from work, while redressingtheir biological animal nature. Most such activities re-activatethe Jing level of energy.Any activity that you do can be Qigong, can be a form ofpractice. It all depends on what you do, and how you do it. Nowthat you have an awareness of what your energy system is, howit works, and what it feels like, pay attention to what youdo, especially with activities that you do on a regular andrepetitive basis. Sitting in a chair can be Qigong practice,standing upright can be Qigong, walking across a room canactivate your energy, shopping can be an energy-accumulatingevent. It all depends on what level of attention, awareness, andintent you apply.*************** 43
THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGYEcology can be described as the science of the totality ofthe patterns of relationships between organisms and theirenvironment. A specific concern for us here is Human Ecology.There are two major considerations - people's effect on theenvironment, and the effect of the environment on people.As a species on the planet it is a well-known and acceptedscientific fact that we are close to a delicate stage ofdisturbing the external environment beyond a critical point.Human created pollution is degenerating the air, the water,and the upper atmosphere, and altering weather patterns. Soilis polluted. The icecaps are melting. Irreplaceable resourcesare being used up in enormous quantities, and the world's humanpopulation is continuing to grow. The primary requirements forsustaining human life are now in question.The focus of attention in energy usage is usually on the amountof external energy that is being used to sustain our presentlifestyle - electricity and petroleum being two major issues.Perhaps the real question is how much energy each person uses forthemselves, and how much efficient use they make of the energythey inherently have. If a person's energy system is workingproperly they will make maximum use of their own energy, andrequire less external energy. They will function as a betterenergy-using system. Also, if their system is operating correctlythey will want, and need, less external energy. They will makethe most use of the energy of the food they eat, and the air theybreathe. Some Qigong practitioners can eat one meal every fewdays, get four hours of sleep and operate at a high-energy leveloutput the rest of the time. Periodically, every couple of days,they have to get full rest and recuperation with eight hourssleep, like everyone else, but they can operate at much higherlevels on much less than most of us usually do.If people learn how to effectively and efficiently use theirown energy they will not be driven to use up vast quantitiesof external energy to satisfy some internal need that couldbe equally satisfied by doing a simple internal practice. Theywill not be compelled and addicted to find external answers forinternal imbalances - they will take care of it themselvessitting quietly in a chair, and practicing. The more people thatpractice Qigong, the better for the planet, and everybody else. 44
The effect of the environment on people is a different issue. Aswe grew out of the planet, we are part of it, molded by itspatterns and rhythms. We have evolved totally in the context of,and under the metronome of, energy patterns of the Earth - Gaia.The body-energy, which surrounds each person and extends outaround the body in an electro-magnetic field, is familiarly knownas the aura. This is each person's own antenna for these largerenergy patterns. We are not only affected by the obvious cycles ofday, week, month and year, but also by sun spots, by the cyclesaround the planet know as the Schumann resonance, by rhythmsand oscillations that we are only just learning how to read andmeasure, now that we have satellites and space stations.This awareness of, and sensitivity to, the energy of the earthhas always been inherent in human culture, and special placeshave been recognized and preserved for this reason. We callthem Sacred Sites, and they are the locations of stone circles,pyramids, temples, churches, palaces... These special places arelong established healing centers where people have instinctivelygone to heal and refresh their souls and spirits... and theirbody-energy. Hot springs, special mountains, gathering sites...every area of land has them. This has come to be known by thename Geomancy, and there is ample evidence that energy lines onthe planet's surface, called Ley Lines, (similar to the meridianpathways in the body used in Acupuncture) congregate at thesespecial places.Respect of, and care for, the environment is something thataffects every person. Qigong is a way that, like recycling, eachone of us can individually be responsible for in caring for ourcommon home, Planet Earth.*************** 45
THE FUTURE OF QIGONGThe Future of Qigong looks vast. Given that what we are dealingwith here is 'Life' itself, then we have a wide range ofpossibilities as it enters into, and becomes part of, the West.There are many possibilities, because there are many kindsof Qigong used for different reasons. In some ways there is acontinual, developmental spectrum from Fitness to SpiritualDevelopment - the practices get more refined as the studentprogresses. How this range of possibilities will graft ontoour own established culture remains to be seen. The followingis a partial listing of possibilities, giving a sense of wheredevelopments might go, and what might unfold.MedicineProbably the application that will get Qigong widely introducedand firmly established in the West is its truly remarkableabilities in Health and Healing. Wondering whether Qigong willbecome part of the health-care system in the West feels a littlereminiscent of a few years ago, wondering whether Acupuncturewould become accepted and established. It is inevitable - for thesimple, straightforward, reason - It Works! It is only a matterof when and how, but, like water following its essence, it willfind its correct and appropriate level.EducationThe principles, logic and science that Qigong is based uponare revolutionary in regard to the way that we think, and whatwe believe to be true. It fundamentally changes the basis ofwhat we understand the world to be and how we understand it tooperate. This should become part of how we educate our young.How can we seriously teach anatomy without including the energysystem - the co-ordinating and integrating system - into thepicture? How can we, knowingly, give young people a wrong andoutmoded picture of the world? As has been pointed out, thereare relationships between the physical body, seasons, hours ofthe day, colors, sounds, emotions, temperature, weather, mentalfunctioning and all other phenomenon - as described in TheTable Of Correspondences - and we have a clear obligation andresponsibility to teach this to our young. 46
Schoolteachers who have studied Qigong themselves have taken itback into the classroom and naturally integrated it into theway that they teach and relate to their students. Why? Becauseit makes simple, straightforward, sense - the students respondbetter and feel calmer. A teacher's job is to teach childrenthe truth as they know it, and those teachers who have trainednow know the principles of Qigong to be true. Once we know thisinformation we have an obligation to teach it to children. It'snot a weird belief system - it's factual.Psychology and Mental HealthPsychology is a new science. It has only been appliedfor approximately 150 years in the West, but has becomefundamental to the way that we think and behave as a culture.It has developed many dimensions, from Clinical studies, toPsychoanalysis used for individual therapy, to TranspersonalPsychology which addresses spiritual issues.Psychology has taught us many things about ourselves, but in theEast there has never been a separate field known as psychology,there has never been a separation of the mind and the body andthe spirit in this way. The interactions between our physicalbeing, our emotions, our mental level and our spirit are sointerrelated that they cannot be separated. In the last 25 yearsthis inter-dependence has come to be recognized in the West, andis now popularly known by the term "BodyMindSpirit", which makesthe effort to put back together the three major dimensions ofourselves which were never separate in the first place.Mental Health is of supreme importance in a world where oneperson can hold a whole country to ransom, or somebody can goover-the-top at any time and involve totally innocent victims.- Here, on one hand, we have societies that are perpetually on the brink, and prone to widespread random violence that costs more annually than the defense budget.- Here, on the other hand, we have a method - Qigong - which works to great effect in many situations, and a system of training which almost anybody can do. 47
Social ServicesAlthough there are many very valuable aspects of contemporaryWestern society, and social programs that were undreamed of inthe past, there is still enormous room for improvement. The listof social ills is long indeed - child abuse, juvenile offenders,drug addiction, battered women, welfare, street gangs, burglary,homicide, ... and there are not many viable answers. A significantamount of these problems stem from such obvious sources aspoverty, ignorance, single Moms, broken families, poor education,lack of opportunity etc, but how effective are the solutionsthat are offered? There are a limited number of options providedthrough social agencies, all of which cost scarce money.The vast majority of these problems involve emotional disturbanceand a significant lack of control by the people involved. Suchpeople are often described as unhealthy, sick, out-of-control,crazy... Granted, there are uncorrectable cases of pathological,congenital and psychiatric origin, which need all of theattention and care we can provide, but most of the rest of suchpeople would benefit by having their emotions accessible andappropriate, and having control over their control-system, theirenergy.To know how to cleanse and purify the emotions, and how tocultivate the virtues and thereby generate Goodness, would havethree distinct benefits:1) People would be able to emotionally correct themselves internally, thus avoiding the externalization of actions, which then become the problems. They may not get as angry or sad or depressed or hopeless or aimless.2) It would provide an experience of The Qigong State and therefore different criteria to measure things against.3) They would have more 'Life' in them, and would therefore function better.Qigong, the cultivation of refined and correctly functioningenergy, could become a viable remedy for many social ills. Andhow would this be presented to people, and taught, and delivered?Well, a simple question to ask somebody is, 'Would you prefer tofeel better or worse. In control or out-of-control?' 48
Qigong should be on the program of every social service agency,and every social agent should be trained. Of course, the only waysuch an unorthodox program could gain recognition or acceptanceis to initially try it out and get the results! We need Pioneers,and we need clinical studies.BusinessThe Business world exists to make profits. One of the majorcomponents and resources it has to work with is people. Peoplework at different levels of efficiency and effectiveness, and anybusinessperson in their right mind wants each employee to beworking at their maximum. So, the question of what constitutesmaximum is of great relevance.The impact and cost of sickness is an enormous factor that hasto be seriously considered in Business. In the United Statesmajor companies are bringing Qigong teachers into the workplace,to teach their employees how to relax, de-stress, decreasetheir tiredness and increase their energy levels. Increasedproductivity and greater employee satisfaction are the result. Asthis becomes reflected in profits no doubt the business world willtake every opportunity to utilize Qigong to increase business.The one thing that can be relied upon in a capitalist society isthat if something really works then somebody will provide it andlots of people will buy it.*************** 49
SUMMARYFrom all of the indications Qigong is about to hit the Westand transform it. It is likely to change the way we experienceourselves. As it enters and becomes established as a part of theglobal culture, it will likely manifest in many different ways.How this will all turn out remains to be seen, but here are somepossibilities:- It could change the way that we think about ourselves, about what we are and how we function as human energy events.- It could effect our way of thinking, because to understand and make sense of this requires a different and expanded way of thinking - Daoist thinking.- It could give us a new reference point and a criteria to measure ourselves against, thereby setting a new standard for our behavior and actions.- It could make what is "crazy" about our societies sane again.- It could keep us healthy, vital, happy and young and operating at our higher potentials.- It could make us our best.The future will soon be the present.Hopefully this list of possibilities for the future will fall farshort of the reality, and unimaginable benefits will emerge foreveryone.Qigong is one of the real Secrets of Life.Qigong is like finding a new dimension of ourselves. Hopefully, inthis impending on-rush - the Qi Rush - the name Qigong will notbecome an over-used and misused term that comes to mean almostanything, and therefore nothing in particular. It is importantthat over time standards are established, and people will learnto differentiate between various styles, levels, teachers andpractitioners. 50
My hope is that this document will inspire people to try someof these practices and learn how to become aware of, and payattention to, their energy. They can then learn how to adjustand improve it, and find a teacher and progress further, untilit becomes part of their being. As Qigong becomes accepted andestablished, the most important thing is that the awareness ofour energy filters into common consciousness. HEALTH = Balance, Free Flow, Right Quality, Good Volume, & Correct Relationship of the Energy SystemConsider:* If we operate according to criteria that emphasize maintaining our energy at the right Balance, Flow, Quality, Volume and Relationship, how can we not take good care of ourselves and rise above our transient emotions, wants and desires?* If we are focused on cultivating and transforming our energy-body and spirit, how can we get preoccupied and fixated on our own immediate needs, feelings and personal ego gratification?* If we see ourselves primarily as a delicate inter-relationship affected by numerous internal and external energies, how can we any longer separate ourselves from other people, society and nature around us?Qigong is The Dao entering into the West, Yin joining with Yangto create the Whole. Practicing Qigong is a process of personalevolution, and an act of social responsibility. Qigong holdsthe potential to make us healthy, sane and happy - and trulyAlive with Energy. 51
Practices To Experience Your Own QiAccompanying this Introduction is a document titled'Eight Extraordinary Meridians Qigong'.This is a step-by-step training program developed and taught bythe author since 1983. It represents 25 years of teaching thismaterial.It describes the basic anatomy and physiology of the human energysystem, its structure and function, which is the control systemand blueprint for everything else.It is written so that hopefully anybody, even people who havenever heard of Qigong before, can start at the beginning anddevelopmentally and progressively learn the practices.It is being given with no cost because these practices are mostimportant for individuals to learn, and for society in general.It is a matter of social evolution in these difficult times.Try them, and see for yourself. You may find you have moreenergy... and more life.Good Wishes......and Best Qi to you,Jim MacRitchie 52
AfterwordThere is good reason for the convention of having a Foreword atthe front of a book or document such as this.It allows the author to tell the reader what the document is, howit came about, and how it is organized - it gives an Overview.It also provides an opportunity to say in a personal way whythey wrote it, and what it means to them - after all, such anundertaking requires a lot of time and effort.Additionally, as the Foreword is written at the end, when thedocument is finished, it is often a surprise to the authorthemselves.But having written this, it did not seem to fit at the beginning,it gets in the way of the flow, so I am writing this as anAfterword.**********The following could be said about this text. It has variousfeatures:It is Free. If you are reading it, it now belongs to you.It is the collected essence of a Trilogy of books on the topic,written between 1993 and 2002.It is the 'public' version of a 9 month training program thatthe author has been developing and teaching since 1983. Previousversions were Reference Manuals for students who had completedthe training.It has been produced with a sense of social responsibility, tomake this work available as widely as possible. Only peoplewho live within a one-hour drive from the author's hometowncould take the weekly training program - this constitutes0.0167% of the world's population, and eliminates approximately5,999,000,000 people - which doesn't seem fair. 53
It is self-published. No commercial publishing company would beengaged in creating a work such as this, with the costs and timeinvolved, and give it away.It is only possible because of the Internet and the World WideWeb, without which it would have to be printed on paper anddistributed globally - which is prohibitively expensive andcumbersome.Also, it can be updated easily and regularly, and re-posted onthe website so people can download improved versions.**********During the training programs, at the beginning of each practiceI gave out photocopied handouts, and the students worked throughthat particular practice. At Graduation at the end of the yeareach student was presented with a copy of a book of all of thepractices. This book evolved from time to time, and year to year.The introduction to this contained the following statement:"This book is a Reference Manual and Practice Review document.It has been written for reference purposes for people who havecompleted my 9 month training program. It is not intended as acomprehensive instruction and practice guide for people who havenot received oral instruction or completed the training, becausesuch a practice instruction guide would need to be of a differentkind. There is a big difference in the way these two approachesare treated in writing."So I set out to write this document in a way that would beaccessible to anybody, anywhere - to write a 'ComprehensivePractice Instruction Guide', to write it in such a way thatanybody, even those who may not have heard the word 'Qigong'before, could start at the beginning, and following theinstructions work their way through the whole program until allof the lights went on.And it has been written so that it could not only be translatedinto any language, but any alphabet. That is to say a simple,straight-forward, common language of human experience - withhopefully no complex, technical or ambiguous words. 54
It is also written so that it can be read aloud to a group. Ifone person can read English they can translate to a group intheir own language, and thereby lead a group practice - afterall, many cultures and societies function more as groups ratherthan as separate individuals.Only you can be the judge of whether this worked for you.I would be interested and pleased to hear back from you. Pleasefeel free to drop me an email or letter.**********On a personal note I could say that after having three bookspublished, they did what they did, and are now out-of-print -although used copies are available via the internet. Having self-published The International Chi Kung/Qong Directory in 1995 thesize, extent and potential of the field was recognized. Havingcreated the National Qigong (Chi Kung) Association USA in 1996and given it years of time and attention it has now become stableand established and the largest organization of its kind in theUSA. And after 30 years of clinical practice in Acupuncture and25 years teaching Qigong, with my most critical and questioningmind, I believe that this training program presents the primaryanatomy and physiology of the energy system - the EightExtraordinary Meridians - which underlie everything else. Thismay be the proverbial 'Bottom Line' where each person ends andthe rest of the universe begins.But all of this effort in promoting Qigong, the best of myselfover these years, seems like a drop in the ocean. Although Qigongis growing and spreading it is doing so very gradually, infusingslowly like a teabag in water, and is still confined to a smallelite who are 'in the know'. It is still 'fashionable'. It isstill 'alternative'. Despite all of the efforts of myself and manyothers it has not become mainstream in the West. It has not evenappeared on the front cover of Time magazine - yet!Now with the global energy crisis, the increasing enviromentalchaos, and food and energy shortages, the world is in danger,and there is a great sense of urgency. People need to know thisinformation as soon as possible. It could literally make thedifference between life and death for some. 55
And I am no longer as young as I was. I began my studies inAcupuncture at 27 years old, and I am now 60+. So I decided to dothis project - I felt I owed it back to the world, in gratitudefor the quality of life I have had because of Qigong.In some ways this document is my 'Hail Mary', a term used inAmerican Football, which everyone in the United States knows,when a Quarterback has three seconds left at the end of a game,six big guys are running at him at top speed, he is covered inmud and blood, bruised and aching all over, and it is rainingand cold. He has no idea if there is anybody positioned to catchthe ball because he can't see clearly anymore - but this is thedeciding throw, because if his team scores they win the game, andthe championship.So he gives it everything he has got - just throws it as hard andas far as he can, and hopes for the best.I am taking everything I have done in my life's work and castingit out into the world. This is my 'Hail Mary! Hail Dao!'. It willdo what it will do.And I am trying to have no expectations or attachments.**************However, on a practical note, this all costs money that I neverreally had. So I am hoping to at least recuperate the costs ofproducing this, which primarily involved buying professionalquality computer equipment.If you feel this is valuable to you, you can make a donation - ofany amount, it all helps - to The Global Qi Project.Log on to www.globalqiproject.comOr you can send a contribution by ordinary mail to:The Global Qi Project,PO Box 4540,Boulder, CO 80306,USA. 56
Audio VersionAn audio version of the complete 'Eight Extraordinary MeridiansQigong' program in Part 2 is available. It consists of the textof this document and a series of practices led by the author asif you are sitting in a class. These audio versions lead youthrough the practices without having to refer to the writteninstructions.They can be downloaded directly via the Internetat www.globalqiproject.com.There are 12 sessions covering each of the 12 practices.The cost is $10 US, for each class -or- $100 for the whole set.You can try the first one and see if you like it. However, youare advised to learn each session in sequence, because you needto follow the developmental progression. It is not advisable orrecommended to jump ahead to the more advanced practices withoutgetting the fundmentals firmly established first.Other LanguagesIf you would be interested in producing your own audio version inyour own language, and make it available through the Global QiProject website, please contact us for details.**********CopyrightThe author holds the copyright of this work and asserts the moralright to be identified as the author."Copyright (c) 2008. James MacRitchie.Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify thisdocument under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License,Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free SoftwareFoundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, andno Back-Cover Texts."Acknowledgment and credit would be appreciated, but is notrequired. You may use it anyway you wish, send it to anybody youwant to. 57
AcknowledgementsThanks are due to the many people who participated in thisproject and helped make it happen - particularly: Colin O'Neill,a computer genius who backed me up all the way; Karelle Scharff,of Best Mac Solutions in Boulder who found the best solutions forthis Mac; Layah Bachs McLean, my one woman cheerleader team whojust kept showing up with great ideas.And, of course, the folks who gave their valuable time in proofreading various stages of the manuscript and other assistance:Jan Bachman, Sherry Ballou-Dolman, Doug Cain, Teresa Cain, JesseDammann, Jeff Durland, Paul Hansen, Stephen Joffe, Rebecca Maret,Paulina Mundkowski, Jerry Ryan, Jason Sauter, Rob Thompson, DavidWeinstein, Tom Weis, Ann Windnagel and Turaj Zaim. And anybodyelse I forgot to mention - you know who you are.And special thanks to Debra Kuresman, without whom...To my teachers and guides over the years:Bill & Wendy Harpe, Anna Halprin, Prof. J.R. & Judy Worsley, andDr. Robert & Zoe McFarland. To my Qigong teachers, particularlyMantak Chia and Gunther Weil, and all the others too many tomention. And to my Qigong friends and practitioners in theNational Qigong (Chi Kung) Association USA and beyond.To my son John Michael Wise MacRitchie, and his mother Anna Wise.To my step-children Sonnet Grant and Hagan Caldwell, and theirmother Damaris Jarboux.Thanks for making me a fully qualified Dad.To my extended family. And to the many students, friends andpatients who urged me on over the years.Front Portrait: Ken Sanville. Author Photo: Ben SagenkahnOther Photos: Tom Kumpf. The lady on p35 is my wonderful mother.My personal thanks and appreciation to everyone.You were a great team. 58
Author ProfileJames MacRitchie, Lic. Ac., has practised Classical Acupuncturesince 1977, and Chi Kung since 1983. He now combines these in'Chi Kung Acupuncture', in his practice in Boulder, Colorado. Heteaches classes and workshops at The Chi Kung/Qigong School.Originally from Liverpool, England, Jim was the FoundingPresident of the Acupuncture Association of Colorado, and Founderof the National Qigong (Chi Kung) Association USA. He has trainedin China and has presented and taught his work internationally.He has written a trilogy of books: 'Chi Kung - CultivatingPersonal Energy' (1993), 'The Chi Kung Way - Alive With Energy'(1997) and 'Chi Kung - Energy For Life (2002) [available throughwww.amazon.com]. Jim has practiced and taught in Boulder since1981. He was Co-Director of 'The Evolving Institute' withAnna Wise from 1982 to 1988. He Co-Directed 'The Body-EnergyCenter' with Damaris Jarboux from 1989 to 2007.Previously involved in the Arts and 'the music business', hehas been engaged in painting, theatre, dance, film, video andphotography. He is still evolving.Jim can be contacted at:The Global Qi Project, PO Box 4540, Boulder, CO 80306, email@example.com 59
Recommended Reading:Available through www.amazon.com, and others.Chi Kung - Cultivating Personal EnergyJames MacRitchie. ISBN: 1862040648The Chi Kung Way - Alive With EnergyJames MacRitchie. ISBN: 0722530250Chi Kung - Energy For LifeJames MacRitchie. ISBN: 0007145683Traditional Chinese Acupuncture : Meridians and PointsJ.R. Worsley. ISBN: 090654003Emergence of the Sensual WomanSaida Desilet. ISBN: 0978865405The Multi-Orgasmic ManMantak Chia & Douglas Abrams. ISBN: 0062513362The I Ching or Book of Changes.Richard Wilhelm. ISBN: 069109750Tao Te ChingStephen Mitchell. ISBN: 0060812451...and all of the many other wonderful books that you may find,too many to list here, by devoted and skilled teachers andpractitioners.*************** 60
DisclaimerNone of this material is intended, or to be used as, medicaladvice. If you have a medical problem or concern seek the help ofa medical professional.*************** 61
THE EIGHT EXTRAORDINARY MERIDIANS QIGONG PART II TRAINING PROGRAM James MacRitchie 63
THE EIGHT EXTRAORDINARY MERIDIANS QIGONG A Practice Instruction GuideINDEXPrefaceThe Practices:1. Smile At Yourself2. Focus At Your Center3. The Six Healing Sounds4. Cleansing The Emotions5. Cultivating The Virtues6. The Microcosmic Orbit7. The Belt Channel8. The Thrusting Channel9. The Macrocosmic Orbit10. The Master and Coupled Points11. Drawing In Heaven And Earth12. Sexual Qigong 65
PrefaceThe Eight Extraordinary Meridians have many names – The EightMiraculous Meridians, The Eight Deep Pathways, The Eight StrangeFlows, The Eight Miscellaneous Channels, The Eight OriginalMeridians... They are the deep, primary and core energy channelsin the body, said to originate at conception, and to structurethe familiar, common, shape of the human body. They underlie themore familiar 12 organ meridians, known and used in Acupuncture.The Eight Extraordinary Meridians (8ExMs) are a reflection andmanifestation of the Ba Gua – the eight-sided configurationsof Trigrams known as the Earlier Heaven and Later Heavenarrangements. These are also the basis of the I Ching/The Bookof Changes. The Ba Gua itself is widely regarded as a mystery byall authorities on Daoism – the ancient Chinese philosophy ofthe 'Way' of nature. The Ba Gua is a profound knowledge, and noaccessible book explaining its function is known to exist. It isrooted in pre-history, and cloaked in legend. According to somepeople it may be the true operating system of reality.**********The Qigong practices described here provide a training in howto access, open, develop and cultivate the Eight ExtraordinaryMeridians - how to turn them on, and put them under yourconscious control. It is a 'Nei Dan' form of internal practice,in contrast to 'Wei Dan' external styles of Qigong, and it is anessential foundation for all higher forms of Daoist Inner Alchemytraining and practice.The Eight Extraordinary Meridians are common to all forms andstyles of Qigong, as they underlie everything else. This isa valuable knowledge for primary self-control and personalevolution. The training outlined in this document is a uniqueprogram, not available from any other source. This document isthe result of 25 years of teaching. It is a work in progress.The material covers a developmental training in how toprogressively access and open the Eight Extraordinary Meridians,which are the sub-structure of the whole energy system. It iscomparable to learning the anatomy and physiology of the physicalbody, and how to operate it. 67
My original teacher in the early 1980s was Master Mantak Chia,and acknowledgement and special thanks are due to him and hisassistants at the time - Gunther Weil and Michael Winn. Thisinitial training provided the primary inspiration for this bodyof work.My background and training in Classical Daoist Acupuncture, andmy previous experience as a choreographer and director of TheNatural Dance Workshop (London and Europe, 1975 – 1981), provideda foundation and freedom to work creatively with these practicesover the years.Having written three books - "Chi Kung : Cultivating PersonalEnergy" (1993), "The Chi Kung Way – Alive with Energy" (1997)and "Chi Kung – Energy For Life" (2002) – taught me how to putpractices into writing. As Founder of the National Qigong (ChiKung) Association * USA, I have been introduced to a multitudeof forms and styles. Having attended a dozen internationalconferences I have met a vast array of teachers from around theworld. And visiting China twice to train showed it in its ownsetting. Given all of this I have no question that the materialpresented here is at the root of all Qigong.**********This program has been taught in a weekly, 1.5 hour, class formatsince 1983. This format was used because it was found that thiswas what worked for people in ordinary, everyday, life. Thematerial has been modified and developed accordingly to fit this1.5 hour format. Beginning as a 6 week series, it has evolvedinto a 9 month training program.The early stages consisted of The Inner Smile, The Ba Gua and TheMicrosmic Orbit. In the late 1980s The Healing Sounds, Cleansingthe Emotions and Cultivation of the Virtues were added. From theearly 1990s this developed to include the The Belt Channel/DaiMo, The Thrusting Channel/Chong Mo, the Bridge Channels/Yin &Yang Qiao Mo, and the Linking Channels/Yin & Yang Wei Mo. Andthen the Master and Couple points were added.The program is presented here in a progression that constitutesone complete sequence – starting with Smiling at Yourself andending with the whole system activated. However, specific partsand sections can be used and applied as needed or desired. 68
This text began as a Reference Manual and practice reviewdocument, written for reference purposes for people who havecompleted the 9 month training program. It was not intended as acomprehensive instruction and practice guide for people who hadnot received oral instruction or completed the training, becausesuch a practice instruction guide would need to be of a differentkind. There is a major difference in the way that these twoapproaches are treated in writing. It has now been re-written sothat anybody reading it can start at the beginning and work theirway through the practices developmentally and progressively.**********It is advisable to read the accompanying 'Introduction To Qigong'before beginning these practices. In a weekly class situationeach of these practices was preceded by a short lecture andoverview, and this 'Introduction' serves some of the samepurpose.This material is continually evolving. During the process ofdevelopment over the years, the teaching of specific practiceschanges from time to time. The sequence, progression and contentchange, and time considerations alter rhythm, pace and timing.Accordingly, some of this information is presented in the senseof basic information that does not change – the underlyingprimary laws and principles of the energy system and The Dao.Once these basic principles are understood and integrated it ispossible to vary, alter and adapt any given practice in a varietyof ways, for a range of purposes and situations. If you do modifythe practices once they are familiar to you, use your bestjudgement. Try it out and see for yourself. Proceed carefully,adapting as you need to. Always return to basic principles.**********My sincerest hope is that this document provides a practicalaid to the practice of these most important channels, The EightExtraordinary Meridians, and that this will result in thedevelopment and cultivation of your Qi - the Life inside you.James MacRitchieSummer 2008 69
Practice 1. SMILE AT YOURSELF Quiescent QigongThe Purpose:Smile at yourself - to relax internally and prepare for furtherpractice. This simple process is a way of sending your own warm,gentle, loving energy to yourself. It releases tension andstress, and generates deep relaxation. It calms your emotions,refreshes your sense organs, and stimulates the tissues. It alsomakes you feel good.Overview and Explanation:In the following practice you are going to smile at yourself,inside, at your yin organs - heart, lungs, liver, kidneysand spleen - and then gather your energy at your navel. Eachorgan is accompanied with a list of its basic correspondingcharacteristics:- Color- Temperature- Season- Emotion- Sound- Coupled yang organUsing your mind, think of and activate these correspondences whenyou smile at each organ.In each organ you can hold the healing energy of your smile foras long as you wish, or for the count of a certain number ofbreaths, or until you feel it overflow. This is indicated by theinstruction "Hold your Qi there." 71
Preparation:Sit on the front edge of a chair with both feet flat on the floor,knees parallel and shoulder-width apart. Relax. Clasp your handsin front of you in your lap, left palm facing upwards and rightpalm facing downwards on top of it, to seal-in your Qi. This isa remarkably stable sitting position, and can be maintained forextended periods of time.This exercise can also be performed lying down, in which caseclasp your hands, as above, and let them rest on your abdomen.THE PRACTICE:Close your eyes and clear your mind. If unrelated thoughts occur,gently let them go, like letting go of a balloon, and then bringyour attention back inside yourself. Pay attention to how youfeel.- Using your mind, activate a memory, thought, image, or picture which causes you to smile - one of those soft, warm, friendly smiles that gently softens the corners of your mouth.- The corners of the mouth are very special energy points. They are the Meeting Points of the two major channels which run up the midline of the body on the front and back, and separate us into left and right halves. Running up the midline of the front is The Conception Vessel/ Ren Mo which ends in the center of the lower lip. Running up the midline of the back and over the top of the head is The Governing Vessel/Du Mo which ends in the center of the top lip. The corners of the mouth are energy points - numbered in Acupuncture as Stomach 4 and called Earth Granary - which are meeting points for these two major channels. The warmth that you might feel there when you smile is the Qi/Energy gathering and accumulating.- Let the warm, soft, gentle energy of this smile increase. 72
Your mind leads your energy, so, using your mind, bring thissmiling energy to the point in the middle of your foreheadbetween your eyebrows. This point is called The Original Cavityof the Spirit/Yin Tang. Allow your Qi/Energy to gather andaccumulate there like warm water slowly filling a deep bowl, bybreathing in to this point.The Tip Of Your TonguePlace the tip of your tongue in-between your two top front teeth,then run it upwards until it meets the roof of your mouth. Findthe point there which tingles or feels 'right'.Placing the tip of your tongue in this location lets your energyflow through the internal energy pathways to your yin organs.HEARTSmile at your Heart.Let your Qi/Energy overflow from your brow point. As you breathein, draw this warm energy down from your brow through your tongueand throat to your Heart.Your heart is the size of a clenched fist. It is inside yourchest, slightly to the left.All day long and every day your heart is working for you, to sendblood and oxygen to every cell. This is an opportunity to thankyour heart and to give it your love and care.Directing your energy with your mind, send your smiling, loving,energy to your heart.Think of and activate the following correspondences of yourheart. 73


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