Dao Shi Zi Ran

You've pretty much got it. A proper closing should guide excess Qi to the lower Dantian for storage and to keep it from causing an imbalance. It also serves to seal up the body's Weiqi fields so that your energy is not scattered, which could leave you open to energetic pathogens or even influence from spiritual beings. Closing also helps the mind to return to normal waking consciousness. It is very important to do a closing so you reset your body and mind to "normal", kind of like rebooting a computer. Hope that helps.

Women are generally more affected by the moon's phases because of their monthly cycle and it's connection with the moon. However, the moon should not negitively affect your practice. It is useful to be aware of the moon's phases and their effects so you can adjust your practice accordingly. Depending on your Yin/Yang balance and/or any imbalances or illness's you may have, there may be some days during the lunar cycle that you might need to avoid practice, just as their may be days that you want to take advantage of the moon phase and be sure to practice. Because of the moon's predominantly Yin nature, there are many exercises that use the moon to generate and tonify the Yin energy of the body, just as there are exercises that use the sun to generate and tonify Yang Qi. The full moon would be an advantageous time to practice Yin generating/tonifying exercises if you need them. If you are just doing your regular practice, try to be aware of how you feel. If you feel the full moon affects you in a positive way, then press on. If you feel some negativity, you might want to avoid practicing during full moons in the future. I hope this is of some benefit to you.

Sykklepump, I am a practitioner of Dr. Johnson's Medical Qigong (MQG)System although not a student of Dr. Johnson himself. The 1-10 Meditation is indeed taught as a guided meditation but later it is practiced without a guide. It is used as a preparation for MQG treatments however, it can also be used for much more than that. It is an excellent grounding exercise, which is it's main purpose in MQG treatment preparation. It also includes the Microcosmic Orbit (MCO)practice. The MCO is one step in the guided meditation, however when practicing by one's self, one can stop at that step and concentrate on the MCO and make that the main focus of the practice. The final step of the 1-10 has you merge with the Wuji and you can spend as much time as you want with this Wuwei practice so that it becomes an emptiness and non-visualization meditation. Depending on one's intention, the 1-10 can be used to both tonify and regulate the 3 Dantians, the Microcosmic and the Macrocosmic Orbits. Practiced properly, it can be a very complete meditation system. I find more levels and versitility the more I practice it. The guiding is a great way to learn and practice the exercise at the same time. Once you remember all the steps, there is no need for guidance anymore. Anyone interested can purchase a CD with the meditation here. The CD is produced by my teacher, Francesca Ferrari and is all you need in order to learn and practice the meditation.

Laozi is only the very first step on the Dao. Daoism is full of deities whose existence cannot be scientifically or historically proven. The Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wang Mu) for example. Advanced practitioners experience these beings directly during ceremonies and meditations. If you insist on basing your belief in Daoism on the historical existence of a given sage or deity, you are not going to get very far.

"From Fuxi on, the predecessors of Xuanji School have been doing a job generation by generation silently for almost 7,000 years, to form and improve a common Xuanji Matrix for all humanity. But in the modern times, this work had been suspended for more than 200 years cause of an accident of Xuanji School, about 300 years ago, one day, a couple of top Xuanji practitioners disappeared suddenly in practice, and they never appeared in this world anymore. The left Xuanji practitioners did not have enough level to continue the work of regulating and improving Xuanji Matrix. Till 1982, Mr. Seawater achieved the necessary level to continue the work. Now you can see there is one and only entryway to this Xuanji Matrix. The practices of other schools may help your health and power too, but they cannot awaken you to this Xuanji Matrix." So this art has survived secretly for 7,000 years? Completely outside of Daoism? And it managed to continue in an unbroken line until 300 years ago? And this 7,000 year old tradition came down to one man, Mr. Seawater? It's very impressive that an art can survive that long in total secrecy while being practiced by such a small number of people that it was almost completely wiped out 300 years ago. It's a good thing Fuxi didn't keep writing, fishing, or trapping a secret or they would have died out a long time ago. You can see why it was kept secret though; it was too beneficial to mankind to be taught openly. 7,000 years? That's over 4,000 years before Laozi. Too bad he didn't know about it, Daoism might have been quite different. I feel bad for all the Daoist monks who spent their whole lives cultivating. Apparently, if they had had access to the Xuanji Matrix, they could have accomplished their results in 1/10th the time. Too bad it was kept secret from them. I guess they were not virtuous enough, or perhaps they just couldn't pay to join. All those millions of Daoists, investigating every possible aspect of Qigong, inner and outer alchemy, medical herbology...and not one of them ever stumbled upon this secret art. Sad indeed. I wonder how many natural disasters could have been avoided if more people had known about and joined the Xuanji Matrix. But then, it wouldn't have been a secret if people outside the group knew about it. And, if it wasn't a secret, then, well, you know what that would mean... I really don't see any point to practicing any other forms of Qigong. All those other forms have been practiced by millions of Daoist monks and other common people for less than 3,000 years. Only secret arts can be any good. Obviously, the information that was freely given to me by Shaolin and Daoist monks is bullshit. They knew nothing about the Xuangji matrix so their practices are a waste of time. I guess I'd better dig out my checkbook so I can finally learn the truth.

I just glanced over it but it looks pretty accurate. Of course, it is a general overview. What was it that caused you to doubt it's accuracy?

Last year in China I picked up a book and DVD called "Ancient and Mysterious Chan Taiji". It looks to be a form of Buddhist based Taiji. possibly associated with Shaolin. I assume this because "Chan" (Japanese "Zen") is the form of Buddhism practiced at Shaolin and the gentleman on the cover is wearing traditional Buddhist monk clothing. Unfortunately, though I speak Chinese, I cannot read it so I haven't gotten very far with the book. If anyone has any information on this, I would be very interested is hearing from you.

Shon, Thanks for all the questions. The 4+1 ratio is actually for the clinic. This is were you see actual patients. The teacher interviews the patient (called the "intake") and decides on the diagnosis and course of treatment. She then tells us what to do and when to do it. This is the most basic of clinical rounds. After a certain number of clinic hours, students can progress to internship rounds were the student does everything without the teacher being present. The student consults with the teacher about diagnosis and treatment, but the teacher is not actually in the room. Rounds are a step by step progression designed to build the students skills and confidence. The actual MQG classes are more normal sized, averaging around 10 - 15 students. The certificate course (which is in an elective and is in addition to the 4 year TCM Master's Degree program) requires 4 semesters of classwork and two semesters of clinic. The Qigong involved is Chinese. The program was designed by Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson. For more information, you can check out his private website: http://www.qigongmedicine.com/ For more info on Five Branches University, check out our website: www.fivebranches.edu MQG is not so different from any other form of Qigong. In fact, the self cultivation exercises are very common. What makes it medical is that the intention is to heal. As far as acupuncture books go; in California the official text for the state boards is "Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion". Another excellent text is "A Manual of Acupuncture" by Peter Deadman. For MQG, we use Dr. Johnson's series of "Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy" books which are quite exhaustive. They include a great deal of Traditional Chinese Medicine information along with the Qigong. As for martial arts, I am an instructor in Filipino Stickfighting (Pekiti-Tirsia Kali), and Muay Thai. I have been practicing Chen Family Taiji Quan for 20 years. I learned both Chen and some Shaolin Quan in China. I've also dabbled in many others but these are my main areas of interest. Thank you for your interest. Take care. Jeff

Hi Shon, I'd have to say the most satisfying experience was Medical Qigong clinic in the fall. There were 4 students plus the teacher and we got to treat patients under her direction. And, we got to treat each other if there was no patient. It was cool to get feedback from the patients and sometimes actually see the physiological changes. It gave me a lot more confidence in using MQG. I've also had some good results qiving superquick treatments to friends with headaches, etc. MQG is definitely going to be a major part of my future practice. The coursework for school is very tough. The more I learn just shows me how much I need to learn. TCM is very deep and it will take years of practice to assimilate it all. Thanks for your question. Feel free to pick away. Jeff

I have posted a few pictures in the Gallery section. There are 4 pictures showing some of the damage to the Jianwu Temple at the base of Mt. Qingcheng, which is near the epicenter of the quake. I am told almost all of the temples on the mountain were badly damaged. I do not have any pictures of the other temples but will be sure to pass on any that come my way. The death toll and the destruction of one of Daoism's most sacred areas is truly heartbreaking.

It is useful to condense the Qi in your lower Dan Tian (LDT) and the end of your Qigong practice. You should guide the Qi down to the LDT with your intention. You may also use your hands to "push" the Qi downward. Once there, you can place both palms over the LDT. For men, place your right hand over the left (opposite for women). You can make contact with your body or have the hands an inch or two away- it's up to you. Visualize the Qi condensing into a small golden ball and then dissolving. Alternately, you can envision the Qi being drawn up into the kidneys for storage. This is a very gentle process that can be done at the end of every practice. There is no reason to do anything more extreme than this. Good luck with your practice.

I have not met Dr. Johnson but I know several of his students and have many of his books. He created the Medical Qigong Program for Five Branches University of TCM in Santa Cruz. I have completed all the classwork and am finishing up the clinic requirements to become certified in the program. That being said, from what I have seen, and based on my experiences in China, Dr. Johnson is the real deal. His accomplishments and lineage are all legitimate and certifiable. I have the utmost respect for Dr. Johnson and his teachings. The term "Daoist Magic" simply refers to what many might call "ritual" or "religious" Daoism. During Daoist rituals, the Daoist Masters (or Daoshi) attempt to contact or influence one or more of the pantheon of Daoist deities. Daoist rituals are magic rituals that use chanting, mudras (mystical hand signs), offerings, "dance" (star stepping), music, ritual objects and, of course, Qi, posture, and intention, to influence the celestial powers that affect our daily lives. These rituals, including the morning and evening ceremonies that are held every day at every Daoist temple are used to show respect for the deities and to request their help in achieving health, peace, and immortality. Dr. Johnson's books are well researched and provide the details necessary for someone who is seeking to practice Daoism. In fact, I was reading one of his books last year during my visit to the Daoist monasteries of Qingcheng Mountain and could see the Daoist monks practicing the very things Dr. Johnson was writing about. I believe his books are self published and his website is pretty much a one man operation. I have had no problem getting any of the materials but I am nearby. I would counsel patience and communication when ordering from his. Best of luck on your search.

Dear Friends, Nice to meet you all. I'm in the 3rd year of a 4 year Master's Degree of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Five Branches University in San Jose, CA. I've been a practicing Buddhist for 20 years. During that time I have practiced various Buddhist meditations and different types of Qigong. I've practiced a variety martial arts for 35 years. I don't like to talk about myself but if you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I look forward to being a part your forum.