What is exactly Taoist Meditation and Taoist Yoga?

[DalTheJigsaw123]

What is exactly Taoist Meditation and Taoist Yoga? I have been reading about it, but I'm still lacking the understanding. Any thoughts? Thank you!

[Spirit Ape]

Dao Yin = like stretching and breathing opening up the meridians and stretching the tendons also done in a meditative state aslo has meditation seated etc.

 

Meditation as in stillness is that!

 

Ape

[thelerner]

If you want an exact answer get a book, it'll take a while, there are threads here recommending basic reads and ofcourse there is a book discussion section. The Healing Tao US website has some indepth articles by Michael Winn on what he's trying to accomplish with his system.

 

I find Taoist meditation systems (and there are many of them) tend to be esoteric and energy oriented. Take Winn's system (based on Mantak Chia's, based on the Hermit White Cloud?). You learn the inner smile, sending good feelings to your inner organs. Later some qi gong forms, some old and shamanistic. Get into the Microcosmic orbit, which circulates energy around the central channels. Later there's a whole set of visualizations and energy manipulations. Plus learning about the unique Taoist philosophy of your multiple souls and how they react.

 

In other words they tend to be kind of busy, though some are simpler then others.

 

That's there blessing and curse, where other systems have you sitting quietly for decades, Taoist systems tend to have levels that build on each other.

 

Michael

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Dao Yin = like stretching and breathing opening up the meridians and stretching the tendons also done in a meditative state aslo has meditation seated etc.

 

Meditation as in stillness is that!

 

Ape

 

I like that. Sounds simple!

 

If you want an exact answer get a book, it'll take a while, there are threads here recommending basic reads and ofcourse there is a book discussion section. The Healing Tao US website has some indepth articles by Michael Winn on what he's trying to accomplish with his system.

 

I find Taoist meditation systems (and there are many of them) tend to be esoteric and energy oriented. Take Winn's system (based on Mantak Chia's, based on the Hermit White Cloud?). You learn the inner smile, sending good feelings to your inner organs. Later some qi gong forms, some old and shamanistic. Get into the Microcosmic orbit, which circulates energy around the central channels. Later there's a whole set of visualizations and energy manipulations. Plus learning about the unique Taoist philosophy of your multiple souls and how they react.

 

In other words they tend to be kind of busy, though some are simpler then others.

 

That's there blessing and curse, where other systems have you sitting quietly for decades, Taoist systems tend to have levels that build on each other.

 

Michael

 

Thank you! Do you use Taoist Meditation/Yoga? What about Taoist Yoga? You spoke about meditation, but is there a difference with Yoga. Is it Qi Gong/Tai Chi? Thanks!

[EagleShen]

That's a curious question to attempt to answer, and probably doesn't have a clear cut answer and yes may well take a whole book to define it, there are many different methods of cultivation in Taoism, and some of them do require you to simply sit for decades, although this is a lot less prevalent than in some other systems, Buddhism for example.

 

You could answer it quite simply and potentially not very helpfully by saying that it's an approach to the cultivation of the human being that was developed from the indigenous shamanic practices within the region now known as China.

 

I guess the most helpful answer i can think of right now is that Taoist meditation and yoga has an emphasis on stillness in movement, whether this be movement and stillness of the body, mind, spirit or energy, it's the idea that when action arises spontaneously from a natural state of being it encompasses and manifests as both movement and stillness.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

That's a curious question to attempt to answer, and probably doesn't have a clear cut answer and yes may well take a whole book to define it, there are many different methods of cultivation in Taoism, and some of them do require you to simply sit for decades, although this is a lot less prevalent than in some other systems, Buddhism for example.

 

You could answer it quite simply and potentially not very helpfully by saying that it's an approach to the cultivation of the human being that was developed from the indigenous shamanic practices within the region now known as China.

 

I guess the most helpful answer i can think of right now is that Taoist meditation and yoga has an emphasis on stillness in movement, whether this be movement and stillness of the body, mind, spirit or energy, it's the idea that when action arises spontaneously from a natural state of being it encompasses and manifests as both movement and stillness.

 

So what you saying is stillness in meditation/yoga and movement at the same time? Or broken into different elements?

[EagleShen]

Same. eg movement is a natural and spontaneous arising, eg the planets, stars, galaxy etc, they move without effort, thus true stillness must encompass movement, and visa versa. Natural movement is stillness, natural stillness is movement.

[secularfuture]

What is exactly Taoist Meditation and Taoist Yoga? I have been reading about it, but I'm still lacking the understanding. Any thoughts? Thank you!

Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life by Ming-dao Deng is an excellent introduction to Taoism. I'm still looking for a good books and mp3s that focus on just the meditation practice. There is a Qigong meditation course by Ken Cohen that's very good, but it's a bit pricey. If I find something less expensive I'll post about it here.

 

If you want an exact answer get a book, it'll take a while, there are threads here recommending basic reads and ofcourse there is a book discussion section. The Healing Tao US website has some indepth articles by Michael Winn on what he's trying to accomplish with his system.

I can barely navigate his page. It looks like one big infomercial.

[Creation]

The term Taoist Yoga is an ambiguous term. The different meanings are due to the differenet meanings of the term yoga.

 

If you take the classical meaning, which is a complete system of spiritual practices culminating in union with the Absolute, then the Taoist version of this, nei dan or inner alchemy. This is what the title of the book Taoist Yoga: Alchemy and Immortality refers to.

 

In the modern western meaning, yoga is a system of stretching and breathing exercises practiced for its physical and emotional/mental health benefits. The Taoist analogue of this is Daoyin. This is what is being referred to in that "Tao Yoga" site you asked about a while ago, or what Bruce Frantzis calls "TAO yoga" in some of his books.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life by Ming-dao Deng is an excellent introduction to Taoism. I'm still looking for a good books and mp3s that focus on just the meditation practice. There is a Qigong meditation course by Ken Cohen that's very good, but it's a bit pricey. If I find something less expensive I'll post about it here.

I can barely navigate his page. It looks like one big infomercial.

 

I have been looking for that book. I believe Amazon has it. I will try to buy it or see if the Library has it. I'm reading his other book: 365 Tao: Daily Meditations.