Beginning Taoist Practices

[z00se]

Eric, i have some comments.

 

Many people seem to say they have excellent results with what you have said (i haven't given it much of a go myself as my own practices serve me well and now my glass is full for the moment). However...

 

Concentrating on the nose area like you've mentioned would bring energy to that point. Whether it's energy comming from inside or outside that people are describing i feel this is not a good way for a taoist 'beginning practice' should begin. Yeah it's easy to get strong energy to the head but you need a clear way for it to go too. I feel it's not good to just let it all pool up there. I feel intent should be used and not visulization. You can't use intent if your using your brain (which becomes even harder when you've got lots of energy comming in or staying around your head). You need to let your energy sink down into the dantien so that your mind becomes empty, then you can use your intent to direct or let the energy flow freely at it's will. When you are grounded enough and have enough energy in your lower dantien you can begin bringing the higher frequency energy in from higher energy centres.

 

I think doing your nose method makes it more difficult to develop the ability to use intent, therefore even though some people are feeling all this energy very fast they actually are going backwards because it becomes harder for them to use intent.

 

To use intent you need to be relaxed. concentrating on a place or visualising is not relaxing. Visulization can finally open your eyes to intent but you need to get your head clear and all the energy out of it.

 

Using the energy from higher energy centres without mixing with grounding earth energy makes your qi too hot and too high a frequency. I feel it's not much use. It's like a 1,000 volt energy without any amps. It won't do anything useful. By having large amps then adding a balancing voltage to it the power (volts x amps) becomes much higher and more useful and more safe.

 

The reader should beware. It's natural for things that build up slowly are strong and last a long time. Things that jump up very fast are usually quick to fall down. I think if you try to jump to high frequency energy early on you will end up with nothing in the end. step by step.

[tumoessence]

Earth Friend,

as one of the posters on this thread with experience on the exercise suggested, my finding is that the eyes downward to the tip of the nose actually guides the energy down to the dan tien. In many methods that I have done in the past the eyes have been used to guide energy in the body including moving them in a type of circular pattern meant as an analogue to the small circulation where eyes up is meant to bring the energy to the head. Eyes looking downward is meant to bring energy down whichever channel one is working with. So for me the experience with the eyes at the tip of the nose has the effect of bringing energy downward that results from the quiet mind that is enhanced by the eye position. If you read carefully, the eye position that Mr Yudelove is suggesting is meant just for that, quieting the mind, not necessarily inducing energy to the head, or anywhere else for that matter. He just says that it will help us to quiet the mind and allow us to get to a meditative state more consistently. The rest are postings from people who I am sure are not novices to inner work and therefore bring their own energy dispositions into play.

Bill

[宁]

Todays Practice:

 

Short to the point (literally)

 

1. Tip of nose 4-5 min...mind wander wander wander... focus

2. Half way up... wait...wait... IGNITION!!!

 

Kinda like the (phosphene)? images prior to sleep.

But alignment would best describe the experience.

 

 

what is IGNITION!!! ?

[freeform]

as one of the posters on this thread with experience on the exercise...

 

Thanks Bill.

 

I always find it funny when some people have such seemingly clear and important opinions on practices they've not bothered to even try. I probably do it myself sometimes...

[Eric Yudelove]

Earth Friend,

as one of the posters on this thread with experience on the exercise suggested, my finding is that the eyes downward to the tip of the nose actually guides the energy down to the dan tien. In many methods that I have done in the past the eyes have been used to guide energy in the body including moving them in a type of circular pattern meant as an analogue to the small circulation where eyes up is meant to bring the energy to the head. Eyes looking downward is meant to bring energy down whichever channel one is working with. So for me the experience with the eyes at the tip of the nose has the effect of bringing energy downward that results from the quiet mind that is enhanced by the eye position. If you read carefully, the eye position that Mr Yudelove is suggesting is meant just for that, quieting the mind, not necessarily inducing energy to the head, or anywhere else for that matter. He just says that it will help us to quiet the mind and allow us to get to a meditative state more consistently. The rest are postings from people who I am sure are not novices to inner work and therefore bring their own energy dispositions into play.

Bill

 

Grounding oneself to the Earth is of major importance in the practice. That is why I cautioned one reader not to focus the Light on the Crown, you can injure yourself that way. When you're ready for that, you will know. Don't be so fast to get outside yourself, work on the inside first.

Concentrating on the tip of the nose is just the beginning step of the Backward Flowing Method. It is in itself a grounding technique and is a great tool in learning how to concentrate and keeping the mind from wandering, as well as silencing the thought processes. It is the starting point of Taoist Internal Meditation, which many of you already know alot about. I'm just trying to fill in the holes and make life a little easier and more fun for you.

I have already told you about raising your point of concentration to the Bridge of your nose, about 1/3 of the way down from the point between the two eyes. You must maintain an awareness of the tip of the nose but your focus is on the Bridge of the Nose Point. Your eyes are almost shut as you stare at the Bridge. You might feel all sorts of things begin to happen. You might feel a flow of energy between the 2 points. You might feel what seems to be a condensation of energy, you might experience a real quieting or total cessation of thoughts.

You don't have to work on these exercises more than 15 minutes a day. You can raise the tip of your tongue to the rear of the palatte where it gets soft, if you like, but it is not crucial at this point.

You should be also be doing some form of physical exercise as well as breathing exercises.

Any higher goal in Taoist Yoga cannot be achieved without rythmic or regulated breathing. I have to assume that you all know how to do Abdominal Breathing and many probably Reverse Breathing. If you're not doing Breathing exercises, now is the time to start.

Rythmic breathing consists of breathing at a certain pace. Usually the length of the inhalation should be matched by the length of the exhalation. This can be accomplished initially by counting. Inhale 2-3-4- Exhale-2-3-4. Or use a longer 5 count or 6 count( Counting also helps to increase your ability to concentrate without getting distracted). The idea is to match the length of the inhalation and exhalation, with practice it should become easy. What is also regulated is the sound of the breathing, no higher goals can be accomplished if the breathing is not silent.

"If it can be heard then the breath-energy is rough; if rough than it is troubled, if it is troubled than indolence and lethargy develop and one wants to sleep." "Secret Of the Golden Flower" pg.42.

Okay now for something new. Put your concentration on the tip of the nose then raise it to the bridge of the nose. After staying here awhile, listen inward, with your ears, to the sound of your breathing. This is inner hearing. Use it to regulate away the sound of your breathing. Work on this until your breathing is silent. Nothing in your practice is more important than this. Sorry.

As the "Secret of the Golden Flower" states: "If the ear does not listen attentively or the eyes do not look at the bridge of the nose,it often happens that the heart(mind) runs off outside, or that sleep comes."

Work on these exercises.

I am not offering any quick road to Heaven. I'm sure many of you have practiced for a long time, what I've given here so far, hopefully improves your practice. If you are just starting, I can see only benefit from continuing here, as long as it goes on. We really haven't done any internal work yet, we have been learning to focus our attention, learn to concentrate and increase the silence.

For those of you combining what I'm teaching with internal work, be careful of raising too much heat. If that should happen, immerse your thoughts in the Water Element.

 

MESY

Edited April 1, 2010 by Eric Yudelove

[sifusufi]

what is IGNITION!!! ?

 

Over the years I had noticed a milky white swirling donut shape that tended to float off into the distance as I began to reallllllly relax and drift off.

If I tried to focus on it (fade to black)... well game over.

 

Working insane hours as I am wont to do i take meditation when I can get it.

When restless, focus really helps. On this instance moving from the tip of the nose up about half way the light(phosphene)? energy or what have you was brilliant, palpable, luminescent, somewhere between Aurora Borealis and some recent photos from the Hubble telescope.

 

Perfectly centered at the third eye point almost like crosshairs on a scope.

Something like this....

[UTI]

Really nice results so far, after a while when everything relaxes and the focus comes naturally it's like I feel something sucking in, sometimes to the center of the brain, sometimes it goes down the front the body. It's fast and very pleasant.

 

I'll start also working on the ridge of the nose, and try the visualization with the sun you mentioned a while back.

[tumoessence]

I find the ridge of the nose, sun visualization challenging, but I keep at it. I practice it a while then I find I am back at the tip.

[gendao]

Over the years I had noticed a milky white swirling donut shape that tended to float off into the distance as I began to reallllllly relax and drift off.

 

Perfectly centered at the third eye point almost like crosshairs on a scope.

Something like this....

Interesting, me too. I wonder what that is?

Mine looks like the round shape of the 3rd pic with more of the color of the 4th pic. Kind of like a rapidly swirling mass of squiggles with pastel oil slick colors.

[Eric Yudelove]

I find the ridge of the nose, sun visualization challenging, but I keep at it. I practice it a while then I find I am back at the tip.

 

Bring your image of the Sun, from the tip of your nose to the Bridge of the nose and then to the Third Eye Point between your two eyes. Hold the Sun there until you can see the light shining. Keep an awareness of the tip of your nose(just imagine touching it with your finger to keep it in place and then move on).

Things should start to get interesting.

There is real power in Taoist Yoga. As Taoists you deserve this. I wonder if you have been getting real energy from your practices.

All that swirling stuff that some of you are seeing is the light starting to congeal-become coherent. It's a beautiful sight seeing universes twirling in our third eye. It's your growing connection to oneness with the Universe or as we call it-Tao.

I don't know if anyone ever told you before, but there is real magic in Taoist Yoga.

 

MESY

[Spectrum]

[Spectrum]

[Eric Yudelove]

 

I practice it a while then I find I am back at the tip.

 

This is really fine. This is why the tip of the nose point is so important. It gives you a point to fall back to when your mind drifts or you cannot hold an image or you get distracted or any reason at all, and you just need to focus and start over. Just put your concentration on the tip of your nose and then go back to where you were.

The tip of the nose is a powerful grounding point, it can bring your mind back from almost anywhere and keep you from getting "lost in space". As long as you can find it, you can't get lost.

 

I would like to hear from more of you as to whether you are having much success or not.

[tumoessence]

". As long as you can find it, you can't get lost.

 

I usually can find it unless a major fog has set in, and yes I find it to relly great for grounding. Thank you for coming back to this conversation. Today my focus on the bridge reached some stability, more so than up until now. A side note is that my eyes feel "strong" in some way that is hard to define. My vision is not better, but my eyes feel stronger.

Bill

[UTI]

Eric,

 

I would be grateful if you could clarigy a bit what the intended result of the initial nose-gazing is. The reason is that I feel I am having different things happening every time I do it. This may not be bad, and this stuff is all indivudual I suppose, but it would be good for me to know what's sidetracking and what's something to work towards.

 

What I've felt so far, that was what I figured as the most on-track instance, was working with the sun visualization and ridge of the nose. I felt the sensation increasing, and the visualised sun drawing up the nose, and moving into the eye-brow point. However, when I did it today, I felt the craziest tingling in my lower abdomen-nothing else. So, it sort of varies from day to day...

[Fire Dragon]

Hello

 

I am also doing this meditation on the nose, since a few days.

 

I have noticed a few things. First of all it is easier for me to do it than before. I can do it with or without my glasses. If doing it without my glasses I have to not focus on the tip, not see it clearly, beacase I have wery different streanght in the my glass to the two eyes. Instead I look in the rigth direction and not focus with the eyes on the nose, but focus mentally on the nose, and seeing it blury. This is the way I most often do this.

 

I feel some energy going up to the bridge and also into the third eye. After awhile I do follow my atention to the bridge and those times I have felt energy there I focus my atention to the energy. There is also some nice vibration and the third eye.

 

I have also felt energy going down the front channel to my navel and I think towards the tan-tien.

 

Somtimes I do not feel much at all, but perhaps a stabilisising, on my mind, efect. Sometimes I have felt wery sleepy and after some minutes with this meditation I had to sleep for about 2 hours in the midle of the day, wich isn't unusual in my condition, but peraps the noce gasing did let me feel how sleepy I was.

 

 

By the way: Thanks Eric for the advices on the other thread. I have added your suggested exercises to my daily routine of practise. Except perhaps not being a slave to routine , but I think I do it enough freely in some sence also. I wrote some comments on that thread. Feel free to answer or not answer them. As I see it you have already helped me. I will try to participate in this noce gasing with the other. Perhaps also suggest the other in my yoga group to try this.

 

F D

[Eric Yudelove]

Eric,

 

I would be grateful if you could clarigy a bit what the intended result of the initial nose-gazing is. The reason is that I feel I am having different things happening every time I do it. This may not be bad, and this stuff is all indivudual I suppose, but it would be good for me to know what's sidetracking and what's something to work towards.

 

What I've felt so far, that was what I figured as the most on-track instance, was working with the sun visualization and ridge of the nose. I felt the sensation increasing, and the visualised sun drawing up the nose, and moving into the eye-brow point. However, when I did it today, I felt the craziest tingling in my lower abdomen-nothing else. So, it sort of varies from day to day...

 

Dear Uti:

Please read over my postings on this string. I make it quite clear what the purpose of staring at the tip of the nose is all about. It is a starting point, not a destination. It should bring on all sorts of reactions as activity from previous practicing falls in line with the new techniques.

If after you re read, you still have a question, then ask again.

 

MESY

[Fire Dragon]

Hello

From todays practise of the nose gasing:

 

Today I felt like a stream of energy going from the tip of the nose towards the bump and perhaps also into the third eye. I did not feel much, but I did feel like there was a potential of much energy to come going up the nose. Difficult to explain, but it felt like something big is going on, the stream upward.

 

F D

[UTI]

Dear Uti:

Please read over my postings on this string. I make it quite clear what the purpose of staring at the tip of the nose is all about. It is a starting point, not a destination. It should bring on all sorts of reactions as activity from previous practicing falls in line with the new techniques.

If after you re read, you still have a question, then ask again.

 

MESY

 

Ok, was just fishing to see if there was anything more to be said. Then I know how to progress, thank you!

[Spectrum]

"The old mans beard hangs low."

[Eric Yudelove]

"The old mans beard hangs low."

 

Dear Spectrum:

I hope that's a complement.

The final topic in this string will be Shining the Light on the Central Palace.

I've had you bring your concentration to the tip of your nose and then bridge of the nose and now finally to the point between your 2 eyes. I talked about this before when I said to visualize the Sun at the tip of the nose then bridge of the bridge of the nose and then finally in the mid-eye point. I said to practice at the mid-eye point until the light begins to shine.

Shine the light into your 2 eyes. Next imagine your 2 eyes revolving backward so that they are looking into your brain.

Now, if it doesn't flow there by itself, guide the light out of your eyes to the center of your brain, directly behind the mideye point, about 3 inches inside. This is the Central Castle, , the Central Palace,the One Inch Square, the Crystal Palace-different names for the same place.

Illuminate the Central Palace.

Once you have established this practice, you can guide the light wherever you wish inside your body, even fill your whole body with light, or connect the light to whatever practice you already know.

 

A note about the breathing exercises. Do the 6 Healing Sounds, as you exhale silently, inside their respective organs. It is a good way to help regulate the pace of the inhalation and exhalation. The ability to do the Sound subvocally inside it's organ marks a significant step forward in the practice. The 6 Healing Sounds are true Taoist techniques that are often mentioned in Taoist literature. There were even schools that were based around this practice.

Listen down as your breathing quiets down and becomes silent.

 

This should conclude the topic of Beginning Taoist Practices. I hope it has been an aid to your practice. If anyone is still interested in going further along this Way, please let me know.

 

Master Eric Steven Yudelove

Edited April 12, 2010 by Eric Yudelove

[tumoessence]

Thank you very much for taking time with this, Master Yudelove. I will let you know how this practice evolves. Would you carry on further through pms or a new topic?

Bill

[UTI]

That last bit sounds quite intense I've just started getting the hang of moving to the ridge and visualizing the light, my eyes geting tired soon and start to glide away on their own. But the past two days I've started to move forward a bit again. It suddenly felt as though I wasn't looking out through my two eyes, but rather through my third eye, looking down at the nose-tip. Somehow the visualization went much easier after that, and I started feeling the light moving into it. Gonna get a hang of it a bit more, then move on to what you said above.

 

Thanks so much for the time and knowledge you've given us here! I have a feeling this will bring a new dimension to my practice if I stay on course.

 

Also, got a copy of "100 days" in the mail today, I already do some of the stuff twice a day, but I will follow the course anyways as an appendix to what I already do

 

If you want to share more with us, I have a feeling I'm far from the only one who wants to hear it! If nothing else, I will post again as this practice progresses.

 

-uti

[Eric Yudelove]

That last bit sounds quite intense I've just started getting the hang of moving to the ridge and visualizing the light, my eyes geting tired soon and start to glide away on their own. But the past two days I've started to move forward a bit again. It suddenly felt as though I wasn't looking out through my two eyes, but rather through my third eye, looking down at the nose-tip. Somehow the visualization went much easier after that, and I started feeling the light moving into it. Gonna get a hang of it a bit more, then move on to what you said above.

 

Thanks so much for the time and knowledge you've given us here! I have a feeling this will bring a new dimension to my practice if I stay on course.

 

Also, got a copy of "100 days" in the mail today, I already do some of the stuff twice a day, but I will follow the course anyways as an appendix to what I already do

 

If you want to share more with us, I have a feeling I'm far from the only one who wants to hear it! If nothing else, I will post again as this practice progresses.

 

-uti

 

Dear Uti:

From what I have heard here, I believe that I have accomplished what I set out to do when I started posting on TaoBums. I gave you the Real Deal the way the Masters of old would have transmitted it.

Now some of you are feeling the real power in Taoist Yoga that you never felt before.

If this is true, then I have been a good teacher and not simply a large bag filled with wind.

 

A final note: On the Eyes- The importance of the eyes in Taoist Yoga. In relation to the rest of the body, the two eyes are Yang while the rest of the body is Yin. This is a basic Taoist belief. Once the eyes are illuminated, like taught above, and mentally turned inward, they become like powerful Yang flashlights, lighting up the interior darkness, rooting out the Yin darkness until there is no Yin left,all that is left is Yang, illuminated.

This was one of the most highly kept Taoist Yoga secrets. So take good care of your eyes. Massage them, get the tear out and do the Sexual Yoga exercises connecting pulling up on the various parts of the perineum area while pulling in on the eyes.

 

MESY

[sifusufi]

Pages 114-116 of Taoist Yoga has been the technique par excellence.

 

As I have a weakness to accumulate info, books, tapes, etc, this is the one that I always come back to in my weakest hour. (Why do I rest on my laurels when strong)?

 

I know, I know it's in the book, but the forum and the live correspondence bring it to a new level for me.

My life is shinier when I practice (especially since joining the forum).

 

Can't thank you enough for sharing the way

(I think you know this)

 

Smiling,

Robert