How to lower body temperature with meditation?

[KenBrace]

During my meditative training, I have uncontrollably been heating up and getting those "cool" rushes of heat through my body. I've decided to start learning how to gain better control of my energy rather than letting it run wild and leaving cold when I want to be warm and hot when I want to be cool.

 

I've found some info on tummo and how to heat up your body but I haven't found anything on how to reduce body temperature to cool down. Anyone know of anything that might help me with this?

Edited September 18, 2013 by KenBrace

[joeblast]

yangming

[Ish]

Well, if Tummo brings all your energy and awareness into your central channel - how about trying the opposite and gently bring your awareness and feeling onto your limbs and hands/feet.

 

Not something to take seriously, just a suggestion for you to play with.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Ish

[Dzogchen]

You will have to get fairly deep into Tummo. I personally would just recommend Shitali pranayama.

 

I typically incorporate 1hr minimum per day of different pranayamas and hardly need to do Shitali, but it works very well, especially coupled with a few other bandhas and mudras.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Dzogchen

[ChiDragon]

hmmmmm.....
In the philosophy of alchemy, a Taoist want to keep the furnace burning all the time to produce the energy, so to speak. Why would one wants to lower the temperature of the body....??? IMO If one can maintain the increase of the body heat, then it means you are doing the right thing. One rather have to release the excess of heat than lowering the body temperature on demand. Lowering the heat is the least thing that one wants to do to the body.

[C T]

hmmmmm.....

In the philosophy of alchemy, a Taoist want to keep the furnace burning all the time to produce the energy, so to speak. Why would one wants to lower the temperature of the body....??? IMO If one can maintain the increase of the body heat, then it means you are doing the right thing. One rather have to release the excess of heat than lowering the body temperature on demand. Lowering the heat is the least thing that one wants to do to the body.

A Taoist knows when to consume cooling foods and remedies, as well as foods and remedies to increase heat. The furnace, as you put it, needs tempering according to the seasons, so its not a 'burning all the time' thing, is it? There are obvious reasons for this, which i believe you are well aware of, being Chinese. Alchemy is, after all, about timing and synchronization, right?

 

When the OP mentioned lowering body temperature, its easy to overlook those times when this could well be a life-saving thing. Also, why would a Taoist living in the Kalahari, for example, master the art of stoking the furnace to blaze the fires?

[ChiDragon]

Let me put it this way. The human body is a good temperature regulator. During internal practice, the function of the internal organs will be enhanced. At the same time, lots of energy and heat are being generated more than the body can handle. Thus the excess of heat will be cooled down by sweating as a normal function of the body. I don't think there is any cooling method to do it. It seems to me, in order, to prevent the body from overheat is to stop the practice at that instance.

In regards to the alchemy about timing and synchronization is a different story. As I'd said, it is an internal practice which can be practiced at any time. I don't see there is any special timing involved. In addition, the mentioned cooling food or remedies to increase the heat are meant something else in TCM. In TCM, when someone eats lots of fried foods, one will have sores in the mouth and gums or rashes on the skins. That was considered to be overheat from the fried foods rather than from a high body temperature causing to have a fever. In order to get rid of the sores or rashes, some herbal remedies have to be taken to cancel the heating effect. The kinds of herbs used for the purpose were considered to be the cooling remedies or foods.

Edited September 19, 2013 by ChiDragon

[C T]

Let me put it this way. The human body is a good temperature regulator. During internal practice, the function of the internal organs will be enhanced. At the same time, lots of energy and heat are being generated more than the body can handle. Thus the excess of heat will be cooled down by sweating as a normal function of the body. I don't think there is any cooling method to do it. It seems to me, in order, to prevent the body from overheat is to stop the practice at that instance.

 

In regards to the alchemy about timing and synchronization is a different story. As I'd said, it is an internal practice which can be practiced at any time. I don't see there is any special timing involved. In addition, the mentioned cooling food or remedies to increase the heat are meant something else in TCM. In TCM, when someone eats lots of fried foods, one will have sores in the mouth and gums or rashes on the skins. That was considered to be overheat from the fried foods rather than from a high body temperature causing to have a fever. In order to get rid of the sores or rashes, some herbal remedies have to be taken to cancel the heating effect. The kinds of herbs used for the purpose were considered to be the cooling remedies or foods.

I wasn't actually referring to eating lots of fried foods to the extent of feverishing the body. Reference was made to eating according to the seasons and practicing according to one's prevalent environmental surrounds/habitat.

[XiaoZi]

 

During my meditative training, I have uncontrollably been heating up and getting those "cool" rushes of heat through my body. I've decided to start learning how to gain better control of my energy rather than letting it run wild and leaving cold when I want to be warm and hot when I want to be cool.

 

I've found some info on tummo and how to heat up your body but I haven't found anything on how to reduce body temperature to cool down. Anyone know of anything that might help me with this?

 

 

As I read in the translations of one encient manuscript - the regulation of your temperature depends on the condition of your bidy. If in meditation it is heating or cooling - than meditation is to earlier for you - you must (as was written) get control of your body by moveable trainings.

Edited September 19, 2013 by XiaoZi

[joeblast]

Let me put it this way. The human body is a good temperature regulator. During internal practice, the function of the internal organs will be enhanced. At the same time, lots of energy and heat are being generated more than the body can handle. Thus the excess of heat will be cooled down by sweating as a normal function of the body. I don't think there is any cooling method to do it. It seems to me, in order, to prevent the body from overheat is to stop the practice at that instance.

A few years back I was sitting with Lin when he had his school in Brooklyn - I was in shorts and a tank top, sweating my ass off it was so hot...and Lin was sitting there comfortably with what looked like 3 layers of clothes! He noticed how hot I was and laughed at me and said hey, you know how to warm yourself, use the laogung and such....why cant you cool yourself, what's the problem?

 

Just as the yin channels can be cultivated to increase the internal temperature...so can the yang channels be used to "shed" heat - a ripple goes from the centerline, out the yangming channels...it is pretty simple, really.

[KenBrace]

hmmmmm.....

In the philosophy of alchemy, a Taoist want to keep the furnace burning all the time to produce the energy, so to speak. Why would one wants to lower the temperature of the body....??? IMO If one can maintain the increase of the body heat, then it means you are doing the right thing. One rather have to release the excess of heat than lowering the body temperature on demand. Lowering the heat is the least thing that one wants to do to the body.

 

I want to be able to maintain a comfortable tempurature no matter what weather I might be in. When I in cool/cold weather, I'd like to be able to warm myself up. When I'm in hot weather I'd much prefer getting rid of heat and cooling down rather than heating up.

[KenBrace]

Well, if Tummo brings all your energy and awareness into your central channel - how about trying the opposite and gently bring your awareness and feeling onto your limbs and hands/feet. Not something to take seriously, just a suggestion for you to play with.

I'll give it a try.

 

You will have to get fairly deep into Tummo. I personally would just recommend Shitali pranayama. I typically incorporate 1hr minimum per day of different pranayamas and hardly need to do Shitali, but it works very well, especially coupled with a few other bandhas and mudras.

Thanks I tried Shitali pranayama and it seemed to work fairly well. Thanks for the info!

[thelerner]

A few years back I was sitting with Lin when he had his school in Brooklyn - I was in shorts and a tank top, sweating my ass off it was so hot...and Lin was sitting there comfortably with what looked like 3 layers of clothes! He noticed how hot I was and laughed at me and said hey, you know how to warm yourself, use the laogung and such....why cant you cool yourself, what's the problem?

 

Just as the yin channels can be cultivated to increase the internal temperature...so can the yang channels be used to "shed" heat - a ripple goes from the centerline, out the yangming channels...it is pretty simple, really.

Cool story. Can you talk a little more about using the technique? Focus points and flow directions, kind of stuff.

[joeblast]

I basically had to figure out "how to do the opposite" of the heat-sipping method of laogung breathing. But that provided the foundation and basis for it, using a heat source and sipping the heat into the laogung until it felt like there was a membrane moving in the palm when I'd inhale, then after that the heat would noticeably travel up the yin arm channels until it go to the sea point at the elbow, going deeply there it then moved quickly and jumped out the corresponding shu points in the back and the heat spreads along the UB meridian. I think I may have picked up some stuff from reading the Yellow Emperor's classic, some of its descriptions of yangming in there. The centerline expression is almost one of a pause and then the expression just bounces, travels out the yang channels in a similar fashion as the heat spreading along the UB channel when doing the laogung heat sipping. Imagine you have this shiny very light robe on you, and just by...manifesting a "shedding" of it, it energetically happens. So the intent portion is corresponding to the centerline pause of sorts and then like a wave outflowing,...shudders, sheds, tingles its way out. Its tough to describe, but it is a simple technique, just takes a little practice.

[ChiDragon]

I wasn't actually referring to eating lots of fried foods to the extent of feverishing the body. Reference was made to eating according to the seasons and practicing according to one's prevalent environmental surrounds/habitat.

 

Yes, I was thinking that you were talking about seasonal foods; but I was given another example relating to the same which commonly takes place daily.

 

 

[hydrogen]

I basically had to figure out "how to do the opposite" of the heat-sipping method of laogung breathing. But that provided the foundation and basis for it, using a heat source and sipping the heat into the laogung until it felt like there was a membrane moving in the palm when I'd inhale, then after that the heat would noticeably travel up the yin arm channels until it go to the sea point at the elbow, going deeply there it then moved quickly and jumped out the corresponding shu points in the back and the heat spreads along the UB meridian. I think I may have picked up some stuff from reading the Yellow Emperor's classic, some of its descriptions of yangming in there. The centerline expression is almost one of a pause and then the expression just bounces, travels out the yang channels in a similar fashion as the heat spreading along the UB channel when doing the laogung heat sipping. Imagine you have this shiny very light robe on you, and just by...manifesting a "shedding" of it, it energetically happens. So the intent portion is corresponding to the centerline pause of sorts and then like a wave outflowing,...shudders, sheds, tingles its way out. Its tough to describe, but it is a simple technique, just takes a little practice.

 

 

cool. still have no idea how to do it.

 

Meanwhile, I just stick out my tonge and panting like a dog. spread my finger open to fan the cool air into my face.

[ChiDragon]

A few years back I was sitting with Lin when he had his school in Brooklyn - I was in shorts and a tank top, sweating my ass off it was so hot...and Lin was sitting there comfortably with what looked like 3 layers of clothes! He noticed how hot I was and laughed at me and said hey, you know how to warm yourself, use the laogung and such....why cant you cool yourself, what's the problem?

 

I don't need to cool myself off. I had been sitting with people sweating their ass off. They were asking me how come I am not sweating at all like them.

 

 

 

I want to be able to maintain a comfortable tempurature no matter what weather I might be in. When I in cool/cold weather, I'd like to be able to warm myself up. When I'm in hot weather I'd much prefer getting rid of heat and cooling down rather than heating up.

 

One can stay calm as possible to lower the body activities. People get so hot is because the blood circulation was very active which circulates the heat throughout the body. A good way to stay calm is by breathing very deep and slow and less body movement by sitting still. I am assuming that only can be done by those who have some Chi Kung experiences in regulating their breathing.

Edited September 19, 2013 by ChiDragon

[Dzogchen]

I'll give it a try.

 

Thanks I tried Shitali pranayama and it seemed to work fairly well. Thanks for the info!

 

Try it along with Jal Vardhak, Shankha, or Surabhi mudra, they work very well together and will cool you down very quickly and effectively!

[KenBrace]

One can stay calm as possible to lower the body activities. People get so hot is because the blood circulation was very active which circulates the heat throughout the body. A good way to stay calm is by breathing very deep and slow and less body movement by sitting still. I am assuming that only can be done by those who have some Chi Kung experiences in regulating their breathing.

 

Staying calm helps but at a certain temperature you could be as calm as a lake and still be sweating.

[CrunchyChocolate555]

How about some cooling herbs?

[ChiDragon]

Staying calm helps but at a certain temperature you could be as calm as a lake and still be sweating.

 

Can you describe the kind of environment that you were in while sweating......??? What were you doing also....???

Edited September 19, 2013 by ChiDragon

[Aetherous]

Look into pitta dosha diet. In addition, have fats like ghee so that your nerves can handle the energy instead of getting fried. Celibacy also helps...otherwise it's like "driving your car" when low on "oil" when you practice.

Bury yourself in dirt, or just lay on the grass in the shade for an hour...earthing.

Drink more pure cool water. Having white tea or certain types of herbal teas (like peppermint) might be good...hot water will benefit your spleen (which regulates temperature when healthy) and cause you to sweat which is releasing heat. Temporary effect of drinking hot water is heating, long term effect is cooling.

 

Take a lukewarm (skin temperature) bath...water is a great conductor of infrared energy, so your heat will leave you...yet it's still warm enough to keep the skin's pores and channels open. Don't stay in til it's cold...then the pores close and inner heat is retained.

[KenBrace]

Can you describe the kind of environment that you were in while sweating......??? What were doing also....???

 

Where I live the temperatures get up to 105+ degrees in the summer. Even when it's much cooler than that (90+ degrees) I sweat from merely sitting and relaxing or even it meditation. When it's hot I want to get rid of heat and when I'm cold I want to increase it. Unless you live where it's always cold, heating up isn't the only thing of importance. Maintaining a balanced body temperature is ideal is it not?

[ChiDragon]

Where I live the temperatures get up to 105+ degrees in the summer. Even when it's much cooler than that (90+ degrees) I sweat from merely sitting and relaxing or even it meditation. When it's hot I want to get rid of heat and when I'm cold I want to increase it. Unless you live where it's always cold, heating up isn't the only thing of importance. Maintaining a balanced body temperature is ideal is it not?

 

I see that you have an environmental impact. The problem is not you. It is the external temperature which is higher than a comfortable temperature for your body. It is very normal for you to release the environmental heat which was added to your body. To fulfill your wish about cooling your body in such environment, you must attain a high level of internal practice to regulate your body temperature. I think it would be easier to regulate the external temperature by air conditioning.

[KenBrace]

I see that you have an environmental impact. The problem is not you. It is the external temperature which is higher than a comfortable temperature for your body. It is very normal for you to release the environmental heat which was added to your body. To fulfill your wish about cooling your body in such environment, you must attain a high level of internal practice to regulate your body temperature. I think it would be easier to regulate the external temperature by air conditioning.

 

So what your trying to say is that instead of practicing tummo, Hoff should simply get a heating system and more cloths?