I need some help with gathering generative force and transmutation! Inner alchemy

[SkyReach]

Hello everyone!

 

I have been celibate for almost a year now but I still suffer from nocturnal emissions every few weeks. This really bums me out because I love the way I feel after conserving without spillage for a month plus. It really is something I cannot explain.

 

The problem is that I don't do enough physical exercise. It is cold where I live outside, very cold.

 

I have weakened my lust to the point where it is almost non existent. Yes, I still get aroused if I see a naked woman or think about one, but I have more desire to accomplish my goals here in the Toa and awakening Kundalini then a moment of sexual pleasure.

 

I have a very strong belief that our gross sexual spillage causes much damage to our brain capacity, nervous system, and lifespan. One of the more simple reasons for this is because of the lecithin that it contains, and the phosphate (lecithin) is our bodies fuel for brain and central nervous system.

here is some studies on this if you are interested. http://gnostictransformation.blogspot.com/2009/04/science-of-orgasm.html

 

Anyways, I have found that most of my nocturnal emissions happen when I either overeat, eat the wrong foods, or allow myself to get really angry at someone or something that day. This has been the case consistently for me.

 

I am a vegetarian, I do not drink alcohol or do any drugs. My body has become very sensitive to how I react to situations and to what I put in it. The emission is almost like a punishment from god when I have a break in willpower, but its really just Karma, quick cause and effect.

 

I have been able to sit in full lotus for years since I am very flexible but I never really saw the necessity so I never did, even though I meditate for hours every day, It wasn't as comfortable so I didn't bother. Recently in a forum here I saw a fella mention how important full lotus was for energetic reasons as well as semen retention so I just began sitting in full lotus for my daily meditations and as much as I can throughout the day. Might as well give it a shot, right!

 

I have been reading "Taoist Yoga" and it is a really good book but Its not so easy to understand. Im not the brightest, so I am having a hard time putting together a few things. My goals are to help transmute my sexual energies, or generative forces, into consciousness. I still practice some hatha yoga poses daily to help with the transmutation like headstands and pranayama but Ive realized that Taoist Yoga or internal alchemy has such an amazing science behind these things as well. I personally believe that the Toaist system has the most advanced system for these goals.

 

I read the book "embryonic breathing" last year while traveling through Colombia and Ecuador, really liked it but wasn't able to really understand much of it at the time, while lately some of the things that I read then are just not starting to be pieced together in my head. I understand that we need to control our spirit first, and I believe that this means gathering prana into the third eye region and concentrating it there and stabilizing it over time. We must not allow ourselves to loose our cool or react in anger, fear, etc because this scatters our spirit and that is bad right? I believe that this is the first step correct? Laying the foundation in Nei dan or inner alchemy?

 

Next I think we need to bring the spirit (fire) once it is good and concentrated, down to the lower dantian just below the belly button and concentrate on this area correct?

 

Is this how we transmute the built up sexual forces into Ojas, or golden elixir? The term Ojas comes from the Yogic sciences, im not really sure if this is the Taoist equivalent but seems close to me. I really just need to know the best way to transmute the built up sexual forces into a more subtly form according to the inner alchemic science.

 

 

Also I want to repair the damage I had cause earlier in life to my body caused by dissipation of generative force, what should I do when I wake up with erection in the night time? The book says to sit up (full lotus probably best), and focus on root of penis (perineum?) and breath 9 times deep and slow. Should this be normal breathing or reverse abdominal breathing? The erection will go away and then it says to breath in to drive the generative force into the spine. How is this accomplished? How do I know that I am driving the generative force into the base of the spine? Will I fell a sensation?

It goes on to say drive the generative force up the backbone (sushumna) to the brain, then out and down to the lower tan'tien centre. It goes on to say that it is important that each complete breath should turn the generative force back to tantien centre. Is this the microcosmic orbit? Do we need to visualize this whole cycle in each breath? Im not so great at visualizing so will it still work if we don't visualize this cycle?

 

I realize that I need to real the whole book and then I will have a much greater understanding but I don't really want to waste time. I want to get the ball rolling so to speak! I want to know what to do in the case that I wake up with an erection, and how to do it properly because I feel like this will also help me with nocturnal emissions (even if I over eat).

 

I think the heat in my lower region is what is causing the emissions, because overeating or eating foods that I shouldn't eat causes too much agni (digestive fire) so the heat causes emissions. How can I cool the area as well?

 

Thank you for reading, and thanks before hand to anyone who can help!

 

 

 

[Aetherous]

Having digestive fire is good, but yes I have heard that eating certain foods and having certain emotions can make one prone to releasing energy this way (either through lust or nocturnal emission).

The embryonic breathing practice, where you steam the qi by putting fire (awareness) in the water (lower dantian) and breathing, is one way of transmuting the sexual energy upward. It's more physical transmutation. I assume it would definitely cause the nocturnal emissions to vanish. Another way can be focusing on increasing love, for instance by doing metta practice. That has more of a mental and emotional transmutation. Not to say this would be less effective for you...I actually think transmuting this way is more powerful, and a higher vibration. There are different methods depending on which school you learn from, even more than these...whatever works!

I've read Taoist Yoga from time to time for like 14 years now, and the truth is that it's not an easy book to practice from. I don't do it, or recommend it. Much better to find a teacher...although who's to say which teacher is a true one?

Best of luck in your quest.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Aetherous

[SkyReach]

Thanks a lot Aetherous! I have heard that love is the best way to transmute also, I will definitely try the metta practice. I agree, finding a teacher would be the best but how do you go about that nowadays? I know that there are schools in china but they are crazy expensive. I would be willing to move somewhere for a few years or longer but I don't even know where to begin looking. Do you have any recommendations? Are there any good teachers in the USA?

 

Thanks!

[joeblast]

Skyreach, might as well just get in the taoist yoga thread

 

WRT embryonic breathing,stabilizing the spirit is one of the techniques, an important one, but dont forget about the gut techniques and timing thereof, moving the air with the diaphragm and not the air passageways.

 

I just posted a link to the morning vitality circulation in taoist yoga the other day (it was that thread right?) but a more simple method posted just before it is also good to use for absorbing other-than-morning wood. Reverse breathing will be more effective for that technique.

 

Before you get the technique of driving it into the shushumna, learn to just drive it into the lower dantien first. This is where focusing the niwan potential at the LDT is done - ldt yin receptive and niwan like you are lighting it with a laser. The lower cauldron is developed first and is a more fundamental technique that provides basis for the further technique.

Edited January 3, 2015 by joeblast

[Daeluin]

Wang Mu's Foundations of Internal Alchemy answers many of these questions.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Daeluin

[SkyReach]

Skyreach, might as well just get in the taoist yoga thread

 

WRT embryonic breathing,stabilizing the spirit is one of the techniques, an important one, but dont forget about the gut techniques and timing thereof, moving the air with the diaphragm and not the air passageways.

 

I just posted a link to the morning vitality circulation in taoist yoga the other day (it was that thread right?) but a more simple method posted just before it is also good to use for absorbing other-than-morning wood. Reverse breathing will be more effective for that technique.

 

Before you get the technique of driving it into the shushumna, learn to just drive it into the lower dantien first. This is where focusing the niwan potential at the LDT is done - ldt yin receptive and niwan like you are lighting it with a laser. The lower cauldron is developed first and is a more fundamental technique that provides basis for the further technique.

Thanks a lot JoeBlast! Great info, I really appreciate it. I will def hop into the Taoist Yoga thread, I just found it.

[kio]

Hey Skyreach

 

The foundation of internal alchemy is volatilizing the fixt generative force, and then fixing Spirit in the newly volitalized generative force. Toaist Yoga calls the generative force 'Essence', and the Fixt Spirit 'Vitality', if i remember correctly (and have the right book in mind )

[SkyReach]

Hey Skyreach

 

The foundation of internal alchemy is volatilizing the fixt generative force, and then fixing Spirit in the newly volitalized generative force. Toaist Yoga calls the generative force 'Essence', and the Fixt Spirit 'Vitality', if i remember correctly (and have the right book in mind )

Hey! so how do we volatize the fixed generative force? Is this basically storing it up? conservation?

[SkyReach]

Skyreach, might as well just get in the taoist yoga thread

 

WRT embryonic breathing,stabilizing the spirit is one of the techniques, an important one, but dont forget about the gut techniques and timing thereof, moving the air with the diaphragm and not the air passageways.

 

I just posted a link to the morning vitality circulation in taoist yoga the other day (it was that thread right?) but a more simple method posted just before it is also good to use for absorbing other-than-morning wood. Reverse breathing will be more effective for that technique.

 

Before you get the technique of driving it into the shushumna, learn to just drive it into the lower dantien first. This is where focusing the niwan potential at the LDT is done - ldt yin receptive and niwan like you are lighting it with a laser. The lower cauldron is developed first and is a more fundamental technique that provides basis for the further technique.

Hey Joe, What is the Niwan?

Also, Where am I driving the vitality from into the LDT? Do we just focus attention on the LDT or imagine it going from perineum into LDT?

 

When I do reverse breathing should I be contracting my perineum on the exhale (abdomen in)?

 

Should I also be meditating on my Ajna chakra area and concentrating spirit there? if so, should I split my meditations into 50% ajna concentration and 50% LDT concentration with reverse abdominal breathing?

 

If I am concentrating on Ajna chakra area should I still be reverse abdominal breathing or regular abdominal breathing?

 

Could you explain " ldt yin receptive and niwan like you are lighting it with a laser." in just a hair more simpler terms? lol, im sorry!

 

Like you said, I want to work on developing the lower cauldron for now, I just need to get it straight in my head so that I can begin with some confidence!

 

I really appreciate all of your knowledge, It is amazing what you folks around here know. This place is a real gem!

Edited January 3, 2015 by SkyReach

[voidisyinyang]

I went 6 months this year with no emission.

 

But first of all - and I just did a rereading of Taoist Yoga book - I've been studying that book now off and on for 14 years.

 

I agree it's the best book to study for the science of training - but first of all keep in mind that it is also very strict and for this reason it is easily not followed.

 

So here's a basic principle found throughout the book - the "quick fire" practice means that it's necessary to have strong reverse breathing pranayama to drive the - yin chi - energy up the spine because mind concentration to lower the yin shen (spirit-fire) on its own is not strong enough to move the generative force.

 

So for example the author is asked why the practiser is not having success with the small universe meditation and the author says - well because they're just doing it as a mind exercise without the strong breathing. But the foundation for the success of the small universe practice, as the book points out, is that it links together the mind and breath - and when those two are synchronized then you get the combined effect.

 

So the book says to do a 1 to 3 ratio of quick fire to slow fire (small universe) but the thing is that most people never even "lay the foundation" which means to fill up the lower tan tien with the "positive generative force" or yang jing aka yin chi energy.

 

So as chapter 3 details - you need to open up the body channels as a quick fire practice - as the original qigong master says - at first to build up the yin chi energy you actually need a 3 to 1 ratio - 3 times more standing active exercise or quick fire.

 

It is this deep reverse breathing that then forces up your "sea of chi" energy (below the navel) to invigorate the brain to create the yin chi energy (seen as light in the brain) - and thereby getting the chi up into the yin shen areas.

 

So yeah I did practice full lotus as my main practice for a long time - but actually the standing active exercises are the best way to build up the yin chi energy.

 

Why? Because - as Taoist Yoga states - we can take in "bad air" - the metaphor for bad qi energy around us - and also if there is any type of "form of love" this steals the yin chi energy (generative force).

 

So the book states the practice the small universe when there is any free time and to also keep the tongue against the roof of the mouth at all times and also to talk as little as possible, etc.

 

Again to actually build up the lower tan tien is not even achieved by most people since it requires strict celibacy as mind emptiness - and so the quick fire practice will purify the mind.

 

Sitting in full lotus works well for sublimation but it should be combined with the deep reverse breathing - and then sit nonstop for two hours - and as Yogananda stated, padmasana "burns bad karma."

 

So the thing is that as far as the real location of the third eye or of the "thrusting" central channel - that is a spiritual location that is non-local - it can't be defined by our consciousness in three dimensional space-time - it is a holographic reality.

 

The book points this out and constantly reminds the reader that if you are attached to your consciousness or have the intention of a goal like that - then it actually limits the practice. So it is a "three in one" type of non-dualism that is the real teaching.

 

The "immortal breathing" that is being referred to - this only happens after the lower tan tien is filled with energy and it actually means you have yang qi going in one direction of the macrocosmic orbit while the prenatal "true vitality" is going in the other direction. This again is a holographic reality - the prenatal vitality is from the serenity found in a deeper "location" in the lower tan tien - and again it must at all times be defended against demonic forces.

 

So this is why just talking about the subject causes blockages that have to be repaired and the real training is done in secret - "mouna" or silence samadhi. But the original qigong master said when he first started teaching that to create the real qi - the yang qi or "true vitality" there must be no thoughts of sex.

 

So again there's no point in talking about it since that creates the blockage - you either understand and practice it or you get people making wild claims otherwise. To find people who have actually filled up their lower tan tien - that is actually rare - and even if they get to that stage - which I did - it's even more difficult to "stabilize" the energy or fully open the third eye.

 

So as Taoist Yoga states it is very tempting to use any qi energy you have created - and this is where the "evil fire" problem comes in - you get the "illusory agent" because when you see the form of love it activates your qi energy - but in fact this is being done without real Emptiness - and so you can not create pre-natal qi unless you have energy Emptiness.

 

So as I mentioned I went 6 months with no emission but that is not the same as building up the yin chi energy! Keep in mind - you can lose the generative force - people can suck it up or soak it up from you - it is transmitted out of your eyes or even from your body - if people look at you with "evil eyes" - their lower consciousness lust, etc. So also as you mention - getting angry, etc. - but the overexcitement of the heart is the final lower emotion to be overcome. Why? Because as you build up yin chi energy - then it is basically stored up semen that has been ionized into chi energy - and the TAoist Yoga book even says this. And so people will chase after your energy and also then your chi energy will that much easier be activated back into yin jing (internal heat, bliss, with swelling of the genitals, etc.). So this is the false fire of the heart - or the evil fire.

 

So the book Taoist Yoga states that basically you spend the day constantly purifiying your energy but then finally at midnight it is the extreme yin of Emptiness - the eternal nature of the upper tan tien energy manifests the strongest and from extreme yin you get activation of the yang energy as prenatal vitality (true vitality or yuan qi) - and so then you can practice the small universe without it being based on the illusory agent.

[effilang]

Hello everyone!

 

I have been celibate for almost a year now but I still suffer from nocturnal emissions every few weeks. This really bums me out because I love the way I feel after conserving without spillage for a month plus. It really is something I cannot explain.

 

If while you are celibate, you are loosing the seed at night, or even during the day (yes, after some time, it happens during the day too, just randomly); then you are not meditating properly. You have not yet grasped the essence of this most delicate thing.

 

At these stages where the foundation is being laid in Hou Tian, Xing and Ming must be cultivated together; one without the other will not do and tends to lead to failure.

 

Revisit once again your comprehension of meditation and try to understand it's roots.

Once you do, the fire beneath the cauldron will ablaze and steam the Jing, to produce the finer substance of the three treasures.

 

Mind must be absent (Shen) and Yuan Shen, must be nurtured.

When the Shen recedes, then the Yuan Shen of it'self will be stilled and this will produce the state which you need to transmute the Jing which you are collecting.

 

It is a practice of no-mind in marriage with the matter of the body, to produce the intangible.

Edited January 3, 2015 by effilang

[kio]

Hey! so how do we volatize the fixed generative force? Is this basically storing it up? conservation?

The generative force is volitalized before erection, when the energy in your scrotum is considered 'yin'. Focus on the cool energy, or any 'tingling' sensation inside your testes and draw it up the spine nice and slowly. Then down the front of your body and into the 'cauldron' of your lower dantien (just in front of, and slightly above the sacrum bone) through the navel.

 

 

If you keep it in the 'cauldron' it will just move back to the testes. So do some 'quick fire abdominal breathing' (like puffing in and out) before circulating it through the microcosmic orbit for say... 36-48 revolutions in order to volatilize it.

 

If you're looking for a good beginners guidebook, I recommend Mantak Chia's Secrets of Taoist Love. It's what I started out with, and written for a western audience. In fact, all his books are recommended for a serious study of energy sublimation practices.

 

This should be enough to keep you busy for another year

[Andrei]

 

Anyways, I have found that most of my nocturnal emissions happen when I either overeat, eat the wrong foods, or allow myself to get really angry at someone or something that day. This has been the case consistently for me.

 

I think the heat in my lower region is what is causing the emissions, because overeating or eating foods that I shouldn't eat causes too much agni (digestive fire) so the heat causes emissions. How can I cool the area as well?

 

 

Nothing will work, the more you meditate the worse will be. You are right, the over-heat is the cause of nocturnal pollution. It is called Yin deficiency in the liver and kidney because of too much "meditation". Too much Yang that is not balanced by Yin. The Chinese use herbs adaptogens to balance their energies especially in the liver and kidneys. Actually the heat is in the colon but it feels like the problem is in the kidneys. So either you eat and drink like Chinese do or just quit all Chinese practices. This advice is for everybody here especially western guys that have issues with "meditation", "semen retention" and all that stupid things you read in books and on internet.

Edited January 4, 2015 by Andrei

[ChiDragon]

SkyReach.....
How old are you....???

[voidisyinyang]

Keep in mind that if you are successfully in filling the lower tan tien then you need to keep moving into deeper purification - as the book Taoist Yoga states - at first the lower tan tien will get hot and then it will stay hot all day - and then you begin developing strong electromagnetic energy as the real yang qi or true spirit-vitality. The book Taoist Yoga states - then you can go a day without food - and after that you can go a week without food.

 

At that point the body is filled with electromagnetic yang qi - true spirit-vitality - so that the center of hands and feet are pulsating with electromagnetic energy and also the top of the head pulsates and it gets soft and opens up.

 

That's when the real astral travel begins, along with the third eye opening up - and the central channel and the microcosmic orbit really opens up as real kundalini - that is the "nirvikalpa samadhi" stage as it's called in yoga.

 

So there has been Western documentation of this - the conferences on "bigu" for example organized by Rustom Roy, the chemist professor - and so for example a lady in Beijing went a couple months with no food and yet she had no loss of nutrition - published in a peer-reviewed western science journal. haha.

 

But for that - called "converting jing to qi" - it requires basically a constant samadhi concentration. For example Milarepa got his samadhi energy from Dakinis - female spirits - but when he went out of full lotus samadhi then he eat nettles so much that his skin was green. haha.

 

So it is possible also to take in jing energy from other people and you can live off that - I fasted 5 days this summer while working in the warehouse - doing strong physical labor. But this is dangerous and tantra always limits your energy level to the yin chi - you can only begin to start making yang qi through tantra - what is called emptying out the realm of form in mahayana buddhism.

 

No - to get to the real yang qi state requires constant purification based on the Emptiness meditation - and since it is too tempting to use the yang qi energy as everyone desires it - then through heroic overexuberance the practiser falls back into wordliness as Master Nan, Huai-chin described it.

 

Then it does require relying on post-natal food sources to replenish the energy - but yeah if you are young then the quick route is based on purification. Just be forewarned - as you build up energy then the more people around you will try to take it - and even energy shooting out of your eyes can then increase people's desire for your energy.

 

I did an 8 day fast on half a glass of water the whole time - when the yang qi is strong then you create water through a type of reverse electrolysis - it must be the qi-spirit energy transmuting hydrogen and oxygen into water so that it fills up in the third eye and runs down to the lower tan tien as the ambrosia.

 

But if there is a spacetime vortex with everything spinning around you - that means your "yin shen" spirit has left the body without enough yang qi enveloping it - so then you just have to keep focusing on the lower tan tien to keep building up the energy.

[SkyReach]

The generative force is volitalized before erection, when the energy in your scrotum is considered 'yin'. Focus on the cool energy, or any 'tingling' sensation inside your testes and draw it up the spine nice and slowly. Then down the front of your body and into the 'cauldron' of your lower dantien (just in front of, and slightly above the sacrum bone) through the navel.

 

 

If you keep it in the 'cauldron' it will just move back to the testes. So do some 'quick fire abdominal breathing' (like puffing in and out) before circulating it through the microcosmic orbit for say... 36-48 revolutions in order to volatilize it.

 

If you're looking for a good beginners guidebook, I recommend Mantak Chia's Secrets of Taoist Love. It's what I started out with, and written for a western audience. In fact, all his books are recommended for a serious study of energy sublimation practices.

 

This should be enough to keep you busy for another year

Thank you! that picture is very helpful. I can feel all of those points shown. Im starting to have a little bit of understanding now.

I have "secrets of Taoist love" and read some of it already, but the button method he teaches really turned me away from his teachings, too un-natural for me but Im sure there is still tons of good info in his books.

 

"The generative force is volitalized before erection, when the energy in your scrotum is considered 'yin'. Focus on the cool energy, or any 'tingling' sensation inside your testes and draw it up the spine nice and slowly. Then down the front of your body and into the 'cauldron' of your lower dantien (just in front of, and slightly above the sacrum bone) through the navel."

 

Is all of this done within ONE breath?

 

Thanks for your help!

[kio]

When your first drawing it out of the scrotum, each point along the orbit is one breath. Once it feels like it's moving more freely, use the 'four cardinal points', one breath for each. And once it flows easily through these, one inhalation should take it from bottom to top, and the exhalation from top to bottom.

 

Don't force it along its path.

 

Also, everyone else is right in saying that this practice requires a yogic diet, and remaining pure in mind as well. Bit if you've been celibate for a year now I think you'll have no problems at all once you get the feel for it

Edited January 4, 2015 by kio

[SkyReach]

Nothing will work, the more you meditate the worse will be. You are right, the over-heat is the cause of nocturnal pollution. It is called Yin deficiency in the liver and kidney because of too much "meditation". Too much Yang that is not balanced by Yin. The Chinese use herbs adaptogens to balance their energies especially in the liver and kidneys. Actually the heat is in the colon but it feels like the problem is in the kidneys. So either you eat and drink like Chinese do or just quit all Chinese practices. This advice is for everybody here especially western guys that have issues with "meditation", "semen retention" and all that stupid things you read in books and on internet.

A small part of me does not want to believe this (the part of me that loves to eat), but the deeper part in me totally agrees with it. In-fact, this is the most exciting thing that I have read thus far. This lines up perfectly with my personal experience. I have been studying and working on my "ego's" for a long time now, and for the most part I believe that I have succeeded enough to enable other forms of progress that the "ego" would have inhibited. My problem seems to lie within my dietary habits. Within the last 2 years I have dramatically changed my diet. I quit eating meat about 18 months ago, and about 12 months ago I cut out sugars and refined flours, and since this last summer I only eat my own home grown organic vegetables, basmati rice, mung beans, fruits, and a very basic diet. I still have moments where I fall off routine and eat foods that are offered to me at gatherings or on my own at times when the energies are high like full moons, but like I said this is not often and when I do I suffer greatly from nocturnal pollutions. I am learning though, and I feel like this information is helping to elevate me to another level of understanding that will help to carry me to new personal records of semen retention. My current record is just 38 days.

Another thing that helps this link well with me is the fact that at the time of my best record I was sprouting mung bean sprouts and eating them every day, and I read yesterday that these are very Yin in nature.

 

I also noticed that since my semen retention days began I have needed much less food. In fact, beginning of summer 2014 I had to begin restricting my food intake so much because I started to feel like a had a lump in my lower throat from indigestion. It took me a couple of weeks to figure it out but eventually I learned that If I ate much less it would go away. This also led me towards my Ayurvedic studies on food combinations, and I soon learned that certain combinations would now also impact me a great deal. Now I try to eat a "sattvic" diet, or a "yogic diet".

 

My main diet currently consists of a fruit smoothie in the morning made with papaya and banana. Other ingredients I use are honey, dates, cinnamon, ginger, ashwaganda, maca root, noni fruit, camu camu, amalaki, and acerola cherry powder. This is made with water and lately I ordered a bunch of cacao beans from Guatemala and have started to add this as well. I recently learned that Cacao is very Yin so I guess this is a good thing. I also add cayenne occasionally to balance it and bring in a little Yang.

 

For lunch I have a slice of unleavened sprouted wheat bread that I make with some chyawanprash on it.

 

For dinner, around 4 pm, I eat either basmati rice with ghee, veggies, and spices, or Mung dal soup with ghee and broccoli sprouts. I need to reduce the portion size of my dinner I believe, especially now that I am reading about how the ones who have made serious progress in this path eventually ate nothing. This makes perfect sense to me based on my personal experience so far. I switch it up some times and add an egg to my lunch or diff fruits in breakfast, and diff veggies at dinner.

 

The days where I have nocturnal pollutions were days that I caved and for example made myself a pancake around 5-6pm with chocolate chips and pure maple syrup or on days where I just simply overeat, or eat much too late in the day. I have had problems with eating eggs before as well, and some food combinations can cause problems for me. Other times were when I let myself get emotional or angry and this really causes problems and a night full of hard battle. I have done this many times and every time that I slip up I either have an emission or I fend it off all night. Lucky for me my body now alerts me before an emission and I am able to fight it off before it happens by squeezing my perineum muscle before it gets to the point of no return. Now that I understand more about what is happening, I now have the motivation and confidence to be more strict with my diet!. I also have more weapons now too like the middle fingers to the palm, tongue tip to pallet, deep reverse breathing, and others! so appreciative!

 

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” -Hippocrates

 

 

A few things I don't like about your post = "Nothing will work, the more you meditate the worse will be."

I disagree, something will work! Ill figure it out, and I don't thing that I should stop meditating. I think the answer lies in a stricter dietary habit with the addition of more Yin foods and less Yang foods!

 

""semen retention" and all that stupid things you read in books and on internet." - They aren't stupid, just incomplete and misunderstood. Lets help fix that!

 

Im taking your advice nevertheless and will begin to eat and drink more like the Chinese do. Thanks for your post Is helped me realize a lot of things.

Edited January 4, 2015 by SkyReach

[joeblast]

 

Hey Joe, What is the Niwan?

Also, Where am I driving the vitality from into the LDT? Do we just focus attention on the LDT or imagine it going from perineum into LDT?

 

When I do reverse breathing should I be contracting my perineum on the exhale (abdomen in)?

 

Should I also be meditating on my Ajna chakra area and concentrating spirit there? if so, should I split my meditations into 50% ajna concentration and 50% LDT concentration with reverse abdominal breathing?

 

If I am concentrating on Ajna chakra area should I still be reverse abdominal breathing or regular abdominal breathing?

 

Could you explain " ldt yin receptive and niwan like you are lighting it with a laser." in just a hair more simpler terms? lol, im sorry!

 

Like you said, I want to work on developing the lower cauldron for now, I just need to get it straight in my head so that I can begin with some confidence!

 

I really appreciate all of your knowledge, It is amazing what you folks around here know. This place is a real gem!

It appears that you are close to the beginning of your journey. Be sure to get down the fundamental prerequisites of putting in the time doing the breathwork and refining it to a deep stage and treat it as more important to reach as a closer goal. A lot of this boils down to habit energies - that's why the breathwork is done in the first place, to make general ongoing processes more efficient and energetic, and also, another big key is tamping down sources of noise, whether in your head, in your guts, or going on around you. The reason to restrain the senses in meditation is noise - there are a ton of logical processing loops in the brain and are a huge part of decision making processes. Far as I have been able to discern, random thought comes from neural noise/crosstalk - related to those logical processing loops and how the cranial nerves interact with the limbic system - this is that whole "settling the heartmind" you'll head Drew keep mentioning.

 

Oh, the niwan. It is the "upper dantien," roughly at the location of the pineal. But of course when discussing energy centers, physicality only has correlation, not congruence. (And Google is your friend)

 

As the most coarse continuous bodily process is the breath, that's the first place to conquer. Doing so is predicated upon restraining the others also.

 

So if you want to "restrain your breath" what do you really want to do...you want to stop the olfactory nerve from firing that 40 cycles per sec into the midbrain. When you stop that, the nerve changes its resonant mode and that is also where the vagus nerve is activated. To achieve this you must stop using anywhere air touches to facilitate the movement of the air. So the nose, sinuses, back of the throat, larynx, bronchi, must not be used to move air. It must all be done by gut motion. When that gut motion is timed well where all of the energetic parts coincide, the breath structures are situated so as to have their energies harnessed by the dantien.

 

When this is integrated into your habit energy very strongly, it will literally change the breath protocol neural resonance that your medulla executes. = it will happen whether you are eating, sleeping, or shitting. (its how the ex said she could tell whether I was in good practice or not, cant hear me breathe when sleeping, no snoring, no movement, etc.)

 

So Drew mentions all these various ways in which your energy is sullied - well, this is one of the primary major ways by which your energy stays coherent and brimming with potential. So really, the end result of "taming the senses" precisely means there is a stage beyond which the resonant mode of the cranial nerves seems to change into an inhibitory rather than an excitatory state. You turn those drains of energy off and its like you have been given a great gift of a vast energy reservoir. There is all this energy which has been constantly used throughout your life, and all of a sudden those drains have been plugged? It is stupendous, and that harmonization empowers the niwan and the pineal shows its strength in being the top-down regulator of the endocrine system - every time I get to a certain depth, my metabolism goes wild and I want another 700, 800 calories a day. Cant say time because it manifests differently based on the techniques utilized - whereas what happened at minute long breaths, the same would happen at 40 seconds after I learned to use the potential of the niwan in the whole operation; my first immersions were almost entirely physical conditioning.

 

It doesnt seem that many people take this first fundamental requirement to such depth. People want to talk of cultivating this or that and few seem to appreciate just how significant of a....base of a mountain range... that really covering the fundamentals well provides. It is both an increase in the depth of your reservoir and at the same time provides much more potential should one want to focus on other methods of harnessing one's energy, which isnt the same aim as the practices in taoist yoga. But make no mistake the fundamentals cover pretty much anything and serve as a ground fault safety mechanism for the stronger stuff.

 

So when one talks of "making things happen"....whether it is a spark of yin within yang (quick fire,) or yang within yin (slow fire...with fundamentals covered and the energizing happened at the niwan, it provides a way for the potential to more naturally rise to the niwan and "brim over" in a sense) the same concept is there, that "just meditation" is not going to get you anywhere unless there are certain techniques involved that make things coherent. And coherent = higher amplitude. Coherent and relaxed, ingrained and habituated (humans are creatures of habit after all)...that is the resultant pristine state where energies will feel free to mix properly as you continue along the path.

 

Settling the heartmind is not that tough to do - but it is made *vastly* easier by mastering anapanasati and really putting in the work refining the breath to a deep level. I cant even relate how important that was to my path. So for someone that is starting out, master that before bothering with the mco or worrying about whatever your generative force is doing. Without the prerequisites its damn near mental masturbation.

 

 

 

 

 

As to the diet....yes, that's an obstacle... as refinements get deeper, the ledge to walk becomes narrower...

[SkyReach]

SkyReach.....

How old are you....???

I am just about to turn 32!

 

Edited January 4, 2015 by SkyReach

[SkyReach]

I went 6 months this year with no emission.

 

But first of all - and I just did a rereading of Taoist Yoga book - I've been studying that book now off and on for 14 years.

 

I agree it's the best book to study for the science of training - but first of all keep in mind that it is also very strict and for this reason it is easily not followed.

 

So here's a basic principle found throughout the book - the "quick fire" practice means that it's necessary to have strong reverse breathing pranayama to drive the - yin chi - energy up the spine because mind concentration to lower the yin shen (spirit-fire) on its own is not strong enough to move the generative force.

 

So for example the author is asked why the practiser is not having success with the small universe meditation and the author says - well because they're just doing it as a mind exercise without the strong breathing. But the foundation for the success of the small universe practice, as the book points out, is that it links together the mind and breath - and when those two are synchronized then you get the combined effect.

 

So the book says to do a 1 to 3 ratio of quick fire to slow fire (small universe) but the thing is that most people never even "lay the foundation" which means to fill up the lower tan tien with the "positive generative force" or yang jing aka yin chi energy.

 

So as chapter 3 details - you need to open up the body channels as a quick fire practice - as the original qigong master says - at first to build up the yin chi energy you actually need a 3 to 1 ratio - 3 times more standing active exercise or quick fire.

 

It is this deep reverse breathing that then forces up your "sea of chi" energy (below the navel) to invigorate the brain to create the yin chi energy (seen as light in the brain) - and thereby getting the chi up into the yin shen areas.

 

So yeah I did practice full lotus as my main practice for a long time - but actually the standing active exercises are the best way to build up the yin chi energy.

 

Why? Because - as Taoist Yoga states - we can take in "bad air" - the metaphor for bad qi energy around us - and also if there is any type of "form of love" this steals the yin chi energy (generative force).

 

So the book states the practice the small universe when there is any free time and to also keep the tongue against the roof of the mouth at all times and also to talk as little as possible, etc.

 

Again to actually build up the lower tan tien is not even achieved by most people since it requires strict celibacy as mind emptiness - and so the quick fire practice will purify the mind.

 

Sitting in full lotus works well for sublimation but it should be combined with the deep reverse breathing - and then sit nonstop for two hours - and as Yogananda stated, padmasana "burns bad karma."

 

So the thing is that as far as the real location of the third eye or of the "thrusting" central channel - that is a spiritual location that is non-local - it can't be defined by our consciousness in three dimensional space-time - it is a holographic reality.

 

The book points this out and constantly reminds the reader that if you are attached to your consciousness or have the intention of a goal like that - then it actually limits the practice. So it is a "three in one" type of non-dualism that is the real teaching.

 

The "immortal breathing" that is being referred to - this only happens after the lower tan tien is filled with energy and it actually means you have yang qi going in one direction of the macrocosmic orbit while the prenatal "true vitality" is going in the other direction. This again is a holographic reality - the prenatal vitality is from the serenity found in a deeper "location" in the lower tan tien - and again it must at all times be defended against demonic forces.

 

So this is why just talking about the subject causes blockages that have to be repaired and the real training is done in secret - "mouna" or silence samadhi. But the original qigong master said when he first started teaching that to create the real qi - the yang qi or "true vitality" there must be no thoughts of sex.

 

So again there's no point in talking about it since that creates the blockage - you either understand and practice it or you get people making wild claims otherwise. To find people who have actually filled up their lower tan tien - that is actually rare - and even if they get to that stage - which I did - it's even more difficult to "stabilize" the energy or fully open the third eye.

 

So as Taoist Yoga states it is very tempting to use any qi energy you have created - and this is where the "evil fire" problem comes in - you get the "illusory agent" because when you see the form of love it activates your qi energy - but in fact this is being done without real Emptiness - and so you can not create pre-natal qi unless you have energy Emptiness.

 

So as I mentioned I went 6 months with no emission but that is not the same as building up the yin chi energy! Keep in mind - you can lose the generative force - people can suck it up or soak it up from you - it is transmitted out of your eyes or even from your body - if people look at you with "evil eyes" - their lower consciousness lust, etc. So also as you mention - getting angry, etc. - but the overexcitement of the heart is the final lower emotion to be overcome. Why? Because as you build up yin chi energy - then it is basically stored up semen that has been ionized into chi energy - and the TAoist Yoga book even says this. And so people will chase after your energy and also then your chi energy will that much easier be activated back into yin jing (internal heat, bliss, with swelling of the genitals, etc.). So this is the false fire of the heart - or the evil fire.

 

So the book Taoist Yoga states that basically you spend the day constantly purifiying your energy but then finally at midnight it is the extreme yin of Emptiness - the eternal nature of the upper tan tien energy manifests the strongest and from extreme yin you get activation of the yang energy as prenatal vitality (true vitality or yuan qi) - and so then you can practice the small universe without it being based on the illusory agent.

Thanks for this load of info!

 

6 months is a really long time and I have massive amounts of respect to you for that accomplishment! It is very rare I believe.

Yea I am having a tough time following a lot of the Taoist Yoga book, But it is slowly making more sense. 14 years study wow, that is a really long time! much respect to you.

 

you said-

 

"So here's a basic principle found throughout the book - the "quick fire" practice means that it's necessary to have strong reverse breathing pranayama to drive the - yin chi - energy up the spine because mind concentration to lower the yin shen (spirit-fire) on its own is not strong enough to move the generative force."

 

I just recently started the reverse breathing. My question is on the "quick fire" tech. I read that we must breathe from the abdomen and make as little resistance as possible so very slow and quiet I suppose. In the correct practice of RAB, do the lower ribs lift on the "in" breath? This is the only way that I can seem to get a "deep" breath. I don't really understand this "quick fire". The name must be misleading right? Its not about breathing quickly but breathing deeply correct?

 

"So as chapter 3 details - you need to open up the body channels as a quick fire practice - as the original qigong master says - at first to build up the yin chi energy you actually need a 3 to 1 ratio - 3 times more standing active exercise or quick fire."

 

In my searches to understand "quick fire" I read that we stare at an object so tears stream. Are you saying we should do this while standing? Im sorry but I am confused, I need to read more. You are so advanced with these subjects its really great, but I need some time to research and process all of what you are saying, it will take me some time. Im sorry I am so slow to respond to your posts, its just that I really don't even know where to begin.

 

Reverse breathing pranayama - You are talking alternate nostril pranayama or just retention of breath pranayama? Do the Taoist teachings have alternate nostril breathing practices as well? How long do you recommend pausing at the top for, and do you also recommend a pause at the bottom?

 

"So yeah I did practice full lotus as my main practice for a long time - but actually the standing active exercises are the best way to build up the yin chi energy."

 

What kind of standing practices are you talking about?

 

"Sitting in full lotus works well for sublimation but it should be combined with the deep reverse breathing - and then sit nonstop for two hours - and as Yogananda stated, padmasana "burns bad karma.""

 

love this! Ive been sitting in full lotus as much as I can lately and I feel as if it is definitely giving its share of benefits!

 

"So as I mentioned I went 6 months with no emission but that is not the same as building up the yin chi energy! Keep in mind - you can lose the generative force - people can suck it up or soak it up from you - it is transmitted out of your eyes or even from your body - if people look at you with "evil eyes" - their lower consciousness lust, etc. So also as you mention - getting angry, etc. - but the overexcitement of the heart is the final lower emotion to be overcome. Why? Because as you build up yin chi energy - then it is basically stored up semen that has been ionized into chi energy - and the TAoist Yoga book even says this. And so people will chase after your energy and also then your chi energy will that much easier be activated back into yin jing (internal heat, bliss, with swelling of the genitals, etc.). So this is the false fire of the heart - or the evil fire."

 

Great information thanks, what do you mean by over excitement of heart?

 

"So the book Taoist Yoga states that basically you spend the day constantly purifiying your energy but then finally at midnight it is the extreme yin of Emptiness - the eternal nature of the upper tan tien energy manifests the strongest and from extreme yin you get activation of the yang energy as prenatal vitality (true vitality or yuan qi) - and so then you can practice the small universe without it being based on the illusory agent."

 

Does this mean that at midnight I should meditate and that this will help me harness the manifested yang caused by an extreme yin state?

[thelerner]

I probably repost this every year. Its got some good advice from a solid traditional serious practitioner who has posted here. It covers things from thought (being on guard against sexualizing woman) to practical (don't use heavy blankets) to spiritual practice (do an 1 to 2.5 hours of meditation before bed)

 

By Dao Zhen

I think for serious students, this is a big hurdle to overcome.
It is best to not get into the habit of gaining depression when an emission happens in sleep.
It is natural, and go slow and do not force anything, nor become obsessed with "saving" jing.
Keep practice, follow solid methods and guidelines.
With time, all will become secure quite naturally.
I have found the following to be a help for me in my practice.
Yet this is by no means advise from an expert, as I have very little experience.
In the tradition I am learning, it is generally accepted that a serious student is celibate.

- Points to help prevent emission during sleep -

1. Change conditioned habits and patterns in regards to viewing and interacting with women - on the street, and in the manner we speak and deal with them in public situations -

If we flirt, and have playful interaction with women, it may stir things up quite a bit, and cause trouble during sleep.

Honor and respect women as your sisters in Tao, yet do not view them as sexual objects, nor project sexual fantasy on women.

1-a. Do not view pornography video, magazine, or sexual movies.

2. Diet. Do not over eat, and do not go to bed while full. I have found it best to eat the last meal of the day around 5pm or so. Also in the tradition I am learning, it is thought best to follow a simple vegetarian diet, with no spice, garlic, onion, scallion, chives, and cilantro.

3. Do not have very heavy blankets on the body that will create too much heat when sleeping.

4. Do not sleep on the stomach. Sleep on the back with one leg crossed over the other – hands resting below the navel, or on the right side with one leg tucked behind the bottom leg at the knee level – right palm cupping the ear – left palm below navel area.

5. The most important point I have found that helps is to sit for 1 - 2.5 hours or so in proper seated meditation practice before sleep. This is perhaps the most important point, and will yield the most results.

In this tradition, we have a method to transfer Jing to Qi that is taught.

It is termed - "Lighting a Fire", or "Burning a Soft Fire".
It is very effective, and yields the effect of the Jing being transformed to Qi, and really is like something burns away and evaporates.

There is great warmth generated in the Lower Dantian area that moves, and steams upward during the process in a manner that is very pleasurable and uplifting.

One is left with a feeling of great expansion, and the sign that the Jing has been completely transformed, and it is safe to sleep is one has a feeling like a vast, expansive, clear blue sky.

The sign that one has made some gain in transformation of Jing over a period of time, is generally one will stop to have dream activity.

There is a great stillness in the sleep state, and no real strong dream activity.
This is also related to the pattern of the Metal conquering Wood; Or the Po suppressing the Hun during the night.

When the Hun is suppressed by the Po, it wanders away from the sphere of the liver, and the resulting experience is dreams.

As Jing is transformed into Qi, and the Hun is strengthened, there is less and less dream activity during the sleep state.

One sign I have also come to notice is that if I was lazy and just lie down for sleep without practice, there will be a feeling of something stirring in the lower Dantian, like a movement, or maybe even a worm or something is really moving and stirring.

This is a sign that one will experience an emission during sleep, and it is important to have a strong will power, and sit up and cross the legs and sit to Burn the Soft Fire.

It is also a good idea to get into the habit of getting up from sleep at any time in the night when you awake and there is a stirring in the sexual organ, or a strong erection.

Just sit up, cross the legs, and lightly gaze over the Lower Dantian area and sit in stillness.

In this system, they also teach a standing method of body movement, contraction and breathe retention in the first stages to strengthen the lower gate, to help prevent the emission during sleep.

This stage does not last forever.

It is as if the body and being is at first in a habit to let the liquid flow out, and loose the essence.
Yet with slow and steady practice, the body and being learns another way.
It becomes the natural state to preserve the essence, and no loss is experienced.

It is an investment of time.

So it takes a strong and steady will power.
Constant and steady daily practice over a period of time.
Persevere.

Edited January 4, 2015 by thelerner

[Aetherous]

5. The most important point I have found that helps is to sit for 1 - 2.5 hours or so in proper seated meditation practice before sleep. This is perhaps the most important point, and will yield the most results.

 

Nice.

[Spotless]

Hello everyone!

 

I have been celibate for almost a year now but I still suffer from nocturnal emissions every few weeks. This really bums me out because I love the way I feel after conserving without spillage for a month plus. It really is something I cannot explain.

 

The problem is that I don't do enough physical exercise. It is cold where I live outside, very cold.

 

I have weakened my lust to the point where it is almost non existent. Yes, I still get aroused if I see a naked woman or think about one, but I have more desire to accomplish my goals here in the Toa and awakening Kundalini then a moment of sexual pleasure.

 

I have a very strong belief that our gross sexual spillage causes much damage to our brain capacity, nervous system, and lifespan. One of the more simple reasons for this is because of the lecithin that it contains, and the phosphate (lecithin) is our bodies fuel for brain and central nervous system.

here is some studies on this if you are interested. http://gnostictransformation.blogspot.com/2009/04/science-of-orgasm.html]http://gnostictransformation.blogspot.com/2009/04/science-of-orgasm.html[/url]

 

Anyways, I have found that most of my nocturnal emissions happen when I either overeat, eat the wrong foods, or allow myself to get really angry at someone or something that day. This has been the case consistently for me.

 

I am a vegetarian, I do not drink alcohol or do any drugs. My body has become very sensitive to how I react to situations and to what I put in it. The emission is almost like a punishment from god when I have a break in willpower, but its really just Karma, quick cause and effect.

 

I have been able to sit in full lotus for years since I am very flexible but I never really saw the necessity so I never did, even though I meditate for hours every day, It wasn't as comfortable so I didn't bother. Recently in a forum here I saw a fella mention how important full lotus was for energetic reasons as well as semen retention so I just began sitting in full lotus for my daily meditations and as much as I can throughout the day. Might as well give it a shot, right!

 

I have been reading "Taoist Yoga" and it is a really good book but Its not so easy to understand. Im not the brightest, so I am having a hard time putting together a few things. My goals are to help transmute my sexual energies, or generative forces, into consciousness. I still practice some hatha yoga poses daily to help with the transmutation like headstands and pranayama but Ive realized that Taoist Yoga or internal alchemy has such an amazing science behind these things as well. I personally believe that the Toaist system has the most advanced system for these goals.

 

I read the book "embryonic breathing" last year while traveling through Colombia and Ecuador, really liked it but wasn't able to really understand much of it at the time, while lately some of the things that I read then are just not starting to be pieced together in my head. I understand that we need to control our spirit first, and I believe that this means gathering prana into the third eye region and concentrating it there and stabilizing it over time. We must not allow ourselves to loose our cool or react in anger, fear, etc because this scatters our spirit and that is bad right? I believe that this is the first step correct? Laying the foundation in Nei dan or inner alchemy?

 

Next I think we need to bring the spirit (fire) once it is good and concentrated, down to the lower dantian just below the belly button and concentrate on this area correct?

 

Is this how we transmute the built up sexual forces into Ojas, or golden elixir? The term Ojas comes from the Yogic sciences, im not really sure if this is the Taoist equivalent but seems close to me. I really just need to know the best way to transmute the built up sexual forces into a more subtly form according to the inner alchemic science.

 

 

Also I want to repair the damage I had cause earlier in life to my body caused by dissipation of generative force, what should I do when I wake up with erection in the night time? The book says to sit up (full lotus probably best), and focus on root of penis (perineum?) and breath 9 times deep and slow. Should this be normal breathing or reverse abdominal breathing? The erection will go away and then it says to breath in to drive the generative force into the spine. How is this accomplished? How do I know that I am driving the generative force into the base of the spine? Will I fell a sensation?

It goes on to say drive the generative force up the backbone (sushumna) to the brain, then out and down to the lower tan'tien centre. It goes on to say that it is important that each complete breath should turn the generative force back to tantien centre. Is this the microcosmic orbit? Do we need to visualize this whole cycle in each breath? Im not so great at visualizing so will it still work if we don't visualize this cycle?

 

I realize that I need to real the whole book and then I will have a much greater understanding but I don't really want to waste time. I want to get the ball rolling so to speak! I want to know what to do in the case that I wake up with an erection, and how to do it properly because I feel like this will also help me with nocturnal emissions (even if I over eat).

 

I think the heat in my lower region is what is causing the emissions, because overeating or eating foods that I shouldn't eat causes too much agni (digestive fire) so the heat causes emissions. How can I cool the area as well?

 

Thank you for reading, and thanks before hand to anyone who can help!

 

 

 

You are making lots of good hearted effort!

The tenor of your questions and statements gives the impression that in a certain way you approach this from the idea that you are creating a cocktail and when you get the better part of the formulas working you will start to get the fireworks you want. It reminds me of most of us guys trying to bake something for the first time without a recipe - we are usually the only ones who will eat it.

 

This is a path that will create fireworks unfortunately probably damage and great setbacks - though one can never tell.

It is pretty typical to move from Hatha to Raja Yoga - I did this. Keep up the posture work it is of great benifit given your retention work. You have done no damage to yourself from prior releasing - if you are reading an author that says otherwise - disregard them.

 

The transmutation you seek is best to seek from the LDT and then upward. The energy you wish to fuel transformation in your third eye must come from coarser energies transformed into ever higher energies and this starts in the LDT.

 

Where you are playing with the breathing and the kundalini you are simply playing with fire and if you have concern for damage to yourself, the concern for prior damage from releasing is child's play by comparison to what you may be about to do to your physical systems in this endeavor.

 

The whole cocktail approach is exactly and precisely where the "alchemist is a fool" - completely missing the entire point. (I am not assuming the worst on your part - I just want to illustrate "the fool" in this caricature).

You do not want to become a careless baking experiement. A concoction made from all the best ingredients does not necessarily make for a good result - you can even have it all correct but then way overheat it.

The Fool forgets that the transformation is the spirit IN embodiment - the enfolding into the physical plane - transcendence from within embodiment - complete nonresistance.

You are not trying to create an escape hatch and rocket fuel - if this was the objective you would not have decided on taking on a body and being here in the first place.

 

Some things take time - it may be that some of this time has already taken place in your distant past - but humility is necessary and patience is also required. A good intelligence is also very important - you have stated that you need work in this area - so you should set out to work on this as well - very important. Try doing one logic problem everyday - or twice a week. Also work on imagining pictures and things vividly - extremely useful. Start with "seeing" things you really like - your favorite food or cars or mountains.

 

For the most part, without instruction stick to typical yogic breathing - breathing into the abdominal area or specifically into the LDT.

If you are not working with an instructor and a whole and proven teaching then breathing techniques are more detrimental than helpful. Reverse breathing can be very damaging and breathing into the base of your spine without a clue is probably more along the line of playing with TNT while thinking it is small firecrackers.

 

You should not be trying "to concentrate" energies in the third eye area - this is wrong thinking and or wrong translation. Effort in this area is the opposite of what you desire. Effort in this sense is the opposite of what is required on the entire journey.

That is not to say persistence is not required or discipline - both of which you seem to have.

 

Quote:

 

"Next I think we need to bring the spirit (fire) once it is good and concentrated, down to the lower dantian just below the belly button and concentrate on this area correct?"

Just the opposite - the energies rise upward from the LDT

You concentrate energy only in the LDT and from there the energies will transform and rise not by force but as transformation has taken place and this is where real effort pays off.

 

Real effort is intentional suffering - intentionally holding oneself in the termoil of life and transcending habits and proclivities that are reactionary and base. This is the heat for the fire. This is that which is necessary for the tempering of the metals.

Posture work is incredibly effective during this process - not "head" work.

Filling the LDT allows for the energies of the termoil of life and the robustness to meet them head on - postures and breathing help you to break patterns and relinquish fear and distribute energy to all possible abilities of the body.

 

Meditation helps to assimilate the changes and brings you to be seated within the body and in communication with the intuition that comes from this union. Here you join the horse with the rider and become one.

Edited January 4, 2015 by Spotless

[SkyReach]

It appears that you are close to the beginning of your journey. Be sure to get down the fundamental prerequisites of putting in the time doing the breathwork and refining it to a deep stage and treat it as more important to reach as a closer goal. A lot of this boils down to habit energies - that's why the breathwork is done in the first place, to make general ongoing processes more efficient and energetic, and also, another big key is tamping down sources of noise, whether in your head, in your guts, or going on around you. The reason to restrain the senses in meditation is noise - there are a ton of logical processing loops in the brain and are a huge part of decision making processes. Far as I have been able to discern, random thought comes from neural noise/crosstalk - related to those logical processing loops and how the cranial nerves interact with the limbic system - this is that whole "settling the heartmind" you'll head Drew keep mentioning.

Great info! And I think the gut is a much larger creator of this "noise" than we realize. I think that tamping down on the gut noise (careful diet) helps limit the head noise or random thought.

 

Oh, the niwan. It is the "upper dantien," roughly at the location of the pineal. But of course when discussing energy centers, physicality only has correlation, not congruence. (And Google is your friend)

 

As the most coarse continuous bodily process is the breath, that's the first place to conquer. Doing so is predicated upon restraining the others also.

 

So if you want to "restrain your breath" what do you really want to do...you want to stop the olfactory nerve from firing that 40 cycles per sec into the midbrain. When you stop that, the nerve changes its resonant mode and that is also where the vagus nerve is activated. To achieve this you must stop using anywhere air touches to facilitate the movement of the air. So the nose, sinuses, back of the throat, larynx, bronchi, must not be used to move air. It must all be done by gut motion. When that gut motion is timed well where all of the energetic parts coincide, the breath structures are situated so as to have their energies harnessed by the dantien.

 

When this is integrated into your habit energy very strongly, it will literally change the breath protocol neural resonance that your medulla executes. = it will happen whether you are eating, sleeping, or shitting. (its how the ex said she could tell whether I was in good practice or not, cant hear me breathe when sleeping, no snoring, no movement, etc.)

 

So Drew mentions all these various ways in which your energy is sullied - well, this is one of the primary major ways by which your energy stays coherent and brimming with potential. So really, the end result of "taming the senses" precisely means there is a stage beyond which the resonant mode of the cranial nerves seems to change into an inhibitory rather than an excitatory state. You turn those drains of energy off and its like you have been given a great gift of a vast energy reservoir. There is all this energy which has been constantly used throughout your life, and all of a sudden those drains have been plugged? It is stupendous, and that harmonization empowers the niwan and the pineal shows its strength in being the top-down regulator of the endocrine system - every time I get to a certain depth, my metabolism goes wild and I want another 700, 800 calories a day. Cant say time because it manifests differently based on the techniques utilized - whereas what happened at minute long breaths, the same would happen at 40 seconds after I learned to use the potential of the niwan in the whole operation; my first immersions were almost entirely physical conditioning.

 

It doesnt seem that many people take this first fundamental requirement to such depth. People want to talk of cultivating this or that and few seem to appreciate just how significant of a....base of a mountain range... that really covering the fundamentals well provides. It is both an increase in the depth of your reservoir and at the same time provides much more potential should one want to focus on other methods of harnessing one's energy, which isnt the same aim as the practices in taoist yoga. But make no mistake the fundamentals cover pretty much anything and serve as a ground fault safety mechanism for the stronger stuff.

And this is probably why we need to have a well checked ego before we begin plugging these holes, or the negative egos will become inflamed and become outlets. I believe that the negative egos trap our positive, so If we check the negatives and plug the holes, positive virtues attached to the chakras start to bloom because the newly harnessed energies start to escape through outlets like love, compassion, joy, knowledge, possible psychic abilities etc.. Agree?

So when one talks of "making things happen"....whether it is a spark of yin within yang (quick fire,) or yang within yin (slow fire...with fundamentals covered and the energizing happened at the niwan, it provides a way for the potential to more naturally rise to the niwan and "brim over" in a sense) the same concept is there, that "just meditation" is not going to get you anywhere unless there are certain techniques involved that make things coherent. And coherent = higher amplitude. Coherent and relaxed, ingrained and habituated (humans are creatures of habit after all)...that is the resultant pristine state where energies will feel free to mix properly as you continue along the path.

 

Settling the heartmind is not that tough to do - but it is made *vastly* easier by mastering anapanasati and really putting in the work refining the breath to a deep level. I cant even relate how important that was to my path. So for someone that is starting out, master that before bothering with the mco or worrying about whatever your generative force is doing. Without the prerequisites its damn near mental masturbation.

Ok I need to work on the breath. Here is what I understand about the breath-

Breath in and out slow and steady, as rhythmic as possible.

Breath from the abdomen, while limiting restriction and audible movement from nostrils, and throat as much as possible.

Try not to lift the chest or shoulders, but the bottom 2 ribs can be lifted for deeper inhalations correct?

 

How much should I be moving my abdomen in and out? Should It be squeezed in on the in breath on RAB, and forced out as far as possible on the exhalation? I have a really weird abdomen that I can blow out like I have a bowling ball inside.

 

How often should I be working my perineum into these breathing exercises?

 

Thanks a lot for all of your help Joe, I really like your writing style.

As to the diet....yes, that's an obstacle... as refinements get deeper, the ledge to walk becomes narrower...