daoistpractices.txt

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http://www.universal-tao.com/article/

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Ring Muscles

There is in the human body a system of muscles that is the source

of life's fundamental processes. These are the ring muscles. There

are ring muscles in various parts of the body, both internally and

externally. It is their coordinated and harmonious contraction

and relaxation that initiates breathing, digestion, circulation,

elimination, and all muscular motion. There is nothing in the human

body that is not affected by the ring muscles.

The ring muscles are a form of the ancient system that is the basis

for all of animal life, from the simplest amoeba to the highly

complex human. They are connected to the most primitive part of the

human brain, the part of the brain that is responsible for the most

essential functions of the body.

In a healthy body, all of the ring muscles contract and relax

simultaneously. If they do not work together, some thing goes wrong in

the body. Many of us are so unaware of the functioning of this basic

system that we cannot even sense it-but it is there, nevertheless. If

we work at getting in touch with our bodies, we can strengthen and

learn to control these muscles and, through this, improve our physical

and mental health.

Life begins with the first opening and closing of the mouth -with the

first cry.

Life ends with last breath. The mouth opens-and does not close again.

Life is based on an unbroken chain of openings and closings,

contracting and relaxing:


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Our eyes open and close-to see.

Our nostrils open and close-to breathe.

Our mouth opens and closes-to eat and drink.

Our muscles contract and relax-to move.

Our hands open and close-to grasp or let go.

Our heart contracts and relaxes-to circulate the blood.

The stomach and intestines contract and relax-to digest nutrients.

Sphincters are ring-shaped muscles that surround the various orifices

of the body, both internal and external. They include the muscles

around the eyes, the nostrils, the mouth, the anus, the urethra, and

the genitals. In a healthy body, all the sphincters work together,

contracting and relaxing simultaneously.

The ring muscles are ultimately responsible for putting all the other

muscles and all the organs of the body to work.

A suckling infant sucks with every sucking action:

o The mouth contracts.

o The eyelids contract.


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o The hands contract into fists.

o The feet contract.

o The digestive tract works.

o The anus contracts

o The urinary tract contracts.

During sleep, our eyelids move in rhythm with our breathing as we

exhale, our eyelids contract slightly; when we inhale, they relax

and expand slightly. This never-ending chain of contractions and

relaxations is very slight, but it is a movement. And this slight

movement goes through the entire body and all the limbs and organs. It

is a form of basic, natural exercise.

The movement of the eyelids in sleep fills a person with vital force,

like a battery being recharged.

While there are many sphincters in the body, the two most prominent

are the sphincters of the urethra and the anus, known collectively as

the lower sphincters. For ease of reference, I refer to the sphincter

of the urethra as the front sphincter, and that of the anus as the

rear sphincter. The lower sphincters are particularly important to

the proper functioning of the body because their contraction and

relaxation of the lower sphincters cause reverberations throughout the

entire system.

Chi Muscle - Sphincter - Ring Muscle Exercises

Front Sphincter Exercise (Drawings)

1) Lay down with legs drawn forward to buttock and feet flat on ground

a) Contract - Hold - Release

b) Contract - Hold - Inhale

c) Fast - Contractions - Hold - Inhale


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2) Lay Down with legs flat on ground




Front & Back Sphincter Exercise (Drawings)

Lay down with legs drawn forward to buttock and feet flat on ground




Front, Back & Eyes Sphincter Exercise (Drawings)





Front, Back & Eyes Sphincter Exercise (Drawings)





Front, Back, Eyes & Month Sphincter Exercise (Drawings)

1) Lay down with legs drawn forward to buttock and feet flat on ground




2) Lay Down with legs flat on ground - Relax


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a) Relax Eyes down - Inhale (Expand) - Exhale (Contract)

Feel Front, Back, Eyes, Mouth expand & contract

b) Relax Eyes down - Inhale (Expand) - Exhale (Contract)

Feel Veins & Arteries expand & contract

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The so-called meridian exercises, each of which focuses on a specific

energy

channel, comprise another set of daily practices. The lung meridian,

for example, is

228 Chinese Healing Exercises

aided by a standing forward bend, the spleen is opened by stretching

backward from

a kneeling position, the liver channel is activated in a forward bend

with legs spread

wide, and so on (Kushi 1979, 162165). Kushis last group, general

exercises, serves to

smooth energy flow through the entire body. It consists of self-

massages of various

areas, from the face through the hands, abdomen, and legs to the feet

(173205). It

also involves breathing exercises that include deep abdominal and

reversed breathing

together with different kinds of holding the breath and moving it

around the

body (167171). Kushis regimen thus combines a number of different

techniques

from both the Indian and Chinese traditions with the customary

Japanese kneeling

posture with the goal of enhancing personal energy and establishing a

conscious


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connection to Earth as provider of natural nourishment, to Heaven as

the governing

force of ones internal being, and to Humanity as universal community.

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A Zen Approach - Makko Ho

These exercises have been developed by Shizuto Masunaga. I consider

them like learning your ABCs.

You can do them in 10 min. or spend more time repeating them, and

insert in to your Makko Ho practice other exercises or Yoga Asanas asyou wish.

They are shown in the order of the meridian clock, a profound energy

system, containing and integrating many principles found in the

classic Taoist texts I Ching and Nei Jing. The Lung channel begins the

clock flow, I will get in that later on.

Take a Zen Approach

The Makko Ho exercises are used as a self healing technique by

allowing the practitioner both sedate and tonify the meridians through

specific stretches that were developed to improve the flow of Qi.

There is a stretch for each pair of meridians and, as they are based

on the Traditional Chinese Medicine, they should be done in the

sequence shown (i.e. Metal, Earth, Primary Fire, Water, Secondary

Fire, and Wood).Begin the exercises by grounding yourself through

relaxed, regulated breathing, while you focus on centring the Qi

within the Tan Tien.

It is important that you settle into the stretches on exhalation and

the nothing is forced. Hold each stretch as you inhale, being aware

of tension (whether through excess or deficiency) that you feel along

the meridian path. Do not force yourself into positions that you find

uncomfortable - pain is not the goal, letting go of tension is. as

with Qigong exercises, the emphasis is not so much on the physical

stretch but on opening up and moving the Qi. It is therefore vital


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that you focus on the breathing and that you are aware of the changes

going on within you during each stretch this includes physical,

emotional, and consciousness (Body, Mind, Spirit).

Take your time and use relaxed, regulated breathing. ?Repeat the wholesequence two or three times, being aware of the changes felt within

each repetition and noting which stretch you prefer, and which one

you dislike. ?Repeat the exercise you liked best taking more time

and relaxing into it. ?Repeat the stretch you like least without

straining and keeping relaxed, work more quickly this time, allowing

the stuck Qi to release and flow.

METAL

Lung/Large Intestine. To stretch these meridians, stand with your feet

shoulder width apart, with the knees relaxed and unlocked. Link your

thumbs together behind your back. As you exhale, raise your arms up

behind you and, keeping your legs straight, allow the torso to bend

forward. Hold this position on inhalation, and then settle further

into the stretch on exhalation (for three breaths). Hold this position

before slowly rising to the original position. The compensation

exercise for Metal is to step forward while opening the chest by

swinging the arms out.

EARTH

Stomach/Spleen. To stretch these meridians, sit in seiza between your

heels and, if you can do the stretch without straining the knees or

the lower back, lie back flat on the floor with the arms outstretched

on the floor above your head. Do not attempt this stretch if you

have problems with the knees or lower back. You can go partly into

the stretch by supporting your upper body with your arms and leaning

gently back and, when in this position, thrust the pelvis forward.

There is an alternative exercise for Earth if there is a history ofback problems.Stand with the feet together, ground yourself, and then

lift one foot off of the floor and clasp it behind you. As you exhale,

draw the leg upward behind you, keeping the knees close together. As

with the other stretches, hold the stretch on inhalation, then go

further into the stretch on exhalation. Repeat this for three breaths,

and then repeat on the other side.


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?PRIMARY FIRE

Primary Fire Heart/Small Intestine. To stretch these meridians, sit

with the soles of the feet against each other and with the feet pulled

in to you. Relax the legs to allow the knees to lower. Clasp the feet

with both hands and, with the back held straight, bend forward fromthe pelvis as you exhale. Hold this position on inhalation, and then

settle further into the stretch on exhalation (for three breaths).

Hold this position before slowly returning to the original sitting

position. The compensation exercise for Primary Fire is to remain

seated in the butterfly position and bounce the legs gently or to

rock from side to side

WATER

Kidney/Bladder. To stretch these meridians, sit on the floor withthe back held straight and your legs straightened out in front of

you. Raise the arms above the head, and as you exhale, bend forward

from the hips, with the knees kept straight. Hold this position on

inhalation, and then settle further into the stretch on exhalation

(for three breaths). Hold this position before slowly returning to the

original sitting position. The compensation exercise for Water is to

reach for the opposite foot, or to walk forwards and backwards on the

buttocks.

?SECONDARY FIRE

Secondary Fire Heart Governor/Triple Heater. To stretch these

meridians, sit with the legs crossed (if possible, in the lotus

position or the half-lotus). Cross the arms so that the opposite

hand is to the leg is on top (i.e. If the right leg is to the top,

the left hand is to the top) and hold on to the knees. Bend forward

as you exhale. Hold this position on inhalation, and then settle

further into the stretch on exhalation (for three breaths). Hold this

position before slowly returning to the original sitting position. The

compensation exercise for Secondary Fire is Standing as a Tree.

Stand with one leg cocked with the foot in front of the opposite

thigh, and bend forward. An alternative is to hug yourself whileturning from side to side.

WOOD

Liver/Gall Bladder. To stretch these meridians, sit up straight with

one leg outstretched, flat on the floor, and with the foot upright.


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The other leg is tucked into the body. Bring your hands above the head

with the palms facing each other and, on exhalation, lean sideways

over the outstretched leg (keeping both buttocks on the floor). Hold

this position on inhalation, and then settle further into the stretch

on exhalation (for three breaths). Hold this position before slowly

returning to the original sitting position. Repeat on the other side.

The compensation exercise for Wood is Knocking at the Gates of

Vitality with the feet fixed.

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Wuji Hundun Qigong is a unique blend of inner (Nei Qi) and outer (Wei

Qi) cultivating techniques. Master Duan comes from the practical "old

school" of healing arts. He believes a practitioner must also be a

teacher. A healer must be a warrior. An intellect must pursue the

arts. Our prayer is to seek balanceand we seek balance by letting go

of "form"and seek the essence of all things.

The Mandarin Chinese word "hundun" can best be described as "chaos."

The intention of Wuji Hundun Qigong is to consciously introduce chaos

into our experience. I once met Nobel Prize laureate Ilya Prigogine

who explained his prize-winning theory. He said, "All evolving

biological systems must reach their maxim state of perturbation

(chaos) before they take the quantum step up to their next higher

state of order." He knew nothing of Qigong (consciously) butunderstood what Master Duan knew intuitively. All our destructive

patterns are steeped in the locked and stagnant habits of our lives.

Until we can "break" or change those patterns, we are forever trapped

and our growth--and health--is limited. Introducing chaos, mixing

things up a bit energetically, can promote our natural healing

abilities to engage. Even momentary shifts from our patterned "safe

zones" can provide us conscious, and unconscious perspective shifts.

Outwardly, Wuji Qigong is an exercise and stretching system,

focusing on synchronizing the breath with slow movements and guidedvisualizations. Upon deeper study, the transformative nature of this

health maintenance modality becomes apparent. Balancing the Taoist and

Buddhist traditions of China, Wuji Hundun Qigong seeks to strengthen

the body (the mandate of the Taoists) while enhancing spiritual life

(the essence of the Buddhist doctrines.) Ultimately, a merging of

the two takes place, not intellectually, but through "wu xing" or

deep, emotional understanding. Written and oral teaching can only

seek to trigger and stimulate you, the true wu xing must come from


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within--as the truth derives from nature and is constantly accessible.

Through cultivating your inner Qi and spirit, you become strong, not

as an "individual" against the world but as an integral part of the

world; a mirror reflecting lightSincere practice with an intention to

remain receptive is the keyas we come to realize the holistic nature

of Wuji Qigong will effect the body, mind, and spirit.

When all aspects of our life are embraced and brought into balance-

-from our diet to our daily activities--Qigong's true benefits will

emerge. The accompanied reduction in stress will allow our natural

healing abilities to work efficiently and we will begin traveling the

path of true healing and well being.

May the stretching and opening forms of this style of Qigong,

which is equally influenced by the Wushu Martial Arts and Wei Qihealing techniques, help you to remember the natural gifts and tools

you possess. May you remember that each time your palm (Lao Gong

Pericardium 8 acupoint) passes over various points and meridians on

your body, you are contributing to a chaotic "shift" in Qi flow.

This process helps to rebalance stagnation and blocks (the source

of all pain and disease.) This process also helps us to cultivate

our sensitivity to the subtle forces of Qiand to bring our

conscious intent to where it is required. As the old Chinese maxim

states, "Where the mind goes, Qi follows." May we always remember the

resonant

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It is unnecessary to force a stretch that is difficult and

uncomfortable as the Jitsu aspect is fulfilled only when the energy

deficient Kyo is tonified. While difficult stretches shouldnt be

forced something still needs to be done so that they become easier.

The key is to bring the focus to the Kyo (or neglected area) for

which the Jitsu is calling our attention to. For example, when we do

the whole series of the Makko Ho stretches we always find one or twoexercises that are more difficult (Jitsu) and one or two that are

easier and comfortable, allowing us to completely relax (Kyo). By

spending more time with the easier stretch, the Kyo aspect is being

tonified and as a result the difficult exercise will become easier.

Stretching opens up the channels and activate the Qi. There is usually


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one side that is more difficult than the other. The side that is more

difficult is the Jitsu side. Again, instead of forcing the difficult

side we should spend more time on the direction in which the movement

is easier which relates to the Kyo or Qi deficient side. Breathing and

drawing in Qi to this area tonifies the Kyo which in turn will make

the movement to the Jitsu side easier.

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Side-benefits of Dao Yin Shu

The physical benefits of Dao Yin Shu( ??? ) are:

- Promotes good health

- Delays the aging process

- Extends life

- Circulates blood and chi

- Speeds up the healing process of certain sicknesses.

- Strengthens internal organs, metabolism, joints, ankles, bones.

- Heals certain abnormal body parts

- Relieves pain from joints and ankles

- Relaxes tensed nerves and re-cultivates muscles and flesh.

- Training your concentration.

The spiritual benefits of Dao Yin Shu ( ??? ) are the ability to:

- Finds the right answers to help you

- Invoke and communicate with Gods and Goddesses

- Cast any evil spirits

- Experience and prove the existence of mysterious Gods and Goddesses

- Gain Supernatural energy (Tai Shang Shen Gong / ?? ) and

Internal energy (Qi Qong /?? )


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- Cultivate your own spirit to a higher level

- Training your consciousness.

The life benefits of Dao Yin Shu ( ??? )are 5 aspects of happiness

(WU-FU / ?? );

1. Good fortune

2. Fame

3. Long-life

4. Prosperity

5. Successful decendants

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