Chi Cultivation and the Dan Tiens
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Chi Cultivation - Collecting the Energy Collecting the energy is called Chi Cultivation. Cultivation in reference to crops is the caring and improving the conditions of the plants that they may grow to their fullness. We could say become the totality of their expression of self, their individual issness. In cultural terms it means to improve the conditions of self expression by training and refinement in our relation with one another. In an individuals case it is self improvement, training to bring out the totality of your own individualized issness. Who you really are. Your creativity. Your higher self. Cultivation takes place in you energy centers that is known in Chinese Qi Gong as the dan tiens. I have used the term in earlier exercises so you have experienced your lower dan tien. Now we can take time to learn about them. Like I have said before, at times you need to learn three or four things at the same time yet we can only teach them one at a time. So what are Dan Tiens?
Dan Tiens. Dan
Tien
Dan Tien literally means field of Elixir. It is associated with the collecting and transforming of energy. Dan is
the red cinnabar (Mercury) found in a mine, it represents Taoist
Alchemy. When the red cinnabar is heated it changes to Mercury, thus external Alchemy. When the concept is taking place in the lower Dan Tien it is considered Internal Alchemy. Tien is
a field, a space with irrigation channels or conduits. In Internal
Alchemy it represents the flow through the meridians (Rivers) and Channels (lakes) of Chi.
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The location of the three Dan Tiens. The upper Dan Tien, located in the center of the forehead. (Cave of Brahma?) It corresponds to the physical energy functioning of the brain, the pineal, pituitary and all those important places of processing information and sending electro chemical messages to all parts of the body. The mental processes of thinking take place here along with the processing of emotions. Spiritual Contemplation and meditation takes place here. The Chinese call this the place of the Higher Spirit mind. (Shen/Yi) When the energy isn’t balanced it creates confused thinking and action. The Middle Dan Tien is located the area of the solar plexus and heart. It corresponds to the physical functions of the lungs in respiration and the heart in blood Circulation. The Chi flows with both respiration and blood flow. The Chinese call this the place of the Emotional mind. (Hisin Mind) When the energy is out of balance one is emotionally driven and becomes very reactive. The lower Dan Tien is located in the lower abdomen about two inches below the nave and in several inches depending on you girth. The physical functions of the lower Dan Tien is of digestion, elimination and reproduction. Mental/Emotional issues are connected to sexuality and the will to live. Mental/Emotional/Physical and Spiritual concepts are connected to this center and give us our sense of balance and stability. When this center is out of balance one is off balance physically, mentally and emotionally. Spiritual concepts are extreme or totally lacking. Chii Huoo - Start the Fire When you begin to collect and build up the Chi in the lower Dan Tien in QI Gong training it is called “Chii Huoo” - Start the fire. This diagram of Chinese double acting Bellows is from an early book on Chinese Alchemy, “The Kinship of the three, according to the Book of Changes.” It was written by an alchemist named Wei Po-Yang in about 142 A.D. I purchased a translation of this manuscript when traveling in China. One of the Qi Gong Masters recommended the book. The translation is by Zhou Chi Cultivation & Dan Tiens
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Shiyi. The author uses some trigrams from the “Book of Changes” to explain the theme of physiological alchemy. The two valves in the bellows are the gates that work with the movement and Yin\Yang..
Heaven - Yang
and Earth -Yin.
When Yin and yang are combined in movement, the movement exchange creates Kan and Li. The result of that movement of Kan and Li creates Yi. (Change)
The Fire
movement
Kan symbolizes that yang comes in while yin goes out. Kan means
The movement Li
Symbolizes that yang goes out while yin comes in. Li means Water
The action of Kan and Li represents the two states of Yin\Yang in that yang is present in Yin and Yin is present in Yang. When these come into a moving balance in the microcosm of the small circulation in the body of man Yi is present, Yi meaning transformation energy. Yi The pictograph for Yi represents the Lizard. Most people are aware of the most famous book from the Chinese called the I-Ching. The I-Ching in Chinese is Yi Jing, “The Book of changes.” Yi with the lizard pictograph means change. The lizard represents longevity and selfhealing. The lizard loses his tail and grows another one. Remember words are at times very limiting and at times they can have very complex meanings. The movement of the bellows is likened to the microcosm of mans body. They represent an alchemical action. The bellows represent the breathing pattern that moves Kan and Li in to mutual transmutation.
You have already started the bellows. When you were doing the Four Breathing Spaces - Pelvic Breathing (lower abdomen) you were starting the fire, you were breathing in the lower Dan tien. This is one of the many reasons I keep putting emphasis on the breath. When you were doing the Kiemotion Relaxation exercise you were activating the lower Dan tien. In simplicity you was activating this principle when doing the Water Path, one of the activators of Li. When doing the Fire path you was activating Kan. When you were doing the Kiemotion Breath and Balance Response exercise you were instructed to inhale and exhale in the lower Dan Tien.
The Lower Dan Tien is the energy and balance point of the body. Normally when you move, you Chi Cultivation & Dan Tiens
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don't realize it, but your attention goes to that center. The next exercise comes from the martial arts part of Qi Gong.
Awarenessing You need a pardner to do this. Do standing. Take a hold of your partner's arm and then pull them with your attention and awareness in your hand. Sense how much power it takes to give them a good pull. Then shift your attention and awareness in your elbow. Give another pull and sense how much power it takes now to give them a good pull. The elbow is connected to your center so you move from the lower Dan tien. When you learn to move from that energy point you can use 20 to 30 times your maximum muscular potential! Literally! Not for lifting a straight weight, but for producing effect. Why did the elbow work? You're not used to articulating your elbow like your hand. Every time you move your elbow the whole body tends to move, unlike using your hand. The hand is used more then the elbow at chores that don’t need that much power so it isn’t connected to your center. One of the Bill Moyer specials on TV showed five or six men trying to push an older man in a park in Beijing. They would push and pull to no avail and then he would simply exhale the energy and they would go flying away with out him touching them. There was a young American studying with him and he said it would take him a few years to master the energy technique. How about that! Thinking, I am putting my awareness in my hand and then the elbow, is activating the upper Dan tien. We will start a new chapter for the upper Dan tien. Some points about Lower Dan tien breathing and collecting the energy. Energy Cultivation Opens the Door to Good Health. The Qi Gong Masters discovered that certain energy flows energized certain body functions and the energy balancing brought good health Energy Cultivation Opens the Door to Emotional Balance. Qi Gong energy balances the mind/body/emotions. Chi Cultivation & Dan Tiens
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Energy Cultivation Opens the Door to longevity.
Qi Gong Masters remain active and healthy even when over a hundred years old. In a book titled “Muscle/Tendon Changing and Morrow/Brain Washing Chi Kung -The Secret of Youth” by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming there is a picture of Li Ching-Yuen. Li Ching-Yuen was born in 1678 and died in 1928. He lived 250 years. This really challenges your belief system doesn’t it. Maybe it is possible. This is such an interesting planet that a long life could be very interesting. Energy Cultivation Opens the Door to Spiritual Understanding. The Qi Gong masters when working with Qi discovered that their were certain energy paths in the body that accelerate one towards Spiritual Enlightenment. Spiritual understanding (Enlightenment), brings one into harmony within oneself and harmony in ones relationship with the world. One becomes balanced (Yin/Yang) within and balanced with all that is outside self.
The difference between a master and a normal person has to do with conscious awareness of the movement of the life force and the knowledge of where the energy flows.
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