Yi Swallows Chi Technique
The defining idea of "swallowing chi" is to bring higher (external and/or internal) energies down through the core vessel, and guide them deeply into a tan tien; an esoteric activity that at least remotely parallels that of swallowing food. Swallowing chi exercises are not uncommon within Taoist systems, and they show up with variety of methods. "Yi Swallows Chi" is one such method. A Little History, and Acknowledgements. This method was inspired by Michael Winn's article, The Gentle, Easy Way to Pack Your Iron Shirt, specifically his Pulsation Packing method. That article led me to develop Yi Swallows Chi in my own practice, which I found to be catalytic to a number of key internal progressions - and which James McConnell confirmed as akin to a traditional practice. A surfer to my website, Jonathan Hall, alerted me to that fact that the method needed clarification for students: so, this essay. Thank you, Michael. Thank you, James. Thank you, Jonathan. Yi and Yin This basic exercise uses the chi from air, which is brought into the body initially by breathing in through the mouth, and then is guided more deeply into the mid and lower torso by the yi. "Yi" refers to mind, or attention. To be clear: this method of swallowing is not done by physically gulping down; it is done by guiding chi with one's attention, one's yi. Further, it's not done by spiraling or otherwise mentally condensing the chi. It's done by maintaining a spherical sense of gentle, open, relaxed space within the body - keeping one's attention gently focused within that space - and moving that gentle, open, relaxed sphere further down into the body. The chi is drawn into, and stays within, the sphere simply through relaxed openness and gentle attention: receptivity (yin) and yi (attention). Not only is this an exercise in guiding chi but also an exercise in relaxation and core receptiveness. As you move the gentle sphere down, you'll sometimes bump into tension areas in your body. Part of the process is to let those areas relax, open, and receive. Sometimes the tension areas will quickly resolve, and the chi ball can move further down. Other times, not, and you simply let the chi ball stay at that tension area; the alchemical interaction disperses tension. With practice (and, for some, right away) you'll be able to guide the ball of chi all the way to acupoints in the lower abdomen. Step-by-Step Technique 1) Yi Swallows Chi is best done:
- in a standing posture. This practice tends to prompt deep vertical integration, which standing postures facilitate. - when the air is cool, preferably in the early morning, ideally before sunrise. The cool morning air provides a contrast to the warm bodily interior: cool air is easier to feel. Also, there is something special about that early morning time... The cool yin from the night is most concentrated in the air, before the sunrise disperses it. 2) Inhale, through your mouth, a comfortable amount of air into the chest / thorax area (not below the thoracic diaphragm, as you'll use yi to move the chi down through the mid-torso and into the lower abdomen). 3) Gently hold your breath, and form the sphere of gentle open space, containing some of the chi-from-air that you inhaled. You needn't be strict about the size of the sphere. I generally create a sphere that is somewhat larger than a ping-pong ball, but smaller than a baseball. Generally you'll want to continue holding your breath, gently, at least until you've moved the chi to its lower-most acupoint (see step #4 for choice of acupoints). This provides a more stable inner environment, so that the chi sphere will be less likely to dissipate during the time that you are guiding it. (Never hold your breath so long that you feel that you are forcing the holding of breath.) Once the sphere gets to where its going, and starts to deeply interact with the energies there, feel more free to breathe (or not breathe) as you feel so moved. 4) Guide that sphere down (as described above, in the "Yi" section) through the center of your body, towards an acupoint in your lower abdomen. You'll find that being steadily attentive to the chi ball is what keeps it intact, and is what makes this whole process work. Yi. Reference the little orbit for major acupoints in the lower abdomen. This method needs very few repetitions to have a sufficient effect for a practice session, so I suggest that you swallow to each acupoint once, in cyclical succession, or just pick one or two acupoints to work on for a session. Allow the chi ball to interact with an acupoint by simple proximity and focused attention, or gently and briefly pull inward at the acupoint - as if the acupoint were being gently pulled by a string from the inside. This is especially easily done at hui yin (the acupoint at the center of the perineum) but with practice you'll find that it can be done with all of the major acupoints of the little orbit. Take at least a few moments to relax and breathe normally between each repetition of swallowing chi. Stop simply when you feel you've had enough: not too much, not too little. Benefits of Practice Essay, Yi Swallows Chi: Benefits.
RELATED TOPICS
Relaxed Breath Retention Yi Swallows Chi provides the core aspect of The Fabulous Four harmonious qi gongs.
Yi Swallows Chi Benefits
Yi Swallows Chi is such a simple technique that it doesn't sound like it'd do anything different than taking a deep breath would. In practice it continually reveals itself as extraordinary. Some of the benefits of Yi Swallows Chi 1. As mentioned in the technique essay, this method was inspired by Michael Winn's article, The Gentle, Easy Way to Pack Your Iron Shirt, specifically his Pulsation Packing method. As such, Yi Swallows Chi provides many of the same benefits of Pulsation Packing, including the spontaneous prompting of internal breathing. With Yi Swallows Chi, the pulsing is created by the alchemical interaction of the swallowed chi with the denser energies within the abdomen. The pulsing happens quite naturally and spontaneously (though not every time); there is no need to try to get it to happen. Simply do the practice, and if pulsing occurs - then let it occur. If not, no worries - things progress, and change, with practice. 2. Promotes foundations for the cauldron. - Opens space through the core of the whole torso, particularly in the lower abdomen, and is practice for receiving energy down through the core vessel... All of which is prerequisite for core vessel work, including kan & li. (As well as being prerequisite, at the same time it is core work.) - Ignites consciousness in the lower abdomen. After some time working with this method, the lower abdomen spontaneously takes a more aware and active role. 3. This is the most gentle, effective, and profound method of learning to "sink the chi" that I've found to date. 4. Clears heat & stagnation all the way down through the core, including the lower jiao. The gentle still holding of the cool external chi allows tension and heat react into, open up, and be relieved, all the way down through the core. (Emphatic to bring this practice to the full depths of the lower jiao.) This effectively "unpacks". For those that work with packing breathing (or any sort of variation of semi-aggressive breathing practices), Yi Sw's Chi is very effective at releasing any stress, dis-harmonious chi, that may've got jammed into your system through packing breathing. And yet, Yi Sw's Chi activates the acupoints, much of the
energetics, of the lower tan tien so - while it unpacks, it is also making the lower tan tien stronger, alchemically more stable and effective. Relieves stress, internal heat. We tend to accumulate stress (bound up internal heat) in our bodies during day-time activities of dealing with the world which, if not cleared, inhibit deeply restorative sleep. There are a number of things that can be done, including moderate aerobic exercise, stretching & breathing (hatha yoga), various circulating, clearing, harmonizing activities - that prepare the way for sleep. Yi Sw's Chi effectively assists in relieving stress (internal heat) all the way down through the core. Re: sexual practices: Some residual sexual forces often accumulate in the lower abdomen, whether or not you are doing esoteric sexual practices, but especially if you are. This clogs up the works in the lower abdomen, and can manifest - especially over the long term - as chronic anger, depression, sexual compulsion/addiction. Though Yi Swallows Chi may not be a comprehensive solution for that potentially complex situation, it is one component: a preventative, and remedial, solution along those lines. 5. By activating the major points in the lower jiao, Yi Swallows Chi greatly enhances the ability of the lower jiao to house, stabilize, and harmonize sexual energy within the lower jiao. This can really change your experience of cultivating sexual energy. The lower jiao becomes stronger, harmonized, provides a more stable basis of physical strength, and better fulfills its role of anchoring the fire aspects of the body. 6. If you do expend jing, it gets replenished faster - again, because the points of the lower jiao are activated. So, whether or not you are taking up long term conservation of jing, this is a practice that is generally healthy for jing. 7. Once sexual energy is harmonized in the lower jiao, it naturally - and very gently over-flows up into the rest of the body. (As Michael Winn mentions in his article.) 8. Yi Swallows Chi provides the core aspect of The Fabulous Four harmonious qi gongs. Training Tips 1. If you have quite a bit of tension in your abdomen, you might find that you have difficulty guiding the chi down very far into the abdomen; you might access & release significant stress my guiding the chi just a little ways down. That's ok. Just guide the chi to as far down as you go, and hold it still at that point. The tension tends to gradually resolve with practice. 2. The technique of Yi Swallows Chi produces unusually profound alchemy by combining the chi from the air plus the denser energies stored in the lower abdomen. (You'd think that any number of other lower abdominal breathing techniques would do that just as well, but some how Yi Swallows Chi is especially effective... by a wide margin.) This leads to a couple of useful tips:
a) The addition of genital massage (un-aroused) prior to Yi Swallows Chi practice increases the alchemy. It's not a required addition, but an option that you should be aware of. b) Following any sort of aroused sexual practice (including dual cultivation) a short session of Yi Swallows Chi (plus massage) can help integrate the forces that tend to accumulate in the lower abdomen. This is used as a preventative against delayed compulsive desire, nocturnal emission, and general stagnation of energy - disharmonies that often accompany abstention from a normal orgasm. A few minutes away from your sweet-heart for this purpose, before falling asleep, can help save you from difficulty later. Further Comments I find myself more and more inclined to think that the basic strategy of first moving energy out of the lower jiao, and around through the orbit, as a primary method of harmonization... is fundamentally flawed and inadequate. At least in my own body, the lower jiao: a) doesn't get adequately harmonized by that strategy, and b) my sexual energy keeps a bit too much of its dense and adamant edge. The methods that harmonize & stabilize the lower first, before moving up, have - for me - been markedly more effective on both of these counts. Radical, maybe even blasphemous, I know. Being true to the experience of my own body, is all. All this is not to say that Yi Swallows Chi is the only way to harmonize below first, but it's perhaps the most effective that I've found to date. There are other important effects of Yi Swallows Chi (one of which is profound Earthintegration), as well as variations & progressions on the application; things develop in some very interesting ways. This practice runs deep: it's fruitful as a sustained main method of inquiry. I leave it to your explorations.
Relaxed Breath Retention ~ Zenith and Nadir ~
Preamble: Two kinds of "Holding the Breath" Seems to me that there are two basic kinds of "holding the breath": 1) Unconsciously holding the breath
Happens when you're tense, distracted, overly intellectualized, fearful, fight/flight stuff: all basically when awareness is dis-integrated from the body. As an internal arts tool, the breath is a major intermediary to re-integrate awareness with the body. Awareness ~ Breath ~ Body. For many people (everyone) with no prior breath training it's a really important major step to learn to consciously breath, be aware of breathing, and to keep breathing (not hold their breath). My first meditation teacher taught the basic "follow the breath" meditation (which is perhaps the most frequent foundational meditation across cultures and traditions, immensely important) and also suggested that, at various times throughout the day, we simply notice how we were breathing. That was so helpful to me: I noticed a lot about my internal state and how it corresponded to my breath pattern. 2) Consciously holding the breath Whole different thing; the topic of this essay. When applied in moderation, breath retention is one of the most effective ways to resolve lower tan tien tension. Used in balance with other approaches, it is tremendously helpful towards jing refinement and getting lower tan tien breathing further toward "smooth as silk". Advanced: Easy does-it, in balance. Relaxed breath retention profoundly harmonizes when applied in small amounts but can easily be over done. You'll find it in many breathing systems, usually as an advanced method. You should have established experience in several areas before you take up breath retention: - rounded physical exercise routine in place - moderate lower tan tien breathing that centers towards physical massage - processing emotions, centering, grounding - meditation on natural comfortable breathing should be done immediately prior and following breath retention in order to blend awareness with the breath and to normalize breathing, respectively. Basics Idea: Relaxed Pause at Zenith and Nadir So, the method is basically this: Relaxed retention of breath after the inhale and after the exhale. That is, relaxed pauses at the two extreme ends of breath, at the fullness of the inhale and the completion of the exhale, sometimes called, "the spaces between the breaths". If you retain your breath by tension~force, to that degree you'll block the alchemy from occurring, so relax as best you can. You can emphasize the lower tan tien by focusing the attention and breath there and by gently pulling up on the perineum (Ren-1 HuiYin) at certain times (experiment). In a Taoist progression, this leads to integration of Kidney-1, the acupoints of the little orbit, and the opening of the channels of the legs.
Relaxed breath retention can be intensified by exhaling more completely, inhaling more fully, linking the zenith & nadir retentions together (with the smoothest transition possible) in a single cycle of breath, lengthening the duration of the pause, doing more repetitions. I suggest that you start by practicing breath retention in small gentle doses. Relaxed breath retention can stir up lots of latent tension and it's important to return to normalized breathing afterward. Benefits / Dangers In moderate doses breath retention can very effectively harmonize tension and refine denser energies. If over-done it can be un-grounding, disorienting. Stored tensions might release too fast. Also, breath retention promotes Deep Stillness which in moderate doses is A Very Good Thing, but it's also possible to go into that too quickly perhaps resulting in spiritual experiences that the body~mind isn't yet prepared to harmoniously integrate, perhaps including premature kundalini awakening. Go easy; breath retention is a powerful method. I suggest that you employ it as a small part of a balanced regimen. If you choose to increase the intensity of your breath retention practice, do so gradually. Front & Back, Left & Right, Center: Taoist Breathing vs. Indian Pranayama - Views, Methodology.
The yogic systems, of course, have an extensive system of breath regulation methodology called "pranayama". While Taoists tend to emphasize front and back channels (ren and du, the microcosmic orbit), yoga emphasizes the left and right channels (ida and pingala, respectively). Pranayama includes a number of methods of breathing through a single nostril (alternating sides), some of which apply relaxed breath retention, in order to open the major left and right channels. I suggest that you experiment with the following yogicly influenced "alternate nostril breathing w/ retention". If you've mostly gone the Taoist route it's likely that you've neglected the left and right thrusting channels (ida & pingala) and this will pay off well for you.
Inhale down the left side from the left nostril, hold the breath (relaxed) and lift up on hui yin, then exhale out of the right nostril. Then from the opposite side: down the right, retain the breath and lift hui yin, exhale out the left nostril. The breath should be comfortably slow and smooth throughout.
Couple of notes. 1) As you lift hui yin you should feel it connect with the retained breath. 2) If toxic / hot qi is released from the lower tan tien it is ok, even preferable, to exhale it through the mouth. Central Channel Resolution Both Taoism and Indian Yoga see resolution as occurring in the central channel, susumna (pronounced, "shoo-shoom-nah") - with special esoteric potency where the central channel intersects the major centers. How to get to the center, what happens there ... it's beyond this essay. Certainly hui yin is important, in which ever system, especially during relaxed breath retention practice. (And from the hui yin successively up ... and down, hui yin ~ bai hui... and round and round and all about and into the deeper harmonious resolutions of inside ~ outside.)
Conclusion You'll find that different cultivation systems often apply breath retention as a modification to their own basic breathing method or that they'll stress breath retention in certain ways to emphasize the goals of that system. I've done that here to emphasize lower tan tien harmony and gradual grounded progress. p.s. Over time you'll find that you're able to similarly engage various lower acupoints, not just hui yin. Be patient, and experiment; this one goes a long way. RELATED TOPICS
Yi Swallows Chi - a gentle variation of breath retention. Generating Heat with Specific Breathing Techniques - a more aggressive variation, though there are some basic misunderstandings re: heat that get talked about in this discussion thread at TheTaoBums.com. (Thank you! to Blasto.) Relaxed breath retention combines well. Examples: Massaging any acupoints of the Little Orbit prior to breath retention. Practice breath retention prior to jogging (or prior to any aerobic exercise). Explore. Turtle breathing. (Not just a funny name, has classic support and is actually effective.) ADDITIONAL READING
Books on Pranayama - Light on Yoga - Little Book of Yoga Breathing - Science of Breath Mark Griffin's 5 Stages of Pratyahara - yogic and Tibetan vajrayana orientation. Brilliant lecturer. Easily the clearest deepest description of some of the classic uses of breath that I've ever heard. Six Yogas of Naropa - classic Tibetan text, includes "vase breathing". B.K. Frantzis's Taoist breathing products - Longevity Breathing DVD - Taoist Breathing 2-CD set Let Every Breath... Secrets of the Russian Breath Masters - The basic principle in this book is common to Taoism: synchronize whole-body movement with the breath. But since it's expressed through a totally different school, many things are presented in a slightly different angle, said in a little different way, different nuances of application. Many refreshing nuances of understanding and method.
