D N G aoist ei oNG of related interest Creativity and Taoism A Study of Chinese Philosophy, Art and Poetry Chung-yuan Chang ISBN 978 1 84819 050 4 Seeking the Spirit of the Book of Change 8 Days to Mastering a Shamanic Yijing (I Ching) Prediction System Master Zhongxian Wu Foreword by Daniel Reid ISBN 978 1 84819 020 7 The 12 Chinese Animals Create Harmony in your Daily Life through Ancient Chinese Wisdom Master Zhongxian Wu ISBN 978 1 84819 031 3 The Secret of Everlasting Life The First Translation of the Ancient Chinese Text on Immortality Richard Bertschinger ISBN 978 1 84819 048 1 Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain The Essence of Tai Ji Chungliang Al Huang Foreword by Alan Watts Photographs by Si Chi Ko ISBN 978 1 84819 052 8 D N G aoist ei oNG The Philosophical Art of Change D m amo itchell F D c e oreworD by r iNDy NGel London and Philadelphia First published in 2011 by Singing Dragon an imprint of Jessica Kingsley Publishers 116 Pentonville Road London N1 9JB, UK and 400 Market Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA www.singingdragon.com Copyright © Damien Mitchell 2011 Foreword copyright © Cindy Engel 2011 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher. Warning: The doing of an unauthorized act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 84819 065 8 ISBN pdf eBook 978 0 85701 033 9 I dedicate this book to all sincere practitioners of the internal arts. May the search for truth be fruitful and rewarding. Disclaimer The author and publisher of this material are not responsible in any way whatsoever for any injury that may occur through reading or practising the exercises outlined in this book. The exercises and practices may be too strenuous or risky for some people and so you should consult a qualified doctor before attempting anything from this book. It is also advised that you proceed under the guidance of an experienced teacher of the internal arts to avoid injury and confusion. Note that any form of internal exercise is not a replacement for conventional health practices, medicines or any form of psychotherapy. c oNteNts Foreword by Dr Cindy Engel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 PREFACE.............................................. 13 ACKNoWLEDgEMENTS................................. 15 NoTES oN RoMANISATIoN oF PINyIN .................. 16 Chapter 1: Introduction to Nei Gong . . . . . . . 17 Chapter 2: The Three Bodies of Man . . . . . . . 38 Chapter 3: Sung Breathing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Chapter 4: The Ji Ben Qi Gong . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Chapter 5: Nei Gong Preparation . . . . . . . . . . 116 Chapter 6: Lower Dan Tien Work . . . . . . . . . . 141 Chapter 7: Going Deeper into Nei Gong . . . . 168 Chapter 8: Advanced Nei Gong Practice . . . . 191 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 APPENDIx............................................. 225 gLoSSARy oF PINyIN TERMS ........................... 227 BIBLIogRAPHy........................................ 231 ABoUT THE AUTHoR .................................. 232 INDEx ................................................ 233 List of Figures, Tables and Boxes FiGures Figure 1.1 Three Stages of Nei gong Figure 2.12 The girdling Meridian 60 Training 19 Figure 2.13 The Energetic Coil of the Figure 1.2 Three Nei gong Substances girdling Meridian 61 of Daoism 19 Figure 2.14 Reacting to the Spiralling Qi 62 Figure 1.3 The Microcosm and the Figure 2.15 The yin and yang Linking Macrocosm 26 Meridians 62 Figure 1.4 The Three Powers 27 Figure 2.16 The yin and yang Heel Figure 1.5 Wuji 28 Meridians 63 Figure 1.6 The Spiral Force: Taiji 29 Figure 2.17 The San Dan Tien 66 Figure 1.7 yin and yang 30 Figure 2.18 Natural Rotation of the Dan Figure 1.8 The Taiji Symbol 30 Tien 66 Figure 1.9 Vibrational Frequency 30 Figure 2.19 Location of the Lower Dan Figure 1.10 The Eight Sacred Symbols, Tien 66 gua 31 Figure 2.20 Lower Dan Tien Symbol 67 Figure 1.11 The Kan gua, Kan gua as a Figure 2.21 The Middle Dan Tien 67 Wave, Kan gua Vibration 31 Figure 2.22 The Upper Dan Tien 68 Figure 1.12 Li and Kan Constructing Figure 2.23 The Wei Qi Field 68 yang and yin 32 Figure 2.24 The Aura 69 Figure 1.13 The Wu xing or Five Figure 2.25 The Heart-Mind 71 Elemental Processes 32 Figure 3.1 The Respiration and Figure 1.14 Tian (Heaven) and Di (Earth) 34 Emotional Cycle 76 Figure 1.15 Qian gua, Pure yang, Figure 3.2 The Cavities of the Human Representative of Heaven 35 Torso and the Diaphragm 77 Figure 1.16 Kun gua, Pure yin, Figure 3.3 The Process of Sung 79 Representative of Earth 35 Figure 3.4 The Tension Cycle 82 Figure 1.17 The Daoist Process of Figure 3.5 Sung Practice Positions 84 Creation 36 Figure 3.6 Movement of the Aura 89 Figure 2.1 Formation of the Microcosm Figure 3.7 Standing for Sung Practice 94 and Macrocosm 39 Figure 3.8 yongquan 95 Figure 2.2 Jing, Qi and Shen Figure 3.9 Vibrations in the Legs 96 Transformation 41 Figure 3.10 Mixing of Taiyang and Figure 2.3 Connection of the Three Taiyin Qi 98 Bodies via the Dan Tien 44 Figure 4.1 Compressing the Pearl 102 Figure 2.4 The Three Bodies of Man and the Mysterious Pass 47 Figure 4.2 Flying Hands 104 Figure 2.5 The Acquired Meridians 49 Figure 4.3 opening the Chest 105 Figure 2.6 Wu xing Diagram 50 Figure 4.4 Upholding the Moon 106 Figure 2.7 The Human Foetus 55 Figure 4.5 Swimming Dragon 108 Figure 2.8 The Ren and Du Small Water Figure 4.6 Diagonal Flying 109 Wheel of Qi 56 Figure 4.7 Cow Turns its Head 111 Figure 2.9 The Energetic Cage of the Figure 4.8 The Heavenly Bow 113 Small Water Wheels of Qi 57 Figure 4.9 Secret Sword Mudra 114 Figure 2.10 The governing and Figure 4.10 Closing Down 115 Conception Meridians 58 Figure 5.1 The Relaxation/Alignment Figure 2.11 The Thrusting Meridian 59 Cycle 119 Figure 5.2 Incorrect Line of Body Figure 6.1 Location of the Lower Dan Weight 120 Tien 143 Figure 5.3 Cat’s Rear Legs 121 Figure 6.2 Kan and Li 143 Figure 5.4 The Ideal Position for the Figure 6.3 Inverting Kan and Li 145 Human Centre of gravity 121 Figure 6.4 Taiji Symbol 147 Figure 5.5 The Structure of a Bridge 123 Figure 6.5 The Behaviour of Qi 156 Figure 5.6 The Human Pelvis: Key Stone Figure 6.6 Process of Qi Circulation 159 of the Body 124 Figure 6.7 Taiji Symbols 160 Figure 5.7 Mabu and Wuji 124 Figure 6.8 Rotating the Lower Dan Tien 161 Figure 5.8 Incorrect Mabu 125 Figure 6.9 Spontaneous Energetic Figure 5.9 The Area of the Kua 127 Movement 165 Figure 5.10 Correct Alignment of the Figure 6.10 Taiwanese Spontaneous Human Spine 128 Energetic Movement 167 Figure 5.11 Misalignments of the Pelvis Figure 7.1 The Energetic Cage of the and Lower Back 129 Small Water Wheels of Qi 170 Figure 5.12 getting Ready to Practise Figure 7.2 The First Small Water Wheel the Daoist Spinal Wave 129 of Qi 173 Figure 5.13 Rotating the Pelvis Forward 130 Figure 7.3 The Shoulders Nest 175 Figure 5.14 Spinal Wave 130 Figure 7.4 Spiralling yang Qi 177 Figure 5.15 The Back Shu Points 132 Figure 7.5 Seated Practice 181 Figure 5.16 Mingmen 132 Figure 7.6 Daoist Shoujue 182 Figure 5.17 The Natural Path of a Figure 7.7 Vibration along the Thrusting Person’s Ming 133 Meridian 183 Figure 5.18 Skeletal Structure of a Cat 134 Figure 7.8 Large Water Wheel 186 Figure 5.19 The Line of Connection 135 Figure 8.1 Functions of the Shen 195 Figure 5.20 Preparing to Free up the Figure 8.2 The Heart-Mind 197 Scapula 136 Figure 8.3 Expanding from the Middle Figure 5.21 Spreading the Back 136 Dan Tien 207 Figure 5.22 Bringing the Scapula Figure 8.4 Location of the Mysterious Forward 136 Pass 216 Figure 5.23 Two Weights and a Chain 137 Figure A.1 Formation and Movement of Figure 5.24 Starting to open the Spine 138 Qi in the Body 226 Figure 5.25 The Squat 138 tables Table 1.1 Categorisation According to Table 3.1 Emotions and their Energetic Wu xing 33 Movements 92 Table 1.2 Movement of the Wu xing 34 Table 8.1 The Emotional Manifestations Table 2.1 Elemental Associations of the of the Wu xing 196 12 Aquired Meridians 49 Table 8.2 The Wu xing, Emotions and Virtues 199 boxes Box 1.1 Who Should Not Train 22 Box 7.1 Nei gong and Chinese Box 2.1 Sinking Like Water 64 Medicine 190 Box 5.1 The Importance of Flexibility 117 Box 8.1 Combining Nei gong with Box 6.1 yang Shen Fa 149 Nei Jia 213