Energy Balance through the Tao Exercises for Cultivating Yin Energy Mantak Chia Destiny Books Rochester, Vermont Acknowledgments The Universal Tao staff involved in the preparation and production of Energy Balance through the Tao extend our gratitude to the many generations of Taoist masters who have passed on their special lineage, in the form of an oral transmission, over thousands of years. We particularly thank Taoist master I Yun (Yi Eng) for his openness in transmitting the formulas of Taoist inner alchemy. We offer our eternal gratitude to our parents and teachers for their many gifts to us. Remembering them brings joy and satisfaction to our continued efforts in presenting the Universal Tao system. We express special thanks to Susan Davidson for editorial expertise in producing this edition of Energy Balance through the Tao. We wish to acknowledge Lee Holden for assembling the first-draft version of the manuscript. We express our gratitude to Lee Holden and Cheri Sunshine for their writing contributions; also, thanks to Gordon Faulkner for his contribution to the historical summary. We thank Felix Senn for lending his expertise as a Tao Yin Instructor and fitness professional to the process of transcribing the practice into written form. We gratefully acknowledge the beautiful illustrations contributed by Lucka Lama. We also thank Udon Jandee for his contributions to the book graphics. Special thanks to Tao Garden resident Tao Yin instructor Colin Campbell for his cheerful and invaluable contributions in revising the Tao Yin exercise instructions. We are also grateful for his many interpretive descriptions of exercise names. These may help the reader to attune to the spirit of many of the exercises. We also thank resident Tao Yin instructor Walter Kellenberger for his counsel in checking details of the exercises. Special thanks to Dennis Huntington for his efforts in coordinating and integrating all of the new material into the final manuscript. We also express our appreciation for his comprehensive writing contributions. Finally, we wish to thank our certified instructors, students, and sponsors throughout the world for their ongoing contributions to the Universal Tao system and for preserving the vitality of the Universal Tao practices. Contents Acknowledgments Putting Tao Yin into Practice Foreword: Poetry in Motion Part 1 Foundations 1 Man, Nature, the Universe, and Tao Tin 2 The History of Tao Tin 3 Tao Tn and the Universal Tao System 4 The Physical Benefits of Tao Tn 5 Tan Tien Consciousness: The Second Brain 6 Preparation and General Instructions Part 2 Tao Yin Exercises 7 Set 1: Foundations—Conscious Breathing, Energy Balancing, Spine and Psoas Conditioning 8 Set 2: More Spine and Psoas Conditioning, Lymph Laughing, and Ring-Muscle Power 9 Set 3: Spirit of the Love Cobra—Developing Yi 10 Set 4: Opening Meridians, Removing Abdominal Chi Blockages, Increasing Body Oxygen 11 Set 5: The Straight Vector in the Curve—Stretching and Growing the Tendons 12 Finish with Yin Meditation Appendix: The Twelve Meridians About the Author The Universal Tao System and Training Center Putting Tao Yin into Practice The practices described in this book have been used successfully for thousands of years by Taoists trained by personal instruction. Readers should not undertake these practices without receiving personal instruction from a certified instructor of the Universal Tao, because some of these practices, if done improperly, may cause injury or result in health problems. This book is intended to supplement individual training by a Universal Tao instructor and to serve as a reference guide for Universal Tao practices. Anyone who undertakes these practices on the basis of this book alone does so entirely at his or her own risk. Universal Tao instructors can be located at our websites: www.universal- tao.com or www.taoinstructors.org The meditations, practices, and techniques described herein are not intended to be used as an alternative or substitute for professional medical treatment and care. If a reader is suffering from a mental or emotional disorder, he or she should consult with an appropriate professional health care practitioner or therapist. Such problems should be corrected before one starts training. This book does not attempt to give any medical diagnosis, treatment, prescription, or remedial recommendation in relation to any human disease, ailment, suffering, or physical condition whatsoever. Chinese medicine and Chi Kung emphasize balancing and strengthening the body so that it can heal itself. The meditations, internal exercises, and martial arts of the Universal Tao are basic approaches to this end. Follow the instructions for each exercise carefully. Also pay special attention to the warnings and suggestions. People who have high blood pressure, heart disease, or a generally weak condition should proceed cautiously, having received prior consent from a qualified medical practitioner. People with venereal disease should not attempt any practices involving sexual energy until they are free of the condition. The Universal Tao and its staff and instructors cannot be responsible for the consequences of any practice or misuse of the information in this book. If the reader undertakes any exercise without strictly following the instructions, notes, and warnings, the responsibility must lie solely with the reader. Foreword Poetry in Motion DENNIS HUNTINGTON As you begin your practice of these Tao Yin exercises, you would be well advised to maintain an attitude of poetic sensitivity when studying the instructions and performing the movements. You will be cultivating gentleness while developing strength. Your spine will become more flexible and your tendons and psoas muscles will be imbued with elasticity. The wisdom of your body will awaken with the healthy effects of activating the subtle chemistry within. You will remove blockages to your innate vitality and rejuvenate your body and energy. Improved patterns of physical alignment and movement will recondition your spine and refresh your body by opening chi flow in the meridians. You will discover and train your “second brain” in your abdomen, and you will be able to connect with the life-giving power of the universe. The inner smile is the key to relaxation. Relaxation is the key to internal power. By relaxing and smiling to your abdomen you activate the abdominal chi. At the same time, you begin to train your feeling and awareness brain in the abdomen, the tan tien, to coordinate and direct the actions in the body. For thousands of years Taoists have trained their tan tiens in order to use their tan tiens. However, most Western students of the Tao have only superficially understood the practical significance of this training. Focused training of the tan tien second brain is the cornerstone of all the practices that Master Mantak Chia teaches. In the process of learning the various Tao Yin exercises taught in this book, you also learn to train and develop your Yi, the mind-eye-heart power. In the process of conditioning your all-important spine and psoas muscles, you also learn to integrate the subtle power of the breath and mind. Then, as you progress through the exercises, you learn to coordinate the network of round muscles throughout the body. When working in sync with the psoas muscles and spine, the pulsing of these “chi muscles” fills the whole body with chi, energizing the body and releasing pleasant sensations. The physical and energetic foundations of your Yi become quite clear. Part 1 of this book provides background information helpful to your understanding of Tao Yin. The exercises, in Part 2, are organized in five sets. Each of the exercises has its own value; as well, skills from several exercises may be combined to achieve the full measure of success in the more complex movement sequences. Perform the exercises with full awareness and sensitivity; they are moving meditations. Tremendous benefits will follow. Many of the exercises involve retraining your patterns of movement and structural alignment. This initially requires patience and conscientious attention to details, and it is also pleasant and fun. It is important to do each exercise accurately and in the spirit described in the instructions. Most of the exercises are straightforward, and the mechanics of the movement are easy to grasp. Use a little imagination. Discover and emulate the spirit suggested by the names taken from animals or phenomena in nature. Sense the exercises as poetry in motion. Connect with all levels of the experience. In the first set of exercises you breathe consciously, with light, in order to release tensions and toxins and to energize tired or weak areas during rest between exercises. You learn to direct the subtle chi breath throughout the body. Conscious breathing deepens the effectiveness of the exercises. You coordinate calm, steady abdominal breathing with movement as you condition and retrain your spine and psoas muscles. You will also learn exercises, breath, and meditation practices for balancing and harmonizing hot and cold energy in the body. By the time you get to the Cobra’s Ritual of Love exercise sequence in chapter 9, you will be combining your skills to achieve a more profound internal, energetic experience. You will have begun to acquire the fundamentals of conditioning and inner sensing. When you integrate the mechanics of the Love Cobra with internal dynamics and awareness, you will enjoy a sweet reward for your efforts. This will enable you to combine correct body movement, internal forces, breath, chi, and Yi for a pleasant and full-body flowering of your energy. The heightened awareness experienced in the Love Cobra will also serve you in your approach to other exercises, helping you to achieve their benefits more fully. Discover and sense the spirit. Experience the poetry of each exercise. The Empty Force Breath practice is introduced after you have had time to gain a sense of ease and familiarity with many of the exercises. The Empty Force Breath exercises remove stagnant abdominal chi and greatly increase body oxygen. The Empty Force Breath techniques can be combined with other Tao Yin exercises to increase their benefits. The last set of exercises begins with the dynamic principle of finding the straight vector in the curve. Exercises such as the Dragon Stretches Tail series use this principle to grow and strengthen tendons and to cultivate their elasticity. These sitting exercises are integrated with spinal and psoas movements. Then tendons in the fingertips, arms, neck, and scapulae through the length of the spine and in the lower back to the legs are stretched. They become unified as one seamless tendon, releasing tensions and blockages; this is followed by a soothing, calm, energizing efflorescence of chi. The practice section concludes with a delightful variety of light exercises for the spine, shoulders, and back. The Tao Yin exercises included in this book are all performed in either lying or sitting positions. As such, they provide unique benefits that cannot be so readily achieved in standing or moving practices. The conditioning and health benefits engendered in Tao Yin stand on their own merits. Any person from any background or belief system can receive the benefits of the practice. Tao Yin is also an excellent preparation for any other activity one may pursue—whether it be sports, martial arts, music, meditation, work, or just plain living. Tao Yin translates as “energy directing,” but this does not refer to directing energy in the meridians during the active phases of performing the exercises. Rather, the chi flow is opened in the meridians during the passive, resting phase as a result of performing the exercises correctly. One does not need prior knowledge of chi meridians in order to enjoy the benefits of this practice; however, meridian information is provided for reference at many of the exercises. An appendix provides further information on the meridians. With the body deeply relaxed, the mind calm, the tan tien full of chi, and chi flowing in the meridians, your finish with the crème de la crème, the Yin Meditation. You set the stage for this deeply satisfying and sometimes profound experience of the life energy by preparing your body with all of the previous Tao Yin exercises. You might experience the fullness of a delightful yang “cell massage,” a refreshing emotional cleansing, or the refined yin state of embryonic breathing. Though Tao Yin stands on its own as an independent form of practice, it is also part of an overall system of practices in the Universal Tao system. Each part of the Universal Tao system is valuable by itself and at the same time benefits and is benefited by other practices. Refer to page 200 for a summary of the Universal Tao system and contact information for practice support. Dennis Huntington is a resident instructor at the Universal Tao Training Center at Tao Garden Health Resort in Thailand. He began training with Master Mantak Chia in 1986 and became a certified Universal Tao instructor in 1992. Tao Yin P 1 ART Foundations