Chinese Healing Exercises, 0-2

Chinese Healing Exercises

Contents

#	*Cap.*	*PP.*
0.	Introduction	1-28
1.	Early Medical Manuscripts	29-61
2.	Officials, Hermits, & Ecstatics	62-97
3.	The Exercise Classic	98-127
4.	Pathways to Immortality	128-161
5.	Modern Praecursors	162-97
6.	Dao-yin To-day	198-232

0-2.

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0. (pp. 1-28) "Introduction".

p. 5 extraordinary meridian-channels

"eight extraordinary vessels ... are considered primary and more elemental than the twelve matching channels ... . They include

four lines that run along the arms and legs ..., plus

two that create a cross inside the torso :

the Belt Vessel (daimai ...), which encircles the waist horizontally, and

the Penetrating Vessel (chongmai ...), which runs vertically straight through our center from the head to the pelvic floor.

The remaining two extraordinary vessels are

the Governing Vessel (dumai ...) and

the Conception Vessel (renmai ...),

which run along the back and front of the torso, both originating near the base of the spine and ending around the mouth. They form an essential energy circuit and are used ... in ... meditative body cultivation."

p. 6 storage of energies in organ-residences of mental-psychologic functions (according to the Huan-di Nei-jin Su-wen, cap. 2)

*__ energy*	*organ*	*function*
blood	liver	the spirit-soul
constructive energy	spleen	the intention
pulse	heart	the spirit
qi	lungs	the material-soul
essence	kidneys	the will

p. 7 jin (‘essence’)

Jin "transforms naturally from primordial qi, stored in

the Ocean of Qi (qihai ...; abdomen) in men and

the Cavern of Qi (qixue ...; chest) in women,

through a sinking process that leads to the formation of

semen in men and

menstrual blood in women."

pp. 14-5 early practices of Dao-yin

p.	*practices*
14	Z^ou-dynasty inscription on a dodecagonal jade block : [quoted from Harper 1998, p. 126] "When the qi is stable, it begins to sprout. From sprouting, it beings to grow. As it grows, it can be pulled upwards. When it is pulled upwards, it reaches the crown of the head."
15	*"this is also the pattern of circulation recommended in the early medical manuscript Maifa* ... (Vessel Models) ... .**
	Yet another text describes a related practice ... : [quoted from Harper 1998, p. 430] "straighten the spine, and open the buttocks. Suck in the anus ... . This is cultivating qi. ... . ... straighten the spine ... and let the qi pass through. ... .
	... the energy eventually reaches the top of the head. When the entire passage between the head and the pelvic floor is opened, the Penetrating Vessel is activated, the first energy line in the human embryo, the central channel to connect people to the Dao. With this pervading line open, ... one can reach for transcendence."

Harper 1998 = Donald Harper : Early Chinese Medical Manuscripts : the Mawangdui Medical Manuscripts. London : Wellcome Asian Medical Manuscripts.

p. 16 classical practices in Dao-yin

"Often self-massages of the face, eyes, and ears accompany the practice, stimulating the qi-flow to these areas;
and many times a practice called Dry Wash (today known as Marrow Washing) is recommended; this involves passing the hands over the entire body along the lines of the energy channels".	[p. 27 This is also known (in the United States and in Europe) as the "Auric Weave".]

pp. 19-20 other well-known, non-Chinese systems of healing exercises

p. 19, fn. 11	"For an overview of the various schools of yoga, see McCall 2007, 102-114."
p. 19	"Feldenkreis Therapy, developed by the Israeli physicist Moshe Feldenkreis (1904-1984)."
p. 20	"Thomas Hanna (1928-1990), a philosophy professor ..., created Hanna Somatics".

McCall 2007 = Timothy McCall : Yoga as Medicine. NY : Bantam Dell.

pp. 24-5 bodily tensegrity

p. 24	There is "a complex, linked pattern of pathways ... that forms a tensegrity system. A term taken originally from architecture, where it is used in the structural description of domes, tents, sailing vessels, and cranes, "tensegrity" indicates a continuous tensional network (tendons) connected by a set of discontinuous elements (struts {in the body, bones})".	{The term "tensegrity" is employed in the vocabulary of the system of Carlos Castan~eda to indicate that system’s Chinese provenience; Carlos Castan~eda himself learned the system under a T>ai-c^i instructor in California.}
p. 25	[quoted from Oschman 2000, p. 153] "The body as a whole, and the spine in particular, can usefully be described as tensegrity systems. In the body, bones act as discontinuous compression elements and the muscles, tendons and ligaments act as a continuous tensional system."

Oschman 2000 = James Oschman : Energy Medicine. NY : Churchill Livingstone.

pp. 27-8 EFT and its Chinese praecursors

p.	*tapping (drumming) on the body*
27	"The ... most important application of energy psychology lies in the tapping techniques ... . Also known as EFT or emotional freedom technique, the method has patients ... create a positive affirmation ... and repeat the affirmation while tapping a set of eight acupuncture points."
28	"there is a Daoist method practiced today that involves tapping the three cinnabar fields and the third eye while chanting an incantation to the powers of chaos underlying all creation. ... Within Daoyin, moreover, time and again practitioners are asked to "drum" (gu ...) certain areas of the body, most commonly the chest or abdomen, while holding the breath, thereby releasing stale or wayward qi, the traditional way of referring to past trauma, unwanted emotional baggage".	{This practice may be derived from Manchu religion, if shamanic musical drum-playing (usual in Manchu ritual) be the originary inspiration for this technique.}

{EFT is alternatively known as Meridian Tapping Technique (MTT) , and also as Thought Field Therapy (TFT). http://www.masteringeft.com/Newsletters/Newsletter_Archive-2007.htm }

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1. (pp. 29-61) "Early Medical Manuscripts".

p. 32 Ma-wan-dui manuscripts [from the tomb of the marquis of Dai, namely Li Can, who died Chr.E. 186 (p. 31)] concerning Dao-yin

Two manuscripts "deal almost solely with sexual cultivation, discussing the best times for and frequency of sexual intercourse as well as herbal remedies for impotence ... They are	*the He yinyang* ... (Harmonizing Yin and Yang; trl. Harper 1998, 412-422) and**
	*the Tianxia zhidao tan* ... (Discussion of the Perfect Way in All under Heaven; trl. Harper 1998, 425-438).**

Two manuscripts "touch on sexual techniques but for the most part provide information on how to improve health through breathing techniques, dietetics, and drugs ... . They are	*the Yangsheng fang* ... (Recipes or Nourishing Life; trl. Harper 1998, 328-362) and**
	*the Shiwen* ... (Ten Questions; trl. Harper 1998, 385-411)."**

p. 35 post-mortem practices by the living for the benefit of souls of the dead

"First, there is the practice of calling back the soul (zhaohun ...) at the time of death, a formal ritual chanting to entice the soul to desist its wanderings and come home (Hawkes 1959, 101).

Then there is the equipment of the grave as the new home of the dead, formally deeded to the deceased in a legally phrased contract."

Hawkes 1959 = David Hawkes : Ch>u Tz>u : the Songs of the South. Oxford : Clarendon Pr.

p. 59 bodypart-strengthening functions of the 24 exercises, according to the Yin-s^u

#	*exercise*	*body-part*
1.	Holding the Breath	muscles
2.	Hall Dropping	channels
3.	Snake Wiggle	brain
4.	Duck in Water	neck
5.	Flushing Flesh	all the body
6.	Side and Back	ears
7.	Upward Gaze	eyen
8.	Opening the Mouth	nose
9.	Spitting without Emitting	mouth
10.	Rubbing the Heart	throat
11.	Upright Swivel	base of the neck
12.	Tigre-Turn	neck
13.	Triple Stretch	shoulders
14.	Limbs Dropping	armpits
15.	Bird-Stretch	shoulder-joints
16.	Turn and Shake	abdomen & belly
17.	T urn and Twist	sides
18.	Bear-Amble	lower back
19.	Repeated Hold	hips
20.	Step of Yu	thighs
21.	Forward Loosening	knees
22.	Turn and Push	hands
23.	Shifting Toes	feet
24.	Stomping Heels	chest

p. 60 names of bends

*the __*	*is known as __*	Yin-s^u #
back bend	Pointing Backward	30
calf-stretch	Parapet	4
runner’s stretch	Tigre-Stretch	32
swinging the arms	Cart Cover	38

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2. (pp. 62-97) "Officials, Hermits, and Ecstatics".

p. 73 harm to the body through excesses of food of various flavors (according to the Pen-zu Lun 2b)

*flavor*	*harmeth the __*
sour	spleen
bitter	lungs
pungent	liver
sweet	kidneys
salty	heart

p. 74 harm to the body through excesses of various activities (according to the Pen-zu Lun 1b)

*activity*	*harmeth the __*
sleeping & resting	liver
moving & panting	spleen
pulling the bow-string	muscles
floating & wading	kidneys
vomiting liquor	lungs
sleeping on the side	qi
galloping & running	stomach
shouting & vilely cursing	gallbladder

p. 76 varieties of exhalations and their healing uses

*praescription of exhalation, according to the medical manuscripts*	*exhalation*	praescription of exhalation, according to the Jin-gui Lu 6a
ailments in chest or in abdomen	c^ui	warming to expell chill
to provide cooling	xu	cooling to expell heat
as supplement to other breaths	hu	to dissolve blockages

The 3 exhalations are "respectively, the sharp, gentle, and open-mouthed expulsion of air)."

p. 76 The 3 further breaths listed in the Jin-gui Lu (Despeux 2006, p. 40); those 3 summing with the 3 exhalations to a total of 6 Breaths

*breath*	*its use*
xi	to dispell pain
he	to remove anger
si	to calm the qi

Despeux 2006 = Catherine Despeux : "The Six Healing Breaths". In :- Livia Kohn (editrix) : Daoist Body Cultivation. Magdalena (NM) : Three Pines Pr. pp. 37-67.

p. 85 the # of repetitions of breath at the times during the nychthemeron (according to the Tai-xi Qi-jin ‘Embryonic-Respiration Qi-Scripture’ = DZ 819)

*double-hour*	*# of repetitions*	*double-hour*
midnight	9^2	noon
cock-crow	8^2	mid-afternoon
1^st light	7^2	last light
sunrise	6^2	sunset
daybreak	5^2	dusk
mid-morning	4^2	evening

p. 88 beneficent effects of projecting the xu-exhalation (according to the Bao-pu-zi, cap. 8, Ware’s translation, p. 139)

*exhale xu at __*	*and __*
water	"it will flow backwards for several yards"
fire	"it will go out"
tigres or wolves	"they will crouch down motionless"
snake	"they will coil up in awe"

p. 89 further beneficent effects of projecting the xu-exhalation (Bao-pu-zi, loc. cit)

"It can stop bleeding if someone has been wounded by a weapon and

eliminate poison from a snake or scorpion bite.

... the healing intention of the mind, coupled with a concentrated xu-exhalation and a pointing gesture of the hand –

left hand for a male subject,

right hand for a female –

is sufficient to effect a cure. "People will get better immediately even if they are hundreds of miles away (Ware 1966, 139)."

p. 89 protective powers gained by not eating grains (according to the Bao-pu-zi, cap. 6, Ware’s translation, p. 114)

"one can become immune to weapons,

exorcize demons,

neutralize poisons, and

cure illness.

On entering a mountain, one can render savage beasts harmless;

when crossing a stream, one will not be attacked by dragons."

p. 89 further qi-powers of qi-wizards (according to Ge Hon’s biography of immortals S^en-xian Z^uan; vide Gu:ntsch 1988)

"masters of qi can be shape changers who can appear in any form they please.

They can multiply themselves into many different people,

be present in more than one place at the same time.

They can become visible and invisible at will and

travel thousands of miles in an instant.

They can make rivers flow backward and mountains tumble.

Plants, animals, and people die at their command and

come back to life if they tell them to do so.

They transport buildings to far-off places,

open up mountains and reveal" grottoes.

Gu:ntsch 1988 = Gertrud Gu:ntsch : Das Shen-hsien-chuan und das Erscheinungsbild eines Hsien. Frankfurt : Peter Lang.

pp. 91-2 "how the Ruler of Fates (Siming ...) descended to bring practical advice" (according to the Xi-wan-mu Bao-s^en Qi-ju Jin ‘West-Queen-Mother Treasuring-the-Spirit [whether] Rising-or-Reposing Scripture’ = DZ 1319)

p. 91	[quoted from Qi-ju Jin 14b] "in the night of the 4^th day of the 7^th month, the Ruler of Fates, Lord of the Eastern Minister, descended with seven retainers. As they entered the house, they were seen to hold flowery banners, called Numinous Banners of Tenfold Elimination. One of them carried a bag ornamented with metal rings. Three others were holding white ivory caskets that
p. 92	contained sacred writings. Yet another came with a fire bell made of flaming gold. All retainers were clad in vermilion robes. The Ruler of Fate ... wore an embroidered skirt of green brocade under a purple feather cape, and his head was covered with a hibiscus headdress."

p. 93 rite of eye-massage

[quoted from Qi-ju Jin 7a] "Every day, in the morning and evening, close your eyes, face your birth direction, then rub the hands to generate heat and rub the eyes ... .

Next, visualize a cloudy vapor in the eyes of three colors : purple, red, and yellow. Each sinks down and enters the ears. ... recite the following incantation :

O! "Eye Lads of the three Clouds, ...

Be radiant ... in bringing forth essence ... .

[O!] Great Mystery of Cloudy Righteousness,

Jade Numen of the Expanded Chapters :

Preserve and enhance by two towers [ears] ... .

Let my hundred joints respond and echo

... to the Niwan Palace.

Allow my body to ascend to the jade palaces above

And let me rank among the highest perfected."

pp. 93-4 cosmic breathing-exercises, according to the Qi-ju Jin

p. 93	"begin by "seeing the sun like a chicken egg in the Niwan Palace," then exhale "corpse qi," visualized as black; "old qi," seen as white; and *"death qi," seen as azure (Qiju jing* 13b).**
	... they "inhale very slowly, taking in yellow qi four times," visualizing it as arising as a bright sun in the Niwan center. ...
p. 94	Then, using the sun, take in red qi seven times. ... (13b)
	... the same exercise can also done at night by visualizing the Moon in the Niwan center, but ... only during its waxing period ... (14a).
p. 95	"the Qiju jing says that ... practitioners ... should face the direction associated with the cyclical sign of their birth and chant in incantation addressed to the gods Niwan and Xuanhua ..., resident deities in the head, to "preserve my essence and let me live long" (7b)."

p. 95 the personified spirits of yellow qi

[quoted from the Jin-gui Lu 4a] "Be aware of a yellow qi in your belly ... . Then find there is a spirit being present, three inches tall in a yellow robe ... . With each hand he leads yet another figure, also clad in yellow. When you see them clearly, call silently out to the central figure : "Perfected of the Yellow Court, having arisen in me, become myself!""

p. 95 Red Child in the Cinnabar Fields (according to the Jin-gui Lu 6a-b)

*the __ cinnabar field*	*is the __ Palace*	*located in the __*
upper	Ni-wan	centre of the head between the eyebrows
middle	Scarlet	heart
lower	[Ocean of Qi]	beneath the navel
"Always think of the divinity Red Child ... in the three cinnabar fields."

p. 96 cosmo-geography in the head (according to the Qi-ju Jin

p.	QJJ	*meaning of term*	*its location*
96	9b	Flowery Court	upper eyelids
		Heavenly Perfection	inner end of the eyebrows
		Luscious Chambre	3^rd eye at base of forehead
		Jade Valley	nose
		Mountain Spring	area beneath nostrils
96, n. 11	4b	Upper Prime	small hollow outside the eyebrows
		Open Brightness	underneath the eyen & above the cheeks
" "	9a	Human Centre	nose [again!]
		Spirit Pond, or Spirit-Soul Terrace	area inside the nostrils

p. 96 "sexual manuals ... were the first to couch physical phenomena in lyric terms (Lo 2000, 35)". Vivienne Lo : "Crossing the Neiguan, ‘Inner Pass’ ... ." EAST ASIAN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND MEDICINE 17:15-65.

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Livia Kohn : Chinese Healing Exercises : the Tradition of Daoyin. A Latitude 20 Bk, U of HI Pr, Honolulu, 2008.