Jing (the essence) and Kidney Qigong

The essence of life is one of the Taoist three treasures, the other two being chi (vital energy/life force) and shen (spirit). Note that Buddhism doesn't follow this system as it is mainly preoccupied with the mind (more Yang) as opposed to Taoism which centres its entire system around the concept of subtle energies (more Yin). Hence, we can say that Buddhism (developed in India, South) is a "fire" system as opposed to Taoism (developed in China, North) which is "water" in essence.

Jing manifests in humans and animals in three different forms:

1. Blood. It includes all the vital elements carried in the bloodstream, including white and red cells and nutrients absorbed during digestion.

2. Hormones. These can be further divided into the hormones themselves which are segregated by various glands throughout the endocrine system, and the human reproductive cells or gametes (sperm-masculine and ova or eggs-femenine).

3. Different fluids produced by the human body: lymphatic, synovial, tears, perspiration and urine.

Jing is what it makes you as a human being since it is produced by the combination of your parents' jing during the sexual act. After you are born you start to absorb the jing of food and air, converting them into the vital energy, chi, which supplies your body's energetic needs.

In Qigong (Chi Kung) training, knowing how to conserve the original jing (the one carried over from the parents) is very important since it will enable to live a longer and healthier life. Activities such as emotional ups and downs and sexual overindulgence will deplete your original jing faster than other people and as a result your body will degenerate faster as well. These explains why men on average have a shorter lifespan than women because of excessive seminal discharged (females ovulate on average once a month).

On the other hand, kidneys are considered in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) the residence of original jing. So nourishing the kidneys is an excellent way of keeping the original jing strong. There is an specific Qigong exercise which targets this area.


KIDNEY GIGONG

This gong can be divided in three different sections which must be all completed in one single session:


1. Elevating the kidneys

This technique will cure inflammation of the urinary bladder; kidney stones, urine containing blood, womb bleeding, frequent urination, and nocturnal emission.

1.1 Sit straight with your feet touching the floor about a shoulder width apart. Sit with only one-third of your hips on the chair. Don't lean back on the chair with your back. Place your hands naturally on top of your knees. Alternatively, you may stand with your feet shoulder width apart and with your hands overlapping on your xia tantien (point located just below your navel and above the pubic region).

1.2 Place your mind at your huiyin area (middle point located between your anus and your genitals). Exhale slowly, draw in and hold up your huiyin area slightly. Inhale slowly and release the huiying area as you push your stomach out.

Note: don't do more than 20 repetitions at a time.


2. Strengthening the kidneys

2.1 Sit straight with your feet touching the floor about a shoulder width apart. Sit with only 1/3 of your hips on the chair. Don't lean back on the chair. Place your hands naturally on top of your knees.

2.2 Breathe naturally until your tantien is full with chi. Exhale slowly, draw your abdomen and hold up the huiyin area slightly. At the same time, lead the chi from your tantien to your coccyx and up to the mingmen point (located right the opposite side the lower tantien in the lower area of your back, in the depression below the spine), then separate into two paths around your waist and meet at your navel.

Inhale slowly and release the huiyin area as you push your stomach out. At the same time, lead the chi from your navel to the xia tantien.

Note: don't do more than 20 repetitions at a time.


3. Chui sound to ensure kidney health

3.1 Use the following diagram as a reference:



(Diagram of the kidney channel)
....................................................................................

Stand or sit with your feet shoulder width apart, and arms to your sides. Inhale, begin rising your hands up towards your lower back with the back of your hands facing your body. As your hands reach kidney level, bring both hands forward towards your belly button with your finger pointing down. As you raise your hands, lead the chi up from your yongquan points (see the diagram that follows) on the bottom of your feet, up along the Kidney Channel on the inside of your legs, into the tailbone, up along the lower part of your spine, and into your kidneys.

Continue the arm movements and bring your arms up in front of your chest (along the Kidney Channel) until they are right below your collar bone and turn your palms to face each other.




3.2 Exhale, make the Chui sound (pronounced as "chway"; that is, as in "way" with a "ch" in front; lips slightly pursed on the initial "ch", then relaxed and open on the final "way") and make sure you open your mouth slightly with your tongue drawn in, and the corner of your mouth pulled slightly to the sides. At the same time, squeeze in with your hands as though you ere holding a ball, and squat down. Keep your upper body as straight as you can, hold up your huiyin area, and pull your abdomen in. As you exhale and make the chui sound, use your mind to lead all the impurities from your kidney channel and kidneys out of your mouth.

Note: After completing section 1, stand up slowly and repeat sections 1 and 2 for a total of 6 times. Purifying and strengthening the kidney is a very slow process as we are dealing with energy and possible emotional blockages which are tedious to dissolve.



Additional Recommended Reading:

1. Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, The Root of Chinese Qigong. Secrets for Health, Longevity & Enlightenment, YMAA Publication Centre, Washington, MA, USA, 1997.

2. Master Shou-Yu Liang & Wen-Ching Wu, Qigong Empowerment. A Guide to Medical, Taoist, Buddhist, and Wushu Energy Cultivation, The Way of the Dragon Publishing, Rhode Island, USA, 1997.
Read more on this article...

The Three Treasures

Also called sanbao in Chinese; they are the practical side of Taoism, in other words, essence (jing 精), vital energy (chi 氣) and spirit (shen 神). Do not confuse these terms with the basic Taoist virtues of ci 慈 (compassion and kindness); jian 儉 (moderation and simplicity); and bugan wei tianxia xian 不敢為天下先 (humility).

In Qigong practice (working with chi or vital energy) we nourish these three elements because they are all linked and work as a whole. The basic idea is that the essence provides the raw fuel for the vital force to work and this one in turns nourishes and strengthens the spirit.

Modern society and western science denies the existence of these Taoist concepts saying they are pseudoscience as there is no scientific proof to them. Well, I have been dedicated my life to the practice of Qigong, Buddhist meditation and Internal Martial Arts for the past seven years and I can prove them wrong. These energetic levels are very subtle and cannot be perceived by using the mind since only a meditative state will allow the individual to understand, experience and cultivate them.

In fact, they are so intertwined that you must pay a great deal of attention to them during the course of your training. If you keep them strong and healthy, you will live a healthy and long life. If you do otherwise, you will become sick frequently and will age fast. Please bear in mind that no external training (running, swimming, cycling, fitness and weight training, etc.) will allow you to achieve what internal training is capable of. Not in a million years. Why is that? Simply because internal training will work on the subtle forces that are dormant in all human beings as well as in the external structure, whereas external training will work only on the latter (cardiovascular, musculoskeletal systems, flexibility, co-ordination, etc.).

I will write separate entry posts about each of these in the following days.

In the meantime, I will suggest you to go and check if in your local area there are any Tai Chi, Yoga or meditation classes available which will in turn boost your energy levels as well as improving your current health. Read more on this article...

Tooth health

According to the wikipedia:

Tooth decay is caused by specific types of acid-producing bacteria which cause damage in the presence of fermentable carbohydrates such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose. The mineral content of teeth is sensitive to increases in acidity from the production of lactic acid. Specifically, a tooth (which is primarily mineral in content) is in a constant state of back-and-forth demineralization and remineralization between the tooth and surrounding saliva. When the pH at the surface of the tooth drops below 5.5, demineralization proceeds faster than remineralization (i.e. there is a net loss of mineral structure on the tooth's surface). This results in the ensuing decay.

Tooth health starts with a correct diet and your energetic makeup. People born in the yang fire years; that is, years ending in 6, have to minimize the consumption of acidic foods or they run the risk of developing teeth problems, namely dental caries.

However, dental decay is so widespread in modern society that I am surprised Governments do not pay enough attention to this important health condition. Some resort to the use of water fluoridation programs which in turn not only do not reduce the incidence of cavities but also it is unethical to force medication onto people.


Anyway, I personally do not see how putting chemicals on our teeth, or in our bodies, is going to stop a problem caused by a poor diet and lifestyle.

What do we do then? Take a proactive approach to teeth health. Start by looking at your dietary patterns and see whether they are correct or not.

First. Make sure your diet consists mainly of whole foods.

Second. It incorporates both nutrient dense grains(1)(not bread and cereals as they are processed and lead to various health conditions including tooth health) and seafood.

Third. A list of foods to avoid. It is important not to cheat here:

1. Sugar – White sugar, brown sugar, organic ougar, evaporated cane Jjice, corn syrup, commercial jams.

2. Flour & grain products – White flour, wheat flour, organic flour, any unsoaked grain products. Examples: bread, crackers, cookies, doughnuts, breakfast cereals, muffins, pastries, tortillas, bagels, and sandwiches (most store bought flour products even from the health food store, or organically labelled need to be avoided).

3. Hydrogenated oils - like margarine and low quality vegetable oils such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, canola, and safflower.

4. Any type of junk, convenience food, or modern fast foods.

5. Coffee, soft drinks and anything with artificial flavors, artificial colours, or artificial ingredients.

6. Alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs (including most prescription drugs & vaccines).


Tooth cleaning techniques: oil pulling.

This is the method I personally use to keep not only my mouth clean but also my entire health system. It is an ayurvedic practice and highly effective.

This is the list of health conditions it will cure (and avoid if you use it in your daily regime of oral health):

Mouth & gum disease; stiff joints; allergies; asthma; high blood sugar; constipation; migraines; bronchitis; eczema; heart, kidney, lung diseases; leukemia; arthritis; meningitis; insomnia; menopause (hormonal issues); cancer; AIDS; chronic infections; varicose veins; high blood pressure; diabetes; polio and cracked heels.


Instructions:

First thing in the morning, before brushing your teeth, eating or drinking, take 1 tablespoon of either sesame or sunflower oil. Put the oil in your mouth, tilt your chin up and slowly swish, suck, chomp and pull through the teeth. Do this for at least 10 minutes. 15 - 20 minutes is better. You want the oil to become a thin, white foam when you finally spit it out. If it's still yellow, you haven't done it long enough.

You can do this 2 more times during the day if you want to detox faster. Make sure you do it on an empty stomach, however. Spit it out in the toilet when your mouth is full and rinse your mouth out well.

Follow by drinking 2 - 3 glasses of water.

Do not swallow the oil: It now contains parasites and bacteria!

Do not gargle in the throat: The oil is meant to be swished in the mouth only.

Do it slowly.

How it works:

The oil pulls all mucous, bacteria and toxins from your body through your saliva. According to Ayurvedic medicine, mucous is a poison that must be removed.

Notes:

1. Keeping the chin tilted up makes sure the oil gets to the back molars.

2. Ayurvedic practice in India says that only sesame and sunflower oils produce favorable results. However, other people report success using other oils as well.

3. If after meals, wait at least 4 hours before you Oil Pull. After drinking, wait 1 hour.

4. A worsening of symptoms is an excellent indication that the disease/ailment is being cured.

5. Do not stop oil pulling if you feel aggravated symptoms or heightened side effects after a day or two. Your body is healing.

6. Will your dental fillings fall out? It's possible but highly unlikely unless there is pre-existing damage or loose fillings.

The oil will start to thin out after a few minutes because saliva is constantly being mixed in and swished about.



*Oatmeal, barley, rice, corn, soy, etc.


Thanks to Earth Clinic for providing the information about Oil Pulling.
Read more on this article...

Acidic world

..............................................................................

Earth is becoming too acidic or, using Taoist terminology, excessively Yang. There is nothing we can do about this gradually increasing of the universal Yang energy that is affecting us; however, the effects can be mitigated. Tools such as meditation, Tai Chi Chuan or Yoga are ways of counteracting the effects of that energy in order to avoid stress, weakening of the immune system and illness, disease, reduced life expectancy, and so forth.

If you take a look of our current situation, you can observe that things aren't going that well, regardless of what some may say, especially those who are in control of the economic and politic power of our world. Others prey to their own ignorance give the cold shoulder to anything that involves thinking outside the box.


Let's take for instance the concept of "climate change." In February 2007, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) released a summary of the forthcoming Fourth Assessment Report. According to this summary, the Fourth Assessment Report finds that human actions are "very likely" the cause of global warming, meaning a 90% or greater probability. Global warming in this case is indicated by an increase of 0.75 degrees in average global temperatures over the last 100 years.

Global warming has a negative effect on our planet since it reflects abnormal variations to the Earth's climate and subsequent effects on other parts of it. There is a scientific consensus that human activity is the probable cause for the rapid changes in world climate in the past several decades.

If we have to discuss the underlying philosophical concept of climate change we can easily refer to what Buddhists call "paticcasamuppada"; that is, everything in the Universe is interconnected through a web of cause and effect such that the whole and the parts are mutually interdependent. The character and condition of entities at any given time are intimately connected with the character and condition of all other entities that superficially may appear to be unconnected or unrelated.

We can easily ascertain that climate change will revert back to us since we are parts of the whole itself. Let's take a look at the following world regions:

1. Europe
2. USA
3. Developing countries

Europe: Mainland Europe will suffer greatly from flooding, with many major ports and cities at risk of disappearing eventually. Rises in temperature could damage agriculture in southern climates and take a toll on human life.

USA: This country has already suffered the direct results of climate change. For instance, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city of New Orleans. The frequency and intensity of storms that are hitting the USA could increase if global temperatures rises.

Developing Countries: Developing countries in Central and South America, Asia and Africa will suffer the greatest consequences of climate change. Already prone to very high temperatures, drought and famine developing countries lack the resources to deal with widespread increases in temperature.

This is just a brief description of what climate change can bring to us in the near future.

So in order to adapt to this new world we must start to work in our inner potential, which is essentially Yin in nature, and that can effectively mitigate Yang energy.

Take action now as things in our world are becoming increasingly more difficult.
Read more on this article...