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By Kim Knight, Director of Tao Health Qi Gong, Auckland, New Zealand‘Fusion’ seems to be the in-word at the moment. Recently I noticed ‘Fusion Food’ on a menu and most people are familiar with a certain brand of shaver. However, the ‘Fusion of the Five Elements’ of Master Mantak Chia’s Universal Healing Tao system is of an altogether different nature.The ‘Fusion of the Five Elements’ meditation is considered level 3 out of a total of 9 levels of ‘Inner Alchemy’ that make up the Universal Healing Tao practices.
The Fusion meditation is split into 3 stages of learning: Part 1: the 12 steps for collecting, fusing, harmonizing and cleansing the organs. Part 2: the opening of the three Chung-Ma (Thrusting Channels) and the 9 Tai-Ma (Belt Routes). Part 3: the opening of the Positive and Negative Legs and Positive and Negative Arms (Bridge and Regulator Channels).
Put in a nutshell, Fusion allows one to (a) collect any negative emotions or stagnant Chi that have accumulated in the organs and body and (b) transform them into a ball of purified energy which is then (c) re-circulated through the organs to collect the innate ‘positive virtues’ residing there so that (d) a pearl of ‘compassionate energy’ is formed which (e) is then moved through various meridian channels to cleanse, revitalize and nourish all levels of a person’s being with the energy of compassion within the pearl. Later on, once one reaches the more advanced stages of practice, the pearl is used as the basis for building an energy body during one’s lifetime which becomes the vehicle for passing into the spirit world.
Before going further into the Fusion practices themselves, it is useful to know where these practices come from. It is also important to understand the foundational practices which precede the Fusion meditation.
History
The Universal Healing Tao is a practical system of self-development that enables an individual to complete the harmonious evolution of their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual being. Through a series of ancient Chinese meditative and internal energy exercises, one learns to increase physical energy, release tension, improve health, practice self-defense and gain the ability to heal oneself and others. Initially these practices are targeted at enhancing one’s wellbeing so that one can remain peaceful and harmonious through the daily ups and downs of life, which then avoids the onset of physical symptoms which result from stress being created in the body. However, in the process of creating a solid foundation of health and well-being in the physical body, the basis for developing ones spiritual independence is also created. The ultimate goal of Taoist practice is the transcendence of physical boundaries through the development of the soul and the spirit within.
Founder of the Universal Healing Tao – Master Mantak Chia
For many centuries meditation and special exercises have been used by the Ancient Chinese and other cultures as a means of improving the human mind and body. In China the Taoists called it Chi Kung or Internal Energy Cultivation. These esoteric practices were an integral part of the development of Chinese medicine where acupuncture, herbology and other aspects of what would now be called holistic medicine reached a state of high refinement. However, for various political reasons, these arts were in decline in China by the end of the fourteenth century, causing many of the teachers to be scattered from their schools and forced to go underground.
Recognized very early as having great potential for spiritual development, Mantak Chia was initiated into meditation practices by Buddhist monks at the age of 6. While studying in Hong Kong, he learned Tai Chi Chuan, Aikido and Kundalini Yoga from a variety of teachers. His pursuit of Taoist teachings lead him to meet the White Cloud Hermit, Master Yi Eng, a Taoist Master originally from Central China, living at that time in the mountains not far from Hong Kong: Master Yi was to become Master Mantak Chia’s principle teacher.
Over a period of five years, Master Yi transmitted to Master Mantak Chia the most sacred and closely held Taoist practices and formulas of internal alchemy. It took many generations of masters to refine the amazing experiences into the nine formulas of Taoist internal spiritual Inner Alchemy that were originally transmitted to Master Chia by his master. Master Yi later instructed him to teach these to Chinese first and then to Westerners. White Cloud left his body at age 96.
Master Chia also learnt the ancient of Chi Nei Tsang (internal organs chi cultivation) from a Thai healer called Dr Mui. He spent 3 years watching him with patients. He was so intrigued by the technique and by how profoundly it seemed to heal ailments that he went to Chulakongkorn University Hospital in Bangkok to study gross anatomy through dissecting cadavers. After years of practice he was able to understand the principles of this healing technique.
Realizing that these practices, as they had been transmitted to him, could not easily be absorbed by western minds, Master Chia undertook to integrate them with his studies in western physical anatomy. Through this process he created a unique view of the internal aspects of the practices whilst keeping the original structure of White Cloud’s formulas. He has also drew from his studies in astronomy, astrology, medical science and advancements in the field of quantum sciences to create the Universal Tao System of Healing, which he has now been teaching for over forty years.
Mantak Chia is one of the first Chinese masters to arrive in the west with a comprehensive mastery of both traditional Chinese healing arts, diet, five element nutrition, herbs, Tai Chi Chuan, massage, moxibustion combined with the more esoteric arts of Chi kung, Healing Palm, Five Finger Kung Fu, Seminal and Ovarian Kung Fu and the meditative aspects of Taoist yoga – which includes Fusion of the Five Elements.
Introduction to the Universal Tao practices
It’s useful to remember that in ancient China your doctor was considered a failure in you became sick. The best doctors trained their patients to prevent illness by maintaining a high level of health. The promise of these esoteric Taoist practices is to reveal the methods of how to bring one’s various bodily energy systems into balance.
Thousands of years ago the Taoists directed their consciousness inward and developed a science of inner alchemy. The Universal Tao is concerned primarily with the practical approaches perfected by these Taoist sages. According to Chia “There are no ultimate masters or gurus in Taoism because we become our own Masters, capable of controlling our own destinies and knowing who we really are as we explore the marvelous powers hidden within the Tao of humanity”.
The energy cultivation practices awaken, circulate, direct and preserve the generative life force (Chi) through the major acupuncture meridians of the body. According to Master Chia “Our emotional life, filled with its constant vicissitudes, drains our vital energy. Through the Fusion meditations, we learn to transform the sick or negative energy that has been locked up in the vital organs”. This practice is of particular use to practitioners of polarity therapy, shiatsu, massage and other healing arts in which the exchange and circulation of life force must be maintained while working with clients. Once one has mastered Fusion during one’s personal practice, a practitioner is then able to ‘run’ Fusion whilst giving Chi Nei Tsang (or other) treatments to clients. The effect is such that the client’s body starts to attune itself via vibrational resonance (like two tuning forks) to the purifying process that is going on within the practitioner, so that the client’s body starts to do it too.
According to Chia in his book ‘Awaken Healing Light’ “At progressive stages, dedicated practice of this ancient esoteric system eliminates stress and nervous tension, massage the internal organs and restores health to damaged tissue”. He adds, according to the ancient sages “Long-term practice beyond two years and most effectively if practiced life-long, reportedly could retard the various degenerative changes associated with old age, eg, skin changes, senility, slowed reaction time, impaired memory, ambulatory impairment and the frequency of various diseases common at old age. A diligent practitioner often lives to ninety years of age and remains healthy and alert, is able to jog, run and climb mountains with ease and continues to enjoy life more fully than most people. Many reportedly could forecast their own time of death and pass on peacefully and gracefully in the posture of meditation”.
Foundation practices
Before attempting the intermediate or advanced practices, it is of paramount importance to first clear the organs and body of built up Chi stagnation and blocked emotional charges. If this is not done, any negative energies will become magnified and multiplied in the higher practices. Here are five of the key foundation practices one learns before Fusion:
Foundation practice 1 – The Microcosmic Orbit
‘The opening the Microcosmic Orbit’: This circuit of energy, flowing up the back and down the front of the body, is comprised of the Functional and Governor Channels. Opening the Microcosmic Orbit circulates and directs the Chi within them, purifying and linking the channels to form a free-flowing circuit. An open Microcosmic Orbit also enables you to expand outward to connect with the universal, Cosmic particle and Earth forces during later practices.
Foundation practice 2 – The Inner Smile
Another beginning practice, which becomes the foundation and starting point for ALL meditations, is the ‘Inner Smile’. The Inner Smile is the smile of total happiness – this is not the social smile but a smile which arises from the cells and organs of the body. During this practice one connects with the positive emotions (virtues) and negative or out of balance emotions within the body, sending a loving, healing smile to each organ. Whilst very simple, the effects of this are profound. The benefits include an improved connection with oneself, increased self-love and self-confidence and a deep sense of calm after each meditation, which has an accumulating effect each time it is done.
Foundation practice 3 – The Six Healing Sounds
The Six healing sounds is a basic relaxation technique utilizing simple arm movements and special sounds to produce a cooling effect upon the internal organs. These special sounds vibrate specific organs, while the arm movements, combined with posture, guide heat and pressure out of the body. The results are improved digestion, reduced internal stress, reduced insomnia and headaches and greater vitality as the Chi flow increases through the different organs. The six healing sounds method is beneficial to anyone practicing various forms of meditation, martial arts, or sports in which there is a tendency to build up excessive heat in the system.
Foundation practice 4 – Sexual Chi Kung
For more than five thousand years of Chinese history, the ‘no outlet method’ of retaining the seminal fluid during sexual union has remained a well-guarded secret. At first it was practiced exclusively by the Emperor and his innermost circle. Then it passed from father to chosen son alone, excluding all female family members.
Seminal and ovarian Kung Fu practices teach men and women how to transform and circulate sexual energy through the Microcosmic Orbit. The turning back and circulating of the generative force from the sexual organs to the higher energy centres of the body invigorates and rejuvenates all the vital functions. Rather than wasting sexual energy, ancient Taoist yogis learned how to utilize it to nourish their internal organs and glands. According to Chia, “Mastering this practice produces a deep sense of respect for all life forms”.
Foundation practice 5 – Iron Shirt Chi Kung
The physical integrity of the body is sustained and protected through the accumulation and circulation of internal power (Chi) in the vital organs. The Chi that begins to circulate freely through the Microcosmic Orbit and later through other channels in Fusion, can be stored in the fascia as well as the vital organs. The purpose of storing Chi in the muscles and organs is to create a protective layer of interior power that enables the body to withstand unexpected injuries. Iron Shirt training roots the body to the Earth, strengthens the vital organs and tendons, cleanses the bone marrow and creates a reservoir of pure Chi.
There are several other practices such as Tao Yin, Tan Tien Chi Kung, Tai Chi Chi Kung but these are not necessary to mention at this point, as we now come to the main subject of this article.
Fusion
Acupuncturists will of course be familiar with the Law of the Five Elements. However, the Fusion meditation allows one to understand experientially within the body what one has studied intellectually. As one of my teachers says “An ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory”. The Fusion practice combines the energies of the five elements and their corresponding emotions into one harmonious whole. As mentioned earlier, and now in more detail, there are 3 stages of practice:
Fusion I – purifying the organs
After completing the Inner Smile, one starts Fusion I by moving through the body collecting negative emotions or out-of-balance temperatures. These energies are collected in the centre of a pakua (or cauldron) at the navel, whereby the negative emotions such as worry, sadness, cruelty, anger and fear are transformed into purified energy. This process is accomplished by identifying the source of the negative emotions within the five organs.
Freed of negative emotions, the pure energy of the five organs is then crystallized into a radiant pearl or ball which is then circulated in the body and attracts to it (via the Microcosmic Orbit) energy from outer energy sources: Universal Energy, Cosmic Particle Energy and Earth Energy. The pearl later plays a central role in the development and nourishment of the soul or energy body.
The benefits of this practice, apart from it being the beginning point of the Inner Alchemy practices, is a powerful filtering and purifying effect upon the human nervous system. Once the excessive energy of the emotions is filtered out, the state of psycho/physical balance is restored to the body, and one is left feeling deeply calm, relaxed and balanced.
Fusion II – opening the Channels
The second level of Fusion practice teaches methods of circulating the pure energy of the five organs once they are freed of negative emotions. The pearl is used to gather and collect the innate positive ‘virtues’ from where they are residing inside the organs, so that a pearl of compassionate energy is formed.
The energy of the positive emotions is then used to open the three channels running from the perineum, at the base of the sexual organs, to the top of the head. These channels are the Left, Middle and Right ‘Thrusting Channels’ which are collectively are known as the Thrusting Channels or Routes. In addition, a series of 9 levels called the Belt Channel is opened – these channels encircle the nine major energy centres of the body.
When the five organs are cleansed, the positive emotions of kindness, gentleness, respect, fairness, justice and compassion arise as a natural expression of internal harmony. The practitioner’s awareness of his inner state becomes more refined and one is able to monitor one’s state of balance by observing the quality of emotions arising spontaneously within.
Fusion III – Bridge and Regulator Channels
The third level of Fusion practice completes the cleansing of the energy channels in the body by opening the positive and negative leg and arm channels, known as the Bridge and Regulator channels. The opening of the Microcosmic Orbit, the Thrusting channels, the Belt channel, the great Regulator and Great Bridge Channels makes the body extremely permeable to the circulation of vital energy, the unhindered circulation of which is a key element for the foundation of perfect physical and emotional health.
Conclusion
All spiritual paths ultimately lead to the truth. Taoism is both a philosophy and a technology for seeking and finding the truths of humanity, nature, and the universe. Highly refined states of inner experience and consciousness are the birthright of all humans and are accessible by all. The Fusion practice is one of the greatest achievements of the ancient Taoist Masters, as it gives the individual a way of freeing the body of negative emotions whilst simultaneously allowing the pure virtues to shine forth.
With the Universal Tao system, Master Chia has created a way for any individual to quickly get to the essence of subtle practices whose real purpose has been shrouded in secrecy for millenia. The author of dozens of books, booklets, videos and CDs describing the theory and methods of these practices, Mantak Chia has taught hundreds of thousands of eager students the principles of Taoist internal practice over the past 40 years. He has certified hundreds of Instructors and Practitioners to help in the transmission of these teachings. Thus these transformative formulas endure as a gift from the original Taoist sages to all who are willing to put them into practice.
Note:These practices have been passed down for millennia from teacher to student as part of an oral tradition. Whilst they have now been documented in many books by Master Chia in order to bring them to the attention of the world, it is recommended that you learn from an authorized teacher. Personally speaking, I find that I cannot fully comprehend the practices from reading about them in a book, and it is only once I have learnt the practice in person from a teacher, that what is written in the books makes any real sense.
For more information about classes and workshops with Tao Health Qi Gong see www.taohealth.co.nz
Kim Knight - The Art of Health
The art and science of wellbeing
+64 9 833 6553 / +64 21 410 633
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By Kim Knight, Director of Tao Health Qi Gong, Auckland, New Zealand“Chi Nei Tsang is one of the most profound therapeutic massage forms found in classical Chinese and Thai Medicine. Chi Nei Tsang practitioners assist those they work with in maintaining their health through tissue and organ massage and wind release techniques.It is essentially a facilitated form of self-care since the highest form of its practice is teaching people to maintain their health and optimize their energy. The final goal is to allow people to set themselves free physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually”.
What is Chi Nei Tsang?
Chi Nei Tsang (CNT) is the ‘physical branch’ of the Universal Healing Tao, a practical system of self-development that enables individuals to complete the harmonious evolution of their physical, mental and spiritual bodies. Chi Nei Tsang translates literally as ‘The energy and information of the guts’ which when put into practice and phrased more politely becomes ‘Internal Organs Energy Transformation’.
CNT works to train our internal organs to work more efficiently. Rather than working on the muscular or skeletal structures, it focuses on the vital organs and fascia, helping to unwind tension from the navel outwards and purify the cells of physical and emotional toxins.
Where does it come from?
Master Mantak Chia, the founder of the Universal Healing Tao, learnt the ancient art of Chi Nei Tsang from a traditional Thai healer called Dr Mui. Master Chia was intrigued by how working on the abdomen seemed to profoundly heal so many ailments, many of them located in other areas of the body.
In the Forward to Gilles Marin’s book “Chi Nei Tsang – Healing from Within” Chia describes how “My uncle had a debilitating pain behind his shoulder blade that sent him from doctor to doctor without hope of ever getting better. He was finally told that the only thing conventional medicine could do for him was exploratory surgery without any guarantee of improvement. Friends told me about Dr Mui, a traditional healer who was performing miracles using a form of traditional Chinese and Thai healing massage. He was the last member of a long lineage of healers who had virtually disappeared after the Chinese cultural revolution.
Dr Mui made my uncle lie on his back and started to poke around his navel with one finger for a long time even though my uncle kept repeating to him that it was his shoulder that was in pain. After an hour the old man asked my uncle to stand up and move around. My uncle stood up and an astonished look came upon his face: the pain in his shoulder blade was greatly relieved.
I was very impressed and immediately asked him to teach me his technique. He answered that it was not possible, that ‘it takes too long to learn’ and that he could offer very little instruction other than showing the fact that it works. Nevertheless I begged to assist him with his long line of patients. Day after day for the next three years, until his death, I helped him with domestic chores and patients: I witnessed miraculous healing experiences. I saw countless cases of suffering cured before my eyes. Some people came in wheelchairs to get treatment and would come out pushing their own wheelchairs.
Dr Mui never gave any explanations. Sometimes he took my hand and let me feel a lump or a tension that needed to be worked on. He showed me some of his drawings of the meridian system, the flow of blood and chi, and the nerve pathways. I even went to Chulakongkorn University Hospital in Bangkok to study gross anatomy through dissecting cadavers and only after years of dedicated practice was I able to understand the principles of this form of healing”
How is Chi Nei Tsang different from massage?
Although to the untrained eye Chi Nei Tsang may look like massage, technically it is not massage at all. As befits its translation, it is ‘Internal Organs Energy Transformation’. There are also differences in its delivery:
Firstly, CNT cannot be applied with any muscular force. Because we are working on the abdomen, which is a highly sensitive area, any sense of force felt by the client will result in their body psychologically shutting off with muscular tension. On a psychological level, muscles play a protective role in the body. So, in order to make a connection, on both a physical and emotional level, the practitioner needs to use Chi instead of muscle, and this takes training.
So one of the first lessons in learning CNT is ‘No Chi, No Chi Nei Tsang’. CNT uses principles of Kung-Fu and Tai Chi Chuan and practitioners are trained in Chi Kung, which translates as ‘Energy Management’. CNT can therefore be described as “applied Chi Kung”. The ability of the practitioner to use Chi rather than muscle means that (a) the client feels safe, (which is a number one prerequisite for healing) and (b) the techniques care applied safely.
One of the benefits of the use Chi Kung during treatments is the high level of energetic protection it affords both client and practitioner. Practitioners become very conscious of both their own and their clients’ energy flows, and learn how to prevent themselves from absorbing any discordant energies that inevitably start to release during treatments. This also helps to prevent energetic burnout. The bonus of learning these techniques is that they can be applied to any healing modality.
Chi Kung techniques such as Bone Packing and Fusion also give practitioners the ability to simultaneously refine their own Chi whilst giving treatments. Through the principle of entrainment, this also encourages the client’s body to transform any negative Chi within themselves.
What are the benefits of CNT?
Chi Nei Tsang is used for many different reasons. Firstly it detoxifies: CNT manipulations help relieve the body of excess stagnation, improving elimination and stimulating the lymphatic and the circulatory systems. CNT also strengthens the immune system and resistance to disease. In doing so, it augments other health care modalities with optimal results. For example, clients using CNT before and after surgery recover better and faster.
Secondly, CNT helps restructure and strengthen the body: Because it addresses the visceral structures and positioning of internal organs, CNT stimulates them to work better and also helps correct the postural problems resulting from visceral imbalances. It releases deep-seated tensions and restores vitality. CNT has been helpful with chronic pains such as back, neck and shoulder pains and problems related to misalignment of the feet, legs and pelvis.
Thirdly, CNT helps people become more aware of their emotional life: All of our unprocessed emotional life is stored in our digestive system waiting to be addressed. Poor emotional digestion is also one of the main reasons for ill health. CNT facilitates the unfolding of emotions and the clarification of our emotional life. This makes it possible for us to evolve and grow in the direction of our better self. CNT has also been successfully used in combination with psychotherapy.
Lastly, CNT teaches us to know ourselves better: The CNT philosophy is that we are all responsible for our own health and that true healing can only come from within. Both practitioner and clients learn how to improve breathing, because breath is the bridge between all levels of awareness. Not many people realize that we breathe according to how we don’t want to feel. By becoming aware of our breath we make a connection to those parts of ourselves that we have been hiding from, integrating them so that we move towards wholeness.What specific techniques make CNT different from other massage techniques?
Unlike some massage which uses indirect methods to contact the internal organs, CNT massages the vital organs directly. There are a number of techniques which address specific organs, such as the stomach, spleen, pancreas, duodenum, small intestine, large intestine, kidneys, liver and gallbladder.
In addition, CNT works on what are known as ‘sick winds’ in the body. Remembering that all the elemental forces of nature are contained within our body as well as without, there is a tendency for energy to become stuck. According to Master Chia “Trapped wind is heavy, gray and sick, like a damp room with no ventilation. Using Chi Nei Tsang is akin to opening the right windows to let the stagnant wind go out and assist in re-establishing a healthy flow of vital energy”.
It is not within the scope of this article to describe the techniques, as they need to be taught in a proper learning environment to ensure maximum safety. And again, as stated above, the ability to work with Chi is of paramount importance when implementing any of the techniques.
Do I use it alone or can I incorporate it into my current practice?
Chi Nei Tsang can be used by itself or with other modalities. On the one hand it is a stand-alone practice, and an hour and a half session passes surprisingly quickly for both client and practitioner, even without exhausting all the many techniques. However, Chi Nei Tsang has also proven to complement a multitude of therapies including Reflexology, Osteopathy, Psychology, Reiki, Shiatsu and Swedish Massage.
Why is it important to massage the abdominal area?
According to Taoist philosophy, ’our organs are the source of life and death’. Taoist sages observed that humans often develop energy blockages in their internal organs which then form knots and tangles in the abdomen. These obstructions occur at the center of the body’s vital functions and constrict the flow of Chi (energy) or life-force. The negative emotions of fear, anger, anxiety, depression and worry are said to damage the organs the most.
The navel area also plays a key role in the body. It is referred to as ‘the original scar’ because this is where the fetus first connected to the mother in the womb. Both nutrition and waste travel through the umbilical cord, and due to body-memory toxins have a tendency to accumulate in this area.
The abdomen is also our energetic centre, or core: the Tan Tien or ‘Elixir Field’. This is our Chi battery, where we can store energy. If this area is blocked with physical and emotional toxins, it will not be able to do its job properly. Always in search of an outlet, any negative emotions and toxic energies create a perpetual cycle of negativity and stress, and if they cannot find an outlet, will build up in the organs and then move into the abdomen and navel area. The abdomen can process some of this energy, but more often it cannot keep up with the flow. Thus the energetic center of the body becomes congested and ultimately disconnected from the rest of the body.
The internal organs also provide the physical lines of force which hold the body together and give it structure. The vital organs are also said to contain the Spiritual Essences of a human being, which is probably one of the reasons why the ancient Egyptians took so much care in preserving them after death. Of course, physical pain can also be caused by overwork, stress, accidents, surgery, drugs, toxins, poor food, and bad posture.
Whatever the cause, (remembering that energy can never be destroyed – only transformed), by working on the abdomen we can release blocked Chi on both a physical and emotional level. It can then be moved to the Tan Tien for transformation by the abdominal (second) brain or to the colon where we can take what is useful and eliminate the rest.
What conditions can it help?
Before answering this question, it is important to note that Chi Nei Tsang addresses first and foremost the person in the body, rather any condition they may be manifesting. This is because you are everywhere in our body: If your liver is hurting, it is you in your liver that is hurting.
Thus it can be said that CNT can help any condition if a person is willing to make a connection with whatever they have been disconnected from in their body. That being said, CNT has been found to be particularly useful in relieving many physical symptoms such as intestinal blockages, fibroids, cysts, knots, lumps, scar tissue, headaches, menstrual cramps, poor blood circulation, back pain, infertility, impotence, frozen shoulder and many other problems.
On a mental / emotional level, one of its key strengths is in switching the body from a sympathetic (stress) to parasympathetic (relaxed) response. Not only does this feel good to the client, it is important to remember that in order for the body to heal, it needs to be in parasympathetic mode. So one of the most beneficial aspects of a Chi Nei Tsang treatment is to bring the client into a place of deep relaxation so that their body’s own wisdom can send Chi to wherever it is needed for healing.
Why are there so few practitioners?
According to Gilles Marin, Director of the Chi Nei Tsang Institute USA, when asked why there are so few CNT practitioners, he replied “It’s not easy. It takes a lot of discipline. It’s not trying to fix anything. A true holistic approach is something not many people do. You have to understand health, life and the forces of nature. It took a lot of training and work on myself. If I improve, my work improves. I do Chi Kung every day. I learn more by practicing year after year. Chi Nei Tsang is applying meditation on a physical level.”
It was only when I read this quote that I realized, even after years of study, how true this statement is. Anyone can learn the techniques taught in a Chi Nei Tsang class, but the ability to deliver superlative treatments really comes from the Chi Kung practices that one does for oneself. This also applies to clients. Part of a CNT treatment is to be given Chi Kung homework, such as self abdominal massage, breathing practice and inner organs meditations. The difference in improvement between clients who do and don’t do the homework is quite noticeable.
In conclusion, Chi Nei Tsang allows one to release and unwind tensions that are manifesting as pain in many areas of the body. It does this by connecting directly with any unprocessed emotional charges and physical toxins stored in the cells, by working at a fascial level with lines of tension that can be traced back to the navel, and by working to release trapped winds. Simultaneously, through breath awareness and gentle touch, CNT helps one to become aware of what has previously been in the unconscious, paving the way for personal growth, inner transformation and good health.
by Kim Knight, Director of Tao Health Qi Gong, Auckland, New ZealandMost people have heard of ‘Chi Kung’, which is loosely translated as ‘energy management’. And most people have heard of the Chinese term for life force – ‘Chi’. This article will explain a little bit about our life force, and how, using the tools of the Universal Healing Tao, we can learn to manage and enhance it for our own health and well-being.
Chi
So, firstly, a little about Chi. Whilst it is impossible to put such an esoteric concept into words, it has been described by Gilles Marin, author and Senior Tao Instructor, as ‘the breath of creation’, ‘energy impregnated with information’ and ‘the energy carrying the deliberate intent to promote life and existence’.
And whilst most people are familiar with Chi in general, its multiple origins and forms are lesser known. To simplify, there are three main sources for the Chi we find in our body:
Even from just understanding this we can see the impact on our own health of (a) the quality of our parents’ Chi (which is an amalgam of their spiritual / mental / emotional and physical states) (b) the quality of our food / drink and eating habits (ie, chewing well and eating slowly for good digestion) and (c) our breathing and exercise habits.
Da Chi and Gu Chi are then combined to produce ‘Zong Chi’ which is transformed into ‘Zhen Chi’, a fully refined Chi that is now ready to be used by the body. Zhen Chi is further divided into
(a) ‘Wei Chi’, a specific type of Chi that helps us to maintain good energetic boundaries and protects the body from infections and
(b) ‘Ying Chi’ which is used by the body to nourish the cells and move the blood.
As Chi travels through the organs, it takes on the quality of that organ system: Chi travelling through the Heart and Endocrine system becomes ‘Fire Chi’, in the Kidneys ‘Water Chi’, in the Spleen and Stomach ‘Earth Chi’, in the Lungs ‘Metal Chi’, and in the Liver and nerves ‘Wood Chi’. Thus we find Five Elemental Forces within the body, a direct reflection of the Five Elemental Forces of Nature in the Universe.
CHI KUNG
Conservation of Energy
So, before going into how we can tap directly into the unlimited energy pools of Universal and Cosmic Chi, a few words about Chi Kung or ‘energy management’. According to Master Mantak Chia, founder of the Universal Healing Tao, “our first goal is to conserve our Chi: when a battery is drained it is harder to charge. Money makes Money. Chi makes Chi. Conservation of Chi will help gain more Chi.” In his book ‘Cosmic Healing I’ he explains how we unwittingly leak energy in 3 major ways:
In the beginning practices of the Universal Healing Tao (UHT) we learn to root to the earth and build a good energetic structure with Iron Shirt Chi Kung. According to Chia, just like a tyre needs to have the correct psi, we need to maintain a good level of Chi pressure inside the body. This keeps our vital organs in their correct position and protects them with several layers of ‘Chi’ cushioning – an ‘Iron Shirt’.
We also learn through the sitting meditations of the Cosmic Inner Smile andSix Healing Sounds to bring our senses inwards to rest with their parents: the tongue rolls down to the Heart, the mouth to the Spleen, the ears to the Kidneys, the eyes to the Liver and the nose to the Lungs. And through the Healing Lovepractices, we learn to transform sexual energy back into life force that can be used to nourish the body. As I was once told ‘If you don’t learn how to control your sexual energy, it will control you.”
Balancing Energy
Apart from conserving Chi, we also need to balance it. Our energy needs to flow freely through the body’s meridiens (energetic pathways) like a river. Only then can our cells and organs remain healthy. Unfortunately, due to habits and lifestyle, our Chi can become stagnant, blocked, excessive in some areas and deficient in others. This affects all levels of our being: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. So for example, if your liver is clogged with physical toxins, you are likely to feel (mentally) nervous and (emotionally) frustrated or angry. And too much heat in the heart will result in feelings of impatience and hastiness.
According to Taoists sages, the physiological function of each organ will equally be impaired by negative emotions: worry affects the spleen / stomach; fear and stress affect the kidneys and sadness and grief affect the Lungs.
Practicing the Cosmic Inner Smile and Six Healing Soundsmeditations we connect with and clear negative emotional energy from the organs. And with theMicrocosmic Orbit meditation we free up and circulate our Chi flow around two major meridians which together form a loop up the back and down the front of the body.
Each organ system also stores a particular part of our Soul and Spirit, which ‘reveal’ themselves in our positive ‘virtues’. The Heart’s essence is joy, gratitude and respect; The Stomach and Spleen’s are trust and openness. The virtues in the Kidneys are deep peace and stillness, which are also the essential nature of the Water Element. Each virtue is infact the essence of one of the Five Elemental Forces of Nature found in both our body and the Cosmos, which when combined form the energy of Compassion.
Transformation of Energy
Once we have started to conserve and balance our Chi, we can then learn totransform it into more beneficial energies. In the next stage of practice, theFusion of the Five Elements – remembering that energy can never be destroyed, only transformed – we (a) journey through the organs to collect negative emotions which are then (b) collected in a ‘cauldron’ at the navel and transformed into a purified ‘pearl’ of pure Chi which is then (c) passed through the organs again gathering the virtues so that finally (d) a ‘pearl of compassion’ can be moved through the meridians and organs to clear blockages and nourish our being.
As Mantak Chia puts it “Chi is not only the foundation of our health, it is also the basis of spiritual development in the Tao”. The Fusion practices are level 3 out of a total of 9 levels of ‘Internal Alchemy’. Initially the practices are aimed at enhancing our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. However, in the process of creating a solid foundation of health, the basis for developing ones spiritual independence is also created. Once one reaches the more advanced practices such as Kan and Li and Sealing of the Five Senses, one builds an immortal foetus and energy body which becomes the vehicle for passing into spirit. The ultimate goal of Taoist practice is infact the transcendence of physical boundaries through the development of the soul and the spirit within.
Increasing Energy
Once we have accomplished the 3 phases of conserving, balancing and transforming Chi, we then learn to increase it. It is essential to first learn the above three phases or we will either waste the extra energy or amplify any negative energy still in the body.
As Master Chia puts it, Chi is everywhere – it pervades all of heaven, earth and nature, and we just need to learn how to tap into the unlimited, transpersonal reservoirs of Universal and Cosmic energy. Via the Microcosmic Orbit and the practice of ‘Opening the 3 Tan Tiens to the 6 Directions’ we connect our Macrocosmic (Individual Being) with the Microcosm (Whole), moving up through the solar system, Milky Way, the Five Elements, Three Pure Ones and Tai Chi, arriving at the Primordial Force (Wu Tao).
Remembering that we are a miniature version of the Universe, we too have our own primordial force at our centre: the Tan Tien or ‘Elixir Field’. This is where our Original Force is stored and where we can store any Chi that we create inside or absorb from the Universe. This is also the site of our abdominal brain, which we can train to use so that we can rest the head brain, which tends to be overworked.
Healing
Finally, a practitioner learns to assist others using Cosmic Healing Chi Kung, Chi Nei Tsang and the World Link meditation. There are many other branches of purification within the Universal Healing Tao, including Bone Breathing, Stem Cell Chi Kung and Healing Buddha Palms. With so many Chi Kung practices to choose from, and with their ongoing cumulative and beneficial effects, Master Chia reminds us that ‘according to the ancient sages, long-term practice beyond two years and most effectively if practiced life-long, could retard the various degenerative changes associated with old age. A diligent practitioner often lived to ninety years of age and remained healthy and alert, able to jog, run and climb mountains with ease, and continued to enjoy life more fully than most people’.
Tapping directly into these Universal and Cosmic forces teaches us that we are born with the ability to by-pass a total reliance on plants or animals for the life-force which they themselves have absorbed from the Cosmos. We are designed to go directly to the Source – we just need to know how.
"Trust comes from knowing that when we are in a good qigong state, which is the healthiest state of life, we should trust that everything that is going to happen will be a good thing”. Yuan TzeHello fellow Qi Gong practitioners. I’d like to share a wonderful story (well, for me anyway) about putting the teachings of Zhineng Qi Gong into practice.Since the November retreat last year my life has been quite strange. After having had a massive shift in awareness around emotions, (ie, that we don’t actually need to experience negative emotions at all), and really experiencing from inside my body the reality of how the Qi of emotions damages the organs and drains energy, I’ve been integrating this new information (state) and living more than ever before in the unknown.
One of the biggest lessons I came away from the retreat with was to stay in a ‘calm, relaxed, natural and joyful state’ no matter what. In other words, not be attached to what is happening ‘out there’. After the retreat, I had my quietest month ever with clients; I put it down to Christmas, despite the fact that the year before was my busiest month ever.
The quiet continued into January, which I put down to New Zealand summer time, everyone’s on holiday etc… and then into February – by now I’m beginning to realize something is going on here. I considered looking for some other work but did not feel drawn to do so, and decided (again) to risk trusting that whatever I was doing was right. All the while, I was focusing on staying in a ‘calm, relaxed’ etc state, which most of the time I was managing to do.
In February I decided to contact my teacher for some advice, as things seemed to be so out of the ordinary. His advice was “Be careful that you don’t allow the temporary drop to affect your view and your attitude, especially to get worried or anxious. These things can really work as negative information that will affect people’s decision to come to see you. So it is important that you recognize the value of your work and have a very positive attitude. Your positivity and confidence will put out positive information that will attract people”.
I also asked about the topic he covered on the first day of the retreat; about ‘trust’ and going to a deeper level of trust, and how when we get to the door there is a sentry there with a machine gun. His response was “When we try to move to a different level of Qigong state which is new and unfamiliar, the guard will be on alert and try to stop us from going there. This is the pattern we all have – fear of the uncertainty or unknown.
The trust comes from knowing that when we are in a good qigong state which is the healthiest state of life, we should trust that everything that is going to happen will be a good thing”.
This was the missing piece of information I had been looking for. As soon as I read it, I felt a wave of relief sweep over me.
“Oh my goodness, all I have to do is focus on staying in a calm, relaxed and natural state, and TRUST that even though I am completely in the unknown right now, only GOOD things can come because being calm and relaxed is the NATURAL state to be in. Ie, when I am calm and relaxed I am working with (rather than against) the laws of life and only good can come of this”.
(For any of you that are into the Abraham Hicks stuff, this seems to be the same as what they mean when they say “You’re only job is to stay in the vortex”).
I found it quite interesting to notice how my habit was to allow my work situation to control how I felt: eg, if a client rang up to book, I would feel good. And if a client rang up to cancel, or I had no clients, I would feel bad. And it occurred to me how much I was allowing external circumstances to dictate how I felt, ie, the attachment to whether I thought something was good or bad. So I decided even more to focus on not being affected by the outer circumstances and to just keep in a calm, natural state. (After all, let’s be honest, it does feel good doesn’t it?!)
I also was beginning to feel that I was being pushed (not asked) by some part of me (the Universe / whatever you like to call it) to change direction and for the first time ever to create my own brand of health programs and workshops. This was pushing major self-value and self-doubt buttons in me. Despite the fact that I hardly had any money coming in and the old ‘voice in the head’ would come in and say “you ought to go and get a proper job, anything, whatever will pay the bills” etc, I felt it was the right thing to keep going with planning this new venture. I just kept practising staying in the calm, natural state.
I also happened to watch the DVD where Yuan Tze is talking to the new instructors about teaching others for the first time, and how doubt may come in. I was fascinated when he said “Feeling under-confident is the false you. You need to find the true self. Worries, under confidence and fear are your ego and show you are only concerned about yourself. Let go of worrying about yourself and instead direct your attention to people who need help.” ‘Fascinating’, I thought to myself, ‘my self-doubt is selfishness’.
This week was the quietest week yet – two clients, and then one cancelled. And yet I didn’t panic. For some strange reason I did not panic. I just kept on with the calm, relaxed natural state, coming to the conclusion that for the first time ever I would have to get a cash advance on my credit card to pay my rent. In 35 years of paying bills, this has never happened. In the past I would have panicked, stressed, been anxious, worked even harder…Instead, I took time to do my Qi Gong practice and stay calm, and quietly accepted that this was how it was going to be.
Then tonight, I came home and had to pay a bill online. And incredulously as I looked at my bank balance I noticed it had shot up overnight. An unexpected tax rebate. Wow, I thought, this stuff really works. Thanks Yuan Tze! May we all continually be inspired to live in harmony with the laws of life. Trust, trust, trust.Where’s your sentry, has he put his gun down?!
PS – In summary, these are the nuggets of information I am hoping to share by posting this blog:
These topics and more will be the subject of many of my new ‘Art of Health’ workshops. Here is a taste of some of the titles:
