A GUIDE TO THE ANCIENT ART OF

QI GONG BY A MODERN MASTER

Qi Gong for Total WeI/ness is a clear, illustrated guide to Qi Gong, the ancient
self-healing art that combines b reathing posture, movement, and visualization to
,

build vitality and improve health.Taoist master and medical doctor Baolin Wu presents,
for the first time in the West, the complete 9 Palaces Solar Qi Gong system. This one­
thousand-year-old d i s c i pline from the White Cloud Monastery of Beijing works
with the energy of the sun, gently training students of any age and experience to
expel toxins and intake healthy qi through the nine openings-palaces-of the body.
The fundamentals of Taoist medicine and Qi G o ng are explo r ed with the
lively, perceptive gu id a n c e of Dr. Wu. A full bod y set of exercises is presented with
-

step-by-step instructions to relax, open, and purify from head to to e Beginning and
.

advanced participants alike will learn to accurately apply the timeless methods of
Solar Qi Gong for powerful physical, mental, and spiritual growth.

DR. B A 0 LIN W U is a living Taoist Master, medical doctor, and research

neurophysiologist, ra ised from the age of four in th e White Cloud Monastery of B eij i n g He is the
.

seventeenth-generation Lineage Holder of the Dragon Gate Sect, of which 9 Palaces Solar Qi
Gong is the princi pal practice. Dr. Wu is the director of the Beijing Chinese Medical Center in
Santa Monica, California, where he treats patients and teaches. An internationally recognized
expert in Taoist Feng Shui and I Ching Analysis, he worked on the preconstruction Feng Shui
Analysis of I. M. Pei's New Bank of China building in Hong Kong and is currently acting feng shui
consultant for the new Beijing International Airport.

J E S SIC A E C K S TEl N is a longtime student of Dr. Wu.

Illustrations by Oliver Benson

 Qi Gong

for Total Wellness

Increase Your Energy, Vitality, and Longevity with

the Ancient 9 Palaces System from the

White Cloud Monastery

Dr. Baolin Wu
AND JESSICA ECKSTEIN

ILLUSTRATIONS BY OLIVER BENSON

t-' ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFIN M NEW YORK

 QI GONG FOR TOTAL WELLNESS. Copyright C) 2006 by Dr. Baolin Wu. All

rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For information,

address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.stmartins.com

Book Design by Richard Oriola

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Wu, Baolin, 1954-

Qi Gong for total wellness : increase your energy, vitality,

and longevity with the Ancient 9 Palaces system from the

White Cloud Monastery I Baolin Wu and Jessica Eckstein.-Ist ed.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN-13:978-0-312-26233-4

ISBN-IO: 0-312-26233-7

I. Qi gong-Health aspects. 2. Physical fitness. I. Eckstein,

Jessica. I I. Title.

RA781.8. W7 2006

613.7'I-dc22

2006042356

PI
To my Teachers
 CONTENTS

ONE The Way

TWO G rou n d work 19

THREE Open i n g t h e Ga tes 45

FOUR Retu r n i n g to the Sou rce 85

F1VE The Med i c i n e of Heaven and Ea rth 107

SIX Open ing the Heave n ly Eye 125

SEVEN The Fusion of Fi re a n d Water 145

E1 GHT Ch rysa l is 163

N IN E T h e Butterfly E merg es 203

I n d ex 219
 O N E

The Way

TH E ST A N D A RD-B E A R E R is Lao Zi. To speak ofQi Gong, of Taoism, of

C h i nese thoug h t and culture, one m ust return one's gaze to t h i s l ofty war-

den of ancient knowledge. H is teachings were the culmination of thou-

sands of years of primord i a l shamanic insi g h t and the foundation of all that

was yet to come. He left for the wor l d the Tao Te Ching. Th is m assive

accomp l i s h ment a l one g enerated t h e fi rst form a l school of re l i g ion and

philosophy in China. From h is torch passed a fire that i l l u m i nated the mysti­

cism of Zhuang Zi and the eth ics of Confucius, and between th ese two

m ighty p i l l ars, t h e pol es of Chinese c u l ture found their balance. To t h i s day,

all religious and political developments in C h i na have had to answer to the

influence of the Taoist wor l dview. The existence of Chinese civi l i zation can ­

not b e separated from t h e merit o f Lao Zi, t h e fath er o f Taoism a n d master

of the Tao.

With the Tao Te Ching, Lao Zi provides a complete d escription of the

journey toward oneness with the universe. But how to put one's feet to this

path ? On Zhongnan Mountain, at the spot where Lao Zi is sai d to have g iven

h i s great lectures, rest two sma l l ste l a e thoug h t to date from t h e Han

Dynasty. The characters of the Tao Te Ching are carved on one. On the other

is carved Lao Zi's second great gift to h u man ity-the ori g inal thirteen m ove­

m ents of the 9 Palaces Sol ar Oi Gong. Th e Tao Te Ching a n d the 9 Pal a ces are

inseparable. One provides the vision and the oth er t h e m eans to achieving i t.

Through the practi ce of Oi Gong, you can absorb five thousand years of

spiritual history. The Oi Gong trad ition goes furth er back than th is, into the

prehistory of the Chinese people. Record ed references to Oi Gong cu l tivation

date back 3, 500 years, etched onto bronze ritual vessels from tombs exca­

vated in Hunan province. They relate the existence of e l even energ etic chan­

ne ls within the body. In this sense, Oi Gong and C h i nese m e d i cine sh are

a common ancestry. Today Chinese med i cine refers to fourteen main

acupuncture merid ians and hundreds of points. In a sense, the archaic eleven

channels have a greater significance than all the research into points and

meridians t hat cam e after, for they are t h e pathways of Oi flowi n g throug h

t h e body that were most apparent to anci ent people. If t h ey fe lt a pain while

toiling in the fie l ds, they woul d observe how it spread throug h the body. A

cure was understood as the m ethod that wou l d effectively stop a n d reroute

this flow. Later, through trial and error, more was l earned about contro l l ing

the flow by pressing points a l l over the body. Finding the control poi n ts cam e

second. What came first was a n understand ing o f the flow. O i Gong i s t h e

study o f this flow.

As a young neurophysiologist, Dr. Wu was sent to Kyoto University as

part of a joint Chinese-Japanese research team, put together to chart the

2 •
Qi Gong fOT Total Wellness
human nervous system in an attempt to pinpoint the physi cal locations of

the a cupuncture points. However, the i r resea rch proved inconclusive. Even if

you d i ssect every nerve and tissue in the body, you won't find the channels

and merid ians. Where a re they? All there is is theQi, the wayQi travels inside

your body. All the ter m i nology of merid ians, channels, and points was devel­

oped to exp l a i n the pathways ofQi.

Qi Gong originated with the Taoists. There is no mention ofQi Gong in

the earliest Buddhist sutras. From Lao Zi to Zhuang Zi, the preserver, and

Confucius, the developer, the trad itions of Taoism were bui lt and expanded

upon from generation to generation, branching and blend ing with Buddhist

thought, practical alchemy, tribal forms of ani m ism, and med i cal technique.

Th roughout this wind ing development, the study and cultivation ofQi was

always held sa cred and essenti al, and the Taoist Immortals and Masters were

revered as its gua rd ians.

What we know tod ay as 9 Pa l a ces Sol a rQi Gong comes passed down to

us from the trad itions of the Quan Zhen, or Complete Rea l i ty School of

Taoism.Founded by Wang Chongyang, whose l i fe spanned the late Song and

ea rly Yuan dynasties, the Complete Reality School turned away from cere­

monial and ritualistic forms of Taoist pra ctice to focus instead on ind ividual

self-cultivation.Wang Chongyang saw that only Qi Gong pra ctice had the

power to unite the best aspects of Chinese thought-Confucian ethics,

proto-Budd h ist ka rm i c cosmology and the dual foundations of the Tao Te

Ching and the I Ching-within the hea rt, m ind and body of the student. He

completely reorg anized the 9 Palaces exercises and wrote of and taught them

extensively. Through his efforts, the heritage of the 9 Palaces Qi Gong

has been passed down to this day. What we learn within these pages is the

lega cy of Wang Chongyang.

In his role as the ori g i nator of theQuan Zhen School, Wang Chongyang

l a id the found ation for the two g reatest sanctua ries of Taoist schola rship in

China, the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing and the Purple Cloud Monastery

on Wu Dang Mountain. One is in the north, one is in the south, the i r influ­

ence encompassing a l l of Ma inl and China. From its ea rliest roots in the Tang

Dynasty, the White Cloud Monastery g rew to become the central repository

of Taoist thought and study in the north, in la rge pa rt d u e to the g reat fa me

The Way • 3
 a n d i nfl u ence of Oi u C h uj i , Wa n g 's d isci ple a n d fou nd e r of the D ra g o n Gate

Sect. The story of how the 9 Pa l aces ca me to the Wh ite Cloud Mo n astery,

faded, a nd eventu a l ly bloomed a n ew beg i ns w ith this relationsh i p between

master and student and leads to the present and the reason for this book. I n

reco u nt i n g this h i story, h e l d i n si l ence beh i n d the wa l ls of the m o n a stery, we

create a new cu rrent i n the m otio n of the Ta o.

From Wa n g Chongya n g a nd his seven d isci ples o n w a rd, it was decided

that in each generation; the com p l ete teach i n gs wou l d be passed to seven

pr i m a ry students: seven students per generation o n ly, generati o n after g e n ­

eration. Despite the thousa nds of othe r students who played a p a rt i n the l ife

of the W h ite Cloud Monastery, there were a l ways seven principal stu dents. Of

a l l the r u l es a n d reg u lations of m o nastic l i fe, the p ri m a ry pol icy was secrecy,

especia l ly i n what was passed to the m a i n d isci p l es. What each student was

ta u g h t was confidenti a l and co u l d neve r be shared w ith the o utside world.

There was a certa i n rati o n a l e beh i n d t h i s concea l ment. A teacher had a

responsi b i l ity to rea l ly know a n d u n dersta n d each stu d ent. If teachers d i d n 't

deve l o p a n i n d ivid u a l relationsh i p with the i r students a n d i m perso n a l ly

ta u g ht a l l comers, the w ro n g person m ig h t be ta u g ht a n d then cou l d use

what was learned for the wrong p u rpose. Beyon d that, it was a qu estion of

a ptitude. Not every stu dent had the ca pa b i l ity of m aste r i n g a l l that cou l d be

ta u g ht. So for Wa n g Chongya n g a n d generations o n , seve n students were

sel ected to become the i n h eritors of the u n d ivided knowledge of the i r Taoist

a n cestors.

Wa ng Chon gya n g ca n be considered the spi ritu a l a ncestor of the W h ite

Cloud Monastery in that h e u n ified a l l the theories a n d p ractices that beca m e

Com pl ete Rea l ity Taoism a n d 9 Pa laces O i G o n g . However, he spent t h e last

yea rs of h i s l i fe teach i n g a n d practici n g the 9 Pa laces i n the south, at Wu

. Dang Mou n ta i n . Alth o u g h Wa n g Chongya n g 's Com p l ete Rea l ity p r i n c i p l es

pervaded the sch o l a rly cu ltu re at the Wh ite Cloud Mo nastery at its basic

fou n dation, it was Oiu C h uj i who b u i lt u pon this fou ndation, esta b l ish i n g the

Wh ite Cloud Monastery as the n o rthern seat of the Com p l ete Rea l ity School

a n d h is own D ra g o n Gate Sect. While the W h ite Cloud Monastery fl o u rished

as the wel lspr i n g of Tao ist schol asticism , a fter the centuries of wa r and tu r-

4 •
Oi Gong for Total Wellness
moil that was dynastic China, we cannot l ocate the o rigina l w ritings of Wang

Chongyang's Wu Dang l ectu res.

Wang Chongyang lived to the a g e of 135, his entire life spent in the sol a r

Yang p ractice of 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong. I n spite o f this, his disciple Oiu Ch uji

studied and p racticed the Yin Gong of the 5 Centers Facing the Moon. Why

did the student spend a lifetim e in Yin p ractice when the master devoted his

own exclusively to Yang ? The answer is a story that is p a rt of the secret ora l

tradition of the White Cloud Monastery, a story that is never tol d o penly.

Wang Chongyang did teach Oiu C h uji the 9 Pa l a ces, but instead of p rofiting

from his pra ctice, his body viol ently reacted against the Yang ene rgy he was

ta king in and h e began to hemorrhage and vomit b l ood. He survived his

ordea l , but was enjoined by Wang Chongyang to sto p studying 9 Pa laces, a n d

only p ractice 5 Centers Facing t h e Moon from then on. Master Wang to l d

him, "You r body i s unsuita b l e fo r the 9 Pa l a ces. B y d eve l oping you rsel f with

the 5 Centers, you wil l be a b l e to focus like no other on the energies of the

I Ching and from that, become a g reat master of Feng Sh ui. In this way, you

wil l use the forces of the unknown to find you r fortune and fu rther the.

teachings of Taoism . "

Oiu C h u ji h eeded his m a ster's a d monition and spent yea rs living deep

within the D ra g on Gate Cave, refining his occ u l t a bilities. H e eventua l ly rose

to g reat fa m e as an advisor to emperors and warlords, including Geng his

Khan. His abilities as a seer and oracle, as well as a military advisor using Feng
Sh ui to pOSition the troops on the fie lds of battle, ea rned h i m the necessary

support to p romote Com p l ete Rea lity Tao ism and erect m a ny tem p l es and

monasteries. His wide fo l lowing esta blished the White Cloud Monastery as

the centra l headqua rters for Taoist lea rning that it is sti l l known even today.

Since Oiu Chuji's reputa tion was built on his peerless mastery of 5

Centers Oi G ong , a l l his students in the White Cloud Monastery dedicated a

l a rge portion of t h e i r stu dies to it. Yet towa rd the end of his life, he advo­

cated a renewed e m p hasis on the 9 Pa l a ces. Oiu felt it was strictly his own

mista ke that he had l e�rned the pra ctice incorrectly fro m his teacher. He

reg retted that his students wou l d not experience its g reat benefits because

of his error and did what he cou l d to pass down what he knew as p a rt of his

The Way • 5
 trad ition. However, the l ineage of 9 Palaces

Oi Gong study at th e Whi t e C l oud

Monastery was weakened enough that by

the end of the Oing Dynasty, hard ly a soul

there knew anything about it.

Between 1 927 and 1 934, the Whi te

Cloud Monastery issued a formal invitation

to the mon ks of the Purp l e C l oud

Monastery at Wu Dang Mountain to send

an e m i ssary to com e teach the 9 Palaces

again in the north.

With great cere mony, the Purple Cloud

l ead ers cal led for a convocation of a l l the

monks of the monastery. Of the 705 monks

who gathered, one wou l d have to be se lect­

ed. The first pr ior i ty was that he be one of

the direct inheritors of the 9 Palaces, whose

l ineage cou l d be traced back through the

generations to the orig inal teachings of

Wang Chongyang. Second, he m ust be a

m er i tor ious indivi dua l , respected by a l l .

Third, h i s scholarship must be i mpeccable, having compl ete knowl edge o f the

books, sacred texts, and practi cal arts of Taoism. A single person who could

best embody the sol i d foundation of t h e southern school would be required

to rebui ld from the ground up the foundation of the north.

After seven days of heavy testing, a worthy representative was sel ected.

Not only was he chosen as one of the orig inal l ineage inheritors of the 9
Palaces, he was also picked for his position as the top martial artist in the coun­

try. There were others with names more famous than his, but a l l respected the

authority as wel l as the erud ition of this unusual man, who would be sent to

the north to rebu i l d the tradition of the 9 Palaces and to eventua l l y become

Dr. Wu's guard ian and teacher. And thus, after centur ies, was the or ig inal

knowledge of Wang Chongyang returned to i ts northern birthplace.It is in

his honor, as in honor of Lao hi mself, that this book is presented.

6 •
Oi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 Du Xinlin, known as the Master of the Purple Luminescence, was an
extraordinary modern seer. From his earliest childhood to his mystical pass­
ing from this plane, he lived his life as something more than a mere man.
Tales of his feats of divination, martial artistry, and healing are recorded
within the annals of both the Purple Cloud and White Cloud' Monasteries. In
fact, his earliest beginnings earmarked his special fate.
He was an orphaned child, abandoned to the swelling waters when the
river flooded his village. Amazingly, he survived the flood completely alone.
He recalled being protected in the wild by a tiger and weaned on her milk.
Later, at age four, he was found by a wandering Taoist hermit who raised him
in the wilderness of Wu Dang Mountain, and eventually brought him to the
monastery. All his life, he lived and learned with animals. He kept vultures as
his pets, along with a tiger and a crane. His martial arts were not learned
from traditional teachers. He played with his pets and gained his martial arts
,
prowess from them. Dr. Wu has an early childhood memory of seeing his mas­
ter pick up a massive tree trunk and fling it down with no effort. He would
toss a heavy traditional clothes-washing roller for his daily practice. He slept
balanced on a rope hung between two trees. He would eat fruits and veg­
etables by biting them while they still hung on branch or vi �e. Whenever he
traveled or gave a public speech, vultures and eagles would fly alongside him.
Dr. Wu remembers being amazed at the quantities of unusual birds following
above him at all times. There is no way to describe a man like Du Xinlin from

a contemporary perspective. The words aren't there, but the memories and
stories linger on.
In the 1 930s Master Du came to Beijing, arriving at the White Cloud
Monastery, where he began teaching the 9 Palaces. It was not taught to out­
siders, kept within the circle of the monastery. All his life, Master Du kept
back from the daily press of the public, only agreeing to help the very sick
and desperate who came within the confines of the monastery seeking suc­
cor. Occasionally he would travel quietly to pay respects and make offerings
at shrines and temples across China, in later years accompanied by the young
Dr. Wu. His great love, though, was to stay inside the walls of the White Cloud
Monastery, tending to his animals or strolling in the fields and fruit orchards
that provided their bounty to the monks.

Th e W a y • 7
 According to Dr. Wu's other teachers, Master Du's martial arts were more
advanced than even Oiu Chuji's and Wang Chongyang's. Many came to chal­
lenge him, but no one could best him. He could hold off his opponents just
by raising his sleeve. With that one gesture, his internal force was so obvious
that his would-be challengers would concede before the fight even began.
Despite his life of seclusion, he was involved in training many better-known
martial artists of the time. These stories were kept as secrets by the Taoist
brothers, but it serves to honor the abilities of this remarkable man and the
power of 9 Palaces Oi Gong to relate a few of them here.
Master Du's most famous martial arts student is a name that has gone
down in the annals of modern martial arts history. Wang Xiangzhai is recog­
nized around the world as the great twentieth-century popularizer of
Chinese martial arts inside and outside China. As an unbeatable master, he
traveled extensively, taught, wrote, and established a number of forums and
organizations for the study and dissemination of scientific martial arts. There
are many stories of the Chinese, Japanese, and Western fighters who came
from all around to be bested by his superior skills.
All his life, he practiced the 9 Palaces. With his lifetime of study and his
public persona, he did more than any other figure to publicize the energetic
principles of the 9 Palaces. His books and lectures are famed for discussing
the body's natural "springing power." The body can express energy like the
release of a coiled spring. Wang would often compare the strength of this
force to the power unleashed by a person maddened with anger or distress.
Even ten men can't hold down a man or woman overtaken by his or her own
primal intensity. Wang's writings go to great lengths to conceptualize the
body as a spring and the personal aspects involved in allowing force to come
out naturally from inside. However, he refrained from directly discussing the
full scope of this force. In fact, it is the energy of the 9 Palaces.
The coiled, springlike aspect of natural force is only the most basic ele­
ment of a complex process. Practicing 9 Palaces Oi Gong develops this force
not as an end in and of itself, but as a means of igniting an electrifying energy.
Once you can call forth this bioelectrical power, everything that comes at you
can be repelled. Just a touch can stun with the impact of an electric shock.
This is how Wang, like his master before him, was so successful. Master Du

8 0
Qi G o n g fo r To t a l W e l l n e s s
recognized Wang's natural abilities and leadership skills and trained him in
order to send him out as a living demonstration of the power of Oi Gong,
expressed through martial arts. Practice Oi Gong, and anything that hits you
will spring off. However, with its protective and propulsive qualities, this same
force can equally be used for healing work or taken further into higher levels
of spiritual development. It comes from a unified effort of body, mind, and
spirit. It cannot be grasped on a purely intellectual level. It must be practiced
to be understood. To understand it is to understand yourself. With this under­
standing comes a passage into a new realm of energy and awareness.
The dramatic tales of his students' accomplishments pale in comparison
to Master Du's own, less public, story. After drawing a certain amount of
attention to the White Cloud Monastery and, despite his efforts, to himself
personally, his reputation reached the attention of Mao Zedong, who was still
struggling to consolidate his power at the time. Approached by the Great
leader three times, Master Du retreated to a cave outside Beijing, refusing to
see him for any reason. At last, the Taoist Brothers begged their teacher to
return to the monastery and meet with Mao just once, worried that he was
too powerful a figure to deny.
On the day of his audience, the master came forth from his quarters.
Mao saluted him with the traditional prayerful postures, but Master Du cut
him short, telling him he could not accept any of his respect. He made Mao
lie down on a large flat rock to settle his Oi and tersely asked for his ques­
tions. Mao had two questions: how long would he be in power and how long
would he live. Immediately Master Du answered, "Eighty-three. Forty-one,"
turned around, and left. Mao was so struck by his encounter with the Master
that for the rest of his life he used the characters for forty-one and eighty­
three as his personal inscription. As it came to pass, he did indeed live into
his eighty-third year and held power as the chairman of the Communist Party
from 1 935 until his passing in 1 976. This did not prevent the oppression
of monks and nuns, the banning of traditional Taoist practices, and the even­
tual seizure of the White Cloud Monastery's assets during the worst days of
the Cultural Revolution.
After his meeting with Mao, Master Du kept more and more to himself,
staying within his own quarters and rarely receiving visitors. When Dr. Wu

Th e Way , 9
was b rought to the W h i te Cloud Monastery as a fou r-yea r-old boy dying of

leu kem i a , Master Du q u i ckly took h i m u nder h is protection, becom ing his

g u a rd i an and d i recting his treatment. After a year, he was com pletely c u red

and beca me the Master's student a nd attendant. Before dawn, h e wou l d

w a ke with t h e other monks, recite t h e Sutras, a n d p ractice O i Gong . Then h e

wou l d leave t h e monastery to go t o school, retu rn i n g i n t h e afternoon for

m a rt i a l a rts tra i n ing, rel i g ious stu d i es, and assist i n g in the d a i ly ritu a l s and

offering s.

Master Du a lso had specia l assi g n ments for his you ng cha rge. Some were

tedious, l i ke the months spent stand ing on a street corner cou nting the peo­

p l e who passed by, or i n explica ble, l i ke the enti re su m mer spent rea ding a

book with b lank pages. Someti mes he just fol lowed his teacher in the fields,

asking the unru l y questions of a bored ch i ld. If he got a n a nswer at a l l , it was

a l ways something he cou ld lea rn from. In h is old age, Master Du made a fina l

trip across the country to Ti bet, to the Pota l a Pa l a ce, with a g roup of h is stu­

dents, i n clud ing young Wu. In thei r travels, the Oi of every cloud, every l a nd

formation, and every river and strea m was d iscussed. In h is f i n a l yea rs, the

master left Beij i n g for West Mounta in, in Yu n n a n P rovi n ce. He sa i d the Wh ite

Cloud Monastery was too noisy and the Oi overhead was d isru pted by too

many airplanes. It was true that h istory was spi n n ing faster and faster.

Com m u nist Ch ina was in the th roes of the Cu ltura l Revo l u ti on and the tra­

ditions of practicing Taoists, as wel l as thei r persona l safety, were endan­

gered. For a t i m e, Dr. Wu l ived with h is teacher there, but as a teenage boy

f rom a n i ntel lectua l a n d Westernized fa m i ly, he eventua l ly retu rned to the

ca p i ta l to p repa re for his fut u re stu d i es at u n iversity.

At the age of 116, Master Du left the ea rth ly p l a ne. He l ived h is l i fe as a

towering mystic and master of the Taoist a rts and had decided to ded icate

his passing to a demonstration of the truth of h i s l ifelong bel iefs. What he

a ccom p l ished was a m a n ifestation of the power of Oi Gong few h ave ever

a ttempted and no one h a d ever tru ly su cceeded at i n the modern era. H is

a ccompl ishment is a s i g n i fi ca nt event in Ch i nese cu ltu ra l h istory. To present

the i nner teach ings of 9 Pa l a ces Microcos m i c Orbit Oi G ong is a testament to

h is a tta inment and the fu l fi l lment of h is last l i ving wish.

10 •
Oi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 A few years before, when Dr. Wu was sti l l l iving w ith h i m , Master Du told

him that he bel i eved that Lao Zi, Wang Ch ongyang , and a l l h is other teachers
'
were waiting for h i m iri the Nine Centra l Heave

ready to join h i m there.He told the young boy a bout the Ra inbow Body that

a worthy bel iever could cultivate inside h i s morta l body and that if his rig ht­

eousness merited it, it could leave the body with consci ousness and spi rit

inta ct, instead of p hysi ca l death, to fly up to Heaven in a ra inbow of l i g ht.

Transubstantiation and eterna l l i fe that bypasses corporea l death has a

l ong traditi on in the East. It is known as hong hua, l i tera l ly a fo rm of the

word "ra inbow" that can be used as a noun or verb: The Rainbow Body is cul ­

tivated with in a rig hteous person's p hysica l body at t h e m oment i n passing.

Tao ist and Tibetan Bud d h ist trad ition is peppered with stories of fa m ous

monks, her m i ts, and h i g h l a mas w h o a ttempted this feat by devoting the i r

l ives t o med i tation, tra ining, and sa intly acts. T h e ones who a tta ined the

Ra inbow Body were revered forever as sa ints and I m m o rta l s. Th ose who tried

to pass over by "ra inbow-ing" but d id not succeed in leaving the world with­

out a tra ce of thei r physica l rema ins left beh ind were sti l l venerated , the rem ­

nants o f thei r bod ies kept enshrined as holy rel i cs. One such rel i c had been

housed in the W h i te Cl oud Monastery when D r. Wu was a boy there. It looked

like a tiny, s h riveled l i ttle man a bout a foot and a h a l f h i g h , covered in leath­

ery, age-d a r kened skin.It was exp l a i ned to h i m that if there were any por­

tions of the R a i nbow Body p ractitioner's body that had not been properly

purifi ed before h i s or her attem pt, it would be left behind in a sh runken, des­

iccated fo rm.

Master Du to ld young Wu the day and the hour he was g o ing to Ra i n bow

and made h i m swea r to be there to watch h is attem pt, no matter what. Soon

he beca me so focused on h i s future that he would spend the w h o l e d ay qui ­

etly w h i spering, "I'm go ing, I ' m go ing" t o h i mself.I n t h e beg inning , t h e boy

thoug ht, "My tea cher must be too old . .. what is he ta l king a bout, a l l day

l ong just saying , 'I'm going, I'm go ing!' Tow a rd the end , when he had to

return to Beijing fo r h is stud ies, he remem bers p leading w ith his m a ster to

stop worrying and continuously ta l king a bout it with h i m , assuring h i m that

he would skip school and d o w h a tever else he had to d o to be there and

The Way • 11
watch him when he was ready to leave. Even with his childhood of Taoist
training, the teenage Dr. Wu was still skeptical of his master's unconventional
ways and crazy ideas. But when that particular day finally came to pass,
Master Du attained his Rainbow Body. Ever since, Dr. Wu deeply believes.
The day before he was set to make his attempt, Master Du called his
young student to his side. He told him, "Tomorrow I will be rainbowed. I am
going to my place in the Ninth Level of Heaven to do my practice there. I am
going to continue my studies with my master Lao Zi and sit at his feet, learn­
ing what he teaches, but from now on you are going to have to study by
yourself. You're going to have to work hard. Of all my students, you have
learned much, but I am worried for you. You don't study hard, you are skep­
tical in your practice, and yet you absorb my teachings so well. All that I
know, I must pass to you because none of my other students have the wis­
dom and insight that you barely realize that you possess. Because of the
troubles in China, there is no time or place to find someone better than you
to pass these traditions to."
As he sat in a tub of hot water strewn with fragrant flower petals, being
washed by his student, he talked to him at length about the key points of 9
Palaces and 5 Centers Oi Gong. He told him of the real meaning of martial
arts, When you learn martial arts, you are not going after specific move­
ments, or their proper visual form, or if your hand moves correctly or not. You
have to have the feel of a natural force living within you. If you feel it rising
inside you, then you can bring it out with power and dynamism. Why does it
take more than one person to catch, control, and subdue an insane person?
They have left behind all the things that have separated them from their
original abilities. Within your own original abilities lies your power. Why was
Wang Xiangzhai so successful in his martial arts? Because he was able to
bring out his own personal essence, his own unique force. There are special
trainings to accomplish this. If you just focus on supple movements it might
be good exercise, but if you really want to learn true striking power, true
healing power, true energetic power, the basic foundation is Oi Gong.
They talked together like that all night, the student bathing the master,
the master transmitting his last words of wisdom, from eight o'clock in the

12 •
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
evening to five the next morning. When Master Du had said all that he could,
he faced his apprentice seriously. "I know you question what I have taught
you, but tomorrow I will show you the reality of this knowledge. Of all my
students, you are the one with the most doubts. You have difficulty trusting
in me or believing in the teachings. But I believe, because I believe my own
eyes. I believe in myself. I know you are a good student. You're a very smart
person. You have good comprehension and understanding, you can see things
through, clearly and quickly. You have your own measure of wisdom. If
tomorrow I fail to attain the Rainbow Body, all I ask is that you bury my
remains in the place I have directed you. You can go on with your life and
never think about Taoism again. I have high hopes that if tomorrow you see
with your own two eyes that I have indeed succeeded, you will vow to teach
the 9 Palaces nine hundred and ninety nine times in honor of the truth you
have been witness to."
That day, the temple was decorated with flowers and auspicious banners.
Monks with musical instruments played continuously. Over one hundred peo­
ple were assembled, including silent monitors from the Communist Party.
Master Du sat in complete stillness and silence on a silken meditation cush­
ion embroidered with dragons. At high noon, the moment for the transition
had arrived. At first he remained immobile. At his side, Dr. Wu momentarily
grasped his shoulder with a small shake. Suddenly his teacher flared with a
burst of energy. Still enclosed in profound contemplation, his body began to
levitate, spinning straight up from its cushion, rising by itself and revolving
faster and faster. Turning so fast his body was a blur, he hovered for a fleet­
ing moment just above the heads of the stunned onlookers. The solidity of
his form shifted, became indistinct. His outline evaporated into red smoke; a
piercing ray of red light shot straight through the center of the sun, trans­
fixing him; and at once, the Master was gone. He had departed. No trace was
left, except a pleasing fragrance that filled the courtyard for hours after.
How can this be understood? How can it be explained? For the rest of
the afternoon, Dr. Wu and his companions were lost in wonder and shocked
speechlessness. They had been witness to proof of the heights a lifetime's
study in Qi Gong could achieve. True evidence of perfected attainment,

Th e Way • 13
Master Du's final act on this plane was a testa ment to the rea l ity of the

potent forces unleashed by the 9 Palaces. Ever since then, Dr. Wu deeply and

beyond doubt believes in its power.

The Rainbow Body is an enormous questi on m a r k fo r science. What is the

nature of this transformation? H ow did the Master go? Where is he now? So

far, no one knows. No amount of analysis can penetrate this mystery.

However we might like a scientific explanation of this phenomenon, the tools

have yet to be developed that could begin to measure it. Even as a med i ca l

doctor and a research scientist w ith a backg round i n neu ro p hysiol ogy, D r. Wu

feels that currently there still is little likelihood of creating an effective

methodology for its study. Years before attaining the Ra inbow Body, Master

Du told his student the day and hour he would be ta king h is leave. D r. Wu

was a skeptical young man more influenced by his Western stu d i es than by

his elderly guardian. When it actually came to pass, D r. Wu cou ld not deny

what he had seen with his own eyes.

Witnessing his master's transubstantiation shook h i s most basic assu m p­

tions of reality to such a degree that he was l itera l ly struck speech less. For

more tha'n
was there one moment and the next h e w a s gone. He vanished in a p u ff of

smoke, just like in a fairy story. Afterward, Dr. Wu kept th inking back and

realized that he had already been shown proof of h is m aster's unex p l a i na b l e

capabilities. A month before his Rainbow passage, his Taoist b rothers asked

him to take a picture with them. Master Du had always refused to a l low h is

picture to be taken. He did not want to be exposed to the ca mera's fl ash.

Because they knew how much he loved his youngest student, they sent D r.

Wu to coax him into joining a group photo. Beca use o f the w i l d v u l t u res that
Master Du kept untethered within his quarters, no one cou l d even get nea r

enough to him to pull him over for a quick photo other than the young Wu,

whom the birds recognized from his years of l iving at h is m aster's side.

Thanks to the teenager's efforts, the brothers got thei r p i ctu re su r round ing

their revered teacher. Strangely, when the picture was developed , Master Du's
image was gone. Everybody else was standing just as they had been p h o­

tographed. But his spot was empty, just a fa int b l u rry smud ge. The Master

had already reached the level of his Rainbow Body w ith h is p ractice. H is body

14 Oi G o n g fOT T o t a l W e l l n e s s
was already invisible, his physical
matter clear like a crystal.
Throughout the generations,
there have been many nameless
Taoists who have accomplished
remarkable feats as a result of their
sincere cultivation. Unlike other reli­
gions that encourage more public
veneration of their saints and holy
people, from early on the Taoists
refrained from open demonstrations
of their abilities. Even the basic
��\
-/

/-
philosophical teachings of Taoism
were not widely disseminated to the
public. Rather, they were held with­
in the ranks of masters and students,
layer within layer of inner circles.
The traditions of secrecy and oral
instruction in part developed due
to the personal nature of one's studies. Qi Gong is a self-regulating
discipline, bringing to the practitioner only what he is capable of achieving.
The actual practices are simple and few, although there is a wide range of
individual experiences.
A Taoist who practiced for a lifetime without discovering a new general
theory or technique that could be universally applied would see no reason to
discuss or write of his or her personal experiences. It would be considered
improper to do anything more than work hard on developing your own
unique abilities until your cultivation brought you to a level of impersonal
realization and objective truth that could truly be beneficial for others' per­
sonal growth. Also, Taoist masters would not teach you anything they had
not first tested themselves. It is a point of honor to only present information
that has been personally experienced and proven, out of respect for their
own teachers and to preserve their own moral and ethical cultivation. This is
why the most significant Taoist texts often focus on simple but broad con-

Th e W a y • 15
cepts and practica l knowledge. It's not that the esoteric meanings of these

tea chings were covered up or watered down for pub lic consumption. Rather,

Taoism's insistence on persona l responsibility in one's spiritua l studies spot­

lights the im portance of finding your own path from truism to the deeper

understanding of funda m enta l truth. The theories and procedures of 9

Pa l a ces Microcosmic Orbit Oi Gong presented here have a l l been proven

through the efforts of the ancestors of its lineage and practiced at great

length by Dr. Wu and his patients and students. However, 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong

is something you cultivate inside yourself. You can't buy it with m oney, and

the most revered master can only point you in the right direction. It's your

own self-discipline, your own persona l efforts, that wil l lead to understand­

ing and a cco m p l ish ment.

There are unknowa ble aspects of 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong that can only be

grasped from within one's own pra ctice. The remarka ble a chievements

of towering figures such as Master Du Xin lin are presented as a source of

inspiration to motivate you in your studies. We want you to believe in this

practice and want you to learn it as thoroug h l y as possible. As l ong as you

practice with sincerity, it wil l bring you good results, some sim ple and obvi­

ous, some that ca nnot be im agined until you experience them for yourself.

Not only can it hel p you build better hea lth, it ca n also cha nge and awa ke n

processes a n d energies inside your body that you never knew you would b e

ca pable of.

To sim plify, first and foremost, 9 Pa laces Oi Gong training is for longevity.

This is the basic, immediate benefit when you pra ctice 9 Pa la ces. Second , 9

Pa l a ces is for changing your fate. Certain aspects of our lives are predeter­

mined: which family we are born into, our gender. Marriage, know ledge,

problems, and obstacles a l l share specia l relationships with our destiny. Our

a bilities are no less than the president's. Why, then, is he president and we

aren't? How can we change this prearrangement in our lives? When is it bet­

ter to just go with the flow and a ccept our fates? Sometimes humans can

control a great river's levels, and sometimes Nature ta kes the reins d espite

our best efforts and causes flooding or drought. The I Ching discusses how

atmospheric changes a l ter the prearranged destinies of the Earth and its

inh a bitants. Lao Zi studied the physica l rhyth ms of these atmospheric shifts.

16 .
Oi Go n g fOT T o t a l W elln e s s
The 9 Pa l a ces is the method for ma king these changes in your own envi ron­

ment and l ife.

The th i rd purpose of 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong is for developing spi ritua l awa re­

ness. W h i le it is not a rel i g ion, Oi Gong can heig h ten your persona l connec­

tion to your fa ith. Fo r a Taoist, rel ig ion is only pa rt of a l a rger a rray of

com m unication with Nature, God , and Cosmos. As l a rge as there is no l i m it,

as small as there is no inside, within a sing le g ra i n of sand , a universe exists.

Yin and Yang a re the back and front of the sun. Lao Zi's pri m a ry theories can

be understood from exploring the Oi that fil ls every aspect of existence.

Rea l i zation comes from cul tivating and refining the body's natura l forces.

With 9 Pa l a ces p ra cti ce, you a re p l a nting a seed that wi l l g row into a force

for h a rmony, peace, and rig h teousness.

This book does not attempt to p rove the existence of Oi, except by p re­

senting an effective method for experiencing it with in your own body. Don't.

ta ke anyth ing at face va l ue. You must p ra ctice the 9 Pa l a ces for yourself and

m a ke your own determ ina tions. Ea ch person has an ind ividua l connection to

Oi with in the confines of h is or her unique physica l , inte l lectua l , and emo­

tiona l perceptions and a b i l i ties. T h i s is not an a cade m i c thesis on the h isto ry

of Taoism. It is a record of the p rocess that passes between a tea cher and a

student of Oi Gong. Information that ranges from si m p le hea lth advice to

profound occult secrets revea led is put forth equa l ly, for the pla in reason that

they share the same source, the postures and exercises o f the 9 Palaces

Microcos m i c Orbit Oi Gong. It is our deepest intention to d iscuss the ful l

potenti a l of t h is powerful form i n a clea r and useful manner, removed fro m

secrecy and m isd i rection. In t h i s way, we g ive honor to the heritage of Lao

Zi; the sa ints, sages, and i m morta ls

who fol l owed in h is wa ke; and espe­

cia l ly to the memory of Master Du

Xinlin and the l ineage of the Dragon

Gate Sect. Use t h i s book as a l iving

tool to a id you a long your own per­

sona l path and know that with your

sincere participation, you too a re a

pa rt of t h is trad ition.
 T W O

Groundwork

THE 9 PALACES

1F YOU H A V E ever to u ched d own in a new city for the first tim e , as

you've gotten behind the wh eel of yo u r ca r, you m a y have wondered , how

am I going to reach my d estinatio n ? The roa d map is fi l l ed with every kind of

street a nd hig h way, a l l leading in t h e sa m e direction. The key is to fin d t h e

rou te that is the most direct. The same thing holds true for Oi Gong. How can
;
the healing power of the Oi most effectively be brought into the body? In

order to make contact with the energy of the universe, the most efficient

pathways for communication must be opened. These are not secret channels

unleashed by mysterious initiations. In fact, these pathways are already in

place. We are born with them. The nine openings of the body-eyes, ears,

nostrils, mouth, urethra, and anus-allow all of the messages from the world

around us to come in. They are the 9 Palaces of the 9 Palaces Microcosmic

Orbit Oi Gong.

Our sense organs are two-way communication devices. With our eyes,

we look ou t on the world. At the same time, they reveal our every mood and

desire; they are the "windows of the souL" With our mouths, we intake food

and drink and express our thoughts and wishes. We inhale and exhale

through the nose, and the same organs that are used for elimination are also

20 . Qi G o n g fo r T o t a l W ell n e s s
used for sexual pleasure. As we will see, even our ears, which on the surface

seem only to listen for sound, reveal truths about health and personality just

as surely as the eyes.

The nine opening of the body are related to nine major internal organs.

In Chinese medicine, the kidneys are associated with the ears. The urethra is

connected to the bladder and uterus. The anus connects to the intestines, the

mouth to the stomach and spleen. When you catch a cold, your nose and

lungs both get congested. One of the first signs of hepatitis is a yellowing of

the eyes, an obvious reflection of their connection to the liver. In order to

stay healthy, the channels that run between the organs and senses must be

kept clean, clear, and open.

From a Taoist perspective, the nine openings not only allow us to inter­

act with the physical world, but are also our means of communication with

the entire universe. Health and well-being arise from the free exchange of

internal and external energy. Cleaning the 9 Palaces creates an open conduit

for the circulation of Qi. Human life is a constant process of acting and react­

ing to the messages of Heaven and Earth. Finding the most natural way to do

this unlocks the door to longevity and spiritual growth.

It has become increasingly more of a challenge to live a natural life.

Precautions must be taken at every step to maintain one's health. Some ways

are obvious. When it's cold and damp outside, bundle up to stay warm. When

it's very hot, wear lighter clothes and cut down on physical exertion.

Adjusting one's behavior to the changing seasons is a commonsense way to

avoid getting sick, but other environmental influences are less apparent.

Excess electromagnetic radiation, microwaves, pollution in the water and air,

and pesticides in our food all put undue stress on our body systems.

Along with the environmental impact, there are other, more intangible

circumstances that affect our health. Some illness originates in the organs,

but today both Chinese and Western medicine recognize the important role

that stress and emotional imbalance play in impacting physical health. For

thousands of years, the Taoists have researched the connection between body

and mind. In addition, their ancient wisdom has carefully observed and com­

piled data on the subtle interplay of cosmic forces that are beyond the scope

of ordinary experience, yet nevertheless are at work with us at all times.

G ro u n d w o rk • 21
Based on thei r understand ing of the med i ca l , psych o l og i ca l , and spi ritua l

p rocesses of l ife, 9 Pa l a ces Microcos m i c Orbit Oi Gong has bee n h a nded d own

t h roug h the generati ons as a means of dea l i n g with every level of inf luence

the outer wo rld exerts upon the human o rganism.

The 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong is a powerful p ra ctice that cleanses and b a l a nces

the body th roug h a co m bination of m ovement, visua l ization, and speci a l ized

b reath i ng. Working with the energy of the sun, it tra ins the p ra ctitioner to

expel toxins and inta ke hea lthy Oi th roug h the pores and the nine o penings

of the body. The Oi is then guided th roug h specific ch annels rel ated to the

organs in a sequence that a m p l ifies its energy w h i le strengthening the

mer i d ians and awa kening ci rcul ation i n the Microcos m i c Orbit. The trans­

formed Oi is then ava i l a b l e to be b roug ht into the body at a deep cel l u l a r

l evel for hea l ing o r storag e f o r future use. A s w e w i l l exp l o re th roug h out t h i s

book, th ese exercises provide b o t h a co m p l ete ca rd i ovascu l a r wo rkout a n d a

powerful method of i nter n a l a l chemy at one a n d the sa m e time.

Y O U R B O DY l S A B AT T E R Y

TH E TEN D E N CY I N life is to b e a ctive, movi ng a rou nd, o n t h e go. No

matter h ow much or h ow l ittl e we do in a day, we a re constantly expend ing

the energy sto red in our organs. It fl ows out th roug h our senses as we strive

to intera ct with our env i ro n ment. There is nothing inherently wrong with

t h i s. It's a fact of l ife, whether you l i ve in a v i l l a ge o r in a big city. Of course,

modern l iving's constant senso ry overload doesn't h e l p , but it's a m i sta ke to

think it was eve r any easier in some g l o rified ancient past. Yin exists at a l l

times with in Yang . As the energy of l ife i s used up, the fo rces o f d i ssolution

inevita bly ta ke over. Even if you spent the rest of your l ife sitting in a d a rk

cave with your eyes closed, you woul d not be a b l e to sto p th is p rocess from

h a p pening . Log i ca l ly, the only th ing that is g o i ng to help is to m a ke sure that

you can at a l l ti mes b ring more l iving energy i nto your system than you

g ive out.

One of the g reat goals of Ta o ist cultivation is to lead a l ong , h e a l thy, and

p roductive l ife, help ing others to the best of one's a b i l iti es. The m a in o bjec-

22 •
Qi Go n g for T o tal Wel l ne s s
tive of 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong is longevity. Th is is accompl ished by maxi m iz i n g the

body's a b i l ity to a bsorb vita l Ya n g energy from the sun . The sun is the source

of a l l g rowth a n d l ife on the pla net. Sol a r energy is the em bod i ment of Ya n g

energy. In fact. the Ch i n ese term for t h e sun is tai yang, or "g reat Ya n g . " The

l i g h t of the sun provides nourish ment to everyth i ng it touches. The 9 Pa l a ces

Oi Gong opens the l i ne of com m u n i cation between you a n d the sol a r force,

a n d by extension with the l iv i n g energy of a l l t h i ngs.

The sun is used to ba l a n ce a n d strengthen the body's bioelectric system .

Al l objects, both l iv i n g a n d dea d , a re surroun ded b y a n electromag netic field.

Matter is held together on a subato m i c level by m a g n etism created by the

osci l lation of positive and negatively c h a rged ions. In other words, our bod­

ies a re vibrati n g m a sses of electricity. The ci rcuitry in the b ra i n , the i mpulses

of the nervous system , the m ovements of the muscles-a l l a re governed by

fi nely tuned currents of electricity. Recent resea rch shows that mech a n i ca l

objects e m i t forms o f electro m a g n etic ra d i ation that ca n b e ha rmful to l iv­

ing org a n isms. Reports of ca n cer have been l i n ked to the em issions from

h i g h-tension power l i nes, computer mon itors, cel lula r phones, a n d so on.

Some bel ieve the sud den extreme spi kes of energy that these items g ive off

disrupt the electrica l ba l a n ce i n the body, caus i n g a n i n creased li kel i hood of

cel l dysfunction a n d mutation. The use of 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong helps to protect

a g a i nst these toxi c emissions by i n creasi ng the power of the body's own cur­

rents. The practice forms a protective sheath a ro u n d o u r d elicate cellula r a nd

neura l ci rcuitry, rather l i ke a surge protector that safegua rds a com puter

from shorti n g out dur i n g a thunderstorm.

This protective envelope of b ioelectricity, bui lt up by steady practice of

the 9 Pa l a ces, is of g reat benefit to the i m mune system for a num ber of rea­

sons. Besides keep i n g negative rad i ation at bay. a stronger electrica l system

develops a n i n creasi n g capa city to a bsorb more benefic i a l energy i n to the

body. Bas i c a l ly, you a re strea m l i n i n g the electrica l ly based systems in your

body. such as the nervous system a n d b ra i n , to work more efficiently a n d at

hig her .Ievels of opera tion. By pract i c i n g 9 Pa l a ces Oi G o n g , you a re tur n i n g

your body i n to a g i a nt, self-cha rg i n g battery.

Th is works i n a few ways at once. Goi n g back to the con cept of e lectro­

mag net i c fiel ds. the exercises of the 9 Pa l a ces, a n d espec i a l l y thei r order

G r o u n d w ork • 23
with i n the form, are designed to tune your own field more closely with those

of the sun a nd the Ea rth. Vi brating together at the same freq u ency, your

energies merge. N ot only do you become more connected with the sun a nd

the Earth, t h i s process a l so allows for their energy to be fully a ssimilated i nto

your body. Th i s ba l a nces and i nvigorates the nervou s system. Combined with

specialized stretches that open u p the meridian points along the length of

the spine, nerve imp u l ses then will be a bl e to be sent unobstructed to a ll the

organs of t h e body, greatly enh a ncing the body's healing capa b ilities.

The immune system is not only i mproved by i ncreasing your nervous sys­

tem's a bility to regul ate the body. The pra cti ce of 9 Pala ces Qi Gong ma y

seem l i ke very still, q u i et pra cti ce. Actually, it provides the body with a com­

pl ete cardiovascu l a r workout, by comb ining breat h i ng with i nternal i somet­

r i c exercise a nd visualization. In C h i nese, the term for oxygen is yang qi. Qi

is brea th. By using controlled breathing to pack the r i b cage a nd a bdomen

with a i r, you a re massaging your i nternal organs with Qi. Pressurizing the

torso from inside stretches a nd tones the fascia from the inside out. The 9
Pala ces Qi Gong also tra i ns the body to use the entire surface of the skin to

breathe, wh i ch stimulates and detoxifies the organs a nd circulatory systems.

Over time, not onl y will you r body feel energized a nd rejuvena ted, but you

will a l so find that you have physi ca l l y and mentally entered a deeper state of

communication with the cosmos.

E N E R G Y C1 R CU LAT1 0 N l N T H E B O DY

THE 9 PALACE 5 Qi Gong i nvolves a very sophisti cated i ntera cti on with

the flow of Qi as it moves around a n d with i n the body. Today, an a wareness

of Qi Gong h a s developed due to growing interest in C h i nese medicine a nd

a cupuncture. It is assumed t h a t knowl edge of the acupuncture points a nd

meridi ans a re of primary importance to su ccessfully treat patients. However,

in a ncient times the emphasis was q u ite the reverse. It wa s understood t h a t

all the a cupunctu re points cou l d b e forgotten, b u t t h e meridian channels

would h a ve to be remembered in order to recognize the manner in wh i ch Qi

travels through the body. If you dissect a body, no matter h ow h a rd you look,

24 •
Qi Gong for Total W e l l ne s s
you won't be able to find the meridians. The meridians are only one way of

u nderstanding the circulation of Oi.

Chinese medicine and Taoist healing do not always precisely line u p.

When practicing 9 Palaces Oi Gong, you move the Oi through pathways and

stations that may seem similar to certain meridians or acupuncture points,

but they are not the same in every case. You will find that you will be limit­

ing yourself if you try to find a direct, one-to-one correlation between them

all the time. As you practice Oi Gong, you are gradually turning your entire

body into a pathway for the Oi. Why intake Oi throu gh an acupuncture point

if you can absorb through every pore in you r body? Why fill a meridian with

Oi if you can fill you r whole arm (or leg, or torso) with it, from the ou ter sur­

face of the skin to deep within the marrow and down into the cells?

In 9 Palaces Oi Gong, Oi is collected in the three don. These are the main

energy storage centers in the body-lower, middle, and u pper. They can be

found by forming you r hands in the shape of an open triangle, with thumbs

and forefingers tou ching. Place you r hands over you r lower abdomen with

the tips of the thumbs meeting in the navel. The space inside the triangle is

the exact size and location of you r lower don. The middle don is fou nd by

turning you r triangle right side up and holding it centered between the two

nipples. The u pper don is also fou nd with the upright triangle, placed with

the thumbs right over the eyebrows.

The three don are more commonly known as the three don tion (often

spelled tien) , but this is not completely accurate. In the inner tradition of Oi

Gong, only the lower don is referred to as the don tion. The character for tion

represents a farmer's field. A field is a place where life grows. In a field, seeds

can be sown, nurtured, and then harvested. Thou gh the don do not have

exact reference points within the physical body, the lower do n tio n and the

womb are closely related. Whether you are male or female, your don tion is

you r body's fertile pasture. Gathering Oi into the don tion plants a seed of

new energy inside oneself. Cultivating the energy of the don tion causes thi s

new energy t o grow.

This conception and gestation period is not u nli ke a pregnancy. As the

energy of the don tion consolidates, it rises up through the body, passing

through the middl e and upper don, and out through the top of the head.

G ro u n d w o r k • 25
Released, this new force allows one's spirit to achieve a greater alignment

with the forces of Heaven and Earth. There are many obscure references to

this work in the ancient Taoist alchemical texts. Cryptic allusions to "nurtur­

ing the Oi for nine months" and "the I mmortal Fetus" simply are discussing

this natu ral process that begins when we are born, but must be completed

through practice and cultivation of the energy pathways of the body. The

effort and attention paid to unblocking and nourishing the three dan is an

outstanding characteristic of 9 Palaces Oi Gong.

Besides gathering in and storing energy, the three dan a ct as switching

points that allow energy to be directed through many different channels. As

we will see, there are many places in the 9 Palaces form where you will be

asked to swallow air or saliva down to the dan tian, use the middle dan to

send energy into the hands, and so on. As you begin practicing the form, you

may use your breath and muscles to move Oi around, or you might find tha t "

visu alizing the energy as it moves might work better for you. Do whatever

feels most comfortable. Over time, you will find that you will be a ble to do

both at once, and even begin to sense the Oi flowing through you in subtle

ways that don't require visualization or attention to movement. This may be

due to the fact that after a certain amount of practice, the nervous system's

ability to sense the Qi has been enhanced. Though there may be no scientific

explanation for this as yet, as you experience the flow of Oi through your

body, you will know it to be true.

N o matter how you perceive the circulation of Qi, there are certain basic

channels that are unblocked when practicing 9 Palaces. First of all, there is

the M icrocosmic Orbit. Opening the pathway of the M icrocosmic Orbit is so

fundamental that our practice is often referred to as 9 Palaces Microcosmic

Orbit Qi Gong. Both the Yin and Yang channels are exercised in the practice

of 9 Palaces Oi Gong. The positioning of Yin and Yang on the body is a com­

plicated su bject. The ancient I Ching scholar Bai N an Zi discussed Yin and

Yang as the difference between where the sun can and cannot reach. Whe re

the sunlight shines brightest is Yang and where shadow prevails is Yin.

Looking at the four directions, southern and eastern exposures receive the

greatest amount of light, while northern and western exposures only gain

the sunlight as it is waning from the sky. In the I Ching, the north symbolizes

26 •
Oi G o n g fo r To t a l W e l l n e s s
the h u m an element. Therefore, man symbolically stands in the no rth, facing

so u th toward the sun.

This philoso phy has had a long history of influence on Chinese cultu re.

Rituals and honors have always been bestowed facing sou th. In Taoist Feng

Shui, the posi tion of everything fro m yo u r front doo r to yo u r bed can be set

toward the so u th, for gathering harm onio u s Oi. Even the q ueue, the fam o u s

haircu t o f the Oing Dynasty that signifi ed allegiance t o the emperor i n the

face of encroaching Western do m i nati on, typifi ed this concept. The l ong

ponytail at the back of the head, never to be cut, represented the m oon. The

shaved front po rtion of the head was the sun.

As we all know, the magnetism of the Earth runs between the N orth and

Sou th Poles. There is certainly an effect on the wo rkings of the body when it

is aligned with this energy. In Chinese m edicine, the D u channel, which r u ns

u p the back of the spine to the to p of the head, is the prim ary Yang channel

in the body. The Du channel regulates the flow of Yang within the body. The

Ren channel continu es down fro m the to p of the head to beyond the lower

dan tian and is the m ain Yin channel. It controls all circulation of Yin, adj u st­

ing its dispersal th ro u gh the system. The 9 Palaces places a heavy emphasis

on co m bining these two channels into one continu o u s path, circulating in

u nison with the breath. This is the M icrocosmic Orbit. When the flow of Yin

and Yang is u nited within the body, one can begin to achieve a greater har­

mony with the Yin and Yang of the universe.

Other im po rtant Oi paths that will be addressed in the practice of 9

Palaces Oi Gong are not so directly related to Chinese medicine. They are nev­

ertheless very impo rtant energy sectors that are well worth being aware of.

There are three central col u m ns of energy that run vertically, the mai n one

throu gh the center of the body and the other two on each si de. These

colu m ns connect with Heavenly energy, extending beyond the parameters of

the physical body. In the 9 Palaces, the em phasis is put u pon replenishing the

central column with solar energy, while in the Yin practice of the Five Centers

Facing the M oon, the side colu m ns and the heart are filled with energy from

the moon. Finally, there is a field of energy that enfolds the body fro m head

to toe, encircling it like an envelope. Spinning this cocoon with the light of

the sun is the deepest pu rpose of 9 Palaces Solar Oi Gong.

Grou n d w ork • 27
 Though we have presented this information in some detail, when prac­

ticing, you don't need to think about centers, columns, and paths. In fact, you

don't need to think about anything. Just let your body relax and your mind

run free. This is the Taoist prin ciple of going with the flow. The form is set up

in a way that will naturally lead you to your goal.

T H E H E A L T H Y A N D H A P PY P R A C T 1 C E

T R A 0 1 T I ON A L LY , 9 PALACE S M i crocosmic Orbit Oi Gong is broken

down into nine levels of practice. Though each level relates to the others, it's

imprecise to think that one level of 9 Palaces practice is spiritually or esoter­

ically more advanced than another. Rather, each 9 Palaces form engages a

d ifferent energetic subsystem in the body in an exchange of energy with the

sun. The 9 Palaces Oi Gon g covered in this book is also known by the Taoist

masters as the H ealthy and Happy P ractice. It is the first of the n i n e levels of

9 Palaces practice. Building upon the initial awakening and recognition of

the sun's power, this level of the 9 Pal aces is primarily focused on physical

health and well-being. Each movement is designed to bring the practitioner

i n to a powerful state of wellness. Laid out in three sections, the exerci ses are

arranged to follow a specific sequence of stimulating, detoxifyin g, nourish­

ing, and then finally connecting the body with the Oi of the sun and the uni­

verse beyond. This sequen ce is optimized to thoroughly cleanse the body and

prepare it for reintegration into a higher plane of energy. For certain health

conditions, or when time constraints make it impossible to practice the entire

form, it is possible to break the 9 Palaces down into separate exercises.

However, it is advisable to follow the steps of the form from beginning to

end, unless otherwise indicated, to achieve the maximum benefit.

The first section of the 9 Palaces is designed to relax the muscles and

stimulate the ci rculation. You work from the head down to the toes, using a

combination of self-massage, gentle neck and spine stretches, and balance

exercises that are aided with visualization . After completing this part of the

form, all the joints will be loosened and the body will feel warm and com­

fortable. The wonderful thing about the 9 Palaces, and this portion of the

28 .
Qi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
form i n parti cu l a r, is that no matter how stiff a n d out of shape you m i g ht
feel , there is no way that you ca n do these exercises i n correctly, if you
are ca refu l to fol low them step by step and m a i n ta i n natu ra l b reath i n g

throug hout.

You don't h ave to be i n good shape a l ready to do a ny of the exercises.

Whatever con d ition you a re i n , 9 Pa laces Oi Gon g b u i lds you up gently but

stead i ly. Th is is beca use u n l i ke m a ny other types of exercise, where attention

is paid to a ra n g e of motion and to working m uscles just past capacity in

order to strengthen the body, 9 Pa laces Oi Gong puts the i m porta nce o n how

wel l one com b i n es m ovement w ith a natura l pattern of breath i n g . These

exercises vigorously ton e the m uscles of the back, l egs; a n d abdomen, w h i l e

emphasis is placed on i ncreasi n g the circu lation i n t h e h a nds, feet, ea rs, a n d

the blood-rich stomach cha n nels. W h e n t h e blood and O i flow are sti m u lated,

oxygen ca n then m ore easi ly reach the m uscles. Th is successfu l ly tra i ns the

m uscl es with considerably l ess effort. Sti m u lati n g the m e ri d i a ns and i ncreas­

ing the c i rcu lation is the fi rst step in h ea l i n g the body.

You w i l l be a mazed at how q u ickly you w i l l sta rt to fee l l oose a n d flex­

ible. Th is is one of the first noticea b l e benefits of p ra ctic i n g the 9 Pa laces.

Digesti o n a n d sleep are i m p roved. Also, the i m m u ne system benefits g reatly

from the i ncrease in b l ood c i rcu lation. Ma ny people fi n d that after a m onth

or two of practice, they a lways feel toasty warm even when it's col d out.

After a few m ore months of reg u l ar p ractice, they h ave su bsta ntia l ly ra ised
their energy l evels, a n d com mo n colds a n d gastric p roblems becom e a th i n g

o f t h e past.

Another reason w hy the w a r m - u p exercises of 9 Pa l aces Oi Go n g a re so

effective is that on a deeper l evel, they were d esi g n ed to h a r m o n ize the

body's natura l rhyt h m with the rotation of the p l a net and the e nergy of the

Fou r D i rections. The m a ny circu l a r m ovements and the gentle swayi ng a n d

rocki n g m otions attu n e t h e body's m a g netism w i t h t h e g ravitatio n a l force of

the Earth, w h ich is a lso rou n d a n d spi n n i n g . Th is is the bea uty of Taoist Oi

Gong. By usi ng a deep u n de rsta n d i n g of what is most natural for the body

and the p l a n et, the si m p l est tech n i q ues ca n be effortl essly e m p l oyed.

H a r m o n i z i n g the body with the forces of n atu re is fu rther e m p h asized i n

the secon d p a rt o f the form. Tho u g h this p rocess b eg i ns i n the warm-ups, the

G r o u n d w o rk • 29
second section moves deeper within the microcosm of the body, as well as

opening outward into the universe. Now, along with Heaven and Earth, the

practitioner uses the energy of the Five Elements to unblock their corre­

sponding organs and senses.

Our senses are the switching point between the outer world and the

internal organs. In 9 Palaces Oi Gong, the route between each organ and its

related sense is cleared using static standing postures combined with specific

visualizations. First, the Oi of each channel is sent out of the body as far as

it can go. Then, once it has reached its furthest limit, good Oi from the uni­

verse is brought back through the now opened channel, back into the body.

Finally, the palms of the hands are placed over each organ to unite them with

the healing warmth of the heart. Again, in the Taoist alchemical texts there

are many obtuse references to " Harmonizing the Elements," the " Union of

Fire and Water," " Refining the M etals," and so on. The practice of 9 Palaces

Oi Gong is the true internal alchemy, grounded in the physical body. The

Taoists have long recognized that all change, material, emotional, or spiritual,

must come from deep within to be completely solid. With the 9 Palaces, you

are using the life force to make changes on a cellular level.

There are physical and psychological explanations for this. The postures

and visualizations of 9 Palaces Oi Gong are closely synchronized with the

meridians as well as the interaction of the Five Elements. Each standing pos­

ture unites the Oi with an organ/sense pathway in a very precise way. Science

has explored the changes that occur in brain function when the test subject

is simply placed in different positions. However, modern research has only

just developed the tools to demonstrate effects that have been studied anec­

dotally for thousands of years by the Taoist scholars. The visualizations

accompanying the postures are also designed for a physical effect. As you

practice, you will notice that they are guiding your attention to small mus­

cles and ligaments that normally get little use. Visualizing sending the Oi out

gently pressurizes these areas, exercising them isometrically. You are massag­

ing yourself internally with Oi, toning and balancing your body from the

inside out. When you build muscle by focusing only on the external effort,

it's like forging a steel tube. It's hard, but it's hollow on the inside. Exercising

the body by combining Oi with isometrics tones from within. Your core will

30 •
Q i G o n g for T o t a l W e l l n e s s
be as solid as you r exterior. This results in deep detoxification and, with prac­

tice, an acute sharpening of the senses. The effects can sometimes be q uite

surprising, but there's nothing supernatural about it. The 9 Palaces Oi Gong

simply trains your body's own natural abilities to a level of peak performance.

Once you have warmed up thoroughly and opened each meridian to the

u niverse, the form now proceeds to its finale. The third section of the 9

Palaces is the core of the entire practice, the cu lmination of the ritual. It is

the central ceremony of Solar Oi Gong, as recorded in the canon of the

D ragon Gate Sect. At this point, you have prepared yourself to make contact

with energy of the sun. You proclaim yourself unafraid, pure of heart, and

ready to accept its power into you r life. You r nine palaces have been com­

pletely cleansed and are ready to absorb Solar Oi.

Not only do you communicate and absorb the sun's energy, by practic­

ing the 9 Palaces, you connect with the u nbroken lineage of the masters, for

your practice and theirs are the same. This is also the time to u nite with and

absorb teachings from your ancestors, your God, and you r inner guides.

Heartfelt practice will bring you support and guidance from all these sources.

Physically and spiritually, you are building up the envelope of life force

that surrounds your body. The motions imitate the silkworm, again using cir­

cular movements to spin a cocoon of energy around you , one silken thread

at a time. The power of the sun is taken into the body. You have created a

new balance of the Five Elements, a nascent force within you. One d ay, when

it is ready, it will emerge, a rainbow-colored butterfly of the soul.

BEFORE YOU BEG1N

TH R 0 U G H 0 U T T H E Y E A R S, Dr. Wu has fielded many q u estions about

the practice of 9 Palaces Oi Gong. There are certain very basic ones that come

up again and again. The answers to q uestions such as "When's the best time

to practice?" are very variable, depending on the person. They are worth

going into in some detail, before you begin to practice.

G r o u n d w o rk • 31
 WH ERE TO PRA CT1 CE

W 1-1 E N P RAe TI C1 N G T 1-1 E 9 Palaces i ndoors, there are certain things

that need to be taken into accou nt, in order to absorb the Oi unimpeded. I t's

very im portant to practice on a stone or wood floor. Carpet blocks the O i . I n

the m ona stery, the monks wou ld g o s o far as t o never wear socks, t o always

allow the soles of the feet to connect with the energy of the Earth. Even now,

when you practice, it's best to wear shoes that don't have leather soles. If you

feel u p to it, you can ski p the socks as well. Practicing barefoot isn't neces­

sary. J u st m ake sure your shoes are flat and enclose the foot securely. (Clogs

and backless sandals are not good.) Also, comfortable clothes that don't

restrict the waist are best. Silk has a special ability to concentrate bioelec­

tricity, but any breathable material is fine. If you would like to add a cere­

monial aspect to your practice, by all means wear something that puts you

in the right mood. A basic Taoist Feng Shu i strategy is to wear the color that

corresponds to the season of you r birth-green for spring, red for summer,

yell ow or orange for Indian su m mer, white for fall, and black for winter. This

is to ena ble you to a ttra ct Oi that is m ost similar to you r own.

It is i m portant to understand that practicing indoors is a very poor su b­

stitu te for outdoor practice. The whole point of 9 Palaces Oi Gong is to unite

with nature. It's best to practice the 9 Palaces outside, facing the sun, with a

tree that you like behind you and other trees farther away in your line of

sight. One of the m a in objectives of this practi ce is to gather Oi from the

environment. Being ou tside in the open air, around trees and plants, will sur­

rou nd you with fresh, lively Oi that can be used to nourish the body. Unlike

other Oi Gong practices, even inclu ding some of the other modes of 9

Palaces, the Healthy and H appy Practice sets up a large two-way pipeline

between internal energy and external, environ mental energy. Havi ng your

feet planted on the earth and the blue sky above your head grounds you

energetically. Large q u antities of Oi will be able to pass through your body

withou t a physical feeling of overload or an emotional feeling of being over­

whelmed. Being indoors, even with hardwood or marble floors, sti ll blocks the

flow of Oi that is necessary for maximu m healing. Besides receiving a weaker

32 •
Qi G o n g for To t a l W el l n e s s
flow of Qi, indoor practi ce is less rooted by the natural forces you are shar­

ing with, and can result in odd occurrences and spooky sensations.

For the most part, unsettli ng sensations experi enced duri ng Qi Gong

practice tend to be related to emotional or physiologi cal processing. This is

perfectly natural and is i n fact a very positive outcome of serious practice.

Our unhappy memories and experiences all too often get lodged in our phys­

i cal structure. Qi Gong helps to clear the decks and let go of the old baggage.

In fact, certain secti ons of the 9 Palaces form are desi gned to release a lot of

stored-up emotions and remembrances. However, practicing the form in its

entirety, from beginning to end without interruption, will provi de closure.

There is a place to release, a place to renew, and a place to store and settle

everything that has come before.

Obviously, some people will be more sensitive to this letti ng go than oth­

ers. Daily practi ce will help process everything you are feeling quickly. For

those who are undergoing hardships or diffi culties and who feel that even

thei r Qi Gong practice is painful, stick with it. Dr. Wu usually encourages stu­

dents who are experi encing thi s to practi ce twice a day instead of once, to

all the more quickly push past the blockages. Keeping a journal when you

first start your practice is a great i dea. After a few months, you'll be certain

to have some i nteresting stories you will be glad you saved a record of.

Practicing with friends is wonderful. There's a lot to share. N evertheless, in

the long run, having a peaceful outd oor environment goes furthest to ensure

harmonious practi ce.

Though in most cases unusual phenomena or sensations while practicing

can be chalked up to the mind's need to give form to or pass judgment on

unconscious emotional factors, there are times when extraordinary and

unexplainable encounters may occur. Because practicing Qi Gong opens the

lines of communi cati on between you and many other levels of energy, you

might find that occasionally you may recei ve a visit from a teacher or a rel­

ative who has passed on. This is nothing to be alarmed about. Because the 9

Palaces is a Yang practi ce, it creates a fi eld of living energy that will keep

spirits (Yi n) from getting too close. At times when Dr. Wu has asked his stu­

dents to accompany him on Feng Shui purifi cation ri tuals, he asks them to

begin the 9 Palaces while he makes his invocations. Surrounded from all sides

G ro u n d w o rk • 33
with Yang Oi, astral entities and shadowy beings from the realms of the dead

wi l l be unable to approach. The 9 Palaces Oi Gong aligns the practitioner with

the positive Oi of the universe.

In fact, you may wish to i n vite teachers or relatives to come to you, to

ask an important question or pay them a special hon or on an important

occasion. For this ritual , you must practice 9 Palaces indoors. Light a pair of

red candles and three sticks of incense. Because still water is very Yin, lay out

three smal l bowls of clear water around the room. Then practice as you would

normally, with a clear mind, not expecting a n ything in particular to occur. If

your question is meant to be answered, it will be in a way you will know to

be true. For certain people who feel con stantly oppressed by entities closing

in on them, Dr. Wu has suggested laying a table for these beings, with food

and drink, and then encouraging them to sit down. Sin ce the essence of

Taoi st belief is open communication with all things, instead of being afraid,

ask them what they wan t and then try to come to some sort of terms with

them. Explaining in a matter-of-fact way that they need to go will usual ly

impel them to leave.

Apart from these very specific rituals, the ideal environment for practic­

ing the 9 Pal aces is outdoors, facing the sun. If it's overcast or cloudy, or the

sun is blocked from view, you can stand in the direction that approximates

its position. You can stand in the shade of a tree or awning. Just make sure

your face is turned toward the sun. If facing the sun isn't possible, position­

i ng yourself facing south is a good alternative. If not, stand somewhere that

makes you feel comfortable.

Practicing in a location that makes your body feel comfortable and lifts

your mood is always best. If you feel good in a particular place, it is because

you. share the same Oi. The same thing goes for the trees and plants around

you. If their fragrance is pleasant and they look healthy, by all means prac­

tice with them. Just as a tree releases oxygen into the air, practicing Oi Gong

releases good Oi. Just as the environ ment can help your practice, with the 9

Palaces you are giving something back in return.

It's good to stand in a place where a gentle breeze is blowing. The Oi is

carried through the atmosphere on the air currents. A soft feeling of circu­

l ation in the air wi l l bring you the highest-q uality Oi. P racticing where the

34 •
Qi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
a i r is stagnant or foul-smelling is obviously not a good idea. Practicing where
it's too windy is also not good. Too much wind will disrupt the Oi, making it

a challenge to absorb it into the body. A very strong draft will blow the Oi
a way before you can get a chance to use it.

Never practice around garbage. If you see flies swarming about, there is

something unclean nearby. Also, practicing near still bodies of water that

have no current, such as a swimming pool, cistern, or man-made lake, is not

advised. On the other hand, standing beside a flowing river, a waterfall, or

the ocean is very purifying. Flowing water cleanses and brings good fortune

and opportunities to those who are nearby. Though water is Yin, the force of

its current is Yang. Nine Palaces Oi Gong stimulates the Yang Qi to arise within

the Yin fluids of the body. This is another way of looking at how the 9 Palaces

promotes better circulation and increased bioelectric conductivity.

Practice in your backyard or out at a park. If you live in an apartment

building, you can practice on your balcony, though it usually is better to have

your feet directly on the ground. In rainy weather, you can stand under an

awning, in a gazebo, or on the porch. If it's cold out, put on a coat and a hat.

Even in the dead of winter, it doesn't take that long to go through the form.

You will find that your body gets very warm during practice anyway. Since

this warmth is being generated from inside, the outside temperature won't

make that much of a difference. The more you focus your attention on your

inner warmth , the less you will notice the weather. I n fact, this is a very

useful training, so don't be deterred from practicing outdoors, no matter

where you live.

G rou n d work • 35
 If you have found a location that you like, return there frequently to

practice. It's li ke ma king you rself a fixtu re at the local coffee shop. The envi­

ronment will begin to recognize you and will respond generously with its Oi

every time you make an appearance. Coming back frequently will also alert

you to any changes that may have taken place. If something feels different

and it's not quite as comfortable as it was before, find a new spot. Sometimes

the environment has changed, but it is also possible that your own energy

has changed. Oi Gong will do that. After a particularly intense practice ses­

sion, one of Dr. Wu's students wasn't even recognized at first by his own dog.

This is nothing to worry about. The 9 Palaces Oi Gong is the most powerful

method of refining one's Oi. As you raise yourself to a higher vibrational level,

you may have to leave some things behind, bu t you gain so much more in

exchange.

WHEN TO PRACT1 CE

TH ERE I S N 0 set time that is best to practice the 9 Palaces. Depending

on what you a re trying to acco m p l ish. you m ust select a time based on a vari­

ety of criteria. The single most important rule is that there should be some

light available, in order to collect its energy. Of course, sunlight is best. This

is not to say that you can never practice 9 Palaces at night. M oonlight is light

reflected from the sun. However. daylight is highly preferred. The lunar prac­

tice of the 5 Centers Facing Heaven is generally considered the Oi Gong form

for nighttime.

Since the 9 Palaces is a Yang form, one of the best general times to prac­

tice is between the hours of 11 :00 A.M. and 1 :00 P. M . These are the peak hours

of Yang energy. During these hours, all bodily functions are running smoothly

in tempo. The physical abilities, mood, and spirit all operate in unison. The

body's energy level is at its highest point in the day. With the sunrise, the

strength of the Yang Oi is also steadily rising, until it reaches its peak at noon.

N ow Yang energy is at its highest level in the external environment.

Combining the upward propulsion of the Yang force with the even momen­

tum of the body's workings found now, you can exponentially elevate your

36 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
energy l evel with Oi Gong at this tim e. This is the best tim e to practice for

healing and general wel l-being.

When Yang peaks, Yin also begins to rise. Sunrise and sunset are very

special tim es, when the levels of Yin and Yang meet in even bal ance for the

day. If you want to harmonize these forces within yoursel f, practice at day­

break, or when the sun going down paints the sky with beautiful colors. In

certain areas, such as Southern California, there are times of year when both

the sun and the moon are visible in the sky at the same time. If you ever see

this phenomenon, by al l means, stop and practice the 9 Palaces.

Early morning also relates to beginnings. If you want to change your for­

tune or bring new opportunities into your life, get into the habit of going

outside to practice when you hear the first cal l s of the birds. In the Tao, birds

are the messengers of Heaven. Big ones, smal l ones, it doesn't matter. They

are al l masters of Oi. The ancient Taoist wise m en spent much tim e careful ly

observing the behaviors of birds. The original divination practices of the I

Ching were all based on interpreting birds' flight paths. When the bird s sing,

they are practicing Oi Gong. Practicing along with them can bring you m uch
'
wisdom and l uck. 6:00 A.M. is another special Taoist tim e for practicing Oi

Gong to m ake changes. In Taoist numerol ogy, the num ber six represents

peace and sacred emptiness. Gentl e practicing at six o'clock in the morning

wil l put you in touch with the realization and expression of wu wei, this

peaceful spiritual void.

Besides these specific times, you can base the best tim e to practice the

9 Palaces on more personal ized factors. One of Wang Xiangzhai's specialties

was Hsin I Chuan, a form of martial arts based on the movements of animals.

His training style em phasized the Tiger Paw, featuring strength, power, and

offensive attack. Therefore, he would practice his standing posture every day

from three to five in the morning, known as the Hour of the Tiger. At this

tim e, he could most effectively build up the power and strength of the tiger.

Master Wang confided in the young Dr. Wu the secret to his outstand­

ing string of competition victories. He would always make sure that at least

half the m atches would be held between 3 :00 and 5 :00 A. M . - he could then

maximize his potential . Besides the fact that his body was acclimatized to

that time due to his daily practice, since it was the Hour of the Tiger, he could

G ro u n d w o rk 37
best utilize the attack force of the Tiger Paw. He wou l d flip his opponents in

two seconds and defend his championship titl e every time.

This story points out the usefulness of personalizing your practice time.

The hour of your birth is the best time to combine the Yin and Yang forces

within you. This brings out your Original Oi. That is the theory of the Chinese

Classics of Internal Medicine. The person you were born into this worl d as was

created by Heaven and Earth. The moment you were born, the best part of

you was born-what is most trul y You. Your birth time was perfectl y timed,

generated by that special bl end of Yin and Yang that was meant for you

al one. Therefore, practicing according to your birth time wil l provide you

with excellent general results. If you were born at 3 A.M. and find it difficult

to get up, you can always practice in the equivalent afternoon hour.

No matter what time of day you practice, the most important aspect of

9 Palaces training is that you practice consistently, every singl e day. You are
awakening energies and abilities that norma l l y l ie dormant. J ust l ike you

have to go to the gym regularly to develop your muscl es and keep them in

proper tone, daily 9 Palaces Oi Gong is the exercise to stimulate, refine, and

enhance you r energetic "muscles," each day's practice building on the days

before. At least at first, make an effort to practice the entire form daily,

preferably at the same time each day. This is the quickest way to make

progress in your training. Consistent practice, especial l y for new students,

strengthens and elevates many systems in the body. If you miss a day or two

ear ly in your efforts, you will find that your level has dipped back down again

and you wil l have to retread territory you have already covered. It takes time

for the body to adjust to the positive changes you are making, before it can

stabilize at a higher plateau. Of course, after years of practice, permanent

changes in enhanced circulation, hormonal bal ance, and immune function

can be achieved, but even in the short term, significant progress is notice­

able. From just seven days of continuous practice, you wil l gain new ways of

seeing and open yourself to fresh opportunities a n d insights. After forty-nine

days, you will reach a further level of capabil ity and self-awareness that wil l

permeate your entire life and the l ives of those around you. After a ful l year

of uninterrupted practice, it is said that you wil l find the true meaning of the

38 0
Oi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
I Ching and understand Heaven. The 9 Palaces is your communication with
Heaven, letting its power in. Once you have Heaven's power within you, it

becomes your power to influence the world for good a nd help others. God's

truth is everywhere to be found in the universe. This tru th is the path to good

fortune, no matter your religion or creed. You will find the proof of it within

your practice.

M1NDSET

TO G AI N M AXI MUM benefit from 9 Palaces Oi Gong, you must enter

into your practice with a particular way of thinking and feeling. As it is a

practice that takes you deep within yourself, many different emotions, old

memories, and body issues might be brought to the surface. This is a natural

part of the cleansing process that occurs in serious Oi Gong study. The goal

is to reach a new level of energy and self-realization, so along the way, cer­

tain things will have to be let go of, whether mentally or physically based.

Although it is something to be expected and understood as a natural detox­

,
ification, it helps to remember that what needs to be moved on from will pass

away in its own time, as a result of your consistent practice. As there is an

enormou s connection between physical, energetic, and emotional balance, it

is good to view your 9 Pala ces pra ctice as a pa th to this h a r mony, rather than

demanding it of yourself before you begin. If you are having a bad day or

have a lot of things on your mind, it still is valuable to make the time to prac­

tice. You will feel better by the time you are finished. However, it is impor­

tant to put the stresses a nd worries of the daily world behind you so that you

can practice with u ndivided concentration.

The ideal mind-set for Oi Gong training can be summed up by the

Chinese phrase Ru Jing, Ru Ding, Ru Wo. These are three stages of clearing

the mind and entering into the perfect receptive state to gain maximum ben­

efit from your practice. Ru Jing is the first level. It means letting go of your

thoughts, emptying the mind and body of their concerns. You have to empty

yourself first, before you can receive something new to replace it with. This

G ro u n d w o rk • 39
is the basic principle of Taoist theory. If you are having trou ble putting aside

your problems, stop for a moment before you begin you r practice. Analyze

the issu es that are plaguing your mind and find a q uick answer for con­

fronting each one. They may be only the most temporary solutions, but

u nd erstand that they will serve well enough for the time it will take you to

do you r practice. Finding q u ick answers like this is a good training for d eci­

sion making in everyday life. On a d eeper level, knowing how to give answers

to q uestions and dou bts is a meaningfu l way of cari ng for you r health.

Answer q uestions, fears, worries, and doubts to regulate the body.

After you h ave put aside all your thoughts, you stand empty and ready

to practice. The next stage is Ru Ding. This is the point wh ere you have

calmed the spirit and forgotten about the self. Nothing can reach in to bother

or affect you . After a certain amou nt of seriou s practice, many people are

surprised to reach this point in their daily life. They become less emotionally

attached to the events occurring around them. This state of mind is referred

to as se kong, se being emotional colors, "the colorful world ," and kong

meaning empty. Whether you achieve this in d ay-to-day l ife or just while

caught up in the middle of the 9 Palaces, you r mind, bod y, and spirit will ben­

efit from the rest this emptiness brings. After ru ding comes ru wo. The body

regulates with the u niverse. You forget yourself completely. This is the ulti­

mate experience of harmony and balance. Be aware that there is no need to

force oneself intellectually to affect this state of consciousness. It will come

naturally as you advance in your training. Practice well, and you r efforts will

reward you.

Ru Jing, Ru Ding, and Ru Wo are na tural states that are reach ed through

9 Palaces practice. They are the result of the integration of the energies and

forces of the body. There's no getting around the fact that 9 Palaces Qi Gong

requires a certain effort and time commitment to gain results such as these.

If after a certain amount of regular practice you find that you still cannot

relax, the problem is that you are too involved in relationships. Sex is our

nature. Taoism recognizes its inherent power. The Taoist stu dy of sex was

absolutely closed off to the pu blic. Among the many schools of Taoism rep­

resented at the White Cloud Monastery, a school of sex practice existed into

40 Qi G o n g fOT To t a l W e l l n e s s
the earlier half of the twentieth century. However, it was highly restricted. Dr.

Wu has a funny story of being sent by Master Du with a delivery for the mas­

ter of the sexual sect. He remembers coming back excited and telling his

teach er, "That place was great ! They had so many toys there." M aster Du

scolded the boy, telling him, " I sent you there to deliver a package, not look

around."

Taoist sex is very different from what you might think. The Summer

Palace, outside Beijing, has a famous mural of sex gods and goddesses. They

intertwine in many postures not simply for pleasure, but for cultivati on. As a

Qi Gong practitioner, see through sex to reach emptiness. Some people can't.

They become stuck. There's an old Chinese folk saying: "Women want to be

the last one for a man, men want to be the first for a woman." Taoist sex is

empty. You cannot get rid of sexual feelings, but you can experience them to
\
reach freedom, instead of being bound by them.

To achieve calmness and clarity of mind and body with Qi Gong takes

time and effort. H owever, there is a simple sitting posture you can try for just

five or ten minutes a day that will balance the most important energies,

nourish them, and keep them protected from the vagaries of life. Although

this meditation is separate from 9 Palaces Qi Gong, we've included it h �re as

something every reader can try, even if there's no time for the more lengthy

9 Palaces form. We e � courage every reader to try it for a few days while you
read this book. A week's worth of practice will help you to understand the

true potential of Qi Gong. Sit upright in a chair, at the edge of the seat so

that your back is upright. First put your hands palm up on top of your knees

a nd press the soles of your feet together. Sit in this posture for just a moment

to collect your Qi and create a space to practice inside. Then put your feet

back on the floor, legs tog�ther. Your body should form three exact right

angles; feet to knees, knees to hips, and hips to shoulders. These three angles

must be formed to practice this exercise correctly. Your legs should be slightly

apart and yet kept at the proper angle.

Rest the back of the right hand on the palm of the left hand. With the

thumb and first finger of the left hand, encircle the right palm, pressing into

the lao gong point in the center of the palm with the thumb and its oppo-

G ro u n d w ork • 41
site poin t on the back of the han d with the forefinger. You can fin d these

poin ts by feeling around a bit. The place that is sore or sen sitive is the right

spot. Hold your hands c l asped in this position at the l evel of the genitals,

keeping the arms rel axed and the el bows bent. Touch the tip of the tongue

to the roof of the mouth, behin d the front teeth. Close your eyes. Shut your

eyes off from the outside worl d. What does that mean? We are always look­

ing out at things. This expends a l ot of our own internal energy in the

process. Close your eyes and hold in the energy behind them. Feel how the

eyeballs natural l y want to relax with a sensation of diffusion . Do not l et this

happen . H old the sensation of "l ooking" in ward within your eyes, keeping it

from dissipating out toward your eyelids. Close off your ears from the out­

side in this same way. While sitting, hands clasped and contacting the proper

poin ts, ton gue in place, eyes and ears seal ed off, inhale thinly and gently

through the nose and exhal e through the pores of the skin. If the exhalation

is difficul t, you can exhale through the nose and the pores together. Feel as

if you are sitting at the center of the Immortal Peach, or, in other terms, back

inside your mother's womb as you continue to breathe, sealed away in a state

of safety and rest. Sit l ike this for five to ten minutes.

This exercise n ourishes the Three Treasures, Jing, Oi, and Shen. Closing

the eyes n ourishes Jing, which is our essence. The spark you see when you

l ook into a person's eye is the Jing. Closing the ears n ourishes Shen, or spirit.

Righteous acts and steady Oi Gong practice can bring out a radiant l ight sur­

rounding the practitioner. This is Shen. Breathing through the skin nourishes

Oi, which is the l ife force within everything. The in n er lao gong point in the
,
center of the palm is part of the Heart channel. Its opposite point on the back

of the hand, the outer lao gong, is connected to the Triple Burner channel.

The heart point will help regul ate the blood flow and circulation. The Triple

Burner point regulates the balance and flow of Oi inside the body. When con­

nected together, as in this meditation , a circuit is opened that wil l regulate

the emotion s and keep a person steady and balanced. This practice helps pre­

vent heart attacks and blood pressure problems, enhances the immune sys­

tem and keeps negative Oi from invading the body. To paraphrase the Yellow

Emperor's Classic of M edicine: "With positive Oi stored inside, evil cannot

in terfere. When evil orchestrates its forces, one's Oi must be weak." This sim-

42 • Qi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
p i e practice takes only a few minutes and has a wealth of positive results. If

you try only one exercise in this book, this is the one to use. It will open you r

eyes to the m ea ning of Q i Gong.

J u st as a bl a de of grass wil l bend in the wind while the m ighty tree

b reaks, this is the ideal achievement in h u m a n behavior. Iron a nd steel can be

b roken, but water cannot, as m u ch as one tries. We m u st flow like water, rec­

ognizing tha t this is not wea kn ess. There is enough force within a fl ood to

destroy everything in its path. Even a drop of water can bore a hole in a stone

if it drips steadily over the years. This is the 9 Palaces. We a re looking for

movement within stillness, for the force that surrounds a pristine point of

silence. You are sitting or standing perfectly still, but you are exercising, com­

m u nicating, reaching out nonetheless. The rotors on a n airplane spin so fast,

they can't be seen. It's as if they weren't moving at a ll. A submarine deep

underwater m oves smoothly along, even though the waves are stormy on the

surface of the ocean. When you practice Qi Gong, you have to have the sa m e

feeling. This i s the state the 9 Palaces helps you to reach. The eye o f the tor­

nado is perfectly calm, but mighty forces swirl up from its center. In this way,

we generate new energy a n d nourish what lies deep within, in a state of per-
\
fect ba lance.

G ro u n d w o rk • 43
 T H R E E

O p en i n g th e G a t e s

- -

A FAM 0U S TA O 1 ST i mage portrays the hu man body in the form of a

landsca pe. filled with myt h ical beings. workers. a n d animals ami d st flow i n g

rivers. j a g g ed moun tai ns. and grassy plains. Meditati ng o n the u nderlyi ng

mea n i n g of t h i s i mage raises a profound i ns i g h t into the search for the self.

Traditionally attr i b u ted to Su n Tzu . i t was said to have been created by him

i n t h e last years of his l i fe as an atoneme n t for t h e destruction caused by

his m onumental Art of War. Etched into stone, rubbings a nd reproductions

of it h ave been made ever since, m aking it one of the most famous of all

Taoist alchemi cal illustrations. This natural scene peopled with farmers, a

spinning woman, a little monkey-boy hold ing the Great Dipper, a nd Lao Tze

meditating beneath mountain peaks also depicts the physical and esoteric

structure of the human body. Perhaps its wisdom lies less in its careful d epic­

tion of the body's energy pathways than in its beautiful a nd peaceful design.

To access the soul, one must journey through the inner landscape of the

physical body. However, we are a ssured that this exploration is a wonderful

voyage of self-discovery, not a dangerous expedition into the wilds of the

unknown. One sees a pastoral scene before the eye, i nviting the traveler to

wander through its tree-lined groves and ride its clear waters. Having

reached the summit, the wise m an rests in contemplation. Its great truth lies

in illustrating the natural simplicity of the universe that lies within the body.

Exploring the energeti c landscape of one's body i s one of the true goals

of Taoist internal cultivation. The practice of 9 Palaces Oi Gong has been

carefully preserved over the generations to help take the first steps down the

road on thi s journey.

9 PALA C E S Q l G ON G - SE CT1 0N ONE

TH E EAR S

THE 9 P A L A C E 5 Oi Gong begins by awakening the body to the flow of Oi.

start by standing, feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed inward to slightly

open the pelvis. Make sure your shoulders and arms are relaxed and your chi n

i s gently held i n toward the neck. Take your pulse b y feeling with four fingers

at the wrist or behind the ear. Regulate your breathing to match the pace of

your pulse; four beats equal one inhale and the next four equal one exhale.

There is no need to slow the heart rate. Whether your pulse is faster or slower,

breathe to match its tempo. I n this way, your breathing pattern and heart rate

will harmonize based on your d aily needs. Maintain this breathing pattern

throughout the 9 Palaces form for m axi mum benefit. After you feel comfort-

46 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
able, clea r you r m i n d by assess­

ng a n d then l ettin g go of you r

ca res, reach i n g Ru Jing.

The Ta o i sts b e l i eve that

wh e n a c h i l d is b o r n , the spirit

enters the body with its fi rst

breath. A s l a p on the bottom

isn't necessa ry. J ust by fl icki n g

the sol es of the n ewborn's feet,

the hun, shen, a n d po, or spi ritu a l , h u ma n , a n d a n i m a l sou ls, ca n a rrive.
Arousi ng the m a ny acu p u n ct u re poi nts concentrated on the bottom of the

feet is e n o u g h for the d i fferent pa rts of the sou l to m a rry with the p hysica l
body.

For th is sa me reason , 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong beg i ns with fl icki n g the ea rs.

After you have reg u la ted you r b reath i n g a n d ca l med the m i nd , the hands

form l oose fists with the th u m b o n top of the rest of the fi ngers. R u n n i ng the
thumb over them one by one, sta rti n g with the p i n ki es . fi rst,· fl ick you r fi n­

gers outwa rd i n a b u rst, stri k i n g the fronts of the ea rs. If you fl ick the fi ngers

in th is way, the fi ngertips shou l d conta ct m ost of the su rface of the fron t of
the ear. (Fi g u re 1 .)
The ear is sha ped l i ke a fetus. It is a m i n iatu re representation of the body,

incl u d i n g a l l the a c u p u n ctu re poi n ts, meri d i a ns, a n d org a ns. As a m icrocosm
of the body, fl icki n g the ears vigorously activates you r e ntire physica l struc­

tu re. Th is exercise is tra d itiona l ly considered the fi rst of lao Tze's ori g i n a l

thirteen Oi G o n g exercises. The i d ea is t o fl ick t h e m w i t h e n o u g h force to

ma ke them red , hot, a n d s l i g htly pa i nfu l . Don't worry a bout h u rt i n g you r

ea rs. Th is forcefu l fl icki n g n ot o n ly strengthens t h e carti l a g e a n d i ncreases

the circu lation, b u t the sensation of pa i n w i l l sti m u l ate a s u rge of e ndorph i n s

to t h e a rea, a l lo w i n g the Oi t o r u s h i n . B y fl icki n g t h e ears, you a re a ctivat­

ing a l l the poi n ts in you r body, w a rm i n g a n d massa g i n g you r org a n s with Oi.

The pressu re poi n ts in the ea rs reg u la te the Oi and the major bod i ly

fu nctions. By fl icking you r ears, you ca n q u ickly cu re you rsel f of. m a ny types

of i l l ness. In Ch i n ese a n d Tao ist medicine, the ea rs a re re lated to the kidneys.

If you look at you r ea rs, you w i l l see that they even look l i ke two k i d n eys. Th e

Opening the G ates • 47

kidneys' performance is in turn related to the hormonal balance of the brain.

By increasing the flow of Oi in your ears, you are bringing more Oi to your

kidneys and enhancing your brain function. Having a direct connection to

the endocrine system, strong, healthy kidneys can preserve the youthful balance

of the reproductive system and the metabolism, greatly adding to fertility

and longevity. Dr. Wu's Taoist uncles back in China have always emphasized

their ear practices. They are all well over one hundred years old and are as

vital and alert as men half their age.

Besides balancing the hormones, flicking the ears also regulates the

brain by increasing the blood circulation. M ore blood flow to the brain means

better memory retention and more capacity for efficient thinking and reason­

ing. More than any other type of exercise, ear training can prevent the

forgetfulness and dementia that often occur in old age. In the short term,

improving the circulation in your ears can prevent a variety of colds, flu, and

muscle and joint pains. In the Chinese system, catching a cold is not blamed

on germs and viruses. It is considered a result of being unable to adapt q u i ckly

enough to environmental conditions. Abrupt shifts in the weather can stress

the body as it tries to keep u p with them. When your ears are warm and there

is plenty of fresh blood flowing through their tiny capillaries, your body tem­

perature will be abl e to remain stable in relation to the temperature outside.

You will find that you will be less susceptible to chills and colds. The same

thing holds true for muscle stiffness and joint pain when the weather turns

cold or rainy. If the warmth of your body is constant, changes in the weather

will have less of an effect.

Flick your ears until they are painful and hot. This should take at least fif­

teen flicks. Remember to flick with the hand cupped in a loose fist, one finger

at a time in quick succession. Loose, "hollow" fists allow more Oi to come to

the hands. This is the Taoist concept of Emptiness in action. If your fists were

clenched shut, how would you be able to get anything into or out of them?

Flicking each finger separately takes a little coordination at first, but it

is an excellent way to increase the strength and force of the fingers. As we

will see later in this chapter, hand and finger exercises are another very

important part of Taoist physical training. Improving the circulation in the

ears, hands, and feet fortifies the immune system by h olding warmth insi de

48 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 F I G U R E 2

the body. Strengthening the fingers has an additional importance due to the

major meridians that begin in each of them. By flicking the ears while iso­

lating each finger, you are combining the meridians with all the points in the

ear. Simply pull the thumb slowly across each finger. Take your time and go

gently. You don't have to use a lot of effort. Remembering to keep your

breathing aligned with your pulse will also make this exercise easier and less

painful. If it's too difficult to flick the ears in this manner, you can put all

your fingers tog ether in a l oose cu p sh ape and rub the front of your ears with

your fingertips instead. Just remember to only rub in one direction, from the

inside of the ears outward. If you don't want to feel the pain, you can flick

or rub your ears nine times, but the truth is, this is one of those "more pain,

more gain" exercises. Try it and see.

After you flick the ears from the front, with the tips of the fingers

cupped together, flick the backs of the ears, rubbing from back to front

(Figure 2). Again, don't be afraid to do this vigorously. Flicking the ears from

the front and the back together can help to cure many common illnesses

caused not only by shifts in the weather but also by infection and weakness

of the lungs. As the two main Yin organ networks, the kidney/ear and the

lung/nose channels are closely related. For asthma, respiratory infections, and

helping to quit smoking, flicking the ears from the front then the back is very

Opening the Gates ' 49

 F I G U R E 3

effective. If you feel you might be

coming down with a cold, try flick­

ing your ears th roughout the day,

keeping their h eat level constant.

You will find that more often than

not, the cold won't even set in, or if

it does, its symptoms will be greatly

reduced. This also works very well

for ear infections and damage to the

eardrums.
F I G U R E 4 As in the front, flick or rub every
part of the ear, top, middle, bottom,

and inner and outer edge. Bend the ears over to the front as you rub

or flick. (Figure 3.) There are special points on the back of the ear that regulate

blood pressure (Figure 4). Whether your blood pressure is too h igh or too low,

exercising this part of the ear will help bring it back to a normal level. There are

also deeper meanings behind this practice. Flicking the backs of the ears can

increase opportunities in your life, because as the Taoists say, behind every

event, prospects and opportunities can be found. Sensitizing the ears can help

you tune into many possibilities for yourself that you may otherwise have been

unaware of (Figure 5).

When Dr. Wu was young, a poor farmer came to the White Cloud

M onastery, desperately in need of help. His field had borne a fine harvest, but

now he had so much produce that if he couldn't sell it immediately, it would

all go bad. He needed to get a certain amount of money for the crop or he

50 •
Qi G o n g fo r T o t a l W el l n e s s
and his family wou ld have to choose

between going hungry or being

turned off their land. M aster Du told

him to kneel down ou tside the gates

of the monastery and flick his ears

until the sun went down and this

wou ld bring him the m oney he

F I G U R E 5
needed. Du tifu l ly, he kneeled down

and started flicking. He flicked his ears withou t pause from eight in the morn-

ing to six in the evening. By the time Master Du told him to return to his fam­

i ly, his ears were swollen and scraped raw. Two days later, the farmer returned

to the monastery bearing an offering of thanks. He had sold his crops at the

price he asked for. The Taoists believe that the ears are like twin radar dishes,

able to tu ne in to all the messages of the u niverse. By honing the body's nat­

ural eq uipment, anyone can lock into this im portant information.

You r ears are a sym bol of you rself. By exercising them, you will be adding

many happy years to you r life, as well as increasing you r opportunities. After

F I G U R E 7

Opening the Gates • 51

your ears are thoroughly heated, you can go on to the next exercise. Using

your thumb and forefi nger, gently squeeze the rims of the ear, pinching them

from the top down (Figure 6). When you reach the earlobe, you can finish off

with a light pull d0wnward (Figure 7). As you work your way down, gradually

go i nward, grabbing as much of the flesh of the backs of the ears as you can.

Thi s practice is particularly good for regulati ng blood pressure. Relaxing the

body with thi s exercise can result in a drop in blood pressure of up to ten

points. You can test thi s by testing your pressure, massagi ng the ears, and

then measuring your pressure again. You will see an immediate improvement.

In the long term, thi s exercise can help permanently lower high blood pres­

sure or prevent its occurrence entirely. Repeat the earlobe massage from top

to bottom no less than nine times.

As we will see, most of the warm-up exercises in 9 Palaces Oi Gong are

repeated in sets of nine. The number nine has a great deal of significance i n

Taoist phi losophy. N i ne i s the number o f Heaven. I t symbolizes the fusion of

Yin and Yang. In Chinese, the words for wine and the number nine are very

similar. Just as fine wine mellows as it ages, the number nine represents con­

tinuity and good fortune. In both Chinese and Western numerals, nine is the

largest i nteger, containing all the other numbers. After nine, everythi ng goes

back to zero and one. In this sense, nin e is the symbol of eternity because

with it the cycle is completed, finished by returning to its origin.

For the Taoist, nine also hints at the cosmic connection between the micro­

cosm and macrocosm. Just as the nine openings in the body connect to the

i nner organs and the world outside, there are nine stars that form the conduit

for communication between Heaven and Earth. Human and Heaven are one.

The nine openings of the body connect to the nine major organs: the

eyes to the liver, the mouth to the stomach and spleen, the ears to the two

k idneys, the nostrils to the two lungs, the urethra to the bladder, and the

anus to the intestines. One major goal of 9 Palaces Oi Gong is maintaining

the free flow of communication between your senses and your organs.

Listening to the signals of your body is the most important thi ng you can do

to maintain good health. Your insides are maki ng major decisions for you all

day long. Becoming aware of what they are trying to tell you will help you

more consciously recogni ze the best choices to make for your l i fe. An obvi-

52 •
Qi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
ous exa m p l e is to eat l i g htly if you r stomach feels u pset, or to get more rest

if you fee l ru n down a n d t i red. The re a re h u nd reds of subtle cues that a re

bei ng beamed t h ro u g h o ut you r body at a l l t i m es. Th ey affect yo u r d ecisio n ­

making p rocesses a n d you r a b i l ity to a ct. Kee p i n g you r n i ne p a la ces clea n w i l l

open u p you r a b i l ity t o l ive i n u n ison with t h e i nterna l rhythms o f you r body.

This sa me p r i n c i p l e is at work w h e n the g o a l is to l ive i n h a rmony with

the u n iverse. There is a specia l con n ection between the patterns of the u n i ­

verse a n d t h e w ishes a n d asp i rations o f h u m a n ity. Each i n fl uences t h e othe r

i n a steady g ive-a n d -ta ke. J u st as o u r deepest su bconscious d r ives ca n deter­

mine the even ts in our l ives, cosm i c forces from a bove fi l ter down to us

thro u g h the sta rs. For exa m ple, b i rth is expressed thro u g h the e n e rgy of the

Big D i pper and death t h ro u g h the Little D i pper. Deve l o p i n g the a b i l i ty to rea d

the signposts t h a t the u n iverse h o l d s u p for us ca n g ive u s m a ny c l u es for l iv­

ing o u r l ives. Remember that j ust as kee p i n g o u r n i n e org a n s hea l thy w i l l h e l p

us t o fu nction correctly i n o u r l ives from t h e i nside out, b u i l d i n g t h e a b i l ities

of o u r n i n e ope n i n g s w i l l a l l ow Heave n ly Qi to reach us i n ways that w i l l be

much easier fo r us to u ndersta nd.

How do we ta p i n to the energy of the sta rs? I t's someth i n g that a nyon e

ca n do, beca use a p i ece o f e a c h o n e o f us is a sta r. The re i s a sta r i n the sky

for every person on Ea rth . Befo re we a re born, we pass th ro u g h the rea l ms of

existence in the form of cosm ic particles known as ling zi o r ling. We ci rcu­

late freely t h roug h t h e sta rs u nt i l the moment of o u r b i rt h . As our sou l enters

the material p l a ne, it s p l i ts i n h a l f. O n e h a l f stays with us h e re i n the physi­

ca l body, w h i l e the othe r half rem a i ns i n the heavens, co nti n u i ng to m i n g l e

with the cos m i c e n ergy, or ling, o f t h e rest o f creation. A Taoist a d a g e m u ses

whether the fi rst cries of an i nfa n t express the excitement of fi n a l ly bei n g

re leased i nto the w o r l d o r the tra u m a o f bei n g sepa rated from its oth e r h a l f.

O u r destiny is dete rm i n ed by a com b i nation of p re n a ta l (pre-H eave n)

and postnata l (post-Heaven) Qi. Some factors and opportu n i ties we bring

into o u r l ives a re based o n choices we have m a d e or avoided. These ca u se­

and-effect occu rrences a re usu a l ly n ot h a rd to a n a lyze and m a ke changes to.

Some th i n g s a re p redete rm i n ed in H eaven and a re l ess obvious to perceive.

These pre-Heaven i nfl u e n ces a re a lso m u ch more d ifficu l t to change. I t's not

a lways easy to d eterm i n e what i nfl uences a re at work when new events

Opening the G ates • 53

 occur. Often they are a result of a com b i n ation of prenata l a n d
--*-.. postnata l O i . For exa mple, if you catch a cold, it cou l d be
beca use you stayed too long in a d rafty place, or there cou l d
b e a genetic wea kness i n you r i m m u n e system. The 9 Pa laces
Oi Gong helps you to a lter you r fate in two ways at once. It
works on postnata l i nfl uences by sta b i l izing you r Oi, shori ng it
u p against outside environ mental factors. More i m porta nt, the
9 Pa laces helps correct d ifficulties i n volving pre-Heaven con­
d itions by hel pin g you to a l i g n with you r other h a l f i n the sky.
Students have asked Dr. Wu why the navel isn't i n cl uded
i n the nine openi ngs of the body. H e points out that you r
navel i s created after you a re born. The 9 Pa l a ces works on the
pa rts of you that you ca me i nto this world with : you r Orig i n a l
Self. As w e grow older, t h e a g i n g process, as wel l as t h e poor
judg ment ca l ls and harm we do to others, brings us further
and fu rther out of a l i g n ment with o u r other ha lf. By relaxing
the m uscles a n d reg u lating the flow of energy i n the body, 9
Pa l aces Oi Gong rei nteg rates us, fi rst with o u r physica l body
and then with o' u r ling, or cosm ic energy. Di rectly con necti ng
with o u r other ha lf, we a re then able to benefit from the u n i-
versa l knowledge that it has a bsorbed as it com m i n g les with
all the ling of all other l ivi ng t h i n gs.
You r ling con nects you with u n iversa l i nformation. Alig n i n g with you r
other h a l f a lso reu n ites you w i t h a n cestors a n d re latives w h o have passed
away. Al l Oi carries with it messages. The ling zi, or particles of ling, h ave their
own Oi. When you r body is fi rmly l i n ked with you r ling q i , a beacon of e ner­
gy is created on the astra l plane that ca n h e l p the i r blessings a n d wisdom to
fi nd you . I n the Taoist worldview, i n ner g u i des a n d heave n ly teachers a re a l l
p a rt o f the sa me th i n g : you r own con nection to t h e u n iverse. Al l the g u id­
a nce you need is very close at h a n d . As the Taoist sayi ng goes, "Three feet
a bove you r head, a god is watch i n g." By d eveloping you r Orig i n a l Oi, the n at­
u ra l energy of your body, you ca n u ndersta nd you r desti ny a n d change you r
fate. The messages o f heaven w i l l b e you rs to read.
Th is m ig h t seem l i ke a very l ofty g o a l , but there a re actua l ly m a ny si m -

54 •
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
pie exercises that ca n i mprove you r fo rtu ne. As we h ave sai d , the ea rs a re a
symbol of the self. Ca refu l observation of the shape of the ears ca n be as
revea l i ng as a look i nto someone's eyes. You r i n ner person a l ity d eterm i n es
the shape a n d textu re of you r ea rs. Stiff ea rs i n d i cate a n opi n ionated person ,
someone who has very defi n ite ideas a bout the w a y thi n gs shou l d be d o n e
and sticks b y t h e m fi rm ly. Depe n d i n g on h o w stiff the ears a re, the person
can be firm or downright stubborn. Pol iticians often have stiff ea rs. Thi n k of
presidenti a l ca ricatu res. How many presidents a re portrayed with enormous,
rigid ears? Even without a backg ro u n d in Tao ist physiog nomy, the subcon­
scious m i n d responds to the importa nt cues of the ears.
You want you r ea rs to be flexible. Rigid ity leads to death. Exercising you r
ears by fl icki ng a n d pi nch i n g them tones a n d softens the ear ca rtilage, which
i n turn ma kes the ea rs more sensitive to sou n d changes a n d subtle vibrations.
Flexib l e ea rs w i l l help you adjust to the changes in l ife. However, ea rs that a re
too soft a re not good. Th is person ca n be wea k-w i l led or inca pabl e of i nde­
pendent thoug ht. To b u i l d resi l ience, tra i n the ea rs. Getti ng the ci rcu l ation
going w i l l strengthen the person a l ity as wel l as the tissue.
The ears a re rel ated to the kidneys, wh ich are ruled by the element of
water. Water symbol izes money, fortu ne, and good l u ck. Worki n g on chang­
ing the shape of you r ears ca n sti m u late change i n you r l ife. Lon g ears point
to longevity a n d good health. When you pi nch you r ears, be sure to pu l l
down on the earlobes each time you work your way down. Giving them a

good tug w i l l lengthen you r ears a n d extend you r life. Heart problems a re
revea led by wrin kles on the ea rs. Round ea rs sig n i fy wea lth. Th ick ears i n d i ­
cate good fortu ne a n d m a ny blessi ngs. T h e Buddha is often portrayed with
l a rg e ears and thick, pen d u lous earlobes. This is a n i nvocation of b l essi n gs,
m ateri a l comfort, and l o n g l ife. The i n ner m ea n i n g of this com mon i m a g e is
based on the study of the ea rs.
Don't th i n k these a re just old wives' ta les. Dr. Wu observes the ea rs of
each of h is patients. The ba n kers, accou ntants, a n d busi nessmen usually have
round ea rs. The older patients' ears are m u c h longer tha n their you nger
cou nterpa rts: D r. Wu has fou n d that these i n d i cators a re true nea rly 90 per­
cent of the time. M a ke you r own stu dy by observi n g the ears of you r friends
a n d acq u a i nta nces.

Opening the Gates . 55

 Wome n , i n pa rtic u l a r, ca n be wel l i n terpreted by the cond ition of their
ea rs. The Dragon Gate Classic texts recommends that women shou l d wea r
l a rge, d a n g l i n g earrings to m a in ta i n their health. Even Western c h iropractors
recog n ize that pu l l i n g down on the ears helps to l oosen crucia l nerve n et­
works that, when clea red, a l low toxins to rel ease a n d i m pu lses to the bra i n
t o flow more freely. Remembe r that there i s a lways a two-way con nectio n
between the outer world a n d the i n ner rea l ms. Worki ng on you r extern a l
a p pearance w i l l reflect you r i nternal health j ust as s u rely as h ea l i n g you r
i nsides w i l l change you r outer a ppea ra n ce.
The th i rd ear exercise a lso en h a n ces the a b i l ity to hear the m essag es of
heaven. Softly cupping the hands, place the pa l ms over the ears, with the fin ­
gers resting on t h e back o f t h e head and t h e el bows pointing out (Figure 8).
Using a gentle pressu re, press the palms over the ears, formi ng a l ig h t sea l .
Press i n sl ig htly and then rel ease t h e h a n d s qUickly a few inches away from
the head, popping open the seal (Figu re 9). The object here is to create a suction
effect over the ears to ope n a n d ba l a n ce the ea r can a l . This is the sam e prin -

F1GURE 8

F1G,URE

56 •
Qi G ong fOT Total W ellness
ciple as usi ng a p l u nger to u nblock a backed - u p toi let. Usi ng suction to read­
just the difference i n p ressure a ro u n d the clog l oosens it a n d a l lows it to flow
thro u g h . Do n't use a lot of force when you press the ea rs. Just fee l the suc­
tion ta ke hold a n d then p u l l the hands away smooth ly. Repeat n i n e times.
The ea rs operate on the sa me pri nciple as a rad a r d ish. Sou n d waves a re
col lected i n the cupsha ped ope n i n g of the ear, pass through the coi l s of the
ea r ca n a l where they a re concentrated , and then strike the ea rd ru m . By res­
onati ng off the t hi n membrane of the ea rd ru m , sou n d waves a re tra nslated
i nto vibrations that stroke the sensitive n erve b un d l es of the i n n e r ea r. After
receivi n g this physica l sti m u lation, the nerve i m p u lses a re then sent a long to
the bra i n , where they a re conve rted i nto the experience of sou nd .
Althoug h h u mans a re superior t o a n i ma l s in many ways, o u r a n i m a l
friends have preserved a n d e n h a n ced a b i l ities that w e have l e t sl i p. M ost a n i ­
mals depend on thei r sense o f hearing t o detect d a n g e r a n d h u nt for food.
Some have ada pted i n even more u n usua l ways. The bat uses its h i g h ly d evel ­
oped sense of h e a r i n g i n com bi nation with the ca l l o f its voice t o "see" t h e
world a round it. Its ea rs a re sensitive e n o u g h t o d etect the speed at w h i c h
the vibration o f its h i g h-pitched sq ueaks bounces b a c k off of objects i n the
envi ronment. The bat pa ints a pictu re of the l a n dsca pe with sou nd.
H u ma ns have b u i lt mach i n es that i m itate this a b i l ity. With sonar a n d
u ltrasound, we ca n pi lot submarines a n d l o o k i nto t h e body. N evertheless, we
a l l have the a b i l i ty, th rough the practice of Qi Go ng, to bri n g out the ful l
potenti a l of o u r senses without depen d i n g on mach i n es. The g reatest reward
of 9 Pa laces Qi Gong is its a b i l ity to bring health w h i l e actu a l izing the a m az­
i n g ca pabi l ities of the body. The si n g l e th i n g that has sepa rated people from
thei r ori g i n a l a b i l ities has been the lack of a system to effectively develop
them. With this com plete d iscussion of 9 Pa laces Qi Gong, the tools have
been revealed at last. They a re si m pl e a n d easy to use. They a re here for you
to try.
The suction effect of the ear- p l u n g i n g exercise opens the ea r ca n a l , d is­
lodg i n g accumulated debris in the ear ducts as wel l as in the ca n a l itself. Not
o n ly is the eard rum opened; the e nergy cha n nels that con nect the ears to the
kid n eys are clea red. In the Chinese system, the kidneys a re the sou rce of the
energy that powers the a b i lity to hea r. Th is is why as people age and their

Open i n g the Gates • 57

kidn ey fu nction is depleted, the a b i l ity to hea r a lso decreases. By keeping the
con n ection between ear a nd kid ney u n blocked and free of resid ue, the pri­
mary ca use of age-related hea ri n g l oss is kept at bay. Ea raches, sinusitis, a n d
ti n n itis, or ringing in t h e ears, ca n be effectively red uced w i t h t h i s exercise
as wel l . Since every cha nnel is a two-way street, u n b l ocked ea rs bri ng l a rger
qua ntities of Qi into the kidneys from the outside, a l l eviating any deficiency
that m ight be present without resorti ng to med ici nes a n d herbs.
The i n ner ear mai nta i ns the body's sense of equ i l i bri u m . By reg u lating
the p ressure l evels with i n the ea r, the suction exercise substa ntia l ly e n h a n ces
one's balance a n d center of g ravity. Th is is a g reat boon for the elderly a n d
a nyone in a physica l rehabi l i tation prog ra m . Dizzi ness, na usea, motion sick­
ness, and feel i n gs of sha kiness and insta b i l ity when sta nd i n g or wa l king a re
a l l vastly i m p roved by repressu rizi ng the i n ner ea r. Reg u la r pra ctice ca n m a ke
perm a nent changes i n the ea r's a b i l ity to withsta nd subtle as wel l as extreme
changes of pressure. I ca n personally attest that the i ntense d iscomfort that
air travel ca n ca use u pon ta keoff a n d l a n d i n g ca n be com p letely e l i m i na ted
with steady pra ctice of the ea r suction exercise. For yea rs after a serious ear
infection, a ny a irplane descent, no matter how short, wou ld com p l etely block
my ears, ca usi ng dizziness, sharp headache, and nausea. None of the ti ps for
popping the ears such as chewing g u m or yaw n i n g had the slightest effect. I
had to cou n t on at l east th ree or fou r hours of com p l ete i n ca pacitation
before the sym ptoms wou l d clea r. After l ess tha n th ree months of p l u n g i n g
my ea rs, n i ne repetitions a day, my problem was com p l etely gone, never to
return.
This exercise dra matica l ly i m p roves one's sense of hea ri ng by u n blocki ng
the ea r can a l a n d sti m u l ating the ea rdrum. The ears become sensitized n ot
only to a wider ra nge of sou n d , but to a broad spectru m of p u re vibration, at
times much lower or h i g her in frequency than audible sou n d waves. The nat­
u ra l a b i l ities of a n i m a ls to sense m otion throu g h vibration or subtle changes
i n the weather thro u gh m i n ute adjustments i n a i r pressu re a re o u r a b i l ities
as wel l . For the Taoists, the ears a re also ca pable of receivi ng i m p ressions
from the u niverse that a re im possible to measure scientifica l ly, but never­
theless have the abil ity to manifest as sound , vision, feeling, and sensation.
The student of Taoist Qi Gong, beg inner or adva n ced, understands that

58 •
Qi G ong f or T otal Wellness
 FI G U R E 10

achievements that seem i m possib l e or m iraculous a re simply natu ra l fu nc­

tions of the senses a n d orga ns. The bea u ty of 9 Pa laces Qi Gong is that thei r
atta i nment i s s o very si m ple. The o n ly effort requ i red i s a com mitment t o reg­
ular practice a n d a w i l l i n g ness to l et go of preconceptions of what we can or
can't do. The messages of h eaven a re there for the l istening.
The fin a l ea r exercise is known as "Beating the Heaven ly Dru m." With the
hands sti l l pressed fi rmly over the ea rs and the fingers resting on the back of
the head as in the ear suction exercise, cross the forefi ngers over the middle
fingers a n d then flick down with them onto the soft spot at the base of the
sku l l (Fi g u re 10). Repeat n ine or thirteen times.
The soft tissue at the base of the sku l l is considered a crucia l point that
benefits from strengthening, both in Chinese a n d Western med i ci ne. From a
Western perspective, this pa rt of the body needs to be kept relaxed a n d prop­
erly a ligned as the fi rst step to proper postu re. It is located directly at the
junctu re of the sku l l a n d the fi rst spina l vertebra. With i n th is bony casi ng l i es
the term i n a l nerve b u n d l e of the spin a l cord as it l eads i nto the base of the
bra i n . Any tightness or obstruction here will restrict the blood flow a n d nerve
i m pulses to a n d from the bra i n . Misa l i g n ment at the very top vertebra ca n
resu lt i n overcompensation i n the position of the jaw, the m u scles of the
face, and a long the length of the spine, wh ich leads to poor posture, pai n ,
and fatigu e. I n time, more serious con d itions s u c h a s bone spurs, d isk p rob­
lems, a n d comprom ised i m m u ne function ca n develop if not addressed.

Opening t h e Gat es • 59
Remember that a properly a l ig n ed spine resu lts i n a hea lthy nervous system ,
w h ich i n t u r n elevates a l l other fu nctions o f the body.
In Chinese med icine, this poi nt is referred to as the feng fu poi nt, or
"wind gate." This point is related to the "sma l l bra i n," a com b i nation of the
bra i n stem and cerebe l l u m. Genera l ly, Oi Gong treatment of this point is more
effective tha n acu p u n cture. The sma l l bra i n d i rects a wide ra nge of basic
body fu nctions. The cerebe l l u m controls ba l a n ce and coord i nation. Treating
the feng fu point ca n resolve ba la nce problems a n d certa i n m otor ski l l d isor­
ders, such as slu rred speech or difficulty sta n d i n g u p rig ht. The med u l la
oblongata, located with i n the bra i n stem, is i n charge of ca rdiovasc u l a r fu n c­
tion a n d the a b i l ity to awaken from sleep. Insomnia a n d hea rt problems of
a l l kinds, i n c l u d i n g blood pressure i rreg u l a rities, a re a l l treatable using the
feng fu poi nt.
The med u l l a oblongata a lso reg u lates breath i n g . The a ncient Chinese
believed that the l u ngs governed exha lation a n d the kidneys, i n h a lation. The
contro l led breath ing of Oi Gong a u tomatica l ly strengthens the con n ection
between the l u n gs, kidneys, and med u l l a oblongata. By practicing 9 Pa laces
Oi Gong, one beg ins to g a i n mastery over body fu nctions that a re norma l l y
considered a utomatic a n d u n contro l l a ble. Pressi ng, ta pping, a n d massa g i n g
t h e feng fu p o i n t a l l sti m u late t h e dense package o f nerves t h a t con n ect with
this pri m a l part of the bra i n .
T h e Taoist perspective on fl icking t h e feng fu p o i n t i s a s m u ltifa ceted a s
t h i s part o f t h e body itself. There a re a mazing ta les o f Dragon Bones, or she
Ii zi. These a re rel i cs of sa i n ts and h i g h pra ctitioners, kept in secrecy for the
m i raculous spiritu a l power they possess. In fact, these re l i cs a re the bones of
these masters of cu ltivation, which have u n dergone a p hysica l tra nsforma­
tion, their structu re a l tered by yea rs of i n tense tra i n i ng a n d eth ica l behavior.
Dr. Wu had the honor of acco m pa nying the vice chairman of the B u d d h ist
Association of China to the Fa men Tem p l e nea r Xia n , repository of one of the
few rel i cs of Sa kya m u n i Buddha i n m a i n l a n d China. Thoug h the vice c h a i r­
m a n was a government a p poi ntee, h e had been sent on a rel i g i ous m ission to
this fa med tem ple at the behest of h is own spi ritu a l master, the Zhen G u o
Fash i Da. A s part o f h is serious rel ig ious assign ment, he w a s there t o worsh i p
Sa kya m u n i's bones. Though some rel i qua ries a re o n d isplay t o t h e p u bl ic, t h e

60 •
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
va u l t where the Bu d dh a's fi nger l i es i n a n ivory box is not open to the pub­
l ic. After h e performed h is veneration before the rel ic, the vice chairman
asked the abbot who was p resi d i n g d u ring the ritua l if h e wou l d open the
box. As he had been perso n al ly. sent by the Zhen G u o Master, the a bbot
a g reed to open it for h i m and Dr. Wu. As soon as the l i d was l i fted, the u n l it
u nderg round crypt was suffused with a silvery g low, l i ke moon l i ght. Dr. Wu
felt suddenly a b l e to see i nto h is body and the bod ies of h is com pa n ions.
Every org a n was i l l u m i nated and perfectly visible. H e was fu rther astou nded.
by the fact that the vice chairman had seen the very sa me th i n g . I t was a
spiritu a l encou nter he ca n never forget as long as h e l ives.
How ca n you describe an i m possible experience l i ke th is? There certa i n ly
a ren't a ny scientific means of d u p l ication or testing. The world of Oi Gong is
fi l led with u n exp l a i n a b l e events. Afterwa rd , the abbot told them that fa r
from bei ng the fi rst ti me this had occurred, every t ime they had u ncovered
the rel ic the sa me mag ica l l ig h t ca me pou ri n g out. Beca use Sa kya m u n i 's cu l­
tivation was so deep a n d his bel i ef so g reat, he had a bsorbed everyth i n g there
was i nto h is body. Even after death, his rem a i ns were abl e to reflect back
som e of this power. Practice Oi Gong with a spi rit of com p l ete ope n n ess,
com p l ete w i l l i n g n ess to absorb a l l the u n iverse has to g ive. Ta ke it in with a l l
you r heart. You w i l l tra nsform you rself in ways,you never have d rea med.
The development of she Ii zi is attributed to th i s practice of fl icking the
feng fu poi nt, wh ich is a lso known as She Li Gong. The Taoist name for the
base of the bra i n is the "ghost gate." This point is considered very vu l n era ble;
sickness, evi l, a n d g hosts all enter the body throu gh here. H ave you ever
noticed how easy it is to g et sick or feel "out of it" after a ca r accident?
Usu a l ly, fee l i n g back to normal comes q u ite a w h i l e after the pa i n has sub­
sided. There is defi n itely so me truth to that sensation of "col d c h i l ls on the
back of the neck." The body i nsti n ctively perceives d a n g e r thro u g h this spot.
By doing this exercise, the p ractitioner sea ls the g h ost gate. Flicking exactly
n i n e or thi rteen times is a warn i n g sig n a l , preventing negative energ i es from
com i n g near. Strength e n i n g the g h ost gate tra nsforms it i nto the "jade p i l­
l ow," a pri m a ry open i n g i nto the body for Heavenly Oi.
By sti m u lati n g the nerves at the poi nt where they attach t o the b ra i n ,
t h e nervous system i s sensitized at its root. This in creased sensitivity a l l ows

Opening the Gates 0 61

the body to operate smooth ly as one tota l ly i nteg rated u nit. Once recon­
nected to itself, the body ca n then con nect with the u n iverse i n a new way.
Th is is the principle of "as sma l l as no i nside, as big as i nfin ity" put into a ction
i n the most fu nda menta l way. Qi Gong reorg a n izes bra i n chem istry a n d neu­
ra l fu n ction. There is no question that th is prod u ces a shift i n perception.
Practicing Qi Gong, you beg i n to see the world in a d ifferent lig ht. Tho u g h
t h e experience o f t h i s c h a n g e is as i n d ividu a l as the practitioner, a h i g h e r
l evel o f health w i l l a lways resu lt i n a revita l ized awareness o f l ife. You r ears
a re key j u mping-off points for entry i n to this new world of consciousness
a n d longevity. Even if you pra ctice 9 Pa laces strictly for health, without a n
esoteric or spiritu a l goa l , b e prepa red for a n e w l evel o f peace a n d h a rmony.
It's com i n g from i nside you r self.

THE NECK

"Ba n g i ng the Heavenly Dru m " is a double exercise, worki ng on the ea rs and
the neck at once. I n their quest for longevity, the a ncient Taoists recogn ized
the joint role of the ea rs a n d neck in u n l eash i n g the power of the bra i n .
Ta king t h e i r cues from natu re, they ca refu l ly observed the long-l ived a n imals
of l a n d a n d a i r, e m u lati ng the wisdom of thei r behavior. In the sky, the eag le
is renowned for its acute h ea ring, eyesig ht, a nd i ntel l igence, i n add ition to its
l ife spa n, wh ich often stretches wel l over one h u n d red yea rs. On l a n d , the
tortoise l ives to a g reatly adva nced age a n d is the u ltimate Taoist sym bol of
longevity.
The Taoists accu rately assessed that the common trait shared by the tor­
toise a n d the eag l e is the strength a nd flexi bility of their necks. The eag l e
uses its powerfu l neck m u scles t o maneuver w h i l e d iving at g reat speed
for its prey. The tu rtle's neck th rusts out and retracts i nto its she l l with slow,
stu rdy ease. The a n cients made the con n ection that a strong, flexible neck
wou ld bring them the a b i l ities and long life of these noble creatu res. The
Taoist principle of learn i n g from the sma l l , recog n izing the va l u e of sma l l
thi ngs, rea ps m a ny rich rewa rds.
Of cou rse, today, both Western a n d Eastern medicine recog n ize the
i m porta n ce of a hea lthy neck for tota l well-being. As m entioned before, a l l

•
62 Qi Gong f o r T o tal Wellness
the nerves tightly bu n d l e i nto the base of the bra i n , eme rg ing from the top
of the spine. This a rea n eeds to be kept open and a l ig ned in order for the
nerve i mpul ses to properly fl ow to a n d from the bra i n . Very basic bod i ly fu nc­
tions, such as breath i n g a n d blood pressu re, a re control led from the bra i n
stem. Any degeneration here wi l l negatively affect the body over time. A stiff
neck w i l l lead to a l l sorts of pa i n i n the body a n d head. However, a l oose, flex­
i bl e n eck w i l l n ot only i mprove you r health, but in the Ta oist perspective w i l l
g reatly contribute t o you r g ood fortune a s well.
Dr. Wu closely obserVes the posture a n cf'carriage of each of h is patients.
In a n other exampl e of Taoist physiog n omy, the position a n d bea ring of the
head on the neck i n d i cates the potenti a l for success. A ma n w h o wa l ks with
his neck erect and chin and eyes l owered is d esti ned for achievement.
Accompl ished women, on the other hand, keep the i r c h i ns held h i g h a n d
the i r eyes l ooking stra i g h t a head, neither l owering n or sh ifting t h e m t o the
left or rig ht. A person, ma le or fema le, w h o wa l ks h u nched over, with the
neck contorted and compressed, is head i n g for d i fficulty i n h is or her career.
This mig h t seem pretty obvious, but there a re actua l ly ma ny deep l evels of
mea n i n g attached to this basic truth.
There have bee n times when patients approach Dr. Wu to have the i r for­
tunes read . Usu a l ly Dr. Wu tel ls them, " I nstead of a rea d i n g , how about com­
ing i n for a few n eck treatments?" Working on their necks, retu r n i n g them to
a l ig n ment a n d proper Qi flow, g ives h i s patients much more i n terms of
health, i ncreased energy, a n d positive outlook than a ny fortu n ete l l i n g ever
cou ld. I n h is stu d i es, Dr. Wu has fou nd that there is a d i rect relationsh i p
between neck problems a n d outside d ifficu lties i n life a p p roximately 8 7 per­
cent of the time. If you wa nt to change you r fate or you r ca reer or accom­
pl ish someth i n g speci a l , sta rt by exercisi ng you r neck. There is g reat wisdom
i n cha n g i n g you r a ppea ra n ce to change you r l i fe, if the change sta rts from
with i n .
T h e fi rst n eck exercise i s basica l ly a neck self-massage. Sta rti ng a t the
base of the sku l l , sq ueeze as much of the width of the back of the n eck as
you ca n between the heel of the pa l m and the fi ngers of the right hand.
Squeeze the flesh of the neck in the hand, working you r way down to slig htly
bel ow the ju nctu re of the shou lders and neck (Fi g u re 11). For a deeper mas-

Opening the Gates • 63

 /

sage, tilt you r head slightly to the right as you sq ueeze you r way down, press­
i n g i nto the side of the spi ne with the tips of the fi ngers. Repeat n i n e ti mes,
then sw itch ha nds a n d repeat n i n e times m ore, using the l eft h a n d on the
other side of the neck. Aga i n , for a deeper massage, ti lt the head slightly to
the left a n d d i g into the right side of the spi n e with the fi ngerti ps of the l eft
hand.
Don't forget t o keep t h e breath i n g even w i t h t h e p u l se. I m porta nt
acu p u ncture points a re located on either side of the spine. Also, down the
l ength of the spine, the nerves that govern every pa rt of the body extend out
from the spi n a l cord, protected i n the cen ter of the vertebrae. However, the
point of this neck massage is not so m uch to break down m uscle tension by
knea d i n g out knots a n d tissue accu m u lation, as is com mon in Western styles
of massage. The m a i n object of this Taoist massage is to warm the neck a n d
i ncrease blood circu lation i n t h e a rea. Once t h e circ u l ation h a s been
i m p roved, the muscles relax on the i r own. With fu rther practice, the body ca n
sta b i l ize itself against externa l pathogens a n d weather fl uctuations. An i l l­
n ess acco m pa n ied with a stiff neck is much more difficu lt to treat than when

64 •
Qi Gong f o r T otal WeJlness
the neck is soft and warm. With a supple neck. you will find it much easier
to stay healthy and keep sickness out.
After entering the body. Oi accumulates in the joints. and especially
along the sides of the spine. where there are also many acupuncture points
and nerve centers. When practicing Oi Gong or martial arts. the rotation of
the joints routes the Oi through the body. In the White Cloud Monastery. the
test of a martial artist was based not on quickness. agility. or strength when
performing a set or form. but on how effectively each joint was used to
direct the Oi. When practicing Taoist neck exercises. do not strain past what
is comfortable for you. There is no need to press or squeeze the neck until it
hurts. Just lightly grasp the neck in the hand and give it a gentle press.
Holding your concentration primarily on the breathing pattern (four beats =

one inhale. ·four beats = one exhale) will allow more Oi to flow into your
spine. Let your breath and the Oi do the work. not the muscles in your hands.
This way. you will finish your massage with nice. warm. loose muscles. not
cramped hands and a sore neck.
Again. this ties in with the concept of kong. or emptiness. The idea of
creating receptivity and awakening change by emptying out first is a funda­
mental principle of Taoist thought. The Taoists think of the body as a teapot.
with the head as the lid. You have to be able to lift up the lid in order to pour
the water in. Opening up the body to allow universal Oi to flow in is the pri­
mary goal of 9 Palaces Oi Gong. The 9 Palaces ear and neck exercises clear
debris and blockages in the head and spine. allowing the brain to function
more efficiently. Increased blood and Oi supply keeps the muscles relaxed.
preventing excessive wear on the vertebrae. In this way. massaging the neck.
in particular. can help check the buildup of bone spurs and disk erosion.
Keeping your neck supple and warm is the Taoist route to longevity.
Transforming your body into an empty vessel is a very deep practice. sim­
ply done. Opening yourself up permits you to be filled with the Oi of Heaven
and Earth. The first step on the road to complete communication with the
universe is to allow the microcosm of the body and the macrocosm of every­
thing outside it to merge. The I Ching assigns the three solid bars of the Oian.
or Heaven. trigram to the head because the head is considered related to
Heaven. In fact. the head itself is a map of the Earth. broken down into three

Openin g t h e Gat es • 65
 regions: above the eyebrows is Heaven, from the
eyebrows to the indentation above the lip is
Human, and from the lip indentation to the chin
is the Ocean. The movement of the neck and
head is therefore seen as the movement of Qian
and Kun, or Heaven and Earth. The next two
neck exercises are very basic, but from a Taoist
point of view, they do more than merely stretch
the neck. They align the entire body with the
Four Directions and the magnetism and motion
of the planet.
FIGURE 12

Remembering to breathe in sync with the

heartbeat, stretch the neck out and down as far as it can go, pressing the chin
into the chest. Use a little strength here. You want to really feel the chin flat­
tening into the chest (Figure 12). This stretch opens the muscles all the way
from the back of the neck to the top of the head and back to the chest.
Squeezing firmly into the chest with the chin keeps the spine and back mus­
cles evenly aligned and shoots an extra burst of energy to the brain. With
practice, you will feel the muscles of the entire back opening up at this point,
sometimes even all the way down the back of the legs to the heels.
In the Chinese system, the heart is considered the true mind. The brain
acts as a tool of the heart, carrying out its wishes. Your neck must be kept
clear to maintain communication between the heart and the brain. If you
have a lot of stiffness or can't bend your neck easily, you may be cutting off
the blood circulation to the brain. This exercise is wonderful for brain main­
tenance. It can help preserve the memory function well into old age. With
regular practice, an older person can stay as sharp as someone thirty years
younger. A common result of practicing the 9 Palaces is a feeling of energy
and alertness. Most of Dr. Wu's students notice a definite increase in their
ability to learn and retain new information. All this relates to improved blood
circulation in the brain. Conversely, if a patient has symptoms of memory
loss, fatigue, dizziness, and high blood pressure, this neck exercise should
immediately be added to his or her health care regimen.
People who sit all day at a computer should practice this stretch

•
66 O i Gong for To tal Wellness
 FIGURE 13 FIGURE 14

throughout the day to reduce the fatigue of staring at a screen for long peri­
ods. Also, women who love to wear high heels should do this exercise every
day. Wearing high heels on a regular basis is a surefire way to throw the back
out of alignment. Counteract their effect by bending your head down to your
chin. The Taoists don't believe that keeping your chin held high should nec­
essarily be a part of daily behavior. Bowing the head can be more effective.
Just like a blade of grass can withstand a strong wind, maintaining a flexible
neck can help overcome the storms of life. As the Tao Te Ching points out,
the only thing that cannot be bent or broken is water.
After stretching the neck down, stretch the neck up, tilting the head
slightly back as you stretch upward (Figure 13). Try to lift up the entire neck,
not just the chin. Feel the connection between the muscles of the upper
chest and the neck as you lift. Do not hold the breath. Stretch only as.far as
your breath will allow you, feeling the throat curve forward. The object is not
how deeply but how gently you can stretch, letting the breathing and the Qi
relax the muscles. Hold only as long as it takes for the tension to release,
about a second. Holding for any longer will actually just retighten the neck.
Next, tilt the head from the neck over to the left shoulder, then to the right
(Figure 14). Make sure to keep the shoulders down. This stretch must be done
fluidly, following the rhythm of the breath.

Opening the Gates • 67

 These fou r stretches, one d own, one u p, one left a n d one rig h t, e q u a l one
set. From a Taoist poi nt of view, you a re bow i n g to Heaven a n d Ea rth. Repeat
for n i ne sets of fou r. Practiced in th is pa rticu l a r order, you a re con necti ng the
magnetism i n you r body to the g ravita ti on a l p u l l of the Ea rth. If a patient
com plains of i nsom n ia, the fi rst th i n g Dr. Wu will ask about is the positi on of
h is or h �r bed. He recom mends repositi on i ng the bed so tha t the head l ies to
the n orth a n d the feet poi nt south. With th is placement, the body is a l ig ned
with the north-to-south magnetism of the pol a r axis. Th is usua l ly works for
m ost peop le. If not, the bed ca n be placed based on the d i rection correspon­
d ing to the season of one's b i rth. For exa m ple, if you were born i n the spri ng,
have you r bed ru n n i ng east/west with you r head to the east. East is the d i rec­
ti on related to spri ng. If you were born in the su m me r, have you r head to the
south. Fa l l is west, and w i n ter is n orth.
H a rm onizing with the cu rrents of energy tha t tra nsverse the planet is a
very basic way to red uce stress on the body. You r body's own cu rrents ca n flow
with g reater ease when they flow i n the sa me d i recti on as the energy that su r­
rou nds them. Fou r-legged a n i m a ls often sense i m pending ea rthqua kes a n d
storms. T h i s is due to th e l a c k of pressu re o n their spines, wh ich they carry par­
allel to the ground. If you have back pain or have experienced a trauma to the
internal orga ns, Dr. Wu suggests cra w l i n g on all fours for ten m i n u tes every
morn i n g , to ease the viscera a n d take the weight off the spi ne. You m i g h t feel
silly doi n g th is, but it's actu a l ly very relaxing. With a comfortable, properly
ba lanced spine, h u mans ca n recover the sensitivity to i m pending weather
conditions that the a n i mals never l ost. I t's one of the m a ny natura l a b i lities 9
Pa laces Oi Gong ca n help you to regain. Don't force,it. Try to keep you r shou l­
ders down and you r a rms hanging l i g h tly at you r sides. Let the Oi d o the work.
Pa rad oxica l ly, the less effort you push you r muscles to expend, the sooner you
wi l l see noticea ble i m provement in flexibility.
After nine sets of stretc h i n g to the Fou r D i recti ons, m ove on to the n ext
exercise. Rol l the head to the left, c h i n tu rned toward the shou lder. Conti n u e
rol l i ng d own over the chest, to the r i g h t c h i n poi nti n g right, then l oosely to
the back (Fig u re 15). Rol l the head i n th is clockwise d i rection n i n e ti mes, then
reverse a n d d o n i n e rol ls cou nterc l ockwise. The key poi n t is to tu rn the chin
to the shou l ders as they pass them. M a i nta i n the proper breath i n g rhyth m.

68 Qi Gong f o r Total Wellness

 \ ( FIGURE 15

As in the rest of the neck exercises, gently controlled breathing is more

important than how far you can stretch.
Just as the previous exercise connects the body to the magnetic patterns
of the Earth, these neck rolls coordinate you with the Earth's rotation. For a
Taoist, in some senses the" Four Directions have little importance. Since the
planet is constantly rotating under our feet, we never really are standing in
the same spot from moment to moment. We might think we a re facing south,
but in reality, we are spinning at great speed, right along with the Earth
beneath our feet. Only because the Earth is so large and we are so small, we
don't notice we are moving. The 9 Palaces Qi Gong equalizes our bodies with
the centrifugal force that keeps us pinned to the ground. Contacting this
envelope of circular energy is the first step toward taking control of its
potential power. We will discuss this concept in greater depth throughout
this book. For now, reflect on the image of a mighty tornado. The force of its
funnel can lift a building off its foundations. Meanwhile, at the center of its
power, all is perfectly still-the eye of the storm. The practice of 9 Palaces Qi
Gong takes this concept far past an abstract philosophical ideal. With it, you
make this transformation a reality within your body.
The next neck exercise should be done carefully. Here, especially, it's

Opening th e Gates • 69
 Fl G U R E 16

important to proceed gently, without forcing the muscles. Reach your left
hand up and place it on the head. Rather than centering your palm at the
very top of the skull, position it over to the right side, the tips of the fingers
just over the top of the ear and the side of the hand near the hairline (Figure
16). Hold on to your head with this hand, feeling energy radiating from the
center of the palm into the brain. While your left hand is protecting your
brain, the right hand comes up under the chin, cupping it with the soft
mound at the base of the thumb. Keeping the jaw relaxed, with the mouth
slightly open, tug the head down three times very lightly to the right, while
pushing up ever so slightly with the hand at the chin. Still supporting the
head, straighten the neck and switch hands slowly, bringing the right hand
to the left side of the head and the left hand under the right side of the chin.
As the hands move into position, at the point where they are parallel with
each other at the sides of the head, softly close and then release them, flick­
ing all the toxins and built-up tensions off of the fingers. Alternate from side
to side for nine sets (Figure 17).
Key points to be aware of with this stretch include, in order of impor-

70 •
Qi Gong f o r Total Wellness
tance: keeping the upper hand to the side of the skull, cradling it securely
while sending energy into the brain; never trying to tug the head farther
than it can easily go; keeping the jaw and lips relaxed; and remembering to
flick the hands as they circle around to the other side of the head. Though
this exercise might seem like a neck stretch, stretching the neck is its least
important feature. By keeping the mouth slack while maintaining a firm grip
on the widest area of the head, your three soft tugs will stretch all the mus­
cles of the scalp. It isolates and elongates the area between the temples and
the top of the jaw. This releases pressure all around the face, eyes and jaw­
line. Tension and poor posture easily distort the point where the jawbone
connects with the skull. This can result in pressure headaches, teeth grinding,
and decreased sensory capacity in the ears, eyes, and nose. This stretch, done
carefully, with attention paid to its subtle details, can relax this area rapidly,
preventing chronic conditions such as TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) dys­
function from setting in.
While loosening key muscles and joints, this stretch also disperses
unwanted energy and nourishes the brain. Remember that the centers of the
palms are two of the five heart centers in the body (the others being the cen­
ters of the soles of the feet and the heart itself, whose energy radiates from
a point corresponding with the middle dan). Throughout the 9 Palaces, we
use the energy of the heart centers to warm and replenish the body. Allowing
the im pu lse to originate in the heart, send its healing energy across the chest,

through the arms and out of the palms. If you don't feel it at first, rest
assured that with practice it will come as easily and quickly as the thought
forms in your mind.
The points over the temples are also important valves between energy
stored inside the head and Oi from the outside environment. Keeping the
temples clear is very relaxing, mentally and physically. By the time the aver­
age person reaches for:ty, bone spurs have appeared in the neck due to grav­
ity, aging, and anything less than perfect posture. This stretch prevents their
worsening. With long-term practice, this stretch loosens what the Taoists
consider the joints in the skull. Normally these sutures solidify quickly in
childhood. By the time we reach adulthood, they have fused completely. As
you increase the level of Oi inside of the body, these joints, as well as others

Opening th e Gates • 71
 FIGURE 18

in the pelvis and base of the spine, can be pushed back open, creating sen­
sations of lightness and release that can be ecstatically pleasurable.
Remember, Qi is stored in the joints, even those we haven't been able to uti­
lize as such since childhood. It just takes practice. Your breath aligned with
your heart will bring you all the Qi you will need.
To finish the neck exercises, return to the soft skin at the base of the
skull. Grasp the flesh between the thumb and fingers of the left hand (Figure
18). This area can be very tight, but hold on firmly and try to get a good grip.
Pinch the skin with the fingers and pull it out, away from the body. Repeat
nine times with each hand. This may not be easy. Very often, eye problems
such as astigmatism and glaucoma can stiffen this spot. Working on this spot
will help maintain healthy eyesight. It lowers eye pressure and can reduce
redness and burning. Dark circles under the eyes indicate weakened Qi.
Pinching the back of the neck can help you recover quickly. It can also tem­
porarily solve problems with the blood supply to the eyes.
If your neck is particularly tight here, you will be running into difficul­
ties beyond the eyes. As mentioned, this area is the portal of the Ghost Gate.
In his years of working in the emergency care clinic in the National Hospital
in Beijing, Dr. Wu saw many patients close to death. At times they would get
very lively remembering many things that had happened to them, the color
returning to their faces as the memories flowed back. However, the backs of
their necks would become as hard and unyielding as marble. This was the sign

72 •
Qi Gong f or T otal Wellness
of their i m m i nent death. Al l l ife and death ca n be read i n the neck. N u rturing
you r neck will bring rewards more precious than gold.

THE SHOULDERS

Working our way down the body, the next exercise focuses on the shou lders,
back, and spi n e. Each vertebra h ouses a series of nerves that con nect to the
organs and muscles. Many i m porta nt acupunctu re poi nts a re ra nged on
either side of the spine. I n this exercise, we a re going to twist the spi ne
to open these points, a l lowing Oi to flow i n and energ i ze the entire body
system .
Cross the a rms a n d ·g rasp t h e shoulders fi rm ly, with t h e fi ngers hol d i n g
onto t h e back (Fig u re 19). Keep t h e el bows slig htly elevated. T h e ha nds and
fingers shou l d be placed close to the neck. They need to l ie stra i gh t back, not
ang led out to the edges of the shou lder, in order to m a i nta i n thei r best hold
and to sta b i l i ze the neck. The c h i n shou l d be kept tucked i nto the neck at a l l
times, to fu rther sta b i l ize the a rea. Lea n for-
ward at no more tha n a forty-five-deg ree
a n g le. This is the beg i n n i n g postu re.
When D r. Wu teaches h is students, he
takes them th ro ug h a prog ression of stages
when i ntrod ucing certa i n exercises. This is one
of the i m porta nt reasons to study Oi Gong
seriously with a n e n l i g htened master. A wise
teacher ca n assess the physica l and energetic
cond ition of his students and ta i l o r the tra i n ­
i n g t o gently o p e n their bod ies t o g reater and
g reater levels of Qi. Often, the fi rst stages of a
pra ctice ca n involve more physica l exertion i n
order t o u n block and strengthen t h e cha n nels.
I n the later stages, when the body is a l ready
open, the physica l difficulty decreases to focus
on gently concentrati n g the Oi a n d rel easi ng
the mind i nto the cultivation. To get the most FIGURE 19

Opening the Gates • 73

out of the 9 Pa l aces, at ti mes we w i l l brea k certa i n exercises down i nto stages
to more fu l ly convey the experience of learn i n g prog ressively with a teacher.
However, if you prefer, it's perfectly acceptab l e to ski p the i n itia l practices
a n d go straight to the fi n a l fo rm. One of the most exceptio n a l prop�rties of
Taoist Oi Gong is that no matter what physica l shape you a re in, the exercises
a re sel f-reg u lating. When you practice 9 Pa l aces, the postu res w i l l natu rally
conform to you r a b i l ity leve l , preventi n g i nj u ry a n d u n necessary stra i n . Th is
is beca use the form comes from you r own i nterpretation of it.
Whenever m u ltiple exercises a re presented, practice the fi rst level for
forty-nine days before movi ng on to the next l evel . Forty-n i ne days, one
week short of two cycles of the moon, is a specia l Taoist i n itiatory time period.
Practice stra i g h t thro u gh without m issi ng a day, and on the last day you w i l l
see t h a t you have g a i ned somethi n g very new. W h a t h a p pens i s d ifferent for
every person. Try it a n d see what you ca n learn.
The fi rst level of the back exercise puts the emp hasis on stretch i n g open
the spine a n d rib cage. While bend i n g at a forty-five-deg ree a n g le, twist the
torso as fa r as it ca n comforta bly go to the left (Fi g u re 20). Keep you r forwa rd
leg sl ig htly bent at the knee to support the body as it tu rns. Once the torso
has turned to its l i m it, conti n u e twisting the u pper torso u pward to the left,
letting the left e l bow lead. Rotate as h i g h as the body's l i m its will permit. Hold
at the top of the stretch for no more than a fraction of a second, then twist
the u pper torso up in the other d i rection, l etti n g the rig h t e l bow lead.
Remember that the body is sti l l turned to the left as this is being done. Fi n ish
by twisting the left el bow back u p and then stra ig hten the back slig htly a n d
twist t o t h e rig ht. Keep twisti ng t o the right, t h i s ti me allowing the right
elbow to lead the torso u p (Fi g u re 2 1). While sti l l facing rig ht, swi n g down,
then u p with the left elbow a n d fi n ish with a fin a l twist led by the right e l bow.
Tu rn back to the center, then l i ft u p from the pelvis, stretch i n g the whole torso
u pwa rd , again lea d i n g with the el bows. Keep the c h i n tucked solidly i nto the
neck to prevent a ny excess cu rvatu re i n the spine. Hold for j ust a moment,
then bend down, making sure the chin is sti l l tucked and the back is flat
(Fi g u re 22). Do not bend down fu rther than a forty-five-deg ree a n g le, i n order
to hold the Oi i n the spi n e. Ben d i n g a ny fu rther, the Oi m i g h t escape out the
base of the spine, i nstead of staying concentrated i n the torso.

74 •
Q i Gong f or T otal W ellness
FIGURE 20 FIGURE 2 1 FIGURE 2 2

To summarize, turn left, further twisting upward, left, right, left; turn

rig ht, twist rig ht, left, rig ht; retu rn to center, stretch a l l the way u p, then
down to a forty-five-degree a n g l e. Th is is one set. Repeat for n i n e sets. Ta king
care to breathe with the pu lse will bring more Qi i nto the body a n d make it
easier a n d l ess u n comfortab l e to do this stretch. Th is stretch is l i ke wri n g i n g
the water o u t o f a w e t towel. B y twisting t h e spine, you a re sq u eezi ng out
the dampness that accu m u lates in the body. By reach i n g upward as you twist,
you a re open i n g the fascia of the rib cag e from the i nside out. As you tu rn,
the poi nts a long the spine, i n c l u d i n g the l ength of the bladder c h a n n e l , open
up. The pressu re poi n ts that reg u late the Five Organs and the Six Hol low
Org a ns a re a l l in the back. Taoist medica l theory emphasizes these pressu re
poi nts as the most d i rect con n ection to the org a ns, each point havi ng its own
spec i a l purpose. Taoists util ize this kind of stretch to exercise the org ans.

Opening the Gates • 75

 These theories differ slig htly from mai nstrea m Chinese medicine, but the
concept beh i n d them is not too d ifficult to explain. In Ch inese medicine, when
applying acupu nctu re need les, rotati ng them forward (cl ockwise) i n a point
replenishes that poi nt, w h i l e twisti ng them backward (cou nterclockwise)
rel i eves the poi nt. Though this is genera l ly correct, there is another level of
information that has to be considered for complete precision when treati ng a
patient. There a re certa in specia l ized acupunctu re points that are considered as
specifi ca l ly storing nou rish ment for the body or d ispersi n g toxi ns a n d stagna­
tion. What exactly a re you tryi ng to accomplish when you treat these points?
Ta ke for exa m p l e a patient who has a toothache. Genera l ly, toothache
i n d icates too m uch heat, pri ncipa l l y i n the stomach. A doctor may use the Ta i
Zhong (Liver 3) a nd Nei Ti ng Xue (Stomach 44) poi nts to treat the pain. These
pa rticu l a r points a re d ispersa l points. The q u estion is, do you twist the need l e
backward t o d isperse the excess h eat, beca use that's t h e specia l ty o f t h e
poi nt? N ot n ecessari ly. If you r patient i s wea k from t h e p a i n , you m i g h t want
to twist forwa rd, replenish i n g the poi nt. You w i l l sti l l be d ispersi ng heat from
those poi nts, but with the nou rishment fou nd i n the clockwise motion of the
creative cycl e of the Five Elements. A Taoist doctor m ust learn to recog n ize
what is true replenishment a n d true d ispersa l.
I n Chinese medici ne, the major objective of treatment is to open the
chan nels u p so that i l l ness a n d blockages ca n be passed through. H owever,
,
h o l lowing out the pi pe, so to speak, doesn't a lways take d i rect force, bori ng
str.aig h t throug h . Someti mes nou rish i n g a related part of the body ca n be
enough to ta ke the pressu re off of a blocked org a n or cha n n e l . You a re d is­
persing by repl e n ish ing. For exa mple, consti pation is not si mply seen as a
d igestive problem. The l u ngs a n d l a rge intesti ne a re viewed together as recip­
rocal partners. If the l u ngs' Qi goes down, it ca n bri ng the e nergy of the larg e
i n testi n e d o w n with it. Just simply d ispersi ng b y ta king a laxative t o sti m u late
the d ig estion a n d l oosen the bowels wou ld be treating the sym ptom, not the
cause. A doctor of Chinese med icine wou l d not d isperse without nourishi n g
the l u ngs first. Replen ish ing t h e l u ngs u p a bove, t h e rest ca n go down b y itself.
As you twist you r spine, you a re usi ng this sa me theory. By stretch i n g
forwa rd, then backwa rd a n d then forwa rd aga i n on each s i d e o f the stretch ,
you a re creating this nou rish i n g a n d d ispersi n g movement on a l l the poi n ts

•
76 Qi Gong f o r Total Wellness
along the spine. The benefit of this exercise is a l l i n the movement. The poi n t
is not t o see how fa r y o u can stretch, but rather how smooth ly you ca n move.
In fact, the secon d l evel of this exercise takes the emphasis off of the twist­
ing a n d focuses a l most entirely on the movement of the torso.
The basic sta nce is the sa me. Sta rt the twist to the left, but this time
instead of conti n u i n g the twist all the way u p while lead i n g with the e lbows,
you're going to keep the back flat. H o l d i n g tig htly on to the sho u l ders for
ba l a nce, feel you r u pper torso movi ng i n the sa me pattern as before, but
gently this time, usin g you r e l bows to g u ide you (Fi g u re 23). It's l i ke a flat
fig u re eig ht or i nfi n ity loop, g a i n i n g momentu m from a ro u n d the spi n a l col­
u m n . You will fee l this centered on the vertebrae between the shoulder
blades. While keeping the back flat a n d the c h i n tucked, see if you ca n
stretch a n d lengthen you rself forward, movi ng forwa rd with you r elbows as
if you were a fish swi m m i n g i n the ocea n . Concentrate on you r breath i n g
pattern a nd the rol l i n g flow o f t h e movement. T h i s w i l l bri n g l a rg e q u a nti­
ties of Oi i nto the spi ne. The more effortlessly you twist, the more Oi you w i l l

FI G U R E 23

Opening t h e Gates • 77
be a b l e to absorb i nto you r back. Twist back a n d forth for about fiftee n sec­
onds w h i l e turned to the l eft, then twist right a n d repeat. Do not stretch u p
a n d down facing forwa rd. J ust turn back to the l eft side a n d conti n u e you r
rol l i ng motion. Repeat u p t o n i ne times on each side, or u nti l you r back feels
warm.
In the fi rst form of the stretch, you a re wri n g i n g d a m pn ess out of the
spine. In the second version, you a re a lso d ispersi ng. H owever, with a g reater
emphasis on the movement, you a re h i g h l ighting replenishmen t. Why is th is?
Movement is Ya ng. By tu rn i n g you r body, you a re adjusting the Ya n g energy
in the spine. By adjusting i t, you a re d ispersing the Ya ng energy outwa rd. But
by focusing on the fig u re-eight motion, you become aware of the fixed point
at the center of you r spine a ro u n d wh ich you a re pivoti ng. Th is is where the
n u trition l ies, where the generation of n ew energy is created. With this twist,
we a re looki ng for the ferti l e Yin point from wh ich the movi ng Ya ng ca n
g row. Yang zhong qu Yin - i n the center of Ya ng moves Yi n . Ya ng e nergy is
being generated up from the core of you r spine. This con ce pt of creating
body m ovement a round a centra l pivot poi n t is p hysica l ly a very si m p l e thing
to m a nage, a n d yet m uch of the h ea l i ng benefit of Qi Gong, as wel l as its
profo u n d mystica l i nsig hts, ca n be rea l ized i n th is motion.
When doing th is stretch , you want to feel very comforta ble a n d relaxed,
as if you were floating i n the G reat Void (taixu). Let you r body easi ly travel
a l o n g with the m otion, wa ndering th roug h space. You w i l l be exercisi n g
every seg ment o f you r spi n e a n d a l l t h e i nterna l org a ns. Over ti me, a s you
practice this exercise, you w i l l fee l su rrou nded by energy, as if som ethi ng is
h o l d i n g you , enveloping you in Qi. You r whole body w i l l fee l l i ke the stil l
pivot poi nt a t the center of the movement. The idea of ta n g i b l e force rising
u p from pure, u ndefi ned potential is not a n i m possi b l e a bstraction. Thro u g h
a si m p l e exercise l i ke th is, you r body ca n q u ickly c o m e t o a physica l u nder­
sta n d ing of this power. Just rel ive the experience of being a fish swi m m i n g
h a p p i ly i n t h e river. The Taoists have l o n g bel ieved that birds evolved d i rectly
from fish. The most recent Western resea rch seems to bear this out. Keep
swi m m i ng . Th is stretch works o n the parts of o u r bod ies that correspond to
the fi ns of the fish and the wings of the b i rds. Use those fi ns e n o u g h a n d o n e
day they wi l l l ift you i n fl i g h t.

78 •
Qi G ong for T otal Wellness
 BR1NG1NG Ql TO THE HANDS

THE FI R 5 T M A J 0 R operation of 9 Pa laces Oi Gong has now been com­

pleted. With the ear, neck, a n d back exercises, the circu lation of Oi th ro u g h ­
out t h e nervous system has b e e n sti m u lated. Next, we have t o get t h e Oi to
a place in the body where it ca n be used li ke a tool. By exe rcisi ng the hands
a n d fi ngers, not o n ly a re the term i n a l points of all the major meridians
cleared, the i m porta nt heart centers i n the m i d d le of the palms a re opened.
As we have sa id before, the heart is the true mind of the body, with the bra i n
merely carryi ng o u t its orders. A crucial goal of the 9 Pa l a ces practice is
merg i n g the wa rmth and will of the hea rt's energy i nto each of the other
orga ns. By blend i n g the hea rt's i ntent with the orga ns' fu nctions, you ca n
tra i n you r body to become more responsive to you r desires. If you wa nt to
q u ickly rel ax, send hea l i n g energy to a sick org a n , or recog n ize cues being
sent to you from you r body a n d the outer envi ronment, you m ust develop
this con nection. Going back to the a n a logy of the heart as the em peror a n d
the other organs a s the m i n isters a n d genera ls, you ca n see the i m porta nce
of creating l i n es of com m u n ication. To ru n an empire or a body with wisdom ,
ha rmony a n d d i a logue m ust be achieved.
At one l evel , fi nger a n d h a n d exercises add to genera l health. The fi ne
ca pilla ries i n the ha nds ca n easi ly get blocked. The i r circu lation needs to be
reg u l a rly attended to i n order to reg u late body tem perature a n d therefore
strengthen the i m m u n e system. Wa rm i n g the hands accom plishes th is, as i n
wa rm i n g the ea rs. Increased circu lation i n the hands, combi ned with m uscle
and joint tra i n i n g of the wrists and fi ngers, w i l l bring more Oi to these im por­
ta nt a reas, i n the sa me m a n ner as the neck a n d spi ne stretches. Red u ced
stress on the joi nts and increased circulation w i l l keep the ha nds su pple,
pa i n-free, a n d a b l e to withsta nd the aging process.
As the fi rst hand exercise ill ustrates, these sorts of strengthen i n g tech­
n i q u es have an even more fu nda menta l pu rpose. You r ha nds and fi ngers, as
extensions of you r heart and organs, a re sensitive tools that i nterpret a n d
d i rect the consta nt flow of O i ci rcu lati n g throughout the u n iverse. Aga i n ,
there's noth i n g m a g i c a l a b o u t th is. B y ope n i n g t h e m icrocirculation network

Ope n i n g th e G a t e s • 79
 F 1 GURE 2 4

i n the h a n ds, this exercise sti m u lates a l l the ci rculatory systems i n the body:
Oi, blood, and nervous systems. Practicing these basic exercises reg ul arly w i l l
b e enough to reconnect with very natu ra l a b i l ities.
From the shou lders, bring the h a n ds slowly down to face the heart cen­
te r. They shou l d be held loosely with the fi ngers gently spread , a bout two
fi sts' d i sta nce away from the chest. Though keeping you r eyes shut isn't nec­
essa ry, th is i s a n ice place to close them and rea l l y relax i n to the exercise. Pu l l
the hands away from each other softly, then feel the m a g n etism i n the fi n­
gertips sta rt to b u i l d a s you bri n g them together a g a i n (Fi g u re 24). Pul l i n g
t h e m a p a rt, feel t h e resista nce. Without effort, l et t h e i r attra ction d ra w them
back, a l m ost touch i ng but not q uite. It's i m porta nt to keep the fi ngers slig ht­
ly spread and staggered, as if you were about to i nterlace them. You don't
wa nt to move the energy just between the fi n g e rti ps, but a round each enti re
fi nger, i n c l u d i n g the th u m bs.
Continue unti l sensations sta rt to a rise in the fi ngertips and h a n ds. You
m i g h t feel ti n g l i n g or an i m p ression of heavi n ess or thicke n i ng. It could a l so
fee l as if you a re pul l i ng stra n d s of taffy between your fi ngers. Feel the fl ow­
i n g there. This is the Oi a rrivi n g in your hands. If you a re havi ng troubl e feel­
i n g a nyth ing, keep your hands closer together. With practice, you will fee l a

80 •
Qi G o n g fo r To t a l W e l l n e s s
cu rrent of energy su rrou n d i n g you r h a n ds, fl owi ng between you r fi ngers. This
energy is a com b i nation of Oi, bioelectricity, and magnetic force. Th is is the
energy that binds the cel ls together. By tu n i n g i n to this level of energy, you
a re consciously b u i l d i ng and m a i n ta i n i ng you r health on a deep cel l u la r l eve l .
A s you move you r hands apart, you w i l l fee l th is cu rrent sprea d i n g d e e p i n to
you r body, the Oi of the hea rt ope n i n g a n d movi ng as one with the h a nds.
You a re creating this con n ection thro u g h you r hands a n d you r heart.
The next h a n d exercise is very a ncient. Some consider this one of La o Zi's
ori g i n a l thirteen movements. After a l lowing the sensation of Oi to come to
the ha nds, hold you r ha nds out i n two loose fists i n front of the chest ( Fig u re
25). You r hands m ust be hol low, not clenched, to let the flow of Oi pass
through. Sta rti ng with the forefi ngers, cover each fi nger i n turn with the
th u m b, and then fl ick the fi ngers out from under the th u m b, n i ne ti mes for
each fi nger ( Fig u re 26). Work you r way down from the forefi ngers to the
p i n kies, trying to keep the rest of the fi ngers cu rled i n to the hol low fists at
the sa me time. Th is ta kes q u ite a l ot of coord i nation and strength, especia l ly
when you get to the ring fingers and pinkies. Do the best you ca n, knowing that
as you practice, you will be building up this strength. When you have fl icked
each finger ind ivid u a l ly nine times, fl ick
all the fingers at once agai nst the
thu m bs for n i n e repetitions ( Fig u re 27).
The fi nger fl icki ng shou l d be done
gently but explosively, putting you r
arms and shoulders i nto it, if you wish.
Feel as if you a re flicki ng off all toxins
and emotion a l debris from the ti ps of
you r fingers. This exercise stim u lates the
acupuncture points on the fingertips
and hands, opening the merid ians and
a l lowing for a steady exchange of Oi
i nto and out of the body.
There is a story of a q u estion
Confucius posed to Lao Zi : "Why is
fl icking the fi n g e rs considered the F IG U RE 25

Ope n i n g t h e G a t e s • 81
 FIGURE 2 6

F I GURE 2 7

most i m porta nt of a l l the exercises?" Lao Zi rep l ied with a d isco u rse on one­
ness. Everyth i n g is one. One represents the futu re. Yi n and Ya ng together a re
one. Life is o n e. The force of Taiji the Yi n Ya ng symbol, a lways moves i n one
d i rection at a time. Who's to say whether o u r fi rst cry at b i rth is from bitter­
ness at being stri pped from the wom b o r excitement a t beg i n n i ng o u r life?
W h i l e there a re a lways two ways to approach l i fe, with bitterness or excite­
ment, fi n ger-fl ickin g u n ites everyth i n g as one. It is sa id that when pra cticing
the fi nger-fl icki ng exercise, you r true nature, g ood or bad, is d isplayed o n
you r face. T h e u n ity created withi n from t h i s pra ctice has t h e a b i lity t o ele­
vate you r i n ner self.
To u ndersta n d this, we n eed to take a close look at what each fi nger rep­
resents. On a physica l l evel, the condition of the fi ngers ca n revea l m a ny
things a bout one's state of health. Western a n d C h i n ese med icine both a g ree
o n this poi nt. From a Western perspective, sym ptoms of n u mbness i n the fi n ­
gertips a re used a s i nd icators o f heart d isease a n d stroke d a mage. From a
Ch i n ese medica l point of view, the t h u m b is a term i n a l point for the l u n g
meri d i a n . The i n dex fi nger, w h i l e tech n ica l ly t h e l a rge i ntestine point, a lso
regu lates the l u n gs. The m i d d l e fi nger beg i ns the Tri p l e Wa rmer pathways,

82 •
Qi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
and the p i n kie governs the sma l l i ntesti n e a n d hea rt. By fl icking the fi ngers,
you a re cleari ng these c h a n nels.
For a Taoist, the fi ngers hold a deeper sig n ifica nce. The i r m a g n etism ca n
be d eveloped to resonate with vibratio n a l cues from the enviro n ment. For
exa m p l e, a si m p l e but effective tra i n i ng exercise for b u i l d i n g vibration sensi­
tivity i nvolves fi l l i ng a deep bowl with ric�, then a d d i n g enou g h water to
com pletely cover the rice by a bout an i nch. I m m e rse you r fi ngers up to the
knuckles and cycl e them towa rd you with a gentle, ca ressing stroke. Do t h is
for ten m i nutes every n i g ht before you go to sleep. If you ca n practice for
one h u n d red days without m issi ng a day, you r fi ngers w i l l have a new ability
to sense Oi. A hea lthy or sick plant or a dead a n i m a l b u ried u ndergro u nd w i l l
resu lt i n d ifferent sensations reg istering on t h e fi n gerti ps as you pass by. Th is
is a very i m porta nt element in the d etection and diag nosis of i l l n ess as wel l.
By passi ng the Oi of t � e h�nds a long a patient, a ski l led Taoist doctor ca n
p i n point the location a n d m a n ner of the sickness.
At a n even deeper l eve l , each fi nger resonates with the im porta nt peo­
ple in you r life. A sudden sensation felt in a pa rticu l a r finger cou l d i n dicate
cha nges ha ppen i n g or a bout to take place in the l ife of a loved one. You r
forefi nger represents you r mother, t h e m id d l e fi nger is fo r you r father, the
ri ng fi nger sta nds for you r siblings a n d spouse, a n d the p i n kie depicts you r
friends. Changes i n you r own l ife ca n b e i nterpreted thro u g h you r th u m bs.
The Taoists have thoro u g h ly resea rched this phenomenon a n d h ave outli ned
many d ifferent classes of sensation, each with its sepa rate i m p l i cations.
This may sou n d u nbel i eva b l e, but D r. WU has observed this cond ition
time a nd time a g a i n . To relate one story out of ma ny, a patient ca m e to Dr.
Wu for treatment. She had severe pain i n her forefinger and came to the cl inic
expecting a n acupunctu re treatment. D r. Wu took her aside a n d told her that
to be honest, her cond ition was not som eth i n g h e cou l d treat medical ly. She
was fee l i n g this pa i n beca use there was som eth i n g wrong w ith her mother.
" How cou l d that be possible?" she repl ied. Her mother had d ied m a ny yea rs
before. The pa i n i n her finger was her mother's way of reach i n g out to her
from across the l evels of the l iving a n d the dead. D r. Wu tol d h is patient to
burn her own favorite d ress to help her mother, who was col d in the world
beyond. After she bu rned the clothes, her mother wou l d be fi ne. At fi rst the

Opening t h e Gates • 83
patient was rel u cta n t to b u rn her favorite outfit, but a fter she d i d , the pa i n
i n her finger im mediately va n ished. There is no way to exp l a i n this scientifi­
ca l ly. It is pa rt of the wisdom of the Tao.
Finger-fl icking not only sensitizes the fingers to pick up on the messages
sent out by you r friends and fa m i ly. More i m porta nt, it helps to relieve a ny prob­
lems that may be affecting them. To see things through the eyes of a Taoist,
every part of the body reflects the world around it. There's more than a physi­
ca l reason why the easiest fi nger to flick is you r forefinger, representing you r
relationsh ip with you r mother. Th is i s t h e strongest bond a person can have. Just
as you are strengthening and straig htening you r fi ngers, you are harmonizing
and sol i d ifyi ng you r relationsh i p with the people who mean the most to you.
The sa me th ing appl i es to bringing i n more l uck for you rsel f. Th is exercise
ca n he l p protect you by wa rn i n g you when trouble is near. One of Dr. Wu's
students woke suddenly i n the mid d l e of the n i g h t with a horri bl e cra m p i n
h e r t h u m b. I t was s o pa i nfu l she cou l d n't fa l l back to sleep u ntil t h e early
morn i ng . U pon fa l l i ng asleep, she had a d rea m i n wh ich Dr. Wu was h o l d i n g
her th u m b. J ust as he w a s a bout t o tel l her h o w h e w a s going t o treat i t , her
a larm clock ra ng, a g a i n wa king her a bru ptly. Al l day, her th u m b was sore a n d
later t h a t afternoon, s h e w a s rea r-ended b y a n u n i nsured motorist w h i l e wa it­
ing at a traffic l i g ht. As it tu rned out, she did come to Dr. Wu for treatment
and ended u p in a better state of health than before the accident. Use the
cues picked u p by your fi ngerti ps to avoid trouble. I f you feel an u n natura l
d iscom fort i n a ny o f you r fi ngers, i t shou l d b e a sig n a l to you to that da nger
and d isha rmony a re about. By taking extra time to do plenty of fi nger fl ick­
ing, combi ned with the previous exercise, u nti l the pa i n subsides, you ca n
avert m a ny potenti a l problems. By merg i n g the energy of you r fi ngers i nto a
whole, you a re by extension merg i ng as one with the people in you r l i fe, as
wel l as with you rself. By u n iting a l l energ ies as one with i n you rsel f, you w i l l
fi nd you r other half, that brig ht, sh i n i n g sta r i n t h e heavens a bove.

84 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 F 0 U R

Retu rn i n g t o
th e S o u rce

FOR THE TAO1 ST i ntern a l a l c h e m ists, the si n g l e g reatest sea rch a lo n g

the p a t h of fi n d i n g the Tru e S e l f w a s a i m ed at fin d i n g the means t o reu n ite

with the other h a l f of o ne's sou l , a n d so with the rest of the u n iverse. In the

cou rse of their study, n u merous i nsig hts i n to the rhyth ms and patterns of

the body and the u n iverse were d iscovered . M a ny were of a concrete phys­

ica l nature, m a ki n g i n roads in the fields of med icine, astronomy, chem istry,
a n d meteorology. Others were spiritua l a n d occu lt. Perha ps the most i n ter­
esti n g of their d iscoveries involve a synthesis of the two. The path toward
finding you r other half is one of these. Tho u g h i nvolvi ng mystica l concepts
that can o n ly be perceived through esoteric cultivation, this path is firm ly
rooted in the physica l growth of the body.

TH E l M M O R TAL F E TU S

LIKE A SEED SPROUTIN G i nto a ta l l pla nt, there is a spark of u n iver­

sa l energy that g rows up with i n us q u ite natura l ly. Taoist Oi Gong seeks to
n u rture this g rowth, el i m i nati ng obstacles a n d speed i n g its maturity. Known
in Chinese as Yuan Ying, this is the legendary I m m orta l Fetus. The practice of
9 Pa laces Oi Gong is the key to u n lock the secrets of this very m isunderstood,
and very im portant, concept.
M uch has been sa id of the si m p l icity a n d subtle evocativeness of the
Ch i n ese l a n g u age. A si n g l e word can act as a porta l ope n i n g onto a deep,
p h i losoph ica l teaching. Yuan l itera l ly means " pri mary." The character is com ­
posed of elem � nts that com b i n e t o i l l ustrate the con cept o f the su perior
h u m a n . Yuan is a l so related to a nother chara cter, si m i l a rly pronounced yuan,
which means "ori g i n a l " " i n itia l," or "first" a n d is depicted by the i m a g e of a
mou nta i n spri ng g ushing from the sid e of a cliff-the sou rce of water. I n a l l ,
Yuan is t h e Source, t h e beg in n ing o f l ife.
Ying is a ba by or i nfa nt, as opposed to a fetus. Here i n l ies an i m p·orta nt
d isti nction. As mentioned in the previous cha pter, at the moment of birth,
the hun, shen, a n d po, or spirit, sou l , a n d a n i m a l spirit spl its, half enteri ng the
newborn baby a nd the other half rema i n i ng as a cosmic particle, or ling zi,
floating freely through the u n iverse. The i n ner practice of Taoist Oi Gong
attem pts to recon n ect these two ha lves i nto a whole, a l lowing a whole new
l evel of sel f-a ware ness a n d cosmic insig h t. This recon nected whole is the
Yuan Ying. The g estation of the Yuan Ying refers to the physica l means of
bri n g i n g the i nterna l and externa l ha lves of your bei n g together. I t ca n be
u n derstood as a space that ca n be opened t h rou g h which you r ling, or cos­
m ic energy, ca n flow together. At the sa me time, it is a l iving entity with a

86 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
pu rpose, the reu n ification of the self its si n g l e goa l .
As a con d u it, t h e Yuan Ying m ust b e developed a n d
m a i nta i n ed. As a g rowing org a n ism, it m ust b e n u r­
tu red a n d brought i nto awareness.
The Yuan Ying is present i n every person. It l i es
i nside us l i ke a seed waiti ng to sprout. The 9 Pa l a ces
Qi Gong seeks to sti m u late a n d nou rish the g rowth
of the Yuan Ying. The Taoists bel i eve that there is a
stron g con n ection between h u mans a n d pla nts. The
h u m a n body is com m o n ly visua l i zed as a l otus
pla nt. The pa rts of the body below the wa ist are
seen as the roots floati ng under water. The torso is
the stem , the leaves the a rms, the head the l otus
flower, and the bra i n as the seed pod at the center
of the blossom. As the plant strews its seed to per­
petuate itself, so too does a person's consciousness
shape the events a n d experiences of his or her l ife.
The g rowth of the Yuan Ying is a lso l i kened to the b losso m i n g of a lotus.
At b i rth, the nascent Yuan Ying resides in the l ower dan tian. In the early
yea rs, the Yuan Ying ta kes root i n the body and sta rts to send out a shoot,
j ust as a seed g rad u a l ly spl its open to a l low the new sprout to come curl i n g
out. A t age four, th e Yuan Ying is stro ng e n ough t o sta nd up a n d sta rt form­
i n g the peta ls of the l otus. Now beg ins a period of ra pid development, where
every part of the c h i l d 's body g rows in one coord inated u n it-orga ns, bones,
m uscles, and the Yuan Ying. By n i n e yea rs of age, the Yua n Ying w i l l h ave
become a n i n e-peta led l otus.
Besides l i n ki n g the h u m a n body and the l otus, the Taoist sages particu­
la rly emphasized the correspondence between h u m a ns and trees. The u n iverse
is seen as the edge arou nd the circu l a r symbol of Yi n a n d Ya ng. On this Wheel
of Creation, each order of existence has its place. First come h u m a ns, then
ghosts, then rocks, and so on. The l ast spot on the circle is reserved for the
trees. However, since there is no beg i n n ing or e n d i n g point i n a n u n b roken cir­
cle, trees a n d h u m a n beings a re i n fact neither sepa rate nor different from
each other. Just as trees release oxygen i nto the a i r for the benefit of the envi-

•
R e t u r n i n g t o the S o u rc e 87
 ron ment, so do people who practice Qi Gong release
positive Qi for the benefit of the rest of the world.
-'If..
'" :.� With the proper nou rish ment, both h u m a ns and
-'ck
' , \
:1/-
,,'
trees ca n l ive long, hea lthy l i ves, each m a k i n g their
contributions. What do trees need to g row stra ig h t and
ta l l ? Water to nou rish at the root a n d sun l i g h t to stim­
u l ate p hotosynthesis for circu lati n g n u trition a n d gen­
erating new cel ls. With a ca refu l bala n ce of water and
sun, the tree bea rs its fru i t. A you n g tree m ust be care­
fu l l y tended so it may safely mature. A sa p l i n g n eeds
the perfect ba l a n ce of su n l ig h t and moistu re for its
surviva l. Too much water w i l l lead to i nfection a n d rot,
w h i l e too m uch fiery heat w i l l b u rn its tender shoots.
The sa me holds true for_ the g rowth and health of
the h u m a n body, as wel l as the Yuan Ying. G rowth and
hormonal bala nce a re d i rectly related to the kid neys
a n d su rround i n g g la n ds, w h i l e proper blood c i rcu lation
brings oxygen a n d energy to the cel ls. After warm i n g
the ea rs, l oose n i n g the n e c k a n d spi ne, a n d bri n g i n g
the Q i t o the h a n ds, the next exercise o f 9 Pa laces Qi
Gong u n ifies the energy of the kidneys a n d hea rt.
Balancing the fi re of the h ea rt with the water of the
kid neys rel eases a potent new energy that nou rishes
and strengthens the Yuan Ying. Th is is the mysterious concept of "merg i n g
fire a n d water." Once strengthened, the Yuan Ying c a n conti n u e its upward
g rowth towa rd bea ring its own fru it.

MER G 1 N G F1RE AN D WATER

"MERG1N G F1RE AND water" has a lways been referred to i n h ushed

ton es, someth i n g u nobta i na b l e and i mpossi ble to u ndersta n d , perha ps
i nvolvi n g a rcane rituals or secret sexual acts. Actua l ly, it's i ncred i b ly simple,
based on the principles of Chinese and Taoist medicine. The kid n eys a re con -

•
88 Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 FIGURE 2 8

sidered the sou rce of water i n the body a n d the h ea rt the sou rce of fire. Si nce
the energy,of the hea rt has outlet poi nts i n the centers of the pa l ms, putting
them togethe r with the kidneys will bring their energ ies togeth er. Basica l ly,
you want to get the Oi flowi n g i n to the hands, then rub them on the l ower
back, over the kid n eys, u ntil the enti re a rea is hot. The i n c reased warmth a n d
circulation wi l l he lp you t o replen ish t h e kidneys' O i . A t a deeper level of
u n dersta n d i n g , a l l the n utrients necessa ry for the healthy g rowth of the Yua n
Ying w i l l b e cultivated.
To reca p, after fi n i sh i n g the fi nger-fl icki n g exercises, you h ave cleared
out th"e term i n a l points of the meridians in each fi nger a n d focused the Oi
i nto the fi ngertips. Next, you a re g o i n g to bring the heat from the heart i nto
the center poi nts (lao gong points) of the pa l ms. Bri n g the hands back
arou n d so the pal ms face the chest at heart level . Hold them about two fists'
d ista nce away from the body. Sta rt gently sha king you r hands at the wrists,
keeping everyth i n g loose and relaxed, with the pa l ms subtly cu p ped (Fi g u re
28). The head can be down or up, the eyes open or shut. G radua l ly i ncrease
the speed of the sha k i n g until you a re going as fast as you ca n , you r hands
a blu r.

R e t u rn i n g t o t h e S o u r c e •
89
 Ta ke ca re to keep the sta ndard of fou r beats to a n i n ha l e a n d fou r beats
to a n exh a l e breath ing pattern as you sha ke. It's very easy to hold you r breath
with th is exercise. Th is ca n lead to the shou l d e rs a n d a rms tensi n g up, which
is n ot o n ly tiring, but ca n b lock the flow of Oi, leavi ng you sore and b reath­
l ess. As usu a l , if you have to choose between relaxed, even b reath i n g a n d
d o i n g the exercise t o maxi m u m physica l ca pacity, a lways go with d o i n g a l it­
tle l ess a n d concentrati ng on you r b reathi ng. You wi l l fi nd that this way, you r
sta m i na a n d flexi b i l ity w i l l more ra p i d ly i m p rove tha n i f you pushed you rself
past you r l i m it. Relaxi ng i nto the exercise will let the Oi do the work for you .
S h a ke you r h a n ds as fast a s possib l e for one t o two m i n utes, or u ntil the
h a nds fee l hot and ting ly. Feel as if you a re fa n n i n g the fi re i n you r hea rt with
you r h a n ds, until its fla mes shoot stra i g ht from you r chest i nto the centers
of you r pal ms. You don't have to actu a l ly visu a l ize fiery ton g u es of fla me.
J u st concentrate on tra nsferrin g heat i n to you r pa l m s from you r heart i n
whatever way works for you. The h a rder you concentrate o n th is, the q u icker
you r hands w i l l heat u p. Otherwise, you m i g h t be shaking you r ha nds for
q u ite a w h i l e before you feel a ny change. You a re not necessa ri ly g o i n g to
feel a ny stron g sensations when you fi rst sta rt p racticing this exercise, but
fi rmly concentrating on the con nection between the heart center a n d the
centers of the p a l ms will speed u p you r resu lts. Anothe r added benefit of set­
ting you r attention between heart a n d hands is that it w i l l a l low the warm
Oi to evenly spread not o n ly i nto the pal ms, but open out th ro u g h the chest
cavity a n d a rms as wel l .
Lea n i n g forwa rd very slig htly from t h e waist ca n m a ke it easier t o sha ke
you r hands faster a n d for a longer time without tiring. Letting g ravity hold
you u p i n this m a n n er ta kes stress off the chest, open i n g the rib cage.
Shaking the ha nds i n this position optim izes the blood flo � t h roughout the
body, especia l ly to and from the hea rt. By d rawing excess tension out from
the chest, where it is so often stored, the i ntern a l organs ca n rel ax. The
motion of the shoulders and a rms that comes along with shaking you r wrists
also ra pidly d isperses blockages i n the chest as well. You might feel this pent-up
energy flowi n g across the chest, down the a rms, then fi l l i n g the hands as you
concentrate on the con n ection between the centers of the pa l m s a n d the
hea rt. Reg u l a r p ractice ba l a n ces the ci rcu lation throughout the u pper body.

•
90 Q i G o n g fo r To t a l W e l l n e s s
By shaking the excess energy of the heart into the h a n ds, you ease the d u ti es
of o u r ha rdest-working m uscle. I n effect, you a re tra i n i n g you r body to pick
u p the slack for you r heart, savi ng it from overwork.
This is a n excellent exercise for sore wrists. If you spend a l l day at the
typewriter or have a sports i nj u ry, warming and loose n i n g you r wrists in this
manner will g ive you fast rel ief. Also, the Taoists bel ieve that this exercise has
the a b i l ity to ca l m a troubled heart, or even erase u n h a ppy memories left
over from c h i l d hood. One of Dr. Wu's students is a w e l l -known Chi n ese med­
ica l doctor who has used this exercise to g reat effect with h is patients.
Frequently, if patients come to h i m in the m i d d l e of a severe pa n i c attack, h e
w i l l practice ha nd-sha king .with t h e m for t e n or fifteen m i n utes i n lieu of
g iving them acupunctu re, a n d they w i l l ca l m themselves a n d beg i n to
breathe norm a l ly a g a i n . It's a very usefu l tech n iq u e for m a n a g i n g emotiona l
stress. It efficiently rel eases tension a n d tra u matic experiences.
Th is m i g h t seem l i ke a simple if slightly stren uous exercise. Don't u nder­
esti mate its physi ca l and psychosomatic effects. You a re red istributing Qi,
blood circu lation, a n d nerve i m pu lses throug hout the entire u pper body. The
l u ngs, hea rt, l iver, a n d bra i n a re a l l clea nsed by this tota l circu lation
e n h a n cer. If you recogn ize the con n ection betwee n emotion a l states and
deeply entrenched tension tra pped i n the orga ns, it's easy to u ndersta n d how
rel easi ng this rigid ity ca n bring emoti o n a l as wel l as physica l release.
Once you r h a n ds a re thoroug hly heated , qu ickly stop a nd fold you r
h a n ds i nto l ig h t fists, a s i f to g ra b onto a l l the Q i you have j u st generated.
The n lean over at the wa ist at no more than a forty-five-deg ree a n g l e, p lace
you r hot pa l ms over you r kidneys (the back of the wa ist), and sta rt rubb i n g
vigorously u p a n d d o w n (Fi g u re 29). Tra nsfer t h e h e a t i n you r ha nds a n d
heart thro u g h you r s k i n a n d muscle i nto you r kidneys. Keep rubb i n g u nti l t h e
entire a rea is very hot. Aga i n , this is a spot where it is particula rly easy to
hold you r breath. This very vigorous exercise works out you r shou lders a n d
a rms as m u c h as it heats you r kid n eys. M a ke every effort t o keep you r b reath
as l i g h t and reg u l a r as you ca n. It w i l l g ive you the sta m i na you w i l l need to
fu l ly sti m u late you r circu lation in this crucia l spot.
Some people have a tendency to look down at their feet when rubbing
their kidneys. Th is wi l l work agai nst them by overa rch i n g the back, ca usi ng

•
R e t u rn i n g t o t h e S o u r c e 91
 F1GURE 2 9

stress on the shoulders a n d m a k i n g it d i fficult to breathe p roperly. Keep you r

ch i n tucked i n , eyes looki n g forwa rd , i n order t o keep you r spine perfectly
stra i g h t a nd you r chest a n d shoulders rel axed. You want to lea n forwa rd
slig htly to g ive yo u r shoulders a good ra nge of motion as you rub. Also, lean­
i n g forwa rd a l l ows all the organs to hang freely, tak i n g pressu re off the rib
cag e a n d upper chest, which cou l d tense up otherwise. However, you don't
wa nt to lean forwa rd more than forty-five deg rees. Bend i n g over too fa r at
the waist will ca use the Qi to "sl ide" off the spine, i n stead of poo l i n g at the
lower back over the kid n eys.
Idea l ly, rub the kidneys vigorously at l east one h u n d red times for the
g reatest hea l i ng effect. R u bbing you r pa lms on bare ski n is best, tho u g h not
a bso l u tely necessa ry. The poi nt is to create the maxi m u m a m ou nt of friction
and heat. Keep concentrating on the con nection between the h ea rt and the
cente rs of the pa l ms, fee l i n g it flow l i ke l i q u i d fi re i nto the kidneys. This
might create a powerfu l sensation, as if receivi ng a n electric jolt. This is a

•
92 Q i G o n g fo r To t a l W e l l n e s s
common experience when sta rti n g to p ractice Oi Gong. Remember that you
are putting large amounts of bioelectric energy into your body. All the warm-up
exercises of 9 Pa l aces Oi Gong help tra i n the body to a bsorb g reater q u a nti­
ties of Oi. With time, yo u will become l itera l ly more "gro u nded," and these
effects w i l l g rad u a l ly subside. In the mea n ti m e, try to keep you r ba la nce a n d
breath a n d keep on rubb i n g .
R u b b i n g the kid neys, after sha k i n g t h e h a n ds energ eti ca l ly, rep l e n i shes
the kidneys' jing, or essence. Th is a ids a wide va ri ety of kidney d iseases,
i n c l u d i n g kid n ey stones, i n fections, a n d va rious degrees of ren a l toxicity.
From a C h i n ese medica l perspective, nou rish ing the k i d n eys i n this m a n n e r
a l so is beneficial for the orga ns rel ated t o t h e kidneys. U rogenita l d isorders,
lower back pa i n , prematu re ejaculation, i m potence, a n d other, particula rly
ma l e, fert i l ity problems ca n a l l be add ressed by strengthe n i n g kidney essence.
It's cruc i a l to m a ke the ha nds hot before beg i n n i n g to rub the kidneys.
Thoug h you ca n practice the ha nd-shaking exercise i ndependently of rubbing
the k i d n eys, do not sta rt the kidney- rubbing u n l ess you have shaken you r
hands u ntil they a re hot. To achieve the maxi m u m benefit from this exercise,
the hea rt's essence m ust be a roused a n d concentrated i nto the lao gong
poi n ts in the pal ms. In order for the heart a n d kidneys to com m u n icate, for
fi re a n d water to merge, they m ust fi rst "see" each other. If you ca n picture
the i m porta nt po ints of the body as each havi ng thei r own set of eyes that
can m a ke contact with one a n other, just as two lovers gaze i nto each other's
eyes, you a re very close to the Taoist u ndersta n d i n g of com m u n ication.
This is the fi rst of m a ny exercises i n 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong where the nour­
ish i n g power of the heart is fused with the energy of the other org a n s i n
order t o u p l ift a n d l ig hten the i r fu nctions. Taoist esoteric medicine focuses
on getting the tota l body's systems to work together in a cooperative m a n ner.
The "Merg i ng Fi re a n d Water" exercise is a good i l l ustration of this concept.
The kidneys a re the em bod i ment of the water element. This ma kes practica l
sense, considering that the natura l prod u ct of the kidneys is u r i ne. A l l the
n egative i m p l i cations of water-co l d ness, bei ng waterlogged -ca n be
clea red up by a pplyi ng a l ittl e fi re, the element represented by the hea rt.
Water, on the other hand, is the perfect way to q uench an out of contro l
blaze. A l l o f water's negative q u a l ities n o w come i n q u ite h a ndy. Water a n d

•
R e t u rn i n g to the S o u rce 93
fi re, though on the su rface a ntithetica l to each other, actu a l ly ca n h e lp each
other a g reat deal-if they "ag ree to a g ree." This is true com m u n ication.
Water is worki ng together with fi re, two friends at a h i g her level of m utua l
u n d e rsta n d i ng.
To ta ke this a step fu rther, n ot only the kidneys a n d heart a re con nect­
i n g in this exercise. If a m a n is excessively nervous, a Taoist doctor w i l l diag­
n ose h is p roblem as stem m i n g from a wea k l iver. He will treat the patient by
nourish i n g h is l iver. The l iver is the wood element. The kidneys a re water.
Water feeds wood. The positive, l ife-susta i n i n g cha racteristics of water have
as im porta nt a use as its negative, contro l l i n g aspects. Rubbing the kid neys
i ncreases a n d e n h a nces the fu nction of the l iver l i ke water h e lps a plant to
g row.
Along with the l iver, the l u ngs a re a lso broug h t i nto play by kid ney rub­
bing. Besides the obvious fact that the harder you rub you r kidneys, the m ore
you exercise every part of you r chest, Five Elements theory is subtly at work.
Though the l ungs represent the meta l element and meta l offici a l ly nou rishes
water, the reasoning behind this ca n get rather obscu re. It sta rts to m a ke more
sense when one learns that the Taoists also conceptua lize the l u ngs as w h ite
clouds. Clouds produce ra in. What cou ld be more natu ra l , or a uspicious? J ust
as hea rt fi re clea rs u p dampness in the kidneys, it ca n revita l ize chi l l a n d stag­
nation i n the l ungs. Aga i n , rubbi ng the kidneys brings it a l l home.
liver, l u ngs, hea rt, kid n eys: all of these org a ns a re fused together at the
point d i rectly opposite the navel by rubbing the back. Th is point is known as
the Ming Men the Gates of life. The Ming Men is often referred to as being
-

of water. This is n o ord i n a ry water, as rel ates to the kidneys. It's better to
t h i n k of it as the water one fi nds in the Fou nta i n of Youth, for the Ming Men
is a lso the seat of jing, or vita l essen ce. Specifica l ly, this is the prenata l jing,
the part of you r essence that belongs to you r other half i n the heave n ly
rea l m . You ca n thi n k of the Ming Men as the physica l a nchor poi nt of you r
other h a lf. B y rubbing t h e kidneys, you a re not o n l y promoti ng fertil ity a n d
longevity, y o u a re e n h a n c i n g you r attachment to you r other h a l f's portion of
hun (sou ! ) , shen (spi rit) , a n d po ( a n i m a l spirit) . When we recog n ize that
accord i n g to Taoist i n ner a l chemy the hun resides i n the l iver, the shen i n the
heart, the po i n the l u ngs, a n d the wate r that u n ites them all i n the kidneys,

•
94 Qi G o n g fo r To t a l W e l l n e s s
a true marvel is revealed. We h ave come ful l circle, back to t h e g rowth of the
Yuan Ying.
Here is the si n g u la r medicine for the physica l as wel l as the spi ritu a l self.
It's a perfectly elegant demonstration of how nou rish i n g the body physica l ly
simu lta neously nou rishes it o n the most subtle e nergetic p l a ne. As a person
places h i m or herself as the ba l a n ce poi nt between the movements of Heaven
and Earth, the spark that feeds his or her conti n ued g rowth is struck. Merg i n g
fire a n d water is no different t h a n merg i n g Heaven a n d Ea rth, wh ich i s no
different than sim p ly i n creasi n g the health of you r kid n eys by rubbing them
until they a re hot.
After bei n g vita l ized by this nou rish ment, the Yua n Yi n g conti n u es its
upward c l i m b. When u pon b i rth the hun, shen, a n d po split i n two, h a l f enters
the h u m a n i nfant, or ren ying, thro u g h the n avel a n d d escends to take root
in the lower dan tian. It g rows from the lower dan tian to the m i d d l e dan
a n d then to the u pper dan. From there, it flows down to the M i n g Men point,
that l i n k to the moment of b i rth-a nd sepa ration-then d i rectly back
thro u g h to the nave l . As the circu it com pletes, the Ren and D u chan nels that
circle the body a re fu l l y activated. Li ke the poi n t on the circle that is both its
beg i n n i n g a n d e n d i n g mark, the Yuan Ying becomes ready to emerg e from
the body a fter a cycle that returns it to the p lace that holds the m e mory of
b i rth. At this stage, the body is suffused a n d surro u n ded by a h a l o of wh ite
light. This is the sign that the Yuan Ying h as been rel eased from the body. It
is n ow free to travel throughout every d imension of the u n iverse, two h al ves
u nited as one, free a n d without l i m its. The H u m a n Tree has progressed to the
next stage-the Dragon Tree.
In this idea, the Taoist representatio n of the u n iverse as the u nbroken
circle of Ta i Chi is taken one step further. Since every point i n this circle flows
together with the n ext, the Taoist sag es consider there is a ctu a l ly very l ittle
sepa ration between the different orders of creation. In our travels befo re a n d
after this l ife as a cosm ic pa rticle, we pass t h ro u g h a n d encou nter every type
of existen ce-an i m a l a n d m i nera l , plant and p u re energy. Our ling experi­
ences it a l l . When we learn to rel ease o u r Yuan Ying from the body, it passes
thro u g h a l l sol id objects, beyon d every d i mension of space a n d time to the
Heavenly Rea l ms, sea rch i n g ceaselessly u ntil it fi nds a n d u n ites with o u r

R e t u r n i n g t o t h e S o u rc e •
95
other h a l f, known as the mi ying, or "secret infa nt." Rejoi n i n g with o u r ling
Oi, we ca n achieve a level of wisdom that stays with us, a i d i n g the decisions
we m a ke i n o u r l ives a n d show i n g us the way towa rd new forms of cu ltiva­
tion a n d service. U lti mately we come to recog n ize o u r true pu rpose i n the
cosm ic scheme. Th is is the wisdom of the Dragon and each one of us has it
deep with i n us, wa iting to be brought out.
Now the image of the Ta i Ch i sym bol becomes clear. The c i rcle is the u n i­
verse. The spa rk of Yin that g rows with i n the field of Ya ng reach i ng heaven­
wa rd is the Yuan Ying. It is the h u m b l e seed that shoots u pward , u n iting
p hysica l existence with cosm ic awa reness. The point of Ya ng with i n the Yi n
is what we g ive back to the world from o u r jou rney to o u r other h a l f-the
H u ma n Tree and the Dragon Tree. As the ta l l trees touch the sky with their
prayers, so too do the d ragons with their fl ig ht. So too do we with the p rac­
tice of Oi Gong. Everything that reaches up to h eaven is a tree. An a ncient
Tao ist proverb states Tai yang yi huo long, ren shi yi jing ling: "The Sun is the
Fi re Dragon, H u m a n ki n d is the essentia l energy f)f the cosmos." As the h i g h ­
est form o f tree, w e m a y release o u r prayers a nywhere w e m a y be. As t h e tree
prod uces oxygen, we prod uce hea l i n g l i g ht-the l i g h t of the Yua n Yi ng
released. The practice of Oi Gong w h i l e sta n d i n g i n front of a tree a n d fac­
i n g the su n is s i m ply a ritu a l d esi g n ed to e m body t h i s i m porta n t
tri n ity- H u m a n Tree, Fi re Dragon, a n d Yua n Yi n g , the process o f bri n g i n g
b l essi ngs, wisdom a n d mercy t o t h e world.

CLA1 M 1 N G YO U R P O S TN ATAL Q l

TH E N AV E L 1 S the beg i n n i ng point of you r ea rth ly l ife ; the point t h ro u g h

wh ich you r ea rth ly portion of hun, shen, a n d p o is d istributed, the e ntry
point of you r postnata l jingo W h i l e rubbing the kidneys add resses prenata l
essence, the next exercise of the 9 Pa laces form sta kes a fi rm cla i m to the
portion of you that you ca me i nto this world with.
After havi ng rubbed the kid n eys over the Ming Men point u nti l they
a re hot, bring the hands back u p to heart leve l . With the forea rms ra ised
slig htly h i g he r tha n para l lel with the g ro u n d , press together the th u m b, fore-

96 Q i G o n g fOT T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 F I G U RE 3 0

F I G U RE 31

fi nger, a n d m i d d l e fi nger of each h a n d ( Fig u re 30). With the h a n ds i n this

m u d ra , close you r eyes a n d cou nt down each n u m ber that forms the date of
you r b i rth, yea r, month, a n d day, in that order, n i n e times in a row ( Fig u re 3 1) .
For exa m ple, if you were born on October 17, 1952, you wou l d repeat
"one- n i ne-five- two-one-zero-one-seven" n i n e times. Spea k these
n u mbers si lently in you r m i nd. If you know the exact time of you r b i rth,
include the n u m bers that m a ke u p the hou r a n d m i n utes as wel l . O n ly in c l u de
b i rth time n u m bers if yo u a re positive of thei r accu racy. If not, you a re
better off l eavi ng them out than g u essi ng.
The person you were born i n to this world as was created by Heaven a n d
Earth. T h e moment you were born, t h e best pa rt o f you w a s born-what i s
most tru ly you . You r b i rth w a s perfectly timed, generated b y t h a t u n iq u e
b l e n d of Yin a n d Ya ng t h a t w a s specia l ly m e a n t for you . Remember t h a t it's

R e t u rn i n g to the S o u rc e 97
o n ly at the exact moment of bi rth that the hun, shen, a n d po spl it i n two,
h a lf to you r ren ying and h a l f to you r mi ying. The Taoists do not believe that
the spi rit, sou l , or a n i m a l spi rit a re p resent i n the womb-they a p pear o n ly
at the moment of b i rth. You r b i rth n u m bers rep resent the exact com b i nation
of Yi n a n d Ya n g forces with i n you. Concentrati n g on these n u m be rs puts you
i n touch with you r Orig i n a l Oi.
The n u mbers that com prise you r time of b i rth form a powerfu l perso n a l
ta l isman. If you a re experiencing problems, recite you r bi rth date n u m be rs to
resolve them. If you a re trying to bring better l u c k i nto you r l i fe, sayi n g them
to you rself while i n this postu re will h ave a positive effect. There a re a n u m­
ber of i nterco n nected reasons for this. Fi rst of a l l , as mentioned i n the p revi­
ous cha pter, you r th u m b represents you rself, the fi rst fi nger represents you r
mothe r, a n d the m i d d l e fi nger represents you r father. When w e a re born i nto
the world, fifty percent of the Oi i nvolved belongs to o u r pa rents. The other
50 percent is o u rs alone. By bri n g i n g these th ree fi ngers together while recit­
i ng you r bi rth date, you a re strength e n i n g you r 50 percent.
The Taoist sages recogn ized that a lthough certa i n aspects of l ife, such as
the fa m i ly one is born i nto, a re predetermi ned, there a re m a ny th i n gs we ca n
change. If we a re w i l l i n g to m a ke the effort i nvolved, we ca n lay cla i m to a
destiny of o u r choosing. The 9 Pa laces Oi Gong is desig ned to g u i d e the p rac­
titioner back to the place in h is or her ti m e l i n e before ca use and effect
stepped in to a lter its cou rse.
The big pictu re for a Taoist is that l i fe is eternal. Life w i l l n ever d isa ppea r
or become exti ngu ished. The physica l rea l m w i l l n ever d i m i n ish. Reincarnation
is accepted as fact. Where you end up in the Six Rea l m s of materia l existence
w i l l va ry. Th is time you a re h u ma n , next time maybe somet h i n g e lse. The ci r­
cumsta nces of ca use and effect w i l l determ i n e the outcome for the n ext
rotation. The wheel of death operates on the sam e a rc as a l eaf. A leaf is born
of energy trave l i n g up from the roots of a tree. It retu rns the favor by a bsorb­
ing the sun's rays and releasi n g oxygen. G rad u a l ly the leaf d ies a n d fl utters
to the g round, a bsorbed i nto the Ea rth to beg i n the n utritive cycl e a new.
Th is ea rth ly l ife is o n ly o n e stopping poi nt on a long journey across many
p l a n es. Accord i n g to Taoist mystica l lore, we sta rt out as a si n g l e cosmic
particle, generated from the flow of the M i l ky Way, known i n Ch i n ese as

98 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
the Si lver R iver. The symbol of the b i rth of the u n iverse is the right-fa c i n g
swastika. W e spi n along w i t h the m u ltitude o f g a l axies i n this clockwise
cu rve. Eventu a l ly, tendencies and forces come i n to pl ay. We a l i g ht in one of
the Six Rea l ms : H e l l , H eaven, Pla nt, A n i m a l , G host, or H u ma n . Li ke the l eaf,
we exist for o u r a l l otted spa n a n d then brea k down a g a i n i nto ling Qi.
I n the cycle of death and reb i rth, o u r cosm i c selves have m a ny opportu­
n ities to expe rience l ife in each of these rea l ms. Based on our prior choices
a n d actions, we come back a g a i n , perh a ps in the sa me rea l m but in a differ­
ent form, or perha ps in a nother rea l m . Often we bri n g traces of o u r past exis­
tences with us i n to o u r latest i n ca rnation. A fa mous actress once ca me to Dr.
Wu to have her fortu ne tol d . Among other th i n gs, h e tol d her that she had
been a fox i n a nother l i fe. She was q u ite curious about th is, havi ng a l ready
been tol d the sa m e th i ng by other fortu nete l lers. Dr. Wu tol d her he wou l d
b e ha ppy t o conti n u e the i r d iscussion over d i n ner. H e ordered a n u mber of
different d ishes to be broug ht out a l l at once. She went stra i g ht for the
chicken. She d i d n't touch a nyth i n g else on the ta ble. She was enjoyi ng it so
m u ch she even chewed on the bones. She ate very fast, as if h i d i ng , not
wa nting a nyon e to see her. After the mea l , she a g a i n asked Dr. Wu a bout her
past l ife. "You were a fox a l l rig ht," he tol d her. "What else cou l d you have
been, the way you ate that c h icken?" She asked h i m how it cou l d be possi­
ble, if he had n 't even read her Qi. H e told her it d i d n 't matter. No i nvestiga­
tion was needed. Th roug h someone's behavior, acts, a n d m ovements, not to
mention their d iets, you can tel l what they once were.
After death, a spi rit ci rcles the Ea rth as ling Qi, rewa rd i n g those who
hel ped it and exacting revenge on its enemies. M a ny times, a sudden, u n ex­
p l a i ned accident or cash windfa l l ca n be traced to a depa rted sou l payi ng you
back for a l l the t h i ngs it cou ld n 't in l ife. O n ce the ling particle passes thro u g h
the S i x Rea l ms, tyi n g u p the l oose e n d s from its last l ife, it is reborn. This
rebi rth ha ppens every second of ti me. The n u mber of births i n each second is
exactly 99,999. These a re not on ly h u m a n b i rths. This fig u re a l so i n c l u des a n i ­
ma ls, pla nts, a n d flowers.
The Ta oist u n i verse is su premely i ntel l i g ent. There is a reason for every­
th i n g . Noth i n g is without ti m i n g or pu rpose, whether it's a leaf fa l l i ng or a n
elevator door ope n i n g . A l l these th i n g s a re as they should be. As such, there's

•
R e t u r n i n g t o the S o u r c e 99
a lso a special reason for being born i nto you r particu l a r g ro u p. Each g ro u p of
99,999 is p redetermi ned by vast cosmic forces and shares a com mon pu rpose.
Each g ro u p has its own sex as wel l . Every member of a g ro u p of 99,999 w i l l
be either m a l e or fem a le. Th is is predete r m i ned by t h e heavens, a rra nged by
the N i n e Levels of Clear Lig h t.
All bei ngs i n a g ro u p come i n to this world at the sa m e moment a n d a re
dest i n ed to depart the Ea rth Rea l m together to conti n u e the i r travels.
Although they a re born at the sa m e time, they may d i e at different times.
Th is is d eterm i n ed by the actions of each i n d ividu a l . If they k i l l a n other, their
longevity will be d ecreased. If they stea l , cheat, or wrong a nother, t h e i r l i fe
span w i l l be shortened. Don't th i n k that only people ca n do h a rm to others.
A tree ca n fa l l on a l iving creatu re, ki l l i ng it. A fu ngus ca n infect a tree.
An a n i ma l ca n violently attack. As we a l l l ive in the Rea l m of Earth, we a l l
h ave som eth i n g to d o with ki l l i ng , either d i rectly o r i nd i rectly, o n e way o r
a nother. This i s the standa rd measu re o f existence o n this planet. W e each
came here due to c i rcu msta n ces from past l ives. The g ro u p we a re born i nto,
o u r sex, our fa m i ly, our l evel of knowledge, problems, fortu ne, a n d obsta­
cles-a l i a re predete rm i ned.
Should we t i m i d ly accept this prearra ngement a n d go a long about o u r
l ives u n consciously? H o w do we c h a n g e w h a t h a s been decreed ? Cultivate
the self. Cu ltivate you rself to understa nd the forces at work a ro u n d you.
Deve l o p the affections a nd the noble emotions. Strengthen you r con n ection
to the part of you that has a lways existed beyond this rea l m . Not o n ly is the
p ractice of Qi Gong benefi c i a l to you rself, it h e l ps the other mem bers of you r
g ro u p. Any g ro u p mem bers that have d ied before it was ti me d u e t o a n a b u n ­
d a nce of s i n a re forced to wait for the rest o f the g roup. They exist i n a l i mbo
known as Ulonely sou ls." I n this state, they a re extremely vu l n e rable. They may
be p reyed u pon by other, stronger forces that h ave the power to com p l etely
e rase their ling Qi. They a lso ca n be a th reat. They m i g ht attem pt to attach
themselves to l iving members of thei r g ro u p, a pplyi n g pressu re u pon them to
d o w rong in order to h u rry them u p.
I n the monastery, the master would ta ke sixty-fo u r days to fu l ly exp l a i n
t h e i ntricacies o f these g ro u p dyna m i cs. From a Taoist perspective, even if you
do g ood in you r l ife, bad th i n gs sti l l ca n h a ppen. The good deeds you do w i l l

1 00 •
Q i G o n g fOT T o t a l W e l l n e s s
help change your fate to a certain extent, but the practice of Qi Gong has
the power to make changes on a deeper level. It pushes sickness and evil
away by developing a positive force that operates on karmic as well as phys­
ical and energetic levels. By shoring up your Original Qi, negativity finds less
of a footing. Only through practice can one experience the full implications
of this. It is as much a physical awareness as a philosophical truth. Without
Qi Gong, there is no Taoist tradition. Without Qi, there is no existence.
These are the deep objectives behind reciting your birth numbers while
using· the three-fingered mudra. As you silently repeat them nine times, hold
the awareness of their far-reaching ability to affect your life. It will connect
you with your destiny. You want to hold your fingers in place until they feel
very strong, as if they are made of steel. In the Shaolin temple, this posture
is used to develop power as part of Eagle Claw and Iron Claw martial arts
training. The Taoists use this training to generate powerful healing energy in
the fingertips.
Use your mind to focus the energy into the fingertips. By concentrating
your complete attention on the point where the fingers unite, you are focus­
ing power from the mind. Associating your birth date with this posture
focuses emotional energy from the Heart Center. The force of your mental
and emotional energy combined is the expression of your ethical nature. In
this state of concentration, all the good you have done wells up from deep
within. It causes a very special Qi to arrive in the fingerti ps. This Qi is unique;

It has been energized by the ethical accumulation of your heart and mind.
Daily practice of this posture brings your Righteous Qi into your hands, turn­
ing them, in time, into potent healing tools.
Once you build up the Qi in your thumb a.nd first and middle fingers, you
are going to use them to again nourish the kidneys. As soon as you feel the
steely sensation, bend over at the waist and fit the thumb and first and sec­
ond fingers in the indentations around the kneecap in a claw-like gesture
(Figures 32 and 33). Make sure your back is perfectly flat and your knees are
locked (Figure 34). Looking straight ahead rather than down at your hands
will help keep your back in position. Lightly tucking the chin into the neck
will further decrease any strain on the spine. You want to keep the legs rigid
to loosen and isolate the tissue covering the kneecap. This allows your fin-

R e t u r n i n g to t h e S o u rc e •
1 01
 f 1 G U RE 32

f 1 G U RE 33 f 1 G U RE 34

gers to better fi nd their mark. Feel the Qi e nteri ng these three points as you
grip them fi rmly a n d sta rt rotating. You wa nt to rotate the kneeca ps u ntil
they feel as if the Qi i nside them has ta ken on a circu l a r motion of its own.
Circle both kneeca ps at once i n a clockwise d i rection. Remember that clock­
wise is considered as if you a re the face of the clock. In other words, if you
consider you r clockwise rotation as beg i n n i n g from the top of the circle, you
wou l d be rotating from right to l eft a n d a ro u n d , back up to the top. This
ta kes a l ittle coord i n ation, but besides sti m u lating the basic circu lation of Qi
to knees and kidneys, the clockwise motion specifica l ly ton ifies and nou rishes
them as wel l . Genera l ly spea king, clockwise movements repl e n ish, w h i l e

•
1 02 Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
cou n terclockwise motions d isperse. Th is is the d isadva nta g e to rotating the
knees outwa rd or haphaza rd ly rotati ng them one way, then a nother. Rotati ng
the knees outwa rd w i l l only a i d i n i m p rovi ng the ci rcu lation a rou n d you r
knees, w h i l e rotating i n both d i rections a t t h e sa me O i Gong session wou l d
b e detri menta l , as you w o u l d b e ca nce l i n g o u t you r results. Try you r best to
work you r coord i n ation up to the point where you rub the knees o n ly clock­
wise. You w i l l g a i n the g reatest benefit this way.
W h i l e we're on the subject of the knees, a moment should be ta ken to
discuss a very subtle yet i m porta nt aspect of i nternal Oi ci rcu lation. The joi nts
act as receptacles for Oi with i n the body. Actua l ly, to be m ore specific, the
joints a re not o n ly storage receptacles for Oi, but spri n g boa rds for releasing
Oi outwa rd from a n d throug hout the body. Th i n k of how a cat rea rs back on
its h a u nches befo re it sp.ri ngs forwa rd or how a b i rd presses down from its
knees befo re it ta kes off i n fl ig ht. If you practice m a rti a l a rts, you r interna l
force i s com i n g o u t not from you r m uscl e strength b u t from the momentum
generated as the Oi bounces out of the joints. A superior m a rtia l a rtist ba rely
needs to m a ke a ny motions with his body to stop his opponent. The force of
the Oi being expel led from su btly rel easing his joi nts w i l l be enough. In fact,
in the monastery, the mon ks' m a rtial a rts a b i l ity was j u dged a n d graded
before they even sta rted their form, just by vi rtue of their postu re a n d state
of rel axed but ready tension in their a rms, l egs, a n d waist.
Th i s is why so much care is ta ken in loosening and increasing the ci rcu­

lation i n the joints. You r Oi Gong practice w i l l be g reatly e n h a n ced if you

a lways keep you r knees a n d el bows slig htly bent and relaxed. Also keep a l l
motions i nvolvi ng a rms, legs, wa ist, a n d sho u l ders l i g ht a n d flexi ble. To
i ncrease their rel axation, remember the principle of kong, or e m ptiness. A
g lass has to be em pty to fi l l it with fresh water. Just so, feel the h o l l ow a n d
ready receptivity i n you r joints as you r motions fi l l t h e m w i t h O i . The gentle
movements of the 9 Pa laces Oi Gong warm - u ps will i ncrease the soft, flow­
ing fee l i n g that d ra ws in maxi m u m Oi, and the self-massag e tech n i q u es w i l l
i ncrease circu lation, u n bl ocki ng clogs that cou l d h i nder you r sensation of
e m pti ness, necessa ry for g reatest Oi storage.
The one d ifference between bri n g i n g Oi to the joints and to the organs
is that the joints a re tem pora ry storag e poi nts, l i ke locks i n a ca n a l reg u lat-

•
R e t u r n i n g to the S o u rc e 1 03
i n g the l evel a n d flow of water. As you w i l l see fu rther along i n the fol l ow­
i n g cha pters, bri n g i n g Oi to the organs in 9 Pa laces Oi Gong clea nses a n d
stores Oi for fut u re use. Next time you ta ke a wa l k, try putti n g a l i ttle spri ng
i n you r step by being aware of the Oi i n you r joi nts. You w i l l defi n itely fi nd
you rself more g ra cefu l and l i g hter on you r feet.
Taoist med i c i n e has g iven the three points a rou nd the kneeca p colorfu l
na mes that i n d icate the i m porta nce of this a rea for longevity. The two points
a l o n g the bottom a re the "Tiger's Eyes" a n d the u pper point is the "Crest of
the Cra ne." Of cou rse, cra n es rel a te to i m morta l i ty a n d tigers relate to
strength a n d sexual vigor. With this kneeca p massage, you a re e n h a n c i n g the
fu nction of the kidneys. Wea k, rickety knees and difficulty l ifting you r feet
off the g round genera l ly i n d i cate kid ney depletion. Taoist doctors very often
w i l l treat kidney p roblems by treati n g the kneeca ps. W h i l e rubbi n g the kid­
n eys d i rectly h e l ps to replen ish their jing, or essen ce, treating the kneecaps
a lso h e l ps to clea r u p many sym ptoms related to long-term endocrin e i m ba l ­
a n ce. T h e a g i n g process usua l ly resu lts i n a slowdown i n hormone p rod u ction.
Sexu a l fu nction a n d fertil ity d eteriorate. Alth o u g h its i nfl uence is very g rad­
ual, freq uent knee massage ca n help reverse these signs of age. With time,
sexua l a n d reproductive capa b i l ity a re e n h a nced . Sperm moti l i ty is i m p roved,
as wel l as fem a l e ferti l ity. Though it might take a w h i l e to see results, the
changes made usi ng this tech n i q u e take root at a deep l evel and ca n m a ke a
permanent positive i m pact on you r health. Genera l ly, it shou l d ta ke about
one month of knee massage practice, rotating the kneeca ps at least twen ty­
seven ti m es every day, to n otice a difference. Of cou rse, the more you rotate
them, the more benefici a l it is. Ci rcl i n g the kneeca ps one h u n d red to two
h u n d red times i n one session w i l l rea l ly m a ke the Oi su rg e up t h ro u g h you r
body. Try it a n d see.
By keeping the back flat a n d the legs l ocked when ben d i n g over to rotate
the kneeca ps, the kid ney meri d i a n cha n nels that run down the legs a re
stra i g htened and elongated. I n this postu re, you wi l l over time fee l the Oi
cou rsi n g between the kid neys a n d the legs, someti mes even con nect i n g with
the Oi from the hea rt. Remember that the Oi tends to pool i n the joi nts. By
rotati n g the kneeca ps, you a re h elpin g these i mporta nt switch i n g points to
rel ease their energy to the entire body.

1 04 O i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 The Taoists d escri be this three-fingered grip as rese m b l i n g a n eag le's
ta lons as it g rasps its prey. It's very i n structive to study pictu res a n d videos of
eag les catch i n g sa l mon out of the water. Espec i a l ly in slow motion, the
strength a n d m i n ute control of their claws a re a n i nspiration. H o l d i n g the
image of the eag le's ta lons i n mind while rotati ng the kneeca ps ca n help put
more hea l i n g force i n to you r practice.
The 9 Pa laces kneeca p rotation shou l d be done with th ree fi ngers when
at all possible. Peop l e who have d ifficulty usi n g th ree fi ngers ca n use all five
or j u st the pa l ms to circle. However, the results won't be as d ra matic. The
i m porta nt poi n ts to remember a re fitting the fi ngers i n to the th ree i n d enta­
tions a round the kneeca p and making sure that as you rotate, you a re
movi ng the tissue over the kneeca p (the patel la) a long with the fi ngers. If it's
difficult to do the exercise sta n d i n g , or if you wa nt to practice a n extra
amount to treat a pa rticu l a r health cond ition, it's a l l right to sit down a n d
sta rt circl ing. A s with t h e rest o f 9 Pa l a ces Q i G o n g , it's better t o do o n ly what
is most comforta b l e for you r level of health a n d a b i l ity while m a i n ta i n i ng the
proper breath i n g pattern. There's no way to do these exercises "wrong." As
you practice, you w i l l notice steady i m p rovement, no matter what l evel you
a re on.

R e t u rn i n g t o t h e S o u rc e •
1 05
 F I V E

The Medicine of

Heaven and Earth

CROSS1NG THE BR1DGE

BY RUB B 1 N G T H E kidneys and rotating the kneecaps, the nourishing

kidney essence and the stimulating energy of the heart are brought together,

each one helping the other. Both halves of the hun, shen, and po,

prenatal and postnatal, are contacted. The next step is returning body and
m i n d to the moment before th ese two halves split off. The goa l of the
next exercise of 9 Pa l aces Oi Gong is to bring the p ractitioner back to that
orig i n poi nt. It's the c u l m i nation of a l l the exercises that have come before
it. As with the g rowth of the Yu a n Yi n g , to sta rt the next leg of the journey,
you h ave to come fu l l circle, back to where you fi rst bega n. Th ro u g h the
practice of 9 Pa laces Oi Gong, you r body will come to u ndersta nd the most
profo u n d teachi ngs of Taoism. Aga i n , yo u learn with a simple practice that i n
its simpl icity con nects w i t h deep psychosomatic triggers i n t h e bra i n .
After t h e energy i n t h e kn eeca ps seems t o b e revo lvi ng on its o w n , sta nd
stra i g h t a g a i n , l i fti ng the a rms u p i n front of the chest i n a rou nded postu re,
as if you were holding a l a rge barre l . The pa lms a re facing the chest a n d
sho u l d b e held rou g h ly a foot away from t h e body. Closi ng t h e eyes l i g h tly,
col l ect you r breath ing u nti l it retu rns to a smooth fou r beats per i n h a l e/fou r
beats per exh a l e. As you relax, t h i n k back t o you r ea rliest h a ppy c h i l d hood
memo ries. Place them vividly i n you r m i n d u nti l the yea rs melt a way a n d
you 're there a g a i n , a l ittle c h i l d ru n n i ng, l a u g h i n g , a n d p l aying. If y o u fee l
b l ocked, as if t h e memories won't come, d o n ' t be d isco u raged. Even if you
only have one sma l l , shadowy reco l l ection, l atch onto it. Often we attem pt
to remember thi ngs visu a l ly, w h i l e as a c h i l d we m a y h ave i m pri nted o u r
reactions t o t h e environment thro u g h sme l l , touch, or taste.
As you sta rt going back to that early moment, sta rt rocking forwa rd a n d
backwa rd, usi ng t h e whole foot as y o u sway. A s you c o m e forwa rd , try to
come up as fa r as you ca n on the ba l ls of you r feet (Fig u re 35). Going ba ck­
ward , l ift you r feet a l l the way, u nti l you a re poised on the edges of the heels
(Fi g u re 3 6). Keep you r ba l a n ce with the rou n dn ess of you r a rms. Tu ck you r
ch i n i n a n d use the m uscles on you r back a n d abdomen for suppo rt. Flat,
closed shoes or bare feet a re a m ust here.
The fu rthe r you ca n rock you r body forwa rd and back, the more deeply
held i ntern a l tension you ca n rel ease. H o l d i n g a happy memory i n you r m i nd ,
or a lternately, a n idea l image o f you rself i n a ra d ia nt state of perfection, i s
in teg ra l to th e physical movement. It wi l l h e l p con nect you r body, mi nd , a n d
hea rt, a d d i n g t o t h e sense o f re lease. Su rprising ly, i t c a n a lso m a ke it easier
to keep you r ba l a n ce as you sway. If it becomes d ifficult to keep the visu a l i ­
zation because you fee l you m i g h t fa l l over ba ckwa rd , practice yo u r swaying

108 •
Q i Go n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 FIGURE 35 FIGURE 36

sta n d in g with you r back to a wa l l. The perfect d ista nce is two a n d a h a l f to

three feet away. Another possi b i l ity is to sta nd with a bed or sofa nea rby. It's
perfectly a l l right if yo u want to put less a rc in to it when you a re j ust sta rt­
ing out. Give you rself whatever you need to fee l free to sway for the next
few m i n u tes.
The Chi nese name fo r this exercise is Guo Qiao, or "Crossing the Bridge."
On the edges of yo u r feet, it's as if you a re sta n d i n g at the bri n k of a na rrow
rope bridge stretched fa r across a mounta i n pass. As yo u wa l k across, yo u feel
the sw ing of the bridge all a ro u n d you, down a n d back, down a n d back. With
this movement, you ba la n ce the Yi n and Ya ng with i n you r body. Com i ng fo r­
ward is Ya ng, going backward is Yin. As you sway, become aware of the

T h e Me d i ci n e o f H e a v e n a n d E a r t h •
1 09
circu it connecti ng you r n avel a n d the Ming Men poi n t. Your n avel is Yin
with i n the fo rwa rd momentum of Ya ng. The Ming Men is Ya n g potenti a l
developing with i n Yi n. Let t h i s d i rect channel l i n ki n g w h a t ca me before you
were born with what w i l l come h e l p you to free you rself of a l l th i ngs that
m i g h t block you. You r conscious m i n d sta nds in the m i d d l e of the movement
of Yi n a n d Ya ng. Sink you rself i nto its motion to un ite with it.
The whole yea r is reg u lated by the fou r seasons. All life on Ea rth
responds to the passi ng of col d to warmth, from sca rcity to plenty. Just as the
birds m i g rate south i n the fa l l , o u r p l a net changes its activity in response to
the seaso ns of the sol a r system . Using the wisdo m of the I Ching as a g uide,
the Taoist sages have spent gen erations ca lculating the seasons of the heav­
e n ly bod ies, the ga laxies, and the conste l l ations, each one sh ifti ng, c h a n g i n g ,
affecting one a nother. For exa m p l e, currently, there w i l l be a steady increase
in flood i n g across the world. Th is is because right now our sol a r syste m is
in the m i d d l e of its fa l l seaso n . Just as the Ea rth has fou r seasons, the sol a r
system h a s fou r seasons. T h e s u n h a s fou r seasons. T h e Mi l ky Way has fou r
seasons. O u r bod ies' have fou r seaso ns. By practic i n g Crossing the Bridge you
are reg u lating the seasons of you r body, su m mer, sprin g , fa l l , a n d w i n te r. At
its root a re the movements a n d changes expressed by the I Ching. All Taoist
cosm ology, a l l Taoist health treatments, a l l Tao ist p h i l osophy a re based on
this swayi ng.
Th is practice w i l l bring yo u wa y back. Most people who practice it for a
short period of time beg i n remembering c h i l d hood events they h aven't
thought of since they fi rst ha ppened. There's no tel l i n g how fa r back this
gentle, natu ra l sensation of swayi n g w i l l ta ke you. Students of Dr. Wu h ave
reported experiences ra n g i ng from suddenly reca l l i ng long-forgotten toys
and ga mes to rel iving the moment of b i rth, the sensations of the womb, or
the i nsta nt of conception. When we a p p roached Dr. Wu on t h i s subject, won­
dering just how fa r back this practice cou l d ta ke us, he tol d us it was e n d l ess.
It cou l d go as fa r back as the creation of the u n iverse.
On a more prosa ic level, this is a wonderfu l exercise for strength e n i n g
the lower back a n d abdom i n a l m uscles. To keep your b a l a n ce, as you rise up
on your heels, d i g down i nto them with a smooth contraction of the back
m uscles from the shoulders down to the legs. Then i m a g i n e yoursel f bei n g

1 10 •
Oi G o n g fo r To t a l W e l l n e s s
p u l led forwa rd on a l i n e extending from the Ming Men out t h roug h the
navel. You w i l l feel your abdom i n a l wa l ls cru nching as you sway. Don't hold
you r breath. Let you r joyfu l memories h e l p you r breath i n g stay ca l m a n d
even. Conti nue rocki ng u nt il you r waist is w a r m a n d you r feet a re very hot.
This ta kes an average of five to ten m i nutes.
In the past, D r. Wu hesitated to show this p ractice to h is patients for fea r
that they m i g h t topple over backwa rd a n d h u rt themselves. It's okay to stu m­
ble a round a bit as you sway. Just m a ke sure you a re either nea r a wa l l or tree,
or at the very least a re practici ng in an u ncl uttered a rea with noth i ng a round
that you cou l d trip on o r h it you rself a g a i nst. That old sa w a bout a n ounce
of prevention defi n itely a p p l ies here.
As you reg u late you rself by swaying, heavy toxins in the body a re be ing
shaken down towa rd the feet. One of the ind icators that you have practiced
Crossing the Bridge long enough is that you r feet shou l d be warm, even hot.
Just as the ea r exercises treat the entire body, d u e to their m a ny correspon­
d i ng sti m u lation points, the swayi ng practice works the entire body throug h
t h e feet. Taoist medicine i s com p l ementary. I n order t o treat o n e part o f the
body, the Taoist doctor often won't treat it d i rectly. I nstea d, the related pa rt
wi l l be treated , in o rder to achieve a bala nce of energy. Th is m i g h t m a ke the
treatment ta ke longer to have noticea b le results, but the effects w i l l h ave
g reater permanence. A Taoist d octor w i l l ba la nce the kidneys to subd ue a n
oversti m u lated hea rt. Basica l ly, a Ta oist health reg imen works w i t h Y i n a n d
Ya ng, m a k i n g sure there i s h a rm ony. S o if there's a problem w i t h you r head,
a Taoist doctor will treat you r feet. I n this context, there a re enormous hea lth
benefits to be had from enhancing the ci rcu lation i n the feet. By swayi ng
you r body back a n d forth , you a re g iving you rself a tota l foot stretch a n d
massage.
After spend i ng enough time rocking to feel wa rmth i n the stomach mus­
cles a n d feet, a sensation of fu l l ness, rou nd ness, a n d ca l m may a rise. As men­
tioned above, a circuit of energy between Yi n a n d Ya ng forces with i n the
body has been generated. If one ca n accept that potenti a l for dyn a m i c
c h a n g e as wel l as fo r repression a n d a nxiety a re both conti nua l ly at p lay
with i n the confi nes of the physica l body, we ca n sta rt to u n d ersta nd how
si m p l e movements, based on an u n d e rsta n d i n g of the merid ia ns, ca n ra l ly

Th e M e d icin e o f H e a v e n a n d E a r th •
111
these forces, a n d synthesize a n d h a rmon ize them. Th is is a critica l j u nctu re i n
t h e pra ctice o f 9 Pa laces O i Gong. Crossi n g t h e Bridge i s t h e fi rst stage
towa rd forg i n g a field of energy a ro u n d the body that will be a secu re cata­
l yst for change on a deep i n terna l level. This cruci a l cocoon of vita l energy
wi l l be retu rned to a nd fu rther strengthened i n the cou rse of the 9 Pa laces
form. A Taoist adage states, Hui ying wang yi ji: "Retu r n i n g to i nfa ncy, one
forgets even the self." As you sway, yo u have no ca res, no troubles, no h a p­
p iness. With this practice, yo u ca n easily achieve a sense of tra nqUi l ity, tra ns­
parent as a sti l l la ke. Another sayi ng decl a res, Ren zhi qu xin ben shen.
loosely tra nslated, th is mea ns, " I n retu rn i ng to one's origi n a l natu re, sa nctity
is fou nd." Practicing this pri m a l movement, you ca n recon n ect with the i n no­
cent purity of you r in n er c h i l d . Reawa ken i n g youthfu l wonder, the best q u a l ­
ities o f you r h ea rt w i l l be free t o com e o u t from t h e d a rk corners t h e y h i d
with i n for s o l o n g . Taoist Oi G o n g has recog n ized fo r thousands o f yea rs how
easy it is to l ose this precious spa rk, and how si m p l e it is to reg a i n .

TA0 1 S T MA S SA G E

C R 0 S SI N G THE B RID G E is a wonderfu l , a l l -pu rpose massage for the

feet, and by extension for m a ny other pa rts of the body, due to the n u mer­
ous critica l pressure poi nts o n the sol es. There is a long h istory of h ea l i ng
massage i n Taoist tradition, fi ne-tu ned for health a n d spiritu a l a i d . There a re
deta i led tech n i q ues of rubbing, h itti n g the body with lengths of di fferent
types of wood fo r d ifferent i l l n esses, a n d visua l izations for the pra ctitioner
as wel l as the patient. Al l i n a l l , the main pu rpose of Taoist massage is l i n ked
to the basic principle of a l l Taoist thoug ht. Merge l i ke with l i ke to create ease,
use opposites to generate movement a n d cha nge, seek to ca ptu re a sense of
e m pti ness i n order to fi l l it aga i n with somet h i n g new, focus on a center
poi n t in the m i dst of activity to maxi m i ze the result. No matter the tech n i q u e
used, t h e end result is a n increase i n b lood circu lation, wh ich i n turn ca n relax
the m uscl es a n d organs a n d a l low a hea lthy flow of Oi th roughout the body.
After rocki n g for five to ten m i n u tes, or l ess if the feet h ave become h ot,
bring the hands down g ra cefu l ly in front of the body, pa l ms sti l l facing the

112 •
Oi G o n g for To t a l W e l l n e s s
 FIGURE 37

chest, u ntil they come to rest i n the m u d ra of peace at the level of the lower
dan tian. For women, the rig ht ha n d is placed gently over the left, both palms
facing up, with the thu m bs natura l but sli g htly elevated, the pads of the
thu m bs touchi ng lig htly. Men place their left hand over their rig ht i n the
same position. Keep the elbows loose and rounded. Rest in this position for a
few moments to a llow you r Qi a n d m i n d to settle a n d rebala n ce. If you have
experienced a ny strong memories or emotions whi le rock i n g , use this time to
mentally savor a n d d igest them. This way you will never forget the i nsights
they have broug ht.
After com posi n g yourself, move o n to the next warm - u p exercise. Lea n
the torso forwa rd slightly t o relax t h e abdom i n a l m uscles. I n two li n es cen­
tered with the n i pples, beg i n n i n g rig h t below the rib cage, poke and press
i nto the flesh with the t h u m bs, a lternating them as yo u work you r way down
to the crease where the torso meets the top of the leg ( Fig u re 37). Push i n
relatively firmly, m oving the tissue from side t o side with each poke. Repeat
three ti mes from top to bottom.
C h i n ese medicine views the spleen a n d stoma ch as the body's most basic

T h e M e d icin e o f H e a v e n a n d Ea r t h •
1 13
fou ndation for day-to-day l ife. U n l i ke the kidneys, which a re considered you r
pre- Heave n ly fou n d ation , the spleen a n d stomach a re the organs that encap­
su l ate you r post-Heave n ly fou ndation. In other words, what you r pa re nts
gave to you as you were born, a l l the i n herited physica l a n d ka rm ic issues, a re
expressed through the kidneys. As we've mentioned before, this is yo u r i n her­
ita n ce, you r fate, not easi ly cha nged o r a l tered i n this l ife without much toi l .
However, yo u r post- Heaven fou ndation, w h a t yo u m a y m a ke o f you r l i fe, is
developed th ro u g h the health of the stomach a n d splee n . You r post-H eaven
cond ition is solely based on you r own efforts to i m p rove a n d b u i l d it up. As
usu a l , Taoist pra ctices a re focused on provi d i n g a means to ta king c h a rge of
one's l i fe, through one's own efforts, work in g with the tools most easily at
hand.
T h e two l i nes d o w n t h e front o f the body massaged i n this exercise work
on the stomach merid ian. Genera l ly, i n the body the Ya ng cha nnels a re located
a l o n g the back, w h i l e the Yin cha n nels a re mostly l ocated a l o n g the front.
The only Ya ng cha n nels ru n n i ng down the front of the body a re the stomach
merid i a n 's paths. Beca use of thei r u n ique position, they conta i n an excep­
tio n a l amount of blood vesse ls and Oi. Massag i n g down these paths opens
the meri d i a n and brea ks u p bad Oi and stag nation. As the m uscles relax a n d
the ci rcu lation i m p roves, eventu a l ly you ca n massage deeper, clea r i ng o u t
debris a n d blockages i n t h e a b d o m e n and d o w n i nto the org a ns. Th is ca n
re l i eve consti pation and i m p rove the d igestion.
Not o n ly does t his exercise i m p rove the stomach merid ia n 's con d ition; it
also u n i fies its fu nction with the other i m porta nt meri d i a ns of the body. Th is,
in turn, ca n serve to ha rmon ize m a ny aspects of yo u r post-Heaven, eve ryday
l ife. When po king down the chan nels with the th u m bs, be ca refu l to use the
i m porta nt fi rst point on the l u n g merid i a n , which is located d i rectly on the
outer side of the thumbna i l , right at the edge of the cuticle. As you work
you r way down, feel the energy of the l u ng channel fl owing thro u g h that
point and merg i n g with the stomach cha n n e l . Remember to keep to the
proper breat h i n g pattern. You might fee l sore ness or tenderness i n this a rea,
but breath i ng reg u l a rly a n d gently will help ease a ny d iscomfort.
After using the th u m bs down the stomach channel three times from top
to bottom, repeat three more times, this time usi ng the heels of the pa l ms.

114 •
Oi G o n g fo r To t a l W e l l n ess
 )

FIG U RE 38

Knead down, push in g the fl esh from side to side, one pa l m fo l lowing the
other (Fi g u re 38) . O nce you reach the m ass of flesh u nd e r the pubic bone,
scoop it u p between the palms with a sq ueeze, then release you r h a nds with
a q u ick outwa rd movement, as if a l l owing a ny b u i l t-u p tension or b lock in
that a rea to rush out. Men sho u l d scoop u p the genita l ia as part of this
sq ueezing moti on, and women sho u l d g rasp as m uch of the flesh as they ca n
ma nage, this a rea known i n Chi n ese meta phor as the Jade Door. As you press
down the cha n nel, use the point right at the center und e r the fi rst crease of
the wrist, where the two mounds of the pa l m converge. As an i m porta nt
point on the h ea rt merid ia n , with this next set of th re e repetiti ons, you a re
merg i n g the heart a n d stomach chan nels, bringing peace a n d renewed c l a r­
ity of pu rpose to the body a n d m i n d . Ch i n ese medicine views a n i m b a l a n ce
between the l u n g a n d sto mach meri d i a ns as a com mon ca use of consti pa­
tion, d ia rrhea, and oth er i rritable bowel cond itions. Hea rt/stomach meri d i a n
i m b a l a nce is considered t o commonly l e a d t o h i g h blood pressu re. With these
fi rst two sets of stomach massage, you a re h e l p i n g to settl e the i n terplay of
energy between these i m porta nt networks.
For the fi n a l set of th ree re petitions, the massag e tech n i q u e is slig htly

T h e Me d i ci n e o f H e a v e n a n d Ea rth 1 15
 FIGURE 40

a ltered. This time, i n terlace the fi ngers a n d "saw" down the abdomen, a g a i n
worki ng a l l t h e w a y d o w n t o t h e squeeze a n d release of the pubic mound
(Fig ures 39 and 40). Pa rticul a rly press i n with the center pea k of the pad of
flesh under the thum b (Fig ure 41). Th is poi nt, known as the yu ji, or fish bel ly,
sto res jingo You ca n tel l how m uch vita l essence a person has by the ful l n ess
of th is part of the pa l m. The yu ji is the point that corresponds to fi re on the
l ung meri d i a n . H a rness your fi re and natura l vita l ity to energ ize your sto m­
ach m assage with this step.

1 16 Oi Go n g fo r To t a l W e l l n e s s
 Li ke the previous two sets, put some pressu re onto the d i rect l i ne of the
stomach cha n n els. H owever, here the clasped r a n ds massage the a rea
between these two l i nes as wel l . The motion is back a n d forth as, wel l as
downwa rd. There is a bit of subtlety i n this movement, for the back-a nd­
forth pressure isn 't on a perfect horizonta l l i ne. I nstead , trace a fl attened fig­
u re eig ht, with its curvi ng, wave l i ke rhyth m, as you work down. As in the
torso twists, the fig ure-eight motion brings dyn a m i c energy to yo u r Qi ci r­
culation. With these th ree sets of stomach channel massage, h a rmony is
brought to a del icate i nternal system that is easily thrown off ba la nce by
d a i ly stress a n d excitement. It's both sti m u lating a n d settl i ng, simple yet
h i g h ly effective, a perfect exa m p l e of the power of 9 Pa laces Qi Gong.

CUL T1VA T1N G THE L OWE R D AN T1AN

TH E R E I SON E fi n a l massage to g ive you rself, a long with the kidney ru b­

b i n g , the most i m porta nt i n this form. Rubbing the kidneys merges heart a n d
kidney energy, fi re a n d water. It uses opposing energ i es with i n the body to
create a new force, rea dy to nou rish the g rowth of the Im morta l Fetus. This
n ext massage prepa res the lower dan tian to become the birth place of the
Yuan Ying. J ust as a fa rmer ti l ls the soi l before p l a nting a seed, massa g i n g the
lower dan tian gathers Q i t o it, refining i t a s i t i s brought in. Yet again, a sim­
p l e self-massage generates subtle esoteric energ i es with i n the body as wel l
as provid i n g beneficial health effects. It's u p to you to decide what empha­
sis you wou l d l i ke to ta ke with you r practice, but either way, with d a i ly prac­
tice, you a re making positive changes in you r l i fe.
After the th ree sets of stomach channel massage, fi nd the lower dan
tian. As mentioned i n Cha pter Two, you ca n determ ine the a rea of you r lower
dan tian by fo rm i ng yo u r ha nds i n a downwa rd-poi nting tria n g l e placed over
the lower abdomen with the th u m bs meeti ng at the navel. However, as so
often is the case in the study of this form, there is a choice of exactly where
with i n this genera l a rea you want to concentrate yo u r massage. Common ly,
pressure is a p p l ied d i rectly to the sensitive point centered between the navel
a n d the top of the pubic bone. With the left h a n d over the right for women

Th e Me d i ci n e o f H e a v e n a n d Ea rth •
1 17
a n d the rig ht h a n d over the l eft for men, use the yu ji, or fish belly point on
the pad of the pa l m below the th u m b, to press into this point deeply, then
massa ge firm ly with a clockwise circu l a r motion. For the fi rst forty-n i n e days
of practice, you ca n j u m p-sta rt the cultivation process by massa g i n g below
th is point, righ t a bove the ridge of the pubic bone. There a re a n u m ber of
reasons for this. Sometimes i n Ch inese med icine, not to mention Taoist hea l i n g
practices, it is easier t o o p e n a n d u n b lock a n acupuncture p o i n t b y a pplyi ng
the need l e just below or to the side of its actua l l ocation. This i n d i rect
m ethod more effectively nou rishes a point that may be too obstructed or
wea kened to a bsorb d i rect sti m u lation. Also, by massa g i n g at the top of the
pubic bone when first beg i n n i ng this practice, you w i l l provide a ra nge of
benefits not only for the lower dan tian, but a l so for the whole pubic reg ion.
These include help for i rreg u l a r menstruation, menstru a l pa i n , i m potence and
p remature ejaculation . After forty-n i n e days, movi ng the massage d i rectly
over the center of the lower dan tian, w i l l bri ng maxi m u m Qi i nto this criti­
ca l n etwork of bl o od vessels, nerve en d in gs, and orga ns, now ready to accept
as m u c h en ergy as you a re w i l l in g to fi l l it with.
As we've mentioned before, clockwise movements replen ish, w h i l e cou n ­
terclockw ise m otions d isperse. Since the point o f t h i s exercise is t o bri n g
l a rge a m o u nts of vita l Q i t o the lower dan tian, cl ockwise massage is a lways
used. Start at the top of the circle, movi ng to you r left a n d a ro u n d , a l ways
movi ng as much flesh as yo u ca n u nder you r h a n ds, w h i l e a lways focusi ng
the m a i n pressure from the yu ji po int into the center of the lower dan tian.
Keep rubbing u nti l the a rea is pa i nfu l a n d hot. Press in as h a rd as you ca n
without tensi ng the shoulders or h o l d i n g the breath. I n fact, it's i m porta nt to
remember to breathe in the usu a l fou r-a nd-fo u r rhyth m , to ease the exer­
tion of this exercise a n d hel p a i d the flow of Qi i nto the lower dan. You want
it to h u rt or feel sore. Th is will ca use heat in the body a n d a certa i n a mo u n t
of endorp h i n rel ease, wh ich w i l l a lso i ncrease the a m ount o f Q i rush i n g
stra i g h t t o t h a t spot. I f you ca n m a n a g e i t , it's best t o do t h i s a bdom i n a l
massa ge one h u n d red times, or even one thousa n d . R u b b i n g t h i s vigorously
creates a current of e lectromag netic energy that is very effective as part of
treatment for i ntestinal and uteri ne ca ncers, i n fact, for tumors and g rowths

1 18 •
Q i Go n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 of m a ny kinds th roug hout the body. Stu d ies com i n g out of Ch i n a a n d Ja pan,
Europe, a n d now the Un ited States point to a con nection between ma gnet­
ism a n d the g rowth a n d red u ction of mutated cel l s. E n h a nced ma gnetic
activity a ro u n d cance rous cel l tissue is in some cases red u c i n g m a l i g n ancy
a n d even reverti ng the cel l u l a r structu re back to norm a l cy. For Western med­
ici ne, these stud ies a re j ust i n their nascence. H owever, the Taoists have been
usi ng basic princi p l es of biomagnetism for thousa nds of yea rs, to help rea l ig n
t h e i nternal workings o f t h e body.
No matter how m a ny ti mes you rub the l ower dan tian, this massage
cleans the colon and i ntestines, clears u p consti pation , a i ds in weight l oss,
a n d brings the d i g estive system to pea k con d ition. For more serious problems,
of cou rse, consu lt with you r d octor, but if you choose to a d d this massage to
you r ca re routine, you must rub for the maxi m u m one thousa n d revol utions
to see the fu l l electromagnetic effect.
The m assages over both the pubic bone a n d the center of the lower dan
tian ton i fy a part of the body that normally g ets very l i ttle attention. The
Taoists fee l a major reason why women tend to be longer l ived than men l i es
i n thei r a b i l ity to bea r c h i l d ren. Ni ne months of p reg n a n cy exercises the
pelvic reg ion l i ke n i n e months of contin u ously p ra cticing this lower dan tian
massage. Ma ny women who h ave serious skin cond itions a n d othe r chronic
a n d d ifficult-to-d i a g n ose a i l ments fi n d that thei r sym ptoms clear u p d u ring
the months of p reg n a n cy, o n ly to return eventua l ly, a fter the baby is born .
. On a more esoteric l evel , when a woma n becomes preg na nt, she i ncreases her
longevity by ca rryi n g heave n ly Qi i nside her womb as the fetus d evelops. This
is no less cu ltivation of the lower dan tian tha n a l ife of Qi Gong p ractice. A
Tao ist n u n Dr. Wu h a d known from c h i l d hood surprised h i m a n u m ber of
years ago by a d m itti n g to h i m that when she was you nger, she i ntenti o n a l l y
broke t h e vows of her order t o h ave a c h i l d . She wa nted her chance t o cul­
tivate h eavenly ai, no matter what sacrifi ces she h a d to ma ke. After the ch i ld
was born, she gave it u p for adoption, retu rned to her n u n nery, a n d had n't
breathed a word of what she had d on e for m a ny yea rs. Today she is sti l l per­
forming her vows at the ri pe age of 109. Men a n d c h i l d l ess women need n't
worry that they a re m issi ng out on a n opportu n ity for energetic cu ltivation.

The M e d icin e o f H e a v e n a n d Ea r th •
1 19
Da i l y pra ctice of this circu l a r lower dan tian massage w i l l bri n g a new q u a l ­
i t y o f energ y into t h i s i m porta nt seat o f hea l th a n d l ongevity. I t's u p t o you
to create the fou ndation for you r Yuan Ying to spri ng to l ife.

THE N1NE CLEANS1NG BREATHS

A T nIl S POI N T, the body has been com pl ete l y warmed thro ugh a n d the
Qi and blood circu lation a re activated. Now it's time to start exch a n g i n g Qi
with the u n iverse, wh il e a bsorbing a n d ba lancing a l l the i ntern a l energ y cre­
ated by th is long set of wa rm -ups. M a n y Taoist
a l chemica l texts m a ke reference to "Qi Bath i n g ." Yet
a g a i n , far from being so me sort of a rca ne menta l
med itation o r p h i l oso p h y, a basic breathing exercise
is a l l that's needed to acco mpl ish this supposed
m ystery ( F ig u re 42).
Sta n d with you r a rms gently h a n g i n g at you r
sides. Check you r feet to m a ke sure they a re sti l l
pointing stra ig ht ahead o r slig htly i n wa rd , legs
shou l der-wi d t h a p a rt. Beg i n l ig h t l y i n h a l i n g
throu g h the nose, gra dua l l y fi l l i n g the entire rib
cage with a i r. At the sam e time as you a re bri n g i n g
a i r u p thro u g h you r nose a n d elevating you r rib
cage as it expa nds with you r breath, i m a g i ne p u l l i ng
h eave n l y Qi down i nto the top of the head thro u g h
the ba hui poi nt, rou g h ly a n a logous t o the crown
chakra . You ca n fi n d the exact spot of you r ba hui
point by tracing i m a g i n a ry l ines from the h ig hest
poi nts on the tops of the ears a n d another l ine from
the tip of the n ose u ntil a l l three meet together at
the center top of the head. Th is is one of the m ost
i m porta nt points in the bod y, p h ysica l l y a n d esoter­
ica l l y, often referred to as the point w here "one
FIGURE 42 h u n d red cha n nels meet together." There is a g reat

1 20 •
Q i G o n g for T o t a l W e l l n e s s
concentration of Ya n g channels i n the top of the hea d. Refi n i n g them a l l ows
us to sense our envi ronment more fu l ly a n d excha n g e com m u n ication with
the u n iverse. The ba hui poi nt, as the "Ya n g with i n the Ya ng," is the vita l
point from where the Yuan Ying can flow freel y u p to u n ite with its other
h alf i n the heavens. Conversel y, i n Ch i n ese medical treatment, this is a pri m e
point o f moxi busti on for sym ptoms o f chronic fatig ue. W e bri ng i n hea l ing
Oi through this poi nt to revita l i ze a n d detoxify the entire bod y.
I n hal e slow l y a n d fu l l y th rou g h the nose w h i l e bri n g i n g Heaven l y Oi
down through the ba hui poi nt. Do not i n h a l e
t o t h e point where you beg i n t o hold you r
breath. This i s a powerfu l breath in g exercise,
a n d you m ust go gently to avoid an u n p l easa nt
"head rush ." When you have come close to the
I .i m it of you r i n h a l e a n d you r rib cage is rou n d ­
ed front a n d b a c k with a i r, swa l low a l l t h i s Oi
a n d a i r down to the l ower dan tian. Use a n
actu a l physica l swa l lowing movement. You w i l l
fi n d tha t t h i s i ncorporates im porta nt muscles
down th ro ugh the torso, past the d i a ph ra gm,
i n to t he abdo m e n, no t u n l i ke how a snake swa l ­
lows its prey. Over time, as you r b od y gets
accustomed to this action, yo u may make the
swa l lowing less p h ysica l l y pronou nced . Do what
comes most natura l l y to maxi m i ze you r prac­
tice. As you swa l low the Oi to the lower dan
tian, exh a l e through the mouth very slow l y,
tota l l y rel a xed. Feel the Oi sti l l pou rin g down
through you r b a hui poi nt, across the shou lders,
down the a rms, a n d out each fi nger. Also feel
the Oi conti n u i n g downward from the lower
dan tian, spl itti ng across the pelvis, down the
legs, and out the toes and the centers of the
soles of the feet, and a lso out the u reth ra a n d
a n u s. Remem ber, the u rethra con nects with the FIGURE 43

T h e M e d icin e o f H e a ven a n d Ea rth •

121
stomach, bladder, a n d uteru s. The a n u s con nects with the i n testi nes. Every
part of you r body is bei n g opened a n d clea n sed. Feel as if you a re bath i n g i n
a shower of Qi, a l l the sta g n a nt energy passi ng out of t h e body, replaced by
new, vita l Qi (Fi g u re 43). The exh a le is the m ost i mporta n t part of th i s exer­
cise. The Qi doesn't stop a nywhere i n the body. It ju st comes a s a fl ow of
warmth, then pa sses out. At the point where you have n o m ore breath to
exha le, repeat aga i n from the i n h a le, for n i n e tota l repetiti on s. Don't g o too
slowly. Th i s exerci se sh ou l d be i nvig orating a n d refresh i n g a s wel l a s relaxing.
You are replacing your Qi.
Qi Bath i n g tra i n i n g i s a n excepti on a l detoxifier a n d reba l a ncer for the
entire body. Dr. Wu teaches it to h i s AI DS a n d ca ncer patients to practice
a l ongside their Western a n d Ea stern medica l treatment, to very n oticea ble
effect. The toes a re re lated to the head, their opposite. They a re the poles of
the body, north an d south, Yi n a n d Ya ng. Th i s exercise keeps the ma gnetic
pull between them i n balance. Also, i IIriess leaves the body from three places:
one-th ird from the hands, one-third from the feet, a n d the fi n a l th ird from
the bod i ly wa stes. You h el p sti m u late t h i s n atura l e l i m i nation process, reox­
egenati ng the body and i nterna l ly m a ssa g i n g the org a n s with your breath
and the fresh Qi you ta ke i n from above. Qi fl ows a l l a rou nd u s, but Qi Gong
practice creates a rhyth m between ou r bod ies and th is perpetua l flow.
Fu rther, the i n side of ou r bod ies m a kes i m porta n t decisi on s for u s. By clea n s­
i ng the 9 Pa laces, we combine the H u m a n with the Heave n s. O pen your
meri d i a n s a n d be free from a l l pa i n .

THE SE C ON D HEA R T

TH E e E L E B RA T E D HUA Tu o, e m i n ent d octor a n d sch ola r of the H a n

Dyn asty, deve l oped the fa m ou s Five An i m a l Exercises a s a su refire m eth od of
m a i nta i n i ng i n n e r a n d outer h ea l th. Part one of 9 Pa l a ces Qi Gong concl udes
with one of the two-thou sa n d -yea r-ol d exercises from this set. Place the
hands back i n position over the l ower dan tian, the sa me a s when beg i n n i ng
the l ower dan m a ssage. Women p lace the l eft h a n d over the rig h t, men the
right over the l eft, coveri ng the abdomen over the l ower dan tian. Sta n d i n g

122 •
Q i G o n g fOT T o t a l W e l l n e s s
stra i g h t a n d ta l l , kick down the center of the back of
the left ca lf with the edge of the right foot (Fi g u re
44). Kick fi rmly, using plenty of fo rce, working from
the back of the knee stra ight down to the a n kle.
Repeat n i n e times from top to bottom, then switch
sides fo r n i ne more repeats, the edge of the left foot
kicking the right ca lf. Th is is known as the Golden
Rooster Sta n d i n g on One Leg. Heavy toxins i n the
body tend to settle i n this critica l a rea from ca lf to
a n kle. Th e stomach channel a n d the spleen cha n n el
a re found on either s i d e of th e ca lf m uscle. Due to
g ravity's perpetu a l i nfl uence, the heaviest resid ues
a ccu m u late h e re, clog g i n g the c i rculation. The
Taoists see th is a rea as so critica l to the body's
hea lth that, it is referred to as the Second Hea rt. I n
Taoist medicine, i f there a re problems with the hea rt,
this is the a rea that is treated . If you consistently
p ractice the Golden Rooster exercise, it ca n help you
g a i n hea lth fo r you r hea rt. This kicki n g is a wonder­
fu l self-massage, a n d the process of sta n d i n g on one FIGURE 44

l eg a u g m ents its effects by tra i n i ng you r sense of

your body's alignment and center of gravity. Standing ta l l a n d looking

stra ight ahead, fee l i n g the body p u l led u p a n d the torso perfectly placed over
the h i ps, w i l l h e l p you keep you r ba l a nce w h i l e fi nely a djusting you r postu re.
In fact, this basic exercise is one of the classic fou n dation tra i n i ngs for Ta i Ch i
mastery. Th e stra ig hter you sta nd, the more easily the sed iment i n the body
w i l l fi nd its way down, ready to be massaged out. I f it's d ifficu lt to m a i nta i n
a sta n d i n g postu re w h i l e kicking t h e ca lves, by a l l means use o n e h a n d to
lean aga i nst a wa l l or tree w h i l e you keep the other over the lower dan tian.
With d a i ly practice, you w i l l strengthen you rself, thoug h , so it rea l ly is worth­
w h i l e to try bit by bit to get th rough the n i n e repeti tions on each side sta nd­
i n g on one l eg. As usua l , keepi n g the proper four-a n d -fou r b reath i n g w i l l
m a ke the exercise go a l ot easier.
We know that b i rds ca n fly h i g h but on l a n d who ca n run faster than the

The M e d i ci n e o f Heaven a n d E a r t h •
1 23
h orse? Sometimes h orses ca n ru n for a h u n d red m i les before exha usti ng
themselves. If you watch th em carefu l ly, you wi l l see that they k ick the backs
of their legs in a very s i m i la r way to this exercise to rel ieve their fatigue.
What we a re attempting is to i m i tate the a n i ma ls' natura l behavi or to recover
from ou r own tired ness. If you a re buyi n g a h orse a n d spot one that is kick­
ing its shi ns, you're g oi n g to know that that h orse w i l l be an exce l lent ru n­
ner. It's showin g its natura l i nsti nct to bala nce and reg u l ate itself. Right n ow,
by d oi n g the G olden Rooster exercise, we a re ba l a n cing ou rselves, relaxi ng
from all t he day's excitement, ca l m in g ou rselves d own.
If at a ny ti m e you feel fatigue, such as after a l ong h i ke or be i n g on you r
feet a l l day, if you feel a tig htness or sensati on of expa nsion over the heart,
or if you r body feels a bit swol l en a n d tend er, you ca n practice the ca lf­
kicki ng to rel ieve the tired ness a n d d iscomfort.
After the Golden Rooster practice, we have com pleted the first section
of 9 Pa laces Qi Gong. We h a ve a wa kened the circulation of blood a n d Qi from
head to toe a n d l oosened a l l the j oi nts, where Qi a ccu m u lates a n d i n turn
flows from. You should feel warm, l i g ht, a n d strea m i ng w ith energy. This may
seem l i ke a l ot of work, but it need n 't be ti m e-consu m i n g . As you become
a ccustomed to the form, this w h ol e seri es of warm - u ps shou l d n't ta ke m ore
than twenty m i n utes from the ears to the feet a n d ca lves. Keep i n g a g ood
pace w h i l e practici ng w i l l energ ize the body, g ive you a g ood ca rd i ovasc u l a r
workout, a n d sti l l leave you i n a state of ca l m relaxation. If you are extremely
p ressed for ti me, just do the h a n d-sh a k i n g , k i d n ey-ru b b i n g , a nd l ower dan
tian m assage before proceedi ng to the next section . Know that you ca n d o
a ny of these exercises separa tely a t a ny t i m e of t h e day, whenever you need
a little l i ft. Whether you a re ta k i n g a q u ick break beh i n d your desk a t the
office or sta n d i n g on a cliff overlook i n g the ocea n, m a ke 9 Pa laces Qi G on g
yours. H ea l i ng beg i ns i n t h e m i n d a n d t h e hea rt a n d leads t o becom i n g one
with Heaven a n d Earth.

1 24 •
Oi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 s x

Opening the·

Heavenly Eye

THE THI R D E YE -these three words represent rare and powerful

knowledge, sought throughout the history of humanity. As far back as

mankind's prehistoric past, the science of human consciousness has been

rigorously studied the world over, always linked with opening the mind to

new states of awareness. Every race, every culture, in every generation, has

toiled to attain the precious sacrament of psychic and spiritual attainment.

Unfortu nate l y, eq u a l l y fa r back, its stu d y h a s been su ppressed or coopted by
those g reed y for control over the com mon man. Ma n y who attem pted to
preserve the teach i n g s were oppressed, d riven u n d erg ro u n d , or persecuted to
the point of death. Charlata n s spra n g u p, seeking perso n a l g a i n as they hood­
w i n ked eager students anxious to believe. M yths and fea rs were fabricated to
fu rther d i ssua d e those who wou l d w i sh to learn , both by the powers that be
a n d by the keepers of the teach i n g s themselves. As secrecy a n d m i si nforma­
tion took hold, true methods of psychic development g ra d u a l l y d i e d out, fa d ­
i n g i n to obscu rity a n d then oblivion. H o w m u c h blood was shed i n Europe,
the M i d d le East, Africa , Asi a , and the America s to w i pe out all tra ces of the
truth? Tod a y, once-powerfu l m ystica l ·tra d itions l i m p a lo n g , their l i n eages
broken or scattered, their teach i n g s a l tered beyo n d recog n ition. Such h a s
been the h i story o f t h e h u m a n g ra sp for a h i g her p l a n e o f existe nce.
Sti l l , people conti n ue the sea rch. The l u re of mag i ca l vista s, not visib l e to
the p h ysica l eye, is too strong to let go. The Th i rd Eye, able to see a ll that i s
h i d d e n , i s to t h i s d a y a sou rce o f e n d less fa sci nation, i nte l lectua l debate, a n d
eager sea rch i n g . What i s t h e p u l l o f ope n i n g t h e Heave n l y Eye, t h i s h o l d its
secret has on our i m a g i nation, w h i ch has ca u sed so m a n y to risk so much?
Despite all the adva nces of the modern worl d , why do people sti l l seek the
m i racu l o u s?
Cou ld it be that these m ysteries have h e l d m a n k i n d's attention fo r thou­
sa n d s of yea rs beca u se they conta i n a n element of truth? Do we yea rn for
psychic awa reness not as a mea n s of creating the i m possi ble, but out of a
su bconscious d rive to express the ful l ca pacity of the h u m a n m i n d ? The
Tao i sts have a lways recog n i zed that the development of the m i n d's u nta pped
potentia l is equal in i m porta n ce to promoti n g p h ysical hea lth. Techn iq ues
were form u lated over gen erations of stu d y to u n lock a b i l ities with i n the
bra i n that were seen as a natura l step in the journey of beco m i n g a fu l l y rea l ­
i zed person. T h e a n cient m a sters a n d t h e i r w i sdom went thro ugh t h e sa me
process of persecution and d i l ution, and yet, with i n the confi nes of the
monasteries, the tra d itions were held safe for many generations.
H owever, even with centuries of tightly held tra d ition, the practice of
the 9 Pa laces h a d nearly been forgotte n i n the Wh ite Cloud Monastery. W h i l e
t h e Yi n Q i G o n g form known as the 5 Centers h a d been m a i nta i ned i n its

1 26 •
Q i Go n g fo r Tota l W e l l n e s s
entirety si nce the fou n d in g of the mona stery, by the early twentieth century
there was a co n sensus with in the ra n ks of the orders represe n ted th ere that
someth i n g would need to be done to revive the 9 Pa laces. For this purpose,
Dr. Wu's m a ster was appoi nted by his order i n the south of Ch i n a to travel
north to Beij i n g , as the emissary of its l a st rem a i n i n g u nbroken l i neage. The
9 Pa laces tra i n i n g set forth here is a ra re prize, a system of development
of mind a n d co n sciousness as wel l a s body a nd health, u ntouched over a
thousa n d yea rs of h i story, a time ca psu l e of the world of the a n cient men of
wisdom.
Of course, not everyone interested in the study of Qi Gong pursues it for
esoteric reaso n s. The hea lth benefits of d a i ly pra ctice a re more than enou g h
t o convi nce m a ny t o m a ke it a pa rt o f t h e i r d a i ly routi n e. Th i s i s not t o say
that a q u ickeni ng of awareness, a sen sation of contemplative peace, may not
come over the reg u l a r practitioner, no matter what h i s or her orig i na l inter­
est may have been. Tao i st thou ght does not m a ke a separation between the
cosm ic order and the intern a l order of the body. As a bove, so bel ow, a ba sic
tenet of mystica l teach i n g s the world over, a ppl ies i ntimately to 9 Pa l aces Qi
Gong. I n the second section of the 9 Pa laces form, we will focu s on u n b l ock­
ing and open i n g the pathways of en ergy between the i nterna l org a n s, the
five sen ses, the outer world, a n d beyond to the i n ner reaches of perception.
Now that the circulation has been enha nced and the m uscles and joi nts
warmed and loosened , sta n d i n g postu res a ided by visua liza tion take the loos­
e n i n g and warm i n g process deeper i nto the structu re of the body. For those
i n c l i ned to see visu a l ization a s a n u n n ecessa ry g loss over a basi ca l ly physical
fu nction, be aware that the visu a l izations i nvolved i n 9 Pa la ces Qi Gong work
as su btle e n h a n cements to the effort of the sta n d i n g postures they accom­
pany. Si m ply put, th i n k of th i s section a s a series of i sometric exercises in
reverse, worki ng from the i n ner surfaces of bone a nd con nective ti ssue out­
ward toward the m u scle. W h i l e you visu a l ize sen d i n g you r sen ses fa r out past
the norm al l i m it of perception, you w i l l fi nd that tiny m u scles a rou nd the
spot bei ng concentra ted on wi l l stra i n , twitch, or g et warm with exertion.
Rest a ssu red that you a re exercisi n g key m uscles a ro und the eyes, ea rs, nose,
and mouth, as wel l as sti m u lati ng the portions of the bra i n that g overn their
fu nction with th is specifica l ly chosen ima gery. It is perfectly va l id to eventu-

O p e n i n g t h e li e a v e n ly Eye 127
a l ly e l i m i nate the visu a l com ponent of these postures a s the body gets u sed
to how they feel . In fact, experiencing Qi Gong on the p u rely somatic l evel
w i l l lead to even g reater control a n d benefici a l resu l ts. Ju st a s a d a n cer's or
si nger's tra i n i ng lea d s to g race of movement or richness of voi ce in day-to­
day l i fe, Qi Gong practice tones l i ttle-used m u scles a n d neura l path ways for
d etoxi fyi ng a n d reg u lating one's health. But a d a ncer doesn't d ance j u st to
stay i n sha pe, a n d most people who practice 9 Pa l aces Qi Gong d i scover that
th i s holds true for themselves a s wel l . Th i s i s clea ring the m i n d to encou nter
the so u l , brought down to the l evel of physica l sen sation and perso n a l
expression.
"As l a rge a s infi n i ty, a s sma l l as a g ra i n of san d " i s a key concept i n Tao i st
thoug ht. Th i s is not just a statement of h u m i l ity i n the face of a n i nfi n ite u n i­
verse. The Taoist practitioner strives to achieve flexible states of perception
that can expa n d outward to gather energy and i nformation from all a ro u n d ,
or sh ri n k i nwa rd t o m a ke changes on t h e deepest cel l u l a r level. W i t h each
posture in the secon d part of the 9 Pa laces form, we a re going to explore
ca pa b i l ities of the five sen ses that at fi rst g l a nce seem beyond the ra nge of
norma l experience. Over tim �, the Heave n ly Eye that rea d s the messages of
the u n iverse ca n open in a ny of u s. The bea uty of 9 Pa la ces Qi Gong is that
at every step of the way, you a re h e l p i n g you rself on a physica l and emo­
tional l evel. Th e esoteric awa reness and mystica l i n sig hts fol low natura l ly of
the i r own accord, often emerg i n g in a su rprisi ng way, when least expected.
Th i s practice is a l so known a s the Hea lthy a n d Ha ppy Gong, for it i s a Qi Gong
form specifica l ly focused on hea l i ng and detoxi fyi ng the body. However,
there's no way of dancing a rou n d the fact that many peopl e who sta rt prac­
ticing this form on a reg u l a r basi s bri n g extraord i n a ry experiences i n to their
l ives. Is it beca u se new neura l pathways a re bei n g created i n the bra i n d u e to
these very specific exerci ses? Wou l d you prefer to atta ch a spiritu a l or rel i ­
g ious si g n ifica nce t o the cha nges t h a t take place i n one's consciousn ess?
How do you choose to perceive them? By accepting what comes to you d u r­
i n g these postu res, not trying to e n d lessly repeat moments that may o nly
come once, a l ways learn i ng from them a n d knowi n g there i s a lways yet more
to learn. Th i s is the path to h a rmony with the u n iverse.

1 28 •
Oi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 SEN D 1 N G THE EYE S O U T

E V E R YON E KNOW S TH E old h o m i l y t h a t "the eyes a re t h e w i n dows of

the sou L" The Taoists a l so have always recog n i zed th i s i m porta nt tru ism. It
doesn't matter what clothes you wea r or what image you try to d i splay, the
eyes revea l one's true self to those who ca n see. The moon i n the sky, a long
with the eyes, bright a s the moon, a re refl ections of the heart. After the sen se
of touch, eyesight i s the very fi rst way we interact with the worl d a round u s,
from earl iest i n fancy. We spend a lot of ti me sen d i ng our sight out to look at
all the sti m u lating things that su rro u n d u s i n our d a i l y l ives. The Taoists
believe that someti mes we m i g h t even see th i n g s that were not meant for
our eyes a n d bri n g i n sickness a n d bad l u ck beca u se of it. Whether you
believe this or not, there i s a poi nt to be made when we con sider how l ittl e
we con sciousl y i ntern a l ize the i n formation we a re conti n u a l l y bombard i n g
o u r eyes with. There's no doubt t h a t t h e sen se o f sight takes i n i n put that ca n
affect u s su bconsciousl y, j u st as sure l y a s sta ri ng at a com puter screen a l l day
ca n m a ke the whole body feel tired. A mon k l iving with i n the confines of
a q u iet monastery might si m p l y choose to look at fewer things to keep i n
good order. Getting through t h e w e e k i n t h e hectic modern worl d certa i n l y
ma kes t h i s a l UXUry few o f u s ca n affo rd . Ta king time t o clea n a n d refresh o u r
visu a l p i pel i ne, besides p reventi ng stresses that coul d negative l y i m pact o u r
health if n o t monitored, g ives u s more space t o engage i n a deeper com m u ­
n i cation with the worl d a ro u n d u s.
For thousa n d s of yea rs, Chi nese medicine h a s recog n ized the con n ection
between the l iver a n d the eyes, con sideri n g that one refl ects the con d ition of
the other. Even Western medicine acknowledges this relatio n sh i p to a certa i n
extent. The fi rst i n d icator o f hepatitis i s a ye l l ow cast t o t h e wh ites o f the
eyes. Th e ski n becomes sa l low only a s the d i sease progresses. Th i s exerci se
clears the eye/l iver cha n n el of obstructions, promoti ng hea l i n g i n a whole
ra nge of eye and l iver con d itions, such as hepatitis, chro n i c fatigue ( rel ated
to the l iver), eyestra i n , cataracts, a n d g l a ucoma. The l iver is the most i m por­
ta nt organ i n a woman's body. Its health w i l l be a n i n d icator of her entire

Ope n i n g th e H e a ve n l y Eye •
1 29
body's hea lth. No matter with what problems a fem a l e patient comes to Dr.
Wu for treatment, he w i l l a lways i n c l u d e some ca re for her l iver. Accord i n g
to Taoist hea l i n g food theories, a d d i n g a l i ttle l iver t o one's d iet i s beneficial
for a wea k l iver a n d certa i n eye con d itions, goat l iver bei ng the best, fol­
l owed by cow, pig, ch i cken, and d uck l iver, i n order of effectiveness. Th e Five
Eleme nts nouri sh a n d control one a n other. The l iver is g reen, the hea rt is red ,
t h e spleen yel low, t h e l u n g s wh i te, a n d t h e kidneys black. I n genera l , eati ng
foods the color of the org a n you wish to treat i s a basic Taoist hea lth prac­
tice, relating back to fi n d i n g h a rmony by pa iring l i ke Oi with l i ke. Look i n g at
these colors with the eyes will a l so en h a n ce treatment. White ra d i sh sou p i s
g ood for the l u ng s. Egg p l a n t i s g iven fo r i m poten ce, rel ated t o t h e ki d neys.
Red rel i eves the blood. A heart patient m i g h t co n sider layi ng down ca rpet
with a l ittle red m ixed i nto it, so it ca n catch the eye throughout the d a y.
G reen w i l l have a positive effect on the hea rt a s well as red , becau se its
correspon d i ng wood element relating to the l iver su pports the heart's fire
element i n the generative cycle of the Five Elements. For men, longevity i s
rel ated t o t h e kidneys. For women, t h e l iver sho u l d a lways b e t h e fi rst prior­
ity when seeking a long l ife. Eating g reen food a n d look ing at g reen th i n g s
i s particu larly hel pfu l for women tryi ng t o ma inta i n t h e i r l ivers.
I n Five E lements theory, the element of wood i s a ssociated with the l i ver.
The eye/l iver meri d i a n exercise is considered a Wood Practice. As wood con­
tro l s Earth and the eyes a re the m i d d lemen betwee n the l iver and the u n i­
verse, sta rting the second section of the 9 Pa laces Oi G ong with this practice
firm ly estab l i shes a person's place sta n d i n g between Heaven a n d Earth. From
the basic sta n d i n g posture, slowly ra i se the h a n d s u p, a r m s gently bent, pa l m s
fac i ng toward t h e bod y, t o j u st a bove eye level , with t h e p i n kies a l i g ned with
the eyebrows. Keep the eyes closed and the breath i n g steady. From beh i n d
you r closed eye l i d s, i m a g i n e you r eyes open i n g a n d looki n g outwa rd t o the
centers of the pa l m s. Feel the eyes looki ng stra i g h t thro u g h the pa l m s a n d
o u t i nto t h e room ( Fig u re 45). Try to see t h e room a ro u n d you . Conti n u e look­
i n g u p to the cei l i ng, then fa rther up, rig h t th rou g h the cei l i ng a n d the roof,
then up a n d out, h i g h a bove the city streets. Keep sen d i n g you r eyes outward
a l l the way to the edge of the ocea n , then farther sti l l to the d i sta nt horizon.
You m ig h t feel a sen sation that you r eyes want to p u ll back i n to you r head.

130 .
Q i G o n g fo r T o ta l W elln e s s
 ,
-�-
,
I �o_
I
-o- ,
f ,
-0-

FIGURE 45

Just breathe into it gently a n d g ive them a n extra push fa rther out instead.
Continue l ooki ng up, throu g h the blue sky a nd the white clouds, a l l the way
i nto outer space.
At this poi nt you need to sta rt l ooki n g farther, but n ow n ot on ly with
the two eyes on you r face, but a lso with you r th i rd eye, know n by the Taoists
as the Heave n ly Eye or tian ying. U n fu rl you r Heave n ly Eye, as a rose wou ld
open its peta ls, right between the eyes at brow level. Try and see what you
ca n with it. Joi n you r third eye with you r two physica l eyes to conti n u e l ook­
i n g out throu g h space. If you ca n't see a nyth i n g with the th i rd eye, no mat­
ter. Just keep l ooki n g out, breat h i n g with the fou r-a nd-fou r rhythm, past the
m oon, then past the sun, then past the edge of the sol a r system. Just as
before, if you feel any of you r e yes wa nti n g to pull back in, d on 't let them.

Opening t h e Heavenly Eye •

131
Push them out aga i n just a l ittl e fa rther. By now, it's very com mon to feel the
m u scles and tendons a round the eyes stra i n i ng and twitch i n g , not u n l i ke a
bicep wou ld toward the end of a set of weight tra i n i n g . Just keep looki ng
outwa rd , a ll t he w a y to the ed g e of the u n iverse. Then pus h past the e dge o f
the u n iverse a n d behol d what l i es beyond it. Th ere a re certa in things that fre­
q u entl y a re seen by people at this poi nt, but rather tha n list th em, suffice it
to sa y that each person 's experience is d i fferent.
Once you have extended you r sight through you r palms a n d past the
edge of the u n iverse (th is should ta ke about two to three m i n u tes), start to
more q u ickly p u l l you r three eyes back. Bri n g them back past to this so l a r sys­
tem , past the su n , then past the moon. Just as you conti n uously pushed you r
vision outward , try to brin g you r sight back i n o n e steady d raw, not letti ng
the sol i d col u m n of energ y d iffuse. Once you g et back to outer space, cl ose
you r Heave n l y Eye and conti n u e downward with you r two physica l eyes. Pu l l
them a g a i n past the wh ite clouds a n d the b l u e sky, across the ocea n a n d
th ro u g h the city. Bri n g t h e m d o w n through the roof a n d back into the room.
Gra d ua l l y d ra w the eyes to the center of the pa l ms, w h ich by now should fee l
hot. G e n t l y bri ng t h e p a l m s t o cover t h e eyes, fee l i n g t h e h e a t permeate
them as you place them back i n the i r sockets. This heat is a hea l i ng force
from the u n iverse, Heaven l y Oi. Bri n g i n g th e eyeballs back to the head shou ld
ta ke about th i rty secon ds. There is no n eed to g o too slowl y or get lost
with i n th is practice. Keep a focused pace. Leave the pa l ms coveri ng the eyes
u ntil the eyeba l ls feel cool and very comforta b le. As you feel the energ y flow
from you r palms to you r eyes, visu a l i ze the color g reen . Not onl y a re you
h ea l i ng a n d refreshing you r eyes, the process of send i n g you r g a ze out to the
edge of the u n iverse a n d back aga i n is a speci a l cultivation for you r eyes to
g a i n the wisdom of seei n g relationsh i ps in their rig ht l ig ht.
Now it's time to rep l en ish the l iver with this sa me Heave n l y Oi. Feel the
warmth from the pa l ms pass throu g h the eyes a n d down i nto you r l i ver.
( Fig u re 46). Keep th i n kin g of the color g reen c;lS you send a steady strea m of
energ y i nto you r l iver. As the energ y flows i n , picture yo u r l iver shri n king a n d
shri n ki n g u ntil it i s s o sma l l it d isa ppears. Savor t h e concept o f " l a rger t h a n
in fi n i ty, sma l ler t h a n a g ra i n o f sa nd" you have just enacted. Th en remove
you r pa l ms from you r eyes a n d place them d i rectly over you r l iver u ntil you

132 •
Q i G o n g for T o t a l Wel l n e s s
feel comforta ble. I f you taste a sou r
flavor l ike a sa lted p l u m in you r mouth
at this point, you wil l know you have
succeeded in com pletely opening you r
l iver meri d ia n . If you don't taste it a t
first, you ca n sta rt t h e whole exercise
from the beg in n ing a gfti n , or just keep
practicing da ily. With the com pletion of I '
I I
/ I v
this postu re, you wil l have experienced

q"
I,
what the Taoists refer to as Heaven a n d 1/
"
Hu m a n U n ited as On e. With the
Heave n ly Qi flowing throug h you r l iver,
you have increased you r orga n 's poten- FIGURE 46

tia l for com m u n ication with the outside

worl d. I n the Tao, it is bel ieved that everyone is a lso a sta r u p in the sky. Every
org a n in you r body fin ds its ultimate expression in com m u n ication with this
.
sta r that is you .

THE HEAVENLY EYE

TH E EYE S IN o u r head can see whatever appears in front of them. The

H eavenly Eye has the a bil ity to see things that a re beyo n d the reach of the
physica l eyes, th ings that coexist with us on d ifferent p l a n es of awa reness. It
ca n a lso perceive things that do exist here but a re im possi ble for the n a ked
eye to see, such as d isease with in the body, or people or places that a re fa r
a way. Does the third eye rea l ly exist? H istorica l ly, the third eye has been
l in ked to the pinea l g l a n d . Located nea r the center of the b ra in , th is sma l l
endocrine g l a n d secretes melato n in , reg u la ting seaso n a l charges in the
metabolism and rep roductive fu nction, as wel l as affecting the circa d ia n
rhythms o f t h e body. Extended stu d ies o f t h e pinea l g l a n d i n Ja pa n , w h ich
have been met with a positive l evel of accepta nce by the scientific com m u n i­
ty, show both in its com ponents a n d fu nctions, the pineal g l a n d is rema rkably
similar to the eye, as its neurochemica l com positon has certa in light-detecting

Opening th e Heavenly Eye •

1 33
properties that control the prod u ction of melato n i n . There is some d isag ree­
ment as to whether the pinea l g l a n d sha res the sa me fu l l a b i l ities of o u r eye­
sig ht. However, with h is ba ckg ro u n d in resea rch n e u rophysiol ogy, D r. Wu
feels these stud i es a re concl usive enough to be accepted.
D r. Wu has other reasons to g ive credence to the existence of the
Heave n ly Eye. When visiti ng monasteries i n Tibet as a you n g m a n with his
teacher, Dr. Wu had the opportu n ity to witness the su rg ica l proced u re the
la mas use to open the third eye. Usi ng specia l med i ci n a l leaves, the ski n over
the th i rd eye was rubbed co nti n u ously fo r one to two days, u ntil the skin was
broken and the soft bone be h i n d it had com p l etely d isso lved. Then herba l
poultices were a p p l ied to m a ke sure the ski n wou l d hea l back over the hole.
If the lama was very l ucky, the ski n wou l d g row back and he wo u l d be ca pa­
ble of re ma rkable feats of X-ray vision. D r. Wu tried to test an ol d e r l a m a
b y offering h i m a ciga rette from h is p a c k if he cou l d tel l h i m how m a ny
ciga rettes were left i nside. Not on ly d i d the old m o n k tel l h i m how m a ny cig­
a rettes were left; he gave him a l isti ng down to the last coi n of a l l the other
thi ngs i n his pockets. U nfortunately, the l a mas a lways ra n the risk of the
wound not hea l i n g , wh ich cou l d easily lead to d eath. Wheth er with the leaf
tech n i q u e or with actua l trepanation (su rgica l ly d ri l l i n g openi ngs i n the
sku ! !), the risks involved so heavily outweigh the benefits, it o n ly serves to
i l l ustrate the pull of the knowledge possibly to be g a i ned : so strong as to
m a ke its seekers d a re to l ose their l ives.
Th e Taoists have other tech n i q ues for open i n g the Heave n ly Eye, none of
w h ich h ave ever before been revealed to the p ub l ic. Obviously, they a re m u ch
safer, bei n g nonsu rg ica l . Th ey a re si m ple, yet h i g h ly effective, for they h a r­
mon ize the body's natura l a b i l ities with the seasons a n d rhyth ms of the
world. The very fi rst thing to be aware of, if you r i ntention is to l,m lock this
a b i l i ty, is the time of the yea r to p ra ctice to ach ieve resu lts. Someti mes peo­
ple co me to Dr. Wu wondering why they have yet to experience the open i n g
of the Heaven ly Eye, even tho u g h they have med itated for eight or ten yea rs.
It was sim ply beca use they d id n't sta rt their p ractice in its right season. You
m ust sta rt i n the fa l l , about one l u n a r month before the Ch i n ese Lu n a r
Festiva l , somewhere between Aug ust a n d Se ptem ber, depe n d i n g on the yea r.
Just as we ha rvest o u r crops i n the a u tu m n , when they h ave reached their

134 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
pea k of ripe perfection, you must ha rvest the i n nate ca pabilities of the third
eye at this sa me time. No other time of the year w i l l do. Earl ier, a n d you r
body w i l l not be ready; l ater, a n d winter's " ki l l i n g force" w i l l be u pon yo u,
d rawing you r energy d o wn to o d eep with i n . Also, for the sa me reasons, prac­
tice o n ly between fo u r i n the afternoon and n i ne in the even i n g , the most
autu m n a l hours of the day. W h i l e sta rting or conti n u i n g you r practice at the
wrong time of the yea r or day is not d a m a g i n g to the body, the practitioner
may not ach i eve successfu l resu lts.
W h i l e the eye/l iver meri d i a n practice of the 9 Pa laces w i l l g reatly
enhance you r physica l eyesight and sta bi l i ze the energy of you r Heaven ly
Eye, to reach a more adva nced l evel that strictly focuses on open i n g the Th i rd
Eye, fol l ow these steps as a separate exercise from you r 9 Pa laces Qi Gong
practice. Lay a wh ite cloth over a sq u a re-topped stool or low card ta ble. You
wa nt the stool or ta ble to be low enough that when you sta nd before it, you
ca n look down easi ly a n d see its whole su rfa ce without havi ng to bend the
head down or position the eyes i n any other way than a natura l , re laxed
downward gaze.
In Tao ist cosmology, the reg ions of the head and face have been
assig ned a correspo ndence with the outer worl d . From the eyebrows to the
i n d entation above the l i p is H u m a n . . From the i n dentati on over the lip to
the chi n is the Ocea n. From the brow l i n e up is you r H eaven. First g a ze
upon the white sq uare with you r eyes for a mom ent , tryi n g to absorb what
you a re seeing i n to you r Heaven as wel l as you r eyes. Then cl ose you r eyes
a nd try to see the wh ite sq u a re of the ta bletop with on ly you r Heaven. Eve n
.
thoug h you a re usi ng the top of the head fro m the browl i n e u p to sense this
image, you w i l l be triggering you r Heavenly Eye, open i n g it up for it to do
the looki ng. I f you have the base a b i l ity to open you r th i rd eye, after a few
moments of this, a sq u a re image that moves with the l ight a n d rhyth m of the
snowy static on a b l a n k te levisi on screen w i l l come i nto view on you r brow.
If you ca n see this spa rk l i n g sq u a re after n i n e fu l l repetitions of exte n d i n g
t h e eyes out, bri ng i ng t h e m b a c k i n , a n d stari ng at t h e wh ite sq u a re with
eyes open and sh ut, you know you have the a ptitude to go forwa rd with
open i n g you r Heave n ly Eye. Don't th i n k this is a rare ta lent. Certa i n ly, there's
an element of a ptitude here, just as some people a re natura l ly better athletes

Ope n i n g th e H e a v e n l y Eye •
135
or m usicia ns. Some people can fu l l y open their t h i rd eye i n a few days or even
hours of th is practice. On average you shou l d be able to manage it w ith one
h u n d red days of practice, based on norm a l bra i n fu nction.
Once you a re able 'to eas i l y get the "screen" across you r H eaven i nto
focus, you ca n start g iving you rself fu rther challenges. I nstead of an em pty
wh ite cloth, l a y a sma l l , sim ple object (a penc i l is idea l ) in its center. Conti n u e
practici ng i n t h e sa me way, tryi ng t o fi x t h e i ma ge o f t h e pencil first w i t h the
e yes, then with i n the screen of the H eavenly Eye. Th is may not so u n d very
easy, but you wou l d be surprised at how the proper t i m i n g , com b i ned with
th ese tra i n i ngs, will help get you on you r way. Once seei n g the pencil with i n
t h e Th i rd Eye becomes effortless, try brea king the penci l with i n yo u r m i n d .
See it snapping a pa rt, a s if you were looki ng at it w i t h you r physica l eyes. Th is
is q u ite powerfu l. You will certa i n l y know when yo u have accompl ished it.
After this stage, try doing this practice outside without a wh ite sq u a re.
I nstead, tra i n you r Heave n l y Eye on an ant cra w l i n g a l o ng the g ro und. See if
you can g et it to stop i n its tracks with the force from you r Heave n l y Eye's
g a ze. One of Dr. Wu's students puts it this way: " I fi n ished my 9 Pa l a ces prac­
tice in the park one day and felt it was sudden l y the rig ht moment to try this
o ut. As I looked down on the g rou nd, m y attention landed on one parti cular
a n t that was part of a col u m n m a rch i n g a long. I felt very con nected with this
a n t. The co nnection d efi n ite l y came from m y Heave n l y Eye more than from
a n ywhere e lse. The ant's feelers went u p a n d it stopped dead i n its tracks, l i ke
it was held there by a force field. I sta red fascinated at this for a few
moments, but then I felt a pa n g of conscience, beca use I cou l d sense the a n t
ca l l i n g out i n confusion t o its mates sti l l cra w l i n g a long i n the row, w h i l e i t
w a s stuck and COU l d n't move. I h a d t h e feel i n g I coul d have held it i n its spot
for as long as I wa nted , but I broke the con nectio n with my m i n d beca use I
felt it wasn't m y rig ht to hold a l ittle a n t from going about its busi n ess." Once
you get to this level of a b i l ity, you know you have tra i ned q u ite wel l .
W h a t w i l l you brin g i nto you r life by open i n g t h e Heave n l y Eye? Each
person is d ifferent. Some people experience u n ca n n y eve nts and i nsig hts that
a re h a rd to fi n d a ratio n a l expl a nation for. Others fi nd a deepened con n ec­
tion to nature a n d their friends a n d fa m i l y. Suffice it to sa y, opportu n ities to
h e l p others with you r newly e n h a nced perception w i l l come you r way, with-

136 •
Qi G o n g fo r To tal Wel1 n e s s
out havi ng to ru n looking for them. Certa i n l y, open i ng the H eaven l y Eye is a
very speci a l i zed tech n iq ue. Whether or not you choose to delve this deeply,
know that Qi Gong, practiced with sincerity, benefits not o n l y you rself, but
reaches out i n positive ways to a l l you come i n contact with. Ha rmon izing
Human with Heaven, we ca n n ot h e l p but sha re someth i n g positive with
everyth i n g aro und us.

RU Yl

AFTER TH E EYES a n d l iver a re opened a n d nourished, the next posture

turns to the stomach a n d spleen. As sa id before, the spleen a n d stomach a re
key org a ns that reflect a n d infl uence our d a i l y l ives i n the most basic ways.
Accord i n g to Chinese med icine, the spleen a n d stomach a re both di gestive
org a ns a n d store water. M uscl e g rowth is governed by the stomach a nd
spleen. By extension, m uscl e pa i n is a lso related to the stomach a n d spleen.
The spleen's Qi rises u pward. The stomach's Qi fa l l s downward. Together, they
hold the centra l element of Ea rth with i n the body. They a re the mothers of
the bod y, balancing every pa rt of its structure and a l l the rest of the organs
with their flow of Yin a n d Ya ng. When hea l i n g the bod y, proper food is
better than m ed icine and Qi is better than food. This is the essence of nutri;..
tion . Practice this with m i n d a n d body. The stomach is emotional. The task is
to keep it relaxed and resting q u ietly. The n ext exercise h e l ps preserve the
delicate bala nce of stomach a n d spleen from the stresses and stra ins of
everyd a y. l ife.
After fi nish i n g the eye/l iver open i n g , bri n g the ha nds, pa l ms u p , to rest
in the crease formed where the torso meets the tops of the thig hs. Placing
the pa l m s u pward, you a re preserving Qi. As usua l , keep the e l bows softly
rou nded. Beg in swa yi n g gently in a fig u re-eig ht motion, starting from l eft to
right. lead with you r shoulders, fee l i n g you r entire torso i ntegrated i nto this
soft movement. Feel as if you a re a l otus, swa yi n g i n the breeze. You r body
from the wa ist down has become you r roots reac h i n g deep i n to the mud at
the bottom of the l a ke. You r torso is the l otus's strong a nd flexible stem. You r
a rms a re t h e rou nded leaves, ski m m i n g t h e surface o f t h e water. You r head

Opening t h e Heavenly Eye •

137
i s the lotus fl ower, a n d i n the center, the seed pod i s yo u r bra i n . Al low you r
w h o l e body to j o i n i n t h e rhythm o f t h e fi g u re-eight swayi ng, sh ifting yo u r
w e i g h t from leg t o l e g a s you l e a d i nto t h e wave l i ke motion.
The movement of this exercise i s l i ke m ixing med icine i n a bottle. You a re
sw i rl i n g you r own i n tern a l medi � i nes with i n the vessel of you r lower dan
tian. M ix it wel l to a l low the body to reg u late. There i s a popu l a r type of d i m
su m that i s rolled into a flaky, m u ltil ayered ba l l b y sha ki ng t h e dough i n a
cu pped hand. As it ro l l s a n d bounces around, it g rows l ayer by layer u nt i l
it i s ready t o be cooked. Th i s i s t h e sa me w a y the Ch i nese m ix herbs i nto
medici ne. Western med icine ten d s to pound a n d process. The Ch i nese u se
the sha ki n g method i n order to prod uce a ba l l . I n ba sketba l l , the players
pass the ba l l a round before they sh oot, i n order to b u i l d a rhythm a n d feel ­
i ng i n t h e ba l l . Th i s h e l p s them ca l m , contro l, a n d focus before they m a ke the
shot. Th i s sa me theory i s u sed i n m a k i ng traditional Ch i nese medicine. Dr. Wu
has vi ewed h i g h -tech Western-style pharmaceutical factories in Ja pa n. The
processing i s very mecha nica l. The sha king method is more natura l , u sing ra w,
u n processed herbs in sma ll , safe doses.
Keep th i s i n m i n d a s you sway from side to side. Become aware of the
sp leen a nd sto mach energy risi ng and fa l l i ng with i n the body. Breathe i n as
yo u move from l eft to rig h t feel i ng the sensation of you r spleen Qi si n ki n g
downward. Breathe o u t a s you feel you r stomach Q i pushed u pward, movi ng
from right to left. You a re working yo u r stomach a n d sp leen energ ies u p and
down, exercising the Qi vertica l ly a nd horizonta l ly at the sa me time. Th i s
ma kes them stronger a n d more easi ly a b l e t o self-reg u late. Th i s practice i s
t h e twi n t o Crossing t h e Bridge i n t h e fi rst sect!on o f t h e form , descri bed i n
cha pter Five. All the movements a re done gently. If you have t o focus less
on the breath i n g a n d j u st get deeper i n to the rhythm of the sway, by a l l
mea n s d o so. You will fi nd that a l l these motions w i l l integrate themse lves
perfectly over time. Ju st experience the sensation of gently ri si n g and fall i ng
energ ies a s you r weight sh ifts w h i l e you sway.
What ties them a l l together? There i s a very p;l rticu l a r state of m i n d that
yo u m u st a l low to ta ke over when practicing the sto mach swayi ng. I n
Ch i nese, it's known a s yang yang zhide: " 1 a m n u m ber o n e !" Th i n k o f th i ngs
that m a ke you so ha p py you wa nt to sm i le from ear to ear. Fee l proud of
.

1 38 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o tal W e J l n e s s
you rsel f, su ccessfu l, maybe even a touch a rroga nt, l i ke a noble lord or lady
su rveyi ng the kingdom. Once a yea r i n the Wh ite Cloud Monastery, all the
m o nks wou ld assemble together i n the main cou rtya rd, a rrayed i n their fi nest
robes, to practice this swayi ng exercise together. Don't u nderestimate this
simple deta i l . J ust as stress ca n negatively i m pact the stomach a n d slowly
create a negative envi ronment fo r d isease to appea r, positive thoughts, com­
bi ned with relaxing movement, foster a change for the better i n health as
wel l as be havior. J ust as i l l ness forms slowly and su btly out of inta n g i b l e
stresses, good l uck a n d desi red outcomes ca n spring from a successfu l state
of m i n d . Th is swayi ng comb i ned with the fe� l i n g of bei n g on top of the world
ca n help you to achieve whatever you r hea rt desi res.
A you n g patient ca me to Dr. Wu . He felt that at thi rty-two, he h a d so fa r
been very u n l ucky in meeti ng women. He joked with Dr. Wu , sayi ng, "Si nce
I 'm practici ng the 9 Pa laces, do you have a ny speci a l m ovements I ca n add to
fi nd myself a stea dy g i rlfriend?" Dr. Wu told h i m that this exercise was a l l he
needed. He just h ad to sway, fee l i n g g reat a bout h i mself. H is motion wou l d
catch t h e rig ht g i rl for h i m with i n its flow. The fig u re-eight swayi ng motion
is ca l led the Eight Fa i ry Gods Wit h i n the Tu rning Poi nt. The n u mber 8 i n d i­
cates success a n d a l l going smooth ly. A tra d itiona l ornamenta l ta l isma n of
good l u ck is ca l l ed Ru Yi, for bri n g i ng i n the hea rt's wishes, a n d this practice
is known i n Ch inese as Ru Yi Gong. This may seem si m p l istic, but there's no
doubt that you r a b i l ity to be su ccessfu l is based on yo u r d a i ly behavi or.
It's easy to do one good th i n g i n one's l i fe. Doing good consistently u nt i l
the end of you r days is n o t q u ite s o simple. Or cou rse, we ca n a ll say w e
accom pl ished a few kind acts. They' re easy t o remember a n d easy t o li st. But
if we do wrong, do we w i l l i ng ly remember o u r actions q u ite so easi ly? Wh at's
the d ividing l i n e between you r good deeds a n d you r bad deeds? Doing good,
you a re h e l p i n g oth e r people, making them h a p py. H a rm i n g other people to
benefit you rsel f is wro n g . The Tao ists recog n ize the i m porta nce of fee l i ng
good about oneself, but provide a context of hea l i ng a n d wel l -wish i ng to
i nsti l l a positive outcome.
Ru Yi Gong is simple. Th i n k of the thi ngs you 're most proud of or accom­
pl ishments you want to be successfu l i n atta in in g. Keep swayi ng, tra i n ing the
stomach and spleen. You h ave to m a ke the fig u re eight as you sway, rotati ng

Ope n i n g th e H e a ve nly Eye •

1 39
a rou nd yo u r centra l core, bu i l d i ng u p force inside you r body, taki n g i n a n d
sen d i n g o u t en ergy i n o n e fl u i d motion. I n you r m i n d you're th i n ki n g o f the
next cou ple of days, the thi ngs yo u need to do, the outcomes that you have
to achieve. Stu d ies have shown that if you look at a h ouse pl a nt every day
and te l l i t with you r mind to g row and be hea lthy, it will bloom vigorously.
If, on the other h a n d , you tel l it d a i ly to d ie, it w i l l weaken a n d shrivel, even
if you g ive it the sa me amount of water a n d su n l i ght as the first pla nt.
Eve ryth ing a ro u n d us reta ins memories of the i m pact its environ ment has
u pon it. With Ru Yi Gong, you are sen d i n g out a menta l i m pu lse, a bra i n
wave, i f you w i l l . Send o u t this thought form t o a friend you wish wel l , o r
toward a project you wou l d l i ke t o see succeed.
G ra d ua l ly yo u r results w i l l go in the d i rection you w i l led them. Don't
underestimate this concept. Remember that not only a re you th i n ki ng posi­
tive thoug hts d u rin g this practice, you a re movi ng in h a rmony with the
u n iverse, setting up a wave of energy with the rotation of you r body. On a
p u rely physi ological l evel, you w i l l fi n d that mainta i n i ng a feel i n g of pri d e
a n d gra n d e u r w h i l e swayi ng w i l l actu a l ly h el p y o u keep t h e energy you a re
generati ng i n yo u r body, by focusing you r movements u pward towa rd you r
head as you sway. Th is has a sti m u lat i ng a n d refres h i n g effect that merely
swaying withou t d i recti ng the energy wou l d not h ave. It's a very good exa m­
ple of how visua lization a n d d i rected emotion - i ndeed affect the perception
of energy with i n the body. Test it for you rself.
There is one l ast aspect of the Ru Yi Gong that retu rns to open i ng the
Heavenly Eye. W h i le th is practice is done for longevity a n d health, there is
somet h i ng more you ca n a d d if you wish to go furthe r a n d prepare a fou n -
dation for the achievemel'lt of the Ra i n bow Body, as
did Dr. Wu's sa i ntly teacher. After swayi ng long
enough to feel com p l etely enmeshed i n the rhythm
of the movement, feel as if you a re sta n d i n g in
the center of a pyra m id. Beg i n to visu a l ize a circle
with no beg i n n ing or end on the expa nse of you r
heaven ly screen a bove brow l eve l . After a moment,
picture a sq u a re inside the circle, a d i a m o n d shape
F I G U RE 4 7 with i n the sq u a re and then at last, a poi n t at the cen-

1 40 O i G o n g for To tal W e l l n e s s
ter of the d i a mond (Fi g u re 47). Keep swayi n g and hold steady to this poi nt
for a few extra seconds. Then start over visu a l izing the ci rcle, the sq uare with in
the circle, the d i a mond a n d the point again. Conti nue form i n g a n d reforming
this d i a g ra m , each time holding steady on the fi nal point i n the center for a
few moments, swaying you r body i n its fig u re eight the whole time. There is
no set amount of times to do th is. J ust conti nue until when you hold you r
attention on t h e centra l poi nt, you feel you r body i s risi ng u p, you r feet try­
ing to lift themselves off the g round, as if an electrica l shock is surging
through you r body, making you want to jump u p. If you get this sensation,
you know you have practiced with the proper concentration.
Th is symbol is used by adva nced m a rti a l a rtists to stri ke a crush ing blow
to their opponents. As you a pproach to attack, you i m a g i n e yo u r spa rri ng
partner surrou nded by the circle, the circle and the person merg i n g together
as a whole. Th en, withi n this space, see the sq u a re on the torso, the d iamond
a round the a rea of the heart poi nt, or m id d l e dan, and the point right i n the
very center of the ch est. I n Ta oist terms, yo u have "covered " you r opponent.
As you practice T'a i Ch i Push Hands with you r partner, power w i l l b u i l d u p
a ro und this centra l poi nt a n d you w i l l push i n with g reat el ectrica l force a n d
w i n you r match without having t o expend m uch physica l effort. Thou g h
m u c h h a s been spoken o f Wa ng Xia ngzh a i 's fa mous lig htn i ng Force K u n g Fu ,
you won't read this deta i l i n a ny book. And yet this was the core of h is mar­
tial a rts mastery. Ten men cou l d jump on him all at once and he cou l d repel
them a l l i n a flash. He wou l d keep this force coi l ed with i n h i m , ready to stri ke
out i n a b u rst of electrica l energy. If h is opponents tried to touch h i m , they
wou l d get a shock, as if from a stu n g u n . This is not a n a berration. H is a b i l i­
ties were achieved thro u gh long yea rs of practice u n l ocki ng somet h i n g that
was a l ready there. There is the thought that the moment you a re born, the
force with which you rush from the womb is the sa me as this stro ng bio­
electric force generated with the sym bol a n d swaying of Ru Yi Gong. I n other
words, everyone h as this power i nside him- or herself. Once you th i n k about
these fou r eleme nts, the circle, sq u a re, d i a mond, a n d poi nt, the force i nside
yo u shou ld a utomatica l ly come out. The strength with i n yo u rself a n d the
strength of the u n iverse com b i ne, l i ke a key open i n g a lock that rel eases a
g reat pri m a l power.

Ope n i n g th e H e a v e n l y Ey e 141
 The other crucia l element to remem ber when perfecting the pra ctice of
Ru Yi Gong is imag i n i n g yoursel f at the ce n te r of a pyra m id . What exactly is
this pyra m i d ? Certa i nly there h ave been m a ny i nteresti ng stu d ies of the pre­
servative properties of the pyra m i d . From a ncient Egyptia n m u m m i es to fresh
food a n d fl owers, there seems to be a rema rka ble slowing of the deteri ora­
tion process in org a n i c objects placed d i rectly at the center of a pyra m i d . The
Chi nese have a para l lel way of l ooki ng at th is. Fi rst of a l l , m a ny of the body's
com ponents form pyra m i ds. The shou lders a n d head, the shou lders d ow n to
the g roi n, the h i ps up to the top of the head, as wel l as the testes a n d penis,
a l l echo the pyra m id. The pyra m i d represents p u re Ya ng force. But to achieve
this energy, you must envisi on the circle fi rst. The day before Master Du
atta i ned the Ra i nbow Body, he spoke at length on the topic of embodyi ng a
circle of energy that becomes a pyra m id. Th is is the pyra m i d you want to
sta nd beneath w h i l e you practice Ru Y i Gong. I f
you can accom p l ish th is, you wi l l beg i n the for­
mation of you r own Ra i nbow Body. Feel h ow a
circle of energy su rrou n d i n g you ca n be fu l l a nd
h ol l ow at the sa me time. Feel the force of it ri s­
i n g u p u nti l it becomes the pyra m i d of you r own
body. Th is is why i n th i s mystica l d i a g ra m the
tri a n g l e rests u pon two circles (Fi g u re 48). Th is
F I G U R E 48

pyra m i d is a t once the male generative org a ns,

the symbol of p u re Yang sola r power, a nd the sym bol of 9 Pa la ces Oi G ong .
Embody th is energy. Bring the sym bol of c i rcle, sq u a re, d i a m ond, a n d point
to you r brow. Once you have felt th is force, you h ave beg u n to b u i l d you r
i m m orta l Ra i nbow Body. You have touched t h e essence of t h e cosmos a n d of
you r own self.
"
Ru Yi Gong is at once gentle, relaxi ng, a n d powerfu l ly dyna m i c. Bri ng i ng
opposite energi es tog ether for hea l i n g a n d g rowth is the h a l l m a rk of 9
Pa laces Oi Gong. Conti n u e swaying a n d visu a l izing for about five m i nutes, or
u ntil the wa ist feels warm , the body is very re l axed, a nd the h a nds t i n g l e or
fee l thick or warm. Bri n g the h a n ds u p gently a n d p l a ce them over the
m outh. Men put the right hand over the l eft, women, the l eft over the rig ht.
Visu a l ize the col or yel l ow. Feel this ye l l ow Oi pouring from the pa l m s i nto the

1 42 •
O i G ong fo r T o tal W e l l ne s s
mouth a n d down to the stomach. With the ton g u e on the roof of the mouth,
its tip touch i n g the soft palate, see if you can taste a flavor that starts off
bitter or m eta l l ic a n d then turns sweet. If you ca n , it means you r stomach
and spleen cha n nels a re open. If not, you can start the swa yi ng over a g a i n
from t h e beg i n n i n g u ntil you do, but t h i s is n o t necessary. Aga i n , w i t h prac­
tice, this channel w i l l open up very q u ickl y.
M ost h ea lthy people sho u l d be a b l e to open the stomach a n d spleen
chan nels without m u ch d ifficu lty. The spleen and stomach both d i g est a n d
store water. Blockages can resu lt i n b l oati n g a n d water retention. M uscl e
g rowth is re lated to th e spleen a n d stomach. M uscle pa i n is a lso related to
the spleen a n d stomach. Just swa y a n d p u m p the spleen a n d stomach Oi u p
a n d down to h e l p rel ieve these issues.
Basic Taoist d i etary advice recom mends eati ng less, o n l y until you feel
half-fu l l . I n the monastery, the monks wou l d wa ke before dawn a n d dri n k
l a rge q u a ntities o f wel l water, a s m u c h a s they cou l d hold. After earl y­
morn i n g offices, a sma l l brea kfast of steamed buns a n d veg etables wou l d be
served. Another si m i l a r mea l wou l d be served no l ater than noon. After that,
no other food wou l d be ava i la b l e for the rest of the day other tha n perha ps
a sma l l b u n in the afternoon if it was speci a l l y req uested. Since the stomach
an d spleen a re the "boss" orga ns, their fu nction d i ctati ng all the other
processes in the bod y, avoiding overeati n g removes a g reat potenti a l stra i n
o n you r system.
Other simple sU 9.g estions for a healthy sto mach and spleen i nclude
avoid i ng beco m i n g excited , mood y, or a n g ry. Remai n ca l m, espec i a l l y at
mea ls. After each mea l , it's a dvisa ble to wa l k one h u n d red steps, thoug h
heavy exercise or Oi Gong pra ctice is best done before eati ng. Also, it is a
g ood hea lth practice to eat as m a n y vegetables as possible. The Taoists
believe the blood of a n i ma ls conta i ns toxic su bsta nces l eft over from their
fright before being k il led. However, strict vegetaria n ism is not mandatory in
all Taoist sects. While Master Du was a vegetaria n his entire l i fe, Dr. Wu's
Taoist "uncle," another master of adva n ced age he knew from h is youth i n
the White Cloud Monastery, cou ld b e fou n d eati ng meat on a reg u l a r basis.
When D r. Wu q u estioned h i m about this, h e repl ied matter-of-factl y that
since a n i ma l s suffered g reatly in their last moments, he had taken it u pon

Opening t h e Heavenly Eye •

1 43
h i m self to eat of their flesh i n order to a ssi m i late a n d then release their sou l s
with h is Q i G o n g practice. For t h e most pa rt, Taoist medicine recog n izes that
people have d i fferent medica l and d ieta ry needs often based on thei r C h i nese
zod iac sig n. For exa mple, a person born i n Yea r of the Tiger wou l d n 't feel
right without havi ng plenty of red meat, wh i le a Sheep yea r person wou l d do
a lot better stayi n g a wa y from mea t a n d eati ng a d iet of lea fy g reens.
Altho u g h this is a very d eta i led su bject, the basic idea retu rns to the princi­
ple of tong qi, associating l i ke with l i ke.
To return to R u Yi Gong, after you have tasted the sweet flavo r in you r
mouth, fin i sh by placing one pa l m o n the stomach a n d o n e o n the sp leen, to
the left a n d right of the actu a l location of the sto mach. Fee l the Qi g o i n g
i nto the sto mach a n d spleen, thro u g h t o the i n nermost poi n t. H o l d the pa l m s
there u n t i l t h e org a n s feel very comfo rta ble a n d ca l m . Along with t h e more
esoteric a spects of Ru Yi Gong, si m p l e stomach-related a i l m e nts, such as
u lcers, bad breath, a n d even fever b l i sters (wh ich resu lt from excessive heat
i n the sto mach), ca n be contro l l ed with daily practice. Th us, one si m p l e exer­
cise becomes a prayer, a bened iction, a positive affirmation, a health cure, a n
occu lt d i sci p l i ne, a n d a veh icle for bu i l d i ng a n i m m o rta l body.
Ru Yi Gong perfectly il l u strates the pa ra dox of Ta oist cu ltivation, that so
sim ple a movement ca n em body layer u pon layer of powe rfu l esoteric i ntent.
Approach you r practice based on what feel s comforta b l e a n d si m p l e to you .
One n eve r needs t o strug g l e w i t h the practice o f Qi Gong. Cul tivation is a
pleasu re a n d a n honor a n d a responsi bil ity, but not a strug g le. If you ca n at
one time assu me the proud and exa lted sen se of self, feel the motion of ris­
ing a n d fa l l i n g energy i n the two vertica l pla nes of the body, envisi on you r
body as a lotus flower, fo rm t h e ta l isma n o f t h e Heave n ly Eye, a n d fin a l ly
propel you rself u pward with the energ y of the pyra m i d , you w i l l not o n ly
h ave mastered th i s profo u n d practice. You wil l have forever changed you r
powers o f concentration a n d yo u r body/m i n d con nection .

1 44 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
 5 E V E N

Th e Fu si o n o f

Fire a n d Wa ter

N O U R 1 SH 1 N G S K 1 N , N O SE , AND L U N G S

QI I S B R E A TH . There is n o way to sepa rate the fu n ction of breath i n g

from o u r i n te ra ction w i t h O i . Oi G o n g e n h a n ces the body's i ntake of Oi i n

l a rg e pa rt b y retra i n i ng t h e body t o b reathe. W h y use t h e term retrain? The

evo l u t i o n of the b reath i n g p rocess beg i n s b efo re b i rt h . I ns i d e the w o m b,

babies breathe through their ski n. N ewborns a n d very you ng ch i l d ren natu­
ra l ly i n h a l e thro u g h the nose and exh a l e thro u g h the mouth. As we get older,
stress a n d a nxiety ca n often cut us off from even the most basic rhyth m i c
breath i n g . Disease is i n itia l ly ca used b y lack o f oxygen at least 65 percent of
the time. Reoxygenating the body is fu nda menta l to e n h a ncing the i m m u n e
system a n d p romoting longevity. Whereas stren uous ca rd i ovascu l a r exercise
ca n beco me h a rder on the body as we age, w i p i n g out its benefits by a d d i n g
excess stra i n t o t h e rest o f t h e system , O i Gong refreshes t h e body's oxygen
inta ke si m p ly by retu rn in g to its earliest form. Practicing 9 Pa l aces Oi Gong
pro m otes the balancing effect of breathing with nose a n d mouth, harmon iz­
i ng Yin and Ya ng energies in the body. Besides d eveloping eq u i l i b ri u m
between i n h a l ation a n d exha lation, it reo pens t h e a b i l ity t o breathe thro u g h
o u r ski n. T h i s is O i G o n g . Once you r ski n is breath i n g , y o u ca n respond to
the u n iverse, to a l l of nature. Other forms of Oi Gong a n d m a rtial a rts
teach externa l breath in g pra cti ces, but noth i n g com p a res to the Taoist ski n­
breath i n g tech n i q u es. It's n o t u n heard of for h i g h ly ski l led O i Gong practi­
tioners to su rvive bu ried a l ive for up to ten d ays. They su rvive basica l ly
·
beca use they have perfected the i r a b i l ity to breathe th roug h the ski n. By
l ea rn i n g how to breathe through. the ski n, we a re reg a i n i n g a n i m porta nt
o ri g i n a l a b i l ity from our ea rliest l ife.
The l u ngs represent heaven. They a re an u m brel l a that forms a ca n opy
above the org a ns. O nce you r skin ca n breathe a g a i n , you w i l l see m a ny
aspects of l i fe from a new perspective. Yo u r a b i l ity to perceive a n d respond
to the occu rrences you encounter every day w i l l be brought to a fresh l evel
of insig ht. Every pore e l i m i n ates toxi ns, and every pore b reathes and inter­
chan ges Oi with the u n iverse. As you tra i n you r b reath i n g with the next pos­
ture, you r ski n w i l l natura l ly beg i n to reawa ken a nd breathe freely a g a i n . You
a re tu n i n g i n to you r heaven's messag es.
From resting on the spleen a n d stomach, ra ise the hands up slowly fac­
in g the body, l etti ng the a rms rise u p, of the i r own accord until they a re
a bove the head (Fi g u re 49). The pa l m s face downwa rd , fi ngers pointing
towa rd each other, ever so slig htly forwa rd from the cen te r top of the head,
or ba hui point. If you reca l l , the ba hui ca n be fou n d at the i n tersection
poi nt of l i n es traced from the h i g h est tips of the ea rs and the tip of the nose.

1 46 Q i G o n g fo r To tal W elln e s s
Not o n ly is th is a critica l point for as the meet­
in g point of the h ig h concentration of Ya ng
cha n nels i n the head, as mentioned i n Cha pter
Five, it a lso serves as the exit point for you r
i nterna l l i g h t a s it rises u p to fi nd you r other
half.
Keep you r ha nds a l ig ned with each oth er by
fee l i n g a cu rrent of energy between the m i d d l e
fi ngers. Hold u n t i l y o u feel a strong mag netic
field developing. Send col u m ns of Oi from the
centers of the pa l ms, through the bai hui, deep
i nto the b ra i n . Rather than keep in g the ha nds
d i rectly a bove the bai hui, keep them just
slig htly forwa rd from th is point when d i recting
the Oi. We' re using the sa me principle as i n
a p p lyi n g a n acupu ncture need le not d i rectly
over a point but a n g led i nto the point from its
edge. This w i l l more effective ly open, sti m u late,
FIG U R E 49
and fi l l the bai hui with Oi. Alternately, you
m i g ht prefer t o spend the fi rst forty- n in e days of you r p ractice sen d i n g
energy from t h e centers o f t h e pa l ms d i rectly i nto t h e bra i n , without a ny pa r­
ticu l a r focus on the bai hui. Th is is hel pfu l to open up the genera l a rea fi rst,
w h i l e you develop a better a l i g n ment between you r fi ngerti ps. Once the bai
hui is thoroug h ly sensitized , its rece ptivity ca n be used to test the suita b i l ity
of d ifferent foods or medicines for you rself. H o l d i ng herbs or foods over this
poin t is a good exa m ple of how Ta oist trad ition a l energetic d i a g n osis wo rks.
If the body's Oi has emerged, you ca n observe how it responds to com i n g i n
contact with t h e material you a re testing, either rejecting or respon d i ng to
the substa nce's properties.
As mentioned before, i n h a l i n g is related to the kidneys, exh a l i n g to the
l u ngs. Thou g h we w i l l use a n other postu re especia l ly fo r u n b l ocking the kid­
ney merid ian, we let breath in g nou rish and sta b i l ize the bra i n with this exer­
cise. Once in position, in the Heaven space a bove the eyeb rows, visua l ize the
col o r wh ite, or w h i te clouds movi ng th ro u g h the sky. Breathe i n a n d out

Th e F u s i o n o f F i re a n d W a t e r 1 47
thro ugh every pore of the ski n. Th is m i g ht seem awkward at first, but l et you r
m i nd go d e e p i nto t h e visua l i zation a nd it w i l l become easier.
With you r hands sti l l u p i n positio n , beg i n to sme l l a favorite sme l l ,
w hatever you l i ke best. Each person h a s a person a l choice. Dr. Wu h a s used
this concept to noticeable result in add ition to h is acupuncture a n d medical
Qi Gong thera py. The Dragon Gate Classic refers to breast problems, ca ncer,
tumors, a n d l u m ps u nder the ski n as rocks. These a re serious toxi ns with i n the
bod y. Th is a ncient text states that these growths occur when we a re pre­
vented from sme l l i n g the smel ls that we l i ke for too long. Dr. Wu treated a
patient with sixteen cysts i n h is chest a rea. Along with a cou rse of acupu nc­
ture, med i ca l Qi Gong, and herbs, the doctor presented h i m with sixteen bot­
tles of different fragrances. He had the patient pick h is favorite to take home
with him to sme l l . Any time he thought of it, he wou ld ta ke out h is bottle
and sme l l the fragra n ce he chose. He now only has one cyst left, with m i n i­
m a l a d d itional treatment. Don't be emba rrassed to th i n k a bout a fra g ra nce
you l i ke a l l the time. If you're depressed , smel l pleasa nt fragra n ces to u p l ift
you r mood. Some smells have particu l a r hea l i ng properties. For exa m ple, the
fra g ra n ce of fresh l eaves is good for the heart.
As you smel l you r favorite a roma, breathe it i nto and out of every pore
of the ski n , a long with the Qi and a i r. If you can spontaneously sme l l you r
favorite fragra nce a t this point i n the practice, then you know you a re
replen ish i n g you rself. Sta n d i n this posture for one to two m i n utes, or u ntil
you r bod y feels very l ig ht a n d starts to l ift u p . After the channel is opened,
bring the ha nds down i n loose fists to the sides of the nose, index fi ngers
gently pressing i nto the poi nts a l ongside the nostri ls. Th is is the Sword
M u d ra . You ' l l be able to tel l wh ere these poi nts a re by a slight feel i ng of sore­
ness or sensitivity. Place you r fi nger swords on these points. W h i l e sti l l visu­
a l i zi n g the color w h ite and smel l i n g the fragra nce, i n h a l e through the nose
slowly a n d th i n l y. Then exh a l e slow l y, th i n l y, a n d silently thro ugh the mouth.
With each i n ha le, breathe i n Qi throu gh every pore i n the bod y a n d re lease it
com p lete l y thro ugh each pore on the exh a le. Repeat this breath i ng pattern
n i ne ti mes or more, until the bod y feels very clean a n d l i g ht. When you
remove you r fi ngers from next to the nostri ls, the nose should fee l ti n g l i n g
a n d l ig ht. Place t h e pa l ms on t h e u pper front o f t h e chest, a bove t h e breasts.

1 48 •
Q I G ong fo r To tal W el 1 ne s s
Feel warm Qi go i ng into the l u n gs, heati ng them through, unti l you feel very
warm. See if you ca n taste a spicy, hot flavor in the mouth, a n d swa l low it
down to the l u ngs if it a rrives.
There is a whole ra nge of sym pto ms that ca n be ba l a n ced with th is
breath i n g balancing posture . Respi ratory i l lness, colds, a n d stuffy nose ca n all
be m i n i m i zed a n d even prevented with d a i l y practice of this postu re . Western
medicine mai nta i ns that colds a n d fl u a re caused by a i rborne bacteria a n d
viruses, enteri ng throu g h t h e nose . Ch i nese medicine sees t h e i r cause from a
different perspective . The l u ngs a re con nected to the pores. Colds a re related
to the l u ngs. They enter through pores. If the nose or sinuses a re infected, the
l u ngs a re a lso infected . Treat the l u ng chan nels for nasa l and si nus sym ptoms
and use poi nts a ro u n d the nose to treat the l u ngs. Dry stool and constipation
a re a lso related to weak l u ngs. These compla i nts frequentl y beset older peo­
ple d u e to lack of Qi . It's a must to rep l en ish the l u n gs' Qi . Enhance the two­
way fu nction of the ski n - to enha nce the l u ngs. The l u n g chan nel i nfl uences
the entire bod y. The l u ngs affect h u n d reds of ch .l"n nels. Like a turtle in its
shel l , we ca n l ive longer a n d healthier l ives by- breath i n g through the ski n .
There a re a lso more esoteric practices associated with this l u n g posture .
There is a secret Taoist ritu a l for wea lth t h a t uti l i zes th is exercise. T h e l u ngs
relate to the element of meta l . In a private place where no one ca n see you,
do the sta n d i n g posture j ust descri bed, imag i n i n g yourself surro u n ded o n a l l
sides by stacks of gold a n d jewels. Ta ke extreme ca re that you a re not
observed. It's not recommen ded to use Qi Gong for base purposes, but this
ritua l is a va l i d traditional tra i n i ng to bri n g in money from q u estionable p u r­
suits such .as g a m b l i ng or other shady side l i nes. Just remember that a n y
m o n e y yo u w i n at g a m b l i n g , or even by pl aying t h e lottery, is considered by
the Taoists as money stolen away from you r future generations' i n herita nce.
Proceed at you r own risk.
On a l i ghter note, the Taoists also recou nt that with i n every pore of you r
body i s a n entire city, tee m i n g with l ife g o i n g about its d a i l y business just as
we do. With toda y's el ectron microscopy, we certa i n l y have photog raphi c
proof tha t m a n y t i n y org a n isms do i n d eed l ive i n each pore. Were these the
creatures the a n cient Taoists were referri ng to? Maybe, maybe not . It's some­
thing fu n to th i n k about, at least.

Th e F u s i o.n o f F i re and W a t e r •
149
 L 1 S TEN1 N G T O THE 0 1

QI S U R R0 UN D S US. I n the 9 Pa laces, we a re tra i n i n g ou rse lves to

observe Qi using a l l of o u r faculties, heighte n i n g the five senses when
needed to g a i n extra information a n d en rich o u r contact with the u n iverse.
Th is book has a l ready d iscussed the m a ny pra ctices of tra i n i n g the eyes, both
physica l and Heaven ly, to develop this i nteraction. Our eyes a re i m porta nt
vessels of com m u n i cation, both ta king in and sen d i n g out messa ges to the
world a round us. Along with the sense of sight, the sense of h ea ri ng is
extremely i m porta nt for this com m u n ication. Before we a re ol d enough to
spea k, we l isten to the words spoken by o u r parents. We h ave to hear fi rst
before we can learn to respond with speech. Even when we a re so you n g that
we ca n barely keep our eyes open, we a re l iste n i n g to our new envi ronment.
I n th is sense, by tra i n i n g you r hearing, you a re d eveloping one of the most
fu nda menta l aspects of you r orig i n a l a b i l ities. The ea rs a re rel ated to the
kidneys. If you have kidney problems, you proba bly don't hear wel l , either.
Th e better you ca n hear, the better you r kidney fu nction. As the l iver is the
most i m porta nt ind icato r of a woma n 's longevity, healthy kid neys a re i m per­
ative for long l i fe i n men. Much has a l ready been m a d e a bout tra i n i ng the
eyesight beyond its norm a l capacities to gain g reater i nformation from the
world a round us. With the next sta n d i n g postu re, we tra i n o u r ears to l isten
to the Qi.
By purposefu lly extending one's hea ring beyon d its norma l ra nge, i nfor­
mation on the i ntern a l worki ngs of you r body can be g leaned, not to mention
m essa ges and signs from the natu ra l world outside the body. It's a natu ra l
fu nction t o b e a b l e t o hea r t h e sou nds com ing from i nside t h e body.
Everyone hears their stomach ru m b l i n g when they a re h u n g ry, for exa m ple.
Fine-tu n i n g this sense for more accu rate troublesh ooti ng is perh a ps a l ost
a rt, but defi n itely not a ski l l that is beyond the rea ch of average persons w i l l ­
i n g t o tra i n themselves. With reg u l a r practice, you ' l l be surprised t o fi n d you
a re a b l e to h ea r the water i n yo u r kidneys, the changes i n the sma l l i ntestines
as they go through the d i g estion process, a n d m a ny other i m porta nt cues. I n

1 50 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
the monastery, the mon ks wou l d pra ctice to the point of hea ring the words
of scri ptu re spoken cha racter by character just by looki n g at the ca l l i g ra phy
on the scro l l . They wou l d write a word and then sit and l iste n to the sou n d
o f its O i before goin g o n t o t h e next brushstroke. They a lso used t h e i r tra i n ­
in g for t h e p rotection o f t h e monastery, as they cou l d h ea r adva n c i n g g u n­
shots a n d ca n n o n fi re from distan ces fa r beyond what the eye cou l d see. Of
cou rse, th is sensitivity was used i n treating patients to " l isten" to their health.
Master Du was so ski l l ed i n h is l iste n i n g a b i l ity that h e wou l d know who
wou l d be wa iti ng beyond the ta l l gates of the monastery each morning
before they were u n locked a n d which supplica nts were i n the most d esper­
ate need of i m med iate attention.
Even today, this is a va l i d a b i l ity to develop, for treati ng patients, for
protection, or j ust for a heig htened awa reness of the world a round you.
Certa i n ly, there a re m a ny subtle signs a n d wa rni ngs we ca n learn to recog­
n ize a l l a round us, when we know how to hea r them. J ust as our ea rs l isten
for sou n d , o u r whole body ca n l isten to the Oi . Fi l l the body with Oi, a n d soon
its messa ges w i l l come i n loud a n d clea r.
To beg i n the practice, the a rms a n d h a n ds come out to the sides of the
head, pa l m s facing the ears. Be aware of you r knees as very sol i d , a sta ble
fou n d ation fo r you r sta nce. Visu a l ize the color black as you feel a g rowi ng
sense of mag netic attraction between yo u r pa l ms. Yo u m i g h t even fee l some
sensations on you r shou lders as wel l . No w sta rt l i ste n i n g outwards for t h e
sou nds a rou nd you, out thro u g h the pa l ms of the h a nds, then i nto the roo m ,
t h e n past t h e b u i l d i ng , out i nto the street a n d u pward a n d outward as far a s
you ca n sen d yo u r h e a r i n g (Fi g u re 50). Th is is exa ctly the sa me process as i n
t h e eye/l iver exercise. Every t i m e t h e energy wa nts t o contract back i nto the
body, gently push it just a bit fu rther out, a l l the way to the edge of the
u n iverse. Use you r ears to sea rch for the sou nds of the Oi. Listen for the Oi,
whatever perso n a l mea n i n g that ta kes on fo r yo u. After a m i n ute or so,
stead i ly bring the Oi back towa rd you r ears. Keep pulling it back i n until passes
stra ight through the pa l ms, thro u gh the sku l l , a n d out thro u g h the opposite
sides, the two currents of Qi crossing as they pass thro u g h the head. This
process sho u l d ta ke from one a n d a half to two m i n u tes tota l .
Afterward, nou rish the kidneys a n d ea rs b y bri n g i n g t h e pa lms o f the

T h e F u s i o n o f F i re a n d W a t e r •
151
 F IG U RE 5 0

h a n ds to the ears, the fi ngers resti n g on the back of the head. Perfo rm th ree
o r n i n e ea r suction presses just as in the wa rm-up exercises, conti n u i n g to
visu a l ize the co lor bl ack. With th is, you a re p u rposely tryi ng to e n h a nce yo u r
ears' con nection with you r kidneys. It's i mporta nt t o stay as relaxed as pos­
sible w h i l e doi ng a l l these postures. W h i l e the left bra i n controls conscious
thoug ht, subconscious awareness of you r tra i n i ng is being contin uously
stored i n the right hem isphere as you practice. The more rel axed you become,
the more i nfo rmation you r right b ra i n w i l l remember from you r Qi Gong
efforts. Practicing 9 Pa l a ces Qi Gong h e l ps m a ke the con nections and
i m pri nts new neura l pathways betwee n the right b ra i n a n d the left. The right
bra i n has so m uch u nderdeveloped potenti a l . The Taoists h ave been c h a rti n g
these waters for thousands o f yea rs. Today w e h ave t h e chance t o b r ing the
resu lts of their study i nto our d a i ly l ives.

T HE S WALL O W

J U S T A S AN experienced mech a n ic ca n d ia g n ose what i s wrong with a car

by l iste n i n g to the sou n ds it m a kes, we can learn to l iste n to the m essages
bei ng ca rried to us o n the currents of Qi. A consta nt flow of i nformation
stea d i ly surrounds us as we move thro u g h our d ay. The p ractice of 9 Pa laces

1 52 •
Q i G o n g for T o t a l W e l l n e s s
Oi Gong h e l ps us to attu ne to this e n d l ess flow by a u g menti n g o u r basic a b i l ­
ity t o see, taste, sme l l , a n d hear. A Taoist understa nds t h a t Oi ca n be touched
and felt in other, m ore subtle ways as well.
After awake n i n g all the other org a ns' con nection with the u n iversa l Oi,
we now come to the hea rt. The hea rt can be o u r g reatest a l ly i n o u r ongoing
com m u n ication with the flow of Qi. A strong fou n d ation of bala nce t h rough­
out the body is best developed to a i d o u r hea rt's energy i n its attem pts to
reach out to extern a l Oi. As the i n terplay of fi re a n d water, heart a n d kidneys,
is crucia l to this com m u n ication, we m ust lead i n to the hea rt pra ctice by first
neutra l izing any wea kness left in the kidneys.
As we've a l ready lea rned, how do we best reg u late o u r kidneys? By just
worki ng on o u r ears. Ch i n ese medicine rel ates h i g h b lood pressure a n d the
fee l i n g of l ig h t-headed ness associated with it to prob lems with the kidneys.
A l i g ht-headed sensation ca n i n d i cate that the kidneys a re wea k a n d need
reba l a ncing. After doing the t hree to n i n e ear sucti on presses that fi n ish the
last set, sq ueeze and pi nch the ca rti lage at the back of the ears between the
fi ngers and th u m bs (Fi g u re 51 ). You ca n g ra b onto the entire sta l k of flesh
con n ecti ng the ea r to the head w ith a l l the fi ngers plus the th u m b, or just
concentrate on the tiny fla p of ski n
rig h t at the center of this sta l k with
forefi nger and th u m b. Co ncentrate on
sq ueezi n g out a ny i m ba l a nces. Pinch
this a rea from nine to one h u n d red
times, u nti l the body feels reg u lated
a n d ba l a nced. This l owers or raises the
blood pressu re as needed.
Th ough it's a si m p l e massag e over
a seem i ng l y sma l l a n d overlooked F I GURE 5 1

pa rt of the body, don't be m ista ken.

Squeezing the back of the ears is h i g h ly effective. It ca n very sign ifica ntly
reg u late you r bl ood pressu re. You ca n test the benefits of this massage with
as l ittl e as twenty-seven pi n ch es between two blood pressure read i ngs. If you
a re a docto r and have h i g h-blood-pressure patients, teach them to do this. It
w i l l positively a u g ment any other treatment they a re receivi ng. Th is massage

Th e F u si o n o f F i r e a n d W a t e r •
1 53
a lso h e l ps balance the bra i n a n d the nerves with i n the bra i n . If you ' re ti red,
the ea r pinching w i l l wake u p you r bra i n .
T h e heart is governed b y t h e southern d i rection. Genera l ly b i rds fly to
the south, a n d the A n im al Lord of the south is the Red B i rd. Therefore, with
our next postu re we w i l l need to th i n k of o u rselves as a b i rd. Doing this is not
o n ly good for you r heart; it ca n e n h a nce the hea lth of you r pa rents. It
doesn't work for sib l i ngs or spouses, but for you r mother and father, it is a
wonderfu l way of bri n g in g them longevity from you r Qi Gong p ractice. We
a l l shou l d be very tha n kfu l to o u r parents for b ri n g i n g us i n to the world a n d
ca ring for us w h e n w e were at o u r most helpless a n d needy. With the swa l ­
l o w postu re w e g ive t h e m o u r best b l essi ngs, even if they a re not nea rby, or
no longer a l ive.
How do you h e l p others who a re not with you, si mply thro ugh a sta nd­
i n g post u re or b reath ing tech n i q ue? Th is is the Taoist principle of Dong Ta Xin
Chu, or "Going Th rough From O n e's Hea rt." It's a way of com m u n icati ng with
others, sen d i n g them out a n energetic message from i nside one's body. When
you have a l ready deve loped a bond with a noth e r, it l ives i nside both of you
a n d ca n be bro ught out to contact each other. J ust as the Red B i rd is a h eav­
e n ly m essenger, bringing fortu nate tidings where he fl i es, the swa l low pos­
ture of o u r next heart exercise rel eases the messages of l ove a n d ca re you
have shared with you r pa rents from the day of you r bi rth. This natura l out­
pouring w i l l g ive blessings to you r pa rents, wish in g them longevity and good
health.
How can a tech n i q u e l i ke this possi bly work? Certa i n ly, there is a n ele­
ment of accepti ng the power of positive suggestion beh i n d this theory. On
a n energ etic level, positive rei nforcement ca n have a d ra matic effect.
Altho u g h we a re in stil l in the i nfa ncy of resea rch i n g this scientifica l ly, there
sti l l a re ways to test the concept. The re have been stud i es showi ng that
exposi ng pla nts to loud, d issonant m usic w i l l stu nt th e i r g rowth, w h i l e
gentle, ha rmonious m usic w i l l enco u rage them. Ta l k i n g t o you r p l a nts,
encou ra g i n g them to g row as you water them, is a perfect exa m p l e of lovi ng
com m u n ication reaching out to life forms seem i n g ly i n ca pa ble o f cog nition.
Of cou rse, the Taoists have had many opportu n ities to study these
i m pa l pa b l e concepts. I n the world of the monastery, the Tao brothers wou l d

1 54 •
Oi G o n g fO T To t a l W e l l n e s s
travel from school to sch ool, a lways cond u cti ng their b usi ness i n person . If a
monk had to leave the monastery on a journey, a pot of flowers or a plant
wou l d be put out for h i m i n h is name. The master wou l d study the plant
every day to see how h is student was fa ring. If sudden ly one day one leaf
d ro p ped, the m aster wou l d ca l l for a n other monk to h u rry and catch u p with
his b rother, to help him with the trouble that had befa l len h i m .
Th is is someth i n g Dr. W u h a s d o n e with h is o w n students. Sometimes the
student wou l d g ive h i m a pla nt, designating it as h is representation w h i l e he
or she wou l d be away. Sometimes Dr. Wu wou l d pick a p l a nt or flower and
have hi s student or patient touch it or water it befo re he or she went a way.
Even th is would be enough to create the bond, as long as both people had
put their thoug h ts i nto it. D r. Wu feels this method is q u ite accurate, after
testi ng it m a ny times.
In the sa me way, certai n Qi Gong tech n iq ues ca n reach out a n d h e l p you r
parents, enhancing their health a n d longevity. Sometimes you w i l l b e able to
sense things in you r fi ngers. As we spoke of before, if a nyth i n g goes wrong
with you r fi rst fi nger, someth i n g is h a p pe n i n g to you r mother. The m i d d l e
fi nger rel ates to you r father. Recal l the patient who bu rned her o w n favorite
d ress to h e l p her mother, after fee l i n g the sharp signal of pa i n in her fi nger.
Her mother was on the other side, but she sti l l needed something. There real ly
is no scientific way to a n a lyze this. I t is pa rt of the Tao. These a re matters of
the Six Real ms. The stu d i es of the Tibeta n l a mas a re very accu rate reg a rd i n g
t h e rea lms after death, but t h e ea rliest records derive from Tao ist a rtifacts.
After pi nch i n g the backs of the ea rs, we now move to the Swa l low
Posture. The hands come slowly down, pa l ms down a n d to the back, palms
tilted u p. At this point it is preferable to be fa ci n g the su n. Faci ng the su n
a n d a lso facing south at the sa me time is best. As mentioned before, the
heart is related to the southern d i rection, which a lso represents the summer
season a n d the element of Fire. If you a re facing south, you r fi ngers will be
pointing northeast and northwest once they a re behi n d you. The arms are
p u l led a l l the way to the back, p i n ch i n g the shoulder blades together as
much as possi bl e and l ifting and th rusti n g out the rib cag e. ( Fig u re 52.) Fee l
you r middle fi ngers g rowing out as l.on g as they ca n . The ch i n is tucked fi rmly
i nto the neck. The stomach is d rawn in but held without tension, to more

Th e F u s i o n o f F i re a n d W a t e r •
1 55
 co m p l etely e m p h asize the stretch
t h rou g h the rib cage. See a n d fee l you r
postu re as it rela tes to a b i rd sitti n g
w ith i ts b reast out a n d its w i ngs folded
back, ta king i n the sun.
In C h i n ese m e d i c i n e , the h e a rt
is considered the e m pe ro r, govern i n g
t h e fu n ction o f t h e rest o f t h e body. If
the em peror ca n not see clearly, then the
other o rgans a re i n danger. The h ea rt is
a b l e to thi n k. I n Eng l ish, the eyes a re
po rtrayed as t h e " w i n d ows of the
h e a rt." T h i s holds true in Ch i n ese
thoug ht, which a lso bel i eves yo u can
see a perso n 's true feel i ngs th ro u g h the
eyes. Taoist med icine takes this one step
fu rther a n d sees the hea rt as a lso
having eyes, to see the work i n gs of the
o rgans as well as to send out the emo­
tio ns. This is the sense i n w h ich the
Heart Practice is related to the m i n d .
F I G U R E 5 2
W h e n t h e hea rt fee l s twisted o r
bloc ked , there is a d i rect correlation t o t h e thoug hts passi ng t h ro u g h the
m i n d . D u r i n g m ajor sporti n g events, the hospita ls a re a lways b usy. If you r
hea rt is wea k, don't l e t yo u rself get excited or oversti m u lated.
Sta n d i n g in the Swa l l ow Post u re exposes the two Ya ng chan nels on the
front of the body, which com prises the stomach channel. As the heart rela tes
to the emotions a n d is the governor of a l l the orga ns, so it is related to the
stomach, which a lso plays a g reat rol e i n the con n ecti on between the emo­
tions a n d the body's genera l health a n d is associated with the ce ntra l d i rec­
tion a n d the element of Ea rth. Earth is i m porta nt to us. It affects us in m a ny
a reas. The poi n t between the th u m b a n d i ndex fi nger, w h i ch you ca n locate
by pressing a n d fin d i n g the spot that feels sore, treats the stomach a n d

1 56 • Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
d i a p h ra g m . If you have a stomachache, cover you r mouth, as after the
stomach-swaying postu re. This w i l l a l so help with menstr ua l pa i n . The
Swa l low Posture w i l l ha rmon ize the relationsh i p between the heart a n d
t h e stomach. It a l so helps t h e hea rt a n d l iver i n the i r sha red su pervision
of the eyes.
When sta n d i n g i n the Swa l low Postu re, the tip of the tongue is on the
u pper pa l ate, j o i n i n g the Ren and Du cha n nels, w h ich when con nected form
the M icrocosmic Orb it. W h i l e the mouth corresponds to the stomach, the
tongue and the h ea rt reflect each other. As a resu lt, in Taoist medici ne, food
re med ies a re genera l ly reco m mended to treat cond itions based on the d iag­
nosis of the ton g u e. For tongue a n a lysis, look at you r ton g u e in the m i rror
fi rst th i ng in the morning when you wa ke u p. A l igh t-textu red, pa l e w h ite
tongue is healthy. I f you d i d n't sleep wel l , the ton g u e w i l l be swo l l e n . If you
feel tired or sore, you w i l l see teeth i m prints on the sides of the tongue. If
you have a tooth ache, yo u r ton g ue will be red.
If o n ly the tip o f t he ton g u e is red, you r h ea rt is on fi re. E a t i ng plenty of
watermelon w i l l cool i t , wh ich a lso h e l ps ca l m hot-tem pered, a n g ry people
or cond itions where the face becomes fl ushed a n d red. Besides watermelon,
bitter foods al so help cool down the hea rt. If the sa l iva is sticky, eat foods
that di ssolve m ucus, such as apples o r o ranges in pa rti cu l a r.
From a Western as wel l as a Ch i n ese perspective, a sma l l g lass of red wine
before bed is a lso g ood for the hea rt. Conversely, hot, spicy foods ca n be dif­
ficu l t on the hea rt, l ea d i n g to mood i n ess. I n pa rticu l a r, to keep the spleen
reg u l ated, avoid very cold as wel l as h i g h ly spiced food. Kee ping a d i et mod­
erated between heati ng a n d coo l i n g foods is key to ba l a nce between stom­
ach a n d heart. Bea ns a re very powerfu l hea l i n g foods. M ixed bea n sou p is a
strong h ea l i n g el ixi r. Boi l the beans a n d then d r i n k the stra i ned broth. G reen
beans, such as m u n g bea ns, a re good for the l iver, ridd i ng it of b lockages.
When the l iver Qi rises and there is too m uch heat, g reen food w i l l lower this
u nwa nted heat. Different-colored bea ns a lso e n h a n ce body fu nctions. Red
beans enha nce the hea rt. Yel low bea ns red uce fatig ue. Bla ck bea ns e n h a nce
the kidneys. After an a n i m a l or h u m a n gi ves b i rth, feed them black bea ns.
The world is whole in its u n ity. We a re a l l togeth er, a n i m a ls, pla nts, a n d

The F u s i o n o f F i re a n d W a t e r 1 57
h u mans as one with the Five Elements. This is the subtle p h i l osophy beh i nd
Taoist medicine, movi ng away from herbs a n d concentrati ng on the h a r­
mon ies of food a n d Qi Gong to heal a l l i n need.
Tho u g h there is a tendency to d o so, make sure not to hold you r b reath
i n the Swa l low Postu re. For the first forty- n i n e days of p ra ctice, you ca n sim­
ply sta n d i n this position breath i n g gently a n d natura l ly for th ree m i n utes,
keepi n g the whole body rel axed even w h i l e keepi n g the chest elevated a n d
t h e shoulders pi nched together. Use t h e sensation o f t h e m i d d l e fi ngers
g rowing long to keep you r postu re a l ig ned a n d the energy ba l a nced as it
circu lates. At the next l evel of practice, while tryi ng to keep you r chest as
elevated as possible without tensing u p, i n h a l e i n a q u ick sniff t h ro u g h the
nose a n d exh a l e i n two q u i ck, even bu rsts- HA l HA l-t h ro u g h the mouth.
The sniff thro u g h the nose shou l d be rel atively sou n d l ess a n d rel axed but
fu l l a n d deep enough to shoot throug h the nasa l passages, fi l l the head, and
cycle down i nto the chest, where it is i n sta ntly released with the two " HA"s.
Each " HA" sho u l d feel gently explosive, i nvolvi n g the chest as wel l as the
mouth. Repeat this breat hi n g pattern n i ne times, o r until the chest is warm.
The wa rmth sign ifies the Qi of the hea rt com i ng out. This is a nother good
exa m p l e of how Qi Gong uses breath i n g com b i ned with subtle stretches to
m assag e and re l ease tension from the i n n ermost layers of m uscle, bone, a n d
con nective tissue out. Alternate ly, in stead o f t h i s specia l b reath i ng pattern,
you ca n j ust breathe natura l ly while i n the Swa l l ow Postu re, unti l the chest
fee ls warm.
If you fi nd it difficult to stay i n this postu re or you have tro u b l e
keeping you r a rms b a c k a n d out a n d you r s h o u l d e r bla des pinched tightly
together, keep the principle of kong, or em ptiness, i n mind. I n stead of stra i n ­
i n g with h o w wel l you a re stretch i n g a n d expa n d i ng you rself i n to t h e pos­
tu re, focus on the em pty, h o l l ow, rou nded space i nside you r rib cage, ready
to be fi l led with sun and breath. You w i l l fi n d that you r body w i l l rea d i ly relax
deeper i n to the stretch a n d you will g et more out of the b reath i n g pattern.
Over time, three m i n utes a day sta n d i n g i n the Swa l low Postu re will correct
many crucia l postu re poi nts a l o n g the back, w h i l e acting as a "ba l loon" for
the rib cage, h e l p i n g to clea r a rteria l b lockages i n the heart brou gh t o n by
yea rs of poor postu re.

1 58 •
Q i G o n g fo r T o t a l W e J l n e s s
 With practice, concentration, a n d si ncerity, you may feel a n outpou ring
of energy from you r hea rt d u ri n g the Swa l low Posture. This is the point where
you r i n ner hea rtfelt hopes for you r pa rents w i l l come out. There is n o need
to actively th i n k of prayers or l ovi ng wish es. J u st i m a g i n e you rself
tra nsformed i nto a b i rd , and feel you r chest ope n i n g up and you r hea rt
expa n d i n g , fi l l i ng a n d releasi ng. You a re making the effort to open you rself
physica l ly. With a si ncere hea rt, a l l you r best blessings w i l l come out on their
own. Th is is the essence of "Going Th rough From One's Hea rt."
Wh i l e sti l l in the Swa l low Postu re, lig htly
clench the teeth and run the tip of the ton g u e
i n a cl ockwise circle a ro u n d t h e i n ner su rface
of the teeth n i n e ti mes (Fi g u re 53). Men can
beg i n this clockw ise circl i n g from the left side
of the mouth over to the right and then
a round. Women should sta rt from the right
a n d move left. M a ke su re to contact the backs F I G U R E 5 3

of the u pper a n d lower teeth. Th e point is to

sti m u late sa l iva. Swa llow the accu m u l ated sa l iva a l l the way down to the
lower dan tian. Repeat these two steps of b reath i n g n i n e times then ci rcl i n g
t h e tongue a n d swa l lowi n g t h e sa l iva one t o th ree times o r, p refera bly, n i ne
times for com plete results.
Yet a g a i n , a very powerfu l practice comes to the stu dent of Oi Gong i n
a su rprisi n g ly si m p l e form. Accu m u lating a n d swa l lowi n g sa l iva i n this m a n ­
ner is i n fact one of t h e fu nda mental operations o f n e i dan, t h e i n ner dan.
W h il e other aspects of 9 Pa laces Oi Gong a re i nvolved with clea ring the body
a n d com m u n icating with the u n iverse, nei dan is what cou l d most easily be
descri bed as i nter nal alchemy, tra nsform i n g su bsta nces with i n the body for
pu rification a n d creation of new energ i es, most freq uently the sa l iva. Nei dan
p ractices a re often the fi n a l step i n the prepa ratory stages befo re beg i n n i n g
t h e centra l portion o f 9 Pa laces o r 5 Centers Oi Gong. W h i l e sta n d i n g i n the
Swa l low Postu re, col l ecti ng the sa l iva is ca l led Jin Jing Yu Yeon, " Refi n i ng the
Golden Jade Elixir." Yo u have specia l ly p repa red you r sa l iva to be swa l lowed
down to the lower dan tian as a medicine. I t has the a b i l ity to e n h a nce on e's
health a n d p revent d isease, h el p i n g the body to fig h t off infections a n d

The Fusion of Fire a n d Water •

1 59
 FIGU R E 5 4

fatig u e a n d easi ng stomach problems. For older people who mi gh t be h avi ng

trouble swa l lowing t heir food, doing this pra ctice ca n bring positive resu lts
i n as l ittle as a week's time.
Don't we natu ra l ly swa l low our sa l iva all the time? Although sa l iva d oes
h ave some natu ra l a ntiseptic q u a l ities, it is the postu re a n d espec i a l ly the
rotation of the tongue a rou n d the teeth that "ch a rges" a fl u id we a l ready
p rod uce i nto a more powerfu l su b�ta nce than its basic form. This is the
essence of nei dan. Specific body postu res and motions change our b ra i n
fu nction a n d o u r state o f m i n d a n d , as a resu lt, our body chem istry. The
Taoists h ave stud ied these subtle d i fferences for thousa nds of yea rs. Today,
encepha log rams show scientifica ll y the d ifferen ces i n b ra i n fu nctio n when a
subject is sitting, sta n d i n g , o r lying down, eyes open or shut, a n d so o n . By
sta n d i n g in the Swa l low Postu re a n d rotating you r tongue, you w i l l change
the q u a lity of you r sa l iva. Dr. Wu tested t h is out by tryi ng to generate sa l iva
w h i l e in m a ny d i fferent positio ns. O n l y in this position d i d the flavor of h is
sa l iva change, becom in g sa ltier. The Taoist scho l a rs wou l d test eve ry type of
d a i ly behavior to see if one position over a n other wou l d bring a g reater

160 •
Qi G o n g fo r T o t a l W e l l n e s s
health benefit. Even sleeping was tested, d iscoveri ng that w h i l e sleeping
lyi n g down was indeed the best position for aiding the i m m u ne system,
sleeping sta nd i n g u p or even hanging u pside down cou l d h e l p the practi­
tioner to focus h is o r her energy i n specia l ized ways. Test it for you rself a n d
see. T h e key p o i n t is t o rotate t h e tong u e no less than n i n e times.
Fin ish by bri n g i n g the hands up a n d together in a prayer postu re at a
level between the heart a n d the brow ( Figu re 54). From spend i n g some time
with this practice, you will perceive how each step a bsorbs, focuses, a n d then
nou rishes energy precisely i nto the hea rt center, deeper a n d deeper u nti l you
reach its core. The effortlessness, gentleness, and natura l n ess with wh ich you
practice a re the o n ly tools needed to send out the kind thoug hts and b less­
ings you have with i n you r sou l .

Th e F u s i o n o f F i re a n d W a t e r •
161
 E G H T

Ch rysa 1 i s

F I G URE 55

THE SUN 1S t h e hea rt o f t h e u n iverse. I t p u m ps l i fe i n to every l ivi n g

th i ng . Passi n g fro m m ovement to m ovement, b reath to b rea t h , you r prac­

tice ta kes fli g ht, a m ystical journey to the center of the su n . The 9 Pa laces

Qi G o n g tra i n i n g g ives b i rth to a vast ra nge of physical, e m oti o n al, a n d

spi ritu a l reflecti o n s a n d respo n ses. Y o u a re free t o ta ke o n a ny rol e you

choose a s you voyag e to the o u ter reaches of the cosmos a n d the i n nermost
spaces of hea rt a n d m i n d. Use yo u r 9 Pa laces practice as a t i m e to express

yo u r fee l i ngs of g ratitude to those who have helped yo u , yo u r l ove fo r the

bea u ty of the natu ra l wo r l d , a n d you r respect a n d worship of yo u r god a n d

yo u r a ncestors. It's a l l tota l ly up t o yo u. The exercises a re s o simple a n d pro­

fo u n d , they lay before you as a b l a n k slate o n which to write yo u r deepest

fee l i n g s a bo u t bei n g a l ive.

Espec i a l ly as we beg i n the last seg ment of the 9 Pa laces Oi G o n g , leave

any d o u bts or worries about see i n g res u l ts beh i n d . Fo rget the m u n d a ne tasks

you spend the rest of the day l a bori n g over. Just as a d a ncer conju res a l l her

g race and o neness with the m usic as she leaps o nsta ge, just as a m usici a n

d raws the bow across his viol i n , the sounds he hears i n h i s m i n d even sweeter

tha n the notes he coaxes fro m his i nstru ment-now is yo u r t i m e to g ive voice

to yo u r u n ique messa ge to the u n iverse. The m o re you ca n approach the

practice of Oi G o n g as a n a rt fo rm that a l l ows you to speak of yo u r truest

feel i n gs, the cl oser yo u wi l l come to em bodyi n g the wisdom that tho usa nds

of yea rs of sages, schol a rs, and sa i nts sou ght so ha rd to preserve.

This fi n a l section is the actu a l 9 Pa l aces form as preserved i n the sacred

texts of the Dra g o n Gate Sect. Whi le the fi rst sections wa rmed a nd u n l ocked

yo u r body to the u niversa l Oi, they were but a prepa rat i o n fo r this m o m ent.
Now it is time to use the energ ies you have g a thered a n d the cha n nels of

co m m u n ication yo u have opened to create a new energy. The pyra m i d is the

sym bo l of the refi ned l ife force. P u re Ya n g , it is potent e n o u g h to thrust

beyon d the energetic level of the m a teri a l pla ne i nto the rea l m of the

Ra i n bow. As the other g reat sym bol of the 9 Pa l aces Oi G o n g , this d i a g ra m is

the key to lett i n g this m i ghty force fi nd i ts proper path fo r release (Fi g u re 55).
If you l o o k ca refu l ly, you wi l l see it is a pathway superimposed upon the

pen tag ram of the Five Elements. Instea d of the usu a l sta r, it pl ots a co u rse

fro m the g reen sphere of the l iver to the yel l ow sphere of the splee n , down

to the white of the l u ngs, the b l ack of the kid neys and then fi n a l ly up

thro u g h the red sphere of the hea rt a n d beyo nd. It is a m a p of the cou rse the

energy generated by 9 Pa laces practice ta kes withi n the body. Thi n k back to

the o rder of the postu res of the seco n d section. We sta rted with the eye/l iver

postu re, ope n i n g a l i ne of com m u n ication fro m the body out to the fa rthest

reaches of the u n iverse a n d then back to the deepest po i n t withi n the m icro-

164 •
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
cosm of the l iver. Then came the spl e en/stomach, l u ng, kidney, and hea rt pos­

tu res. You a re d rawing this d i agram with the energies of the senses and

orga ns, u n blocki ng, ba l a ncing, a n d nou rishi ng each one in sequ ence. With

the fi n a l section of the 9 Pa l aces form, you wi l l d raw these five Ois, wood ,

ea rth, meta l , water, a n d fi re, i n to a p rotective she l l , formed with the sun;

then p re p a re the i r fina l cleansing with the l ight a n d heat of the sun, a n d at

l ast rel ease al l that you have b u i l t i n a fi n a l flash. You have u n l eashed a n ew

force strong enough to cut through a l l bonds and l imitations, a n ew power

explosive enough to shoot past the bound a ries of the l imited world we l ive

in a n d make contact with the cosmic. Just as you opened comm u n ication

i n d ivid u a l ly betwee n each orga n and the un iversa l Oi, comb i n ed , you have

l i berated a cha n n e l from you r i nne rmost bei ng to the s u n , fathe r e n e rgy of

the universe a n d the sou rce of a l l l ife.

Begi n by bringi ng the ha n d s from behi n d you as they were he l d in the

Swa l low Postu re, u p in a p rayer position. You r ha n d s sho u l d be a bout two

fists' d i sta nce from you r chest betwee n hea rt a n d eye l eve l . You r two p a l ms

togethe r symbol ize the me rging of Y i n a n d Ya ng. Feel a con n ection between

you r b rowl i n e and the t i ps of you r finge rs. Pa use fo r a moment to feel the

ha lves of you r body uniti ng, flowi ng, ca lmi ng, u n ify i ng. Be of one hea rt and

one mi n d . From this poi n t on, the re shou l d be no ta lking or i nterru ption unti l

the com p l etion of the form.

The praye r postu re is a very powerful cente ring position. Never te l l a l i e

whi l e sta n d i ng i n p rayer postu re. You wi l l bri ng ha rm to you rsel f. Sett le you r

body and m i n d by imagining yourse l f stand i ng at the bottom of the sea.

Though the su rface of the ocea n may be boi l ing with c u r rents and agitated

with ta l l waves, float downwa rd i nto its de pths to experi ence the perfect

si l ence of i ts sa ndy floor. A hu rrica n e's eye is ca lm. Feel i ts sti l l n ess. The right

ha nd is Y i n a n d the left ha n d is Yang. Joi n you r ha nds together a n d you r

focus wi l l natu ra lly a rise.

After you beg i n to fee l ca lm, there is one more ste p to take to re l ease

you rse l f i n to a state of com p l ete sere n i ty before conti n u i ng on. Whi l e sti l l

stand i ng i n the p rayer postu re , recite this sma l l b u t critica l ma ntra: "8u tan
cai, bu xi ming" (pronu nciation: Boo tan tsai, boo shee ming): "I am not
greedy for wea l th, I a m not a fra i d of death" is the most l i tera l tra nsl ation of

Chrysalis • 165
t h i s p h rase. However, it takes a broa d e r u n d e rsta n d i n g to grasp this ma n tra's

fu l l imp l ications. We have to look beyond the things that limit us in this life.

Fea r a n d greed a re the most powe rfu l forces tha t hold us back as we strug­

g l e on t h e s p i r i tu a l path. We fea r d ea th so d e e p ly a n d su bconsciously that i t

pervades the choices w e make day i n a n d day out. Without realizi ng we a re

bei n g g u i ded by fear of sickn ess a n d d eath, we avoid risks a n d confuse o u r

obj ectivity when confron ted w i t h forces or eve n ts outside ou r comfort zon e.

Th us we pass u p opportu n it i es to g row.

We also create l imitations i n ou r lives when we covet the t h i ngs that

others h ave. That mon ey a n d fame ca n n ot ensu re complete secu rity is only

pa rt of greed 's d a n ge r. By a lways strugg l i n g to achi eve a n outcome that i s

based on a n outs i d e, gen e ra l ized sta n d a rd, we take ou rselves fu rth e r a nd fu r­

t h e r away from the knowl edge of what is good for us i n d ivid u a l ly. We each

come i n to this world with u n i q u e op portu nities and capa biliti es. The Qi Gong

p ractitioner must i nterna l ize the rea l ization that to u ncove r on e's True Self,

a ll t h at does not come from the self must be see n for its t ra nsitory a n d i llu­

sory n a tu re. To str i p away this excess weight req u i res cou rage, the conviction

that what i s real will rema i n , even as everyt h i ng e lse fa l ls away.

Bu tan cai: No worri es, greed or excess. Bu xi ming: No fea r of d eath, no

fea r of sickness, noth i n g ca n do you ha rm. Speak these two phrases for

p u rification. Once you a re fa r from worry a n d greed, you ca n make great

strides in you r cu l tivation. If you a re not afra i d to d ie, what else ca n t ro u b l e

"
you ? Evi l forces ca n not attach th emselves t o a strong body. A resolute s p i r i t

is t h e fou n d ation o f a strong body. A s you embody the spi rit o f Bu tan cai,
bu xi ming, you become impossi ble to defeat.
As p a rt of his " reeducation " d u ring the Cu l tu ra l Revolution, Dr. Wu was

sent to do forced l a bor in a coa l m i n e . The excavation in p rogress touched off

a l a n dsl i d e. Huge gou ts of d i rt a n d rock col l a psed a n d were h ea d i ng towa rd

the workers, who h a d nowhere to r u n . Dr. Wu ca lmly sat down in the lotus

position with his h a n d s in a p rayer m u d ra, thought of his teach er, a n d

repeated t h i s ma n t ra ove r a n d ove r aga in as h e a n d seven othe r nea rby work­

e rs were b u ried a l ive. Out of the eight, Dr. Wu was the only one to su rvive.

Bu tan cai, bu xi m ing: I am not greedy for t h i ngs that a re not m i n e to

have; I am not afra id of death, sickn ess a n d evil ca n not attack. Repeat this

166 •
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
m a ntra n i n e t i m es or m o re. It ca n be sa i d a l o u d or to o n eself, i n Ch i n ese o r

Eng l ish, s l owly o r ru n toget h e r qu ickly-wh a tever is most m ea n i n g fu l a n d

hea rtfe lt. You wil l know what's r i g h t fo r yo u. When you feel yo u r co nscious­

ness c h a n g e, you wi l l know t h a t yo u r praye r has succeeded. Re m e m ber t h a t

God is i n the h e a rt a n d i n the worki ngs of t h e u n ive rse, not stat u es o r pa i n t­

i n g s. T h e Tru e God l ives with i n heaven a n d the hea rt. True praye r occu rs

between the h e a rt a n d h eave n . You r pa re nts too a re a n em bod i men t of God.

Th i n k of them, and that wh ich is God wi l l stre n g t h en you r h e a rt.

W O RSH1PP1NG THE SUN

STILLIN P RAY E R position, t h e h a n ds pu l l down t h e ce nter of t h e body,

to the l ower dan tian, where t h ey sepa rate a n d open, pa l ms down. Conti n u i ng
the motion, the ha n d s c i rcle upwa rd, t h e pa l ms fl ippi n g up as t h e a rms ope n .

I n h a l e t h ro u g h t h e n ose i n a g e n t l e, conti n uo u s strea m as t h e h a nds c i rc l e u p

i n a wid e ci rc l e. Sti l l in h a l i n g, t h e h a nds m eet toget h e r i n t h e prayer posit i o n

over the head, a t top of the c i rc l e, like a steepl e o r l ig h tn i n g rod. Then pu l l

down slowly, b r i n ging down Heave n ly Q i a s you conti n u e to i n h a le. (Fi g u re

56.) Once yo u reach t h e Hea rt Ce nter, beg i n yo u r seco n d c i rc l e by cO.n ti

i n g pu l l i n g d o w n b a c k t o the l ower dan tian, exh a l i n g th ro u g h the m o uth.

Sepa rate and open t he pa l ms a ga i n as before and co n t i n u e. Make a tota l of
fou r g ra n d c i rcl es, e n d i n g the l ast o n e i n the praye r positio n a t h e a rt level. I f

i t is t o o d iffic u l t to co nti n u o usly i n h a l e t h ro u g h t h e n ose as y o u fo rm t h e c i r­

cle a n d pu l l d own i nto t h e body, it is better to b reathe natu ra l ly as you r a rms

go up a n d j u st i n h a l e as yo u pu l l down t h e Heaven ly Qi.

M a ke s u re yo u m a ke exactly fo u r c i rcl es, not one l ess o r one m o re. This

is you r opening prayer to the s u n . W h e reas i n the fi rst two sections of the 9
Pa laces, yo u ca n do yo u r wa rm:.. u ps as m a ny t i m es as you need to ope n a n d

u n b l ock t h e flow o f Qi, i n t h i s l a st section, certa i n n u m bers o f repeats a re

i ntri nsic to t h e motio ns, fo r t h ey act together n u m e ro l og ica l ly as esoteric

com m u n icat i o n with t h e sun. Fo u r circ l es h e re is yo u r sig n a l to t h e sun t h a t

y o u a re beg i n n i ng yo u r practice. T h e sph e re of e n e rgy that yo u a n d t h e s u n

create together w i t h t h i s m o t i o n is yo u r sacred space fo r the rest of the fo rm.

Chrysalis • 167
 FIGURE 56

Ti beta n B u d d h ists a lso wors h i p t h e su n usi n g t h i s sa m e exe rcise. T h e o n ly d i f­

fe rence is t h a t after they a re fi n ished, t h ey l i e d own. As t h e 9 Pa l a ces' p u r­

pose is not o n ly to g a t h e r e n e rgy fro m the s u n , b u t to open a pathway of

com m u n ication with it, we co n tin u e fro m h e re.

SP1NN1NG THE C O C O O N

AFTE R VENERATING THE su n with fo u r w i d e c i rcl es, m o re c i rc l es a re

g o i n g to be m a d e. However, th ese c i rc l es wi l l h ave a d i ffere n t e n ergetic pu r­

pose, o n e t h a t is crucia l to g a i n i n g t h e g reat benefits the 9 Pa l a ces Qi G ong

h as to offer. Palms sti l l tog ether in praye r position at h e a rt l eve l , e l b ows bent

168 •
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
 FIGURE 57

sta rt mov i n g them i n a c i rcu l a r patte rn. Use a cl ockwise moti on, whe re the

a rc of the c i rcle swi ngs from center to p d ownwa rd on the left a n d u p on the

right to e n d aga i n at center to p (Figu re 57). Kee p the wrists gentle a n d l oose.
Remembe r, the j o i n ts a re storage p o i n ts fo r Qi. By kee p i n g yo u r e l bows and

wrists l o ose whi l e yo u c i rc l e, you wi l l i ncrease the fl ow of Qi withi n you r

movement. Feel yo u r en ergy fl owi ng upwa rd a n d o u twa rd a s yo u r ci rcles

grow i n d i a meter. Ci rcle i n i ncreasi ngly l a rge c i rcl es, b u t witho u t d i p p ing

yo u r e l bows below hea rt l eve l, unt i l the peak of the circ l es reach a bove

hea d. Make exactly 9 c i rcl es, e n d i ng with the ha nds ove r the top of the hea d.

(Figu re 58.)
Pa use sl ightly at the top of yo u r n i n th ci rc l e, the n retu rn back i n a co un­

tercl ockwise mot i o n exactly six times, d ecreasi ng the size of the c i rcle on

Chrysalis • 169
 F1GURE 58

each revolution ( Figure 59). Fee l the expa nsive Ya ng e n e rgy you created with

your outwa rd growing circles flow i n g back i n as your Y i n circles become

sma l l er. Your l ast circle sho u l d be so sma l l t h a t its m ovem e n t is a l m ost i m pe r­

ceptible a n d yet you fee l its e n e rgy ge ntly pou r i n g i nwa rd , suffu s i n g you .

Your sixth Y i n circle shoul d e n d with you r a r m s h e l d right a b ove h e a rt l evel.

Breathe ge ntly a nd natura l ly t h roughout. T h e re is n o spec i a l i n ha l a t i o n or

exh a l a tion invo lved. Keep your s h oul d e rs, n eck, a rms, and wrists l oose

throughout a n d your circling motio n supple a n d flu i d.

The crucia l point to remember he re is that whe n you a re bui l d i ng your

cl ockwise outwa rd circl es, you must m ake exactly n i ne of them. These a re

Ya ng circl es: e n e rgizing, ge n e rati ng, forwa rd - movi n g e n e rgy. The retu r n i ng,

diminishi ng circ l es a re Y i n. You must do six of t h e m , again not one m o re or

170 Qi Gong for Total Wellness

 ,/
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FIGURE 59

o n e l ess. T h e i r e n e rgy is pu l l i n g i nwa rd, penetrating a n d n o u rish i n g. W h e n

y o u a re d rawi n g yo u r ci rcl es, cou nt h ow ma ny y o u h ave made u n d e r yo u r

b reath, so that yo u d o n 't accid enta l ly ma ke the wro n g cou n t. There i s a spe­

c i a l re lation sh ip between the n u mbers 9 and 6. Fi rst 9, then 6, from bi g to

sma l l . It is a sig n a l to the u n iverse.

We a l l use n o nverba l sig n a l s in everyd ay l i fe. For example, Ch i n ese ma n ­

ners requ i re o n e not t o e m b a rrass o n e's g u ests b y aski n g them t o l eave. I f i t

is time to e n d the i r visit, i t is customa ry to ra ise yo u r teacup j u st so . It wou l d

be consi d e red te rribly impo l ite t o say y o u a re t o o busy o r y o u h ave some­

where else to be. Just l i ft yo u r teacup a n d you r g u est wi l l know it's time to

be off. The sa m e thi n g appl ies i f you a re the g u est. If you b r i n g tea or some­

t h i n g e lse to d ri n k to you r h ost, you a re implyi n g that you have other thi n gs

Chrysalis • 17 1
to do afterward. Yo ur h ost wil l reco g n ize t h e gesture a n d wil l m a ke sure to

lift h is cup in good t i m e so t h a t you can po l ite ly l eave.

Every society has its own social rules. They aren't secrets, but if you are

u n fa m i liar with t h e m , they ca n seem like a mysterio us, u nfa t h o m a ble code.

Once you h ave been ta u g h t the proper signals, you wil l be a b l e to rela te to

t h em comforta bly a n d n a turally; 9 and 6, expa n d i ng a n d co n tracti n g , work

in this sa m e way. These move m e n ts are the Heavenly cod es. T h ey conta in spe­

cific information used to co m m u nicate certa in e n ergies. A mystical Ta oist

epigra m begi ns, "Heaven One created wa ter-Nin e co mpl etes it." In t h e Ta o,

9 is the la rgest n u m ber. For the e n ergy we are creat i n g with 9 Palaces Qi

G o n g , t here is specific infor m a tio n we are try i n g to co m m u nicate o u twards

to the u n iverse. So th ere are specific reasons we need to use 9 and 6 in our

motions, j ust a s we practice starting with the l iver, going to the spl e e n , to t h e

l u n gs, to the ki d n eys, a n d finally to t h e h eart. I t is a precise patter n fro m t h e

I Ching, d esigned for a particular effect. I f yo u visit the Z h o n g n a n m o u ntains,

you wil l see i t carved o n to the a ncient ta blets of La o Zi's teachings. Th ese are

the i n n er maps of 9 Pa l aces Qi Go ng.

The n u m ber 9 is Ya ng; the n u m ber 6 is Yin. Th ere are n a tura l rhyt h m s in

the universe. In temples across Ch ina and Ti bet, you wi l l find prayer wheels

turn ing. The Earth rota tes aro u n d i ts axis j ust as the prayer wheels turn.

Tibeta n B u d d h ists practice t h i s tur n i n g m oti o n with prayer wheels. It ca n a l so

be practiced within the body itself. This turning relieves others of spiritu a l

b o n d a g e , as well as o n eself. S i l kwor ms t u r n wit h the sa m e motion as they

wrap themse l ves with silk. After t h ey h ave spu n their cocoons, t h ey will
e m erge l ater, bea u tifu l a n d l i g h t of wi ng. The circl i n g of 9 and 6 is our i n n er

prayer wheel, our own chrysalis spi n ning. You h ave to be exact. It m ust be

nine cl ockwise Ya n g o u tward and six cou nterclockwise Yin inward. Some

move m e n ts in 9 Pa l aces Qi Gong ca n be done nine tim es or a little m ore, b u t

th is pa rtic u l a r m ove m e n t h a s t o be precisely n i n e a n d six. B y fo l l owin g this

cou n t, you r body wil l experie nce a specia l reactio n from it automa tica l ly. The

si l kworm spi ns its n ew h o m e by turning just so. T h e texts of the Dragon Gate

Classic o bserve that the l arva spits its s i l k o u t n i n e times in o n e d irect i o n a n d

t h e n six i n t h e other a s i t b u i l d s its casing. I t wraps i tsel f i nside a n d quietly

begins to c h a n g e , protected fro m a ny o u tsid e interference. Once it has trans-

172 '
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
fo rmed i tse l f, it m ust chew a h o l e i n i ts ti ny si lken b a l l . T h e n it ca n at l ast

bu rst fo rth in fl i g h t. The 9 Pa l aces M icrocosmic Orbit Oi G o n g l ets yo u

beco m e the si l kworm. Yo u a re the si l kworm spi n n i n g i ts safe h aven; yo u a re

i nsi d e yo u r cocoon, g esta t i n g you r new a b i l ities; a n d eve ntu a l ly you wi l l be

able to fly o u t.

Ou r so u ls d es i re t h e i r fl i g h t. We yea r n to free o u rse lves. Th is is t h e spir­

itu a l j o u rney t h a t the 9 So l a r Pa laces practice sets us upo n . We open, pu rify,

a n d energ ize t h e o rg a ns a n d se nses t h a t a re o u r too l s fo r com m u n icati n g

with the u n iverse. T h i s is t h e secret o f t h e Ra i n bow Body. The fl i g h t o f t h e

Rai n bow Body t o ta ke on its cos m i c rol e i n t h e h eave ns is t h e u l t i m ate goa l

of 9 Pa laces Oi Gong. We create t h e cocoon fro m o u r natu ra l e n e rg i es a n d

w e fly o u t fro m i t u s i n g t h e i r force a g a i n, tra nsfo rmed. T o re l ease i ts i n n er

l i g ht is e a c h spi ri t's d eepest cravi ng. Fi n d i n g t h i s freedom is very i mpo rta nt.

You co u l d say you h ave no i n te rest i n atta i n i n g a Ra i n bow Body. Why shou l d

yo u both e r rem e m b e r i n g t h e 9 and the 6 exactly? Yo u d o n't h ave t o set the

Ra i n bow Body as you r g o a l , b u t eve n without that desi re, t h e 9 and 6 c i rcles
wi l l bri n g yo u r pe rso n a l a b i l ities o u t. You wi l l ra ise yo u r l eve l , just as if yo u

we re tu r n i n g a prayer wheel.

Of cou rse, t h e re is n o g u a ra ntee that you wi l l acco mplish t h e u lt i m ate

feat of t h e Ra i n bow Body, b u t at least yo u ca n beco m e a bea u t i fu l b u tte rfly.

Don't ever d o u bt i t. Don't quest i o n if it is rea lly work i n g. As soon as you l et

d o u bts enter you r m i nd, you wi l l be a utom atica l ly reject i n g th e fu l l poten­

tial of the 9 Pa laces. As the m a rt i a l a rtist m ust n ever a i m to h it h is oppo n en t,

b u t i nste a d focus on pu nch i n g the wa l l be h i n d h i m to i n fl ict maxi m u m force,

you need to a l l ow fa ith i ts space in you r practice. With co nvict i o n a n d con­

ti n uous practice for one to t h ree months, you wi l l feel the c h a n g e, especia l ly

i n t h e c l a r i ty of you r Heave n ly Eye. You have to practice ve ry we l l , with sin­

cerity. See i f you ca n open i t.

Someti mes if eve n with serious practice you h ave d ifficu l ty open i n g you r

Heaven ly Eye, i t's possi b l e yo u d o n't h ave t h e natu ra l a b i l ity to open i t. or yo u

may need to practice fu rth e r. Dr. Wu be l i eves t h a t with co nsiste nt a n d sin­

ce re practice, m ost people s h o u l d be able to ope n t h e i r Heave n ly Eye i n o n e

h u n d red days. Afte rwa rd, you a re g o i n g to s e e n ew th i n gs a l l a ro u n d you .

Don't worry abo u t t h e resu l ts. I f y o u sta rt slowly a n d a r e d iscipl i n ed abo u t

Chrysalis • 173
 FIGURE 61

FIGURE 60

d a i ly practice, it wi l l co m e. You wi l l lift yo u r own pe rso n a l l evel of potential

h ig h er by doing the practice. T h e n you wi l l not o n ly u nd e rsta n d you r s u r­

ro u n d i n g s a n d envi ro n m e nt i n a n ew l i g h t, b u t t h e re a re other i nfl u e nces

t h a t wi l l becom e clea r to yo u as we l l . Each perso n's ta l e n ts a re d iffe re n t; n o

two expe rie nces wi l l be the sa m e. B u t as va ried as we m ay be, there a re a n

equ a l n u m b e r o f fo rces h e l p i n g us a n d coexist i n g with us, wa i ti n g t o be

fo u n d. The re's no secret to i t. Just practice 9 Pa l a ces for a period of t i m e , a n d

y o u wi l l feel i t. A s yo u ope n yo u r Heave n ly Eye, y o u wi l l h ave a m o re

adva nced u n d e rsta n d i n g of t h i s practice. M a ny of the t h i n g s discussed i n

t h ese pa ges wi l l seem m uch clea re r. There i s m uch wonder t o b e discove red

w h e n you r sou l 's l i g h t is free to explore i ts true d o m a i n.

After you h ave compl eted the c i rcl i ng, the h a n ds a re sti l l i n praye r posi­

tion, pa l ms togeth e r a t h e a rt l eve l. As we've sa id, the 9 a n d 6 c i rc l i n g is a sig­

nal to the u n iverse. The postu re the h a nds a re held i n wh i l e c i rcl i n g fu rther

defi n es t h is sig n. Ci rcl i n g with pa l ms pressed toget h e r is the procla ma t i o n of

bel i ef i n o n e's God. You a re a n n o u nc i n g yo u r fa ith to the cosm os. P ractice

174 .
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
 F 1 G URE 62

with si ncerity. There is no one rig h t perception of the God force. T h e re is no

n eed to i n voke or visua lize B u dd h a or Lao Zi or Jesus or Gaia. Feel i n g a sense

of i n te g ration between pu re move m e n t a n d p u re devotion is t h e key. As you

finish you r l a st inwa rd circle, while stil l in praye r position at h e a rt l eve l , fl ip

you r h a nds downwa rd from the wrists (Fig u re 60). With t h e pa l m s sti l l

togeth e r poi nti n g downwa rd, push down the center of the body from h e a rt

l eve l to below the l ower dan tian, u nt i l the a rms a re fu l ly exte nded. With a n
even move m e n t, sepa rate you r pa l ms wh i l e sti l l keepi n g t h e fi n gertips

pressed tog ether (Fi g u res 61-62), a n d b r i n g you r a rms back up to h e a rt l eve l

in a smooth, rou n ded a rc (Fig u re 62).

Now circ l e n i n e tim es outwa rd a n d six ti m es i nwa rd j ust as before, with

the fing e rtips together in th eir steep l e l ike postu re (Fig u re 63). Ci rc l i n g clock­
wise outwa rd, e n d i n g overhead i n t h i s m u d ra , you a re n ow maki n g contact

with you r a ncestors. Beca use you h ave con tacted t hem with s i n cere b e l i ef, as

you c i rc l e cou nterclockwise back i nwa rd, you a re bri nging back the m essa g es

they h ave been wa i t i n g to g ive you (Fi g u re 64). Ag ain, you don't need to pic-

Chrysali s " 175

 FIGURE 63

tu re their faces i n yo u r mind. Wha t yo u r fa m i ly he ritage holds f o r you wi l l

be retrieved natu ra l l y within this rotating ha nd sea l.

After returning to hea rt leve l , the ha nds f l i p down from the wrists whi l e

sti l l i n fingertips-together postu re a n d aga i n push down past the l ower dan
tian ( Figure 65). Gracefu l ly clasp the ha nds together, fi ngers ge ntly but fi r m l y
interlaced in the fin a l ha nd sea l (Figure 66). The clasped ha nds t u r n up i n a n

a rc, ending a t heart leve l ( Figure 67), a n d begi n the n i n e cl ockwise ci rcles

o u twa rd. This time, instead of keeping the size of yo u r ci rc l es co n ta i n ed to

the a rea between the h e a rt a nd the a rms' exte nsion overhead, m a ke the c i r­

cle g row as l a rge as you ca n witho u t l ocking the e l bows. After its dia meter

rea ches a certain size a t about the fou rth o r fifth c i rc l e, sta rt sl ightly ope n­

ing the pa lms with the fi ngers sti l l i n te r l aced as the ha nds d esce n d below

heart leve l , clasping them aga i n as they rise a bove hea rt l eve l , as if with each

176 Qi Gong for Total Wellness

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FIGURE 64

opening in the cycl e you a re rel easing heaven ly Qi to the Ea rth a nd with each
cl osing pu l l i ng up the Ea rth's Qi, claspin g to re u n ite it with the heave n ly Qi

overhead. The wide r the a rc of you r c i rcle, the wide r you sho u ld ope n you r

pa lms, yo u r momen t u m ca rryi ng thro ugh mo re Q i with each revo l u tion. End

with ha n ds clasped overhead in a momentary pa use ( Figu re 68). Just as the

previous ha nd sea l m akes contact with yo u r a ncestors, t he fi n a l h a n d sea l

m akes con tact with the god you be l i eve i n . If yo u do not be l i eve i n a tradi­

t i o n a l God, you ca n take this m o m e n t to co n n ect with the knowled g e of you r

h i g h est se l f. W h i l e the fi rst h a n d sea l a n n o u nced yo u r be l i ef i n this sou rce of

a l l th i n gs, the fi n a l h a n d sea l a l l ows you to com m u n e with i t a n d come back

with i ts wisd o m a nd g u id a nce.

W h e n fi n ish i n g yo u r six decreasi n g c i rcles, a g a i n ope n the pa l ms to the

ea rth i n the l a rger c i rcles. In the sma l l est circl es, t he h a n ds re main clasped.

Chrysalis • 177
 FIGURE 66

FIGURE 65

End at h e a rt l eve l with the h a n ds c l asped ( Fig u re 69). At t h i s poi n t, you h ave

spu n yo u r precious cocoon. The three ha n d sea ls b ring us the m essa ges of t h e

Th ree Rea l ms. The fi rst sea l is Hu m a n . Y o u a re m a king a perso n a l p rocla m a ­

tio n t o t h e A l l . I t i s you r voice, t h e sta te m e n t o f you r hea rt's be l ief. T h e sec­

o n d sea l is Heaven. You a re co m m u n icating with the Lin g Qi, the heave n ly

m essag es of the spirit rea l ms, b ri n g i n g back the g ifts of the a ncestors. The

t h i rd sea l is Earth. Refi n i n g the Ea rth e n e rgy yo u d raw i nto yo u rse l f, you

sta n d in the ba l a nce between Ea rth and Heave n , ready to accept the m es­

sag es of God. Use what appea rs to you now to m a ke wise cho ices fo r yo u r

l ife. The wisd o m you h ave contacted with yo u r practice o f th ese sea ls wi l l

he lp yo u m a ke the best d ecisions fo r yo u rse l f.

The n i n e clockwise rotations a n d six co u n te rcl ockwise rotations comprise

a basic u n ive rsa l patte rn of energy, m i rrored a l l around u s. This vortex of

e n e rgy ca n be fo u n d i n a l l t h ree rea l ms, Hu m a n, Heave n, a n d Ea rth. The Ea rth

rotates aro u n d the s u n . The moon rotates a ro u n d the Ea rth. A l l i n o n e d i rec-

178 •
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
 FIGURE 6 7

tion, t h i s m ove m e n t is a con sta n t with i ts own i n n e r bala nce. A tor n a d o o n ly

t u rns i n o n e d i recti o n a n d ca n o n ly rise i n one d i rection. I ts external force is

a g g ressive. I nside i t is calm a n d co ntrolled. At i ts center, all is pe rfectly still.

M ove m e n t is Ya ng, cal m n ess is Y i n . Absolu te peace is i n the hea rt. Dayt i m e is

i n motion. It is Ya ng. N i g h t sleeps. It is Y i n. Afte r each ha n d post u re's rota­

tions, you b r i n g you r h a nds down and then switch the seal at the botto m of

the still n ess that lies a t the bala nce poi n t of Y i n a n d Ya ng.

Just as you ca n rea d the l ife h istory of a tree i n i ts r i n gs, we too h ave

r i n gs t h a t te l l o u r sto ry. Loca ti n g these r i n gs, a n a lyzi ng t h e m , a n d heali n g

t h e m is a Ta o i st speci alty. M aste r Du wo u l d h e a l h i s pat i e n ts w i t h this m ethod

m o re than with a ny acupress u re poi n t, for each perso n 's r i n gs a re u n i que to

him or h e r a l o n e. F i n d you r r i n g s with the Ya n g and Yin rotat i ons. Hea r what

they a re tel l i n g you with the t h ree hand sea ls. Beco m e o n e with t h e m essages

of Heave n and Earth. Wrap yo u rse l f in the si l k of the si l kworm to b r i n g pos­

i tive c h a n g e i n to you r l ife':

Chrysalis • 179
 FIGURE 68

CLEANS1NG THE CRYSTAL

NOW THAT A sacred space h a s been spu n , we co m e to the pivota l stage

with i n the Hea lthy a n d Happy Practice o f the 9 Pa l a ces. Everyth i n g that has

co m e before has been i n prepa ration for t h i s m o m e nt. The o rg a n s and se nses

h ave been ope n e d , the c i rcu l a t i o n h a s been sti m u l ated, the Oi h a s been e n e r­

g ized, the m i n d h a s been ca l m ed of a l l tro u b l e a n d fea r, a n d t h e H u m a n ,

Heave n, a n d Ea rth rea l m s have been u n ified i n to o n e field. Here t h e practi­

t i o n e r is a b l e to reach i n to h i m - or h e rse lf at the deepest l evel poss i b l e. At

this po i n t, the body ca n be h ea l ed a t the cel l u l a r l evel, clea nsed to crysta l

c l a rity with pu rest Oi. Th is process is on o n e l evel execu ted with the m i nd

18 0 • Q i Gong for Total Wellness

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X �
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71 ?r
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t -\t \,
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FIGURE 69

a l one. However, you h ave guided yo u r body into a specia l state wh ere the

min d is ca p a b l e of a ffecting p h ysica l matter on a very subtle yet mate ria l

l eve l. These fea ts a re a specia l training ma d e possib l e by 9 Pa l aces Qi G ong.

If you h ave p racticed with concentration a n d emotio n a l awa re n ess u n til n ow,

yo u wil l certain ly feel its powe rfu l effects.

To p u rify a crysta l in the Taoist way, yo u must wash it in the ocean

ove rnight, especia l l y d u ring the weeks a p p roaching the Lu n a r Festiva l , then

l et it d ry in t h e su n's rays. Like t h e crysta l, we a re going to let natu re clea nse

o u r o rga ns. From the cl asped- h a nds positio n t h a t yo u e n d ed yo u r fina l h a nd

sea l with , the h a n ds open a n d p u l l a way slightly from the to rso, the pa lms

facing the body (Fig u re 70).

Wit h o u t p a u se, ret u r n t h em to touch the body ove r the rib cage, p l ac-

Chrysalis • 18 1
 FIGURE 70 FIGURE 71

ing o n e p a l m d i rectly ove r t h e spleen on the l eft a n d the oth e r ove r the l iver

on the right ( Figu re 71). G a t h e r up the e n e rgy of the l iver a n d spl een i n to t h e

h a n ds, using the a bsorbing power of the lao gong p o i n ts i n the ce nter of the
palms to d raw in as much of t h e i r Qi as yo u ca n . W h e n yo u fee l t h a t you h a ve

f i rmly coll ected t h e i r energy, stiffen you r fi n g e rs i nto r i g i d claws wh i l e sti l l

keep i n g the palms soft a n d cupped. T h ese are t h e Dra g o n Cl aws. W i t h t heir

fo rce, yo u are now a ble to remove yo u r l iver and spl een from insi d e your

body. W h e n you p u l l o u t the orga ns, t h e l ive r wi l l bri ng t h e ki dneys a ttached

to it a n d the spleen wi l l bring the sto mach. P u l l the o rg a ns out with yo u r

claws, kee p i n g their Q i su rrou nded by the c l a ws' m i g ht a n d h e l d i n you r

p a l ms, teth ered to the lao gong po i n ts. Pu l l t h em o u t a n d away from the
body. ( Figu re 72.)
The s u n rises in the east, which is t h e d i rect i o n of t h e l iver, a n d sets i n

t h e west, t h e d i rection o f t h e s p l een. W h e n Dr. W u treats a sick spl e e n , h e

1 82 . Oi Gong for Total Wellness

 FIGURE 72

a ctua l ly treats the l iver to strengthen a nd reple nish it. Clea nsing the liver a n d
spleen, w e a r e moving from east t o west, like the sun r i s i n g a n d sett i n g i n the

heave ns. Pul l them out of your body with your Dra gon Claws. Again, we a re

using the un ited forces of Huma n, Heaven, a n d Earth to atta i n our goa l. The

Dragon Claws activate the major mer i d i a ns i n the fi ng ers. Be conscious of the

Dragon Claws' strength. It belongs to the Huma n realm. It is the force of

the An imal Spirit a rid the pre-Heaven soul, the pre n a ta l pote n ti a l . You must

remove the l iver a n d the s p l ee n simulta n eously. The l iver's e n ergy hol d s great

waves of emotion. Its se nsi tivity and fluctua tion mi rror the shift i n g patter n s

o f Heavenly Qi. Ea rth e n ergy nurtu res the spleen a n d the post- Heaven soul.

The messa ges of Heaven are refl ected i n the eyes, re l a ted to the l iver. You ca n

sense the essence of the orga ns through the eyes. Dul l eyes mea n a n i l l

patie nt. Th e hea rt has a mi n d that i s grounded i n the Ea rth forces of the

Chrysalis • 183
spl een. We hea l o u rsel ves in this practice by using ou r h ea rt's m i n d as a

bridge betwee n t h ese opposite e n e rgi es.

The hea rt co n n ects to t h e eyes a n d so to t h e l iver. W h e n t h e pa l ms are

h ot, the co n n ecti o n between the eyes a n d the h e a rt is brought out. The lao
gong, or hea rt point, is the sou rce of this bin ding e n ergy. Use yo u r h ea rt
e n ergy to ta l k to yo u r o rga ns, coaxing them o u t as the eyes of lovers spea k

to each other without a word. You r body must be tota l ly rel axed wh i l e

clea nsing t h e live r a n d spl een. A s yo u a re practi ci ng, you sh o u l d fee l a s i f you

a re swi m m i n g in an ocea n of pu re Qi. Al l of Natu re's Oi is surroun d i ng you.

Each previous stage of 9 Pa laces Oi Gong is designed to lead yo u step by step

d eep i nto t h i s state. Yo u r tro u bles h ave disso lved a n d wisdom is sti rri ng. Th is

is the rhythm of the n ewly i n tegrated spl een. Yo u h ave come fa r in yo u r

practice. Now you wi l l be a bl e t o remove the o rga ns. You a re resting yo u r

o rga n s i n t h e cu rre n ts o f ai, pu rify i n g them i n their swe l ling tides, d ryin g

them w i t h the wa rmth of t h e ra d i a n t s u n . Yo u r Drago n Cl aws a re activated.

Yo u r h e a rt is re leased. You r l iver and k i d n eys, yo u r spleen a n d stomach h ave

been removed of t h e i r tox i n s a n d spa rkle, tra nspa re nt a n d crysta l -clea r.

Con t i n u e h o l d i n g the l ive r a n d spleen outsid e the body, pu l led as fa r

away from the torso that they fee l as if they wa nt to snap back in. The spaces

i nside you r body that you removed them from shou l d feel h o l low a n d empty.

If you fee l t h i s sensatio n strongly, you know you h ave succeeded i n bringing

the o rg a ns o u t of yo u r body. As you pu l l the l iver and spleen out with the

Drago n Claws, there w i l l be a strugg l e as the l igamen ts that h o l d the o rga ns

in place wil l try to pu l l them back. Do not l et go. This se nsat i o n may fee l sl ip­

pery or might fad e i n a n d o u t. If you need to, bri ng you r cl aws closer to you r

body u n til the con n ectio n is again strongly fe l t. M a inta i n t h i s postu re u nt i l

the e nergy l i n k between the ho llow pl aces inside a n d the o rga n s in you r

pa l ms i s stro n g e r tha n the force trying t o pu l l t h em back i n . Th is l i n k s h o u l d

fee l stretchy a n d resilient, l ike a thick rubber ba nd. I f you d o n 't fee l i t at fi rst,

keep you r h a nds c l oser to yo u r body a n d know that with practice, you wi l l

qu ickly strengthen yo u rself.

Somet h i n g to remember is t h a t t h i s exercise is n ot a visu a l ization. It is a

physica l experi e nce that is guided by the m i n d a n d t he hea rt. Know t h a t the

Oi wi l l flow where yo u r concentra tion and desi re direct it. Th is is a simple

184 •
Qi Gong for Total Wel l ness
sensation, easily felt if you h ave practiced each

sta g e of the 9 Pa l aces up to this po i n t with s i n ­

cerity. Despite i ts simpl icity, clea nsi n g t h e o rg a n s

is a profo u n d m a n ifestat i o n o f esoteric Qi Gong.

As you a rrive a t t h is m o m e n t, you a re tappi n g

t h e t r u e power o f the 9 Pa l aces practice . Hol d

o n to yo u r org a ns, fee l i n g t h e m ca ressed a n d

clea nsed b y t h e wa r m Q i o f t h e s u n . W h e n you r

h a nds a re very h ot a n d you feel a cool o r col d

b reeze b l ow th ro u g h t h e em pty spaces i nside

where you r o rg a ns o nce were, you wi l l know that

you h ave compl eted you r pu rificati on.

Th i s e n t i re p rocess sho u l d ta ke a bo u t two to

t h ree m i n u tes. If a t fi rst you d on't feel i t, keep up

your d a i ly p ractice and eve n tu a l ly yo u wi l l

u n bl ock everyth i n g yo u n eed i n o rd e r to expe ri­

ence i t fu l ly. S l owly bring the Dra g o n Claws back

to you r torso, e n d i n g with the pa l ms resti n g back

over the l ive r and spl een. Gently pack you r

o rg a ns back i nto t h e i r proper spaces, po u ri n g a l l

t h e extra e n e rgy you h ave g e n e rated back into FIGURE 73

the body. As soon as you feel it suffuse you , with

pa l ms sti l l over t h e l ive r a n d t h e spl een, t i l t you r h e a d back a n d exh a l e a l l the

air i ns i d e of you r body i n a l o n g , slow stre a m to compl ete t h e d etoxification

(Fig u re 73). This re l eases a l l the toxic Qi from i nside the body wh i l e l eavi ng

the benefici a l Qi i nside to reba l a nce i t. On a physi o l o g ica l l evel, this exercise

treats d i g estive pro b l ems a n d i n fections, cools the l iver, a n d rids the o rg a ns

of excess heat a nd toxi ns. Dr. Wu h a s a lso tra i ned h is patients w h o h ave seri­

ous i m m u n e d efici encies a n d ca ncers to do this practice d a i ly a lo n g with their

reg u l a r Western and Ch i n ese medica l treatments a n d has watched their co n ­

d itions sta b i l ize m uch m o re effective l y.

Once you have retu rned t h e l iver a n d spleen a n d b reathed o u t t h e excess

impu rities, t h e n ext step is to use t h e h a n ds to pu l l off a n d re move ba d Oi

fro m the l iver a n d spleen, a l o n g with a n y other pa rt of the body. In Tao ist Oi

ChTysalis • 185
 FIGURE 74

G o n g hea l ing, any pa rts of the body tha t a re tro u bl ed or unwe l l a re si mply

re m oved, the ba d Oi tossed off, and natu re is a l l owed to clea nse the m. In

o u t-of-the-way temples a ro und Chi na, so m e o l d e r maste rs m ay be seen per­

forming stra ng e m a nipu l a tions on f l owers. They a re ridd ing the p l a nts of ba d

Oi, h elping them to g row strong and bea u tifu l. A few days later, sickly plants

t h a t we ren't g rowing a re now in fu l l bl oom. Mind, hea rt, Oi, and action a re

pe rfectly co m b i ned, eve n in se rvice of a sma l l flower. F i rst with the spl een

and the n with the liver, pu l l toxins a n d sickn ess out of the o rg a ns by l etting

the sta gna tion pool inside of the pa l m , using the lao gong points to d raw out
the po l l uti on. As soon as it fil ls t h e pa l m, pu l l the ha nd away, throwing the

bad Oi out and off the body in a quick whippin g m otio n ( Fig u re 74). Pu l l the

toxins o u t of t h e spleen like this, tossing the bad Oi away nine times. Repeat

nine t i m es on the other sid e with the liver. Then contin u e anywhere in t he

body yo u have bad O i .

186 •
Qi Gong fOT Total Wellness
 If you h ave a s h o u l d e r pain, pu l l it off. If yo u r mind is preoccu pied, gra b

it a n d toss it o u t of yo u r head. Pu l l sickness or pain o u t of a n y oth e r orga n

or a rea of the body in the same way, using o n e h a n d fo r o rga ns a n d muscl es,

whicheve r is co nvenie n t, a n d two h a nds together for clea r i n g the th ree dan.
Pu l l the sickn esses out u nt i l t h e a rea feels clea r, l ight, a n d coo l . Do n't wo rry

that yo u r sick Oi tossed out of yo u r body cou l d acci d e nta l ly l a n d on some­

o n e else. You a re using yo u r min d to hea l you rse lf on a ve ry su bt le a n d pe r­

so n a l l evel. This is Oi Go ng.

Yea rs ago, when Dr. Wu wo rked in a l a rge h ospita l i n China, a mistake

got ma de a n d th e X- rays fo r two pat i e n ts, one with cancer a nd o n e wit ho ut,

acci d e nta l ly were switched. The ca ncer patient believed he was cu red a n d h is

co n ditio n eve n tu a l ly was hea l ed. The hea lthy patie nt thought he h a d cancer

and wasted away, eve n though h is d octors to l d h im it was a mi stake. This is

how though ts re l ate to cleansing the body a n d h ea l i ng o n ese lf. It is a deep

co n nection that has to be recognized a n d respected for what i t is. As you

practice, you wi l l d iscove r this co n n ectio n for yo u rse lf. F i n ish the clea nsing

by rest i n g the pa lms mome n ta r i ly back on the spleen a n d live r, then moving

t h em o u t, away from the body, clasping them again and coming back to

h e a rt l evel, i n t h e same postu re you bega n with .

RELEAS1NG THE HEART'S DES1RE

SETTLE YOU RSELF W ITH h a nds cl asped at h e a rt l eve l. It is time for

re l easing the fin a l tho ugh ts, desires, and e n e rgies with i n the body before

ope ning o n eself fu l ly to the powe r of the s u n . Yo u may fee l pe rfectly ca lm

and pe rfectly a t ease physica l ly by this point in yo u r practice, and yet, there

is a lways a n ot h e r l aye r that ca n be stripped away in t he sea rch fo r t he u l ti­

mate emptiness. As we have i l l ustrated many times thro u gho ut t h is book,

kong, or empt i n ess, must come fi rst in o rd e r to refi l l o n ese lf with someth i ng
n ew. Howeve r, there is no reason to d e ny yo u rself the deep-seated hopes a n d

goa ls yo u might cherish in you r l i fe. Rat h e r th a n t u r n yo u r back o n yo u r

huma n d esires, t h e Taoists recogn ize that you wi l l reach a ric h e r se nse of

peace a n d tra n qu i lity if you ca n accept th em, quickly come to a decisio n

Chrysalis 187
 FIGURE 75

a b o u t the actions you a re a b l e to reaso n a b l y take a n d l eave the rest to the

u ltimate will of the u n iverse. If you ask t h e u n iverse for h e l p with si nce re

belief, it wi l l come to you if your d ream is for so methi n g you h ave eve n a

c h a nce of rea l iz i n g .

Wh i l e your h a nds a re sti l l c l asped, focus yo u r m o u th a n d l i ps i n to you r

h a n ds, t o s h i e l d you rself from speak i n g words o f h a rm, evi l , a n d i n justice.

Focus your body into your h a n d s to fu lfil l the wi l l of the Ta o. Focus yo u r m i n d

a n d hea rt i n to yo u r h a n ds for consta n t positive th o u g h ts.

The h a n ds open up from t h e i r clasped position, pa lms up, f i n gers forwa rd

at spleen a n d l iver l eve l , the th u m b a n d forefi n g e r of the l eft h a n d form i n g

a c i rcl e. T h e ri g h t pa l m is kept flat a n d open (Fi gure 75). As y o u spread you r

a r ms, place a l l yo u r h opes, d re a m s, a n d p l a n s i nto you r pa l ms. B e si ncere

with i n yo u r heart a n d it wi l l wo rk. Be ki nd to yo u r pa rents wh i l e they a re sti l l

a live. Don't wait u nti l they a re d e a d a n d yo u r l ove a n d ki n d n ess a re mea n -

188 •
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
i ngl ess. The forefi nger a n d thumb togethe r form a mud ra of work i n g for pos­

itive outcome in your present life. We a re not gua ra nteed reinca rnation with

consciousn ess and free wil l after we pass from this p l ane. It's a question of

cause a n d result. We rea p what we sow. We might see bad people eating we l l ,

i n spite of the i r sel fishn ess a n d crue l ty, but w e a re not i n a position to see

eve ry side of their existe nce. A good hea rt he l ps to re l i eve sin, for this life and

for the n ext life to come.

Although in this practice we use the mud ra of thumb a n d forefinger

together, to cultivate this l i fe, it hel ps to p ut our place i n the journey i n to

perspective by thi nking for a mome nt a bout a nothe r simi l a r mud ra. The

thumb a n d pi nkie togethe r with the hands i n the same posture is for the fin a l

cul tivation, to become an i n finitesima l pa rticle, without rebi rth, wi thout

d im i n ution , just a speck of d ust in the infinite un ive rse.

After you fee l your p a l ms become heavy with a l l your highest aspi ra­

tions, in a swee ping motion, cross your a rms ove r your body, pa lms facing to

the back, lowe r i n g yourself down a bit by ben d i ng the knees in towa rd each

other i n a ha l f-squat (Figure 76). At the same time, say out loud " HA!" i n a

forceful , breathy, a n d short exclamation. Fee l l ike you have let a l l the a i r out

of your l ungs and your chest has sunk in sl ightly. From thi s position, the a rms

fl i p back over, pa lms up. In the same fl uid motion, p u l l the a rms, p a l ms up,

e l bows be nt, back i n towa rd the body whi l e be n d i ng the kn ees furthe r and

pronoun cing a breathy and audible "HO!" (Figure 7 7 ) . This "HO" is short and

explosive, more breath tha n word , the l i ps rounded and the mouth loose l y

roun ded. Feel as if you have rel eased eve n more a i r from i nsi de. Do not i nha l e
yet, as the re is goi ng to b e one fi n a l sound. Settle yourse l f for a brief

mome nt, then continue.

Slowly stra ighten up while the ha nds come up to form a slightly rounded

shape, l ike the symbol of Ta iji. The pa lms a re facing each othe r and the fi n­

gers a re somewhat rigi d , the i r e n e rgy expressed. Focus the Qi betwee n the

p a l ms until they reach hea rt l eve l , the n p ush out from the body unti l the

a rms a re a lmost com p l etely exte n d ed (Figure 78). Dur i n g this movement,

which should be done slowly, let a l l the rema i n i n g breath in the body come

up from the dia phragm a n d out of the mouth in a contro l l ed stream whi l e

saying "HUUUU." Push a l l the way out to a tree i n the med i um to fa r distance

Chrysali s • 189
 FIGURE 76 FIGURE 77

t h a t you feel a n affi n i ty for. Take t h i s literally. Practicing outsi d e is not an

a bso l ute m ust, if th e oth e r option is not practicing a t a l l . However, th is tree

w i l l gro u n d yo u a n d wi l l beco m e yo u r partn e r in this p ractice ove r t i m e , if

you ret u r n reg u l a rly to you r sa m e spot. Even if you practice indo o rs, if yo u

see a tree o utsi d e the wind ow t h a t you feel a connection with, use it as you r

focu s. As yo u push o ut, yo u r h a nds co m e togeth e r fu rthe r, a n d yo u r a rms

raise very s l i g htly in t h e p rocess, t h e h a nds n ow taki n g the shape of the tri­

a n g u l a r sola r pyra m i d .

E a c h o f us h a s a m a g n etic fi eld. W h en practicing with m o re t h a n o n e

pe rson , t h e h ea l i n g i ncreases. Practice a ro u n d trees. Spen d t i m e a ro u n d c h i l ­

d re n . O l d trees w i l l give y o u insp i ra t i o n . You n g trees h ave plenty of extra

190 '
Qi Gong for Total Wel l ne s s
 FIGURE 78

ene rgy. You may even look l i ke a tree. Dr. Wu was a prob l e m ch i l d . When see­

i n g h is m a ster a l ways spe n d i n g t i m e cl i m b i n g trees a n d bei n g cl ose to t h e m ,

h e asked , " W h y d o n 't yo u g et m a rried? Do yo u l i ke th ose trees m ore t h a n

wom e n ?" M a ster Du d i d n 't ca re very m uch f o r t h i s i n so l e n t rem a rk. However,

there is m uch bea utifu l Qi to be g a t h e red by com m u n icati n g with natu re.

Heaven , natu re, a n d h u ma ns a re a l l re l a ted. The sou n ds HA, HO, a n d HU and

the motions a re as one.

Afte r push i n g o ut, the h a n ds, w h ich h ave co m e togeth e r to form a tri­

a n g l e betwee n th u m bs and forefi n g e rs, now open o u t a g a in i n a rou nded a rc,

a rms ope n ing out a n d a ro u n d u nt i l the forearms a re s l i g htly h i g h e r than pa r­

allel with th e gro und (Fig u re 79). Finis h th is motion by pressing the finger-

Chrysalis • 19 1
 I

FIGURE 80

FIGURE 79

t i ps together, a l l touching the t h u mb i n a poi n ted shape. This mudra is known

as the Five Finger Mo u n ta i n (Figu re 80).

As you fee l the thumb ma k i n g contact with a l l the f i n ge rtips, s i l ently

invoke the co l o rs of the Five El eme nts one by one, in the orde r of the fingers:

green for the thumb, red fo r the fo refi n g e r, ye l l ow fo r the midd l e fin g e r,

white fo r the r i n g finger, a n d b l ack fo r the pinkie. See the co l o rs green , red,

ye l lo w, white, a n d black, in that order. Th i nk each to l o r o n e by one i n

sequ ence. Look at the co l o rs. Feel them permeate your co n sciousness. It's very

impo rta n t to su rro u nd o n ese l f with the co l o rs.

In Beijing, there is a specia l spot where five co l o rs of ea rth a re combi n ed

192 •
Qi Gong fo r Total Wel l ne s s'
in the soil. Sta nding in the Five Finger Mountain posture while con templat­

ing each co l o r, we a re creating a simi l a r place of powe r fo r our p ractice. Our

bodies take the shape of the pyramid as we invoke each colo r. Each color is

gove rned by a Lo rd; each orga n has its own mind, consciousness, o r deity.

An n ouncing each co l o r within ourse lves, we a re ca l ling down th ese d eities.

Sta nding firm in this calm a n d solid sta nce, we a re taking on t h eir five con­

sciousnesses as our own, assuming t h e role of t h e Five Elements.

M ountains represent the patie n t or stud e n t. Water equa ls prospe rity a n d

a successful ca ree r. Fo rests speed adva nceme nt. Qi G o n g gathers Qi from a l l

th ree o f th ese environme n ts. With this posture, you a re turning your body

into a la n dscape such as this. At this time, you ca n let your h e a rt relive a n y

emotio n o r expe rie nce from the past. This posture i s exce l l e n t fo r getting i n

touch with old matters a n d memo ries from this life, o r lives previously lived.

Five Finge r M ountain will help fo rtune and spirit guides to come to you. As

you sta n d visua lizing the co l o rs of the five Eleme n ts surrounding you, a l low

toxins a n d un reso lved memo ries to be re l eased. They will a rise as a thin trail

of "smoke" from the fingertips (Figure 81). From within this deep state of

unio n with the Five Eleme n ts, they will flow effo rtl essly from you, without

a n y specia l atte ntion.

Afte r a few minutes sta n ding with the Five Finge r M ountain mud ra, the

ha nds move into a pa lms-up fist, with the thumb bent inwa rd and the rest

of the fin ge rs resting a l ong its top edge, fo rea rms pa ra l l e l with the groun d.

Pay specia l a tte n tion that t h e tip of the mid d l e finger presses onto t h e first

joint of the thumb (Figure 82). Keeping the h a nds in positio n, chin tucked in,

pivot 180 d egrees o n the l eft l eg until facing in the opposite direction (Figure

83). Keep th e leg you a re pivoting on solid as possible, a n d l a n d firmly as you

finish your turn. You d o n 't need to turn quickly, just with precision a n d sta ­

bility. At this point, you should be d eep within a se nse of cla rity a n d ca lm, so

this should not be very difficult to accomplish.

We a re at last prepa red to gently a bsorb the hea ling Qi of t he sun into

our bodies. The crystal has been clea nsed, and now it is time to cha rge it with

power. As soo n as you h ave pivoted a roun d, stretch your n eck out a n d down,

chin to the ch est, exposing t h e back of the n eck to the sun. Take in the Qi of

Chrysali s • 193
 FIGURE 81

the su n (or simply u n iversa l Qi) throu g h the po i nt a t the center of t h e h i g h ­

est bon e on the rid g e o f t h e spi n e (Fi g u re 84). Al l t h e p u r i f ication, a l l the

emptying, a l l the me nta l and physica l effo rt h ave l ed to th is. You a re a per­

fect vessel rea dy to rece ive the sun i nto you rse l f. Cont i n u e a bsorb i n g the Qi

u ntil you feel it shoot from the n eck to the s h o u l d e rs and from t h e re to the

brain (Fig ure 85). Th is shou l d take approximately t h i rty seconds to o n e

minute. Ag a i n , the 9 Pa l aces is mea n t to energize t h e body, s o proceed i n g at

a steady pace wit h o u t l osin g you rself in t h e m i d d l e of a ny o n e pa rticu l a r

moveme nt wil l bring maxim u m fo rce t o yo u r practice. Heave n i s g iv i n g back

to you n ow what you had l ost befo re. Let it come to yo u quickly, in a b u rst

of e n e rgy a n d awaren ess.

After you fee l the su n 's fire fi l li n g th ese po i nts, stra i g hten you r n eck a n d

pivot a g ain on t h e l eft l e g u n til back i n t h e ori gin a l position (Fig u re 86).

194 •
Oi Gong for Total Wellness
FIGURE 82

"
.:....
� +- ��,J,

FIGURE 83

FIGURE 84

Chrysalis •
195
 Whe n pivotin g , n eve r m ove the l eft leg.

Try to keep it as sta ble and firm ly rooted

as possi b l e. Til t yo u r hea d a l l the way

back, exposin g the throat to the s u n .

Abso rb O i th ro u gh the point a t t h e ce n ­

t e r of the throat opposite the poin t just

used at the back of the n eck (Fig u re 87).

Com m u n e with a n d receive the su n into

yo u rse lf. Co n tin u e a bsorbing Oi u ntil it

fl ows from the throat a l l the way down

to the lower dan tian and shoots back

up a n d o u t a g ain. This ho l l ow pathway

sta rting fro m the throat point is the

roa d a l o n g which we co m m u n icate with

FIGURE 85
the u nive rse. Again , spe n d thi rty sec­

onds to o n e minute. The u niverse is

ready for you; it o n ly takes a m o m e n t to

m ake co ntact.

After the sensation of excha n g e

h a s passed , straighte n the hea d a g ain.

With fin g e rs stil l in sa m e fistlike posi­

tio n , bring the right ha n d up to lightly

to uch the left sho u l d er, tu rning the fist

over in the process. Co n tin uing the

m ovement, exten d the a r m up a n d o u t

fo rwa rd fro m t h e hea d , g ently ope ning

the h a n d , pa l m facing o u t. Repeat this

sa l u te to the su n with t h e left a r m

(Fig u re 88).
Now t h a t t h e a rms a re o utstretched
.... up fo rwa rd from the hea d , gently flow

into the next motio n. Al l ow the h a n d s

to effo rtlessly d escribe a sm a l l ro u n ded

FIGURE 86 circle a n d as i f t h is circ l e has beco m e a

196 •
Oi Gong fOT Total Wellness
 FIGURE 8 7

ba l l of e n ergy, l ift t h e cupped h a nds h o l d i n g it u p over t h e h e a d , as if pre­

senti n g a consecrated vessel to the sun. �l Iow e n e rgy fro m the s u n to fl ow

into you r pa l ms.

With both a rms exte n d ed towa rd t h e su n , cupped h a n d s feeling the Qi

strea m i n g i n , a n n o u nce: "I am the son/d a u g hter of the su n . I am receivi n g

You r u n l i m ited power. He lp m e to overcom e a l l d ifficu l t i es a n d obstacl es,"

You ca n say t h i s a l o u d or s i l ently to you rsel f, but either way, bri n g a fee l ing

of si ncerity, g ratitude, a nd confid ence to t h i s statement. It is i nterest i n g to

n ote that you com e to the s u n not as a supp l ica n t m a k i n g obeisa nce to a god,

b u t as a ch i l d ven e ra t i n g the pa rent w h o has g iven him o r h e r l ife. You a re

at once payi n g tri b u te to the sou rce of you r suste n a nce a n d procla i m i n g as

yo u r bi rth right its i nfin ite e n e rgy.

Chrysalis • 197
 F1GURE 88

S l i ghtly sepa rate your cupped ha n ds, a l l o w i n g them t o open n a tura l ly.

Press the thumbs into the center of the pa l ms, the n, o n e by one, cove r the

thumb with the fingers, sta rting wi th the forefi nger, e n d i n g in a fist (Figure

89). We are prepa ring fo r the ultima te a bso rption a n d re l ease of so l a r a n d

unive rsa l Oi.

Cle nch your teeth so l i d ly, tighten the a n us up towa rd the body, and dig

the toes of both feet fi rmly i n to the ground. Pul l down the a rms, with the

fists facing the body, whi l e be n d i ng at the kn ees, chi n tucked i n. Whi l e you

use muscu l a r fo rce to tighte n the body i nto this squat, use your m i n d to

d i rect a n d concentrate a l l your Oi plus the Oi that you have co l l ected i n to

the lower dan tian (Figure 90).

198 •
Oi Gong for Total Wel l ne s s
 \ j

FIGURE 90

Rotate you r fists at t h e wrist to face o utward , t he n i m m e d i ately thrust

your arms a n d w h o l e body upward, h a nds ope n i n g , arms co m i n g back up a n d

out, rel easi n g th e Q i with a l arge "HAl" (Fi g ure 91). Expel t he b reath i nside of

you with t h i s sou n d a n d fee l a l l the power you h ave accu m u l ated b u rst i n g

outward thro u g h every pore. The a n us, which w a s c l e nched w h e n yo u pu l l ed

i n , u n l ocks, a l l ow i n g even m ore e n ergy to sh oot up thro u g h t h e center of t he

body. Ho l d y o ur arms up a n d out, f i n g ers forward, u n t i l n ew sensations arrive

in the fi n gertips. As in the sym bol of the 9 Palaces, you h a ve u sed the Five

Eleme n ts a n d each of the org a n s, fro m liver to h eart, to b urst thro u g h joy­

fu l ly to your Ori g i n a l Self.

Chry salis • 199

 FIG U R E 9 1

With the r i g h t h a nd, b r i n g the a rm d own to touch t h e l eft sho u l d e r,

h a n d ope n , pa l m down. Draw t h e h a n d to the r i g h t shou l d e r across t h e co l ­

l a rbone, the n ru n yo u r pa l m d own t h e r i g h t s i d e o f the chest, l i ghtly touch­

ing the body at a l l t i m es to e n d in a h a l f-tria n g l e at the lower dan tian, the

thu m b a t the navel. Repeat with the l eft h a nd, co mplet i n g the tri a n g l e a t the

lower dan tian, th u m bs meet i n g i n the nave l . Yo u h ave cl osed the sa l u te a n d

formed a squa re, sol i d sea l o n you r body t o col l ect t h e e n e rgy you h ave j u st

bathed i n (Fi g u re 92).

With h a nds i n a tri a n g l e on the l ower dan tian, gently br i n g t h e l eft. l e g
togeth er w i t h the r i g h t, bend the K nees sl i g htly a n d bow you r head (Fi g u re

93). Th is closi n g postu re a l l ows a l l the Qi g e nerated to sett l e easi ly with i n the

200 •
Oi Gon g for Total Wellnes s
 F I G URE 92 F I G URE 9 3 F I G URE 94

body, as wel l a s g ivi n g a m o m e n t fo r contempl ation (Fi g u re 94). Feel the Oi

rising up fro m t h e l ower dan tian i n to the hea rt. After a sma l l pa use,
stra i g hten up a n d sto re a l l the accu m u l ated Oi i n the l ower dan tian.
Drop yo u r h a n ds, step out, a n d qu ickly ret u rn yo u r consciousn ess to a

norm a l sta te of awa ren ess. Snapping o u t of the d eep med itation of the fo rm

qu ickly helps g ro u n d yo u r n ew e n e rgy. As a stu d e n t and patient of Dr. Wu , I

wo u l d often be su rprised at h ow, a fter a ve ry deep treat m e n t, h e wou l d clap

h is h a n ds and h ave me practica l ly j u m p off the treatment ta b l e. Over tim e ,

it beca m e appa re nt that th is w a s the best poss i b l e tra i n in g fo r teach i n g the

body to a bsorb l a rg e qu a n tities of Qi with o u t fee l ing sleepy o r spaced-out

a fte rwa rd. Yo u wi l l use you r n ewfo u n d force m ost efficiently and fo r g reat­

est vita l ity if you ca n qu ickly retu rn to a re l a xed b u t present sense of

Chrysalis • 201
se lf after yo u r practice. Di rect yo u rse lf with yo u r m i n d, a n d yo u r body wi l l

fo l l ow.

You h ave now compl eted t h e 9 Pa l a ces So l a r Oi G o n g, as i t h a s been

practiced fo r g enerations. Just as you have opened you rself o u twa rd to u n i te

as o n e voice with Heave n a n d Ea rth, yo u have j o i ned the ra n ks of stu d e n ts

a n d sch o l a rs who h ave so u g ht knowl edge a n d i nsi g h t from with i n .

The 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong is a symph o n y o f b reath a n d l i g ht, o f sensa t i o n

a n d e m otion. I t is o rg a n ized with i n tel l i g ence, l i ke the m ove m e n ts of a

cosm ic concerto. It l eads you step by step on a profo u nd jo u rn ey, a n d yet at

t h e sa m e ti m e you a re t h e co n d u ctor. You d eci d e t h e to n e with wh ich i t is

pl ayed, d eep i n t h e core of t h e body's m icrocosm o r expa n d i n g o u t to the

macrocosm of the u n ive rse. Exper i e nce i ts va rious moods. Use you r h e a rt a n d

m i n d t o i nterpret i ts sweepi n g g ra n d e u r a n d its q u i et reveri es, its si l e nces a n d

i ts t h u n d e r. With practice, yo u touch t h e l a rg est a n d sma l l est reaches o f t h e

i nf i n i te.

202 •
Qi Gong for Total Wel l ness
 N N E

T h e B u t t e r fl y E m e r g e s

AS A Y O U NG m a n , Co n fu c i u s travel e d fro m a fa r to ask La o Zi a q u estio n .

I n stead o f a nswe r i n g , t h e g reat sag e t o o k th ree steps fo rwa rd , p a used to

g ave h i s peti t i o n e r a p e n etra t i n g look, t h e n took th ree steps back a n d sat

d o w n . After th is, h i s a u d i e n ce was over a n d Co n fu c i u s was sent on h is way.

O n ly after wa l ki n g a l o n g t h e verd a nt m o u n ta i n tra i l fo r so m e t i m e d i d the

mea n i n g of th is tea ch i n g fi n a l ly dawn on him. H e h a d co m e a l l th is way to

fi n d a n a nswer to h i s b l a z i n g d i l e m m a , b u t he n eed n 't have m a d e the exer­

t i o n . I nstead of a j o u rney of h u n d reds of m i l es, to m a ke his decis i o n , a l l he

needed were t h ree steps fo rwa rd a n d th ree ste ps ba ck. I t was the pe rfect b a l ­

a n ce o f wei a n d wu wei, a ct i o n a n d n on a cti o n . A peri l o u s j o u rney co u l d h ave

been avo i d e d , if he h a d o n ly known to ta ke th ree ste ps fo rwa rd to exa m i n e

h i s situation cl ose ly, then t h ree steps back fro m i t t o g ive h i mse l f t h e space

fo r an obj ective ove rvi ew. N ext time you have an i m po rta nt decision to m a ke,

try this exercise. Sta nd up and l itera l ly wa l k fo rwa rd th ree steps. Loo k cl ose.

Th e n take th ree steps back, l etti n g g o of yo u r o p i n i o n s with each ste p. W h e n

yo u a re w a l k i n g ba ckwa rd , yo u r m i n d doesn't have the t i m e t o concen trate

so l e ly o n the c h ro n i c i nte r n a l m o n o l o g u e. Yo u r body has to pay a tte n t i o n to

the si m p l e act of wa l ki n g . W h e n you a re d o n e , you w i l l h ave b a l a n ced yo u r­

self w e l l e n o u g h fo r the m o m e n t to fi nd a clea r- h ea d ed so l ut i o n to yo u r

pro b l e m . Th i s i s cl assic Tao ist behavior. B y co m b i n i n g the m e n ta l , e m oti o n a l ,

a n d p h ysica l i n o n e easy a n d e l e g a n t g estu re, y o u c h a n g e yo u r a tta c h m en ts

a n d o p i n i ons. Al ways see k the broad perspective. Ch oose you r acti ons q u i ckly

a n d d ecisively. When you h ave m o re objectivity, you w i l l have fewer p ro b l ems

as wel l . I f yo u d o n 't wish too h i g h , you w o n 't fa l l too far.

After rea d i n g th ro u g h t h i s book. you m i g ht sti l l be aski n g you rse l f. Why

practi ce Oi G o n g ? After a l l of this i nfo rmati o n and this long l ist of exercises,

w h a t am I rea l ly a cco m p l ish i n g ? If ta k i n g th ree steps fo rwa rd a n d t h ree steps

back were a l l it took to c l e a r the m i n d a n d g a i n a h i g h e r perspective, then

what is the p u rpose of a l l t h i s co m p l exity? Very often in the West. t h e re is a

certa i n d i chotomy between the effort that is taken to rea c h a new u nd e r­

sta n d i n g a n d the q u a l ity of that u n d e rsta n d i n g . Reve l a t i o n , fl ashes of i nsig ht,

s u d d e n states of n i rva n a that co m e in a p u re, a l l-consu m i n g lea p of co n­

sciousn ess a re j u dged m o re a ut h e ntic, as they come see m i n g ly u nto u c h ed by

the str u g g l es of the ego. Someh ow, a c h i evi n g a c l ea r, e m pty l u c i d ity see ms

a n tith etica l to a n y force used to ach ieve it. How is spend i n g an h o u r every

day g o i n g thro u g h the va r i o u s o pe rations of 9 Pa l a ces Oi G o n g a n y better

tha n the l a bors of a med i eva l a lc h e m ist toi l i n g in his l a b o ratory? The Ta oist

reco g n izes t h a t w h i le a sudden rea l ization ca n be m ost easi ly reached

th ro u g h s i m p l i ci ty, reta i n i n g that a w a re n ess a n d m ovi n g fo rwa rd i n o n e 's l i fe

with it is a nother matte r e n t i rely.

204 •
Qi Gong for Total Wellness
 I t's q u ite co m m o n fo r peo p l e to exper i e n ce i n tense se nsations of heat,

v i b rati o n , o r l ig htn ess d u ri n g their Qi Gong p ra ctice ; see fl ashes of l i g ht,

col o r, g eo m etric patterns, o r visu a l i m a g e ry ; o r even h ea r so u n d s o r vo ices.

However, these expe r i e n ces a re not n ecessa r i l y p roof that yo u a re pract i c i n g

effective ly. Fo r exa m p l e , o n e stu d e n t told D r. Wu that d u ri n g the eye/l iver

exercise she wou l d ofte n see m a ny co l o rs a l l at o n ce, eve n t h o u g h she was

tryi ng to see o n ly g reen . D r. W u 's a nswer to her was to re m e m be r that the

body is a c h e m i ca l fa cto ry. Kee p the m i n d c l ea r when releasi n g toxins.

Diffe rent-co l o red Qi comes o u t with d iffe rent moods. Wh ite is h a p p i n ess,

rel a ted to the hea rt. Pu rple is fea r, re l a ted to the k i d n eys. M u ddy, i n d eterm i ­

na te colors re late t o a n a n g ry l ive r. The Ta oists ca l l the world of emotions the

"Co l o rfu l Wo rld." W h e n you see a l ot of col o rs as you p ra ctice, you a re a ve ry

emoti o n a l perso n , or perha ps s i m ply too s m a rt fo r yo u r own g ood fo r

d w e l l i n g on the co l o rs i nstead of on the p u rpose of yo u r med itati o n . I n the

eye/l iver p ractice, g reen p rotects the eyes a n d s h r i n ks the l iver back to its

orig i n a l size. Wh oeve r su cceeds in see i n g g reen w h i l e pract i c i n g th is exercise

a cco m p l ishes th is d u e to his o r her s i n cerity, co n centra t i o n , and attu n e m e n t

t o the body's cues, n ot d u e to i nte l l ect o r "sma rts."

Conversely, so me peo p l e m i g h t say, "When I meditate, I t u n e o u t eve ry­

th i n g . I ' m not i nvolved with t h i s 'co l o rfu l world: My m i n d is a b la n k slate. I ' m

i nto myse lf, very ca l m a n d h e l d i n ." D r. W u wou l d say i n that case, you m i g h t

as w e l l ta ke yo u r clothes off, g o t o bed, a n d h ave a n i ce n a p i n stea d. Yo u w i l l

certa i n ly b e ca l m a n d q u iet w h e n y o u a re fast asleep. To m a ke p rog ress i n

yo u r tra i n i n g , there a re a l ways d efi n ite menta l p rocesses you need t o perfo rm

as you m e d i ta te. When yo u m e d i ta te, yo u r b ra i n m ust work with yo u r body

as an active p a rtner. Yo u ca n n ot si m p ly zone off, tu n e o u t, o r g o to sleep. As

you l ook back t h ro u g h the 9 Pa l a ces p ra ctice, you w i l l see that eve n d u ri n g

t h e m ost basic sta n d i n g postu re, y o u a re a l ways b ri n g i n g a m e n ta l i ma g e o r

d i rected emotio n a l state i nto p l ay. This w i l l positively a u g m e n t the q u a l ity o f

you r pra ctice a n d a i d you r cu ltiva t i o n .

I n fa ct, cultivation is the key word h e re. W h a t the Ta oists rea l ized a b o u t

spiritu a l work w a s that eve n w h i l e you m ust j o u rney deep beyo n d yo u r m i n d

a n d e m otions t o expe r i e n ce a h e i g htened pe rce pti o n o f t h e world o u tside,

t h i s "co l o rfu l w o r l d " was not a n e n d in itse lf. You have to work consistently

Th e B u t t e r fl y E m erges • 205
 w i t h the fa b r i c of the m i n d a n d emotions

to refi n e it, i n order to e l evate it to a state

of g en u i n e com m u n ication with the u n i ­

verse. Practic i n g O i G o n g is l i ke b u i l d i n g a

pyra m i d fro m the base u p . With each

day's practice you a re layi n g t h e b u i l d i n g

b l ocks s o that w h e n yo u g et t o t h a t p o i n t

w h e re sti l l ness a n d cla rity occ u r, you r

e n l i g h te n m e n t i s tota l , perma nent, co n ­

ti n u o us. E n l i g hten m ent is n o m e re p h i lo-

so p h i ca l m eta p h o r. T h e Dragon G a te

C l a ssic texts rel a te how a fu l l yea r's d a i ly p ract i ce of the 9 Pa l a ces w i l l reve a l

the co m p l ete mea n i n g o f the I Ching t o t h e s i n ce re stu d e nt. M a ny o f D r. W u 's

stu d e nts h ave expe rienced a h e i g h tened, viscera l awa ren ess of the i nterplay

of Yi n and Ya ng e n e rgy in th e i r d a i ly envi ro n m ent, a n u nd e rsta n d i n g of h o w

th ese co m b i nations p rod uce the stuff of rea l ity a n d the clea r l i g ht of the u n i ­

ve rse that l i es be h i n d t h e i r perm u tations. M a ke no m ista ke a bo u t i t : Oi G o n g

l e a d s to a new w a y o f see i n g , a new l ife t o l e a d .

RE N Yl T1AN D l

SO W HA T , THE N , i s Oi G o n g ? I s Oi G o n g a rel i g io n ? A p h i l osophy? A

p hysica l workout? A menta l exercise? An occ u l t ritu a l ? I n fact, Oi G o n g is a ny

a n d a l l of th ese. O u r l ives sta n d i n th e m idst of the Th ree G e n e rations- past,

p resent a n d futu re-a n d the Six Relationsh i ps. Be h a p py w i t h w h a t you h ave ;

it's a l l prec i o u s. We p ra ctice Oi G o n g to b r i n g u p o u r l eve l so we ca n m o re

fu l ly a p p reciate w h a t we h ave i n l ife a n d the n a t u re of l i fe itse l f. Eyes, n ose,

ea rs, u reth ra , a n us, a n d mouth : these n i n e o pe n i ngs co rrespond to the N i n e

Sta rs i n t h e sky. W e co m e fro m t h e h eavens. With i n t h e p a rticle, t h e cos m i c

seed of the u n iverse, there i s n o b i rt h , n o d e a t h . The M i l ky W a y is t h e si lve r

rive r t h a t ca rries us t h ro u g h .

La o Zi i s the o r i g i nator of 9 Pa l a ces Qi G o n g . H e ta u g h t the 9 Pa l a ces

206 0
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befo re he com posed the Tao Te Ching. I n fa ct, Li Er was h is a ctu a l , g ive n

n a m e . Lao Zi is a respectfu l term fo r "old perso n." Lao means "old" and zi is

an h o n o rific p a rti c i p l e , a sym bol of ra n k. Of the n u m bers one th ro u g h n i n e ,

n i n e is the h i g h est a n d the l a rgest. I t has zi. Zi is a co n cept t h a t encom passes

a g reat d ea l . You m ust be a m aste r to h ave Zi a d d ed to the e n d of yo u r na me.

"Ti a n Z i " is the H eave n l y Maste r, o r E m p e ro r. A beg g a r is "J i a Hua Zi." It's the

sa me fo r a beg g a r and an e m pe ro r. H e Sha is a m o n k and H u a n S h a is an

em peror o r p res i d ent. Gan S h a is a beg g a r b eg g i n g fo r foo d . Each of th ese

th ree l ives have the sa m e e n d i n g to t h e i r n a m es a n d l ives' wo rk. Are th e i r

fates s o d i fferent? The re is a cosm i c rotation we a re a l l a p a rt of. I n Ti bet, i n

each fa m i ly, o n e so n tra d itio n a l ly m ust beco me a m o n k, d e d i ca t i n g h is l ife to

spi ritu a l cu l tivati o n in order to h e l p the fa m i ly. The e m p e ro r's cu ltivation l ies

in the ded i cation a n d service he u n d e rta kes fo r the peo ple. The begga r's c u l ­

tivation d eve l o ps fo rg ett i n g a b o u t eve ryth i n g , re no u n c i n g mate r i a l needs

that hold m a ny others down. All th ese dest i n i es fo l l ow the path of c u l tiva ­

t i o n . An em pero r o f t h e M i n g dynasty w a s a dvised t o beco m e a beg g a r, to

h e a l the w o u n d s h i s ru l e rsh i p has created. He ca me out fro m the pa l a ce with

a golden bow l , going fro m d o o r to d o o r beg g i n g h i s b re a d , visit i n g a h u n d red

fa m i l ies from a l l l evels of soci ety. H is Ta oist advisors passed t h e i r i n s i g h t i nto

the e q u a l i ty of a l l p eo p l e to t h e i r ki n g a n d cou ntrymen a l i ke with t h i s act of

cu ltivat i o n . We a re a l l e q u a l i n the o p p o rtu n ities fo r cu ltivation we ca n find

i n our l ives.

This eq u iva l e n ce is fu n d a m e nta l to Lao Zi's 9 Pa l a ces theory. Eve n with i n

a g ra i n o f sa n d , t h e w h o l e world exists. Yi n a n d Ya ng a re j u st t h e back a n d

front o f t h e s u n . T h e h u m a n a n d t h e u n iversa l a re o n e , u n l i m ited , i nfi n ite. As

a part of th i s i nfi n ite a r ray, there is eq u a l ly no l i m it to o n e's own potenti a l

w h e n t h e t r u e sel f is known. Work h a rd a n d g o h i g h e r a n d h i g h e r. You don't

have to look fa r to see exa m p l es of peo p l e push i n g themselves o r bei n g

pushed beyo n d t h e i r l i m its, su cceed i n g a t fea ts n o one t h o u g h t they co u l d

ever acco m p l ish. You m u st b e l i eve. H eaven a n d h u ma n u n ited ca n be fou n d

fitted with i n a g ra i n o f sa n d , or expa nded t o fi l l t h e i m measu ra b l e space of

the u n iverse. D u r i n g practice, release you rself a n d l et go, then com e back i nto

you r i n n e rmost core. Push away as fa r as you ca n. Ta ke yo u r sickness a n d tro u -

The B u t terfl y E m erges • 207

b l es outside yo u r body, then retu rn with i n , cleansed a n d revita l ized with u n i ­

versa l e n e rgy. As sma l l a s a g ra i n o f sa n d . As b i g as t h e i nfi n ite.

Why 9 Pa l a ces Qi G o n g ? H u m a n a n d Ea rth a re o n e . Th e I Ching says t h a t

w i n d , h e a t , d a m p n ess, d ryness, a n d fi re a re a l l i l l n esses based o n exte rn a l ,

seaso n a l o r i g i ns. As t h e seasons fl u ctuate, s o d o each person's h e a l th a n d fo r­

tu n es res p o n d . H u m a n a n d Heaven a re o n e . The Ta o ists b e l i eve the n u m b e r

of sta rs i n the sky a n d the n u m ber o f peop l e w h o h ave eve r l ived a re o n e a n d

t h e sa me. Every person has h i s o r h e r own perso n a l sta r i n the h eave ns. B i rth

is the B i g D i p per, and death is the S m a l l D i p pe r. Half yo u r sou l is h e re, the

othe r half is i n the sky as a sta r. Life trave ls fro m East to West, fi n d i n g treas­

u re a n d o ppo rtu n i ty a l o n g the way. You r bei n g is i n ti m a tely co n n ected to t h i s

tota l ity.

The 9 Pa l a ces Qi G o n g h e l ps you to l i n k to you r oth e r h a l f a n d by exte n ­

s i o n , t o the rest o f t h e cosm os it i s pa rt of. O u r consciousness trave l s a path

m u c h g reater than the yea rs we spend h e re o n Ea rth. M a ny aspects of you r

fut u re path a re p redete r m i n ed i n the h eavens. We each have a p re - H eaven

dest i n a t i o n . Fi n d i n g it i s the cosm i c m issi o n of yo u r sou l . Life is n ever­

e n d i ng. The sym bol for the motion b ro u g h t forth from the b i rth of the u n i­

verse is the rig ht-fa c i n g swastika. La o-Zi sa i d everyt h i n g fo l lows th is c u rve,

t h is g e n e rative e n e rgy. Zha n g Sa n Fen g , the o r i g i n ator of Ta i C h i , e m b raced

th is sa m e theory as its fou n d a t i o n . Al l the g a l ax i es and everyth i n g conta i n e d

i nside them trave l on this s h a red cl ockwise cou rse. With i n the b reaths o f

"HA. " "HO, " a n d "HU, " you d iscover t h i s p r i m o rd i a l rhyt h m w i t h i n you r o w n

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body. After death, we trave l th ro u g h the Six Rea l m s to a rrive at o u r l i fe's

l ocatio n in the ka r m i c seq u e n ce. By ra isi n g you r awa ren ess, m a k i n g the effort

to expa n d you r con n ection to the p l a net, b ri n g i n g h a rm o n y a n d com m u n i­

catio n i nto you r l i fe w ith you r cu ltiva t i o n , you a re h ea l i n g yo u r past, e n h a nc­

ing yo u r p rese nt, and rea dyi n g you rself to play you r ro l e in this g ra n d

scheme.

Deities a re a l ways b e i n g a p p roached by peo p l e w h o req u est p rotect i o n .

T h e fact i s , you m ust g ive fi rst. T h e B u d d h a w o n 't h e l p u n l ess y o u se rve fi rst.

Practice Oi G o n g , eth i ca l l iv i n g , a n d g ood d eeds, pray, rea d sutras, a n d spread

the word. Then God w i l l h e l p. I t's l i ke sw i m m i n g . I f you want to m ove for­

wa rd , you m ust fi rst padd l e. A m a n ca m e to D r. Wu a n d sa i d he has w o rsh i ped

B u d d h a fo r t h i rty yea rs and has rece ived n ot h i n g - n o g u i d a n ce, n o fo rtu n e ,

n o e n l i g hten m e nt. D r. . Wu sa i d , "Th i s i s beca use y o u h ave d o n e n ot h i n g for

the B u d d h a . " A l l the b l essi ngs of H eaven a re waiti n g fo r you , wa iti n g for you

to reach forth to beco m e a p a rt of its h osts.

By p racti c i n g Oi G o n g , you h e l p oth e rs. Trees p rod uce oxyg e n . The Taoists

see the h u m a n body a lso as a tree. J u st as a tree g ives off oxyg e n to benefit

the e n v i ro n m e nt, we h e l p othe rs with o u r l i g ht-the s p i r i t u a l l i g ht of the

Yua n Yi n g , the i n n e r l ig h t of you r o r i g i n a l se lf. As the re l i c of the B u d d h a 's

fi n g e r l i t a d a rkened crypt with its s p i r i t u a l rad i a n ce, yo u r 9 Pa l a ces p ractice

tra i ns you r l ig h t to co me forth , e m a n a t i n g a fie l d of ca l m a n d ha rmony that

touches a l l you encou nter. You m ust fi rst b a l a nce you rself by p ra cti ci n g . This

is n o sm a l l task. The 9 Pa l a ces w i l l g u i d e you i n the right d i rectio n , each d ay's

p ractice a n other ste p p i n g -sto n e towa rd rea w a ke n i n g you r o r ig i n a l w h o le­

n ess. There is n o l i m i t to the l evel of truth and o n e n ess you ca n fi n d w i t h i n

you rse l f, n o fi n a l cei l i ng to you r cu l tivati o n .

Oi G o n g l i es i n a rea l m beyon d s i m p l e worsh i p o r p rayer. I t is d i rect co m ­

m u n ication with the u n ive rse. O n ce yo u a re l iv i n g as o n e with you r true sel f,

you w i l l reach others. Cont i n u e to p ra ctice Oi G o n g . On the w heel of a l l cre­

ation the beg i n n i ng poi nt is a lso its e n d p o i n t : tree, h u m a n , and d ra g o n .

W h e n y o u h ave o p e n e d yo u r M i n g M e n p o i n t, y o u w i l l rel ease you rself u p

i n to t h e u n iverse a n d be a b l e t o h e l p . N o l o n g e r m e rely a H u m a n Tree, you

h ave beco m e the D ra g o n Tree. M a l e and fem a l e com b i n ed , H u m a n a n d

U n iverse com b i n ed , the rig hteous e n e rgy o f you r s p i rit is set free. N o matter

The B utterfly E m e rges • 209

 how a l o n e i n the world you m i g ht fee l , you a re

m e rg i n g the best of yo u rself with eve ryth i n g a ro u n d

you . You m i g h t n ot eve r k n o w w h o y o u a re h e l p i n g .

W h e n y o u see a perso n , a n i m a l , o r p l a n t yo u a re

fo n d of, t h i s fee l i n g is the h u m a n a n d u n iverse com­

b i n e d . A c u l tivated p ra ctit i o n e r ca n eve n re l i eve

dead so u l s of t h e i r strug g l es a nd entra p m e nts with

h i s o r h e r l ove. Th is d evoti o n is ca l l ed the M e rcy of

the H e a rt. Th i s is m e rcy fro m heave n . W h a t so m e

m i g h t th i n k of as G o d 's l ove, we e a c h have i ns i d e

o u r b e i n g , w a i t i n g fo r re l ease a nd express i o n . Every

fru it bea rs a seed to co nti n u e itse lf, to g ive b i rt h to

a new tree. Th is is a lso the Oi G o n g way-th e path

of the H u m a n and D ra g o n Tree. Pract i ce m e rcy a n d

eth i cs to rep l a nt you r sou l , t o reseed t h e w o r l d with

the l ove w i t h i n you r h e a rt.

AM THE L O R D O F M Y l l F E

A c e 0 R D I NG TO T 1-1 E I Ching, h u m a n s a n d the u n iverse coexist together

as one. H oweve r, b l i n d ly a ccepti ng th is as fact is n o d i fferent tha n accept i n g

a ny o t h e r type of d o g m a . U n q u esti o n i ng fa ith of a n obscu re, i nte l l ect u a l p h i ­

losophy w a s neve r the i ntention o f the o r i g i n a l Ta o ist masters. Ta o ist Oi G o n g

h o l d s a u n iq u e p l a ce i n the h i story of rel i g i ou s a n d mystical t h o u g h t i n its

i n sisten ce u po n ach ieving a p hysi ca l awa re n ess of truths s u c h as t h e o n e n ess

of a l l t h i n g s. W h e n yo u p ra ctice Oi G o n g , i t's h e l p i n g you to com m u n e w i t h

the u n iverse, to fee l w i t h yo u r hea rt a n d sense w i t h yo u r b o d y w h a t n a t u re

is t ryi n g to te l l yo u . With yo u r 9 Pa l a ces tra i n i n g , yo u a re crea t i n g a p e rso n a l

re lationsh i p w i t h t h e u n ive rse. T h e sa l i e n t p o i n t t o re m e m b e r is t h a t as you

p ractice, you a re d eve l o p i n g yo u r n a t u ra l a b i l i ty to ta l k and com m u n icate

with the world a ro u n d you .

T h e fa ct that t h i s com m u n ication o p e rates o n t h e m ost si m p l e a n d p ra g ­

matic p hysica l l evel is p a rt of the p rofo u n d p o w e r of Oi G o n g . T h e I Ching

210 •
Oi Gong for Total Wel 1 ness
teaches us that as h u m a ns, we su cceed or fa i l as we a re w i l l i n g to a d a pt to

natu re's cues. Th is is n ot a q u estio n of bel i ef. For t h e m ost basic su rviva l , we

need to p hysi ca l ly a d a pt to spri n g , su m m e r, fa l l , a n d w i nter. If i t's freez i n g

o u tside, a re n 't you g o i n g t o p u t o n w a r m e r clothes? I f t h e crops a re not

p l a nted at the right time of yea r, peo p l e w i l l g o h u n g ry. Yo u r ventu res w i l l

have g reater success if you t i m e them accord i n g t o seaso n a l d e m a n d a n d

su p ply. A doctor w i l l b e w ise t o stock u p o n col d rem ed i es befo re fl u season

is in fu l l sw i n g . A fish e rm a n w i l l m a ke su re his boat is in o rd e r befo re the l a ke

thaws.

Oi G o n g ta kes t h i s awa ren ess to the n ext l eve l . Yo u may be g o i n g with

the fl ow i n yo u r l i fe, but as new situations a rise, how d o yo u respond to

t h e m ? How d o yo u recog n i ze the o p p o rtu n ities that lie with i n the c h a n g es

as they come? How do yo u sense t h e i r a rriva l w i t h e n o u g h t i m e to set a n ew

cou rse? There is i nfo rmati o n try i n g to come to you fro m a l l a ro u n d . Do you

kn ow how to see th ese si g n posts as they a ppear? Eve n as the a n cie nts cod i ­

fied t h e teach i n gs o f t h e I Ching t o a i d i n t h i s knowledge, u l ti mately they

knew that it is o u r own sensa t i o n of a nd perso n a l response to the u n iverse

that i s the u lti m a te determ i n i n g facto r in m a ki n g the best c h o i ces for o u r

l ives. la o Zi's u lti mate m essa g e with i n t h e Tao Te Ching is, " I a m t h e l o rd of

my l i fe, It's not up to the h eave ns to decide." I am my own l o rd r i g h t h e re

w h e re I sta n d . I decide my own dest i n y r i g h t now as I ta ke a cti o n : a very fi n e

word i ng of a w i se p h i loso p h y fo r us a l l .

W e have t o p ract i ce Oi G o n g s o that we ca n c h a n g e o u r o w n fate,

c h a n g e o u r own l i fe. Oi G o n g fo rms a powerfu l b r i d g e between h e i g htened

self-awa re n ess and fu l l e r u nd e rsta n d i n g of the forces a t work u po n o n e's l ife.

Th e re i s a tra d i t i o n a l Ch i n ese sayi n g : "At age t h i rty, we fi rst sta n d up o n o u r

o w n two feet. A t forty, o n e l e a r n s t o l i sten t o o n e's o w n cou nsel , n o l o n g e r

i nfl u e n ced b y o utsi d e o p i n i o n . A t fi fty, we fi n a l ly beg i n to u nd e rsta n d w h a t

o u r t r u e p u rpose i n t h i s l i fe i s . " Oi G o n g practi ce speeds u p th is d eve l o p me nt,

a i d i ng yo u to cut th ro u g h the obstac l es that sta n d in the way of se lf­

knowledge a n d g rowth. U se Oi G o n g to ga i n m a ste ry over yo u r l ife. As you r

u n d e rsta nd i n g o f the worki n g s o f you r body a n d m i n d a n d yo u r responsive­

ness to the m essa ges fo u n d a ro u n d yo u in the o u ts i d e world i n crease, yo u

ca n be assu red that you w i l l have m a ny o p po rtu n ities to do good fo r yo u r-

The B u tterfl y E m erg e s • 21 1

se lf a n d a l l th ose a ro u n d yo u . They wi l l co m e natu ra l ly to you as you p rotect

a n d i m p rove the natu ra l h a r m o ny between you r i n n e r se l f a n d the o u te r

world. Yo u w i l l be i n a n i d ea l position to u n d e rsta n d a n d ben efit fro m the

m essag es that natu re gen e rously b r i n gs to us a l l .

Serious O i G o n g p ractice w i l l c h a n g e you . I t w i l l c h a n g e yo u r o u t l o o k o n

l ife. There's n o set resu lt, however. A s y o u b r i n g yo u r own perso n a l fee l i ngs

and perspectives to yo u r p ra ctice, you w i l l b e n efit in yo u r own i n d ivid u a l

way. I t i s se l f- reg u l a t i n g , b ri n g i n g yo u t h e p a rticu l a r ba l a n ce a n d h a rm o n y

that y o u need. Yo u learn how to read the messa ges i n the world a ro u n d yo u

that a re m e a n t j u st for you a n d how to trust the truth of you r i n n e r vo i ce

w h e n it spea ks to you . Ta l k i n g w i t h stu d e n ts of 9 Pa l a ces Oi G o n g ove r t h e

yea rs, I fou n d it i n te rest i n g t o n ote h o w w i d e a ra n g e of va ried yet i n te rre­

l ated , positive res u l ts ca n occu r, even i n peo p l e with w i d e ly d i ffe r i n g back­

g ro u nds and experiences. Besides i m provements i n their health, m a ny reported

new ways of see i n g peo p l e a n d eve nts a n d so me had u n us u a l eve nts h a p p e n

that co u l d not be si m ply exp l a i n e d .

"My outlook on life has changed, gravitating to ward things that

1'1/ benefit from to improve my health and keep my body energized
and clean-including people, food, environmen ts, just a natural
gravitation. It's almost like the body con tinues to reach a cleaner
state of health and naturally starts to poin t north-like a
compass. "

"I don 't do any fast-moving rigorous exercises anymore, yet if I

wan ted to run five miles I know I could. My lung capacity and
muscle endurance is more than equipped to handle the chal­
lenges. I'm able to walk long distances without fatigue. I guess
the odd thing is that it happens subconsciously. If you only stick
to a physical regimen, it's always a challenge. Your body feels
the pain, but the truth is by practicing Oi Gong and getting Oi
and oxygen into special places in the body that are opened by
the movemen ts, I've become ligh ter and buoyant, needing less
muscular strength, at the same time preserving my physical

212 •
Qi Gon g for Total Wellness
body. For my age, I though t I was in pretty good shape, but my
body was polluted. Years of smoking, drinking-you don 't realize
how far you have floated away from truly being healthy un til
you start back. "

"Or. Wu can tell the issues the studen ts in his classes have and
he incorporates it into his lesson. Sa when he men tioned how
the ear-flicking balances your blood pressure, I felt like he was
thinking of me. Before learning 9 Palaces, I was on Chinese herbs
for my high blood pressure, but he taught that if you flick your
ears at least nine times in the morning or any time this would
also balance the blood pressure. So I tried it and it really works.
I no ticed my blood pressure drop within thirty minutes. My
pressure had been up because of problems at work, but I find
that 9 Palaces Oi Gong is more beneficial even than the Chinese
herbs. I feel wonderful. I'm very active and my blood pressure is
under con trol. If it hadn 't been for Oi Gong and Chinese herbal
medicine, I would have had to be on Western drugs for the rest
of my life. "

"I'm more flexible, more energetic. I'm not a young person, but
if you put me next to a teenager or a young person, I'm not
bragging, but I can walk as fast as that teenager. I work for a
very busy office and you have to run around for nine hours a
day. The Oi Gong gives me that energy to get me through the
day. Some young people in the office have a hard time keeping
up with me. "

"In ternally, you become very sensitive and are able to feel what
your body really wants and what it doesn 't wan t. When some­
thing as simple as drinking a soda gives you a warning, it's pretty
interesting. Your body definitely senses it, wants to reject it.
Sometimes I drink mineral water and my body starts to tingle. I
can feel it running into my veins and through my blood. My

The B utterfly E merges • 213

brain feels like it can receive the signals of what's good and not
good for me. "

"Oi Gong enables me to kno w what's going on with the environ­

men t and people. It can be something as simple as being able to
pick up on somebody's feelings, which you migh t not usually
notice, if they're hiding it. On an in ternal level, you might see
them in a dream and it will reveal exactly what they need, or
need you to do to rebalance them. "

"One night I was driving home from work about 1 :00 A.M. As I
was driving, in my mind's eye, I saw a car acciden t. I con tinued
to drive (or approximately another mile and as I en tered the
freeway on ramp, all the traffic was backed up and there was an
accident on the freeway. It happens when it needs to. It's not
necessarily everything that's going on-just things that you
could make a difference with will be revealed.

Many times when these things are revealed, al/ it takes is a sim­
ple phone call and you can make a difference in someone's life
by understanding someone's situation from an in trospective per­
spective. Just as you can help someone else, practicing Oi Gong
helps open up the channels in order to receive your own guid­
ance and help from spiritual guides and family members. "

"I had a new boss choose me to be her new employee. When I

was in the office about a month and a half after being employed
by her, a voice told me she's going to get another secretary. I
didn 't believe it. But it was without fail, she got a promotion and
she couldn 't rest un til she told me that she was hiring a new
secretary for herself. It warned me about a mon th and a half
before. Sometimes I've had warnings two and three months
ahead. "

214 •
Qi Gong for Total Wel l ness
 "One day I was practicing and I saw my classmate walk across
the grass, like a flash in my third eye, but there was no way that
he could have been in that place at that time. "

"The very first class I ever took with Dr. Wu, he taught us this
one exercise to do at dawn, as a greeting to the new day. I got
up at da wn and did it and wen t back to sleep. Later that morn­
ing, as I was talking on the phone, I looked over at this vase of
completely dead, dried-up cut flowers that I just had been lazy
and hadn 't thrown out and they were all back in bloom! I
remember getting off the phone and walking around the vase
being amazed, but I was very young at the time and just sort of
shrugged it off, thinking, 'It must just be the good Oi: I'm not
sure that something like that could ever happen to me again,
but it really sho wed me the power of Oi and I've been a serious
studen t ever since. "

Qi G o n g is w h a t you m a ke of it. It is a perso n a l too l fo r you r own i n d i ­

vi d u a l se l f-d iscovery. I f y o u a re n o t i n c l i ned t o a p p roach you r p ra ctice from

a rel i g i o u s or mystica l bent, you a re not somehow d isrespecti n g its power.

This is what la o Zi was tryi n g to get across by stati n g that each person is the

a rc h i tect of h i s o r h e r fate. I t's for you to d eci d e how you wou l d l i ke to m a ke

Qi G o n g a pa rt of you r l i fe. It is not i n he re n tly negative or l ess n o b l e to p rac­

tice strictly fo r hea lth o r g ood fo rtu ne. The fa ct is, i f you p ra ctice Qi G o n g ,

over t i m e y o u w i l l d ra matica l ly red u ce yo u r cha n ces of getti n g sick. Sickness

won't co m e to yo u , beca use w h e n you p ra ctice Qi G o n g , yo u stre n gthen the

vu l n e ra b i l ities of you r body. The sick Qi is b locked fro m co m i n g to you .

M isfo rt u n e w i l l n ot co m e t o you beca u se you h ave stre n g t h e n ed t h e vu l n er­

a b i l ities of you r m i n d . The b a d - l uck Qi w i l l n ot co m e to yo u . Th ey ca n 't get

near yo u. Who is to j u d g e that by ta k i n g steps to safeg u a rd yo u r hea lth a n d

m e n ta l we l l -be i n g , you have n o t d o n e e n o u g h fo r t h e worl d ? Who's t o say

that crea t i n g a sol id fou nd a t i o n of hea lth a n d h a p p i n ess w o n 't m a ke you a

m o re effective person i n a l l a reas of you r l i fe? O n ly you ca n decide. " I a m the

l o rd of my l i fe," Based o n this fact, la o Zi d eve l o ped the o r i g i n a l 9 Pa l a ces

The B u tter fl y E merges • 215

M i crocosm i c Orbit p ra ctice to p roc l a i m a n d e n h a nce t h i s a w a re n ess w i t h i n

o u rse lves. The m essa ges o f Heaven a re there for you to rea d .

Beyo n d m a teria l suste n a n ce, t h e re is a n other, d e e p e r i m p u lse, yea rn i n g

fo r fu l fi l l m e nt, that resides with i n each l iv i n g b e i n g . Especia l ly a s t h e m o d ­

ern w o r l d h a s created s o m a ny new c h a l l e n ges a n d d islocations to ove rcome,

we l a bor to hold on to our i n d ivi d u a l i ty, o u r d esi re to m a ke a d i ffe re n ce. I n

s i m p l e r t i m es, i t was easi e r to know w h a t o u r ro les were a n d w h a t contri b u ­

t i o n we cou l d m a ke t o o u r soci ety a n d o u r bel ief system. Now we str ug g l e to

m a ke a m ea n i ngfu l m a r k on o u r world at every t u r n . Th is isn 't s i m p ly a q u es­

t i o n of egotism o r the d esi re fo r power a n d fa me. As senti e n t b e i n gs, each of

us has a p rofo u n d u rge to create, to g ive fo rth , to sing of what l i es i ns i d e l i ke

a b i rd on the w i ng . This is the l i fe force. I ts stre n g t h wel l s fo rth fro m d e e p

w i th i n . W e m i g h t ca l l it creativity, i ntel l i g e n ce, s p i r i tu a l i ty, wisd o m . I t is

u n i q u e to each i n d ivid u a l . Th e re a re co u n tless ways to p resen t o n e's specia l

g i ft to the world. O n e perso n m i g h t be a d a n ce r, a n a rtist, a lover, a p h i l a n ­

t h ro p ist, a h e a l e r, a mystic, a p a rent, a tea cher. T h e story o f t h e se l f l ies d o r­

m a n t i n no one. Whateve r exp ression yo u use, know that yo u a re g ivi n g voice

to so meth i n g m ea n i n g fu l with i n yo u that a lso h o l d s g reat m ea n i n g fo r the

g reater good.

Our i n d ivid u a l ity is o u r g l o rification of the d ive rsity of l ife. Our perso n a l

com m u n i cation with the u n iverse is a h o l y offeri n g to t h i s m U l t i p l i city. As

l o rd of yo u r own l i fe, yo u a re not o n ly p reservi n g yo u r o r i g i n a l a b i l i t i es, you

a re n a t u ra l ly exte n d i n g a g reat g i ft to the rest of h u m a n ity a n d to the sou rce

of a l l creat i o n . M a ke no m ista ke a b o u t i t : the sea rch fo r self- k n o w l e d g e is a

spi ritu a l sea rch . It ste ms fro m the desi re to s h a re, to co ntrib ute, to co m m u ­

n i cate m o re effective ly with t h e world. The Ta o ists u n d e rstood that a ut h e n ­

ticity a n d perso n a l i n tegrity a re p a ra m o u n t t o beco m i n g a tru ly rea l ized

h u m a n b e i n g , and that a rea l ized h u m a n has the g reatest a b i l ity to foste r

positive c h a n g e i n the u n iverse.

N ever fea r that yo u r o pportu n ity to express the spiritu a l u rg e i ns i d e you

has been b l ocked, po l l u te d , l ost to u c h with. Oi G o n g w i l l n o u rish yo u . You r

c u l tivation w i l l b r i n g the spi ritu a l e n e rgy fro m with i n yo u rse l f i nto eve ry­

t h i n g yo u do. W h a t is the true n a t u re of Oi G o n g ? W h a t is its true p u rpose?

H e re, fi n a l ly, is o u r a nswer. Oi Gong is persona l exp ress i o n . Use Oi G o n g to

216 •
Qi Gong fo r Total Wel l ness
fi n d you r i n n e r vo ice. Let yo u r 9 Pa l a ces practice be yo u r so n g , yo u r da nce,

you r prayer. When you co m p l ete the m a ny sta ges of 9 Pa l a ces Oi G o n g , you

have used every n e rve, m uscl e , and org a n in you r body in service to yo u r

h e a l th a n d w e l l - b e i n g , a s wel l a s t h e h e a l t h a n d wel l - b e i n g o f t h e u n iverse.

Yo u r practice is yo u r m essa g e of l ove to the u n iverse. Yo u r tra i n i n g is yo u r

path towa rd eve r-new l eve ls o f perso n a l , creative, a n d s p i r i tu a l exp ression.

Step by ste p, exercise by exercise, yo u have p u t yo u r feet to t h i s roa d , as a

p i l g r i m , as a see ker of yo u r own truth. Let each d ay's Oi G o n g be a m a g n ifi­

ce n t perfo r m a n ce. H oweve r yo u defi n e a n exq u isite a ct of bea u ty and power,

g ive you r practice l ife as its tru est m a n i festa t i o n .

Practi ce with yo u r h ea rt, pra ctice w ith you r fee l i n g , p ra ctice with you r

dee pest si ncerity. As eve ry fi ber o f yo u r b e i n g strives to beco m e o n e with a l l ,

l ift u p eve ry emotion t o j o i n you r body i n t h i s u n i o n . Reve l i n yo u r pe rfec­

t i o n , fo r it w i l l be a beacon of l i g h t for a l l th ose w h o co m e in contact with

it, a n i nspi ration fo r a l l th ose j u st sta rti n g on their own j o u r n eys, a joyou s

p i l l a r of strength fo r yo u a n d you r l oved on es. A s Z h u a n g Z i 's b u tte rfly at last

b u rsts free of its ch rysa l is to float effo rtlessly u po n the cu rrents of Oi, may

the b l essi ngs of 9 Pa l a ces Oi Gong u n ite yo u with the Ta o.

The B u tterfly E m erges • 2 17

 I N D
A beggar, duties of, 207
acupu nctu re, 2-3, 24, 76
aging, reversing the effects of, 1 04
alchemy, Taoist. See nei dan
a ncestors, contacting you r, 1 75-76
a n i ma ls, sensitivity of, 57, 68
a nt, stopping, with m i n d power, 1 36
a nus, 1 2 1 -22
as opening of the body, 20-21
tighten ing and u n locki ng, 1 98-99
asth ma, 49
B 112
bai hui point (at top of head), 1 20-22,
1 46-47
balance
ea rs and, 58
keeping, w h i l e exercising, 1 08-9,
1 1 0- 1 1
problems, 60
Ban N a n Zi, 26
Ba n g i n g the Heavenly Drum, 62
ba refoot, practicing whi le, 32
beans, 1 57
Beatin g the Heavenly Drum, 59
Index
E X
birds, mea n i n g of, i n Tao, 37, 78
bi rth
date of you r, as ta l isma n , 97-98,
101
hour o f you r, 38
sou l enteri ng the body at, 47, 53
sou l split at, 94, 95, 98, 1 07-8, 208
bi rths, n u mber of, each second, 99
black, 1 30, 1 51 -52
bladder, connection with u reth ra, 21
blood circu lation, 29, 35, 38, 64, 79,
blood pressure, 52, 60, 66, 1 53
body, the
accessing the sou l through, 46
as bioelectric system, 23-24
clea nsi ng and balancing, 22
as coi led spring, 8-9
harmonizing with nature, 29-30
as l a ndsca pe, 45-46, 1 93
l istening to signals from, 52-54, 1 50
See also org a ns of body
body-mind con nection, 2 1
bone spurs, 59, 65, 71
• 219
bowel cond itions, 1 1 5 Ch i n ese la n g uage, p h i losoph ica l roots
bra i n , blood flow to, 48, 66 of, 86
bra i n stem, 60 Chi nese medici ne, 2-3, 24, 27
breath i n g a n d Taoist hea l i n g , differences, 25,
o f ch i l d ren, 1 46 75-76
control led ( isometric) , 24 a n d Western medicine, d ifferences,
w h i l e exercisi ng, 90 1 38, 1 49
exha l i n g toxins, 1 85 circles
fou r beats per i n h a l e a n d fou r per fou r, wors h i pping the sun, 1 67
exhale, 46, 90, 1 23 of Yin a n d Ya ng, 1 70-79
HAl HA l pattern of, 1 58 Classics of I nternal Medici ne, 38
i n ha l i ng a n d exha l i n g pattern, Clea nsi ng the Crysta l, 1 80-87
d u ri n g practice, 1 47-49 clockwise and cou nterclockwise
m atch i n g heart rate, 46 movements, 1 02-3, 1 78-79
the 9 Clea nsi ng Breaths, 1 20-22 cloth i n g , for Qi Gong practice, 32
retra i n ing, 1 45-49 cocoon of energy, 27, 3 1 , 1 1 2
bu tan cai, bu xi ming ("not g reedy for spi n n i ng the, 1 68-79
wea lth, not afra id of death" ) , cold, catc h i n g a, 29, 49-50, 53, 1 49
1 65-66 Colorfu l World (emotions) , 205-6
Buddha, 55 colors
rel ics of, 60-61 of cloth i n g , 32
B u d d h ism, 3, 60. See also Tibeta n the frve, visu a l izing, 1 42-43, 1 47,
Buddhism 1 92-93, 205
b u rying a l ive, surviva l after, 1 46 of food, 1 30
hea l i n g with, 1 30
C com puters, sitti ng at, 66
ca lf, kicking the, 1 23 Confuci us, 2, 3, 81 -82, 203-4
cancer, 23, 1 1 8- 1 9, 1 22, 1 48, 1 85, 1 87 constipation, 76, 1 1 5, 1 1 9, 1 49
ca use a nd effect, 53 cosmic particles. See ling z;
cerebe l l u m , 60 cra w l i ng-on-a ll-fou rs exercise, 68
cha n n els Crest of the Crane ( point near
eleven, a ncient d iscovery of, 2 kneeca p ) , 1 04
a n d flow of Qi, 24-2 7 cu Itivation, 204-7
o f Yin a n d Ya ng, 26-2 7, 1 1 4 Cultura l Revolution, 9, 1 0, 1 66
chi ldbearing, and women's hea lth, 1 1 9
child hood, memories of, 1 08, 1 1 0 D
China dan ( energy centers) , the three,
fol k sayi ngs, 41 , 2 1 1 25-26
m a n ners, 1 71 -72 dan tien (the lower dan) , 25-26
prehistory of, 2 massage of, 1 1 7-20

220 • Index
dead, the ea rlobes, exercises with, 51 -52
helping them, 2 1 0 ea rs
paybacks from, 99 exercises with, 46-61 , 1 51 -52
visits from, 33-34 flicking the, 47-51
death and kidneys, 2 1 , 47-48, 57-58, 1 50,
fear of, 1 66 1 51 -53
i m m i nent, signs of, 72 massaging, 1 53-54
passage of the sou l after, 99, 208-9 as m icrocosm of body, 47
decision making, Oi Gong as tra i n i n g as open ings of the body, 20
for, 40, 204 sensitizing the, to tune into
dementia, 48 possib i l ities, 50-52
diarrhea, 1 1 5 shape and fi rmness of, and
d iet (food) personality, 54-55
colors of, 1 30 suction presses of, 1 52
overeating, 1 43 east, 26
remedies for specifi c cond itions, 1 30, eati ng. See d iet
1 37, 1 57-58 eight ( n u m ber), 1 39
Taoist advice on, 1 43-44 Eight Fa i ry Gods With i n the Tu rning
d ivination, a ncient, 3 7 Point, 1 39
dizzi ness, 66 electromagnetic radiation, protection
Dong Ta Xin Chu (Going Through from against, 23
One's Heart), 1 54, 1 59 emotional distress, 91
Dragon Bones, 60-61 emotions, world of (Colorful World), 205
Dragon Claws, 1 82-87 emperor, d u ties of, 207
Dragon Gate Classic, 1 72, 206 energy. See Oi
Dragon Gate Sect, 4, 3 1 e n l i g h te n m e n t , cu ltivation needed for,
Dragon Tree, 95, 209- 1 0 204-6
Du channel, 27, 95 esoteric benefits of Oi Gong, 1 28
Du Xi n l i n excla mations (voca l izations)
a necdotes a bout, 41 , 50-51 , 1 51 , 1 91 "HA, " 1 58, 1 99
death and " ra i n bowi ng" of, 1 0- 1 4, "HA, " "HO, " "HU, " 1 89-9 1 , 208
1 42 exercise
hea l i n g methods, 1 79 isometric, 24, 30-3 1
life and teach i ngs of, 7- 1 4, 1 42, 1 43 9 Pa laces Sola r Oi Gong contrasted
and revita l ization of 9 Pa laces Sol a r with, 29
Oi Gong, 6, 1 27 See also practice
eye problems, 72
E eyes
eagles, 62, 1 05 clea n i n g the sights seen by, 1 29
ea r infections, 50 d u l l a p pea ra nce of, 1 83

Index • 22 1
eyes (continued) Five Centers Facing Heaven, 36
and the heart, 1 84 Five Centers Faci ng the Moon, 5 , 27,
and the liver, 2 1 , 1 29-30 1 27
as open ings of the body, 20 Five Elements, 30, 1 30, 1 63-64
sen d i n g them out, 1 29-32 colors of, 1 92-93
true feel i ngs seen in, 1 56 floors, i n door, practice on, 32
food. See d iet
F forty-n i n e ( n u m ber), 74
face, as m a p, 1 3 5 fou r ( n u m ber), 1 67
Fa men Temple (nea r Xian), 60 Fou r D i rections, 26-27, 66, 69
fate fou r seasons, 1 1 0
cha n g i n g you r, with Qi Gong, 1 6- 1 7,
53-54, 1 00- 1 0 1 G
partly predetermi ned, pa rtly u nder gam bling, usi ng Qi Gong to w i n , 1 49
o u r control, 53, 1 00, 2 1 1 - 1 2 gastric problems, 29
fatigue, 66, 1 24 Geng h is Kha n , 5
feet gen ita l ia, fem a le (Jade Door),
circu lation of, 1 1 1 massaging, 1 1 5
of newborn, fl icking, 47 genita l i a , male
feng fu (wind gate) point (on sku l l), massa g i n g , 1 1 5
59-61 symbol of, 1 42
Feng Shui, 27 God or gods
m i l ita ry use of, 5 praying for help from, 209
pu rification ritua ls, 33-34 procl a i m i n g bel ief in, 1 74-7 5, 1 7 7
fertility, 48, 1 04 Golden Rooster Sta n d i n g on One Leg ,
fig u res 1 23
circle-square-d iamond-point, good deeds, 1 00- 1 0 1
1 40-41 g ra i n of sa nd, world i n a, 1 32, 207-8
tria ng le-a nd-circles pyra m id, 1 42 g reed, danger of, 1 66
fi ngers g reen, 1 30
energy focused i n , 1 0 1 Guo Diao (Crossing the Bridge),
exercises w i t h , 79-84 1 07- 1 2
fl icki ng, 47-51 , 81 -84
mea n i n g of each fi nger, 82-83, 98, H
1 55, 1 92-93 ha nds
sensing information with, 1 55 exercises with, 79-84, 89-9 1
strengthening, 48 pa rts of, 1 1 6
toxins released from, as smoke, 1 93 head
fi re element, 93-94 bai hui point of, 1 20-22
Five An i m a l Exercise, 1 22 as map, 65-66, 1 3 5

222 • Index
health, benefits of Oi Gong to, 22-23, i m m u n e system, 2 3 - 24, 3 8 , 1 8 5
1 27 im possible experiences, 1 4, 6 1 , 1 28 ,
Hea lthy and H a p py Practice, 28-3 1 21 2

warmu p, 28-29, 1 24 im potence, 1 1 8

h earing
a n i m a l 's, sensitivity of, 5 7
im provi ng, 58-59, 1 50-52
of i ntern al body sou nds,
loss of, 58
sen d i n g it fa r, 1 5 1
heart
com mun icati ng with the kidneys,
93-94
ind ividual practice, 3 , . 1 6
i n d ivid ual ity, each person's u rge to
develop, 2 1 6- 1 7
1 50 indoors, practicing, 3 2 - 3 4
inj u ries, 9 1
i nsomn i a , GO, 68
intestines, con n ection with an us, 2 1
isometric exercises o f O i Gong, 1 2 7

connection with the eyes, 1 84 J

exercises for, 1 53 - 60
as red, 1 3 0
as true ruler of body,
Heart channel, 42
hea rt problems, 60, 82, 1 23
Jin Jing Yu Yeon (Refi n i n g the Golden
Jade Elixir), 1 59 - 60
66, 7 9 , 1 56 jing (our essence)
nourish ing through med itation,
42

hea rt rate, 46 postnata l , 9 6

Heaven and H u m a n U n i ted as One, 1 33 prenatal , 9 4
helping others, 1 54-55, 209- 1 0 seated in Ming Men, 9 4
hepatitis, 2 1 , 1 29 joints
h ig h heels, wea ring, 66-67 pai n i n , 48
hong hua (tra nsu bsta ntiation), 1 1 storage of Oi i n , 1 03-4
h o pes a n d g o a l s, a ccepti n g t h e m , j o u r n a l , kee p i n g a , 33

1 87-89

hormonal bala nce, 3 8 , 1 04 K

horses, 1 2 4 kid ney disease, 93
Hsin I Ch uan, 3 7 kidneys
Hua Tuo, 1 2 2 as black, 1 30
H u m a n Tree, 209 com m u n icating with the hea rt,
hun (spi rit soul), 47, 86 93-94

con n ection with ea rs, 2 1 , 47-48,

5 7 - 58, 1 50, 1 5 1 -52

I Ching, 26, 3 7 , 65, 1 7 2 , 206, 2 1 0- 1 1 and i n ha l i n g , 1 47-49

i l l ness and long life i n men, 1 50
ca uses of, 2 1 , 1 46 and pre-Heavenly fou ndation, 114

food better than herbs, 1 3 7 regu lati ng, by working o n the ears,
locati ng and assessi ng, 83 1 53

Index • 223
k i d n eys (con tinued) l otus, 8 7
re p l e n ish i n g e n e rgy of, by rota t i n g l u ngs
kn eeca ps, 1 02-4 co n n ecti o n with nost r i l s, 2 1 , 49

re p l e n i sh i n g e n e rgy of, rubb i n g and exh a l i n g , 1 47 -49

exe rcise, 88-93 as heave n , 1 46

as water e l e m e n t, 94 as meta l e l e m ent, 94, 1 49

k n eeca ps, rota t i n g the, 1 01 -4 as w h ite, 1 30

kong (e m pt i n ess) , 65, 1 03 , 1 58, 1 8 7

Ku n tri g ra m (Ea rth), 66 M

m a g n etism , Ea rth's, 2 7
L M a o Zed o n g , 9

lao gong p o i n t of h a n d , 4 1 -42 m a rt i a l a rts, 6, 8-9, 1 2 , 3 7-38, 1 0 1 ,

La o Zi 1 03 , 1 4 1 , 1 73

a n ecd otes about, 8 1 -82, 203-4 m a ssa g e

teach i n gs of, 1 -2 , 3 , 1 72 , 206-7, self-, 1 1 2 - 2 0 , 1 53 - 54
21 1 , 21 5 Ta oist, 1 1 2 - 2 0

lett i n g go Weste rn, 6 4

u nsettl i n g sensations fro m, 33 masters
w h e n p racti c i n g , 39-40 co n n ecti n g with l i neage of the,

l ife , h u m a n 31

beg i n n i n g of, a s a cosm i c particle, and stu d e n ts, tra d ition of, 4, 1 5
98- 1 00 stu dyi n g w i t h , i m porta n ce of, 7 3
ete r n a l , 1 1 , 9 8 meat eati n g , 1 43 -44
expe n d i t u re a n d re p l acement of m e d i c i n e. See Ch i n ese m e d i ci n e ; Ta oist
e n e rgy in, 22-24 m e d i c i n e ; Western m e d i c i n e
l i fe spa n , shortened by bad actio ns, 1 00 med itation
L i g h t n i n g Fo rce K u n g Fu, 1 4 1 basic sitt i n g post u re, 4 1 -43
ling (cos m i c e n ergy), 54, 86, 9 9 cu l tiva t i o n needed for, 205-6
ling zi (cos m i c particles) , 53, 8 6 o n su ccess, 1 3 9-41
a fter death, 99 m ed u l la o b l o n g a ta , 60
l ive r m e l a to n i n , 1 3 3
conn ection with eyes, 2 1 , 1 29-30 m e m o r i es, c h i l d hood , 1 08 , 1 1 0
as g reen, 1 3 0 m e m o ry reten t i o n , 48, 66
re m ovi n g fro m yo u r body, 1 82 - 8 7 men, l o n g evity of, 1 1 9 , 1 50
re p l e n i sh i n g with Oi, 1 3 2-33 m e nstru a t i o n , 1 1 8 , 1 57
as wood ele m e nt, 94, 1 3 0 M e rcy of t h e Hea rt, 2 1 0
l o n e ly so u l s (sp i rits) , 1 00 M e rg i n g Fi re a n d Water, 88-96
l o n g evity m e r i d i a ns and p o i n ts (acu p u n ctu re) , 2 ,
of men vs. w o m e n , 1 1 9 , 1 50 2 4- 2 5

Oi G o n g a n d , 1 6, 2 2 - 2 3 , 62 meta l e l ement, 9 4 , 1 49

224 • Index
mi ying (other half of sou l sepa rated at nine i nterna l organs
birth, i n the cosmos) , 96, 9 8 con n ection with n i n e openings of
Microcosmic Orbit, 26, 2 7 the body, 2 1
middle dan, 2 5 See also org a ns o f body
m i l itary matters, Fen g S h u i for, 5 nine openi ngs of the body, 20-22,
M i l ky Way (Si lver River) , 98-99, 206 52-53, 206

mind 9 Pa laces Solar Oi Gong, 2

clearing the, when practici ng, benefits of practice, 1 6- 1 7 , 2 3 , 2 9
3 9-40 decl ine and revita l ization of, 6-7,
open i n g the, 1 2 5-26 1 27

m i ndset for practice, 39 -43 getti ng sta rted, 29

Ming Men (Gates of Life) , 94 and m a rtia l arts, 8-9

monasteries and monks, 1 2 6, 1 43 , 1 5 1 , M icrocosmic Orbit of, 26

1 54-55, 207 n i n e levels of, 28

money, usi ng Oi Gong to get, 1 49 9 palaces of, 20

moon lig ht, practice in, 3 6-37 orig in of, 3 - 8 , 2 1 5

motor ski l l problems, 60
mouth
exh a l i n g from, 1 48-49
as opening of the body, 20- 2 1
m u d ras
Five Finger Mounta i n , 1 9 2-93
forefi nger and th u m b together,
of peace ( hands touch i n g ) , 1 1 3
three-fingered, 1 0 1 , 1 05
th u m b a n d pi n kie, 1 89
muscles, pain i n , 48, 1 3 7 , 1 43
mystical traditions, decl ine of, 1 2 6
N 93-94
See also O i Gong (trad ition )
N i n e Sta rs, 206
north, 26-27
nostrils
i n h a l i n g th rough, 1 48-49
a n d l u ngs, 2 1 , 49
1 89 as openi ngs of the body, 20
n utrition. See d iet
o
organs of body
cleansi ng them, 1 80-87
com m u n icati ng with each other,

natural life, chal lenge to l ivi n g a, 21 Orig i n a l Self, 54

nature, u n iting with, i n practice, outdoors, practice i n , 3 2 - 3 5 , 1 90-9 1

29-30, 3 2 - 3 3 oxygen, 2 4
navel, 5 4 , 96 i ntake, 1 46

neck, exercises with, 62-72 from trees, 209

nei dan (Taoist internal a lchemy) , 85,

94, 1 59-60 p
nervous system, charti ng of, 3 pa i n , 1 3 7
nine ( n u mber) , 52, 1 70-79, 207 p u l l i n g off a n d throwing away, 1 87

9 Cleansing Breaths, 1 20-22 rerouting of, throug h channels, 2

Index • 225
pa rents Q
being thankfu l to, 1 54, 1 88-89 Oi (energy)
helping them, 1 55 a bsorbi n g from the sun, 1 93 - 2 0 1
photog ra phs, i nvisibility of atta i ned a bsorbi n g g reat qua ntities of, 9 3
masters in, 1 4 bad, removi ng from orga ns, 1 8 5-87
pi nea l g l a nd, 1 33 - 3 4 as breath, 1 45
pla nts exchange of i ntern a l and externa l
m a n i p u lations on, 1 86 energy, 2 1
menta l energy d i rected at, 1 40 expenditure and replacement of,
ta lking to, 1 54-55 22-24

po (a n i m a l sou l), 47, 8 6 flow thro u g h body, 24-28, 65

positive reinfo rcement, helping others gatheri n g from nature, 32-33
with, 1 54 i nformation from, 1 52-53
positive th i n ki n g , 1 40 nourish i n g throug h meditation, 42

i n a h ospital , 1 8 7 pathways of, 3, 20-22

post-Heave n ly fou ndation, 1 1 4, of preg nancy, 1 1 9
1 3 7-38 storage of, 1 03-4
postu re, 59, 63, 1 58 Oi Bath ing, 1 20, 1 2 2
potential, ach ievi ng one's, 207- 1 2 Oi Gong (practice)
p ractice benefits of, 1 6- 1 7, 2 2 - 2 3 , 40, 62,

best locations for, 3 2 - 3 6, 1 90-9 1 , 1 2 7-28, 204-6, 2 1 2 - 1 7

1 93 - 2 0 1 physica lity of, in atta i n i ng

best m i ndset for, 39-43
best ti mes for, 3 6-39
consistent, dai ly, need for, 38
prayer of sa lute to the su n, 1 9 6-200
prayer postu re, 1 65-80
prayer wheels, 1 72
prayi n g for help, 209
pre-Heave n ly fou ndation, 1 1 4
preg nancy, a n d health of women,
119
pubic reg ion, massage of, 1 1 8
purification rituals, 33-34
Purple Cloud Monastery (Wu Dang
Mou ntain), 3-7
pyra m i d
as pathway t o t h e u n iverse,
awareness, 2 1 0- 1 1
questionable uses of, 1 49
self-reg u lating nature of, preventi ng
i nju ry, 7 4
testimonials to, 2 1 2 - 1 5
u n usual sensations when sta rti ng
out, 3 3 , 2 0 5
See also practice
Oi Gong (trad ition)
h istory of, 2 - 6
secrecy of teach i n g of, 4
what it is (religion, p h i l osophy,
physical workout, menta l exercise,
or occu lt ritu a l), 1 7 , 206, 2 1 5- 1 7
See also 9 Pa laces Sol a r Oi Gong
Oian trigra m (Heaven), 65

1 63 - 64 Oing Dynasty, 2 7
visu a l izing a, 1 42 Oiu ChuJi, 4-5

226 • Index
Qua n Zhen (Complete Rea lity) school
of Taoism, 3-4
questions and doubts, dea l i n g with,
40
questions frequently asked, 3 1 -43
queue, the, 27
R six ( n u m ber), 3 7 , 1 70-79
Rainbow Body and " ra i nbowi ng,"
1 1 - 1 4, 1 40, 1 42, 1 73
red, 1 30
Red B i rd, 1 54
rei ncarnation, 98, 99, 1 89
Releasi ng the Hea rt's Desi re, 1 87-201
relics, of Buddha, 60-61
religion, con nection with Qi Gong, 1 7
Ren channel, 27, 95
Ren Yi Tien Di ( H u m a n and Ea rth and
Heaven a re one), 206- 1 0
ren ying (half o f sou l split a t birth, i n
t h e body), 9 5 , 9 8
respi ratory infections, 49
Ru Jing, Ru Ding, Ru Wa (entering
tra n q u i l ity), 39-40
Ru Yi, ornamenta l ta l isma n , 1 39
Ru Yi Gong (swayin g exercise),
1 37-44
S spi rit. See sou l
sa liva, as medicine, 1 59-60
se kong (color em pty), 40
sea ls (hand postu res), 1 74-79
Second Heart (a rea of ca lf), 1 22-24
sense orga ns, two-way com m u n ication
with, 20-22, 30
sex, Taoist practice of, 40-41
sexual fu nction, 1 04
sha m a n ism, 1
She Li Gong (g host gate), 61
she Ii zi (relics of sa ints), 60-61
Index
shen (human soul), 47, 86
nou rish ing thro u g h med itation, 42
shoulders, exercises with, 73-78
silkworm, self as, 1 72-73
sitting posture, basic, for meditation,
41 -43
situations, adapting to, 2 1 1
Six Rea l ms of Existence, 87, 98, 99
Six Relationships, 206
ski n, breathi n g throug h , 1 46, 1 49
sku ll, soft spot at base of ( feng fu
point), 59-61
sleeping, positions for, 68, 1 61
smel ls
hea l i n g properties of, 1 48
visual izi ng of, 1 48
smoki ng, qu itti ng, 49
soul
at birth, 47, 53
after death, 208-9
divided ha lves of (prenatal and
postnatal), 94, 95, 98, 1 07-8, 208
reu n iting, 85-86
south, 26, 27, 1 54, 1 55�56
spicy foods, 1 57
spinal cord, a l i g n ment of, 59
Spinning the Cocoon, 1 68-79
spi rits, visits from , 33-34
spi ritu a l awareness, Qi Gong and, 1 7
spleen
con n ection with mouth, 21
exercise for, 1 39-44
and post-Heave n ly fou n dation, 1 1 4,
1 37-38
removing from you r body, 1 82-87
as yel low, 1 30
standing postu res, 30
sta r, personal, 208
• 227
stomach
connection with mouth, 2 1
exercise for, 1 3 9 -44
and post- Heaven ly fou ndation,
1 3 7- 3 8
stomach chan nel, massage of,
1 1 2- 1 7
stomach merid ian,
stomach problems,
stroke, 82
Taoist I m morta ls and Masters
as g u a rd i a ns of Qi Gong, 3
secrecy of teachi ngs, 1 5, 40-41
1 1 4, teach i n g methods, 1 5- 1 6
Taoist medicine, 2 5 , 7 5 - 7 6
com plementary m ethods of, 1 1 1
Taoist sex practice, 40-41
114 teeth, touch i n g with tongue, 1 59
1 44, 1 85 tem poro-ma ndibular joint dysfu nction,
71

success th i rd eye, 1 2 5-26, 1 3 3 - 3 7

ach ievi ng, 207- 1 2 looki ng with, 1 3 1 -3 2
med itating on, 1 3 9-41 opening of, 1 3 4-3 7 , 1 73 - 7 4

sun Tibeta n surgical open i n g of, 1 3 4

energy from, 2 3 , 26-27,
1 93 - 2 0 1
and moon, practice when both
visible, 3 7
practice i n the, 3 4-35, 3 6 , 3 7
prayer o f sa l ute t o the, 1 96-200
1 63 , Th ree Generations, 206
th ree steps forwa rd, th ree steps
backward, 203-4
Th ree Treasu res Ving, ai, shen), 42
tian ying (Heavenly or th i rd eye),
1 3 3 - 3 7 . See also th i rd eye

worsh ipping the, 1 67-68 Ti beta n B u d d h ism, practices and

Sun Tzu, 45-46 beliefs, 1 1 , 1 3 4, 1 55, 1 7 2
Art of Wat; 46 Ti beta n culture, 207
sun rise a n d su nset, practice at times of, Tiger, hour of, 3 7
37 Tiger Pa w m a rtia l a rts style, 3 7- 3 8
Swa llow posture, 1 52-60 Tiger's Eyes (points around kneeca p), 1 04
swastika, right-facing, 9 9 , 208 toes, related to head, 1 2 2
Sword M u d ra, 1 48-49 tong qi (like with l i ke), 1 44
tongue, a p pea rance of, 1 57
T tortoises, 62
Ta i Chi symbol (ci rcle enclosi ng Yin and toxi ns
Ya ng), 96 breaking up, in the ca lf, 1 23
tai yang (the sun), 23 exh a l i ng, from the mouth, 1 8 5
Tao Te Ching, 1 , 211 protection agai nst electromag netic
Taoism e missions of, 2 3
and eternal life, 1 1 released as smoke, fro m the fingers,
a n d Qi Gong's orig i ns, 3-6 1 93
sayings of, 1 1 2 , 1 2 8 tra nsu bsta ntiation , 11
worldview of, 1 -2 trees, 8 7 - 8 8 , 1 89 -9 1 , 209
Taoist a lchemica l texts, 30 Tri ple Bu rner cha nnel, 42

228 • Index
 u Wh ite Cloud Monastery (Beij i ng), 3 - 1 0,
u n iverse 40-4 1 , 1 2 6-2 7 , 1 3 9

bring ing one's own g ifts to, 2 1 6- 1 7 wind and breezes, practice i n , 3 4- 3 5

connecting to, 6 1 -62, 85-86, 2 1 0- 1 2 wi ne, 1 57

l iving i n harmony with, 53 women
looki ng to the edge of, 1 3 2 ea rs of, 55-56
Yuan Ying released i nto, 95-96, 1 2 1 l iver of, 1 29-30
u pper dan, 2 5 longevity of, 1 1 9
u reth ra, 1 2 1 - 2 2 wood element, 94, 1 30
as opening of the body, 20- 2 1 wrists, shaki ng exercise of, 89-9 1

uterus, connection with u reth ra , 2 1 Wu, Dr. Baol i n

anecdotes about, 4 1 , 1 43 - 44, 1 66,

v 1 8 7, 1 9 1

vegetarian ism, 1 43 hea l ing methods, 3 3 - 3 4, 55, 63, 83,

vibrational sensitivity, i ncreasing, 9 1 , 99, 1 2 2, 1 3 0, 1 3 9 , 1 48, 1 82 ,

83-84 1 8 5, 2 0 1 , 205

visua l izations, 30, 1 2 7- 2 8 stud ies in Japan, 2

of ci rcle-sq u a re-d iamond-poi nt. teachi ngs of, 1 1 0, 1 34, 209

1 40-41 tra i n i ng with Du Xi n l i n , 6, 9 - 1 4
of colors, 1 42-43 , 1 47 , 1 5 1 -52

of a pyra m id, 1 42 y
of smel ls, 1 48 Ya ng channels, 2 6 - 2 7
for success, 1 40 location of, 1 1 4
Ya ng energy
W expenditure of, and need to replace,
Wa ng Chongyang, 3 - 5 22-24

Wa ng Xiangzha i, 8-9, 1 2 , 3 7 -38, 1 41 and the sun, 2 6 - 2 7

water violent reactions to, 5
and fi re, 93-94 See also Yin and Ya ng
flowing, is Ya ng, 35, 43 Ya ng Gong (practice), vs. Yin Gong, 5
sti l l , is Yi n, 3 4 Ya ng Qi (solar energy), practice at h i g h
weather, practice in, 3 5 p o i n t of, 3 6 - 3 7
wei and wu wei (action and nonaction), yangyang zhide ("I a m n u m ber one"
204 mantra), 1 3 8- 3 9

west, 2 6 yel low, 1 30, 1 42 -43

West Mounta i n (Yu n n a n Province), 10 Yel low Emperor's Classic of Medicine, 42

Western medici ne, 1 3 8 , 1 49 Yi n a n d Ya ng

Wheel of Existence, Six Rea l ms of a lternation of, 1 09 - 1 0

Existence on, 87, 98 bala nce point of, 1 79

wh ite, 1 30, 1 47 circles of, 1 70-79

Index • 229
Yin a n d Ya ng (con tinued) Yuan Ying (i m morta l Fetus), 86-88

circu it of energy between, 1 1 1 - 1 2, born i n dan tien, 1 1 7

1 7 8-79 g rowth of, 8 7 -88, 9 5
coexistence of, 2 2 , 78 helping others with the l i g h t of o u r,
Yi n cha n n e ls, 2 6 - 2 7 209- 1 0
location of, 1 1 4 released i n to the u n i verse , 9 5-96,

Yin energy 1 21

related to a bsence of sun,

26-27
See also Yin and Ya ng
ying (baby), 86
yu ji (point on hand),
yuan (sou rce o r spri ng),
yuan qi (Ori g i n a l Oi),
Z
Zhang San Feng, 208
Zhen G u o Fashi Da, 60- 6 1
116 Zhong nan M ou nta i n , 2 , 1 7 2
86 Zhuang Zi, 2, 3
38 zi (master), 2 07

230 • Index