Taiji on Maui   Balance and Harmony for a Better Life

The Cat's Eye Nebula

First no form. Then form. Then no form…….

In the first three articles on basics and the first article on practice, I laid out the foundation for our actual cultivation procedures. Please read these previous articles until the concept of “dissolving the mind into the body” makes sense to you.  Keeping in mind, we are on an inward journey when we do Taoist meditation.

We pass from an external-centric universe to an internal one.  Along the way, we go through different layers of ourselves.  From a completely external world, through the body and mind, revealing our emotions and ultimately our spiritual center. From that perspective, we continue back through the layers and return to the external.

Always remember we are working with energy and when we do so we need to adhere to basic energetic principles. Also, know as we move inward we encounter different energies at each layer each combining and adding to the previous energies.  I am talking about quantum physics here. As we move inward and the energy level increases, it requires more training to control it.

The first step in the actual process of the “Transformational Tao of spiritual alchemy” is a basic understanding of what we are going to do… so up until now we have been looking at a kind of map of our journey.  On the path, so far you could say we have “opened the door” now it is time to step through it.

First, we need to align and relax our physical bodies. Next, we train an awareness of our energy allowing it to permeate the entire body. We start externally and as we become more aware, we move internally, melting away the boundaries between the layers as we progress.

When this is completed, we achieve a freedom from our bodies.  By utilizing our minds to become aware of the energy within us, we meld the two together essentially dissolving the mind into the body.  After we acquire this skill, we are able to get freedom from our thoughts as well.

Before starting, I suggest you Tune your Breath

Stand or sit in proper wuji, focus initially on your alignments.

After you are aligned and relaxed, close you eyes and let your arms hang down at your sides. Bring your awareness to your hands.  Just notice that you actually have hands….become aware of each finger or pairs of fingers one at a time. Just do this for a couple of minutes. Let them fill with blood and energy and feel them tingle.

In your mind’s eye, have an image of yourself standing or sitting there.  An image of you aligned to perfection, symmetrical and relaxed.

The only imagery we use in the Taoist method is that of reality.
Your “energy you” is a projection of your energy, that is what we see here. Now out of the corner of your mind’s eye notice your hands. As though you can actually see them, and as you do feel the tingling sensation therein.

This tingling sensation of energy is a manifestation of the only thing of any real importance that you have. Work on getting in touch with the pureness of your energy. Repeat this process until you can restrict your thoughts and body movements to the method outlined above.

This is the first step to dissolving your mind and body together, a skill known as sublimation.  Just work on this for now… do not think of “stuff”, do not allow imagery to invade your mind’s eye.

Eventually we will even dissolve away the image of yourself as separate from the energy that creates you…anything but pure energy is just an illusion….

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