How do we Slow Down Monkey Mind?

The Taoists call our mind «the monkey mind», because it always gets into a lot of mischief, it needs to be active, to do something all the time. 

Taoists learn to observe, using the upper mind to slow down the monkey mind by tricking it. The monkey mind says, «I can do anything», but it is actually our ego saying that. We cannot destroy the monkey mind because it is us. So what do we do? We figure a way to trick it.

During the Taoist practice of meditation, what we actually do is ask the monkey mind to trace the energy channels of the body.

Of course the monkey mind says: «I can do that, no problem». It is reacting to our request to do something because it is being challenged with its ego. It never wants NOT to do something, because that would show that it is inferior, and it always wants to show that it is superior. This is the process of reacting, instead of thinking: «Do I really want to do this or do I NOT want to do this?». That is what is called a conscious choice.

As we go through life, we majorly think with the monkey mind and react; we do things but we never ask ourselves why we should do them, and if we really want to do them. Understanding this, we say to the monkey mind: «Can you trace the 32 energy channels of the body?».

When the monkey mind says «yes» and asks what to do, we respond: «Just sit still and focus internally. Smile down, look down within yourself, and start to feel the first channel of the body, the Functional Channel (also known as he Conception Vessel), by moving the energy down your body and then feel the energy coming up your spine, the Governor Channel (or Governing Vessel)».

So, the monkey mind says, «No problem, I can do this. Let's go».

You close your eyes, and the monkey mind starts to focus within. As you do this, you feel the energy moving down the front of the body and up the spine. This is the Taoist Microcosmic Orbit, the two channels of the body. 

The body starts to open up and you start to focus, using the upper mind to observe instead of think — to sense what you are actually moving. And of course there is nothing there, because it is just energy.

When you give your monkey mind this opportunity to stay active, within the Yang (active energy) comes Yin, or nonactivity. The monkey mind all of a sudden becomes blank, loses consciousness. Slowing down, it enters the separation into the void; and when it enters into the void, there is nothing and everything goes blank.

Thus, for the first time, your monkey mind gets rest and peace as it enters the void into nothingness. Have you ever experienced this feeling of your monkey mind slowing down during meditation?

The Foundation for Mastering Tai Chi

The foundation for mastering the internal structure of Tai Chi is energy meditation. Many Tai Chi students around the world do not receive any training in energy meditation: most people are taught long and difficult Tai Chi forms first. They have to go through many years of practice and correction to perfect the outer form and make it look beautiful.

Because of the time devoted to the outer form, the internal energetic work is often neglected. Lack of meditation experience, along with the need to learn lengthy forms, makes it difficult for people to go into internal work.

At the online course with Grandmaster Chia starting this Sunday you can learn the short Tai Chi Qigong form and all its complementary practices. This form can be memorised quickly allowing you to focus on the inner alchemy, energy cultivation and healing.

Join here: https://bit.ly/3uXjutR.

In this course, different aspects of Tai Chi will be taught separately through sitting meditation, standing meditation, and finally moving meditation. 

☯️ 1 step - sitting energy meditation 

Through sitting practice, you can strengthen your awareness and concentration without being distracted by the body's movement. The first emphasis in this practice is to learn to quiet and focus the mind and to relax the internal organs. This phase is accomplished through the Inner Smile and the Six Healing Sounds.

The next step is to connect with life energy. This is accomplished through practice of the Microcosmic Orbit and the Fusion of the Five Elements meditations. In these practices, you train your mind to feel Qi, to generate and gather it into an energy center, the lower Tan Tien, to direct Qi to other areas for healing and strengthening; and then to store Qi for future use. 

If you learn Tai Chi without the benefit of sitting meditation, it will be more difficult to feel Qi and to gather, concentrate, and guide the energy.

☯️ 2 step - standing energy meditation 

After learning sitting meditation, you will find it easier to learn standing meditations such as Iron Shirt Qigong. In Iron Shirt Qigong you gently pack, or compress, energy and guide it through the Microcosmic Orbit. You also learn to adjust the structure of your stance in alignment with gravity, in order to become grounded or rooted both structurally and energetically.

Once you have the feeling of aligning and integrating the body's structure in this way while standing still, you can carry this experience into movement within the Tai Chi form. Standing meditation is the easiest way of mastering this vital internal aspect of Tai Chi. 

☯️ 3 step - moving energy meditation 

Through Tai Chi Qigong you can integrate what you have learned through sitting and standing meditation practice into movement. As you master the Tai Chi principles of movement, you can gradually apply these same principles in all your movements throughout daily life. Whether washing the dishes, doing yard work, or walking down the street, you will spontaneously move in harmony with the Tao.

This is the essence of Tai Chi🙏🏻w Rd

Have you ever heard of embryonic breathing?

«He who can breathe like a foetus and breathe as if still in the womb will find the way and achieve the Tao», ― wrote Ge Hong (283-364 CE) - Taoist alchemist and scholar.

At this video you see Mantak Chia demonstrating the special breathing techniques used during the Tai Chi moving meditation👇🏻

Master will teach you these techniques during the upcoming Tai Chi online course: https://bit.ly/3uXjutR

There is no audible breathing for the accomplished Tai Chi practitioner as the movements themselves become the breath. This type of breathing is one of the major secrets of Tai Chi power.

The breath in the beginner is separate from movement. But the breath can be trained to merge with movement and create what is called «whole body breathing» or «embryonic breathing».

When whole-body or embryonic breathing occurs, you unify your physical, mental and spiritual health and draw in more energy from the Universe.

Would you like to learn this type of breathing? Would you like to feel how your breath and movements fuse together and become one?

Activating your 3 fires (Tan Tien fire)

Activating your 3 fires (Tan Tien fire, kidney fire and heart fire) in 6 directions is a powerful energetic technique of Cosmic Primordial Qigong. 

This technique allows you to extend the mind, to touch the universal forces, and draw that energy back in to charge the body.

When the 3 fires start to spin, they become one, which supplies you with an unlimited amount of energy from universal sources.

The 3 fires are the pilot lights of our main generators of inner force. When connected in a circuit of the microcosmic orbit, they support each other, and their capacity to generate and maintain energy stabilises🔋

Cosmic Primordial Qigong is an internal, moving form of Qigong that harnesses the energies of the tangible Earth (Yin) and the intangible Celestial (Yang) force, along with the forces from all directions.

It’s traditional name is «Wuji Gong» which can be literally translated as «developing skills for entering the Supreme Mystery».

Cosmic Primordial Qigong puts a deep emphasis on spiritual connections with the Universe and is uniquely powerful. As a result of activating your 3 fires in 6 directions, you will develop significant power and strengthen your inner body as well as experience an abundance of energy.

Would you like to learn this practice?