The Healing Power of Trees

Trees are the most spiritually advanced living beings on the Earth who are constantly in a meditative state and subtle energy is what they speak as a language. I have always loved trees. I love walking through the forest, and sitting under trees to meditate and connect with their energy.

Trees have a long and rich history of sharing the spiritual path with humanity.

Trees have been involved in a number of religious and spiritual practices. Many mythologies around the globe have stories of a “world or cosmic” tree. The roots, trunk and branches of the tree represent the underworld, earth, and heavens respectively.

Even biblical scriptures mention trees as in the “tree of life” and the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” in the book of Genesis. Buddhism has connections to the Bodhi tree where Buddha was known to have reached enlightenment as he sat and meditated. Druids were known to practice worship among sacred groves of trees.

The Kabbalist recognize the fifteenth of the month of Aquarius, the day known as Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of the trees. It is the 24 hour window in time in which the trees receive their energy for the entire year–whether they will grow and whether fruits will grow from them.

Tree: Healer and Friend

Trees are a source of energy on many levels. Physically they help people and the planet by providing oxygen and shade. They can provide shelter and habitats for animals. Some trees also give their fruit and wood to help ensure our survival.

The energy of trees can also affect our mental, emotional and spiritual bodies of energy. Consider for example the peace and serenity people feel when they sit under a tree or walk through a forest. And what about the feelings of joy and excitement that children feel when climbing a tree or the magic of spending time in a treehouse?

Trees like all living things have an energy frequency or vibration and an aura. Trees are quite intelligent and they do have a sense of touch and feel and they have conscious emotions too. 

With roots reaching deep into the earth, they have excellent grounding energy. Their vibrations are slower, deeper and more concentrated compared to some other living things. Essentially they give out the energy vibe of safety, security and stability.

By coming into contact with a tree you will pick up these vibrations whether you are consciously aware of it or not. You begin to resonate with the tree’s energy and you become more centered and grounded. This can help explain the comfort many people feel when next to a tree.

Through the time in history, trees have been used for various healing and medicinal purposes.

Trees can help open your energy channel and help them reciprocate with healing their blockages. A relationship with the tree is a mutually beneficial one which needs to be nourished.

They radiate Chi, nourish the blood system, strengthen the nervous system and ensure longevity. Trees fill the soul and our spirit. Pines are the immortal trees. Although pine trees are mostly the best choice, many other trees or plants can be used. 

Establishing a communication with a tree

First of all, each tree, like each person, has a personality, desires, and a life of its own. Trees differ widely in their taste for human contact. Some are very generous and want to give you all the energy you can take. Others are weak or ill and need your comforting and healing energy. Some are just friendly souls who enjoy human company. You can learn and grow by working with all of them. 

There is a certain size range within which trees are most accessible to human beings. When a tree is too small, it does not have enough energy to make much of an impression on you. When the tree is too big, you have the opposite problem, so it takes more persistence to get large trees to take an interest in you. As a source of healing energy, it is best to choose a large, robust tree from within the accessible size range. 

Among the most powerful are trees growing near running water. Some trees feel warmer or hotter than others; some feel cooler or colder than others.

Sit under the tree that calls out to you. Place your back against it if you can… You can also stand in front and place your palms on the trunk. Close your eyes and breathe.

Be patient and listen, as the guidance from trees sometimes comes slowly, but when it does it is incredibly helpful and profound. You may hear guidance from the tree, or receive mental images, which is a common way for trees to communicate.

In addition to asking for help and healing from the trees, ask what you can do for them.

Trees operate on a longer time scale than do human beings. You can help to bridge this gap by returning again and again to the same tree, so that a relationship develops. Visit regularly so that the tree knows when to expect you and can look forward to seeing you. Spiritual communion with trees resembles love more than any other human activity. Let the tree lead you into the wonders of its own inner life.

They have the power to unlock your intuition and help you in your spiritual journey.

Does hugging trees really improve your well-being? Science says YES!

This ancient practice has been confirmed to have advantages that improve health issues ranging from concentration levels and reaction times to depression, ADHD and other forms of mental illness. The studies conducted can be found in Matthew Silverstone’s book, Blinded by Science, where his research even indicated a tree’s ability to relieve headaches.

The studies conclude that children function better cognitively and emotionally when they interact with plants. Although many believe it’s the green open spaces that contribute to the effect, Silverstone demonstrates that the vibrational properties of trees and plants offer health benefits. 

Hugging a tree increases levels of hormone oxytocin. This hormone is responsible for feeling calm and emotional bonding. When hugging a tree, the hormones serotonin and dopamine make you feel happier. 

There is one other school of thought are in alignment with this remarkable theory: Taoism. 

Taoists observe that trees not only have the power to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen but they have the capacity to absorb any negative energy and convert into something useful. 

For example, the Taoist master Mantak Chia teaches students to meditate with trees, as a way of release “negative energies.” In his Cosmic Tree Healing Qigong method, Master Chia teaches how to align one’s body with the “aura” (or energetic field) of a tree. He explains that trees are natural processors that can help you transform your body’s sick or negative energy into positive, vital life force energy. As you connect your energy with the tree you facilitate your own physical and emotional healing. The Taoist theory is that because trees stand very still, they are better at absorbing the Earth’s Energy and the Universal Force from the Heavens. Trees and all plants have the ability to absorb the light frequencies and transform them into physical food; and they do the same with energetic food. The Taoist view of trees is to see them constantly in meditation, with subtle energy as their natural language.

One other fascinating laboratory that studies plant vibrational energies is Damanhur, an intentional community in Italy. In this peaceful and spiritual ecovillage there is a laboratory in the woods that offers a beautiful choir of singing trees. Yeah, you read that right… Singing trees. Since 1976, researchers at Damanhur have invented and developed equipment that can capture electromagnetic changes on the surface of leaves and roots, transforming them into actual sounds. The best part is, these trees seem to control their electrical responses via a feedback mechanism, and demonstrate a kind of awareness and preference for types of music. The singing plants and trees of Damanhur have sparked off such a worldwide fascination that the people began organizing “Plant Concerts”, where musicians perform to the music created by the trees.

Watch this 15-minute video of a beautiful demonstration singing plants while one of Damanhur’s researchers explain the phenomenon.

Also read:

• Doctors explain how hiking actually changes our brains
• Shinrin-Yoku: Forest Bathing Therapy
• Where Do You Find Your “Waldeinsamkeit”?
• Silence is much more important to our brains than we think

Foods Have Energy: The Yin and Yang of Food

“Food and medicine are not two different things;

they are the front and back of one body.”

– Masanobu Fukuoka

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, every food has an energy. Yin food is cool and expanding; Yang food is warm and contracting. It has nothing to do with the temperature at which they are served!

Conventional fields of western nutrition classify food in terms of its chemical composition, including the calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and other nutrients that it contains. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) focuses on the energy properties of food. 

The concept of yin and yang was introduced in the I Ching. The philosophy states that imbalances in the life force (qi) cause illness and unhappiness. Hence, by adjusting your diet you can regain equilibrium.

Practitioners of TCM believe that qi is the essential life force that flows through all of nature. To achieve harmony of your body, mind, and qi, they emphasize the importance of eating yin-yang balanced foods. Yin and yang are said to be energetic qualities that shape everything in the universe, including your health.

The Chinese symbol for yin is the shaded side of a hill. It signifies femininity, coolness, dampness, and darkness. In contrast, yang is the sunny side of the hill. It signifies masculinity, warmth, dryness, and light. Yin and yang are complementary qualities and essential to each other.

Yin foods are believed to be cool and thought to moisten your body. Yang foods are believed to be warm and drying. The yin or yang characteristics of a certain food have less to do with its actual temperature or moisture level than its purported energy properties and effects on your body. Boiled spinach for example, is cooling and moistening. Tea has a cool energy, it means that when we drink hot tea, it generates cool energy and it is therefore considered a cool beverage. Chilled wine is warming. The effects of such food qualities on health have been observed for thousands of years. 

"Cool" or yin foods are generally low in calories and high in potassium. 

"Hot" or yang foods tend to be higher in calories and sodium.

Yin foods usually grow in the earth and darkness.

Yang foods usually grow in the air and sunshine.

If it is soft, wet and cool, it is more yin.

If it is hard, dry and spicy, it is more yang.

Tropical foods are considered more yin because they have a more expansive and cooling effect on the body.

Yin/cooling energy comes from less motion, while Yang/warming energy comes from more action. For example, a chicken holds more heat than a lamb, and a lamb more heat than a cow. Land animals are mostly warming, from their dry environment, while water animals are mostly cooling. And thus, ducks are considered cooling by some, neutral by others. Even different body parts of the same pig might be considered yin or yang depending on their function and location.

Practitioners of TCM believe that eating too many yin or yang foods will throw off your body’s balance and cause adverse health effects. They link certain disorders to an excess of yin, yang, or both types of foods.

Yin and Yang body balance is also created through our activities (sitting still is Yin, exercise is Yang), and our environments (a cold weather climate and a sleepy country town is more Yin; a hotter climate and busy city is Yang).

Winter is yin, while summer is yang, and night is yin while day is yang. Arthritis made worse by cold weather is a yin condition. A red, inflamed rash brought on by heat is a yang condition. A ruddy-faced, irritable man with high blood pressure is relatively yang. An anemic, melancholy woman is relatively yin.

If you eat predominantly yin foods, your body will be capable of producing more yin energy - darker, slower-moving and colder. In contrast, eating predominantly yang foods will produce more yang energy - faster, hotter and much more energetic. 

Yang Excess/Yin Deficiency

When yin energy is deficient, your body starts to show heat signs. You prefer cold beverages and cool weather. You may even have high blood pressure, red eyes, inflamed tissues, rashes, swellings, or dry skin

Extreme yang force has some emotional and behavioral side effects: chronic aggression, rigidity in thinking and behavior, being controlling and overly competitive, sexual obsession or compulsivity, materialism, inability to relax, self-absorption, lack of sensitivity to one’s inner world, one’s emotions, or other people, the desire to dominate others.

Yin-Building Foods

Alfalfa sprouts, apples, artichokes, asparagus, avocados, bananas, barley, bean sprouts, broccoli, carrots, celery, cilantro, crab, clams, cucumbers, dandelion greens, duck, eggplant, egg whites, fish, grapefruit, grapes, honey, kelp, nettles, papaya, pears, pomegranates, radish, romaine lettuce, seaweed, soybean sprouts, spinach, star fruit, strawberries, tofu, tomatoes, watermelons, zucchinis.

Raw foods are generally cooling. Avoid stimulating foods like caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and pungent spices.

Yin Excess/Yang Deficiency

When yang energy is deficient, the body begins to slow down, showing signs of diminished activity and coldness. You are attracted to warmth, warming food and drink. It is important to build up the yang energy to bring balance back to the body.  Excess of yin in the body causes fatigue, depression, muscle ache, stuffy nose, cough with clear white phlegm, fluid retention, weak/sluggish digestion.

Extreme yin force has some emotional and behavioral side effects: Depression is definitely a Yin state. Yin is cold, dark, slow, black/blue, introverted, and damp. It’s like north side of a hill, which will feel much colder than the south side, which receives the warming and drying rays of the sun. There is a distinct lack of drive, motivation, courage, and mojo in this state. Victim thinking, sadness, guilt and grief.

Yang-Building Foods:

Basil, beef, black beans, pepper, butter, cayenne, chicken liver and fat, chestnuts, chili powder, cinnamon, clove, coffee, egg yolks, garlic, ginger, horseradish, lamb, leeks, lobster, lochi, mussels, mustard greens, nutmeg, oats, onions, parsnips, pork, pumpkin seeds, turkey, quinoa, scallions, shrimp, walnuts.

Avoid cold foods, cold liquids, and too many raw foods.

Also read:

• Jing –Your original life force, and how to nourish it
• The Three Treasures and Sexual Energy Cultivation
• Hatha, the Union of Sun & Moon 

The Three Treasures: Jing, Chi and Shen

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are believed to be three different types of energy in the human body, known as "the three treasures. These are Jing, Chi (Qi) and Shen. Of these three, only Qi has received some recognition in the West so far. Qi is but one of the Three Treasures – the other two are equally wondrous.

The Three Treasures are the fundamental energies that maintain human life.

Master Sung Jin Park, used to describe the Three Treasures by comparing them to a burning candle. Jing is like the wax and wick, which are the substantial parts of the candle. They are made of material, which is essentially condensed energy. The flame of the lit candle is likened to Qi, for this is the energetic activity of the candle, which eventually results in the burning out of the candle. The radiance given off by the flaming candle is Shen. The larger the candle and the better the quality of the wax and wick, the steadier will be its flame and the longer the candle will last. The greater and steadier the flame, the steadier the light given off and the greater the light. 

Jing existed before the body existed, and this Jing enters the body tissues and becomes the root of our body. When we keep Jing within our body, our body can be vigorous. If a person cares for the Cavity of Jing [a space within the lower abdomen], and does not hurt it recklessly, it is very easy to enjoy a life of great longevity. Without Jing energy, we cannot live.

Qi is the invisible life force which enables the body to think and perform voluntary movement. The power of Qi can be seen in the power that enables a person to move and live. It can be seen in the movement of energy in the cosmos and in all other movements and changes. Coming from heaven into the body through the nose (Yang Gate), it circulates through the twelve meridians [the energy circuitry of the body] to nourish and preserve the inner organs.

Shen energy is similar to the English meaning of the words "mind" and "spirit." It is developed by the combination of Jing and Qi energy. When these two treasures are in balance, the mind is strong, the spirit is great, the emotions are under control, and the body is strong and healthy. But it is very difficult to expect a sound mind to be cultivated without sound Jing and Qi. An old proverb says that a sound mind lives in a sound body. When cultivated, Shen will bring peace of mind.

"Jing naturally transforms into Qi, Qi naturally transforms into Shen, and Shen naturally transforms into pure openness, uniting with the cosmic space.” -Master Li

When we develop Jing, we get a large amount of Qi automatically. When we have a large amount of Qi, we will also have strong Shen, and we will become bright and glowing as a holy man.

You can’t really have good shen if you don’t have good jing and qi. These latter two form the foundation from which your shen can shine. This also means that if you have good jing and qi, it will be natural for you to have more shen, though there certainly could be exceptions to this rule.

"All disease and suffering arise out of the imbalances of the Three Treasures, Jing, Qi and Shen." – Ron Teeguarden, M.H.

The Shen represents the forces that shape our personality including mental and spiritual aspects. Shen disturbances generally refer to mental disorders. 

Weak shen will lead to a person that is ruled by emotions. They may be angry, sad, depressed, jealous, or filled with worry and anxiety. Its likely that they’ll be driven by the lower needs of food, sex, security, etc. in excessive ways rather than moving onto higher needs and keeping balance.

Another aspect of weak shen would be the disconnected person. Those that are overly robotic or skeptical and those without any spiritual practice (which can take many different forms).

A person with good shen will be a balanced person, mentally and emotionally. They’ll be well situated to be successful in what they do, regardless of what that is.

When these two treasures are in balance, the mind is strong, the spirit is great, the emotions are under control and the body is strong and healthy.

Also read:

• Jing –Your original life force, and how to nourish it
• Taoist sexual practices and sexual vampirism in ancient China
• The Swimming Dragon: Qigong exercise for beauty, health, and high energy

Hatha, the Union of Sun & Moon

A student of the great Indian poet Kabir once asked him, "Kabir, where is God?" His answer was simple: "He is the breath within the breath." To understand the profound implications of Kabir's reply, we need to look beyond the physical components of breath—the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other molecules that stream in and out with our every inhalation and exhalation. Beyond this breath—yet within it—is prana, the universal vital energy that is quite literally the stuff of life.

For those of us who practice yoga, the challenge is to harness this energy so it can fuel our physical, mental, and spiritual development. To do this, we need to look deeply into the mysteries of the mind and the subtle body. Fortunately, the early practitioners of Tantra voyaged into this inner landscape, mapping the many ways energy circulates within us. Among their most important discoveries were the nadis, the vast network of energy channels that makes each individual an integrated, conscious, and vital whole.

The Sanskrit word nadi derives from the root nad, which means "flow," "motion," or "vibration." The word itself suggests the fundamental nature of a nadi: to flow like water, finding the path of least resistance and nourishing everything in its path. The nadis are our energetic irrigation system; in essence, they keep us alive.

According to many Tantric texts, the human body contains 72,000 nadis that channel prana to every cell. Some are wide and rushing; others are a mere trickle. When this system flows freely, we are vital and healthy; when it becomes weak or congested, we struggle with poor mental and physical health. The practices of hatha yoga are so effective because they strengthen the flow of prana in our bodies, invigorating the current so that it carries away obstructions that block the free flow of energy.

Because nadis—like the chakras (psychoenergetic power centers), prana, and other aspects of the subtle body—don't show up under microscopes, medical science has relegated them to the realm of the merely metaphorical. But traditional yogis believe that the subtle body is real, and that understanding it and working with it complement and counterbalance the emphasis on gross physical anatomy that predominates our current yoga culture.

Three nadis are of particular interest to yogis. The sushumna (most gracious) nadi is the body's great river, running from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, passing through each of the seven chakras in its course. It is the channel through which kundalini shakti (the latent serpent power) rises up from its origin at the muladhara (root) chakra to its true home at the sahasrara (thousandfold) chakra at the crown of the head. In subtle body terms, the sushumna nadi is the path to enlightenment.

The ida (comfort) and pingala (tawny) nadis spiral around the sushumna nadi like the double helix of our DNA, crossing each other at every chakra. If you visualize the caduceus, the symbol of modern medicine, you'll get a rough idea of the relationships among the ida, pingala, and sushumna nadis. Eventually, all three meet at the ajna (command) chakra, midway between the eyebrows.

The ida nadi begins and ends on the left side of sushumna. Ida is regarded as the lunar nadi, cool and nurturing by nature, and is said to control all mental processes and the more feminine aspects of our personality. The color white is used to represent the subtle vibrational quality of ida. Pingala, the solar nadi, begins and ends to the right of sushumna. It is warm and stimulating by nature, controls all vital somatic processes, and oversees the more masculine aspects of our personality. The vibrational quality of pingala is represented by the color red.

The interaction between ida and pingala corresponds to the internal dance between intuition and rationality, consciousness and vital power, and the right and left brain hemispheres. In everyday life, one of these nadis is always dominant. Although this dominance alternates throughout the day, one nadi tends to be ascendant more often and for longer periods than the other. This results in personality, behavior, and health issues that can be called ida-like or pingala-like.

Ida-like individuals have lunar, or nurturing, qualities but may lack the verve to sustain a strong yoga practice. They are full of potential, but unless they develop their pingala side may never manifest that potential in either worldly affairs or spiritual development. Pingala-like individuals have solar qualities: type A personalities, lots of creativity, abundant vitality. But unless they develop their ida side, they may lack the quietude, introspection, and receptivity necessary to yield to the grace of spiritual awakening.

Creating Equilibrium

Bringing ida and pingala into equilibrium is a major focus of hatha yoga—so important, in fact, that the term hatha symbolizes this balance. Although the word hatha literally means "forceful" in Sanskrit, it is composed of ha and tha, two esoteric bija (seed) mantras that have arcane meaning and power. Ha represents the solar qualities, the vital force, of pingala; tha represents the mind and the lunar qualities of ida. Balancing sun and moon, or pingala and ida, facilitates the awakening and arising of kundalini, and thus the awakening of higher consciousness. In fact, some yoga teachings hold that as long as either ida or pingala predominates, sushumna stays closed and the power of kundalini lies dormant.

The most powerful method of balancing ida and pingala is Nadi Shodhana, alternate-nostril breathing. (Literally, the Sanskrit means "nadi cleansing.") This practice is effective because the ida nadi is directly connected to the left nostril, and the pingala nadi to the right. A few rounds of this basic Pranayama technique at the end of an asana practice are an excellent way to help restore equilibrium between the two nadis and to compensate for any imbalance you may have inadvertently caused during your practice.

To practice Nadi Shodhana, sit in a comfortable meditative position. Make a fist with your right hand, then partially reextend your ring and little fingers. Lightly place the pad of the thumb on your nose just to the right and below the bridge; lightly place the pads of your ring and little fingers on the corresponding flesh on the left side of your nose. Gently pressing with the ring and little fingers to close the left nostril, exhale fully through the right. Then inhale fully through the right, close it with the thumb, release the left nostril, and exhale through it. Inhale through the left nostril, close it with the fingers, release the right nostril, and exhale through it. This completes one round of Nadi Shodhana.

In addition to using Nadi Shodhana, you can experiment with using the asanas themselves as a method of balancing ida and pingala. At the beginning of a practice, sit and observe your breath to see which nostril—and, hence, which nadi—is dominant. (If you can't tell, try a few rounds of alternate-nostril breathing—it should be immediately clear which side is freer and which feels more inhibited). If the left nostril dominates, ida is in charge, and you might consider focusing your attention on invigorating asanas—such as backbends, standing poses, inversions, and twists—to engage the pingala nadi. If the right nostril dominates, the cooling, calming energy of seated poses and forward bends might be most beneficial.

You can also bring awareness of ida and pingala into any asana practice by pausing between poses to notice which nadi dominates your breathing. Notice your mind-states as well; you will find they closely correlate with which nadi is ascendant. Are you agitated and active (pingala-like) or calm and receptive (ida-like)? Through this checking-in process, you can begin to identify which poses activate one nadi or the other, and which are particularly effective—for you, at least—in creating physical and emotional equilibrium. You'll also be developing your awareness, deepening your practice, and clearing the way for your spiritual growth.

Also read:

• Science finally proves meridians exist
• Energy: Grounding, Centering, and Shielding

The Sacred Power of Menstrual Blood

Documentation of many lineages of Tantra and Tao mention the deliberate cessation of the menstruation for women as a way to conserve energy. 

It is often compared to the loss of energy that a man experiences after ejaculation, and thus a woman is encouraged to strive to end her bleeding, just as a man learns to prevent ejaculation. In the Tao lineage this practice is referred to “slaying the red dragon”.

There are lots of practices in Tantra and Taoism that assist in diminishing menstruation, also there are lists of foods to avoid. With this knowledge some advanced tantric yoginis even manage to stop their menstruation, so as not to lose their ojas or power.

On the other hand, many goddess-based lineages focus deeply on the menstruation, referring to it as a woman’s moon time. Stories of women gathering together at this time in a “red tent” to enter the mysteries of the feminine invoke images of a time in which to bleed was to enter a time of wisdom and intuition.

Some speak of how women have an opportunity once a month to awaken, through entering the collective female pain body that is accessible to them prior to and during their bleeding days.

Some shamanic paths suggest that women have an opportunity men do not have, to enter the mysteries of the underworld each month as they bleed. Men, they suggests, can only access these realms by partaking of the poison path, herbs and plants that induce deep altered states. A woman does not require such substances if she knows how to use her moon time wisely.

In tribes women were asked to report their dreams during their moon time to medicine people, because it was considered that women have increased psycic abilities during this time.

It’s very powerful to perform a ritual during menstruation.

So, with such contrasting points of view, how is a woman to view her moon time?

Also read:

• The Three Treasures and Sexual Energy Cultivation
• Taoist sexual practices and sexual vampirism in ancient China
• The Swimming Dragon: Qigong exercise for beauty, health, and high energy

Working with your Projective and Receptive Hand

PROJECTIVE ENERGY:

Projective energy is the process of directing energy. Your dominant hand is used to project, to send energy out. Hold your wand or athame in your projective hand to project your spell out into the universe. Use your projective hand to consecrate items, infuse energy into objects and send healing vibrations.

RECEPTIVE ENERGY:

Perceptive energy is the process of receiving energy. Your off hand is used to receive. Hold items in your receptive hand to draw and absorb energy from them. Use your receptive hand to ‘feel’ the energy of an object, hold a person’s projective hand to receive energy from them.

Some examples:

Let's say you want to charge your quartz crystal on the next full moon. You would stand outside under the Moon. Hold the quartz crystal in your projective hand. Use your receptive hand to draw the energy of the Moon into your hand, down your arm, through your body, down your projective arm, through your projective hand, to charge the stone. Make sense?

Most of us are healers in some capacity, while you may find you naturally work with both hands during healing, you should be concentrating on sending that energy with your right hand (or dominant hand) and receiving it with your left (or “weaker hand”).

During meditation try holding your left hand with the palm up to facilitate receiving energy as this is one of the many places you will receive energy.

If you are able to use both hands equally, you want to spend some time sensing the energy in your hands, and determine which one you feel more comfortable using to send energy.

Just for fun. How to create a ball of energy:

1. Slap your hands together or rub them briskly to awaken the energy.

2. Bring your hands to a relaxed prayer position in front of your face but do not let them touch.

3. Focus all your energy into the center of your palms and begin to feel the sensation of a magnetic force.

4. Try to imagine a small ball of chi or light energy forming between your hands.

As your palms close in towards one another, you should notice a subtle feeling of resistance much like two magnets trying to push away from each other.

Separate your hands slightly and then close them again. Do it slowly. Practice this often so that you become familiar with how the energy feels. Later on, you’ll notice it within your body.

Also read:

• Energy: Grounding, Centering, and Shielding
• Pran (vital energy) Mudra
• Everything is Energy 

Energy: Grounding, Centering, and Shielding

"Now and again, it is necessary to seclude yourself among deep mountains and hidden valleys to restore your link to the source of life. Breathe in and let yourself soar to the ends of the universe; breathe out and bring the cosmos back inside. Next, breathe up all fecundity and vibrancy of the earth. Finally, blend the breath of heaven and the breath of earth with your own, becoming the Breath of Life itself." - Morihei Ueshiba

Energy plays an important role in everything we do. It is the power that animates the physical world, causing the sun to shine, our bodies to move, making trees and plants grow and flourish; and it is the force that flows within us, the primary source of our emotions, thoughts and spiritual life. When stress, injury, and negative feelings disrupt our flow of energy, our quality of life is diminished – even if we are not aware of it!

With careful practice and meditation, we can learn to sense the energies within ourselves, and bring them into balance so that we may embrace our highest good.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to balance physical and spiritual energies is a technique known as “grounding and centering.” 

Grounding

When you ground yourself you are either shedding your excess energy or replenishing yourself to balance your energy levels. 

Grounding helps to prevent the body from becoming too tired or energetic and can replenish your energy after doing spiritual work or magick.

Here are some things you can do to help bring you back down to earth:

• Eating healthy & balanced
• Drinking water
• Walking barefood
• Laying on the floor 
• Hugging a tree
• Sunshine/Moonlight
• Hiking in nature
• Yoga, Qigong, tai chi etc.
• Breathing Exercises
• Gardening
• Animals
• Being purposeful
• Carrying/working with crystals 
• Visualization 

Example of visualization:

The easiest and most helpful thing to imagine when you are trying to ground yourself is tree roots! Just imagine you have great long sturdy roots coming from the base of your feet (which should remain flat on the floor during the visualization), or, from the base of your spine if you are sitting directly on the floor. Just let these roots go right down in to the earth below and let them anchor you onto the earth. 

Colour can also be quite helpful, deep earthy colours such as red, brown and terracotta are always good. Again just imagine that this colour surrounds you. You can imagine it as light or a cloak or blanket, whatever is easier for you.

Centering 

"When you have a disease, do not try to cure it. Find your center and you will be healed. There are some things that can be sensed but not explained in words." – Taoist proverbs

Centering is a foundational skill for energy work. 

Centering allows someone to centralize his or her power someplace inside the body. 

This is beneficial because when casting a spell, or doing energy healing you will be able to access one center of power instead of your power being spread across your body. 

Some teachers often compare this to “saving money in the bank for a rainy day.” Everyday you put a little energy in the bank. Then when you’re old or sick you have a nice big savings stored up and you can use it to stay healthy, active and vibrant.

Most people center themselves in the navel and I suggest that for now you do as well, but when you are more advanced you can put your center of power anywhere you wish. Some don't recommend  storing it in the heart and head. And some claim that the most effective place to store energy is in the bone marrow of your entire body from head to toe.

At the end of any energy work, make certain to bring your dispersed energy back to your navel (or center of choice). This is very important. You don’t want your energy stuck up in your head or heart, as this can cause scatteredness and emotional problems—even Qi psychosis could result.

Basic technique to connect and feel your Tantien:

Sit down.

Place your fingers on your belly at the height of the hara, 2cm under the navel.

Breath in and push your fingers away from your belly with your muscles.

Breath out, the muscles that pushed your fingers out relax, and let the fingers go inside the soft muscles towards the center.

Let your exhales and the movement inside be longer than the inhale.

At the end of the long exhales, feel a contraction, in the center, inside your belly.

Stay there, a bit, until you feel the need to inhale again.

Then, with the next inhale, push your fingers away from the center again.

When you start to control the movement of the muscles, out and back in, you can remove your fingers.

Pushing your Tantien forward in your lower belly with the inhale and bringing it back to the center with the exhale, is the basic exercise for all the inner techniques of chi.

Practice this one as much as you can and your Tantien will become stronger and more present from day to day.

Shielding

I actually think this is the most important of the three skills, but unless you are grounded and centered, you′re not going to be able to shield very well. Once you are grounded and centered and put up your shield, then it will be harder for someone to knock you off your equilibrium.

Shielding is pretty much just what it says it is. It′s your suit of psychic armor that you put around yourself so that no one can impose their energy onto you, nor leach your energy for themselves. You′ll sometimes hear people talk about ‘psychic vampires.′

These are often people who drain the energy from those who are not properly shielded—sometimes without even knowing that they are doing it. Have you ever been in a room with someone and left feeling absolutely exhausted? They′ve drained your energy. Shielding can help you with this, whether it is in a magic circle, or just having to deal with a bombastic colleague or neighbor.

Ways of defense and clearing:

• Visualizing a force-field
• Visualization of white light
• Aura cleansing
• Using positive affirmations
• Smudging
• Meditation to strengthen the aura
• Mantra or repeated prayer
• Salt baths
• Essencial oils and herbs
• Protective imagery/jewelry/crystals
• Magic

For more information read my article: The threat of Psychic Attacks.

Tips

When you first start to ground, center, and shield you may feel that it′s all a bit complicated, but I promise you that if you remember to start every morning, this way it will become second nature to you. 

Remember, there′s really no one right way to do this. We′re all unique. There are many techniques for grounding, centering and shielding and it is wise to look for those that work best for you.

Do you have a favorite technique? Tell us in the comments! 

Also read:

• The threat of Psychic Attacks
• The Protective Aura
• Jing –Your original life force, and how to nourish it

The Swimming Dragon: Qigong exercise for beauty, health, and high energy

The Swimming Dragon is an ancient Chinese Qigong exercise that comes to us through the Taoist tradition. If practiced diligently and regularly, it has the power to improve our health, enhance our physical appearance, and improve our general well-being.

The Swimming Dragon is named for the serpentine movement of the body while practicing which resembles a Chinese Dragon swimming. In traditional Daoism, this exercise is also known as The Tiger’s Waist Exercise, Willow Waist, or Triple Bracelets Encircling the Moon.

The Swimming Dragon is a self-contained exercise that is generally practiced by repeating a short cycle of movements in sessions lasting from five to twenty minutes. Each cycle of exercise takes about one minute. It is easy to learn and perform and brings pleasant and beneficial results as soon as one begins to practice it.

During the exercise, the body smoothly and evenly rises and lowers and, at the same time, swings to the left and right. The movements are simple and the swinging movements fully stretch out the body. The spine is twisted in an "S" shape and extended to its maximum length. It requires the entire body, especially the waist and abdominal area, perform large scale swinging movements. In moving the body from side to side with legs together while shifting the pelvis stimulates the groin area. This in turn stimulates the endocrine system.

Benefits

The Swimming Dragon is actually a comprehensive system of care for the internal organs, spine and meridian systems, In particular, the movements have beneficial influences on the intestines, stomach, lungs and kidneys and encourage relaxation.

Practicing this Qi Gong exercise is very effective for stimulating the free flow of Energy and Blood throughout the body while breaking up any stagnation that might be present. This Qi Gong exercise also helps maintain the strength and flexibility of all the joints including the spine. In addition practicing this exercise also helps to strengthen all the internal organs and benefits the Kidney energy.

• reduces weight without dieting 
• waist is made more slender and flexible
• stimulates metabolism
• increases and balances energy
• creates beautiful skin
• improves skin tone 
• helps eliminate wrinkles
• reduces tension by relaxing the body and calming the mind
• improves muscle tone and enhances flexibility in joints
• adjusts and stretches the spine
• naturally improves posture
• massages deep muscles all the way to the bone
• frees and deepens breathing
• benefits all internal organs
• sends energy to vital organs by stimulating meridians

Above all these specific benefits, the main benefit of the Swimming Dragon is the production and circulation of Chi, leading to longer life and increased vitality.

This Qi Gong is very simple to learn. 

Also read:

• Shinrin-Yoku: Forest Bathing Therapy
• Having access to green places 'helps people live longer'
• Silence is much more important to our brains than we think
• Ikigai: Finding your reason for being

Taoist sexual practices and sexual vampirism in ancient China

Some Taoist sects during the Han dynasty performed sexual intercourse as a spiritual practice, called "Héqì" ("Joining Energy"). The first sexual texts that survive today are those found at the Mawangdui. While Taoism had not yet fully evolved as a philosophy at this time, these texts shared some remarkable similarities with later Tang dynasty texts, such as the Ishinpō. 

The sexual arts arguably reached their climax between the end of the Han dynasty and the end of the Tang dynasty. After 1000 CE, Confucian restraining attitudes towards sexuality became stronger, so that by the beginning of the Qing dynasty in 1644, sex was a taboo topic in public life. These Confucians alleged that the separation of genders in most social activities existed 2,000 years ago, and suppressed the sexual arts. Because of the taboo surrounding sex, there was much censoring done during the Qing in literature, and the sexual arts disappeared in public life. As a result, some of the texts survived only in Japan, and most scholars had no idea that such a different concept of sex existed in early China.

The basis of all Taoist thinking is that qi is part of everything in existence. Qi is related to another energetic substance contained in the human body known as jing, and once all this has been expended the body dies. Jing can be lost in many ways, but most notably through the loss of body fluids. Taoists may use practices to stimulate/increase and conserve their bodily fluids to great extents. The fluid believed to contain the most Jing is semen. Therefore, Taoists believe in decreasing the frequency of, or totally avoiding, ejaculation in order to conserve life essence.

Male control of ejaculation

Statue of an Immortal

Many Taoist practitioners link the loss of ejaculatory fluids to the loss of vital life force: where excessive fluid loss results in premature aging, disease, and general fatigue. While some Taoists contend that one should never ejaculate, others provide a specific formula to determine the maximum amount of regular ejaculations in order to maintain health.

The general idea is to limit the loss of fluids as much as possible to the level of your desired practice. As these sexual practices were passed down over the centuries, some practitioners have given less importance to the limiting of ejaculation. Nevertheless, the "retention of the semen" is one of the foundational tenets of Taoist sexual practice.

There are different methods to control ejaculation prescribed by the Taoists. While, if done incorrectly can cause a retrograde ejaculation, the Taoists believed that the jing traveled up into the head and "nourished the brain."

Proponents of the bedchamber techniques theorized that if one could suck up the genital fluids of one's partner during sexual intercourse without releasing any fluids of one's own, one would emerge from the encounter with an increased store of qi — at the direct expense, of course, of the partner, who would eventually waste away and die if the technique were performed on her repeatedly.

Some Ming dynasty Taoist sects believed that one way for men to achieve longevity or 'towards immortality' is by having intercourse with virgins just under 14 years of age and women older than 18 should be avoided.

One danger for some weak men is that they might activate an endless outpouring of jing that never seems to stop, which can actually kill them, so in the old days the women would wear a needle in their hair and then take it out and punch the man’s buttocks with it — like acupuncture –to stop the leakage of jing to prevent him from fainting. They actually stabbed the man in the buttocks if this deadly scenario happened.

Women

In the early days of Taoism, men were running the show and they were writing the rules on sexual practices. As you might guess, the practices they came up with, largely favored male advancement and illumination. The female was getting screwed, literally.

Queen Mother of the West

Women were often given a position of inferiority in sexual practice. Many of the texts discuss sex from a male point of view, and avoid discussing how sex could benefit women.

While the man had to please the woman sexually, she was still just an object. At numerous points during the Ishinpō, the woman is referred to as the "enemy"; this was because the woman could cause him to spill semen and lose vitality. In later sexual texts from the Ming, women had lost all semblance of being human and were referred to as the "other," "crucible", or "stove" from which to cultivate vitality. The importance of pleasing the woman was also diminished in later texts. The practice was known as Caibu, as a man enters many women without ejaculation.

Women were also considered to be a means for men to extend men's lives. Many of the ancient texts were dedicated explanation of how a man could use sex to extend his own life. But, his life was extended only through the absorption of the woman's vital energies (jing and qi). Some Taoists called the act of sex “The battle of stealing and strengthening.”

So a group of Taoist women came up with their own practices, which favored the female or at least offered equal favor for their own advancement and illumination.

These women conducted their work in secrecy and were rumored to be illuminated master of sexuality, eternal youth and healing. A woman of this lineage was known as a White Tigress.

The unique aspect of the White Tigress is their claim that women have their own unique process for acquiring the physical and spiritual goals of Taoism, namely restoring youthfulness and ultimately achieving immortality through a disciplined use of sexuality. Tigresses viewed their sexuality as a spiritual gift, and they knew how to use it well to stay healthy and young.

The female practitioner of the White Tigress Teachings practices oral sexual union with as many men as she desires. During these sexual unions she is absorbing the jing energy from the male's penis and then focusing it into her body to revitalize herself. When a male partner or Green Dragon ejaculates usually on her face or body the semen is looked upon as a badge of honor. She will rub it into her body since it is one of the most powerful skin rejuvenation creams known to ancient man. This is where the concept of the White Tigress and the stripes come from and why Geisha girls had white faces in Japan.

"A Green Dragon serves no other purpose than to be a provider of semen and sexual energy, and he does so in most cases unknowingly. A Green Dragon is led to believe that he is being seduced by the White Tigress purely for sexual pleasure... After a White Tigress had sexual interplay with a Green Dragon and she depleted him of all his sexual essences and energy, he would be symbolically considered a "Fallen Dragon".  -Sexual Teachings of the Jade Dragon

The process was totally in favor of the woman. The man got nothing really other than gratification. With sexual intercourse the female creates a material child. With oral sex, her past childlike affinities are re-created.

Master Ch’ung Ho said: “It’s not only male sexual energy that can be cultivated, the female can cultivate hers as well. Western Royal Mother is a female who obtained immortality by replenishing her yin forces with the yang. Every time she engaged in sex with a man, he fell ill, but her own face would be so smooth and glowing that she had no use for facial powders or rouge."

In China, where the preservation of the male lineage has dominated religious and political laws for centuries, little importance was given to women maintaining their youth or health. The truth is White Tigresses were imprisoned in China for their practices and those that survived went underground for many reasons.

Lao Tzu himself states, “The mysterious female is inexhaustible.” How the Yellow Emperor achieved immortality and how Western Royal Mother achieved immortality cannot be compared. Each has its own path, each seeks the other's essence to become complete.

How does Qi transfer from one partner to the other, during sex? 

First, its easy to tranfer qi from one person to another. If you look at systems like Reiki, energy easily passes from one person to another - with or without touching - no sex involved.

The same is true during sex - energy can easily pass from person to person. But here we are not speaking about simple energy, its about Jing. Jing is a special form of qi, and for the vast majority of people you have a finite amount of jing - the amount you are born with.

No one can be obligated to give energy to another. Unfortunately, there is a rich tradition of sexual ‘vampirism’ associated with the sexual practices. And there was abundant misogyny in Ancient China.

Bai Mudan is a character from Chinese mythology. It is said that one day, the immortal Lü Dongbin took a walk in Luoyang spotted Bai Mudan, and was heavily attracted by her beauty. Lü Dongbin slept with her many times. However, she became very weak since Lu practiced "cai yin bu yang" on her. Meaning he absorbed her yin essence, without losing his own yang essence. Mudan was taught by other immortals how to make him ejaculate and to absorbe his Yang essence. Later she cultivated herself and became immortal as well.

I’d like to point out that there are many many Taoist lineages in which sexual contact is not required or is strictly forbidden - a sexual partner or their energy is not needed to ‘become one with the Tao.’ There are many paths to the Tao, only a few involve sex.

You can exchange energy voluntarily 

This does not require male ejaculation. The male can ‘release’ his jing without ejaculating.

During sexual intercourse, at an agreed moment, the female ‘pours herself’ into the male as the male ‘inhales and pulls his energy (and hers) inward and upward along his du mai to the bai hui’. Then the male exhales, and pours all of that energy (his and hers) down his ren mai into the female as the female inhales and pulls her energy (and his) up her du mai to her bai hui. When she exhales, she let the energy run back down her ren mai, and they run the energy back and forth between them - up his du mai, down his ren mai, up her du mai down her ren mai - with the energy crossing between bodies at the genitals - in a pattern called ‘figure eights’ - until they have equalized and balanced the energy between them. This is called ‘dual cultivation.’

The same can be done between two skilled practitioners without any physical contact.

You can absorb sexual energy from nature

Man and woman are not the only sources of yin and yang but small reservoirs of these energies which stream through creation.

Heaven is male and earth is female. Thus the man who needs yin energy but prefers not to receive it from its human container will absorb it from the earth; and woman will draw in the male potency from its source, the heavens.

For the man to draw in the yin energy, he lies belly down, embracing the earth. One leg is straight and one bent at the knee. He will pull in the energy from the earth. He must try to have no sexual thoughts. The genitals should not touch the ground, but hang a little above it. Relax and gather your concentration by breathing deeply in and out through the nose. Think the power from the earth slowly into the penis. This basic practice applies to man: think the power up through your breathing.
As you inhale, draw the power up as if you were absorbing up fluid in a Straw: the fluid is the power and the straw is the penis. From the penis draw it past the hui yin, chang-chiang, and up the back to the head. Store the yin power in the head. In due course it will overflow the crown and move down the front of the body and return to the hui yin. When this point is reached, you may bring it up the front of the body to the navel and work the centers navel, solar plexus and heart, respectively, in the manner described in the Yin-Yang Exchange. Put away all obsessive erotic thoughts or it will cause the power to drain out.

How to absorb sexual energy from the sun

This method of absorbing the solar power into the penis is regarded as top secret and rarely revealed.
Practice: Morning sun from 7 to 11 is much preferred or 3 to 6 in the afternoon. If the sun is not too strong we can gradually absorb its power into the glans (head) of the penis much easier.

To expose to the sun, hold stem of the penis with one hand and use it to rub the glans until penis is erect. Put it down facing towards the sun and imagine the power coming into the glans, absorbing it, so that it fills the organ with warm power. It will fill the entire organ with energy if your thought is properly concentrated. When your penis softens, do the whole procedure again. Do this exercise three to four times.

Also read:

• White Tigress Sexual Teachings
• The Three Treasures and Sexual Energy Cultivation
• Jing –Your original life force, and how to nourish it

Jing –Your original life force, and how to nourish it

Jīng 精 is the Chinese word for "essence". Along with qì and shén, it is considered one of the Three Treasures Sanbao of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

According to tradition, Jing is stored in the kidneys and is the most dense physical matter within the body (as opposed to shén which is the most volatile). It is said to be the material basis for the physical body and is yin in nature, which means it nourishes, fuels, and cools the body. As such it is an important concept in the internal martial arts. Jing is also believed by some to be the carrier of our heritage (similar to DNA). Production of semen, in the man, and menstrual blood (or pregnancy), in the woman, are believed to place the biggest strains on jing. Because of this, some even equate jing with semen, but this is inaccurate; the jing circulates through the eight extraordinary vessels and creates marrow and semen, among other functions.

Jing should not be confused with the related concept of jin (勁; power).

The characteristics which constitute signs of good Jing (e.g. facial structure, teeth, hair, strength of adrenals or kidneys) share the embryological origin of neural crest cells. These cells undergo immense and challenging cellular migrations requiring great organisation. As such, Jing may simply represent the strength of embryological self-organisation in the organism. This will be manifestated most strongly in those cells which require most organisation; that is, the neural crest cells.

One is said to be born with a fixed amount of jing (pre-natal jing, also sometimes called yuan qi) and also can acquire jing from food and various forms of stimulation (exercise, study, meditation.)

 The strength of your Jing is based on the age and health of your parents when you were conceived.

Theoretically, jing is consumed continuously in life; by everyday stress, illness, fear, trauma, overwork, substance abuse, sexual intemperance, childbirth, poor diet, excessive fasting, etc

Pre-natal jing is very difficult to be renewed, and it is said it is completely consumed upon dying.

Jing is therefore considered quite important for longevity in Traditional Chinese Medicine; many disciplines related to qìgōng are devoted to the replenishment of "lost" jing by restoration of the post-natal jing. In particular, the internal martial arts (esp. T'ai chi ch'uan) and the Circle Walking of Baguazhang may be used to preserve pre-natal jing and build post-natal jing, if performed correctly. 

Certain herbs are said to contain jing. These include but are not limited to he shou wu, rehmannia, goji berries, eucommia, chaga, deer antler, tongkat ali, dendrobium, schizandra, and many more. Ginseng, particularly Korean and Chinese, is said to bolster the jīng. Consumed for thousands of years as a superior herb, listed as the top major tonic in the herbal classic the Shennong Ben Cao Jing, it is one of the most widely researched of the Chinese tonics. Often referred to as the "king of herbs", it is well-known around the world for its energizing and immune modulating properties.

In the Ayurvedic system, the equivalent of Jing is called Ojas and you’ll find many of their top herbs like ashwaganda and shilajit help with it.

Jing herbs are commonly divided into two categories, yin and yang.

10 foods that nourish jing:

Eggs – Think about jing’s relation to reproduction and it becomes obvious the eggs can be a great food for this purpose. For the most nourishing you’re going to want to highest quality eggs. Factory farmed chickens will not do. Instead find eggs from birds that eat their natural diets. Get eggs from pastured birds or duck eggs and you’ll see a richer orange and much thicker yolk. Sometimes the shells are even tough to break.

Fish Eggs or Roe – But birds aren’t the only egg laying animal. Fish roe are another option. These eggs were highly prized by many indigenous people, and especially fed to young children and pregnant women (sometimes even pre-conception). In fact in the Andes, people would travel sometimes hundreds of miles to collect these eggs to bring them back for eating. Hopefully, you won’t have to travel that far. Instead, the next time you eat sushi make sure to get an order with tobiko or roe.

Nuts and Seeds – These are the reproductive parts of plants. All of them will work to some degree. One of the best is black sesame seeds. In fact, this is regarded as a great jing tonic in Chinese medicine. (One hint is that the color black, and even dark colors, are often associated with jing. Antioxidants contribute to health and aging slowly so they may be associated with jing.)

Algae and Seaweeds – The large amounts of minerals and dark colors contribute to the jing essence of these foods.

Pollens – Once again the reproductive agents in plants. The pollen is likened to the mammalian sperm and thus is highly rich in nutrients. Bee pollen is one option. And due to the strong hormonal component pine pollen is even better.

Royal Jelly – This substance is fed to the queen bee and is responsible for her becoming the queen. The workers are genetically identical to her, but do not get this food. It is what the royal jelly activates (epigenetics) that causes her to become queen.

Beans – Certain beans like kidney, black and azuki beans are thought to contribute to jing. Many argue that beans cause digestive problems so this may be up for debate. The best way to consume them is likely in fermented forms like miso, natto and tempeh.

Black Rice – At one point in time only the Chinese emperor could consume black rice. It was punishable by death for the common people to consume it. This forbidden black rice is now widely available for royalty and common folk alike. While more expensive then its white or brown counterparts, it has significantly more nutrition. Its antioxidant count is said to rival blueberries.

Organs – Jing is stored more in the organs than the muscle. Organs of all types have much higher amounts of minerals and vitamins. For more jing go to the jing organs themselves including the kidneys and brain (recall the jing is tied into the nervous system).

Bones – Jing also governs the marrow. Bone marrow was regarded as highly prized in ancient China because it is mysterious and the most hidden and tucked away in the human body. Various qi gong practices are devoted specifically to the marrow. So eating it will help you build it as well. A good quality bone broth may be one of the best jing foods out there. Some even call it the original stem cell therapy.

Also read:

• Nothing is solid and everything is energy
• Tai Chi Master shares the seven secrets of cultivating qi energy in the body
• The Three Treasures and Sexual Energy Cultivation
• Bee Products: The Original Superfoods
• The secret anti-aging properties of bone broth