.

Two Immortals
Life Nourishing Longevity
System
The Daoist Way to Health, Long Life &
Boundless Energy

Tom Bisio
Copyright © 2020 Thomas Bisio
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 9798675661756
CONTENTS

Preface 5

Introduction 8

Chapter 1
Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System 11
Ancient Technologies for Modern Times
Chapter 2
Mountain Sages 15
The Life Nourishing Tradition in Ancient China
Chapter 3
Ge Hong & Chen Tuan
21
Inspiration & Insight into Longevity & Transcendence from Two Daoist
Sages

Chapter 4
Dao Yin 49
Unblocking the Meridians & Balancing the Qi Dynamic
Chapter 5
Daoist Yoga 55
Balancing the Fascial Web & Opening Energy Gates
Chapter 6
Qi Gong 63
Healing the Organs and Strengthening the Body
Chapter 7
Longevity Diet 73
Nourishing the Life Force
Chapter 8
Internal Martial Arts 81
Strengthening the Will & Adapting to Change
Chapter 9
Ba Gua Energy Practices 91
Connecting Heaven & Earth
Chapter 10
Daoist Meditation 95
Calming the Heart Mind & Transforming Energy into Spirit
Chapter 11
Sexual Cultivation 105
Connecting Life Force with Qi & Spirit
Chapter 12
Heavenly Qi 119
Living in Harmony with the Seasons
Chapter 13
Herbal Medicine 127
Supporting & Nourishing the Three Treasures
Chapter 14
Steps on the Path 133
Stages of Self-Cultivation
Chapter 15
A Daoist Life Style? 137
Ongoing Change & Transformation
Chapter 16
Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System 139
Summary & Resources
Preface
After more than 30 years of clinical practice I developed unusual
palpatory, massage, acupuncture and bone setting skills through martial
arts training and apprenticeships in Chinese medicine. As these skills
flourished and matured, my practice was very busy. I almost always got
results, but my patients all-to0-often needed to return for more
treatments. One of the unfortunate things I discovered was that the
better I became at treating acute illnesses and acute trauma, the less
patients were willing to implement the suggested life-style and dietary
advice that could prevent them from becoming ill in the first place. Many
patients asked me how I stayed healthy and fit. I would enthusiastically
mention Qi Gong, internal martial arts, and living in harmony with the
seasons. Most were not interested in pursuing these seemingly esoteric
disciplines that were not the latest fad.
It was also not unusual for people to continue to perform damaging
exercises or to adhere to questionable diets, that I warned them would
lead to the same problem we had just “fixed” recurring again. Several
responded that they would rather pay me to treat them, so they could
continue that behavior rather than changing it, despite my response that
one day, too much damage would be done and at that point repairing the
damage might not be possible.
The exceptional patients were those who were genuinely interested in
Chinese medicine or martial arts students and Qi Gong practitioners
who were already engaging with Chinese health practices on more than a
superficial level. These patients would only need to come in periodically,
sometimes with years between appointments, because they saw that
taking charge of their own health was the most effective way to prevent
illness and lead a healthy and full life.
There is an oft-quoted observation that there are three types of Chinese
physicians: Superior doctors prevent the disease, mediocre doctors treat the
disease before it is evident, and inferior doctors treat the disease when it is
already manifest. By this standard, by the end of my clinical practice, I
realized to my chagrin, that I would certainly be placed in the camp of
the inferior doctor! However let’s look at the quote more closely.
The Superior Doctor really does not treat anyone – he or she is not
performing acupuncture and massage or giving out herbal prescriptions.
The Superior Doctor teaches people how to prevent disease so their
“patients” do not get sick and do not place themselves in positions that
will lead to illness. The Superior Doctor is really a kind of Daoist Sage
who acts effectively by “not acting”, or acting just enough. This person is
not really “treating” patients but dispensing life wisdom.
In internal martial arts training I learned very early on to treat small
injuries immediately so they did not become big injuries. This is the so-
called “mediocre” doctor (although actually quite sophisticated upon
reflection), who treats the disease before it is really evident, when there
are only small signs that something is amiss. The Yi Jing tells us that big
changes begin with small, almost insignificant signs. If we act when
things are small, it is easy to flow with the changing circumstances and
restore balance. If we wait, heroic efforts are required.
Unfortunately much of modern Chinese Medicine, just like Western
Medicine, focuses on treating the disease after it has already occurred –
the realm of the inferior doctor, where heroic measures are needed.
Don't get me wrong, this is an important and necessary part of medicine,
but ideally, being the recipient of heroic life-saving measures should be a
wake up call, an entry point for the patient to begin to take care of their
own health.
In Western culture we have been culturally conditioned to love heroic
measures - the physician who pulls out all the stops to save someone’s
life, or the soldiers who turn the tide of battle at the last possible moment
through remarkable heroism and bravery. We find the idea that the
battle could have been won without bloodshed (or not fought at all), or
that the doctor could have prevented the disease, if he or she intervened
sooner, a bit lukewarm. In Asia the opposite is the case. The great
general is the one who wins without fighting, and the great doctor is the
one who acts minimally but prevents disease from taking root.
In the West, we are drawn to the new restrictive diet that promises all
kinds of benefits, even though it goes against the seasons, balance, and
common sense, and we want the magic food supplement or herb that will
prevent cancer. These things are touted publically and are great
moneymakers for their creators. In the East, diet and supplemental foods
must adhere to proven centuries-old principles that have withstood the
test of time, and are woven into the fabric of daily life. No one gets
famous or makes a lot of money touting these things.
Reflecting on these experiences and ideas after closing my clinic several
years ago to return to teaching martial arts, Yang Sheng (Life
Nourishing) methods, meditation, and Qi Gong, led me organize the
Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System. The Two Immortals
System is organized around very sophisticated methods of preventing
disease, promoting health, and even extending life that were discovered
over two millennia ago in ancient China. Daoist Life Nourishing
methods are not esoteric; they are direct and practical, as relevant today
as they were two thousand years ago. Some of their principles of
operation are only now being substantiated by Western “science.”

6
The methods for Nourishing Life and promoting longevity taught in the
Two Immortals System are effective and very quickly create profound
changes in health, one’s sense of well-being and one’s outlook on life.
These methods are life changing.
To use another oft-quoted saying: Give a man a fish and you feed him for
a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. By learning
the methods presented in the Two Immortals System, you take charge of
your own health. Instead of relying on an outside expert to figure out
what is happening inside you, you become the master of your own inner
and outer worlds. You learn how to prevent disease entirely, by moving
in harmony with the world rather than against it, and you learn how to
adjust small imbalances in mind and body, before they become large.
You become the sage-like doctor who prevents disease within your own
body.
Over the years, people who have consistently engaged with some of the
knowledge and practices that are part of this program have experienced
vast improvements in health, less illness, increased energy, a more
positive outlook on life, and even reversal of the aging process.
This book outlines the philosophy and methods contained within the
Two Immortals System. It is a useful guide to understanding how the
different components of health and Nourishing Life fit together into a
cohesive whole. The book is meant to help you as you begin to actively
engage with and navigate the practices in the Two Immortals Life
Nourishing Longevity System. I sincerely hope you find it useful.
Tom Bisio (2020)

7
Introduction
The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System teaches and
promotes practical, contemporary Daoist approaches to improving
health, balanced living, longevity, and an embodied spiritual path that is
free of ritual, rules and constraint.
I first encountered Daoist teachings almost 40 years ago through the
martial arts, starting a path that would lead me to study and later teach
Chinese Medicine, Daoist Meditation, Daoist Yoga, Qi Gong, and Daoist
influenced martial arts like Xing Yi Quan and Ba Gua Zhang. The Two
Immortal Life Nourishing Longevity System is a product of that journey.
The Daoist approach to meditation and spiritual practices involves first
balancing the body, promoting health, and augmenting and optimizing
the life force. Balance and health changes the body’s internal energy
patterns from which growth and change naturally must flow. By living
longer and living well, one creates an energetic reservoir that acts as a
foundation to allow further development of one’s higher self.
Many people who practice the health and longevity methods taught in
our online classes report a return to a level of health that they had
decades early. They regain the internal body potential they had as a child,
now imbued and enriched by life experience and Daoist wisdom. One
student recounts:
Over the past few years I have purchased all of your Qi Gong/Nei Gong
courses...5 element, 6 healing sounds, and Seasonal Qi Gong. They have
given me the opportunity to put together a very nice workout routine for
myself that focuses on maintaining an energetically balanced
physical/psychological/spiritual practice as I age over time. (Currently
I'm 68). These teachings have slowed and in some cases reversed my
aging process to the point where I now feel and exhibit a level of health
that I had 20 to 30 years ago. And now with the addition of your Daoist
Yoga class, I feel a whole other level of excitement and internal body
awareness potential soon to become an integral part of who I am.
Gary M.
Daoist practices are ancient technologies created by Daoist sages who
lived in harmony with the surrounding world. Through close
observation of natural forces and energetic patterns in nature, Daoists
discovered ways of augmenting their life force and increasing the body’s
energy potential. They further discovered that this in turn had positive
effects on the mind and spirit that led not only to a more positive and
worry-free life, but also to spiritual achievement and transcendence.

8
The discoveries of the ancient Daoists can be viewed as technologies of
the body and mind that have withstood the test of time; they are as valid
today as they were two thousand years ago. The techniques and methods
that are part of the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System
were created in times of strife, warfare, and famine. These methods were,
and still are, a means of maintaining health and mental and spiritual
equanimity in times of great stress and uncertainty. For this reason,
Daoist Life Nourishing methods have been passed on through the
centuries, from generation to generation; perhaps they are needed today
more than ever.
In organizing and working with the Two Immortals System, we take two
Daoist Sages as our models, Ge Hong and Chen Tuan, who exemplify
our approach to self-cultivation. Both men employed a variety of self-
cultivation methods in order to address all aspects of human life, and in
order to develop themselves and guide others. Both directed their efforts
toward openly promoting the importance of self-cultivation and spiritual
transcendence without becoming leaders of a formal religion, and
without creating hierarchies and fixed rules. More can be read about Ge
Hong and Chen Tuan in Chapter 3.
In the spirit of Ge Hong and Chen Tuan, there are no honorary titles,
archaic clothing, or uniforms in the Two Immortals System, and there
are no secret techniques and methods. We simply offer open access to
profound and effective health preservation techniques and self-
cultivation methods that are deeply rooted in Daoist wisdom.
The purpose of the Two Immortal Life Nourishing Longevity System is
to provide information, instruction, and guidance to others, so that each
person can discover their own individual path toward vibrant heath,
longevity, self-cultivation, and transcendence. In this sense the word
“system” may be misleading, because it implies something that is fixed,
with a series of carefully demarcated steps to arrive at a specified goal.
“System” here can be taken to mean a body of interlocking and
interconnected self-cultivation and life practices that offer a variety of
expressions and paths for fostering health and mental and spiritual
growth.
The pages that follow outline the Two Immortals Life Nourishing
Longevity System. Having an overview of the system helps individuals
investigate and navigate their own path.

9
Chapter 1
Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity
System
Ancient Technologies for Modern Times

Daoist teachings contain many methods for the development and

transformation of the internal energy of human beings. Thousands of
years ago, proto-Daoist Yang Sheng (Life Nourishing) adepts began to
study and experiment with methods of extending life. Over many
centuries, sages and hermits who lived in harmony with the natural
world, developed self-cultivation techniques that nourished the life force,
prevented disease, extended one’s lifespan, and cultivated spiritual
transcendence.
One important discovery the ancient sages made was that because
human life has many aspects, no one method would suffice to nourish
life and promote longevity. One needed an interlocking system of
methods and techniques in order to address the many aspects of human
existence – work, play, diet, sexuality, seasonal change, health and
disease, and physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual life. Moreover,
these methods had to be natural, and resonate with the universal
energies of which human beings are a part.
While Daoism is now generally understood as a religion, Daoist practices
were originally not part of any systemic, regulated, hierarchical system.
Daoist teachings provide every individual, no matter their belief system,
with an integral practice for nourishing life, and living all of life to the
fullest. Daoist methods of self-cultivation seek to inspire and teach
individuals how to perfect themselves by harmonizing with the natural
forces in the world around us. Rather than denying the world, Daoist life
nourishing longevity practices build vibrant health while simultaneously
showing us how to live fully and freely, and without fear in an uncertain
world.
The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System is not a series of
fixed steps, or a set curriculum, but a serious of interlocking methods
that nourish the health of the whole body and interact with all aspects of
human life. Our methodology is to provide a framework in which each
individual can explore his or her own path to self-cultivation. Each
individual has a different constitution, a different history, and a different
life trajectory that has drawn him or her to Daoist methods of self-
cultivation, longevity and transcendence. Therefore, each individual
must ultimately find their own path. The written material, online
courses,
and the teachers and presenters of the Two Immortals System all act as
guides to assist you in finding your own way.
The purpose of the Two Immortals System is to give you the tools to
maintain an energetically balanced physical, psychological, and spiritual
practice, one that excites and maintains your internal energy, promoting
health and vibrant energy while developing an internal body awareness
and a potential to become an integral part of who you are - to embrace
your true self and your own inner spirit without artifice or pretense.
One of the unique aspects of Daoism is the recognition that mind, body,
and spirit interweave, and that spiritual transformation begins with
cultivation of the physical substrate and the internal energy, rather than
the mind alone. By strengthening the life force and the physical structure
of the body, one prepares the body and strengthens the mind and the will
for the path of further self-cultivation and ultimate transcendence. This
path improves health and resistance to disease, so that one can enjoy a
fuller, longer and more vibrant life.
Daoism is replete with tales of Daoist Immortals with formidable powers
of physical prowess and strength, who do not age and do not die, but
eventually disappear into the heavens on the back of a crane or dragon.
As most of us have never met a Daoist immortal, and likely do not
believe that Daoist Immortals exist, it is reasonable to question the
relevance of immortality to ordinary people living mortal lives. For most
of us, simply trying to achieve equanimity and a measure of happiness in
the face of life’s ups and downs are more pressing concerns than
immortality. However, if we look at the notion of immortality as a
positive example of superior functioning of body, mind and psyche, it
shows a way to improve our lives and our mental and physical health.
Reggie Pawle, a Daoist-influenced family therapist points out:
Daoism with its goal of immortality is implicitly a very positive
psychology. It is saying, “To deal with your life concerns, what you need
to do is nurture the life force within you. Doing so, you can live better
and longer, and maybe you don’t even need to die. The Daoist focus on
life also distinguishes it from the India-originated yoga and Buddhist
practices. Both of these assert that a person’s desire to live is attachment
that must be let go of in order to realize their goal. Daoism, however,
asserts that letting go of the attachment to life is not necessary. Rather
what is needed is to harmonize this attachment with the life force that
permeates the universe.1

1
“Immortality and Psychology in Mortal Life” Reggie Pawle, in Living Authentically:
Daoist Contributions to Modern Psychology. Livia Kohn ed. (Dunedin, FL: Three Pines

12
The famous Daoist text the Dao De Jing tells us repeatedly that aligning
with nature is a means of personal cultivation, and it specifies how an
attunement with natural forces changes us, creating compassion and
humility. The person who seeks to attune with natural patterns of things
does not attempt to impose his or her will on the world. This person
encourages growth and nourishment within themselves, and within
others, without telling them how to grow or how to be.
It generates and nourishes.
It acts and does not possess.
It causes growth but does not rule.
This is called the mysterious Te (Power/Potency).2
-Dao De Jing Chapter 10

The heightened internal and energetic state produced by attunement

with nature gradually resolves obstructions to the internal energy flow,
which lead to disease and early aging. As the internal energy flow
becomes smooth and strong, one experiences health and boundless
energy, and a restitution of one’s true inner nature and natural serenity.
The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System offers a Daoist
lifestyle that is easily integrated into one’s life, regardless of culture or
religion. Harmonizing one’s inner nature is a way of following the
natural order of the world that is without dogma, coercion or specific
rules. The methods and principles contained in this system are
technologies that that have withstood the test of time, and are accessible
to all. The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System simply
gives one access to these methods and technologies with guidance, and
without secrecy or obfuscation.

2
Ho Shang Kung’s Commentary on Lao Tse Eduard Erkes Trans. (Switzerland Artibus
Asiae, Ancona: 1950), p. 28.

13
Photo by Valerie Ghent
(Taiyuan, China)

14
Chapter 2
Mountain Sages
The Life Nourishing Tradition in Ancient China

Yang Sheng
A growing number of modern scholars and historians believe that Daoist
self-cultivation methods were largely created in antiquity, as part of the
early Yang Sheng (“Nourishing Life” 养生) tradition developed by
hermits and sages who practiced self-cultivation in the forests and
mountains of ancient China. Yang Sheng methods may have developed
from philosophical schools of thought that arose in the Zhou Dynasty
(1000-256 BCE), in particular the School of Yin Yang, also known as the
School of the Naturalists. Through close observation of the natural
world, the Yin Yang School developed and synthesized theories about
Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. The Yin Yang School was later
absorbed into life nourishing and “internal alchemy” meditation
practices that became part of Daoism and traditional Chinese medicine.
In the Han Dynasty (202 BCE to 220 CE), Yang Sheng methods became a
major concern of the Fang Shi (“Recipe” or “Technique” Masters”) of the
Han Court. Texts on Nourishing Life detailed techniques and methods
for absorbing and circulating Qi in the body. These techniques included
breathing and meditation exercises, physical yogic exercises, diet, herbal
medicines, and sexual techniques. Some exercises mimicked animals,
while others involved regulated breathing combined with body
movements that stretched and opened the joints and meridians, in order
to direct and balance the flow of internal energy (Qi).
Texts excavated from ancient tombs make it clear that a wide range of
longevity techniques had been developed before the Han Dynasty. Some
of the most important of these texts are a corpus of medical manuscripts
(dated to 169 BCE) excavated from Mawangdui in Hubei Province.
Techniques described in the Mawangdui texts include Qi Gong and Dao
Yin exercises that mimic animals, stretch and pull on the sinews, and
regulated breathing combined with yogic practices that stretch and open
the joints and meridians, in order to direct and balance the flow of
internal energy. Other texts detailed methods of meditation, sexual
cultivation, diet, theories on meridians and energetic channels, and
herbal cures for various diseases. These texts are thought to pre-date the
Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic), a text which forms
the classical basis of the practice of much of modern Chinese Medicine.
Early Dao Yin from the Mawangdui Texts

In addition to the Mawangdui tomb documents, there are other earlier

proto-Daoist texts, like the Nei Ye (內業 Inward Training), thought to
have been written around 350 BCE, which describes techniques of
meditation, breathing and Qi circulation. The Nei Ye is believed to have
influenced classic Daoist texts like the Dao De Jing and the Zhuangzi
(Chuang Tzu).
Ge Hong, a Daoist adept of the 3rd century, collated many of the Yang
Sheng techniques from earlier periods. In his writings, Ge Hong also
names and discusses the lives of almost one hundred Yang Sheng recluses
who lived in the mountains and forests. His writings provide indications
of vibrant networks of Daoist or Proto-Daoist, communities located
throughout the mountainous areas of China, while simultaneously giving
us a picture of the life of a mountain hermit.3 I say “Proto-Daoist”
because Ge Hong, and those whom he describes, did not refer to
themselves as “Daoists.” The techniques that they practiced and the
social strata within which they practiced had no overall name, as it had
no unity and no known unifier before Ge Hong.4

3
In the Shadows of the Dao: Lao zi, the Sage and the Dao De Jing. Thomas Michael
(Albany: State University of New York Press, 2015) p. 99.
4
To Live as Long as Heaven and Earth – Translation and Study of Ge Hong’s Traditions of
Divine Transcendants. Robert Ford Campany (Berkeley: University of California Press
2002) p.6.

16
From Ge Hong we get a picture of at least six different aspects of Yang
Sheng (more about this in Chapter Three):
• Living in Harmony with nature
• Dietary Regulation
• Meditation
• Qi Gong Exercises & Physical Movements (Originally known as
Dao Yin)
• Sexual Cultivation Methods
• Herbal Medicines
Some of the earliest Dao Yin (Qi Gong) practices involved moving like
animals, and may have evolved from hunting practices and shamanic
dances during which the shaman communicated with spirits and animals
and cured illness. Some exercises, like those practiced in Seasonal Qi
Gong, are clearly designed to dispel pathogens and guide them out of the
body.
When and how these earlier, loosely organized practices became
associated with the Dao De Jing (or Laozi), is unclear. Most of us are
familiar with the Dao De Jing as a philosophical text, but not everyone is
aware of the overlap of vocabulary and terminology between the Dao De
Jing and early Yang Sheng texts. One of the oldest known commentaries
on the Dao De Jing is attributed to He Shang Gong (Ho Shang Kung). In
reading his commentary, it is clear that He Shang Gong aims at enabling
the reader to make practical use of the Dao De Jing, teaching him or her
how to use the book as a guide to Yang Sheng practices. To this end, He
Shang Gong gives chapter headings that serve as instructions or
guideposts for the practice of Qi Gong and meditation. Like a “how to”
book, these headings attempt to instruct the reader in key concepts about
the circulation of Qi that pervade Yang Sheng methods. For example, in
Chapter 5 - “How to Use Emptiness” the text says:
The space between heaven and earth,
Should it not be like a bellows?
Who talks much is soon emptied.
This is not equal to keeping to the center.5

5
Ho-Shang-Kung’s Commentary on Lao-Tse, translated and annotated by Eduard Erkes.
Switzerland: Press of Artibus Asiae Ascona (First published in Journal Artibus Saiae),1950,
p. 20.

17
Human beings vibrate in the space between Heaven and Earth, and the
Qi (“breaths”) of Heaven and Earth flow through us. The bellows
represents the life nourishing movement of Qi and Breath, moving in a
harmonious flow. The quote on the previous page is talking about the
cultivation of Qi as actualized in Qi Gong practices. This passage also
references meditation. For example, talking empties rather than fills this
space, so the passage advises us to save and cultivate the breath, and
diminish idle talk, because words often create a gap between the speaker
and listener. He Shang Gong’s passage implies that a true understanding
of one’s moment-to-moment reality cannot be described with words, but
must be experienced in silence.
The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System is heavily
influenced by the earlier “Proto-Daoist” tradition that comes down to us
from mountain recluses like Ge Hong and Chen Tuan (see Chapter 3).
Many of these early methods have been transmitted through martial arts,
Qi Gong, and Yang Sheng lineages to the present day, and the techniques
are still practiced in many forms and combinations.
Because psychological and spiritual processes are tied to physiological
processes, Yang Sheng practices often begun by first cultivating the life
force and the physical body. Usually this “physical cultivation” begins
with fortifying and strengthening the vitality through the kidneys and
their association with Jing-Essence, the physiological substrate of the
body. Part of strengthening vitality involves exercises that strengthen the
will (Zhi) such as yogic exercises, holding postures, or even methods of
mediation, all have connections with martial exercises. The will is
‘housed” by the kidneys. Therefore a strong will, to some degree,
depends on gathering and storing Qi and Jing in Dan Tian, a practice
that is an essential part of Daoist Yoga, Meditation, Qi Gong and the
internal martial arts. Fortifying the kidneys and the will is the strong
physical and mental foundation necessary to actualize one’s goals and
aspirations, and therefore to persist in the disciplined practice of
meditation and inner transformation.
Xing & Ming
The life nourishing aspects of Yang Sheng practices are often referred to
as Ming. Ming can mean “life,” “destiny,” “vital force” or “fate.” Ming
refers to an individual’s existence on earth. Therefore Ming is associated
with one’s life force and one’s existence, and even more specifically, with
one’s lifespan - the duration of one’s life.

18
命 Ming
The Ming ideogram above can also mean to call out, or to hail. The
character for Ming is essentially Ling (令 command) with the mouth
radical (Kou 口) added. Ming and Ling together (命令) can mean “to
order,” “command” or “a directive.” The character for Ming is also said
to depict the two kidneys viewed from the back.6
In cultivating Ming we are cultivating Qi and the Qi Dynamic, which in
turn reinforces Jing, and helps it gather and coalesce in Dan Tian. While
cultivating Ming and will, one is simultaneously cultivating Xing (Inner
Nature).

性 Xing
Xing usually refers to someone’s (or something’s) character or
disposition, and its inherent possibility. Xing is comprised of 忄 (from 心
xin – “heart”) and 生 sheng (“birth” or “life”). More specifically, Xing
refers to the innate nature of the Heart-Mind with which one is born,
and its possibility. This includes both our instinctive animal nature and
the human qualities we associate with our higher self. An important part
of Xing is related to how we understand ourselves - our tendencies,
openness, adaptability, and our ability to change and transform.
Xing refers to the innate nature with which one is born, while Ming can
refer to what is acquired after birth. Ming can also refer to the idea of
self-cultivation, and Xing to what the person experiences from self-
cultivation. One cultivates Life (Ming) to realize one’s Nature (Xing).
Once Nature (Xing) is realized, one’s Life (Ming) is revitalized and
renewed.7
Over the course of time, some Yang Sheng exponents delineated two
main emblematic and usually intertwined paths of self-cultivation. The
first, related to Xing, is based on cultivating the mind, with the intention
of removing the blocks that prevent one from seeing one’s True Nature.
This usually involved sitting in stillness and removing extraneous
thoughts in order to clearly see the True Nature of things The second,
related to Ming, is based on purifying various components of the body,
and increasing one’s life force (Jing and Qi) in order to extend one’s life.8

6
Daoism: a Guide for the Perplexed. Louis Komjathy (New York & London: Bloomsbury
Academic, 2014).
7
Immortal: True Accounts of the 250 Year-Old Man. Li Qingyun. Yang Sen, Stuart Alve
Olsen, trans, (Phoenix: Valley Spirit Arts, 2014) p. 178.
8
On the Meanings of Ming in Daoist Internal Alchemy and Its Relation to Xing or Human
Nature. Fabrizio Pregadio. (道教研究學報：宗教、歷史與社會 第六期 No. 6, 2014)
p.157–218.

19
Although some Daoist authors have asserted the superiority of Xing and
seated meditation, disparaging the physical cultivation practices
associated with Ming, these authors seem heavily influenced by Buddhist
meditation ideas in which one subjugates the body and self in order to
dissolve the attachment to things, and dissolve into emptiness. In
Buddhism, suffering is the result of our inability to “let go” of the
attachments one has to this world and the things in this world (including
the body), which are considered illusionary.
In Daoist Yang Sheng practices, rather than suppressing the self and its
attachments to this world, the goal is to engage in an ongoing process of
transformation and transmutation. One lets go of desires simply in order
to view the world from the perspective of consciousness itself. As a friend
of mine puts it, in Daoist practices, I am seeking the Eye of my I - seeking
to dissolve my ego and the desires that arise from it, and to enter a state
where I am seeing things from the point-of-view of my observational
consciousness.
In general, most Daoist practitioners see Xing and Ming as two sides of a
coin, two aspects of the same practice, each leading to and each
dependent upon the other. Meditation is imbedded in the physical
practices, like Dao Yin, Daoist Yoga, Qi Gong, Dietary Modification,
Sexual Cultivation, Standing Exercises (Zhan Zhuang), and internal
martial arts, and these physical practices enhance and provide a
foundation for meditative practices.
All of these elements are interwoven, but are sometimes separated for
ease of learning or for different specific purposes. Chen Ying Ning, a
Daoist from the Dragon Gate School of Daoism summarizes the
interconnection of Xing and Ming succinctly:
Xing and Ming are like an oil lamp. Ming is the oil and Xing is the
brilliance of the flame. Without the oil, there could be no flame, but
without the flame, the oil would remain unused.9

9
What is Xing Ming? Posted on October 18, 2016.
http://daoistmeditation.com/2016/10/18/what-is-xing-ming

20
Chapter 3
Ge Hong & Chen Tuan
Inspiration and Insight into Longevity &
Transcendence From Two Daoist Sages

Two Sages
Two Daoist Sages are the inspiration and models for the teachings
presented in the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System. Ge
Hong and Chen Tuan are two Daoist sages who have inspired many
seekers on the path of spiritual development over the centuries. Ge Hong
lived in in the 3rd Century, and Chen Tuan in the 10th century. Both men
had profound influence on later generations. Their life and teachings
furnish us with two different approaches to self-cultivation, longevity,
and transcendence.
Ge Hong and Chen Tuan directed their efforts toward openly promoting
the importance of self-cultivation and spiritual transcendence without
becoming leaders of a formal religion, and without creating hierarchies
and fixed rules. They are exemplars that each of us can look up to as we
find our own individual path toward vibrant heath, longevity, self-
cultivation, and transcendence.
Ge Hong was one of the first to write about and catalogue ancient Yang
Sheng self-cultivation methods from earlier eras and ancient books. He
provides us with an inspirational example of someone whose feet are
firmly on the path of self-cultivation and immortality. Ge Hong unified
many diverse practices into a cohesive approach to nourishing life, and
extending one’s lifespan. This had an enormous effect on future
generations of Daoist adepts.
From Ge Hong we learn how to integrate different methods of self-
cultivation and connect them with ethical behavior in order to create a
systemic and practical approach to self-cultivation, longevity, and
transcendence.
Chen Tuan was said to have been astonishingly intelligent as a child,
with a natural gift for spiritual self-cultivation. We know little about his
life. Chen Tuan provides us with a picture of the perfected sage. He
serves as an example of how to apply one’s own inner wisdom to many
different areas of human life. Chen Tuan’s teaching and his practice of
Sleeping Meditation give us insight into transcending the small and often
petty aspects of everyday life, in order to embrace the numinous and
eternal.
Chen Tuan advocated the integrated cultivation of Spiritual Essence, and
the refinement of the body and life force through Yang Sheng practices
like Dao Yin and Qi Gong, purification and calming of the mind,
regulating breathing, martial arts and various forms of Daoist
Meditation and Inner Alchemy (Nei Dan), thereby laying a foundation
for Daoist traditions that flourished in Song and Yuan dynasties.
Ge Hong’s Life & Times
Ge Hong (葛洪 Ko Hung) lived in the Six Dynasties Period (220–589 CE)
of China. In the Six Dynasties Period there were six successive dynasties
in South China that had their capitals at Jianye (present-day Nanjing),
while the North was ruled by a succession of kingdoms founded by
invaders from Central Asia.
During this period, the Confucian system that had ordered the Han
society began to break down, and the growing influence of Daoism and
the importation of Buddhism worked profound changes everywhere.
Buddhism became a great popular religion, embraced by the Northern
invaders. The decline of Han Dynasty Confucian orthodoxy, in
combination with war and social disruption, made people increasingly
aware of the transience of human life. This opened up inquiry into
finding a more ultimate or transcendent self-identity outside the existing
social order. Part of this was a yearning for a life of solitude and
tranquility, with growing focus on practices related to the world of the
Chinese “Immortals,” which emphasized self-cultivation of mind and
body in order to increase one’s lifespan and transcend the normal and
accepted order of things.10
Ge Hong was an aristocratic scholar-official who was born into an
influential family. He was an educated man who read and studied the
Confucian classics. Later, he studied for many years with Zheng Yin,
who was both a Confucian classicist and a Daoist adept. Under Zheng
Yin’s tutelage, Ge began his study of self-cultivation practices related to
immortality. Zheng Yin himself was a disciple of Ge’s uncle, Ge Xuan,
who was reputed to have become an immortal.11
Early in his career, Ge was a military officer who organized and led
troops into battle. At various points in his life he studied with different
Daoist masters and led a life of seclusion. During other periods he was an
official of the Eastern Jin dynasty, and at times he treated patients with
herbal medicine and acupuncture. Toward the end of his life, Ge Hong
took up residence at Luofu, near Guanzhou, where he engaged in self-
cultivation practices until his death in 343.

10
“Ko Hung's Discourse of Hsien-Immortality: A Taoist Configuration of an Alternate
Ideal Self-Identity” Chi-Tim Lai Numen Vol. 45, No. 2 (1998), pp. 183-220.
11
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (www.iep.utm.edu/gehong/#H5)

22
Ge Hong is often regarded as an alchemist who experimented with herbs
and minerals. In the Bao Pu Zi he describes a method for “alloying
cinnabar.” However as Daoist scholar Fabrizio Pregadio points out,
although Ge Hong has often been called “the greatest Chinese
alchemist,” he states twice in his writings that he never compounded an
elixir. His immortalization as an “alchemist” is largely a creation of
Daoist hagiography that was endorsed by Confucian literati.12 In many
parts of the text, Ge Hong is clearly talking about Internal Alchemy (Nei
Dan), which has nothing to do with actually ingesting or transmuting
precious metals and minerals. Nei Dan texts often employ allusions to
transmuting lead, pearl, jade and cinnabar as metaphors for internal
transformational processes.
Ge Hong’s Writings
Ge Hong was the first of several explicitly Daoist physicians to write
about the practice of inner alchemy, life extending self-cultivation, and
transcendence. He wrote Teachings of the Master Who Embraces
Simplicity (Bao Pu Zi 抱樸子) and Traditions of Divine Transcendents
(Shen Xian Zhuan 神仙傳).
The “Inner Chapters” of the Bao Pu Zi discuss techniques to achieve
immortality and transcendence, internal alchemy, the use of herbs,
Daoist Meditation, physical longevity practices like Daoist Yoga and Dao
Yin, protective talismans, and avoiding demons and illness. The “Outer
Chapters” discuss government, politics, scholarship, Confucianism and
Legalism, and include Ge Hong’s autobiography.
The Yang Sheng and “Daoist” techniques that Ge Hong practiced and
wrote about pre-date him, passed down through written and oral
transmissions. The strata of techniques and methods that Ge Hong
advocated were not unified. They came from a proto-Daoist tradition of
Nourishing Life and transcendence that, for the most part, only became
known as “Daoist” after Ge Hong’s time. This is in large part due to the
efforts of Ge Hong himself, who collated and organized many seemingly
disparate practices. Ge Hong was the first to systematically describe the
history and theory of Daoist immortality techniques such as “preserving
unity” (Shou Yi 守一), circulating energy (Xing Qi 行氣), “guiding and
pulling” (Dao Yin), and sexual longevity techniques (Fang Zhong Shu
房中术).

12
“Seeking immortality in ge hong’s baopu zi nei pian” Fabrizio Pregadio

23
According to Daoist scholar Robert Ford Campany:
Ge Hong is best seen as a collector and unifier, but hardly a systematizer,
of a congeries of techniques the sole commonality of which is the goal of
prolonging and enhancing the life of the human biospiritual organism.
He arranged these techniques into a hierarchy based on his view of their
respective degrees of effectiveness and prestige, and he sought to bring
them all under a common philosophical icotheological umbrella: that of
the “Obscure” or” Mystery”(Xuan),13 another name for or an epithet for
the Dao.14
Campany is accurate in this assessment, but Ge Hong did more then just
collect methods for prolonging life. He also wrote books on Chinese
medicine including Zhou Hou Jiu Zu Fang (Emergency Prescriptions to
Keep Up One’s Sleeve), in which he recorded treatment methods for
more that 70 acute diseases that were easy to diagnosis and treat.
Zhou Hou Jiu Zu Fang is a medical book dealing with emergencies, and
most of the medicinal herbs listed in it are those easily found in the
countryside. Indications are narrated in verses for easy memorization
and the acupuncture techniques are clearly described for study and
practical use. The book includes first aid treatments for diseases like
stroke, coma, and acute abdominal pain. Here we find references to
pressing GV 26 (Ren Zhong) with a fingernail for stroke, a technique still
used today to save lives, and one now substantiated by modern science.
One interesting formula is essentially a folk remedy for the common
cold, Green Onion and Prepared Soya Bean Soup - composed of scallion
stalk and fermented soya beans. Many of these treatments are still used
today by modern practitioners of Traditional Chinese medicine. Zhou
Hou Jiu Zu Fang also includes a passage on treating malaria with an
extract made from the sweet wormwood shrub (Artemisia annua). This
passage led a contemporary Chinese scientist to the discovery of how to
make use of this plant to treat malaria.15
In his writings and life Ge tried to reconcile Confucianism with Daoism,
two philosophies that were often at odds with each other during China’s
long history. Ge asserted that Confucianism and Daoism addressed
different aspects of life. Confucianism addressed the external world and
provided a practical philosophy for improving society, while Daoism
largely concerned itself with one’s inner world and provided a means by
which to extend life and attain immortality.

13
⽞ Xuan: black, dark, profound, abstruse, mysterious.
14
To Live as Long as Heaven and Earth – Translation and Study of Ge Hong’s Traditions
of Divine Transcendents. Robert Ford Campany (Berkeley: University of California Press
2002) p. 8.
15
Ge Hong and Zhou Hou Jiu Zu Fang (A Handbook of Formulas for Emergencies) Min Li
and Yong Xuan Liang*School of Basic Medical Science, Beijing University of Chinese
Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China

24
Ge Hong as depicted by Gan Bo Zong
(Woodcut print, Tang Dynasty)

Ge Hong on Self-Cultivation
Ge Hong has had a huge influence on generations of Daoist practitioners
seeking long life and transcendence. Ge Hong felt that no one method or
practice was sufficient to attain long life and transcendence. Ge embraces
the Daoist and Chinese medical viewpoint that since each person
receives a finite amount of Qi at birth, embracing a variety of Yang Sheng
methods was necessary to retain and enhance one’s internal energies -
including breathing exercises, sexual techniques, Qi Gong and yogic
exercises, dietary restrictions, and the ingestion of herbal medicines. Ge
Hong felt that none of these methods is infallible, so he recommends that
an adept should practice a number of them in combination with each
other. Ge Hong also saw the profusion of these methods as
opportunities. Each technique brings benefit; the adept’s task is to select
the essentials from each and combine them into a many-faceted, carefully
balanced program of self-cultivation, capped by the preparation of one of
the greater elixirs.16 Ge believed that by doing so it was possible to protect
oneself from illnesses, demons, and savage beasts, while simultaneously
lessening desires, transforming the body, and extending one’s lifespan.17

16
To Live as Long as Heaven and Earth: Translation and Study of Ge Hong’s Traditions of
Divine TranscendentS by Robert Ford Campany, (Berkeley: University of California Press
1959) p.81-82.
17
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (www.iep.utm.edu/gehong/#H5)

25
In the following characteristic passages from the Bao Pu Zi, Ge
discourses on the importance of having multiple approaches to self-
cultivation:
Those who fully understand the principles of nourishing life ingest the
divine medicines. In addition, they circulate their breath without
negligence, and they practice Dao Yin from morning to evening so that
their constructive and defensive [breaths] operate without obstructions.
Moreover, they practice the arts of the bedchamber, moderate their food
and drinks, do not expose themselves to wind and humidity, and do not
grieve about what they cannot do. Thus they can be without illnesses.18
It might be said that one must rely upon the whole mass of recipes jointly
to produce Fullness of Life. It is similar to a King’s governing of his
domain. Not a single one of the many civil or military rites and
standards can be discarded. Or to compare it with some lesser
undertaking – it is like a cartwright’s work, where neither the shafts, nor
the rims, nor the axels, nor the hub locks may be missing. The recipes we
follow stimulate the gods [spirits] within our bodies so that a
prolongation of life may be acquired more quickly, and externally they
exorcise evils so that no misfortune interfere.
In everything pertaining to the nurturing of life one must learn much
and make the essentials one’s own. Look widely and know how to select.
There can be no reliance on one particular specialty, for there is always
the danger that breadwinners19 will emphasize their personal specialties.
That is why those who know recipes for sexual intercourse, say that only
those recipes can lead to geniehood [ie: transcendence]. Those who know
breathing procedures claim that only circulation of the breaths can
prolong our years, those knowing methods for bending and stretching say
that only calisthenics can exorcize old age. Those knowing herbal
prescriptions say that only through nibbling medicines can one be free
from exhaustion. Failures in the study of divine process are due to such
specializations. People with shallow experience who happen to know one
particular thing well will immediately declare it a panacea. But those
ignorant of the true divine process, though possessing potent
prescriptions continue to do more and more searching without end.
Selection of the right teacher is more important than hard study. If the
teacher is not widely schooled, he will not teach his subject exhaustively,
and claim that pursuit of the divine process does not reside in quantity.
This declaration merely signifies that, given the possession of all the
essential pertaining to gold and cinnabar, no use will be made of the rest.
Very few people however know these matters. How can you stand
around waiting for the instruction in what is not necessarily the big
thing without meanwhile practicing the lesser recipes, which are also

18
“Seeking immortality in ge hong’s baopu zi nei pian” Fabrizio Pregadio
19
ie: Those who want to make money.

26
quite beneficial? This would be as though a householder said that he
would not use other things, for he had been told that the handling of
gold, silver, pearls and jade could of themselves provide for generation
upon generation. Yet, if he lacked such things, how could he help but sow
the various grains and provide by accumulating abundant stores of fruits
and vegetables.20
Ge Hong’s study and research led him to the conclusion that
transcendence and self-perfection requires firm resolution and sincerity.
One needs to study with experts in order to obtain the essential
knowledge and tools for the inward journey. However, it is not a
question of waiting for a perfected sage to arrive and grant one the
secret. Willpower and discernment are necessary to persevere in sorting
through incorrect or partial transmissions of self-cultivation methods,
particularly in the face of societal pressures, which devalue the entire
enterprise. For Ge Hong, the “Immortal” is one who overcomes the
impasse of the transience and the often tawdry nature of human
existence to find inner fulfillment, true identity and true freedom,
unbound by the opinions of others or social conventions.
Daoist teacher Ni Hua Ching says that the Ge Hong understood a key
aspect of spiritual cultivation – the importance of cultivating the
different sides of one’s nature in a balanced way. This includes a visible
external cultivation through moving practices like Qi Gong, Internal
martial arts like Tai Ji Quan, Ba Gua Zhang, and Xing Yi Quan, and
Daoist Yoga, and Dao Yin practices, while simultaneously cultivating a
less visible inner stillness. The body must stay active in order to build
energy, while one also engages in inner stillness, in order to conserve and
gather energy. Stillness is not just sitting in meditation. It also refers to
refraining from engaging in purposeless, restless activity for its own sake.
21

Wang Chuan Shen, a philosopher in the Ming Dynasty, explained the

importance of stillness very succinctly when he said: the quiescent state is
actually quiescent movement. It is not motionless. Therefore quiescent
exercise is essentially quiescent movement. So entering the quiescent state
is essentially quiescent movement.22 Quiescent movement is “movement
within stillness.” This movement within stillness is different from
ordinary movement and can bring about psychological and physiological
changes, one of which is that energy consuming processes change to
energy storage, thereby retarding the aging process.23

20
Alchemy, Medicine and Religion in the China of AD 320: The Nei Pien of Ko Hung.
James R. Ware (trans and ed) (New York: Diver Publications, 1966) pp. 113-14.
21
Life And Teachings of Two Immortals (Vol. 1): Kou Hong. Hua Ching-Ni (Santa Monica:
Seven Star Communications 1992).
22
Qi Gong Essentials for Health Promotion. Jiao Guorui. (PR China: China Reconstructs
Press) p. 61.
23
Ibid, p. 66

27
Immortality in Context
Daoism is replete with tales of Daoist Immortals, with formidable
powers of physical prowess and strength who do not age and do not die,
but eventually disappear into the heavens on the back of a crane or
dragon.
The Chinese character Xian (Immortal) contains two elements: “person”
亻 (人 Ren) and “mountain” (山 Shan). An older variant is the character:
僊. This character can mean a “person of the mountains” or a “human
mountain,” referring both to the association of the Immortals with
mountain recluses, and to their place in Daoist thought as embodiments
of nature and natural forces. Daoist priest Kristofer Schipper adds that
phonologically, Xian is derived from the root meaning “to change”,
“evolve”, and to “go up”, referring to transformation, evolution, or
“ascension to heaven.”24
The term Xian has many uses and can mean someone who is spiritually
transcendent, or physically immortal. It can refer to a wizard, magician,
shaman, alchemist, or to a sage or recluse, living high up in the
mountains - common themes in Chinese culture. Xian can mean
“perfected” or “transcendent.” Human beings of high attainment are
often compared to floating clouds, “beautiful phenomena which are, but
make no effort to be. The filmy lightness of an idling summer cloud is
suggestive of the sensation of weightlessness that characterizes
immortals, a sensation born of absolute freedom from care and anxiety.25
Immortals are born as normal people, and achieve immortality through
great effort. They represent a cross-section of the population, from rich
to poor and old to the young, proving that anyone can become an
immortal. In the Traditions of Divine Transcendents (Shen Xian Zhuan),
Ge Hong recounted tales of early transcendent Immortals and their
hagiographies – accounts or informal biographies of an individual
transcendent’s life, deeds and achievements. As a result, Ge Hong
gathered together many methods and combinations of practices for
attaining immortality.

24
The Taoist Body by Kristofer Schipper translated by Karen C. Duval (Berkeley:
University of California Press 1982) pp. 164-165.
25
Early Chinese Mysticism: Philosophy and Soteriology in the Taoist Tradition by Livia
Kohn (Princeton: Princeton University Press 1991) p.84.

28
Da0ist Scholar Chi-Tim Lai suggests that Ge Hong takes as his own ideal
the so-called “Earthly Immortal,” a transcendent being who lives among
fellow human beings. Through great effort an “Earthly Immortal” is able
to transcend his fate and live beyond his years while simultaneously
attaining a higher order of human existence.26
Writings attributed to Zhuang Zi (Chuang Tzu) tell us that True Men
(Zhen Ren) had unremembering hearts, calm faces, and clear brows. They
were cool like autumn, warm like spring; they were pleased and angry
evenly through the four seasons, did what fitted in with other things, and
no one knew their high point.27
The Zhen Ren, the genuinely human person, is in tune with the cycles of
nature and is therefore not upset by the vicissitudes of life. In tune with
nature, and with the cycles of Yin and Yang, the True Person is not
disturbed or harmed by them. This is sometimes expressed by hyperbole
– the True Person cannot drown in the ocean nor be burned by fire.
Zhuang Zi goes on to hint that there are ways of cultivating or genuine
and natural humanity. Through these methods we:
Learn how to nourish the ancestral root of life that is within us. We learn
how to identify with that center which functions as an axis of stability
around which the cycles of emotional turbulence flow. By maintaining
ourselves as a shifting and responding center of gravity we are able to
maintain equanimity without giving up our feelings altogether. We enjoy
riding the dragon without being thrown around by it. Ordinarily, we are
buffeted around like flotsam in a storm, and yet, by holding fast to our
ancestral nature, and by following the nature of the environment – by
“matching nature with nature” - we free ourselves from the mercy of
random circumstances.28
In Daoist self–cultivation life nourishing practices, the adept seeks to
harmonize with patterns found in nature, the movement of stars and
planets, the cycles of the seasons, the cyclical fluctuation of Yin and
Yang. Immortals are often described as being lively and completely alive,
full of humor and deep insight into the world. Daoist Immortals provide
ordinary mortals with a vision of mental health and a way to it. Basic to
this vision is an expression of the Chinese cultural view that everything is
interconnected. Mind is inseparable from body, spirit and the cosmos. In
Daoism the life force within us is seen as both the same life force in all of
us, and that which interconnects the world.29

26
“Ko Hung's Discourse of Hsien-Immortality: A Taoist Configuration of an Alternate
Ideal Self-Identity” Chi-Tim Lai Numen Vol. 45, No. 2 (1998), pp. 183-220.
27
Chuang-tzu: the Inner Chapters, translated by A.C. Graham (Indianapolis IN: Hackett
Publishing Co, 1981, 2001) p. 85.
28
Chapter 6: Da Zong Shi (the vast ancestral teacher) General Editors: James Fieser,
University of Tennessee at Martin & Bradley Dowden, California State University,
Sacramento. http://www.iep.utm.edu/zhuangzi/
29
Ibid, p. 127.

29
The famous Daoist text, the Dao De Jing, repeatedly tells us that aligning
with nature is not only a means of personal cultivation, it specifies how
this attunement with natural forces changes us, creating compassion and
humility. The person who seeks to attune with natural patterns of things
does not attempt to impose his or her will on the world. This person
encourages growth and nourishment with themselves, and within others,
without telling them how to grow or how to be.
Ge Hong‘s Basics on Nurturing Life
One of the key points that Ge Hong makes in relationship to nurturing
life and self-cultivation is to avoid being “wounded.” In the Bao Pu Zi,
Ge Hong gives very direct advice on the subject, including what practices
can prevent or even undo the damage done by “wounds”:
Wounding occurs when our thought is troubled with things for which we
lack talent; also when we force ourselves to do lifting without the requisite
strength. Sadness, decrepitude, uneasiness and torment are wounds, as is
also excessive joy. Constant covetousness wounds as do long conversations
and the telling of pointless stories. Wasting time abed, archery contests,
drunkenness and its vomitings, lying down after a heavy meal, getting
breathless from running, shouts of joy and weepings, abstention from
sexual intercourse – all these are wounds. When wounds have been
accumulated to the point of exhaustion, death soon ensues.
The text goes on to tell us:
Therefore the prescription for nourishing life is this: Do not spit for
distance [too much breath would be lost]. Do not walk too fast. Do not
listen too intently. Do not look too long. Do not stay in bed until you get
weak. Dress before you get chilled. Lighten your dress before you get
overheated. Do not overeat when you have been starving. Eat only to
satiety. Do not over-drink when you have been parched. Do not over-
drink. Overeating begets congestions, and over-drinking produces
accumulations of mucus. Don’t overwork or take too much ease. Don’t get
up too early or too late. Don’t perspire. Don’t race your carriage or your
horse. Don’t strain your eyes to see too far. Don’t chew your food so long
that it gets cold. Don’t drink wine when you are going out in the wind.
Don’t bathe your body or hair too frequently. Don’t overextend your will
or desires. Don’t scheme to achieve something ingenious. Don’t seek too
much warmth in winter or too much cold in summer. Don’t lie without
covers under the stars. Don’t expose your shoulders when sleeping. Don’t
undergo severe cold, severe heat, strong winds or heavy fogs. Don’t
overemphasize any of the five savors when eating, for too much acidity
[sour] harms the spleen, too much bitterness harms the lungs, too much
salt harms the heart, too much acridity [spicy] harms the liver; too much
sugar harms the kidneys. These are merely the laws of nature and the Five
Agents.

30
All these things called wounds are indeed not immediately noticed as such,
but in time one’s longevity is lessened by them. Therefore knowing how to
care of the life that is theirs regulate the time of their sleeping and rising
according to the season of the year. Their activity and repose follow the
constant rule of perfect accommodation. To invigorate the tendons and
bones there are prescriptions for bending exercises. To combat illness and
noxious influences there are the arts of swallowing and spitting. 30 To
circulate the blood and breaths there are rules for preventing waste. To act
with or without restraint and work hard or take repose it is vital that there
be compensations. Repress anger to preserve your yin breaths; restrain joy
to preserve your yang breaths. After that take first some herbs to relieve
your defects. Only then take gold or cinnabar to assure that you will never
become exhausted. This constitutes the whole system for enjoying Fullness
of Life.31
Ge Hong’s “System”
In the final paragraph of the long quotation above, Ge Hong gives us
more insight into his eclectic and very practical approach to nourishing
life and promoting longevity. Once we understand how to avoid
wounding and injuring the body and spirit we can begin to engage with
what he refers to as his “system for enjoying the Fullness of Life.” As we
saw earlier, rather than relying on a single avenue of transformation and
transcendence, Ge Hong recommends a multi-faceted, carefully balanced
program of self-cultivation. He advocates first learning to live in
harmony with the seasons and nature, while building up the body and
correcting defects in one’s constitution; like dispelling stagnation of Qi
through the use of both physical exercises and regulating respiration.
Herbs and diet may be used to correct other health issues. Only then
does Ge advocate engaging in internal alchemy meditative practices that
deeply transform the body and mind (his reference to “taking gold or
cinnabar”).
Ge Hong also felt that one needed to perfect oneself ethically in order to
pursue immortality. In his Inner Chapters, Ge Hong states that:
Those who seek to become immortals must regard loyalty, filiality,
peacefulness, obedience, benevolence and trustworthiness as
fundamental. If one does not cultivate his or her moral behavior, and
merely instead devotes oneself to esoteric methods, he or she will never
obtain an extended lifespan.32

30
Tu Na – breathing exercise in which stale Qi is exhaled and fresh Qi is inhaled.
31
Alchemy, Medicine and Religion in the China of AD 320: The Nei Pien of Ko Hung.
James R. Ware (trans and ed) (New York: Dover Publications, 1966) pp. 223-24.
32
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (www.iep.utm.edu/gehong/#H5)

31
Stages of Self-Cultivation
If we extrapolate Ge Gong’s methodology into a somewhat systematic
approach in relation to nourishing life, longevity and immortality, we
arrive at the following “steps” in the process of self-cultivation.
1. Healing – Treating “Wounds”
Healing refers to restoring the normal circulation or Qi and the normal
functioning of organs damaged through injury, intemperate lifestyle and
diet, exposure to disease, etc. As the emotions are considered to be the
primary precipitators of internal diseases, releasing emotions that are
toxic and unhealthy is usually part of this process.
Tui Na Massage, Bone Setting, Acupuncture, Herbal Remedies,
Rehabilitative Qi Gong, Dietary Therapy, and appropriate Life Style
Modifications are all tools that are commonly used to undo “wounds”
and restore the body to normal, healthy, functioning.
2. Cultivating Longevity
Cultivating longevity means going beyond simply restoring health to
improving one’s energy and strengthening the body in order to increase
the life force and primordial Qi beyond the limits of what you were born
with. One seeks optimal functioning of mind, body and spirit so that
one’s physical and mental powers do not decline with age.
This “step” requires an overall relaxed and healthy lifestyle, balancing
work and rest, eating healthy foods, and living in harmony with seasonal
change. Self-cultivation methods like those listed below, are an
important part of this process:
Daoist Yoga Exercises: strengthen the sinews and bones, and open the
meridians.
Dao Yin Exercises: regulate the Qi Dynamic and prevent disease and
injury.
Qi Gong Exercises: disperse blockages of Qi, regulate the flow of Qi
and harmonize the Qi Dynamic of the internal organs.
Seasonal Qi Gong and Seasonal Living: synchronize body rhythms
with the seasonal energies.
Sexual Cultivation Methods: raise energy levels and preserve Life
Essence.
Daoist Meditation: harnesses the Mind-Intention, harmonizes the
emotions, and gathers and stores energy.

32
Internal martial arts like Tai Ji Quan, Ba Gua Zhang or Xing Yi
Quan: increase body strength, promote adaptability to changing (and
perhaps adverse) circumstances, strengthen the intention, and increase
the force of the will.
Longevity Diet: The “Clear and Bland” diet promotes maximum
health and longevity by properly nourishing the Post–Heaven Qi and
promoting Clear Qi, while reducing Turbid Qi.
Herbal Supplements: when used correctly, can help to increase and
maintain the life force.
Cultivating Longevity is usually an eclectic and personal process as
everyone has different needs. What tools one uses, and how, is very
dependent on individual circumstance, however a combination of Daoist
Meditation, Dao Yin, Daoist Yoga and Qi Gong are usually at the core of
cultivating longevity.
3. Immortality
Immortality implies a high and deeper level of engagement with
longevity practices in order to transcend the ordinary mind and come
closer to apprehending the numinous. This step usually involves more
intensive levels of meditation and Qi Gong, dietary modifications that
enhance higher levels of energy vibration, and attempting to live
authentically, in touch with our True Nature. An important and difficult
part of this process is overcoming and transcending our ingrained habits
of mind, emotion and cognition.
The progression described on the previous page is bit neat and idealized.
Healing Wounds, Longevity and Immortality are not really orderly one-
by-one “steps.” There is a progression, but there is also some
interweaving and exchange between the three that is ongoing, as
illustrated in the diagram on the following page.

33
Ge Hong’s Advice for Learning
In the Bao Pu Zi Ge Hong repeatedly warns the reader about teachers
who will lead one astray. Real teachers - those competent to understand
the essentials of the divine process desire nothing of creation; they are not
looking for praise from their generation.33 He goes on to caution the
reader against teachers who make great claims to dazzle students, or
pretend to have studied with an illustrious immortal on a famous
mountaintop. Ge Hong does not mince words when he disparages
“tricksters” who claim to see ghosts and gods, or even to “be” a famous
immortal from a past age. All this to say, one must choose one’s teachers
carefully.
One of Ge Hong’s most interesting remarks touches on another aspect of
learning that is quite important. In the passage on the following page, Ge
is paraphrasing a line from the Zhuang Zi (4th century BCE) and in
particular the commentaries on the Zhuang Zi written by Guo Xiang
(252- 312 CE), who likely was also the compiler of the version of the
Zhuang Zi that Ge Hong read.

33
Ibid. p. 320.

34
It has already been shown how the Five Classics34 and the whole mass of
our older books are “straw dogs,” effigies of the past. What we call
footprints were of course produced by the feet. In the same way, books
are written by the sages, but they are not the sages.35
In the Zhuang Zi, this passage is presented as a conversation between
Lao Zi and Confucius. Lao Zi says that the classics are the stale traces of
former sages. These traces, or tracks (footprints) are created by walking
(by the formless naturalness expressed by the sages), but they are not
themselves the walking.36 Treading on the footprints of others can
inform us, but we cannot take them as the model for our own True
Nature and its spontaneous expression. We must find our own way. This
kind of Intention-No Intention (Yi Bu Yi), letting things take their own
course and flowing with them, is one of the principles of inner
transformation that Ge Hong alludes to in the passage above.
We should keep in mind that Ge Hong is not saying that one should not
seek knowledge, nor is he saying that one should not read books. Ge
Hong collected many books on esoteric knowledge and self-cultivation
in his lifetime. Knowledge is necessary in the pursuit of any course one
follows. Ge Hong is simply reminding us that the books describe things,
but are not the things themselves, just as the map is not the terrain it
depicts. We can use these things as guides, but ultimately we must follow
our own course and flow with life.
Chen Tuan’s Life & Times
The legendary Daoist sage Chen Tuan (陈抟), is also known as Chen Xi
Yi (陳希夷) or simply, Master Xi Yi. Chen Tuan is considered to be the
patriarch of the Earlier Heaven Lesser Way School of Daoism. He is
sometimes acknowledged as the “Father of Qi Gong,”37 and is credited
with developing “Sleeping Meditation”, Tai Ji Ruler exercises, and 24
Seasonal Node Qi Gong. Some sources credit Chen Tuan with
developing Liu He Ba Fa (Six Harmonies & Eight Methods Boxing), an
internal martial art system that is also known as “Water Boxing” because
of its supple and fluid movements.

34
The five Confucian Classics
35
Alchemy, Medicine and Religion in the China of AD 320: The Nei Pien of Ko Hung.
James R. Ware (trans and ed). p. 328.
36
The Penumbra Unbound: The Neo-Taoist Philosophy of Guo Xiang. Brook Ziporyn.
(Albany: State University of New York Press, 2003) pp. 31-32.
37
Tales of Taoist Immortals, by Eva Wong. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications,
Inc. 2001, p. 41.

35
Little is known about Chen Tuan’s life, including exactly when and
where he was born. He was probably born in the early half of the 10th
Century towards the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Period. Some texts say that he was born in the late 9th century and lived
to be 118 years old.
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–979) was another
era of political upheaval and division. Five states quickly succeeded one
another in the North, and more than a dozen states were simultaneously
ruling in other areas – mostly in Southern China. The Five Dynasties and
Ten Kingdoms period started with the fall of the Tang Dynasty and
reached its climax with the founding of the Song Dynasty at the end of
the 10th Century.
One version of Chen Tuan’s story is that he desired to become a
government official, but failed the imperial examinations and became a
hermit sage instead. Another is that he was astonishingly intelligent as a
child with a natural gift for spiritual self-cultivation who could quote
Confucian and Daoist texts from memory at an early age. In this version
of his life, he left home as a teenager in order to seek out Daoist
teachers.38
In either case, Chen Tuan traveled to Daoist mountain sanctuaries,
including Wudang Mountain in Hunan, seeking instruction in Daoist
Nei Gong methods and meditation. He later settled in Mount Hua in
Shaanxi Province, where he restored the Abbey of the Cloud Terrace (Yu
Tai Guan), and the Cloister of the Jade Spring (Yu Quan Yuan). These
were his main residences until his death.39 Chen was allegedly taught by
Lü Dong Bin (one of the legendary Eight Daoist Immortals) and another
illusive figure, the Hemp Clad Daoist.40
Chen visited the imperial court three times. During one of these visits he
met with Song Tai Zong (939–997), the 2nd Emperor of the Song
Dynasty. At that time he was awarded the title, “Elder of the White
Clouds.”41
There are many legends about Chen Tuan. As Livia Kohn points out,
Chen lived at a time when the search for spiritual role models and
patriarchs was just beginning, and he fulfills this role in many stories
from both the Confucian and Daoist traditions.42

38
Ibid. p. 37.
39
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism Volume I: A-L, by Fabrizio Pregadio, p.257.
40
Chen Tuan: Discussions and Translations, by Livia Kohn, p. 11.
41
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism Volume I: A-L, p. 258.
42
Chen Tuan: Discussions and Translations, by Livia Kohn, p. 7.

36
Chen Tuan purportedly wrote, Mirror of Auras (Feng Chien 風鑑)43, a
book on physiognomy which became a classic and this, combined with
his powers of Qi and breath control, form the basis of many legends
about him.44 There are number of stories concerning Chen which
recount how he skillfully predicted a person’s fate by merely looking at
the facial features.45
Chen Tuan is famous for predicting the future and reading auguries.
Stories of these abilities have been passed down to the present as folk
tales. In some stories Chen Tuan reappears a century or more after his
death. In one of these stories Chen Tuan is credited with predicting the
birth of Yue Fei, the famous Song Dynasty General who lived in the 12th
Century. Upon seeing an omen that a “True Lord” (Yue Fei) had been
born, Chen Tuan disguised himself as a Daoist priest and went to the
home of Yue Fei’s parents, where he asked to see the child. After
deliberation with the father of Yue Fei, Chen Tuan named the infant
“Fei” (to fly), and gave him the courtesy name “Peng Ju” (soaring of a
great bird).46These stories reflect Chen Tuan’s ability to see deeply in to
things due to his attunement with the universal energies.
Chen studied the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) and his writing on the
subject interested subsequent generations of Confucian and Daoist Yi
Jing scholars. He is credited with creating some of the philosophy of the
Tai Ji, and the creation of an early Tai Ji diagram that was the precursor
to the famous Tai Ji diagram of Zhou Dun Yi,47 which appears on
everything from book bags to t-shirts today.
The Sleeping Immortal
Chen Tuan has been called the “Sleeping Immortal” due to his mastery
of a method of inner alchemy, which is performed lying on one’s side. In
this “Sleeping Gong” (Shui Gong 睡功) the practitioner is not truly asleep.
He lies still, keeping the internal energies tightly locked and continuously
circulating inside his body, so that nothing escapes or is dispersed.48
Separating himself from worldly desires and passions, the practitioner of
Sleeping Meditation seeks transcendence through refinement and
alchemical transformation of the Three Treasures: Jing (Essence), Qi

43
Feng Chien 風鑑 Mirror of Auras: Chen Tuan on Physiognomy, trans. by Livia Kohn.
44
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism Volume I: A-L, p. 258.
45
Feng Chien 風鑑 Mirror of Auras: Chen Tuan on Physiognomy, p. 221.
46
Yue Fei: A Novel by Qian Cai of the Qing Dynasty. T. L. Yang, trans. (Hong Kong: Joint
Publishing Co. LTD. 1995) pp. 5-10.
47
Chinese Healing Exercises: The Tradition of Daoyin, by Livia Kohn, p. 184.
48
Ibid, p. 185.

37
(Vital Force) and Shen (Spirit). Purportedly Chen would “sleep” in this
fashion for days or even months, his energies so dormant that he
appeared dead. In an oft-told tale, a woodcutter found Chen “sleeping”
in the forest. Thinking he has stumbled upon a dead man, the
woodcutter took a closer look, whereupon Chen awoke and scolded him
for disturbing his restful sleep.

An Enormous Statue of Chen Tuan Sleeping at the Foot of Mount Hua Shan

The creation of Sleeping Gong is often attributed to Chen Tuan, perhaps

because he is the most famous practitioner of this method of meditation,
however, Sleeping Gong has also been mentioned and practiced by other
Daoist writers. The famous Daoist physician Sun Si Miao said that:
Regular practice of Qi should take place in a secret chamber. Close the
doors and quietly lie down on a bed with a pillow 2.5 cun in height
under your head. Straighten the body, lie on your back and close your
eyes. Keep the Qi inside and breathe with your chest. A down feather
held before your nose should not move.49
Chen Tuan’s Sleeping Gong comes down to us largely through the Ming
Dynasty text, Marrow of the Red Phoenix (赤鳳髓 Chi Feng Sui), where it
is described as the “Sleeping Gong from Mount Hua.” The Marrow of the
Red Phoenix (1578) is a compilation of a variety of texts on breathing
techniques, Nei Gong and inner alchemy, most of which are from the
earlier Song and Yuan dynasties. 50

49
The Revival of Qi: Qi Gong in Contemporary China, Chapter 11 by Kunio Miura in
Taoist Meditation and Longevity Techniques, edited by Livia Kohn, p. 346.
50
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism Volume I: A-L, by Fabrizio Pregadio, p. 268.

38
Within The Marrow of the Red Phoenix is a section describing the Twelve
Sleeping Gong Instructions of Mount Hua Shan (Hua Shan Shi Er Shui
Gong Zong Jue 華山十二睡功 總 訣). The description of Sleeping Gong in
the Marrow of the Red Phoenix, whether written by Chen himself, or
described by another author, provides a unique window into Daoist
meditation. It consists of a relatively brief description of the basic
practice, followed by twelve pictures of Sleeping Immortals, each of
which is accompanied by a short poem. The twelve poems provide a
window into Daoist Nei Dan meditative practices, while at the same time
offering concentrated instruction in these practices.
Teachings of Chen Tuan
Chen Tuan was highly knowledgeable in many areas ranging from
martial arts and Qi Gong practices to Internal Alchemy and the secrets
of the Yi Jing (Book of Changes). His teachings and legacy had a large
effect on Daoism and Neo-Daoism. Although many claim a direct
lineage of transmission from Chen Tuan, this is very difficult to evaluate.
Much of his teaching is found in compilation texts that were written and
interpreted well after his death.
However removed we are from his teachings, the knowledge we do have
about Chen Tuan gives us guidance in our study of Daoist Yang Sheng
Longevity and Immortality methods. Below are five areas in which Chen
Tuan provides guidance to modern generations who engage with Daoist
life preservation and longevity practices aimed at prolonging life and
internal transcendence. As Ge Hong points out to us, the traces or tracks
of Chen Tuan are not the man himself, and his traces are not his
teachings, which are ultimately unknowable - however we can use his
approach to self-cultivation as a guide in finding our own path when
working with the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System.
Chen Tuan & the Tai Ji Diagram
Chen Tuan is credited with creating several diagrams relating to the
modern Tai Ji (Tai Chi) Diagram. These diagrams illustrate both
Chinese cosmogenic theories, and Daoist ideas about self-realization and
immortality. Many Daoist self-cultivation practices like Sleeping
Meditation are methods of “reversion,” in which one attempts to return
to the original unity, which is endlessly self-generating and therefore
regenerative. This involves a return to an undifferentiated state of unity
from which all things originate. The undifferentiated, unified state is
sometimes referred to as Wu Ji.
Chen Tuan’s diagram illustrates how Wu Ji and Tai Ji are the foundation
of forms (Wu Xing) and their interaction. Reading downward, the
diagram starts at the top with Wu Ji (a state of undifferentiated unity),
which generates Tai Ji (separation into Yin and Yang). The movement
implicit within the Tai Ji, results in the Five Elements (Wu Xing).

39
However, Chen Tuan’s diagram can also read from bottom to top.
Originally carved into the face of a cliff in the Hua Shan Mountain, the
diagram had explanatory labels carved next to each tier. These labels,
found on the right in the diagram below, are adapted from Da Liu’s
book Tai Chi Ch’uan and Meditation.51 This “reverse” method of looking
at Chen Tuan’s diagram illustrates a reversion of the temporal sequence
of cosmogenic creation through an internal “alchemical” transformation
involving the Three Treasures (Jing, Qi and Shen). Through a process of
reversal, there is a return to the unified, primordial Pre-Heaven State; a
return to the original “knowing” mind of the Dao.

Chen Tuan’s Diagram

51
T’ai Chi Ch’uan & Meditation by Da Liu, pp. 28-9.

40
1. Doorway of the Mysterious Female
“Doorway of the Mysterious Female” references Chapter 6 of the Dao De
Jing:
The spirit of the valley never dies.
It is called the mysterious female.
The door of the mysterious is called the root of Heaven and Earth.
Flimsy and continuous as if barely existing,
Yet use will never exhaust it.52
In He Shang Gong’s commentary on the Dao De Jing, he refers to the
mysterious as being “Dark”, or the “Dark One.”
The valley is what nourishes. Those able to nourish the spirit do not die.
“Spirit” means the spirits of the five organs. When these five are injured
the five spirits leave. “Dark” refers to Heaven. In a person, this means the
nose, which links us to Heaven. The female refers to Earth. In a person
this means the mouth that links us to Earth. The breath that passes
through our nose and mouth should be finer than gossamer silk and
barely noticeable, as if it weren’t actually present. It should be relaxed
and never strained or exhausted.53
This passage tells us that breathing continuously, infinitesimally and
smoothly is the door that connects us with the fundamental essences of
Heaven and Earth, which in turn harmonizes and nourishes the spirits.
The breath is described, as being performed uninterruptedly and in a
mysterious way, as if one could flee and return, as if one did not exist.54
Here, Chen Tuan is advocating stillness and meditation as an important
aspect process of immortality and transcendence.

52
Ho-Shang-Kung’s Commentary on Lao-Tse, translated and annotated by Eduard Erkes,
pp.139-140.
53
Lao Tzu’s Taoteching with Selected Commentaries of the past 2000 Years. Red Pine (Bill
Porter), trans (Townsend WA: Copper Canyon Press, 2009) p. 13.
54
Ho-Shang-Kung’s Commentary on Lao-Tse, translated and annotated by Eduard Erkes, p.
25.

41
2. Transmute Essence (Jing) so it can Transform into Qi
Jing is converted into Qi, which is itself associated with the breath, and in
particular, the controlled breathing practices associated with Daoist
meditation. Through inner stillness and breath control Jing transmutes
into Qi and is raised up to the brain. During this process Spirit (Shen) is
nurtured. Shen manifests itself through the intent. Intent in turn leads
the Qi. At conception, the meeting of the essences of the father and
mother produces the Shen, which enters into the fetus, giving rise to the
Qi, which then in turn engenders Jing and physical form. As one grows
older, Daoist practices aim at reversing this order by refining Jing and
transforming it into Qi, which then fills, animates and stimulates the
body, becoming Shen. Shen then transforms back into Jing, creating a
cycle in which are vital forces are self-generating and self-replenishing.
This process nourishes life, revitalizing one’s consciousness and very
existence.
3. The Five Forces Assembled at the Source
The Five Forces are usually known as Five Elements (Wu Xing) - Metal,
Water, Wood, Fire and Earth. The Five Forces have a connection to the
forces that move through our existence in the world (the internal organs,
seasons, tastes, emotions, desires, etc.). This Post-Heaven (Post-Birth)
state encompasses the body-form (Xing 形), the Body-Self (身), the Heart-
Mind (Xin 心), and the Spirit (Shen 神). Although the Five Forces are
generally associated with Post-Heaven existence, and the five internal
organs, they simultaneously maintain a connection to our origin, the
unified Pre-Heaven (Pre-Birth) state.
When the Sprits of the Five Organs gather together and become unified
through internal self-cultivation, this unification is called “Five Breaths
assemble at the source (origin).” There is a return to the original intrinsic
energies that nourish and replenish the body and reconnect the
practitioner to the mind of the Dao, the deep innate wisdom that resides
in every human being.
4. Taking From Kan-Water to Supplement Li-Fire
Chen Tuan uses Yi Jing Trigrams and hexagrams as schematic symbols
of inner transformation and alchemical transmutation of the body’s
energetic substrates. In Chen Tuan’s Tai Ji diagram these processes of
internal transformation and transmutation are diagrammed by
exchanging Yin and Yang lines in the Water and Fire Trigrams.

42
Through proper posture, breathing and stillness of the mind, Ming Men
Fire heats Kidney–Water so that it rises upward, as excess Heart-Fire
sinks downward. As Fire moves beneath Water, the middle lines of the
Trigrams exchange positions - True Fire in the center of Water (the solid
line in the Kan Trigram) switches places with True Water in the center
of the Li Diagram (the broken line in the Li Trigram).
This creates Qian-Heaven beneath Kun-Earth, an alchemical
transformation represented by Hexagram Eleven: Tai (Peace) – Heaven
within Earth. In this hexagram, Yin is ascendant, invoking prosperity,
peace and upward progress, bearing even in its character-structure
evidence of the fertilizing living waters flowing down from the sacred
mountain Tai Shan.55

5. Transmute Sprit So It Can Return to Emptiness

This is the ideal state of achievement in Daoist alchemical doctrines. The
mind and breath come together so that spirit and Qi are merged. The
spiritual consciousness returns to a state of “non-being” - a return to the
Dao, represented by the reappearance of the empty circle (Wu Ji) in
Chen Tuan’s diagram. This return to the Dao is built on the foundation
of meditative and physical practices in which Essence and Qi are refined
and transmuted into Spirit.

55
Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology; Part
5, Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Physiological Alchemy, by Joseph Needham, p. 63.

43
Chen Tuan & Internal Martial Arts: Liu He Ba Fa
Chen Tuan is generally recognized as the creator of Liu He Ba Fa (Six
Harmonies & Eight Methods Boxing), an internal martial art system that
is also known as “Water Boxing” because of its supple and fluid
movements. Many practitioners of Liu He Ba Fa claim a direct
connection to the lineage of Chen Tuan. Chen Tuan understood the
important part that internal martial arts could play in a spiritual path
leading to transcendence and immortality.
Six Harmonies (Six Combinations: Six Unities)
1. 體合于心 Body and Mind Combine
2. 心合于意 Mind and Intention Combine
3. 意合于氣 Intention and Qi Combine
4. 氣合于神 Qi and Spirit Combine
5. 神合于動 Spirit and Movement Combine
6. 動合于空 Movement and Emptiness Combine
Here, emptiness means Wu Ji, the void state of integral unity. When
practicing Liu He Ba Fa, one enters a quiet, tranquil internal state
(stillness within movement) in which one’s movements simply follow the
body's automatic reaction to changing circumstances.
Eight Methods
The Eight Methods describe a movement practice that is in rooted
in natural principles of movement and cultivation of energy.
1. 氣 Qi: circulating Qi to concentrate Shen (spirit)
2. 骨 Gu (Bone): collecting energy inside the bones
3. 形 Xing (Shape; Form): incorporating animal forms from nature
4. 隨 Sui (Following): circular and smooth motion responding to the
situation
5. 提 Ti (Lifting; Raising): lifting from the crown of one's head to
have a floating feeling
6. 還 Huan (Returning): coming and going in cycles
7. 勒 Lei (Tie; Rein In): being motionless and calm while waiting
8. 伏 Fu (Conceal): looking for an opening while concealing yourself

44
Many of the “secrets” of Liu He Ba Fa are found in the Five Word Song
(五字訣 Wu Zi Jue), a document containing 134 lines of five characters
each, which have been passed on from teacher to student for generations.
The Five Word Song has been commented on many times by different
teachers, and students often read both the text and its commentary for
insight into the art and its use as tool in both self-cultivation and self-
defense. It becomes clear in reading the following excerpt (lines 72 to
80), that Liu He Ba Fa is more then a just a method of combat. Like Xing
Yi Quan, Ba Gua Zhang and Tai Ji Quan, Liu He Ba Fa can be also used
as a vehicle for inner internal transformation.
72. Have a spirit of skepticism as you seek to investigate the truth.
73. This wonderful method combines all movement harmoniously.
74. Separate the spirit with emptiness and solitude.
75. The way to these principles is extremely rare and subtle.
76. It is wise to keep the secrets you attain to yourself.
77. When you are moving, desire to appear as if you are not moving.
78. Within the center of your stillness, maintain your intent.
79. Cease wandering thoughts and the flow of your Qi will become calm
and even.
80. Silently maintain the great emptiness.56
Chen Tuan & Sleeping Meditation
Chen Tuan is celebrated for his ability to sleep for long periods of time.
His orally transmitted practices on Sleeping Meditation, or Sleeping
Gong (Shui Gong) have been passed down to us from later generations.
Sleeping Meditation is a relatively advanced meditative practice in which
one attempts to enter a state of deep trance-like somnolence, which
approaches a state of hibernation. Therein, the mind becomes empty or
has spiritual visions or “dreams”. In this state of supreme non-action,
one’s energies have the possibility of reverting to a fetal-like before-birth
(Pre-Heaven or Xian Tian) state, where the normal aging processes are
reversed and the body purifies itself.
In Chen Tuan’s Sleeping Meditation, the body lies quietly on its side.
The Heart-Mind is quiescent, still and silent. Lying still, breathing
imperceptibly, one gathers Qi and concentrates the Spirit. Gathering the
Qi and concentrating the Spirit cannot be forced. Rather one observes
and harmonizes with the natural rhythmic flow of the Qi and breath.

56
Liuhebafa Five Character Secrets. Paul Dillon (Boston: YMAA Publication Center,
2003) pp.139-140.

45
During Sleeping Meditation, breathing seems to disappear; desire and
discursive thoughts gradually disperse and vanish. The spirit
consolidates and is at ease. Physically and spiritually, one returns to an
almost fetal state in which Qi and breath unfold in an unimpeded
fashion. In this sense, Sleeping Gong is a practical embodiment of the
Daoist idea of non-doing and non-striving (Wu Wei).
It is clear that when Chen Tuan mentions dreaming, it is largely
metaphorical. The following poem is said to have been written by Chen
Tuan when explaining Sleeping Meditation to a student supplicant.
Perfected ones basically have no dreams;
Their dreams are excursions among transcendents.
True men also do not sleep;
Their sleep is floating in the clouds and mists.
Their [inner] cauldrons always hold elixirs,
So in a gourd they find another world.
Wanting to know what’s in dreams
Is people’s prime mystery.57
Seasonal Qi Gong
Chen Tuan’s genius and deep insights into the natural world allowed
him to expand upon earlier ideas about seasonal health and Qi Gong in
order to create the 24 Seasonal Node Qi Gong. These exercises, derived
from Daoist Dao Yin practices, harmonize the body with the seasonal
energies in order to keep the practitioner healthy throughout the year.
There are 24 exercises, one for each approximately 2-week period.
Not only does each exercise both prevent and treat diseases that can
occur at a particular two–week period, but by performing this exercise at
the appropriate seasonal node one is able to take advantage of the
pulsation of Cosmic Qi manifesting at that particular time. This allows
one to “ride” the energetic momentum and impetus generated by the
arrival of each Seasonal Node in order to address chronic diseases that
are already manifesting, or to short-circuit disease mechanisms that are
already in progress, but not yet manifest.
The Seasonal Qi Gong exercises naturally include a deep knowledge of
subtle energetic changes, both in the outside world and within the body,
that inform the inner transformational process.

57
The Dreaming Mind and the End of the Ming World. Lynn A. Struve (Honolulu:
University of Hawai’i Press, 2019) p. 41.

46
Chen Tuan & The Yi Jing
The Yi Jing is famous for its written oracle and line commentaries
pertaining to the lines of the hexagrams. We can say that there are two
approaches to the Yi Jing, one textual and one focused more on
underlying principles represented by the trigrams and hexagrams.
Confucian scholars often focused more on the text itself, studying the
words and adding layers of commentary over the centuries. Daoists like
Chen Tuan studied the Yi Jing to apprehend its subtle underlying
principles, contained in the lines and symbols themselves, which tell us
much about the fabric of reality and the natural laws of change and
transformation.
A transmission on the Yi Jing ascribed to the Hemp Clad Daoist (one of
Chen Tuan’s teachers) tells us that the lines that make up the symbols are
representations of the cycles of Yin and Yang and the circulation of Qi.
These images don’t rely on texts or textual explanations but speak
directly to people who understand the symbols.58
The text goes on to essentially say that Confucians worked with the Yi
Jing using words and lost the true meaning. Daoist teacher Ni Hua Ching
elucidates this important idea, when he says that Chen Tuan used the Yi
Jing to unravel the principles that underlie the words. Ni goes on to say
that in the beginning the sages were inspired by nature. Symbols were
used as an interpretation of what they saw. If one wishes to understand
the symbols deeply, the real source is to look for the reality of the Pre-
Heaven Stage, which is without words. One should therefore start with
the pictures and symbols, because they go beyond what language can
define.59
Chen Tuan’s Contributions
Chen Tuan’s contributions and his example exert a very strong influence
on the Two Immortals System. This is evident in the following elements
of Chen Tuan’s legacy:
1. Chen Tuan’s writings on inner alchemy and transformation as
expressed in the Tai Ji Diagram are an important part of Daoist
meditation practices.
2. Sleeping Meditation is one of the more advanced meditation methods
in which the body stores energy and reverts back toward the original
unity of the Pre-Heaven State.

58
Chen Tuan: Discussions & Translations. Livia Kohn (Thee Pines Press, 2001) pp.121-22.
59
Life & Teaching of Two Immortals (Vol 2): Chen Tuan. Hua Ching-Ni (Santa Monica:
Seven Star Communications, 1992) p. 31.

47
3. Liu He Ba Fa, although a rare martial arts system, is an important
example of martial arts as a spiritual path, and inspirational to many for
whom martial arts and self-defense are the starting points of a deeper
spiritual journey.
4. Chen Tuan’s approach to the Yi Jing had a huge influence on Yi Jing
scholars in the Daoist tradition who focus on the structure of the
trigrams and hexagrams to penetrate deeply into the nature of change
and transformation. This approach has practical application in areas as
diverse as divination, Qi Gong, strategy, internal alchemy, seasonal
change, martial arts and traditional Chinese medicine.
5. Chen Tuan’s stress on Qi Gong as an important part of self-cultivation
influences many of the Qi Gong practices that are part of the Two
Immortals System. One very specific influence in this regard is Chen
Tuan’s 24 Seasonal Node Qi Gong, which helps one to harmonize with
nature’s cyclical transformations.

Chen Tuan Asleep

(Painting by Hasegawa Tōhaku)

48
Chapter 4
Dao Yin
Unblocking the Meridians & Balancing the Qi
Dynamic

Chinese healing exercises were traditionally called Dao Yin. What we

today call Qi Gong, Nei Gong or Daoist Yoga, were often collectively
referred to as Dao Yin in the early Yang Sheng tradition. Some Dao Yin
exercises mimicked animals, while others involved regulated breathing
combined with body movements that stretched and opened joints and
meridians in order to direct and balance the flow of Qi.
Dao Yin means “to Guide and Lead”, or “Guiding and Pulling.” Early
Han Dynasty medical texts (circa 160 BC) like the Yin Shu (Pulling
Book), and the Dao Yin Tu (Guiding-Pulling Chart), detail exercises that
advocate pulling on (stretching or extending) the sinews or areas of pain.

Dao (導
導 ): to direct, conduct, guide, transmit, or lead.
Yin (引
引 ): to draw, pull, or stretch - as in drawing a
bow to shoot an arrow. On the left is a bow
and on the right, a bowstring.
Dao refers to guiding the Qi in a physical and concrete way. Yin refers to
pulling and stretching to release a blockage, or to literally “pull out,” and
thereby dispel a pathogen or an ailment. Yin includes the idea of drawing
or directing Qi to certain areas of the body. Yin can also refer to
stretching, or limbering up muscles, joints and meridians. In this sense it
can mean stretching, activating, and stimulating pathways of Qi
(Meridians).60 Dao Yin movements are usually combined with breath
regulation (Tu Na) exercises. One of the keys to good health is prevent
stagnation of Qi. When Qi stagnates or blocks, specific ailments can
result. Dao Yin exercises are one method of dispersing and releasing the
stale, stuck Qi.

60
Chinese Healing Exercises: The Tradition of Daoyin. Livia Kohn (Honolulu: University
of Hawai’i Press, 2008) p. 11.
How Dao Yin Works
From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, Dao Yin activates the
Qi Dynamic by encouraging the movement of Qi through the channels
and collaterals (the Jing Luo or “Meridians”). The Jing Luo system
includes the 12 Main Meridians related to the internal organs on which
most acupuncture points are located, the Eight Extraordinary Channels,
the Sinew Channels, which bind and wrap the joints, and other vessels
that make more discrete internal connections.
Daily self-massage and stimulation of the superficial channels leads the
Qi, which in turn leads the circulation of blood and fluids. Dao Yin,
rubbing, pressing and wiping techniques follow the innate energy
patterns that are known to harmonize the Qi Dynamic and lead it to
balance.
Practicing Dao Yin involves relaxing and focusing the mind, and letting
go of distracting thoughts to focus on the movements. This induces a
state of calm inner awareness and relaxation, which in turn calms and
stabilizes Heart–Mind, so that the spirit becomes tranquil and vibrant.
As the heart becomes calm and less agitated, excess tension in the head
and chest descends, the chest becomes open and expansive, and the
muscles relax as tension abates. This helps to regulate the flow of Qi and
blood so that circulation is smooth and unobstructed.
People instinctively know that touch and massage can be healing. Some
recent research indicates several mechanisms through which Dao Yin
exercises may modulate the brain and central nervous system, as well as
the functioning of the internal organs.
Massage therapy has been shown to have beneficial effects on many
different groups and conditions, including prenatal depression, autism,
skin conditions, pain syndromes, arthritis and fibromyalgia,
hypertension, autoimmune conditions, asthma, multiple sclerosis,
immune conditions, and problems associated with aging including
Parkinson's and dementia. Typically, the massage therapy groups and
even those who performed daily self-massage experienced more positive
effects than the control or comparison groups. This is thought to be due
to the fact that massage stimulates pressure receptors, leading to
enhanced vagal activity and reduced cortisol levels.61

61
“Massage Therapy Review” Tiffany Field. Complimentary Therapies in Clinical
Practice. 2016 Aug; 24: 19–31.

50
In one study on self-massage, patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of
the knee were tested when self-massage techniques were applied. Patients
in the self-massage therapy group reported fewer indications of pain and
stiffness.62 Another study reported by the Arthritis Foundation and,
published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, found
that arthritis patients who regularly performed self-massage techniques
eliminated pain, their mood improved and anxiety levels decreased.
Recent research helps to explain how the light stroking or pressure on
the skin can modulate what happens in the brain and central nervous
system. A recent study from the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden found
that specialized nerve fibres in the skin tell the brain that the skin is
being stroked. This in turn modulates the nervous system. The
specialized nerve fibres are called CT nerves (C-tactile). They travel
directly to the areas in the brain that are related to feelings and sensation.
The discovery may explain why touching the skin can relieve pain. Line
Löken, a postgraduate student in neurophysiology at the Sahlgrenska
Academy says that, Basically the signals that tell the brain that we are
being stroked on the skin have their own direct route to the brain, and are
not blocked even if the brain is receiving pain impulses from the same area.
In fact it’s more the opposite, that the stroking impulses are able to deaden
the pain impulses.63
Other studies have indicated that people with emotional disorders and
chronic pain generally have increased sympathetic activity. Massage
leads to an increase in parasympathetic activity, which lowers
sympathetic activity and modulates the “Fight or Flight” response. In
particular, activation of the vagal nerve, which has parasympathetic
control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract, seems to be closely linked
to psychological function and positive mental health outcomes.64

62
“The Effects of Self-Massage on Osteoarthritis of the Knee” A Randomized, Controlled
Trial” Dorothea V Atkins and David A Eichler. International Journal of Therpeutic
Massage Bodywork. 2013; 6(1): 4–14.
63
“Pleasant Touch' Decoded: Signals From Stroking Skin Have Direct Route To Brain.”
Science News, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090414084453.htm
64
“The Immediate Effect of Therapeutic Touch and Deep Touch Pressure on Range of
Motion, Interoceptive Accuracy and Heart Rate Variability: A Randomized Controlled Trial
With Moderation Analysis” Darren J. Edwards, Hayley Young, and Ross Johnston
Frontiers in Integrative Neuro Science. 12-00041September 20, 2018Time: 16:48# 1

51
Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity
System - Dao Yin Methods
1. Comprehensive Daily Dao Yin
Comprehensive Daily Dao Yin activates and energizes the body, takes
less than 20 minutes to perform, and makes a good precursor to
meditation. Comprehensive Daily Dao Yin regulates the Qi Dynamic,
dispels pathogens and activates the body’s energetic system, by opening
the energy gates. This Dao Yin method is invaluable as a daily health
tune up and longevity exercise. For this reason, many senior masters of
Qi Gong and the internal martial arts practice Comprehensive Daily Dao
Yin every day for their entire lives.
2. Nine Palace Dao Yin
This unique and rare Dao Yin routine works with the nine sections
(“Nine Palaces”) of the body in order to energize and activate the
internal energy system through the Sinew Channels and the joints. Nine
Palace Dao Yin ends with North Star-Big Dipper Meditation, a very
powerful form of Daoist Meditation that further activates the Nine
Palaces and energizes the entire body.

3. Spirit Calming Dao Yin

Spirit Calming Dao Yin is a very effective method of calming the heart
and spirit, dispelling anxiety, regulating Yang Qi, and improving cerebral
circulation. This Dao Yin method is easily performed almost anywhere,
and can act as a quick pick-me-up that revitalizes the body, activates and
awakes the brain, and relaxes the nervous system.

52
4. Peaceful Sleep Dao Yin
Peaceful Sleep Dao Yin is easy to do, and takes just 10 minutes to
perform. It is practiced at night just before bedtime. Peaceful Sleep Dao
Yin is very effective in treating insomnia and fitful sleep. Many people
fall asleep without even finishing the entire routine. Peaceful Sleep Dao
Yin has been practiced and prescribed by Daoist physicians and Yang
Sheng adepts for centuries.
5. Abdominal Dao Yin
Abdominal Dao Yin is particularly useful for rectifying chronic digestive
problems, through a very focused approach to regulating the Spleen and
Stomach and harmonizing digestion. In Chinese medicine, the Spleen-
Stomach Axis of the Qi Dynamic is central to the proper functioning of
the other organs and our energy system in general. Regular practice of
Abdominal Dao Yin can help heal digestive problems ranging from
indigestion and constipation to irritable bowel and intestinal gas.

53
Practicing Dao Yin
Dao Yin exercises regulate the internal Qi Dynamic by rubbing and
massaging acupuncture points, meridians or areas of the body, where Qi
either gathers or tend to block. Massage is generally fairly light and
energetic, performed with the fingertips or the palms. Sometimes areas
and points are rubbed in a circle (Mo Fa: “Round Rubbing”), while other
area are stroked in lines and arcs, either following meridians or
movements of the Qi Dynamic.
When the body is healthy and harmonious, Qi tends to move in
particular patterns that Chinese medicine identifies as the normal Qi
Dynamic. When Qi is blocked, or when disease enters the body, these
normal, healthy patterns are disrupted and becomes pathogenic. If
pathogenic Qi disrupts the normal Qi Dynamic, symptoms of illness
begin to emerge. Often this disharmonious pattern starts small with light
or intermittent symptoms. At this time it is relatively easy to restore
balance, and this is exactly the purpose of many Dao Yin exercises.
Through daily regulation of the Qi Dynamic, by performing Dao Yin
every day, the body is being encouraged towards healthy, harmonious
patterns. The body naturally wants to follow these normal and healthy
patterns, so it takes only a little effort to nudge the patterns back on
track. This is how daily performance of Dao Yin prevents disease and
promotes health.
The massage pressures are light because we are working with the body’s
energetics rather than releasing tight muscles and directly pushing fluids
and blood through the soft tissue, which are common to methods like
Deep Tissue Massage. Instead, each morning we open up the energy
gates of the body and remove small blockages in the energy system, so
that these blockages don’t have a chance to grow. We can liken this to
weeding a garden. If we do it every day, we only need to do a little each
day in order to keep the garden pristine and weed-free. If we let the
garden become overgrown, it requires heroic efforts to return it to a
pristine state.

54
Chapter 5
Daoist Yoga
Balancing the Fascial Web & Opening Energy Gates

As we saw in the previous chapter, what we today call Qi Gong, Nei

Gong or Daoist Yoga were often collectively referred to as Dao Yin. Over
the course of Chinese history and particularly in the modern era, Dao
Yin, Daoist Yoga and Daoist Meditation methods were combined and
became known as Qi Gong. Many of the original sequences were altered
and reformatted into “modern” sequences that were potentially more
appealing to the modern tastes. However, many older methods are still
taught, and can be found within the modern teachings. Although there is
considerable overlap between practices called Daoist Yoga, Dao Yin, Qi
Gong, and Daoist Meditation, for both learning and practice purposes
they are often separated into three distinct entities.
Daoist Yoga exercises generally involve holding postures while extending
and ‘pulling’ on the meridians and the fascial network, or moving
through a series of postures. In this way there is some resemblance to
Hindu Yoga techniques. Daoist Yoga includes breath regulation and
meditative practices.
Daoist Yoga exercises employ physical movements to harmonize the
flow of Qi and blood in the body in order to prevent disease, improve
health, and stretch and open the sinews and joints. In order to achieve
these ends, Daoist Yoga combines breathing, massaging parts of the
body, and guiding and leading Qi through stretching and twisting
movements, and concentration of the mind and intention. All of these
elements act together to direct the flow of Qi and to regulate the body,
both internally and externally.
The ultimate purpose of Daoist Yoga exercises is to gradually lead or
guide the body’s energy into balance over a period of time. Although
often simple in appearance, these exercises are based upon a deep
understanding of the internal workings of the human body and the ways
in which disease can penetrate the body’s defenses. By maintaining the
patency of the circulation of Qi, regulating the soft tissue, and
stimulating the internal mechanisms of the body, Daoist Yoga exercises
stimulate one’s natural healing powers and prevent disease from taking
root.
Qi does not flow smoothly through tense, tight areas. Making the body
more flexible and supple allows the Qi to flow more smoothly, without
blocking or stagnating. Daoist Yoga exercises “pull” and extend the
sinews, keeping the joints and tissues elastic, flexible, and mobile, so that
Qi can flow without interruption or impingement.
The modern word “yoga” (योग) is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj (युज्),
"to attach”, “join”, “harness”, or “yoke.” Yoga refers to union with the
divine or numinous through methods and techniques, and the correct
performance of one’s duties and responsibilities in everyday life. In
addition to its health benefits, the purpose of Daoist Yoga is similar to
that of Hindu yogic practices, albeit with a uniquely Chinese perspective.
Opening up the body and regulating the Qi Dynamic allows us to
connect with the numinous – in this case, the spirits and breaths of
Heaven and the Earth that move through us with every breath.
The Daoist Yoga sequences are energy-enhancing practices that employ
movement and stretching to open and unblock the meridians (channels
and collaterals), extend the joints, and lengthen and “stretch the muscles
and sinews.” Most of the exercises are gentle and can be done by anyone.
The goal here is not to perform great feats of flexibility, but to gently and
rhythmically extend the sinews, stretch the meridians and open up the
joints. Think of a cat stretching out its whole body in slow relaxed whole
body extension, or kneading and rhythmically pushing his or her paws in
and out against a soft object. This kind of movement involves
contracting sets of muscles sequentially, slowly lengthening them, and
then contracting back to a relatively neutral position, or even a rest
position. Contracting and lengthening sections of the body in a cat-like
manner creates an enormous sense of relaxation in the body and
muscles, while simultaneously preparing the body for efficient
movement.
What Daoist Yoga adepts realized was that these kinds of movements
not only relax and tone the body and reprogram the neuro-muscular
system, they also increase circulation of Qi and blood through the
meridians and vessels, and affect the internal organs themselves.
Different exercises and body positions, when performed mindfully, were
observed to guide, pull and lead the Qi and breath into different
pathways and different areas of the body. Therefore, some exercises
stimulate the stomach and intestines and aid digestion, while others
lower rising heat and calm the heart. From these observations, specific
Daoist Yoga exercises were created.
When performing Daoist Yoga, one’s movements should be natural and
smooth, without excessive effort or muscular tension. We are looking to
increase the suppleness of the tissues. Increased suppleness reduces
tension and tightness. The musculature should feel a sense of ease from
the movements, rather than hard exertion.

56
Daoist Yoga is in itself a type of meditation. When practicing Daoist
Yoga, we go inside ourselves and observe and sense the inside of the
body as we move through the sequence of movements and postures. We
attend to the breath, one of basic principles of meditation. As the body
relaxes, and the energy gates and meridians open up, Qi flows more
smoothly and without obstruction. This takes us further into state of
inner awareness and inner stillness.
Daoist Yoga & Fascial Research on Pandiculation
The natural movements of Daoist Yoga can be compared to the
movement of animals in nature. Scientists have recently begun to study
animal movement in relation to exercise and physical and emotional
health. Dr. Luiz Fernando Bertolucci has noted that animals do not
exercise in order to maintain their physical capabilities. For example, it is
generally thought that long striding movements will remain possible
only to the extent that they are fully expressed. Yet most of the time
animals are not expressing their optimal movement capabilities – in fact
they only do this rarely, when they need to.
How do animals in the wild maintain musculoskeletal health? They
perform no stretching routines and yet still maintain their physical
capabilities. Dr. Bertolucci and others have noticed that animals perform
spontaneous pandiculation – shivering, shaking, stretching movements

57
that are largely involuntary, and do not involve cortical stimulation.65
Pandiculation is often defined as ”a stretching and stiffening of the trunk
and extremities, as when fatigued and drowsy, on waking, often
accompanied by yawning.” This is what most of us do automatically
when we arise in the morning to shake off any stiffness acquired during
sleep.
Many of the Daoist Yoga postures are reminiscent of cat stretching, or a
reptile turning its head, automatic movements that don’t require
conscious attention, but that engage the whole body and consciousness.
Daoist Yoga movements require the body to fortify itself with tonus in
the deep postural muscles, while at the same time relaxing the superficial
musculature. Under these conditions, the body is integrated as a whole
and all its parts relate with one another in movement These conditions
cannot be produced by voluntary motor action, but emerge spontaneously
with appropriate states of attention in which mechano-sensing is
enhanced.66
During pandiculation, a progressive and involuntary tonic activity
gradually unites body segments in a block, up to an optimal point.67 The
initial muscle activation begins locally, and then spreads to neighboring
areas until it reaches a peak of distribution and intensity; i.e., joints
progressively stiffen through a chain of reflexes, in which neighboring
segments are sequentially engaged to form an ever-larger block that
eventually encompasses the entire body.
Scientists postulate that these expressions of instinctual animal-like
movement produce not only physical, but also emotional health, and
that interference with instinctual movement (often due to cultural and
social programming) can actually lead to disease, pain and lack of
mobility and emotional imbalances.
Exercises like Daoist Yoga, Qi Gong, and internal martial arts, in which
the body moves through positions where spontaneous releases of soft
tissue can occur, are considered to be optimal for producing and
maintaining the natural flexibility and pliability of the musculoskeletal
system, while neuro-muscularly programming the body to perform
optimally.

65
“Pandiculation: An Organic Way to Maintain Myofascial Health” Luiz Fernando
Bertolucci, md (Terra Rose e-magazine No. 9 (December 2011).
66
Ibid.
67
Sustained Manual Loading of the Fascial System Can Evoke Tonic Reactions:
Preliminary Results” Luiz Fernando Bertolucci and Elisa Harumi Kozasa. International
Journal of Therapeutic Massage Bodywork. 2010; 3(1): 12–14.

58
Daoist Yoga and “Stretching
Although in describing Daoist Yoga, we can’t help using the word
“stretching,” in fact, muscles don’t really stretch, they contract. As one
set of muscles contracts (the agonist), other muscles (the antagonists)
must relax and extend. A very simple example is that when the
quadriceps muscles contract to extend the leg, the hamstrings must relax
and lengthen.
Our muscles are not rubber bands or ropes that can be stretched out by
pulling on the ends. In fact, muscles and tendons have a self-protective
mechanism that works to prevent a sudden or forced stretch of the
muscle tissue from occurring. Muscle spindles connect to muscle cells.
When muscle cells stretch, the muscle spindles stretch with them. If the
muscle stretches to the point where its integrity is endangered, the
muscle spindle sends a signal to the muscle cell to contract. This is
known as the “Stretch Reflex.” The Stretch Reflex permits voluntary
stretches that are not too sudden or forced. The tendons have similar
protective mechanisms that prevent the tendons from being damaged
through overstretching.68
When you practice static stretching, often your nervous system is
battling against itself, negating your efforts. Consciously you are sending
a message telling the body to manually stretch your muscles by pulling
on them. But unconsciously and automatically, the Stretch Reflex is
activated, contracting the muscles to prevent them from overstretching
and tearing. This is why forced stretching, and trying to hold difficult
postures for long periods often increases tension in muscles, and creates
less, rather than more, flexibility. The body reads these actions as
dangerous, and engages the negative feedback loop of the Stretch Reflex
to contract the very muscles you are trying to relax.
Forced stretches can create a temporary feeling increased flexibility. This
may be because of micro-tearing at the muscle attachments that can
elongate as they heal, and because, if one holds a stretch long enough, the
Stretch Reflex becomes temporarily disengaged. However, the effects
wear off fairly quickly. Within a short time, the muscles begin to tighten
up again, and more stretching is now required to make them feel loose.
In the long run, this approach can overstretch the ligaments, resulting in
less stable joints.

68
A Tooth From the Tiger’s Mouth: How to Treat Your Injuries with Powerful Healing
Secrets of the Great Chinese Warriors. Tom Bisio (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004) p.
72-73.

59
So rather than thinking about stretching muscles, it is better to visualize
that in Daoist Yoga we are extending and lengthening sinews (fascia),
and gently “opening up” space inside the joints, so that Qi and breath
can move through the tissues and joints. This allows fluids to move
smoothly through the fascia, nourishing and moistening the tissue. The
word “supple” is a more useful term when we are talking about
increasing flexibility. We want the body to be supple and flexible, while
retaining strength and tissue integrity.
Daoist Yoga Sequences
In observing the natural movements of animals, Daoist yogis and Qi
Gong Masters realized that flexibility could be increased by relaxing the
antagonistic muscles, rather than by “stretching.” They created
movements in which muscle groups were repetitively contracted and
relaxed in alternation. This allowed both the agonists and antagonists to
extend and relax. Daoist Yoga practitioners also realized that for this
pattern of alternating contraction and relaxation to work properly, the
movements must be slow, smooth and natural.
Another discovery was that sequences of movements were more effective
than individual exercises. In a carefully programmed sequence of
exercises, what comes before prepares the body for what comes after.
Exercise 1 prepares you for Exercise 2, and Exercise 2 simultaneously
builds on the foundation of Exercise 1. Exercise 3 then builds on both
Exercises 1 and 2, and so on. This approach creates an overlapping web-
like effect, which acts on the body’s neuro-muscular system, allowing it

60
to reach much deeper states of relaxation. Further, this approach engages
the entire fascial system, rather then isolated groups of muscles, sending
signals to every part of the body, including the brain, the autonomic
nervous system and the internal organs. In this way, every exercise, to
some degree, has a whole-body effect.
A third critical observation was that what animals did internally was as
important as what they are doing externally. When a cat moves, it is fully
involved in what it is doing. Mental involvement in the movements
being performed engages the whole being in the exercise, producing far
greater results than merely performing the movements by rote. Unlike
many stretching exercises in which one can watch television, or think
about something else, while stretching one’s hamstrings, Daoist Yoga
sequences require that you maintain mind-body engagement with what
you are doing. To that end, mediation techniques, and attention to
respiration, are integrated into the practice of Daoist Yoga and Qi Gong.
Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity
System - Daoist Yoga Methods
Two Daoist Yoga Methods are contained within Two Immortals Life
Nourishing Longevity System. Each method has a particular focus and
emphasis. Together, they offer you a very complete system of Daoist
Yoga that can be practiced over a lifetime.
1. Daoist Hermit Seated Yoga
Daoist Hermit Seated Yoga contains 22 movements and a short
meditation on the “True Fire” in Dan Tian. It is practiced sitting on a
chair, on the edge of a bed or seated on a cushion. If you are outside, you
can practice Daoist Hermit Seated Yoga sitting on a blanket, or even on
the grass. In Daoist Hermit Seated Yoga, the different body positions and
postures guide, pull and lead the Qi and breath into different energetic
pathways and different areas of the body. Some exercises stimulate the
stomach and intestines and aid digestion, while others lower rising heat
and calm the heart. The postures and movements not only stretch
muscles and sinews and open up the joints, they also contract and
expand the internal cavities of the body in order to “exercise” the
internal organs. The result is that both the inside and outside of the body
gradually become supple and relaxed.

61
2. Awakened Immortal’s Daoist Yoga
Awakened Immortal’s Daoist Yoga is a unique and very powerful series
of movements that simultaneously activate and unblock the Tian Gan
(Heavenly Stem), lengthen the sinews of the entire body, “stretch” and
pull the meridians, and strengthen the Dan Tian. This method begins
lying down, and progresses from a “sleeping” meditation to standing in a
series of 20 movements. The Awakened Immortal’s Daoist Yoga contains
a number of meridian stretches that pull and open the meridians and
their associated fascial connections. This method also focuses on the
deeper Extraordinary Vessels that connect to the core of the body, and to
some degree form the inner core represented by Dan Tian and Ming
Men. Awakened Immortal’s Daoist Yoga introduces you to two Daoist
Meditation and Inner Alchemy practices: Sleeping Immortal Refining
Hun and Po, and The Awakened Immortal Contemplates Non-Duality.

62
Chapter 6
Qi Gong
Healing the Organs and Strengthening the Body

Qi Gong and Nei Gong69 are systems of exercise and self-cultivation that
employ coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and
meditative techniques to promote health, prevent disease, balance the
flow of Qi, harmonize the functions of the internal organs, and promote
longevity.
The term “Nei Gong” originally referred to Daoist Inner Alchemical
Meditation practices like Nei Dan (Inner Elixir), but this term also
includes a variety of movement based practices. Qi Gong is a more
modern umbrella term for diverse traditions that include early Daoist
meditative practices, Internal Alchemy (Nei Dan) practices, breathing
exercises, guiding Qi internally, healing sounds, visualization, standing
meditation, martial arts movements, Dao Yin and even Daoist Yogic
movements.
As was mentioned earlier, originally Qi Gong, Nei Gong and yogic
practices were collectively referred to as Dao Yin, so their principles of
operation have much overlap. For our purposes, the terms Qi Gong and
Nei Gong will be used to describe practices that combine movement with
respiratory regulation and concentration of the Mind-Intention.
Qi Gong Theory
The basic theory behind Qi Gong and much of Chinese medicine is that
stagnant breath and Qi are the root causes of disease. Historically, one of
the earliest mentions of this idea comes from three passages in the
Annals of Lu Bu Wei (Lu Shi Chun Qiu - 239 BCE) compiled by the Qin
Dynasty Chancellor Lu Bu Wei.
When the breath or energy or the individual is congested and stagnant,
the muscles and bones are contracted and don’t flex well. One therefore
prescribes certain dances, which guide the breath and ensure that it
moves throughout the body in a harmonious fashion.70

69
Qi Gong and Nei Gong are terms that often used interchangeably. Methods known today
as Qi Gong, or Nei Gong, were originally referred to as Dao Yin (Guiding and Leading), or
Yang Sheng (Nourishing Life). Qi Gong is term created by the Chinese government in the
1950s.
70
Live Long Live Well: Teachings From the Chinese Nourishment of Life Tradition. Peter
Deadman (©Peter Deadman, 2016) p. 397.
The text goes on to say:
Depressed and stagnated Qi leads to infirm bones and muscles, so the
people danced to free up the stagnant Qi.” Stagnant Qi easily leads to
depression. “If it stagnates in the striae and interstitial spaces of the skin
and muscle it causes swellings and heaviness of the body. For benefiting
the action of the joints, a dance was created and taught to people to
strengthen their joints; this was the “Great Dance.” Dao Yin follows after
this such as Hua Tuo’s five animal exercises, bear climbing and bird
stretching – all dances performed to imitate animals.71
These passages indicate that many Qi Gong exercises probably came
from dances that had a medical component. These dances may be the
origin of the famous Five Animal Play Qi Gong, created by the
physician Hua Tuo. Five Animal Play is widely taught today, and is
part of the Two Immortals System.
A final passage from the Annals of Lu Bu Wei is perhaps the most
quoted explanation of how Qi Gong works:
The reason why flowing water does not become putrid and the doorway
pivot is not devoured by bugs is because they move. The form and vapor
are also thus. If the form does not move, the essence does not flow. If the
essence does not flow the vapor clogs.72
Qi Gong involves regulated breathing, in which stale Qi, vapor, and
breath are expelled and fresh, energized Qi, vapor and breath are
inhaled. Techniques of regulating respiration are sometimes referred to
as Tu Na (吐纳) – literally to “spit out” or “disgorge” (Tu), and to
“receive” or “accept.” (Na). When performing Tu Na breath cultivation
practices, one is literally spitting out the old and stale and taking in the
new and fresh. In this way Qi and vapor are renewed and revitalized and
the Qi circulates smoothly. Six Healing Sound Qi Gong employs this idea
in conjunction with specific sounds and movements that aid the
expulsion of pathogenic Qi. Thus, this Qi Gong Method can also be
considered a form of Tu Na.
Numerous studies of Qi Gong practice has been shown to:
1. Build up health by increasing vigor and vitality
2. Increase respiratory capacity
3. Calm the mind and help one maintain a content and relaxed
state of being
4. Increase sensitivity and internal awareness

71
A History of Medicine in Classical China – Volume 1. Ma Boying (Shanghai: World
Scientific Publishing Co. 2020) p. 42
72
Early Chinese Medical Literature: The Mawangdui Medical Manuscripts, translation and
study by Donald Harper (London and New York: Kegan Paul International, 1998) p. 145.

64
5. Prevent disease
6. Aid in curing chronic health problems
Qi Gong has similarities to exercise and physical therapies, however Qi
Gong exercises are unique in their ability to adjust, unite, and integrate
body, breath, mind and spirit. Qi Gong has the ability to accomplish
many of the same things as physiotherapy and psychotherapy, but
because Qi Gong involves engaging the life force and the breath, it can
accomplish things that psychotherapy cannot.
In the context of Nourishing Life, Qi Gong is much more complete and
integrative than other forms of exercise or physiotherapy. Qi Gong
engages and develops the body’s natural potential to change and
transform from the inside out. These changes take many forms –
strengthening the constitution and immune system to prevent and dispel
disease, building body strength, energy and vigor, and imparting anti-
aging and life prolonging effects.
Studies on people over 60 who regularly practice Qi Gong have
demonstrated that regular Qi Gong practice promotes a positive outlook
on life, increased vitality and energy, good vision and hearing, good
reflexes, improved balance and coordination, improvement in blood
pressure and respiratory capacity, as well as reduced susceptibility to
illness.
Qi Gong and Longevity
Qi Gong and Nei Gong practices are often associated with longevity.
Traditional Chinese medicine connects aging with a decline of the vital
Qi of the kidneys, and the Fire of the Gate of Life, or “Gate of Vitality”
(Ming Men), the foundation of the body’s energy matrix. Many of the
symptoms of deficient Kidney Qi and Essence (Jing – associated with
sexual energy and reproductive capacity), are related to loss of sexual
vitality, thinning of seminal and vaginal fluid, frequent urination or
dribbling, greying of the hair and dryness.
Qi Gong research has shown that weakness of Kidney Qi is connected to
changes in the sex hormones normally associated with aging. Several
studies on the ratio of sex hormones indicated that a year of regular Qi
Gong practice could improve the ratio of sexual hormones,73 control
blood pressure and increase respiratory capacity.
Scientific studies on Qi Gong and Chinese medicine indicate that Qi
Gong’s ability to promote longevity probably stems from stimulation of
the glands and the endocrine system; more about this in Chapter 10
(Daoist Meditation).

73
Chinese Qi Gong Essentials. Cen Yue Fang (Beijing: New World Press, 1996) p. 39.

65
One very important aspect of Qi Gong is that the output of energy
necessary to perform the exercises is minimal in comparison with the
energy gathering and storing aspect of the exercises. Therefore Qi Gong
energizes rather than depletes, and builds energy instead of creating an
energy deficit. This aspect of Qi gong makes it very suitable for
prolonging life and building a surplus of vital force.

Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity

System - Qi Gong Methods
There are numerous Qi Gong and Nei Gong methods. Many emphasize
a particular aspect of the body: regulating the internal organs,
strengthening the sinews and bones, regulating and stimulating brain
and nervous system function, improving joint and spinal mobility, or
opening and regulating the meridians.
However all Qi Gong and Nei Gong methods work with the following
aspects of the body, mind and spirit:
1. Regulating the mind and entering into a state of calm and
tranquility
2. Regulating the breath
3. Regulating Qi, both internally in the organs and meridians, and
more externally in muscles and joints
4. Regulating body movement and posture with the joints and
muscles aligned and balanced
5. Reprogramming the neuro-muscular system.
Which Qi Gong method is best for an individual depends on that
person’s physical condition and personal needs. The Two Immortals Life
Nourishing Longevity System includes the following Qi Gong Methods:
1. Six Healing Sounds (Liu Zi Jue)
Liu Zi Jue (literally: “Six Word Song”) is popularly known as the “Six
Healing Sounds”, or “Six Mouth-Shape Qi Gong.” The Six Healing
Sounds are a very ancient and important part of the Life Nourishing
tradition, and a very powerful method of regulating the internal organs
and dispelling disease from the organs. Making specific sounds and
mouth shapes that resonate with specific organs creates a vibration in the
target organ that clears energy blockages and negative emotions. This
opens the meridians and disperses stale and stagnant energy. Daily
practice of the mouth shapes and sounds can harmonize organ
functioning, while dispelling pathogens that have penetrated internally.
The sounds and mouth shapes are combined with simple movements
that amplify the effect of the inner vibration.

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“HU” Sound: Earth & Spleen-Stomach

2. Five Element Qi Gong (Wu Xing Qi Gong)

Five Element Qi Gong was the first Qi Gong I learned almost 4o years
ago. Five Element Qi Gong is a simple, yet powerful set of exercises that
regulates the internal organs, opens and energizes the meridians and
generally stimulates the vitality of the whole body. In particular, Five
Element Qi Gong regulates and harmonizes the Five Zang Organs (Lung,
Kidney, Liver, Heart and Spleen) and their numerous interactions with
the tissues, emotions, secretions and sense organs. Five Element Qi Gong
is an easy-to-learn practice that can deepen over time, increasing one’s
ability to sense internally and to detect minor imbalances in the body
before they become more serious. Recently one practitioner wrote me to
say: Five Element Qi Gong is so powerful and clearing of the entire system.
The effects of that practice, and how it amplifies the energy spirals and
circulations inside (and outside) of the body, initiates a rapid progression
of internal awareness.

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Five Element Qi Gong

3. Five Animal Play (Wu Qin Xu)

Five Animal Play is one of the oldest documented Qi Gong methods. It is
based on observations of animal movement. Hua Tuo (140–208 CE), the
legendary physician of the late Han Dynasty, is generally considered to
be the creator of Five Animal Play. In Five Animal Play one imitates the
movements and walking patterns of the Bear, Deer, Bird, Tiger and
Monkey. Each of the stepping patterns of the Five Animals creates a
different series of wave-like pulsations that move rhythmically through
the body dispelling blockages and freeing restricted tight sinews.
Imitating the movements of each animal also engages the Mind–
Intention and Spirit – one’s internal and external perceptions change
with each animal. This modulates one’s consciousness in subtle and
profound ways. Five Animal Play looks relatively simple, yet its hidden
depths create many subtle internal transformations and bring us into
deeper harmony with nature.

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Bird Play

4. Xing Yi Nei Gong

Xing Yi Nei Gong was created by Xing Yi Master Wang Ji Wu (1891-
1991). Wang Ji Wu attained a high level of skill in both martial arts and
the practice of Chinese medicine. Like many martial arts teachers of his
time, Wang was skilled at treating external injuries and was an expert in
bone setting (Zheng Gu). He also studied and taught Nei Gong and
Daoism. Combining his martial and medical skills Wang created a set of
16 exercises to build and preserve health. Xing Yi Nei Gong is based on
developmental Xing Yi Quan exercises Wang learned from his teachers.
Wang often taught Xing Yi Nei Gong to patients to speed the healing
process, a practice that I also found to be useful in my own clinic of
Chinese medicine. Wang also taught Xing Yi Nei Gong to his Xing Yi
Quan students as a set of foundational developmental exercises, because
the exercises open the joints, stretch and strengthen the muscles and
sinews, activate the meridians, coordinate mind, body, and breath,
maintain health and prevent disease, while simultaneously developing
internal power dynamics specific to Xing Yi Quan.

69
5. Tian Gan Nei Gong
The Tian Gan Exercises are very important in developing the winding
and torsional power that is characteristic of Ba Gua Zhang. These
exercises also develop the so-called “silk reeling power,” which can be
used to emit force, off-balance, lock, and strike the opponent. Tian Gan
Nei Gong is also a Ba Gua energy practice that “wrings out” the spine
and frees and opens the Central Channel, which in turn allows all the
other channels in the body to be clear and open. The Tian Gan Exercises
are said to “Modify the Spinal Chord and the Marrow.” One of the stages
of Daoist internal cultivation is to nourish and replenish the marrow and
energetically activate the spinal cord from the tailbone to the brain and
the top of the head. This energetically changes the brain and nervous
system so that they function at a higher level. For this reason, the Tian
Gan exercises can be employed as a precursor to the more advanced
methods of Daoist Meditation.

Tian Gan Covering Palm

70
6. Meridian Qi Gong (Jing Luo Qi Gong)
In Meridian Qi Gong, one combines gentle Tai Ji Quan–like movements
with Dao Yin based rubbing 0f acu-points and channels, to open and free
the 14 Main Meridians, their internal trajectories, and their collateral
branches. The focus is on dredging the meridians in order to clear
blockages in the energy flow. Once the blockages are cleared, the body
will bring itself back into harmony. This Qi Gong method is bit more
complex to learn than some of the others, because the practitioner must
gain a deeper understanding of the acupuncture points and channels.
One of the unique aspects of Meridian Qi Gong is that it teaches the
practitioner about meridians and acupuncture points through an
internal experiential approach of sensing the places where energy flows
and gathers (channels and points), rather than the cerebral book-
learning memorization approach acupuncturists suffer through in
school. This makes Meridian Qi Gong ideal for students of traditional
Chinese medicine.
7. Seasonal Qi Gong
Chen Tuan’s genius and deep insights into the natural world allowed
him to expand upon earlier ideas about seasonal health and Qi Gong in
order to create the 24 Seasonal Node Qi Gong. The theory behind this Qi
Gong is based on energy shifts that occur every 14-15 days, based largely
on the position of the sun relative to earth. There are 24 exercises; one
for each approximately 2-week period (Seasonal or Solar Node). These
exercises harmonize the body with the seasonal energies in order to keep
the practitioner healthy throughout the year.
Not only does each exercise both prevent and treat diseases that can
occur at a particular two–week period, but by performing this exercise at
the appropriate seasonal node one is able to take advantage of the
pulsation of Cosmic Qi manifesting at that particular time. This allows
one to “ride” the energetic momentum and impetus generated by the
arrival of each Seasonal Node in order to address chronic diseases that
are already manifesting, or to short circuit disease mechanisms that are
already in progress, but not yet manifest. On the following page is an
illustration of one of the 24 Seasonal Node exercises.

71
Qi Gong Exercise for the Clear and Bright Seasonal Node
(April 4-6 to April 19-21)

72
Chapter 7
Longevity Diet
Nourishment From the Earth

The origins of Chinese cooking and diet are usually attributed to the
legendary cook Yi Yin (伊尹). Yi Yin is remembered today as a kind of
patron saint of cooking. Purportedly Yi Yin was the son of a slave
woman who became a cook for the royal family during the Shang
Dynasty (1600–1029 BCE), because of his ability to add ingredients that
improved the taste of the food, in one case making a smelly fish taste
delicious. The Shang King made Yi Yin an administrator, and later he
became the prime minister, employing his ideas about harmony and
balance in cooking to a philosophy of life, politics and society. Yi Yin is
also credited with being the inventor of herbal decoctions – using
multiple herbs together to create a balanced medicinal formula.
Chinese herbal and dietary therapies are deeply rooted in the basic
principles of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. These criteria,
outlined below, form the basis for understanding the properties of foods
and medicinal herbs, and their therapeutic application.
Balancing Energies & Qualities
The key to a healthy diet is to balance the qualities and energetic nature
of foods in accordance with your individual constitution and the seasons.
This means having an understanding of the body’s energetic nature and
how it interacts with the energetic configurations of foods. The following
brief introduction to Chinese dietary principles is a good start to
understanding how food and diet factor into a Life Nourishing Longevity
program. The basic Longevity Diet is the Qing Dan Diet discussed
below, because it promotes proper Qi transformation.
Yin Yang: Energetic Nature (The 4 Energies)

YIN YANG
Cool Warm
Cold Hot
NEUTRAL
Generally, hot and warm foods and herbs are indicated for pathological
conditions of a cold nature, and cool and cold foods and herbs are
indicated for hot conditions. An excess of cooling foods drains the body's
energy because the body must warm the food to match its own internal
temperature. "Cold" refers not only to the temperature of the food, but
also to its intrinsic nature. Ice cold drinks are cold, but even hot green
tea has a cooling effect on the body. Too may cooling foods interfere
with the transformative power of Yang Qi. Hot and warm foods have an
intrinsic warming effect on the body regardless of temperature. In excess
warming foods like alcohol can cause a buildup of heat in the internal
organs.
The Five Tastes
Each of the Five Elements is associated with a specific flavor or taste.
These "tastes" represent not just what something tastes like on the
tongue, they also represent inherent qualities found in food and herbal
ingredients that have specific traits and effects. Each flavor “homes” to
one of the five organs in accordance with Five Element Theory. For
example, pungent, acrid or spicy foods “home” to the lung and can
directly activate the lung, while sweet foods “home” to the spleen and
stomach. In general, because foods need to be broken down by the
digestive system, many foods have a sweet taste, even if that is not their
primary property. This is largely because foods grow on the Earth, and
therefore automatically have an affinity with the Earth Element and its
associated organs, the spleen and stomach.

Element Taste Color Organ Action

Binding
Liver/
Wood Sour Green
GB
Tightening
Astringent
Drying
Heart /SI
Fire Bitter Red
Per/SJ
Detoxifying
Anti-Inflammatory
Nourishing
Spleen
Earth Sweet Yellow
Stomach
Soothing
Tonifying
Disperses Diaphoretic;
Spicy;
Metal Acrid
White Lung; LI Goes Upward
Decongests
Salty Blue/Black Kidneys Softens, Concentrates,
Water Bladder Flows Downward

74
Overconsumption of one of the Five Tastes at the expense of the others
can create an imbalance leading to disease:
Excessive Sour Flavor: damages the Sinews (Tendons and
Ligaments)
Excessive Bitter Flavor: damages the Qi
Excessive Sweet Flavor: damages the Flesh
Excessive Spicy/Pungent Flavor: consumes the Shen (Spirit)
Excessive Salty Flavor: injures the Bone
The Five Tastes can also categorized according to Yin and Yang.

Yin Tastes Yang Tastes

Sour Spicy
Salty Sweet
Bitter Bland

The association of taste with a particular Element implies that foods with
that taste will have a nourishing effect on the Organ/Meridian system
associated with that Element.
Sweet Foods
Sweet foods supplement the Qi and moisture (fluids), but have a rich,
thick quality that can lead to a stagnation of moisture, which may, over
time, congeal into phlegm. Excessive consumption of sweet food can
weaken the kidneys (Earth controlling Water) and cause the skin to take
on a dark color. Sweet Foods include: corn, carrots, sugar, and yams.
Bitter Foods
Bitter foods help the body eliminate heat and can disperse stagnant
moisture and Qi. In excess they can dry out the spleen and stomach.
Bitter Foods include: radishes, coffee, turnips, and watercress.
Sour Foods
Sour foods tone the viscera and tendons because of their astringent
quality, but in excess can contribute to cramping and pain. Sour foods
can be useful if there is a lack of muscle tone, but should be consumed
with caution if there are pulled muscles or strained tendons. Sour Foods
include: lemon; raspberry, vinegar, tomato, and alcohol.

75
Pungent (Spicy) Foods
Pungent, spicy or acrid foods tend to accelerate the movement of Qi and
blood. This acceleration helps to warm the body and causes sweating. In
excess, pungent foods can exhaust the Qi and the blood. They are
contraindicated in conditions involving bleeding, because they cause the
blood to move more rapidly. Pungent Foods include: peppers, onions,
and oregano.
Salty Foods
Salty Foods tend to concentrate substances and move then downward.
They also dissolve phlegm blockages, but in excess will stagnate fluids.
Salt can strengthen the kidneys, due to its consolidating effect, but too
much salt can “over-consolidate,” causing water retention and edema.
Salty Foods include: olives, kidneys, and shellfish.
Changing Tastes & Temperature According to
Season
Just as Yin and Yang and the Five Elements change with the seasons, so
too must a person's dietary habits.
In the spring, one should eat more sweet and less sour food (because
Wood is already effulgent and will otherwise over control Earth). Also it
is important to eat food that is easier to digest.
In the summer, eat less bitter food, as it may over-stimulate the heart.
Greasy or fried foods and alcohol are not recommended, because they
can cause a buildup of heat in the body. Cooling, moistening foods like
watermelon, tomato, cucumber, celery, and cool drinks ameliorate
summer’s heat and replenish body fluids. Green tea or chrysanthemum
tea can help reduce heat and cool the body. However, too much cold
food can block and damage the interior heat (Yang Qi) of the body, and
damages the digestive fire. It is important to eat some warming foods
and even a little pungent and spicy food that moves the energy upward
and outward, preventing fluids from stagnating and aiding perspiration.
Traditional diets in hot, humid climates often contain hot sauces,
peppers and spices for this reason.
In the fall, too many pungent, spicy foods may dry out the lungs in an
already dry season. At this time, it is also important to stop eating
cooling fruits and cold drinks as the weather also becomes cooler. In
autumn it is useful to eat more sour foods in order to prevent the lungs
from over-controlling the liver.

76
In winter, eat more warming and tonifying foods such as beef, squash,
mutton, carrots, and potatoes, but it is also important to eat some
cooling foods to move the energy downward and inward and to nurture
the Yin. While salted preserved foods are often eaten in winter, be
careful not to overdo the consumption of salt. Salt moves things inward
and consolidates. Too much salty flavor in this time of consolidation can
cause stagnation. Wine and alcohol are good to drink in moderation in
winter, because they warm the body and help promote the assimilation
of tonifying foods. It is good to drink black tea in winter as its energy is
warm, and it warms and strengthens the Stomach.

Season Decrease Increase

Spring Sour Sweet

Summer Bitter Pungent

Autumn Pungent Sour

Winter Salty Bitter

Qi is abundant as long as it is replenished and nourished by the spleen

and stomach, because these organs are central to the assimilation of food
and the production of Qi and blood. Food by its nature must be
processed by the spleen and stomach, therefore many foods, although
they may have other properties, “home” to the spleen and stomach
through their sweet flavor.
Warming and tonifying foods should form the basis of a balanced diet.
Frozen and cold foods, iced drinks, or ice cream should be avoided, as
they tend to chill the middle burner - the “Fire” of digestion (the active
processes of the spleen and stomach). Nourishing foods like beef,
chicken, carrots cabbage, potatoes, corn, turnips, peas, eggs, etc. can be
eaten in any season to aid healthy functioning of the spleen and stomach.
The general rule for a healthy diet is to balance the Five Flavors and the
energetic quality of the food (Yin and Yang) at each meal, and to change
the diet in accordance with seasonal and climactic fluctuations. As to the
5 flavors, one must be abstemious to avoid surfeit even if the mouth has a
taste and desire for them, for surfeit will damage the correct Qi.74

74
Treatise On The Spleen & Stomach. Li Dong-Yuan, Trans: Yang Shou-zhong and Li
Jian-yong (Boulder, CO: Blue Poppy Press, 1993) p. 5

77
Balancing the Five Flavors
Balancing means that each of the Five Flavors should be represented at
each meal, but it does not mean the Five Flavors will be equally
represented in a single meal, or even over your meals in general. Many
foods are sweet. This makes sense as the sweet taste homes to the spleen
and stomach and the organs of digestion. Most nourishing foods are
sweet, although they may also be slightly sour or slightly salty at the same
time. Therefore, it is likely that typical meal will include about 50% of the
sweet taste and varying percentages of the other flavors sometimes
provided through herbs and spices.
This does not mean you can just eat sugar. The sweet flavor should be
provided by nourishing foods that also have a sweet flavor - for example,
we don't necessarily think of beef or pork as being sweet, but these meats
in fact do have a sweet flavor, and pork is additionally salty. Obviously,
salted pork would be much more salty. We also might not think of
radishes as being both sweet and pungent, kohlrabi as being bitter, sweet,
and pungent, or olive oil being both sour and sweet. The wide range of
produce available in modern times provides many opportunities to add
bitter, pungent and sour flavors without having to spice food heavily.
Each organ needs nourishment. If you never eat bitter foods the body is
unsatisfied and the heart is not being properly nourished. This can create
cravings for things like coffee that provide a bitter taste but do not
nourish. When one eats in such a way that the Five Flavors are balanced
in every meal, or even most meals, then individual organs are not
clamoring for attention, and the body is satisfied. This eliminates the
food cravings that lead one to eat between meals.
The Five Element Flavors also have generalized effects on the movement
of the Qi. Salty, bitter, and sour foods often have a contracting and
sinking energy, while sweet and pungent foods often have and ascending
or expanding quality.
The famous physician Li Shi Zhen described these relationships as
follows: Sour or salty herbs have no function of ascending, pungent-spicy
or sweet herbs have no function of descending, cold herbs have no function
of floating and hot herbs have no function of sinking.75

75
Practical Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology: Medical Herbs. Geng
Junying et al. (Beijing: New World Press, 1991) p.7.

78
Longevity Diet - The Qing Dan Diet
Simple and light diets have been recommended by many generations of
Chinese physicians in order to preserve good health. In his book,
Supplement To The Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold, Sun
Si Miao, one of China's most famous physicians, advocated a diet that
stressed natural light foods like cereals, beans, vegetables and fruits.76
An excess of heavy, greasy, and rich, sweet foods often produces heat,
dampness and phlegm. Too much heavy food can also overload the
stomach and block the Qi. Excessive drinking of alcohol and spicy food
produce excess heat which can dry the blood, while too many fruits and
raw vegetables can impair the spleen and stomach's ability to transform
and transport food, causing a buildup of moisture (dampness). Heavier
foods tend to be warmer. and light foods tend to be cooler. Physicians
like Sun recommend a balance of Heavy and Light foods in conjunction
with a balance of the Five Flavors and the Yin and Yang energetic
qualities of food.
This balanced approach to food and diet is called the Qing Dan Diet. It
is the diet advocated by many doctors of traditional Chinese medicine.
Qing Dan (清淡) means “Clear and Bland.” The Qing Dan Diet is
composed mainly of grains, beans and bean products, vegetables and
fruits. It is low in animal protein like meat, eggs and fish. These heavier
foods are eaten more sparingly and not every day. The Qing Dan Diet is
the basic Longevity Diet because it prevents Qi stagnation and promotes
Qi transformation.
Blander, lighter foods like grains, beans, and vegetables are considered to
be relatively high in Qi as opposed to Wei (Flavor). Flavorful (Wei) foods
are more dense, heavy, turbid, and damp-producing than Qi foods.
Lighter foods that are high in Qi promote the arousing of clear Yang and
pure Qi. Wei foods are very nutritious and necessary, but they are also
rich and harder to digest. Therefore, they can overload the digestive
system and interfere with the harmonious unfolding of the Qi Dynamic.
However, relatively small amounts of rich Wei food add critical
nourishment and flavor to a diet based on light foods.
Eating too many highly nourishing foods actually reverses their effect,
making the body weak. However, at the same time, a diet overly
weighted towards light food, can be unsatisfying, insufficiently nutritious
and energy producing, and therefore difficult to maintain. The lack of
richness and flavor often leads to over-eating and cravings for things like
sugar, chocolate and coffee.

76
Health Preservation And Rehabilitation: A Practical English- Chinese Library of
Traditional Chinese Medicine Vol. 8 (Shanghai: Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese
Medicine) p.82.

79
Heavy Foods Light Foods
Sugar Fruit
Bread Grains
Cheese Vegetables
Deep Fried Food Potatoes
Fish Sprouts
Meat Beans

For more information on the Longevity Diet look for our books:
The Longevity Diet: Chinese Secrets of Healthy Eating for Vibrant
Health
Eight Winds in the Heavens: Seasonal Health Secrets and Qi Gong
Exercises from Daoist Sages that Prevent Disease and Promote Optimal
Health and Vitality

80
Chapter 8
Internal Martial Arts
Strengthening the Will & Adapting to Change

Internal martial arts are methods of self-defense that provide balanced

physical exercise, however they are also spiritual paths that activate the
internal energies and transmute them for the purpose of achieving
spiritual attainment. Daoist transcendents like Chen Tuan practiced
martial arts, and many martial artists see the value of Daoist practices in
relation to martial arts. It is not uncommon for martial arts to become a
path that leads practitioners to Daoist self-cultivation.
In the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System we offer two
martial arts that can be used as pathways to health, longevity and higher
levels of self-cultivation. They are auxiliary practices to our goal of
Nourishing Life and promoting longevity and spiritual attainment. This
chapter will briefly discuss Xing Yi Quan (Form-Intention Boxing) and
Ba Gua Zhang (Eight Diagram Palm) in relation to self-cultivation. More
details on these arts can be found in the books Xing Yi: Art of Inner
Transformation and The Art of Ba Gua Zhang. These books explain the
background of the two arts, their benefits, underlying philosophies,
training and their relationship to health and psych0-spiritual
development.
For many people martial arts are an entry point for engaging in self-
cultivation. Martial arts begin with the body, but in the end aim at
forging a strong mind and will and an indomitable spirit. One of the
things that martial arts training adds to self-cultivation, besides the
obvious benefits of increasing agility, strength, and confidence, is that
one learns how to engage with resistance. Resistance takes several forms.
First, there is the internal resistance to doing things that are difficult and
even painful. Then, when one trains with a partner, there is external
resistance, and this resistance has many dimensions. You are testing and
calibrating your own energetic and physical alignments against the
outside force of your partner, and simultaneously receiving feedback in
the form of force, movement, or even aggression.
At the same time, one comes up against one’s own emotional and
psychological barriers - negative feelings of failure, inability to act, ego,
etc. And there is not only your ego in play, but also that of your partner.
Engaging with these elements teaches one to change and adapt to
changing circumstances, and understand the idea of strategic placement
of energy – an important aspect of both life and martial arts. Learning to
adapt and change, and to break through barriers of resistance, teaches
one to be flexible and reinforces the natural propensity for change and
transformation, which lies at the very heart of the body’s energy matrix.
Much more on adaptation, change, and strategy can be found in the
book Beyond the Battleground: Classic Strategies from the Yijing and
Baguazhang for Managing Crises Situations.
Xing Yi Quan
Xing Yi Quan literally means: “Form-Intention Boxing.” Xing Yi Quan
training emphasizes internal movement within external stillness,
allowing the practitioner to actualize the instinctive, hair-trigger
reactions of the human body in direct, powerful movements. Xing Yi
training focuses on natural integrated movement, whole body breathing,
and the cultivation of Qi (vital energy), rather than external technique.
The postures and movements of Xing Yi Quan simultaneously arouse
and enliven the Qi, so that there is no gap between intention and action.
This creates the basis for developing a sensitized awareness of internal
transformation and change.
In addition, Xing Yi Quan is a method of Daoist Inner Alchemy that
integrates body, mind and spirit, allowing a return to one’s Natural Self,
characterized by True Mind, True Spirit and True Action. Xing Yi Quan
is a very powerful Daoist health practice that promotes longevity and
dispels illness. Because past masters of Xing Yi Quan were famous for
their martial prowess, Xing Yi Quan is often pigeonholed as a fighting
art rather than a health practice or spiritual practice. This perception is
misleading. Part of what makes Xing Yi Quan a very effective martial art
for both self-defense and inner transformation is that Xing Yi Quan
training draws upon ancient Daoist Meditation practices that transform
the body’s internal structure and actualize True Intention. Xing Yi
training results in an unmediated mind that is without artifice, and
natural, appropriate whole-hearted behavior, and whole-body
movement.
Xing Yi Quan training begins and ends with Pi Quan (Splitting Fist). Pi
Quan unifies the energies of the body and integrates them with the
Intention (Yi) and Spirit (Shen). Training Pi Quan in all its forms is a
process of integration, both mental and physical, that prepares the body
to explore the connection between internal transformation and external
movement, manifesting in the forms and techniques.
This connection is further explored through the practice of the Five
Elements (Wu Xing). The individual “Elements” are not fixed forms, but
moments of transformation described in the form of archetypes: Metal,
Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. Each of the Five Elements engages with a
different internal power dynamic that externally manifests in the form of
Xing Yi Quan’s “Five Element Fists.” Each Element also represents a
different manifestation of a single unified, transformative dynamic.
Practicing the Five Element Fists, while engaging with their varied forms

82
energies, and techniques, becomes a means of returning to, or
reconnecting to, one’s True Intention, True Movement and Original
Spirit, which then spontaneously manifest in one’s daily life as well as in
combat and self-defense.

The Five Elements of Xing Yi Chuan are:

Metal Pi Quan Splitting Fist
Water Zuan Quan Drilling Fist
Wood Beng Quan Bursting Fist
Fire Pao Quan Pounding Fist or Cannon Fist
Earth Heng Quan Crossing or Transverse Fist

The seemingly simple and direct Five Element Fists are actually
composed of balanced internal spirals that generate movement and
power in all six directions simultaneously – up, down, front, back, right,
and left. This creates the ability to instinctively and instantly transform
in accordance with the changing situation.

83
Xing Yi Quan as a Psycho-Spiritual Path
An important concept in Xing Yi Quan is the idea of the Three Internal
Harmonies or Internal Unities (內三合 Nei San He). The word He (合)
can mean “to join,” “whole,” “together,” “combine,” “unify,” “jointly,” or
“in conjunction with.” The Three Internal Unities are:
1. Unification of Heart and Intention (心與意合 Xin Yu Yi He)
2. Unification of Intent and Qi (意與氣合 Yi Yu Qi He)
3. Unification of Qi and Force (氣與力合 Qi Yu Li He)
In essence, this means that Intention (Yi) comes from the Heart-Mind.
Therefore, when the Heart-Mind’s intention is genuine within, effects
will manifest externally, with internal and external always operating in
unison.
Some Xing Yi practitioners, perhaps extrapolating from the Three
Internal Unities, say that Xing Yi Quan lends power to the intention so
that it becomes focused and powerful. This in turn allows one to take
action and move undeterred toward the achievement of one’s goals and
aspirations. The intention of “Splitting” is seen as a means cutting
through obstacles to achieve goals and favorable outcomes.
While there is some truth to this viewpoint, it misses a real
understanding of the true nature of Xing Yi Quan, and the interaction of
Intention, and Form. Xing Yi Quan training cultivates a serene heart
linked to a focused, flexible intention. This allows the practitioner to
move through life with a flowing, flexible and elastic quality that allows
one to adapt to the changing circumstances as they unfold, while
remaining rooted, calm and stable. From this perspective Splitting,
Drilling, Bursting etc. are not aimed at removing external obstacles to
external goals and objectives, but at breaking though one’s own internal
blocks – the obstacles that prevent us from observing and responding
naturally, spontaneously and without artifice – to think and act
harmoniously.
Xing Yi Quan’s Twelve Animal Forms are variations of the Five Fists that
further develop body skills, inner awareness and practical fighting skills.
Xing Yi Boxers say that: Boxing is like taking a walk and striking an
enemy is like snapping your fingers – natural and effortless. The real
substance and purpose of Xing Yi Quan is transformation of the internal
body-mind-spirit, so that one moves, responds, and acts with naturally
and effectively.

84
An important part of Xing Yi Quan training is holding San Ti Shi
(“Three Body Posture” or “Trinity Posture”) for long periods of time.
San Ti Shi is a kind of standing meditation that develops internal
strength, and a supple, but powerful and aligned body structure,
resulting in a natural internal alchemy in which one experiences the
breaths of Heaven and Earth flowing through the body. This allows one’s
energy and spirit to develop and expand. In the pictures below, Xing Yi
Master Li Gui Chang stands in San Ti Shi. One can clearly see his vibrant
and clear spirit.

Xing Yi Quan is based on combined training of the mind, body and

spirit. Xing Yi boxer Paul Kuo summarizes the essence succinctly: The
goal is to achieve a state of holding a “great Air” without any worldly
desire or bellicose attitude, neither humble nor arrogant, always advancing
and indomitable. “Spiritual” cultivation in internal boxing is given top
priority, but boxing theory and practice must also be accorded their due.
When you box, the “spiritual” cultivation is transformed into physical
activity in exactly the right proportion required for the work at hand.77
This “spirituality” that Xing Yi Practitioners engage with is not
otherworldly, or god-driven, but an internal and immanent “spirituality”
that connects us to the world around us, to the natural world, and all its
manifestations, in a natural and flowing manner.

77
Pa Kua: Chinese Boxing for Fitness and Self-Defense, Robert W. Smith (Tokyo and New
York: Kodansha International Ltd. 1967) p. 117.

85
Ba Gua Zhang
Ba Gua Zhang or “Eight Diagram Palm” is a method of boxing that is
characterized by footwork, evasive movement and constant change. The
actions of the whole body are coordinated with the rotation of the waist
and the walking action of the legs. These elements, when combined with
relaxation and connection of mind and body, produce an explosive,
coordinated power that comes from the unified action of the entire body
and is not dependent on the relative strength of the external
musculature.
Ba Gua Zhang’s unique feature is its use of curved steps, and its practice
of walking around a circle to train the mind and body and develop a
whole body power that is based on rotation and spirals. The importance
of circle walking is stressed in The Thirty-Six Songs, the oral instructions
for correct training handed down through generations of teachers and
students. For example:
This palm is quite different from others,
It is skillful to walk forward and raise the foot.
and
Curve the step and straighten the foot to extend forward.
Walk like pushing a millstone.
Although there are various theories about the origins of Ba Gua Zhang,
Dong Hai Chuan is considered by most people to be the founder of Ba
Gua. It is not known for certain what martial arts Dong studied in his
youth, but there is evidence that he combined martial arts with Daoist
meditation practices, which involved keeping the mind empty while
walking in a circle. Dong was often quoted as saying, “training in martial
arts is not as good as walking the circle.”78 Circle walking is considered
one of the key exercises in Ba Gua Zhang, because it aids in evasion and
counterattack and enables one to literally turn the opponent’s corner in
combat. In addition, circle walking calms the mind and trains both the
spirit and internal energy.

78
The Origins of Pa Kua Chang Part 3, by Dan Miller and Kang Ge Wu (Pa Kua Chang
Journal Vol. 3, No. 4 May/June 1993) pp. 25-29.

86
The forms and techniques of Ba Gua are manifestations of the principles
of whole body coordination, or “internal connection.” These internal
connections are predicated on using circular and spiral forces to redirect,
evade, or overcome external forces and attacks, and to concentrate and
suddenly release the body’s full power in combat. Furthermore, in both
training and combat, there is an emphasis on internal stillness while the
body is in motion. Internally the mind and spirit are still and calm, while
internally and externally the body constantly changes and transforms,
able to create infinite techniques seamlessly linked together. That is why
it is said that the basic skills of stepping and turning are said to create
“1,000 changes and 10,000 transformations.”
Transformation & Change in Ba Gua Zhang
This idea of transformation can be expressed in many ways. Combat can
be a changing, unpredictable situation. Therefore Ba Gua emphasizes
continuous movement, countering and re-countering, and dynamic
states of change and transformation in accordance with the changing
circumstances. These ideas are often described by using the juxtaposition
of opposites: “stillness within motion”, “stand like a nail and move like
the wind”, and “firmness and gentleness in mutual assistance.” Another
image used by Ba Gua practitioners is that one should “walk like a
dragon, turn like a monkey and change like an eagle,” varying the shape,
spirit and dynamics of one’s movements. Advanced practitioners of Ba
Gua Zhang are said to move like “Swimming Dragons” - moving
continuously, unpredictably and easily though the clouds. The French

87
Sinologist Francois Jullien’s description of the dragon motif in Chinese
culture is a beautiful metaphor for this idea of constant change and could
easily serve as description of Ba Gua Zhang in action:
The body of the dragon concentrates energy in its sinuous curves, and coils
and uncoils to move along more quickly. It is a symbol with all the
potential with which form can be charged, a potential that never ceases to
be actualized. The dragon now lurks in watery depths, now streaks aloft to
the highest heavens, and its very gait is a continuous undulation. It
presents an image of energy constantly recharged through oscillation from
one pole to the other.79
Although Ba Gua Zhang literally means “Eight Diagram Palm,” it does
not focus on the palm alone. In fact, every part of the body: fist, palm,
elbow, shoulder, head, hip, knee and foot are trained to move and strike
freely and continuously. Ba Gua is said to be characterized by
“ambushing hands and hidden kicks. Within the forms and movements
are Sixty-Four Hands, Seventy-Two Secret Kicks, as well as Na Fa
(seizing methods), and Shuai Fa (throwing methods).
From these descriptions it is easy to see why Ba Gua Zhang has been
likened to guerilla warfare, because its chosen tactic is to move
unpredictably, evade and counterattack, or to escape and let the
opponent fall into emptiness. Ba Gua specializes in using footwork to
move out of the line of the attack and then counterattacking against the
opponent’s weak point, rather than confronting him directly. This has
application to daily life – rather than confronting obstacles or aggression,
it is often more useful to redirect and come at the problem from a new
direction.
Circle Walking in Ba Gua Zhang
The Ba Gua Zhang practice of circle walking balances Yin and Yang.
This balance occurs in many ways. An interchange of Yin and Yang
occurs as each step changes from a Yin Step to a Yang Step and back
again. For example, just as one leg becomes Yang, taking all the body
weight and driving the body forward, it is already beginning its
transformation to Yin. The shift from Yin to Yang and Yang to Yin is
very subtle. Circle walking using the Mud Wading Step fine-tunes one’s
sense of when weight and power shift from one leg to the other, creating
spiral Yin and Yang forces between the feet that are transmitted upward
through the body.

79
The Propensity of Things: Toward a History of Efficacy in China, Francois Jullien (New
York: Zone Books, 1999) p. 151.

88
As you walk using curved steps, the legs pass close together so that the
ankles and thighs almost brush each other. This action is sometimes
called “scissor legs.” This stepping pattern squeezes the thighs together,
activating the sexual energy and strengthening the reproductive system
and kidneys, which are the foundation of the body’s energy. As each foot
lands, the Yong Quan (“Bubbling Well”) acu-point on the bottom of the
foot is stimulated, activating the Kidney meridian and its connections to
Dan Tian and Ming Men. Every step creates a pumping action in the
Yong Quan acu-points on the soles of the feet that is transmitted upward
to fill and strengthen the kidney energy.
In Ba Gua Zhang’s seminal movement, the Single Palm Change, the body
internally and externally actualizes the spiraling Tai Ji diagram. The
Single Palm Change recreates the model of the universe inside the body,
and further balances the Yin and Yang forces inside of us in a profound
and powerful way, while simultaneously connecting these internal
expressions of Heaven and Earth to the macrocosm around us.
After circling and changing for a period of time, one ends by standing
still and sensing inside the body. At this moment many practitioners
experience a sense of connection with the cosmos. One feels not only the
turning within, but also the turning of the earth and the planets.

89
Ba Gua Zhang as a Psycho-Spiritual Path
Although Ba Gua Zhang is a martial art, for many practitioners its most
important facet is its ability to promote health and deeper engagement
with the world. In this sense Ba Gua Zhang provides a template for
integrating body, mind and spirit. Ba Gua Zhang’s emphasis on creating
internal harmony and balance, self-cultivation of mind and body, and
adapting to change can help one to more easily negotiate life and
interactions with others. Ba Gua’s martial tactic of changing with the
changing circumstances, or as some people say, “going with the flow,”
helps us to understand and adapt to the natural world, and its
manifestations within us. The seasons, weather, the harmony and
majesty of nature with its unending cycles of growth, flourishing, decay
and renewal are constantly changing, and these changes affect us and
move through us. Understanding change also helps us understand how
to have a healthy relationship with ourselves and with others, so that we
can adapt to different situations and cultures.

90
Chapter 9
Ba Gua Energy Practices
Connecting Heaven & Earth

Dong Hai Chuan, the founder of Ba Gua Zhang, synthesized the best of
various martial styles in order to create Ba Gua Zhang. It is clear that he
incorp0rated Daoist energy exercises into Ba Gua Zhang. The key
element of this new style was the practice of walking in a circle holding
various postures that energize and strengthen the body, while calming
the mind and refining and purifying the spirit.
It is believed that Dong studied with the Dragon Gate school of Daoism,
which practiced a form of Daoist circle walking meditation whose
purpose was to open and harmonize the meridians of the body in order
to promote health and focus and quiet the mind. Daoist practitioners
used this practice, called “Rotating in the Worship of Heaven,” not for
martial purposes, but to refine Qi and spirit through external movement
in order to realize internal stillness or emptiness (ie: the Dao).
Purportedly Dong saw that this circle walking had value, not only as a
meditation and health exercise, but also as the foundation of an effective
method of martial arts.80 As a result the following statement is attributed
to Dong Hai Chuan:
Training in martial arts ceaselessly is inferior to walking the circle;
In Ba Gua Zhang circle walking practice is the font of all training.

Three important Ba Gua Energy practices have come down to us today

and are part of the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System:
1. Tian Gan Nei Gong
2. Ba Gua Meridian Opening Palms
3. Daoist Circle Walking Meditation

80
The Origins of Pa Kua Chang - Part 3, by Dan Miller. Pa Kua Chang Journal Vol. 3, No.
4 May/June 1993. Pacific Grove, CA: High View Publications, p. 27
1. Tian Gan Nei Gong
The Tian Gan Exercises were discussed earlier in Chapter Six. The Tian
Gan exercises are very important for developing power dynamics used in
Ba Gua Zhang techniques. However, Tian Gan Nei Gong also opens up
the spinal column by literally “wringing out” the spine, while freeing and
opening the Central Channel, which in turn allows all the other channels
in the body to be clear and open. The Tian Gan Exercises are said to
“Modify the Spinal Chord and the Marrow.” One of the stages of Daoist
internal cultivation is to nourish and replenish the marrow and
energetically activate the spinal cord from the tailbone to the brain and
the top of the head. This energetically changes the brain and nervous
system to function at a higher level. Therefore Tian Gan Nei Gong can
be an important adjunct to performing the Meridian Opening Palms and
Daoist Circle Walking Meditation, as well as other Daoist Meditation
practices.

Tian Gan “Sword Hand” Movement

2. Ba Gua Meridian Opening Palms

In the Ba Gua Meridian Opening Palms, one walks on the circle using
the “Mud-Wading” step while holding fixed postures that open different
meridians. The curved circular stepping used in practicing the Meridian
Opening Palms combines stepping with turning the back and waist and
the folding the Kua. Combining these elements engages a series of spiral

92
forces that run through the fascia of the entire body - from the soles of
the feet to the top of the head - creating a unified structure that is akin to
a twisted rope. These spiral forces activate and invigorate the Qi.
Each of the postures of the Meridian Opening Palms has a martial
component, and at the same time, each posture can also be employed to
open and activate different meridians, or groups of meridians. Walking
the circle while holding these fixed postures courses the meridians while
powerfully activating the meridian system. One can also use the Mind-
Intention to focus on a specific channel or acu-point in order to further
balance the flow of Qi and dispel pathogens like excess heat or cold.
Combining the postures with circle walking increases the power of the
Meridian Opening Palm practice. The action of lifting and setting down
the foot activates Ming Men (“Life Gate”) and Yong Quan (“Bubbling
Well”) points on the soles of the feet. This in turn activates the Kidney
Meridian and the Ren and Du channels so that the primal energies of the
body and their pathways - the Eight Extraordinary Vessels - are
stimulated and opened.
3. Daoist Circle Walking Meditation
Daoist Circle Walking Meditation is an inner alchemical Nei Dan
practice that takes the meridian opening palms further by employing
non-martial postures and movements that circulate Qi through the
“Waterwheel” (the Microcosmic Orbit). Activating this inner circulation
recharges the body’s internal “battery” and dispels negative emotions,
while restoring a sense of harmony and unity. Yi Jing diagrams are
sometimes visualized to understand and harmonize with the energy
configurations unfolding in the body (see the picture on the following
page). Some practitioners refer to Daoist Circle Walking Meditation as
“Monastic Ba Gua” in order to differentiate it from the martial aspects of
Ba Gua Zhang.
Ba Gua Circle Walking Meditation has several components, all of which
open the energy gates and guide you into a deep meditative state as you
walk, turn, and circle smoothly and effortlessly. Rotating and walking
harmonizes the body’s energies with the cyclical circular movements of
the earth, the stars and the planets. This connects us to the natural forces
of which we are a part. In turn, this connection allows the mind to
become quiet and tranquil, so the heart becomes calm and relaxed, and
the spirit becomes rooted and serene.

93
94
Chapter 10
Daoist Meditation
Calming the Heart-Mind & Transforming Energy
into Spirit

The Purpose of Daoist Meditation

In Daoist meditation, turning our awareness inward allows us to connect
with the “Dao”, the unitarian principle and force from which all life
springs. Meditation in this context becomes a way of going inside, a
disengagement from the world, in order to re-connect with the unitary
energy that is at the core of our life force. By connecting with the endless,
limitless flux between Heaven and Earth (the breaths of Heaven and
Earth) we reconnect and replenish from the well of life itself and recover
the authenticity and wisdom that was implanted within us at our
inception.
Worldly affairs - our wants, desires, likes, dislikes, obsessions, and
fixations – tend to pull us away from a sense of inner, integral unity,
leading us into countless divisions and differentiations that disperse our
Qi and distract us, impeding our ability to live in a state of inner peace
and connected wholeness. It is this very separation from our own inner
connection and inner wisdom that also makes us susceptible to diseases
and illnesses of the mind and body. Psychologist and Ba Gua Instructor
Robert Santee describes lack of attunement with the natural rhythms of
the world as a state of chronic stress:
When we interfere with the natural, cyclic process of change and
transformation through our thoughts, desires, emotions, behaviors and
lifestyle, we fragment mind, body and environment. We make our world
complex, absolute and inflexible. We are out of balance. As a result, we
aren’t centered, rooted, or flexible. We are chronically stressed. We
aren’t in harmony with the Tao.81

Daoist Meditation has been shown to improve the body’s health and
functioning on many levels - improving mental acuity, health, longevity,
vigor, sexual potency, and emotional balance. All of these benefits stem

81
The Tao of Stress: How to Calm, Balance, and Simplify Your Life, by Robert G. Santee,
PhD (Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, 2013) p. 21
from attaining a state of quiescence, of inner stillness, where one regains
connection with the primordial energies. This not only frees one from a
state of chronic stress, it allows internal movement and transformation
to take place at the deepest levels of the body. Inner movement within
stillness is different from ordinary movement and can bring about
psychological and physiological changes, one of which is that energy
consuming processes change to energy storage, thereby retarding the
aging process.82

Tai Ji Quan master Jou Tsung Hwa deftly summarizes the purpose of
Daoist Meditation in the following quotation:
The goal is not to become devoid of all feeling or human experience. It is
simply to avoid extremes and maintain a balance. As we simplify our
lives and focus on what is most important to us we become more content
with our existences and less affected by the acts and influences of others
and our emotional swings gradually subside from gusty turbulence to the
mild breeze of wind in the trees.83
Daoist Meditation & the Imagination
Daoist Meditation methods are replete with imagery, symbolism, and
metaphor, offering a rich and multilayered tapestry of visual forms, and
making full use of imagination and inner visualization. Engaging with
Daoist imagery and symbols can be difficult at first, especially for
Westerners who do not always have the requisite cultural reference
points. However, the use of symbols imagery and imagination give the
person practicing meditation an alternative, imagery rich language that
is a departure from ordinary language. Through this departure, the
everyday mind is bypassed, allowing one to engage with another, more
subtle mode of perception which in turn allows one to discern and to
engage with the almost imperceptible movements and changes taking
place within the body.
What we imagine engages our brain and nervous system. What we
imagine is “real” in the sense that to some degree our brain and nervous
often react the same way whether something is actually “real” or
imagined. Therefore imagination, to some degree, becomes reality.
Through our imagination, we can leave behind the restrictions and
associations of words and come in contact with something deeper. Over
time, this deeper impression and understanding builds and becomes
stronger, eventually manifesting as something that is real and has force
and power.

82
Qi Gong Essentials for Health Promotion, by Jiao Guorui. PR China: China Reconstructs
Press, p. 66.
83
The Tao of Meditation: Way to Enlightenment. Jou Tsung-Hwa (Scottsdale AZ: Tai Chi
Foundation, 2000) p. 109.

96
Daoist Meditation & Buddhist Meditation
There is evidence that Buddhism first came to China in the Han Dynasty
(206 BCE to 220 CE). Chinese Buddhism is one of the oldest forms of
Buddhism (outside of India) and is China’s oldest foreign religion.
Initially, Buddhism was regarded as a variation of Daoism. This belief
may explain the popular Daoist story that Lao Zi brought Daoism to the
West (ie: India), where it was reconfigured as Buddhism.
Some early Chinese translators used Daoist concepts as stand-ins for
Buddhist terms: “achieving enlightenment” became “obtaining the Dao:
and Buddhist Arhats (saints) were thought of as perfected Daoist
immortals. The development of Chinese Chan Buddhism (reconfigured
as “Zen” in Japan) owed much to Daoist concepts, but at the same time
Chan Buddhism’s refinement of meditation techniques greatly
influenced Daoist Meditation methods.

As early as the Tang dynasty (618 to 907) The “Three Schools” –

Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism – started to interweave. Chan
Buddhism exerted a powerful influence on Confucianism. Neo-
Confucianism, which began in the Song Dynasty (960–1279), was deeply
influenced by Chan Buddhism. Buddhism in adapting to Chinese
conditions co-opted some Daoist writings and rituals, and as Buddhism
gained in popularity, Daoism absorbed ideas from Buddhism. The Tang
dynasty Daoist meditation text on Sitting and Forgetting (Zuo Wang
Lun), attributed to Sima Cheng Zhen, which is related to the Sitting and

97
Forgetting Meditation taught in the Two Immortals System, is clearly
influenced by both Buddhist and Confucian thought. Wang Zhe,
founder of the influential Quan Zhen school of Daoismm, encouraged
people to recite the Daoist classic on Clarity and Stillness along with the
Buddhist Heart Sutra, because he saw these books as “cross-faith”
counterparts of each other84 Similarly meditation on the North Star and
the Big Dipper, a version of which is part of our Comprehensive Dao Yin
Online Program, seem to have flowed from Daoism to Buddhism.85
Various Emperors influenced the ascendancy of one religion over
another in various dynasties. Tang Dynasty Emperors patronized
Buddhism as a state cult during much of the Tang, while The Emperors
of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) tended to favor Daoism. The Ming
emperors gave official approval to the Zhen Yi School of Daoism over
the Quan Zhen School, which had dominated the previous period, and
they patronized the printing of the Daoist canon in 1445.86
From this brief discussion, one can see that many of the same meditation
practices exist in both Buddhism and Daoism. So what is the difference
between Daoist Meditation and Buddhist Meditation? Daoism stresses
harmony with nature and the cosmos. Therefore it developed a large
compendium of body-centered practices to achieve this end, including
many that focus on optimizing the physical functioning of the body and
its internal energies as a platform for transforming the mind and spirit.
Although in both Buddhism and Daoism one attempts to escape both
attachment to the perception of self and attachment to things in this
world, in Buddhism the world, the body, and its doings are seen as
illusion, both empty of self-nature and conceptually empty. In Daoism,
the body, its energies, and inner nature, are the perspectives, the vantage
points, from which we both view the cosmos and connect with it. The
body, rather than being considered and illusion, something be
disregarded or subjugated, is the place from which spiritual practice
begins and serves as the vehicle for internal transformation. It is the
platform from which our observational consciousness apprehends the
numinous.
In Daoism human beings are viewed as being composed of the breaths of
heaven and earth, and by connecting and harmonizing with the breaths,

84
Daoist Meditation and the Wonders of Serenity. Stephen Eskildsen. Albany: State
University of New York Press, 2015) p. 201-202.
85
Daoism And Buddhism Face to Face: Scripture, Ritual and Iconographic Exchange in
Medieval China. Christine Mollier (Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2008) pp. 134-
137.
86
https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-
maps/daoism-and-buddhism

98
one resonates with them. This resonance allows one to see through to
understanding the true nature of things, thereby achieving a state of
transcendence, or “Immortality.”
Seven Glands Theory
Daoist Meditation methods like Microcosmic Orbit Meditation, Golden
Fluid Returning to Dan Tian, Meditation on the True Breath and
Sleeping Meditation, all work with the Ren and Du Channels. These two
channels create a central circuit in the core of the body that globally
regulates Yin and Yang. The inner circulation of these channels is also an
important aspect of Nei Gong practices, Daoist Yoga and internal
martial arts.
Recently it has been postulated that the mechanism for inner
transformation and retarding aging in these forms of meditation, and
various Qi Gong methods, has to do with the connection between the
interior circulation of the Ren and Du channels and the “Seven Glands”
(the Endocrine System).
Qi Gong research has shown that weakness of Kidney Qi seems to be
directly connected to changes in the levels and ratios of the sex
hormones normally associated with aging. Some studies on the ratio of
sex hormones indicated that a year of regular Qi Gong practice could
improve the ratio of sexual hormones,87 control blood pressure and
increase respiratory capacity.
Scientific studies on Qi Gong and Chinese medicine indicate that the
ability of Daoist Nei Dan Meditation and Qi Gong to promote longevity
probably stem from stimulation of the glands of the endocrine system.
After much research, Dr Tian He Lu from Taiyuan, China proposed that
Ming Men (“Gate of Life” or “Gate of Vitality”) is not a single entity, but
a system that includes much of the endocrine system: the Pineal Gland,
the Hypothalamus and Pituitary Glands, the Thyroid and Parathyroid,
the Thymus, Pancreas, Adrenal Glands and the Sex Organs (testis and
ovaries).
Tian He Lu postulates that the Seven Endocrine Glands regulate the
body’s energies, and that the brain is effectively an extension of Ming
Men (“Vital Gate”) that contains a kind of “life clock” with a “life code”
that is stored in the brain, and interconnects with our sexual energy. Dr.
Tian feels that this “Brain Vital Gate” controls aging and balances the
body both internally and in relation to the outside environment. He also
posits that the secret apertures of Qi, mentioned in ancient books on
meditation, that are said to increase vitality and slow aging, are related to

87
Chinese Qi Gong Essentials. Cen Yue Fang (Beijing: New World Press, 1996) p. 39.

99
the endocrine system.88

Seven Endocrine Glands (Adapted from Wikipedia)

Dr. Tian speculates that calming the mind and activating the
Microcosmic Orbit in conjunction with swallowing saliva, as in the
Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian Meditation, can strengthen and
intensify the secretions of the endocrine system creating a stronger
mutual regulation between the glands. This occurs through “training
Upper and lower Dan Tian”, thereby connecting the kidneys and sex
organs with the brain - ie: engaging the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal
Axis (HPA).
The Seven Glands include the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis,
which has traditionally been seen as the body's "stress system", because it
controls levels of cortisol and other important stress related hormones.
However, new research is beginning to show that the HPA axis should
instead be thought of as the body's “energy regulator”, because it is
ultimately responsible for regulating hormonal activity, nervous system
activity and energy expenditure in the human body, as well as
modulating the immune system and the digestive system.

88
Internal Injury Due to Fire Disease in Chinese Medicine (中
中 医 内 伤 火 病 学 ) Tian He
Lu (Huang Guo Qi, trans).

100
Interestingly, the idea of the Seven Glands has a direct tie-in with
concepts related to the chakras in Indian Yogic systems of self-
cultivation.
Daoist physician Stephen Chang says that the Seven Endocrine Glands
can be visualized as fluid-filled vessels that are attached to one another
by a series of tubes. Each vessel is dependent on the others for its supply
of energy (liquid). When properly balanced, all the glands are filled with
energy; if one leaks, it will drain energy from the others. The energy (or
liquid) moves upward from the sexual organs through the glands to
finally fill the brain. This creates balance and longevity.89
Tian He Lu connects Dr. Chang’s analogy of “liquid” to the Marrow,
which fills the brain and spinal cord, and is considered to be a product of
Kidney Jing (Essence). Many Qi Gong, and Daoist Meditation methods
facilitate this process of lifting Qi and Jing upward along the Du Channel
inside the spine, to be transformed into a substrate that nourishes the
glands, brain, spinal cord, and the nervous system.

89
The Complete System of Self-Healing Internal Exercise. Stephen T. Chang (San
Francisco: Tao Publishing, 1986) pp. 41-43.

101
Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity
System - Daoist Meditation Methods
1. Kidney Breathing – Focusing on the Breath
Kidney Breathing is both the foundation of many forms of meditation,
and a meditation unto itself. Kidney Breathing has many names. It is also
called “Dan Tian Breathing”, or “Longevity Breathing.” I prefer the name
Kidney Breathing, because it reminds me that both the Dan Tian area
below the navel, and the Ming Men area in the lower back should expand
and contract with the breath. Dan Tian, the kidneys, and Ming Men in
general, and the Ming Men in particular, form the place where Qi
transformation originates. The kidneys, Ming Men and Dan Tian are
effectively the hub of the many channels and vessels through which the
Qi and blood flow. They set in motion and distribute the Qi,
continuously producing and promoting growth, movement, and
transformation.
2. Mantra & Scripture Meditation
In these Mantra and Scritpure Meditation methods, meditation postures
are paired with short recitations from Daoist texts such as the Nei Ye
(Inward Training). Each of the postures activates a different dynamic
within the body. Mentally reciting words related to the meditation
experience serves two purposes. First, the words act like a mantra.
Mantras give the mind a focal point, a single thought to engage with.
This prevents the mind from wandering, or feeling dull and sleepy.
Second, the recitations contain advice that help one relax and get the
most out of the meditative experience. With repetition, the words and
their deeper meanings become inculcated in one’s consciousness at a
subliminal level.
Different meditation postures can subtly affect the flow of Qi in the body
and modify our observational consciousness so that we can experience
different energy transformations. Using different postures at different
times can help gather and nurture your spiritual energy in conformation
with your own individual Qi and spirit. Combining these postures with
specific recitations creates a powerful meditative experience.
3. Sitting & Forgetting
In “Sitting and Forgetting” (Zuo Wan), one enters into a state of clarity
and tranquility. When Sitting and Forgetting, one allows the Heart-Mind
to become quiet by reducing the constant arising of thoughts. This is
done by first becoming aware of the thoughts and then letting them go –
forgetting them. One who forgets thoughts and emotions gradually lets
go of the artificial self, which creates a boundary between oneself and the
external world. This allows one’s lost inner nature to be recovered, so
that the mind becomes clear and bright.

102
4. Microcosmic Orbit Meditation
The Microcosmic Orbit, or “Small Heavenly Circulation”, is a Daoist
Meditation and Inner Alchemy (Nei Dan) method for activating, raising,
refining, and circulating internal energy via the internal “orbit” formed
by the Central Channel – particularly the Ren and Du Meridians. As
these channels fill with energy and flow freely, energy is then distributed
to all the major organs and meridians, thereby energizing the entire body
and powerfully affecting the nervous system and consciousness.
Microcosmic Orbit Meditation has profound effect on the entire energy
system, and strongly promotes health and longevity. When practicing
Microcosmic Orbit Meditation, vital force is drawn upward through the
spine to the brain and then circulates energy back to the Dan Tian, while
simultaneously transmuting the body’s fundamental energies - Jing, Qi
and Shen. This not only enhances cerebral circulation, the Seven Glands
also fill up and become balanced, creating an interior state in which vital
force is constantly self-replenishing, like a perpetual motion machine.
5. Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian
Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian is very a sophisticated Daoist Nei
Dan exercise whose origins are lost in antiquity. Golden Fluid Returning
to Dan Tian builds on the basic Microcosmic Orbit Meditation, while
adding an extra dimension of stimulating and swallowing saliva (Golden
Fluid), which helps return and replenish Kidney Essence. Golden Fluid
Returning to Dan Tian also adds some specific Dao Yin like movements
and self-massage techniques that facilitate the movement of the energy
through the Du and Ren vessels, and the inter-transformation of the
Three Treasures: Jing, Qi, and Shen. Regular practice of Golden Fluid
Returning to Dan Tian makes the body stronger and more energetic,
while at the same time helping the spirit to become calm, tranquil and
stable. The body’s resistance to disease and extremes of hot and cold
becomes stronger. Simultaneously, Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian
transforms the internal body in order to restore one’s Original Nature
and Original Mind. It is no surprise that several Ba Gua Zhang systems
adopted Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian as part of their curriculum.
6. True Breath Meditation
Meditation on the True Breath is a further development of internal
breathing practices like Kidney Breathing and Golden Fluid Returning to
Dan Tian. When one becomes aware of the True Breath it seems as
though the whole body is breathing. Hence the True Breath is also
referred to as “Whole Body Breathing,” “Pore Breathing,” “Body Hair
Breathing.” or “Fetal Breathing.” When sensing the True Breath, the
mouth and nose are not perceived as the openings of respiration. One
has the perception that Qi and breath move inward and outward
through the navel and the pores of the body. Normal respiration through

103
the nose diminishes to a minimum and becomes imperceptible. The
True Breath stores energy within, so that the body can continuously
regenerate itself.
7. Sleeping Meditation
Sleeping Meditation is a form of Daoist Meditation and “Inner Alchemy”
believed to have been developed by the legendary Daoist sage Chen
Tuan. As the body reclines quietly on its side, the Heart-Mind is
quiescent, still and silent. Lying still, breathing imperceptibly, one
gathers Qi and concentrates the Spirit. One observes and harmonizes
with the natural rhythmic flow of the Qi and breath. Sleeping Meditation
allows us to reach a state similar to that of animals in hibernation. The
body seems to be asleep, but is internally aware. This state of “genuine
sleep” produces “true rest”, untroubled by dreams which reflect and
engage our emotions and desires. Residing in a state of “True Sleep”
allows us to observe our thoughts and emotions, resulting in increased
clarity of mind. The Daoist Zhuang Zi describes this as “sleeping without
dreaming and awakening without worries.” Because in this state the
body and Heart-Mind are able to truly rest, we feel an increase in energy,
even when our “normal sleep” is less.

104
Chapter 11
Sexual Cultivation
Connecting Life Force with Qi & Spirit

In Daoist thinking, sex is neither good nor bad; it is a necessary and

important part of human life. Daoist sages like Ge Hong looked at sex as
something to be understood, and even indulged in, but in a healthy and
balanced way. They observed that celibacy could damage the body by
stagnating Qi, just as overindulgence in sex could drain the body’s life
force and shorten one’s lifespan. If one were to abstain from intercourse,
your spirit would have no opportunity for expansiveness and Yin and
Yang would be blocked and cut off from each other.90
Ge Hong, considered sexual cultivation to be an important and
fundamental technique in cultivating longevity and immortality. As
usual he is direct in his assessment of the sexual arts.
There are more than ten masters of the sexual arts. Some use them to
cure injury, some to attack illness, some to strengthen the Yang by
absorbing Yin, and some to achieve longevity. The essential teaching is to
return Jing to nourish the brain. Those who consume the most precious
medicines, but fail to grasp the essential of this precious art, cannot
achieve long life. It is also the case that man cannot abstain from
intercourse, for if Yin and Yang do not interact, this leads to diseases of
obstruction. One becomes withdrawn and resentful, and thus sickly and
short lived. Giving free rein to one’s passions also shortens life, and thus
only by restrained balance can one avoid harm.91
Many of the classic books on sexual cultivation have already been
translated and discussed in detail in other books, so our discussion in
this chapter will focus on the key fundamentals. To read the sexual
classics in translation read the Art of the Bedchamber: The Chinese
Sexual Yoga Classics Including Women’s Solo Meditation Texts by
Douglas Wile. For a more simply explained and very practical book, I
suggest The Tao of Sexology: The Book of Infinite Wisdom by Stephen
T. Chang.

90
Classic of Su Nu, from Live Long Live Well: Teachings From the Chinese Nourishment of
Life Tradition. Peter Deadman (©Peter Deadman, 2016) p. 241.
91
Art of the Bedchamber: The Chinese Sexual Yoga Classics Including Women’s Solo
Meditation Texts. Douglas Wile (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1992) p. 25.
Sexual Exercises
As with many self-cultivation disciplines, the first step in Sexual
Cultivation begins with some basic exercises that train the body to
perform the techniques and methods correctly and easily.
Deer Exercise
In China, the deer is a symbol of longevity. The deer is associated with
endurance, speed and long life. The deer was also considered to have
strong sexual and reproductive abilities. The word deer (Lu 鹿) is the
phonetic equivalent of another Lu, which literally means “good income”,
or “prosperity.” The antlers of the deer are prized by the Chinese as a
longevity tonic, and velvet deer horn is a traditional medicinal that
supplements the Kidney Yang, strengthens the tendons, ligaments and
marrow, and nourishes the blood - hence it is often employed to treat
depletion of the Jing. As a medicinal, velvet deer horn is also said to
fortify Yang and tonify Du Mai.
The Deer Exercise enables opening of the Du vessel through a lifting
action of the inguinal area and pelvic floor. The exercise acts like a pump
to lift Qi up the Du channel. The deer wags its tail and moves Yang
through the spine, hence it is associated with the Du Vessel. The deer refers
to the genitals, perineum and sacrum that are part of the alchemical
process.92

92
An Exposition of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels: Acupuncture, Alchemy & Herbal
Medicine, by Charles Chace and Miki Shima. Seattle WA: Eastland Press, 2010, p. 71.

106
Male Deer Exercise
The Male Deer Exercise is used to activate and strengthen the sexual
energy, the pelvic floor and the genitals. It also activates the Seven
Glands and pumps energy into the Seven Gland system. The Male Deer
Exercise helps control ejaculation during intercourse so that the man is
not depleted through loss of Essence.
Male Deer Exercise Step 1: Stimulating Jing and Qi
1. Gently knock the teeth 36 times. Then gather saliva by circling the
tongue around the outside of the teeth nine times in each direction.
Circle the tongue around the inside of the teeth nine times in each
direction. Move the saliva back and forth between your teeth to gather it
further.
2. Now use a “gulping” action to swallow the gathered saliva, either all at
once, or in 2-3 portions. Swallowing saliva is aided by raising the head
and extending the neck. As you swallow the saliva, feel it descend down
the front of the body to the Dan Tian area where it turns into a mist, like
water hitting a flame. The mist spreads outward to fill Dan Tian and
nourish and moisten the internal organs. This helps gather and stimulate
Jing.
3. Rub the palms together until the hands are warm
4. Cup your testicles with your left hand. Make sure they are completely
covered by the palm. Simultaneously, place the palm of the right hand
just below the navel.
5. Rubbing lightly, but deliberately, make 81 clockwise circles in the
lower abdomen with the right palm, feeling gentle penetrating warmth
enter the lower abdomen. Try and feel as though this warmth goes
through to the back and Ming Men.
6. Rub your hands together again and reverse the position of the hands.
Cup your testicles with your right hand, while you place the palm of the
left hand just below the navel.
7. Rubbing lightly, but deliberately, make 81 counter-clockwise circles on
the lower abdomen with the left palm, feeling gentle penetrating warmth
enter the lower abdomen. Try and feel as though this warmth goes
through to the back and Ming Men.

107
Male Deer Exercise Step 2: Activating the Du Channel
1. Inhale as you gently lift the Kua93 and the pelvic floor. The perineum
also gently lifts upward with the inhalation. Feel as though Cosmic Qi
from the air is drawn inward through the anus and perineum. Try to use
the minimum muscular force, so that the lifting action is as much a
result of the specific application of the Mind-Intention as it is physical.
2. Let the pelvic floor and the Kua sink slowly as you exhale. The
perineum also drops slightly, but remains slightly lifted at the end of this
action.
3. Repeat this exercise up to 36 times. In the beginning it may be difficult
to do this 36 times, so begin with a number that is comfortable.
Important Note: As you lift the pelvic floor, Kua and perineum, you may
feel a tingling sensation or a warm sensation briefly move upward
through the Du channel and spine towards the head. Never force this
sensation, merely observe it, and do not worry if you do not sense this.
Effects:
• Helps prevent premature ejaculation of semen and leakage of
sperm
• Helps control ejaculation during intercourse so that the man is not
depleted through loss of Essence
• Activates and Energizes the Du Channel
• Strengthens the sexual organs and the glands
• Aids the prostate gland
• During intercourse, the Male Deer Exercise helps the man to bring
the woman to climax without ejaculating, and allows him to gather
and transform Essence
• The Male Deer Exercise can be used as a precursor to Microcosmic
Orbit Circulation, which in itself can be combined with sexual self-
cultivation during intercourse.

93
The Kua is considered to be the inguinal area in the front of the pelvis going up to the
top of the hipbone (ilium) and includes both the internal and external structures

108
The Female Deer Exercise
The original purpose of Female Deer Exercise was to stop menstruation
(“cutting off the red dragon”), because women lose Jing and Qi through
menstrual blood, rather than losing their Jing and Qi through loss of
semen. Stopping menstruation was considered very important in ancient
Daoist internal alchemy practices. Stopping menstruation allows blood
and Qi to be redirected to nourish the sexual organs and produce Jing.
Stopping menstruation is beyond the scope of this brief discussion of
sexual cultivation, and can involve health risks if performed improperly.
However, women can safely perform the Female Deer Exercise in order
to enhance health, and increase energy without “cutting off the red
dragon.”
The Female Deer exercise involves massaging the breasts. The breasts are
thought to be where the secretions of “perfect Yin” originate. Breast
secretions normally descend into the abdomen and transform into
menstrual blood. These secretions, which are the foundation of breast
milk, therefore transform into the menses.94 The breasts, then, are one of
the key centers for physical and spiritual cultivation in women. Daoist
scholar Catherine Despeux explains the basic theory as follows:
Men guard their kidneys and stabilize their semen, refining it into Qi by
moving it up the spine into the Ni Wan palace [the brain]. This is called
“return to the origin.” Women guard their heart and nurture their spirit,
refining it into fire by sitting motionless and making the Qi descend from
the nipples to the kidneys. From here they move it up along the spine to
equally reach the Ni Wan palace. This is called “transmutation to
perfection.95
Female Deer Exercise Step 1: Activating Qi in the
Breasts
Sit cross-legged with your heels against the genitals. If possible, press one
heel against the perineum. If this is not possible then put a hard round
object like a ball against the genitals.
1. Gently knock the teeth 36 times. Then gather saliva by circling the
tongue around the outside of the teeth nine times in each direction.
Circle the tongue around the inside of the teeth nine times in each
direction. Move the saliva back and forth between your teeth to gather it
further.

94
Women In Daoism. Catherine Despeux and Livia Kohn. Cambridge Mass: Three Pines
Press, 2003, p. 192.
95
Ibid, p. 190.

109
2. Now use a gulping action to swallow the gathered saliva, either all at
once, or in 2-3 portions. Swallowing saliva is aided by raising the head
and extending the neck. As you swallow the saliva, feel it descend down
the front of the body to the Dan Tian area where it turns into a mist-like
water hitting a flame. This mist spreads outward to fill Dan Tian and
nourish and moisten the internal organs. Gathering and swallowing
saliva helps gather and stimulate Jing and stimulates breast secretions.
3. Rub the palms together until the hands are warm, and place your
hands lightly on your breasts, so that you feel the heat from your hands
enter the skin.
4. Massage the breasts slowly between 36 and 81 times in an outward
motion.

Drawing Adapted From: The Tao of Sexology: The Book of Infinite Wisdom
by Stephen T. Chang.

110
Female Deer Exercise Step 2: Activating the Du Channel
1. Inhale as you gently lift the Kua and the pelvic floor. Simultaneously
contract the vaginal opening. The perineum also gently lifts upward with
the inhalation. Feel as though Cosmic Qi from the air is drawn inward
through the anus, perineum and vagina. Try to use the minimum
muscular force so that the lifting action is as much a result of the specific
application of the Mind-Intention, as it is physical.
2. Let the pelvic floor and the Kua sink slowly as you exhale. The vaginal
muscles also relax. The perineum also drops slightly, but remains slightly
lifted at the end of this action.
3. Repeat this exercise up to 36 times. In the beginning it may be difficult
to do this 36 times, so begin with a number that is comfortable.
Important Note: As you lift the pelvic floor, Kua and perineum, you may
feel a tingling sensation, or warm sensation, move upward through the
Du channel and spine to the breasts and towards toward the head. Never
force this sensation, merely observe it, and do not worry if you do not
sense this.
Effects:
• Activates and Energizes the Du Channel
• Strengthens the sexual organs and the glands
• Tightens the vagina
• Can helps alleviate menstrual problems, like dysmenorrhea,
emotional mood swings and stagnation of Qi
• During intercourse the Female Deer Exercise helps the woman to
gather and transform essence
• The Female Deer Exercise can be used as a precursor to
Microcosmic Orbit Circulation, which in itself can be combined
with sexual self-cultivation during intercourse
Exercise for Rejuvenating & Strengthening Sexual
Energy
1. Sit on a chair with the feet on the ground and cover your kneecaps
with your hands (Fig. 1).
2. With the tongue on the upper palate, inhale through the nose while
bending forward from the waist until the torso is at a 45° angle. As you
bend, simultaneously feel the Qi flow upward from the soles of the feet,
up the legs, to the genital area (Figs. 2 and 3)

111
3. Then exhale and straighten the body while you feel the Qi flow down
the legs and back to the soles. This exercise should be performed 10-20
times in the morning just after rising, and repeated again just before
going to sleep in the evening (Figs. 4 and 5).
After several months the exercise can be further refined by directing Qi
up the legs to the perineum, and then slowly to the tip of the penis (for
men). Women should direct Qi up the legs to the perineum, and then
inward to the uterus.

Start (Fig 1)

Inhale: Qi flows from soles to the genitals (Figs. 2 and 3)

112
Exhale: Qi returns to the soles of the feet (Figs. 4 and 5)

Cultivation with Partner

In the Daoist and Medical classics on sexual cultivation there are many
instructions from different sources on intercourse and other sexual
pleasures. This short section distills the key ideas to a few basic principles
that can be combined with mediation and energy cultivation; hence, for
simplicity, it will focus on heterosexual intercourse, realizing that it is
likely possible to apply the principles to other gender pairings.
In general, the goal of sexual cultivation with a partner (“paired
practice”) is to intermingle and harmonize the Yin and Yang energies of
male and female. Using my Jing [Essence] to nourish the woman’s Jing, the
anterior channels are all activated and the skin, Qi and blood are
stimulated. This open closures and unblocks obstructions.96
During intercourse, the role of the man is to pleasure the woman and
activate her energies slowly so that they build and gather, often without
the man ejaculating. The role of the woman is to activate the man’s
energies, so that they build and gather, without overexciting them so that
they disperse. This requires communication and delicacy.
During intercourse, the second part of the Male Deer Exercise is used by
the man to gather and draw the energies of the woman into his body
through the penis, where they intermingle with his own energies. The
Deer Exercise aids transformation of these energies into True Yang, Qi
and Spirit.

96
Live Long Live Well: Teachings From the Chinese Nourishment of Life Tradition. Peter
Deadman (©Peter Deadman, 2016) p. 241.

113
The Deer Exercise is also used to keep the man’s energies from
dispersing (ejaculating), or from dispersing too much (an ejaculation
that exhausts the man and disperses Jing and Qi). The Deer Exercise,
combined with Kidney Breathing, can also allow the man to orgasm
without ejaculation.
Simultaneously, the woman uses the second part of Female Deer Exercise
to increase the man’s pleasure and to draw his energies into the vagina,
where they intermingle with her own. The Deer Exercise aids
transformation of these energies into True Yang, Qi and Spirit. The Deer
Exercise, combined with Kidney Breathing, also keeps the woman’s
energies from dispersing outward too much with her orgasm.
Pressing the Perineum
Some teachings advocate that to prevent ejaculating, the man should
press on the perineum, specifically the Hui Yin (Ren 1 “Yin Meeting”)
acu-point. This is supposed to recycle the semen and Jing back into the
body. While pressing Hui Yin can prevent ejaculation, it is not
recommended. As an acupuncturist, I have seen several men who
developed bladder infections or prostate problems from using this
technique, because blocking the natural movement of sperm and Jing can
cause these substances and their energies to flow into areas where they
can stagnate and damage the body. Jing is recycled and transmuted into
Qi by naturally holding back one’s orgasm (using the Deer Exercise and
Kidney Breathing), and drawing in the woman’s energies, so that they
intermingle with the man’s and transmute into Qi and Spirit, not by
blocking them through pressing the perineum.
Self-Cultivation with a Partner & Daoist
Meditation
When practicing cultivation with a partner, all of the things discussed
above, and in the section which follows, should unfold naturally. Usually
sexual cultivation practices are conducted in conjunction with solo
practice of Daoist Meditation methods, including Microcosmic Orbit
Meditation. Sexual Cultivation with a partner is meant to balance and
augment solo practice, not replace it. Sexual Cultivation can both help to
open the Microcosmic Orbit, build and store energy, and strongly
stimulate the transmutation of Qi and Jing.
The Eight Increases and Seven Decreases
Medical documents found in the Mawangdui Tomb dating back to the
Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 9 CE) give pithy, intelligent and
useful advice for improving health through proper sexual techniques.
The text tells us that the old will be come strong and no longer senile by
nourishing Qi through practicing the Eight Increases and abstaining
from the Seven Decreases.

114
The Eight Increases97
1. Smooth and Relax Qi: Before intercourse, the couple should regulate
their breathing, and stretch their sinews to obtain comfort and peace
2. Gather Qi: The couple can eat a little, if necessary, in order to gather
strength.
3. Use Wisdom: The couple should caress each other for sexual
stimulation.
4. Guide Qi: At this time, the couple should relax their bodies and guide
Qi to the lower body and Dan Tian.
5. Accumulate Qi: When intercourse begins, the movement should be
gentle and slow.
6. Draw in Essence: When the spine tightens do not move, so Qi will go
down - wait silently holding up fullness.
7. Avoid Rash Discharge: The movement of the penis should not be too
vigorous in order to avoid ejaculation.
8. Guard Essence: After ejaculation and orgasm the couple should rest
and stay warm.
The Seven Decreases98
1. Blockage: Discomfort or pain during sex.
2. Discharge: Heavy sweating during intercourse.
3. Consumption: Intercourse when one is exhausted.
4. Disuse: penile flaccidity or frigidity.
5. Vexation: Severe panting during intercourse.
6. Harmful: Forced penetration without desire.
7. Exhaustion: Ejaculation or orgasm resulting in deep fatigue.

97
Book of Changes & Traditional Chinese Medicine. Yang Li (Beijing: Science &
Technology Press, 1998) pp.325-26 and Internal Injury Due to Fire Disease in Chinese
Medicine (中
中 医 内 伤 火 病 学 ) Tian He Lu (Huang Guo Qi, trans).
98
Ibid.

115
Frequency of Sex
As was mentioned earlier, too little sex can result in diseases of
accumulation or stagnation, while too much can deplete and exhaust the
body. In particular, ejaculation in men is considered to exhaust the
reproductive essence stored in the kidneys. These energies, collectively
referred to as Jing, are easily replaced by young men, but become harder
to replace as men age and the vital energy declines.
Jing forms the root of the body’s energies. Jing nourishes the bones,
which are associated with the kidneys, and forms part of the blood,
which nourishes the internal organs and all of the tissues of the body,
including the tendons and ligaments. We sometimes draw upon Jing in
moments of extreme exertion, or when we tax our endurance to the
utmost. Daoist science advocates less frequent ejaculations as a man ages,
and there even exist charts proposing exactly how often one can ejaculate
without excessive depletion at each respective age.
Since the strength and resilience of men of equal age can vary greatly, it
is best to use the following criteria. If you are fatigued and experience a
feeling of weakness for some time after sex, or feel that your mental and
physical faculties are negatively affected for a period of time after having
sex, then you may be ejaculating too frequently.
Traditionally in injuries such as fractures or torn ligaments it is
recommended that sex be curtailed or reduced during the early period of
healing, so that the body’s full energies can be directed toward the
injured area. This is particularly important in cases of injury to the
knees, the lower back or the bones, all of which have a direct relationship
to the kidneys and therefore to the Jing. One young man who studied
Chinese medicine with me told me that his chronic back and knee pain
disappeared when he stopped masturbating every day.
Women also consume Jing during sex and orgasm, but to a much lesser
extent than men, so that pacing sexual activity and the frequency of
orgasms, seems to be much less critical for women. What does consume
Jing in women are multiple pregnancies, especially those pregnancies
that occur in their late thirties and early forties, prolonged breastfeeding,
and excessive bleeding during menstruation. Hence the development of
Daoist Meditation and inner alchemy practices in which one attempts to
stop the menstruation, so that the secretions that form menstrual blood
can be transmuted into Jing.

116
Seasonal Guidelines for Sexual Activity
As the seasons change through the course of the year, our energy shifts
in resonance with these changes. In spring, our energy extends outward,
and in summer it flourishes and opens. In fall, our energies draw inward,
and in winter our energies are contained deep in the body. Qi Gong
practitioners and internal martial artists regularly change their training
routines to conform with seasonal fluctuations (see Chapter 12 for more
on this), in order to balance and harmonize internal Qi. So it is no
surprise that sexual activity should also be adjusted in conformity with
the seasons.
In spring, as our energy begins to extend outward and living things begin
to grow, one can have sex and even ejaculate more frequently without
harm. Life is stirring in the outside world and it stirs within you so one
should not suppress the natural urge for sexual activity and intimate
connection with another person.
In summer as the world heats up and things come to fruition and
flowering, our internal Yang is moving outward very strongly. Therefore
one should engage in sex less frequently, and not at midday, because the
heat in the outside world tends to over-stimulate the internal Yang,
making it flow outward and disperse more easily. During the three days
around the Summer Solstice it is traditionally forbidden to engage in sex,
because Yang is reaching its apogee. Instead, one should meditate quietly
and rest to hold the Yang inside.
In autumn, and especially late autumn after the Autumnal Equinox, as
Yang begins to draw inward, the body needs to begin to store energy for
winter. Therefore, sexual activity should gradually decrease as winter
approaches.
In winter, Yang is stored inside the body and should be retained,
therefore sexual activity should be more restricted. During the three days
around the Winter Solstice it is traditionally forbidden to engage in sex,
because Yang is hiding deep in the body, getting ready to grow and
expand in spring. Instead, one should meditate quietly and rest to
nourish the growth of Yang.
Although sexual activity is usually avoided during the Winter and
Summer Solstices, it can safely be engaged in during the Vernal and
Autumnal Equinoxes because Yin and Yang in the outside world are
roughly in balance, and in response our own energies are also more
balanced.

117
When to Avoid Sex
Daoist Sages found that in certain situations sexual activity could have
especially deleterious effects on the body, even if one practices correct
sexual hygiene. During sex, the body is more open to negative energies
that can create imbalances in the body. Below is a list of situations and
environments in which sexual activity is not recommended:
1. When one is drunk or under the influence of drugs. The body is
already over-stimulated, so sex can overheat and deplete the body.
2. When one is extremely tired.
3. When one is ill.
4. After an operation. One should wait 90 days after an operation, or
until one is completely recovered.
5. After an acupuncture treatment.
6. During menstruation.
7. When one is angry.
8. During pregnancy.
9. Immediately after a very hot bath. The body is already overheated,
so wait 30 minutes before engaging in sex.
10. After eating. The body needs energy to digest food. Wait 30
minutes before commencing sex, otherwise you may develop hiatal
or stomach problems.
11. Immediately after urination.
12. During a battle in wartime because the surrounding energy is
chaotic and unbalanced and can cause your energy to similarly
become chaotic.
13. During hurricanes and very violent storms – again because the
energy around you is chaotic.
14. During Summer and Winter Solstices. This was discussed above.

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Chapter 12
Heavenly Qi
Living in Harmony with the Seasons

Seasonal Energy-Seasonal Qi
Each of the seasons has its own characteristic climate and energy. Spring
is temperate and changeable; summer is hot; autumn is cool; winter,
cold. During the cycle of the seasons, the energies of Yin and Yang
change in their strength and proportions. Yang grows in the spring,
flourishes in the summer, and wanes in the fall as Yin grows. Yin reaches
its peak in the winter, and then wanes after the winter solstice as Yang
begins to grow again.
The warmth of spring manifests Heaven’s creative energies as living
things give birth and plants send out new shoots. Summer’s heat allows
living things to grow and develop, so that they peak and can be harvested
in the cool weather of autumn. As autumn progresses, living things
wither and withdraw, returning to stillness in winter, so that energy can
be stored, conserved, and concentrated in preparation for spring’s
rebirth.
Under normal circumstances, the human body can easily adapt to
seasonal climate changes. However, if climatic changes take a form that
is different from the normal pattern - a cold snap in spring or a warm
spell in winter - it can be difficult for the body to adapt. It can also be
difficult for the body to adapt if the change from one season to the next
is abrupt and harsh, rather then gradual.
The meteorological factors of season and weather have a close
relationship to human physiology. There are six environmental,
climactic factors, or “Seasonal Qi,” that interact with living things and
can have a profound effect on one’s health and wellbeing. These seasonal
meteorological manifestations - wind, heat, dampness, summer heat,
dryness and cold - are referred to as the Six Qi (Liu Qi). They are also
called the Six Evils, or the Six Pathogenic Factors (Six Pathogenic Qi). If
one is healthy, one easily adapts to the natural climatic changes
associated with the seasons (Seasonal Qi), but sometimes the Seasonal Qi
is so strong that even in healthy people it overcomes the body’s
resistance and causes illness - as in the case of extreme heat or cold.
Similarly, it is possible for one to develop a diminished resistance to
seasonal climatic changes. This can happen for various reasons - injury,
poor diet, overwork, or lifestyle choices that are not in harmony with the
prevailing Seasonal Qi. Then, even if the wind, heat, dryness, damp and
cold are not extreme, one suffers from their presence in the surrounding
environment. In either case, the symptoms one suffers often match the
characteristics of one or more of the Six Qi mentioned above, because
the Qi within us directly connects to, and resonates with, the Qi around
us.
The Eight Winds
In the Ling Shu (the Spiritual Pivot), there are said to be Eight Winds
that are related to the eight directions, the Eight Trigrams of the Yi Jing,
and the Six Qi mentioned above.
1. Beginning of Spring: Brutal Wind (Northeast Wind)
In the beginning of spring, Yin energy has not yet retreated, and Yang
energy has not yet reached its phase of fullness. The wind at this time is
referred to as being “brutal,” “violent” or “unfortunate.” It can enter and
lodge in the lower part of the body, particularly in the large intestine and
its associated meridians. Hence, the Brutal Wind can cause intestinal
problems, pain in the upper limbs, and in the ribs and armpits.99
2. Spring Equinox Wind: Baby Wind (East Wind)
Wind is born in the East. That is why this wind is called “Baby Wind,” or
“Childish Wind.” Within the body the Baby Wind goes to the liver and
gallbladder organs, while in the exterior it can injure the muscles and
sinews. This wind can transform into humidity (dampness). The East
Wind is often accompanied by rain, a precipitating factor in many cases
of dampness.
3. Beginning of Summer: Weakening Wind (Southeast
Wind)
The energy of Heaven becomes moderate and warm so that the wind
diminishes. The Weakening Wind is also called the “Feathery Wind.” It
brings humidity and can therefore injure Earth (spleen and stomach).
Internally, the Weakening Wind can injure the stomach, while externally
it can become fixed in the flesh causing a heavy sensation in the body.100

99
Ling Shu or The Spiritual Pivot, translated by Wu Jing-Nuan. (Washington DC: The
Taoist Center – Distributed by University of Hawai’i Press, 1993) p. 256.
100
Huangdi Neijing Lingshu: vol. III with commentary,Nguyen Van Nghi. Tran Viet Dung
and Christine Recours Nguyen (Sugar Grove, NC: Jung Tao Publications, 2010) pp.292-
293.

120
4. Summer Solstice: Diminishing Wind (South Wind)
Heat appears and the wind diminishes and lessens. Diminishing Wind
diseases are characterized by heat. Internally, this wind can injure the
heart and the blood vessels.
5. Beginning of Autumn: Cunning Wind (Southwest
Wind)
At this time Yin energy arises as Yang passes its peak. The Cunning
Wind corresponds to Earth. Internally, it can damage the spleen, and in
the exterior it fixes in the muscles. The Qi of the Cunning Wind can
causes dampness and weakness.

121
6. Autumnal Equinox: Violent Wind (West Wind)
Autumn is the season where Metal is ascendant. Metal is strong and
hard, hence this wind is also known as the “Firm Wind”, or “Hard
Wind.” Internally, the Violent Wind can injure the lung, while externally
it affects the skin. Its diseases are characterized by dryness.
7. Beginning of Winter: Destructive Wind (Northwest
Wind)
Metal is said to rule destruction. That is why this wind is called the
“Destructive Wind”, or “Breaking Wind.” Internally the Destructive
Wind tends to lodge in the upper part of the body and affect the lung. If
the attack is more from the north, it can lodge in the lower body and the
small intestine, and affect the Small Intestine meridian, which runs
through the arm and shoulder blade. This combination of the energies of
the North and Northwest (related to Water and Metal respectively) can
be very harmful to the production and movement of Yang Qi.101
8. Winter Solstice: Extremely Destructive Wind (North
Wind)
Around the Winter Solstice, Yin is ascendant and the Seasonal Qi
becomes cold, creating a powerful wind. This wind is called the
“Extremely Destructive Wind”, or the “Great Hard Wind.” This wind
corresponds to the Water Element in human beings and goes to the
kidneys, The Extremely Destructive Wind can become fixed in the
bones, damage the para-spinal muscles (which belong to the Bladder
Meridian),102 and the muscles of the upper back, and back of the
shoulder.

101
Ibid.
102
Ibid.

122
Living in Harmony with the Seasons & Climate
As one can readily see from the discussion above, each season is
described in terms of its energetic signature. As human beings we are
part of the natural world, no matter how much central heating and
modern conveniences insulate us from climate and weather, the cycles of
Yin and Yang that we observe in the natural world also occur within us,
and affect our health and well-being. For this reason, changing our
behavior and activities in accordance with the seasonal fluctuations of
Yin and Yang helps preserve our energies and harmonize them with the
energetic changes that are constantly occurring in the world around us.
In order to fully understand this energetic perspective on the of the
seasons we must look at the Chinese calendar. Unlike the Western solar
calendar, the Chinese calendar is partly based on the lunar cycle.
Therefore the days on which important holidays and seasonal markers
occur can vary from year to year. However, the Chinese also divide their
calendar into 24 “Solar Nodes”, “Solar Terms”, or “Seasonal Nodes.”
These 24 fortnight periods reflect the climactic changes that occur as the
earth rotates around the sun. The 24 Solar Nodes can easily be converted
to the Western solar calendar as they occur at roughly the same time
each year. However, as China is in the Northern Hemisphere, the dates
must be reversed for people living in the Southern Hemisphere.
Eight of these Seasonal Nodes mark the beginning of each season, the
Spring and Autumn Equinoxes and the Winter and Summer Solstices.
Looking at these eight nodes (next page) you may be surprised to see that
the Beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on February
4th or 5th. In the West, we usually think of spring as beginning on the
Vernal Equinox (March 20th or 21st). On the Chinese calendar, the
beginning of a season comes somewhat before that season appears on the
Western calendar. This is because the start of a new season actually
begins when the energies of that season begin to develop. This first
“stirring” of the new season’s energy happens several weeks before those
energies actually manifest in an obvious way. For example. the
“Beginning of Spring” is in early February on the Chinese calendar. This
corresponds with the first stirring of rebirth and growth associated with
the energies of spring. Often at this time a warm spring breeze will be felt
for a day before cold returns. It is at this time that sap begins to rise in
trees, and similarly we feel the “sap” rise within us.
When Yin and Yang are discussed in the context of seasonal activity, the
Chinese are referring to the cyclical transformation of Yin and Yang
energies in the world that reflect the climactic changes occuring in
relation to the Yang energy of the sun:
• Beginning of Spring: Yang Qi begins to dispel the cold. Plants
and creatures begin to grow.

123
• Vernal Equinox: Day and night are equal in length. Yin and
Yang are equal. The days become warmer.
• Beginning of Summer: Yang continues to grow and living things
flourish.
• Summer Solstice: Longest day of the year. Yang peaks and Yin
begins to grow.
• Beginning of Autumn: Yin Qi increases. Early fruits are
harvested.
• Autumn Equinox: Yin and Yang are again equal. Days grow
cooler. Another time of balance in which we have an opportunity
to harmonize Yin and Yang and collect vitality back to the center
to strengthen health for winter.
• Beginning of Winter: Yin gains ascendancy and plants and
flowers wither.
• Winter Solstice: Shortest day of the year. Yin peaks and Yang
begins to grow again.

124
The Twenty-Four Seasonal Nodes
The 24 Seasonal Nodes are likened to joints or nodes in bamboo. The
nodes have regularity, and therefore act as demarcations. The word for
node – Jie- also can means a section, a limit, a festival, holiday or a
season. The extended meanings of Jie - “economize' and “moral
integrity” – are thought to stem from the idea of proper behavior
according to the time of year. These extended meanings may also be
related to related to the Chinese character Jié (卩), depicting a person
kneeling in subservience.103
The Seasonal Nodes are demarcations of the seasonal Qi that mark the
transformation and change associated with each season. They delineate
the rhythms associated with each season, and the regulation of Qi in each
season. By understanding these rhythmic alternations, we can harmonize
with them, and receive the benefits, health, and wisdom that flow from
that harmony.

103
Wenlin Software for Learning Chinese. Copyright 1997-2007, Wenlin Institute Inc.
www.wenlin.com

125
There are many health and longevity practices that resonate with the
Seasonal Nodes, including very powerful Qi Gong and meditation
practices. Chen Tuan is credited with the creation of Twenty-Four
Seasonal Node Qi Gong exercises, which balance the body during each
seasonal node and prevent diseases which can occur at those times of the
year.
The Seasonal Node Qi Gong exercises, and the myriad of heath practices
related to the Seasonal Nodes, are too big a subject to discuss in a single
chapter. For further information on Seasonal Health practices and
Seasonal Node Qi Gong see:

Seasonal Qi Gong Online Learning Program

(Internalartsinternational.com)
Eight Winds in the Heavens: Seasonal Health Secrets and Qi Gong
Exercises from Taoist Sages that Prevent Disease and Promote Optimal
Health and Vitality (Book)

126
Chapter 14
Herbal Medicine
Supporting & Nourishing the Three Treasures

Traditionally, the ingestion of herbal medicines is used to support the

innate energies while one engages in Daoist practices that transmute the
energy matrix and the internal structure of body. These herbs were, and
still are, highly prized substances, often compared to gold and precious
jewels. Herbs were sometimes combined to form “elixirs of immortality”
and “longevity tonics.” Many practitioners of internal martial arts and Qi
Gong take longevity tonics to supplement and support these energetic
practices.
In relation to the Two Immortals System, herbal medicines fall into two
basic categories:
1. Herbal formulae that treat illness and disease, and break energetic
blockages that are impeding internal transformation of energy. These
often take the form of blockages of Qi, and blood, and accumulations
of fluids that interfere with free-flow in the meridians. Chronic
disharmonies of the internal organs can also produce these blockages.
2. Single herbs and herbal formulas that promote longevity by
nourishing the Three Treasures, and stabilizing the various
components of the spirit that have their foundation in the energy
matrix of the internal organs.
Using herbs in either manner requires some knowledge of herbal
medicine, because no one herb or herb formula is right for every person.
Correct use of herbal medicinals relies on assessing the energetic state of
each individual, at a particular moment, and in relation to the seasons,
individual constitution, and health history.
In addition, it is important to obtain quality herbs that are grown and
processed correctly and picked at the right time. Poor quality herbs can
actually create negative effects in the body.
Ten Tonic Herbs for Health & Longevity
Specific herbs have been highly prized as “tonics that promote
immortality and longevity because they nourish one or more of the three
treasures - Jing, Qi and Shen. Some of these herbs, like Siberian Ginseng
(Ci Wu Jia), and Schizandra Fruit (Wu Wei Zi), have become touted in
the West as “adaptogens” - a non-medical term used to describe
substances that can strengthen the body and increase general resistance
to stress and illness. Traditionally, the following herbs are often used
both as “longevity tonics” and also to support meditation and inner
transformation.

1. Siberian Ginseng Root or Eleuthero Ginseng (Ci Wu Jia)

Siberian Ginseng has been used for centuries to increase endurance and
resistance to disease, and to improve memory. Ci Wu Jia strengthens the
spleen and kidneys and improves circulation. It also calms and settles the
spirit. Ci Wu Jia is considered to be an adaptogen and is used by many
people to improve athletic performance and the ability to work. It is said
to boost the immune system and increase appetite. Currently Ci Wu Jia
is also used to regulate blood sugar levels.

2. Codon0psis Root (Dang Shen)

Dang Shen is often used as a substitute for Ginseng because it is much
cheaper, yet like Ginseng, it tonifies the Qi and strengthens the functions
for the lung and spleen. Because it is harmonious and gentle, it is an ideal
herb for those with weaker digestion. Dang Shen also nourishes the
blood and is good for boosting vitality and relieving general fatigue. Like
Ginseng, wild codonopsis is stronger and highly prized.

3. Reishi Mushroom or Ganoderma (Ling Zhi)

Ling Zhi is revered in China as a divine herb of immortality that
specifically tonifies the Shen. Many people who engage in self-cultivation
practices like Daoist Meditation take Ling Zhi to support and enhance
their practice.
Ling Zhi has been called the “food of the immortals.” The Divine
Husbandman’s Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing) says that
regular consumption makes the body light and prevents aging. Ling Zhi
tonifies the Qi and blood, protects the body and mind from stress and is
a powerful anti-allergen.

128
Ling Zhi has been found to be a very strong immune tonic that supports
many aspects of immune function, including generating long-term
immune enhancement and there are indications that consumption
prevents cancer and treats early cancers.

Reishi Mushrooms (Ling Zhi)

4. Spirit Poria (Fu Shen)

Fu Shen is part of a fungus that grows on pine tree roots. This herb is
specifically the part of the fungus around and including the root.
Fu Shen nourishes the heart and calms the Shen, promoting a positive
mental state. More recently Fu Shen has been found to strengthen the
immune system and to contain antidepressant, anti-inflammatory,
antiviral and anti-tumor effects.

5. Astragalus Root (Huang Qi)

Astragalus root is known as a powerful Qi tonic. It enhances vitality and
provides the energy for us to stand upright and move ahead. Huang Qi is
also a powerful blood tonic and is often used to help recover from severe
blood loss. Huang Qi is often taken with Ginseng for fatigue, debility and
deficiency of Qi

129
Huang Qi strengthens the lungs and the Wei Qi (Defensive Qi), hence it
is used for frequent colds. Huang Qi supports immune function, and is
frequently consumed for its properties as an adaptogen.

6. Schizandra Fruit (Wu Wei Zi)

Wu Wei Zi literally means “Five Flavor Seed” – hence it is said to nourish
all five organs. Wu Wei Zi tonifies the Qi, fortifies the kidneys and stops
the leakage of essence. It also quiets the Spirit and calms and contains
Heart Qi. Like Ginseng, Wu Wei Zi is considered to be an adpatogen and
Shen tonic. Some sources say that Wu Wei Zi contains all of the three
treasures. Wu Wei Zi has been shown to modulate endocrine and
immune functions by strengthening the adrenal cortex and liver.
Note: There are two kind of Wu Wei Zi – southern and northern.
Southern Wu Wei Zi does not produce the effects described above, so it
is important to make sure that you are using northern Wu Wei Zi – and
preferably wild grown.

7. Lycium Fruit (Gou Qi Zi)

Gou Ji Zi is a tonic herb, now commonly called “Goji Berries” and can
be found at many supermarkets and health food stores. Gou Ji Zi is often
consumed on a daily basis to promote longevity and nourish Jing
(Essence). Go Ji Zi nourishes the blood and brightens the eyes. It is often
taken in conjunction with Chrysanthemum Flower (Ju Hua) to improve
eyesight, treat blurry vision, and prevent eyes diseases. Gou Ji Zi can be
cooked with food and is considered to be both an adaptogen and an
immune system strengthener.
Lightly frying Gou Ji Zi with Cuscuta Seed (Tu Si Zi) is called “Tu Si Zi
Chao Gou Ji Zi.” This alchemical combination increases the Yang-
Tonifying aspect of Gou Qi Zi, enabling it to replenish Jing and fortify
Yang.

8. Polygonum Root (He Shou Wu)

He Shou Wu tonifies the liver and kidneys, nourishes the blood and
nourishes Jing. It is often taken individually as a longevity tonic, and has
wide application because it tonifies, but is not cold, drying or too
cloying. He Shou Wu is known for its restorative actions on the
urogenital, muscular and nervous systems.

130
He Shou Wu is a famous "anti-aging" herb that is reputed to keep the
body and mind young and active. By nourishing the kidneys and liver, it
also nourishes the brain. It is said to keep the hair from greying. He Shou
Wu literally means “He’s Black Hair.”
He Shou Wu replenishes Jing for those who have lost Jing due to chronic
and acute stress, overwork, pregnancy, excessive sex, etc. It is said to
work very quickly in this regard, as humorously illustrated in the story of
Zhang Guo Lao, one of the Eight Daoist Immortals. One day Zhang
passed a temple and went inside. No one was there, but there was a big
pot of soup cooking, so Zhang decided to eat the soup and fed some to
his donkey. The soup contained the spirit of He Shou Wu. The priest
who had made the soup returned, saw Zhang Guo Lao finishing the soup
and chased him. Zhang fled on the back of his donkey, facing backward.
As they ran both Zhang and the Donkey suddenly ascended to heaven
and became Immortal.
He Shou Wu must be cooked (“prepared”) with black beans to release its
power and to prevent its one usually unwanted potential action as a
laxative.

9. Cuscuta Seed (Tu Si Zi)

Tu Si Zi is an outstanding tonic herb, because it tonifies both Yin and
Yang, and it does so without being cloying. It is warming but not drying,
and it secures and restrains Jing-Essence, while at the same time gently
encouraging the movement of True Yang.
Tu Si Zi strengthens Yang, nourishes Yin, astringes Jing and benefits the
marrow. It tonifies the kidneys and liver and improves vision. It is often
used with Gou Ji Zi for vision problems like blurry vision. The Divine
Husbandman’s Materia Medica says that regular consumption of Tu Si
Zibrightens the eyes, makes the body light and prolongs life.

10. Rehmannia Root (Shu Di Huang)

Shu Di Huang is Rehmannia Root that has been “prepared” through a
steaming process. Shu Di Huang is thick, black, heavy and utterly still in
nature, it embodies the qualities of deep essence, stored potential, the
body’s deepest resource available for the production of functional yin,
blood and primal qi.104 Shu Di Huang nourishes the blood and Kidney
and Liver Yin. It also nourishes Jing and fills the marrow. It is good for
eyesight and hearing and helps the hair stay black.

104
Chinese Herbal Materia Medica 3rd edition, Dan Bensky, Steve Clavey et Als (Seattle:
Eastland Press, 1986) p. 745.

131
The Divine Husbandmen’s Materia Medica says that prolonged use of
Shu Di Huang makes the body light and prevents senility.

___

Are Tonic Herbs for Me?

Ingesting tonic herbs to enhance meditation and energy practices like
martial arts, Qi Gong and Daoist Yoga is not necessary for everyone;
how much one takes, when, and for how long, requires careful
consideration based on a number of factors, including one’s constitution.
Herbs can aid transformative processes, but should not replace them,
and become a crutch on which one’s health is dependent.

132
Chapter 14
Steps on the Path
Stages of Self-Cultivation

Three Stages of Self-Cultivation

1. Healing – Treating “Wounds”
Healing refers to restoring the normal circulation of Qi and restoring the
normal functioning of the internal organs that may have been damaged
through injury, intemperate lifestyle and diet, exposure to disease, etc. As
the emotions are considered to be the primary precipitators of internal
diseases, releasing emotions that are toxic and unhealthy is usually part
of this process.
Tui Na Massage, Bone Setting, Acupuncture Herbal Remedies,
Rehabilitative Qi Gong, Meditation, Dietary Therapy, and appropriate
Life Style Modifications are all tools that are commonly used to undo
wounds and restore the body to normal, healthy, functioning.
2. Cultivating Longevity
Cultivating longevity means going beyond simply restoring health, to
improving one’s energy and strengthening the body in order to increase
the life force and primordial Qi beyond the limits of what you were born
with. One seeks optimal functioning of mind, body and spirit so that
one’s physical and mental powers do not decline with age.
This “step” requires an overall relaxed and healthy lifestyle, balancing
work and rest, eating healthy foods, and living in harmony with seasonal
change. Self-cultivation methods like those listed below, are an
important part of cultivating longevity.
Daoist Yoga Exercises: strengthen the sinews and bones, and open the
meridians.
Dao Yin Exercises: regulate the Qi Dynamic and prevent disease and
injury.
Qi Gong Exercises: disperse blockages of Qi, regulate the flow of Qi,
and harmonize the Qi Dynamic of the internal organs.
Seasonal Qi Gong and Seasonal Living: synchronize body rhythms
with the seasonal energies.
Sexual Cultivation Methods: raise energy levels and preserve Life
Essence.
Daoist Meditation: harnesses the Mind-Intention, harmonizes the
emotions, and gathers and stores energy.
Ba Gua Energy Practices: Qi Gong and meditation practices that
enhance and complement Daoist Meditation and Dao Yin methods,
while activating and opening the meridians, energizing the joints and
spine, and stimulating the marrow to nourish the brain and nervous
system.
Internal Martial Arts like Tai Ji Quan, Ba Gua Zhang or Xing Yi
Quan: increase body strength, promote adaptability to changing (and
perhaps adverse) circumstances, strengthen the intention, and increase
the force of the will
Longevity Diet: The “Clear and Bland” Diet promotes maximum
health and longevity by properly nourishing the Post–Heaven Qi and
promoting Clear Qi, while reducing Turbid Qi.
Herbal Supplements: when used correctly, can help to increase and
maintain the life force
Cultivating Longevity is usually an eclectic and personal process as
everyone has different needs. What tools one uses and how is very
dependent on individual circumstance. A combination of Daoist
Meditation, Dao Yin, Daoist Yoga and Qi Gong are usually at the core
of cultivating longevity.

The Interconnection of Different Aspects of the Two Immortals System

134
3. Immortality
Immortality implies a higher and deeper level of engagement with
longevity practices in order to transcend our ordinary mind and come
closer to apprehending the numinous. This step usually involves more
intensive levels of meditation and Qi Gong, dietary modifications that
enhance higher levels of energy vibration, and attempting to live
authentically, in touch with our True Nature. An important and difficult
part of this process is overcoming and transcending our ingrained habits
of mind, emotion and cognition.
As we saw in Chapter Three, the progression described above is a bit
neat and idealized. Healing Wounds, Longevity and Immortality are not
really orderly one-by-one “steps.” There is a progression, but there is also
some interweaving and exchange between the three.

135
136
Chapter 15
A Daoist Lifestyle?
Ongoing Change & Transformation

The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System offers many

opportunities to live a “Daoist Life” and embody a “Daoist Lifestyle.”
This does not mean dressing up in Daoist clothing or praying to Lao Zi.
It does mean cultivating an awareness of a unitary principle that unites
all living things, and slowly changing one’s behavior to be in accord with
this change in awareness. There are no rules about how to live a Daoist
lifestyle, but there are methods and guidelines.
One person might begin by engaging with seasonal changes and learning
to live in healthy manner that is in tune with the unity of nature. This
often includes understanding seasonal diet, the basics of healthy eating
and the longevity diet. Living with the seasons and having a healthy diet
that is not constrained by rigid rules and restrictions changes one’s
energies and one’s perceptions of the surrounding world. As perceptions
change, the adoption of other Daoist practices like Daoist Meditation or
Dao Yin become a natural extension of Seasonal Health.
A second person might begin by studying self-defense through the
internal martial arts. Martial arts build a strong healthy body, an
indomitable will and heightened energetic sensitivity. Experiencing these
internal and external changes might lead one to eat better and live better,
in order to be able to train without illness or injury, which in turn can
lead to the practice of Daoist Meditation, Daoist Yoga, or various forms
of Qi Gong.
A third individual might enter through the window of improving their
health with Qi Gong exercises. As their internal energy becomes stronger
and more harmonious, perhaps they find that sexual self-cultivation and
Daoist Meditation become important adjuncts to their Qi Gong practice,
or they may be led to engage with seasonal Qi Gong and other Seasonal
Health practices.
These three examples are just that, examples - there are many roads that
may lead you to adopting what I am loosely referring to as a Daoist
lifestyle. It is usually a gradual process that does not happen all at once.
Because change and transformation are ongoing, one never “arrives”, but
rather revels in the process of constantly “arriving.”
Engaging with the many parts of the Two Immortals System may not
even be something that you call a “lifestyle”, a “system”, or even
“Daoist.” You might view the various methods of self-cultivation within
the Two Immortals System as simply adopting a series of interlocking
self-cultivation methods that you find enhance your energy, your health,
and your life. In the end, there is no “system” - there is only your own
internal process, understanding, and ongoing transformation and
change.

These methods do not need a name.

They merely have to be practiced.

138
Chapter 15
Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity
System
Summary & Resources

The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System gives you access
to some of the most ancient and powerful Chinese Health exercises and
meditation practices. From Ge Hong (Chapter 3) we learned that no one
practice or method is sufficient for most people to extend their life while
maintaining optimum health. Methods must be combined according to
one’s individual needs. For this reason we offer a complete curriculum,
containing multiple pathways toward health, boundless energy, long life,
and transcendence.
Daoist Yoga, Dao Yin and Daoist Meditation form the core of the Two
Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System:

The Core Practices are augmented by a number of other practices and

paths, some of which are themselves complete methods for enhancing
energy and promoting health and longevity. The diagram on the
following page shows how the three core practices interconnect with
other Life Nourishing methods including Qi Gong, Life Style
Cultivation, Ba Gua Energy Practices, and Internal Martial Arts.
These Life Nourishing methods deepen and expand one’s experience of
the core practices - Daoist Yoga, Dao Yin and Daoist Meditation -
creating a complete and integral system, which encourages further
opportunities for improving health, vitality, and inner transformation.

As we saw in Chapter Eight, Internal Martial Arts provide alternative

paths that connect to the Core Practices and are “Lifestyle Practices” that
mesh with the goals of longevity, nourishing life, transformation, and
transcendence. Other Daoist Life methods, such as living in harmony
with the seasons, the longevity diet and a healthy approach to sexuality,
are intertwined elements that support the life force and the
transformation of mind and body. As the arrows in the diagram above
illustrate, Lifestyle Methods, Ba Gua Energy Practices, Internal Martial
Arts, and a variety of Qi Gong Methods interpenetrate with the Core
Practices. These four groups both enhance and expand on the Core
Practices, and serve as ways of entering into and engaging with the Two
Immortals System.
I am not suggesting that one needs to engage with all of the above
methods. During the course of one’s individual life journey, certain
methods and techniques may be more important at particular times and
less important at other times. One’s needs fluctuate over one’s life, hence
the broad flexibility of the Two Immortals System.
We offer you guidance, advice and instruction, but ultimately you walk
the path, and like Ge Hong and Chen Tuan, create your own system that
nourishes your life and fosters your spiritual development.

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Resources - Online Courses
Online Courses can be found at: internalartsinternational.com

1. Daoist Yoga Online Learning Program

2. Complete Dao Yin Online Learning Program

3. Daoist Meditation Online Learning Program

4. Qi Gong Online Learning Programs

Six Healing Sounds

Five Element Qi Gong

Xing Yi Nei Gong

Seasonal Qi Gong

Tian Gan Nei Gong

Five Animal Play

5. Ba Gua Zhang Online Learning Programs

Authentic Ba Gua Zhang: Foundational Level

Authentic Ba Gua Zhang: Intermediate Level

6. Chinese Medicine Online Learning Programs

Tooth From the Tiger’s Mouth: Gong Fu Sports Medicine

Revival Techniques: Emergency Medicine for Sports & Martial Arts

Advanced Gung Fu Sports Medicine

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Resources - Books & DVDs
1. Daoist Meditation
Decoding the Dao: Nine Lessons in Daoist Meditation

Daoist Sleeping Meditation: Chen Tuan’s Sleeping Gong

2. Seasonal Health
Eight Winds in the Heavens: Seasonal Health Secrets and Qi Gong
Exercises from Daoist Sages that Prevent Disease and Promote Optimal
Health and Vitality

3. Life & Strategy

Beyond the Battleground: Classic Strategies from the Yijing and
Baguazhang for Managing Crises Situations (Blue Snake Books)

4. Ba Gua Zhang
The Art of Ba Gua Zhang

Ba Gua Circle Walking Nei Gong

The Essentials of Ba Gua Zhang by Gao Ji Wu and Tom Bisio

The Attacking Hands of Ba Gua Zhang by Gao Ji Wu and Tom Bisio

Ba Gua Concepts #1: Ding Shi (DVD)

Ba Gua Concepts #2: Lao Ba Zhang and Linear Applications (DVD)

Ba Gua Concepts #3: Swimming Body Ba Gua Lian Huan (DVD)

5. Ba Gua Nei Gong

Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol. 1: Yin Yang Patting and Dao Yin Exercises

Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol. 2: Qi Cultivation Exercises & Standing

Meditation

Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol. 3: Twelve Posture Standing

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Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol. 4: Foundational Body Training

Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol. 5: Tian Gan Heavenly Stem Nei Gong

Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol 6: Marrow Washing Nei Gong

6. Xing Yi Quan
Xing Yi: Art of Inner Transformation

Nei Gong The Authentic Classic: A Translation of the Nei Gong Zhen
Chuan

The Xing Yi Quan of Master Li Gui Chang: Wu Xing & Lian Huan by
Song Zhi Yong with Tom Bisio

Xing Yi Quan Tu Na Si Ba by Song Zhi Yong with Tom Bisio

7. Chinese Medicine
A Tooth From the Tiger’s Mouth (Simon & Schuster)

A Pearl From the Dragon’s Neck: Secret Revival Methods and Vital
Points for Injury, Healing and Health

Zang Fu Tui Na Basic Principles & Core Techniques

Zheng Gu Tui Na: Chinese Medical Massage by Tom Bisio & Frank
Butler

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About the Author
Tom Bisio is known internationally as a martial artist, practitioner of
Chinese medicine, educator and author. He has studied Chinese
medicine and martial arts extensively in Mainland China and practiced
acupuncture, Tui Na, bone setting and herbal medicine since 1990. Tom
has taught internal Martial Arts, Qi Gong, Daoist Meditation, and Life
Nourishing Longevity practices for over three decades. He has written
numerous books and articles on Martial Arts, Nei Gong, Daoist
Meditation and Chinese medicine, and is the founder of Internal Arts
International (IAI) (internalartsinternational.com) and the Two
Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System.