posted on Jul, 16 2007 @ 09:36 AM
I have been practicing Taoist meditation and Taichi, a moving meditation, for about seven years now. My practice has tailed off a bit since I
contracted a chronis pain condition as my knees can no longer support my body weight for taichi, and the pain is too distracting for useful
meditation.
During a year in which I lived in Cork, in southern Ireland, without a TV, radio or computer, I spent at least 6 hours a day either in meditation or
practicing taichi (Yang long form). I have never been fitter or saner and only needed four hours sleep a night. I reached a level of meditation where
time seemed to stop, and my understanding of the world was transformed.
I can still reach that place, if the circumstances are right, but they are very rarely achievable. I now need complete silence and huge amounts of a
certain herb to stop the pain. I can no longer do the full lotus, which doesn't help matters (this position vastly improves the greater heavenly
circulation that is required to attain the deeper states of meditation.
Taoist meditation differs slightly but significantly from Buddhist practice. One of the major differences is the breathing. Always breathe through the
nose, keeping the tip of your tongue lightly in contact with the gums just above your top front teeth, draw in your dan tien (lower abdomen, an inch
below your navel) on the inhalation and push it out on the exhalation. This is sometimes called reverse breathing. Then imagine (the mind leads your
energy) the chi being drawn IN as you inhale, and then moving down the front of your chest down to the solar plexus. Continue this movement of chi
downwards as you exhale, across the abdomen to the dan tien, and then through the genital region to the perineum, now inhale again and carry the
movement on up the small of your back and on to a point just below the vertibra that sticks out most, and between the shoulder blades, now exhale
again and carry the movement on up the back of your neck, over the head to the crown and down to the point between your eyes, and on through the tip
of your tongue (the reason for the contact of your tongue and the roof of your mouth) before starting the circulation again.
After a while you will stop imagining the flow of chi as you start to feel the real thing. You may also notice a flow of sweet clear saliva as the chi
passes through your mouth... this is a good sign that you are in the correct bodily position and the chi is flowing smoothly. I will post later
regarding posture.
I hope this helps, and good luck. It is well worth pursuing.