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 ________ 

HoshinTao Chi Kung

 _
 
Manual of Information, Exercises, and Meditations
about and for the Kundalini.
 
Compiled by
Dr. Glenn J. Morris
Wayne R. Oliver 
And
James Dowle
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The Jedi handbook 

 
Foreword
 
What you now hold is more of a collection of several of the core HoshinTao
students' notes. Most of 
what you will find within these pages is raw; it comes straight from our personal
notebooks. Here is our 
stuff. This is (most of) the HoshinTao Chi Kung system. Each of us who has
contributed to this work 
has gained this knowledge through direct experience. Luckily, we all did it
together. I know how
important it was for me to have someone who understood what was going on
when it started to get really
weird. Most of us are still dealing with the results of our "adventuring", the
exercises contained herein
are what brought us to where we are today.
Some of the moving meditations included here have been practiced for centuries
by the Taoist
masters, and they felt less wear and tear than their yogi counterparts. The Taoists
sanity-retention rate of 
their students was far higher. The path of HoshinTao is one of personal
involvement and experiential
work.You must do it! No one else can do it for you. It is a waste of time to be an
armchair warrior, and
chi transfer is not always a blessing.
I asked Dr. Morris to write the introduction to this guide, as I feel that this is only
right. He is
the Grandmaster of the ryu, and his interjection into my life is what started me on
this incredible
 journey. Glenn has traveled where few of us dare go, as such, he is the ultimate
source for this
information and the method to the madness. I am sure that I speak for the rest of
the HoshinTao
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instructors in extending our heartfelt thanks for all the time, energy, and patience
which he has shown
us.
Introduction
Glenn Morris
As the years go by most of what amazed me in the beginning strikes me as parlor
tricks now. The
experience of energy works changes your perspective and perceptions over time.
The experience of the
godhead becomes a "so what?" in comparison to raising your children and keeping
your career afloat.
I can't say going through the kundalini has brought me any joy. Most of my
students and
accidental "impregnation" have had interesting experiences. I am too curious and
analytical a personality
to be able to ride the waves of bliss forever. Perhaps that is a good thing as so
much is written from a
second hand experience, which often reports opinion as fact.
The psychological problems of being more aware are painful if you desire positive
outcomes and
rewards for your existence. There are many well-meaning, wrong-thinking
egocentric individuals who
will go out of their way to attempt to denigrate your experience or defame your
character. They suck up
time and prevent you from working expeditiously. There are times when I long for
the monastic life. It
 becomes very important to consider some of the magick and mythological
applications of subtle energy.
God helps those who help themselves.
The major reason I formulated a scientific set of exercises to replicate my own
experience was, I
was lonely. I didn't have anyone to play with except Hatsumi-san. Now I have a
bunch of buddies and
more that have developed through reading and experimenting on their own
 
3
Soke, HoshinTao chi kung
Kyoshi,Yi Tsung
Rokudan, Nihon karate jujutsu
Hanshi, Bushido Kai KunTai Ko Juijustu Council
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Elected member, World Head of Family Sokeship Council and Hall of Fame
Graduate, Chinese National Chi Kung Institute
B.A., M.A., Pennsylvania State University
Ph.D., Wayne State University
HoshinTao Chi Kung
Transpersonal Psychology and Esoteric Energy Meditations
Chi Kung is primarily the science of bioelectrical energy generation/cultivation and
circulation
within the human body. The result of Chi Kung practice is increased physical and
mental health and
vitality. Chi Kung is an ancient practice which has been used by the Chinese for
thousands of years. Its
 basis is on the direction of this energy (called chi) and the intent of willpower
through the use of the
 breath.
There are two main categories into which Chi Kung training is divided: Martial Chi
Kung
(dealing with the combative arts) and pure Chi Kung which the purpose of is for
increased health,
longevity, and spiritual attainment. The practice of HoshinTao deals with both
forms.
HoshinTao Chi Kung focuses on opening the chakra and kundalini channels
through the
combination of meditation, visualization, and physical techniques appropriate to
the healer, yoga
 practitioner, and martial artist.
The practitioner of HoshinTao will learn the theories and principles of Chi Kung
and be able to
 bring its benefits into every facet of life. Chinese medicine emphasizes balancing
and strengthening the
 body so that it can heal itself. The practice of these techniques allowed Dr. Morris
to reverse the effects
of arthritis within his own body almost 10 years ago.
In 1985, Dr. Morris achieved the rising of the Kundalini (Greater Kan and Li) using
these
techniques. Since then he has been able to guide over 40 of his students to
successful and relatively
 painless kundalini awakenings.
In HoshinTao (Way of the True Spirit/Warrior Heart) Chi Kung, we learn to
master meditative
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 practices that increase and refine the inner energies of the body, while also
learning how those energies
can be used in self-defense. In sharing his teachings, Dr. Morris has encouraged us
to go forth and share
this wisdom with others. As instructors of HoshinTao, we are able to focus on
opening and balancing the
 body's energy centers (chakras), as well as, the physical movements, postures and
defensive techniques
associated with each center. As the name HoshinTao implies, we seek to balance
and integrate both
sides in order to become better, more complete human beings. In doing so, we
may even reach
enlightenment.
Kenneth Morgan and Rebecca Robertson
What is Chi Kung?
 
The purpose of Chi Kung is the attempt by the practitioner to consolidate the
health of the body,
 breath, and mind. However, the practitioner considers all three of these to be as
one, for what occurs in
the physical is reflected in the breath, spirit, and the mind. THE BODY KNOWS
BETTER THAN THE
MIND what it needs and likes to be healthy. This is true in the pure Chi Kung
practices, as well as the
martial aspects of training
Taoist Chi Kung involved the extensive use of three substances produced or used
by the body.
These materials came to be known as the Three Treasures. The ancient Chinese
internal alchemists
described and cataloged the Three Treasures as follows.
1.
Jing
. This involved the male sperm, hormones (feminine), the chemicals, the entire
endocrine system, and genetic makeup. It was basically what made a person what
they were. The
sperm was empowered by the chi and traveled within the spine to feed the body
and brain with its
nutrient rich makeup. In females, it was their hormones from the ovaries and
other organs that sustained
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this function. Chi Kung allowed the sperm and the hormones to be transported
where needed.
The jing was thought to determine most of that which was physical. The Taoists
believed that the
amount of jing was a finite supply, which could be easily diminished by such things
as illness,
overwork, stress, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, or the use of drugs. However, lost
jing can be replaced.
The methods of jing cultivation are simply through the use of a proper diet.
2.
Chi
. The simplest way to describe chi is as the energy of life, life essence, and breath.
These are almost literal translations of the term. This is the aspect that is most
heavily focused on by the
 practice of HoshinTao Chi Kung. Chi is that in the universe which keeps us alive.
We breathe chi when
we inhale. We consume chi when we eat. We use chi in healing and in combat.
Humans are born with a certain amount of chi that has been inherited from the
parents. From there, the
child must begin to gather his own chi from the use of breathing. Since chi is so
closely associated with
 breath (except at the highest levels), it is clearly married to circulation/blood,
oxygen, and the nerve
impulses. Strong chi, it is said, strengthens the immune system, increases stamina
and longevity.
3.
Shen
. The shen was the energy in the mind (which was thought of as higher chi or 
transmuted chi). At the later practices and higher portions of Chi Kung training,
the Chi would be
transformed into shen. It was said that this is what leads to Enlightenment.
We have two theories as to what happens; the first is that through the practice of
meditation, the
 production and circulation of Chi grows to a personal limit, at which point it
transforms into shen and
races up the spine to result in the kundalini. The other is the actual process of
kundalini is what changes
the Chi into shen.
Chi circulates primarily in two manners: through the blood by traveling within the
oxygen and
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through invisible paths in the body known to Chinese medicine as meridians,

where the chi makes use of 
the tissues to go where it is needed. These meridians are energy channels that
cannot be found through
the dissection of human specimens. The ancient Chi Kung practitioners were made
aware of their 
existence by the use of introspective meditation. They looked inside their own
bodies to see and feel
what was going on and experimented with cause and effect. In this manner they
compared the body to
the universe, seeing it as a microcosm of all that was around them. They reasoned
that since the
universe is in constant motion, there must be a similar motion within the body.
The ancient wise men
found these paths of motion and mapped them.
Early Chi Kung involved using and holding the breath in various ways. The
regulation of the
 breathing patterns (which they inherited from the Indian sages) for these early
Taoists came from beliefs
which they held. According to their philosophies, a human being was born with
only a finite number of 
 breaths to their lives. Once those limited breaths were used up, then the body
died. They practiced
holding their breaths for extended periods of time, and formulated ways of
slowing down the breathing
 patterns in order to prolong life.
The early Taoists later incorporated meditations which were borrowed from the
animals around
them. Into their practice they incorporated the movements styles and postures of
these animals, for their
observations seemed to show that animals meditated. They would watch for hours
as a crane or turtle
could stay completely still, and deduced that the animals, which had far fewer
health problems than
humans and were also in much greater harmony with the world around them,
spent most of their time in
meditation. From these early practices, the sitting and standing meditations were
to become a major 
factor in the practice of Chi Kung.
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There originally were only 13 static poses in the practice of Chi Kung. These were
the meditative
 poses, which they borrowed from the animals. As time went on, movement was
added to the poses as
 part of the meditative practice and for the added health benefits. This is the
precursor to the use of the
Tai Chi form as a system of vitality and meditation. Through the years, after much
practice, the methods
of Chi Kung became more complex, refined, and diverse. The Taoists gathered
what they could through
their travels, added it to what they already knew, and refined it to suit their needs.
Taoist Chi Kung, as it was to be practiced by the monks, was composed of seven
individual
disciplines; martial arts, weapons training sets, exercise, concentration,
visualization, meditation, and
sometimes, mandalas. Each practice built upon the foundation set by the previous
practice.
Weapons were used for the effects that they had on the body and its
conditioning. Concentration
was used to bring the chi to certain parts of the body; the melding of the mental
and physical aspects of 
 breathing. (Where the mind leads, the chi will follow).Visualizations were used
which could consist of 
spheres of light, colors, or the figures of flowers, god/dess, and patterns within the
body. The
visualization combined with the breathing and following of intent in a prolonged
form of concentration
caused incredible effects within the body, as the practitioners of HoshinTao have
witnessed.
In the study of HoshinTao Chi Kung, we will be doing a great deal of work with
energy. This is
not just a physical or kinetic type of energy, but also the body's own internal
bioelectrical energy. Think 
for a moment about the coordination between all the cellular and organic
structural systems that keep
your body functioning. All that activity requires immense amounts of information
to be relayed,
monitored, and organized. This goes without even mentioning conscious mental
processes. Most of us
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are incredibly unaware of just how much information we deal with on an

unconscious level. Our nerve
synapses, and even the brain itself require a certain amount of electrical energy to
handle all this
activity. This is the chi we were talking about. This is where the name Chi Kung
comes from, since chi
in Chinese means, literally, "air," "power," "motion," "energy," or "life."
In Tai Chi and Chi Kung theory, its actual meaning is "intrinsic energy," "internal
energy," or 
"original, eternal and ultimate energy." Chi can be seen as bioelectric energy,
universal energy, human
energy, or any number of things. The Chinese word Kung means "discipline,"
"work," or "exercise." So,
Chi Kung itself can mean "energy exercise," "breathing discipline," "internal energy
work," etc.
Huang Ti (2698-2597 B.C.) was the supposed founder of Taoist Internal Alchemy,
which came
to be known as Chi Kung. This became, in time, a discipline practiced by both
Taoist and Buddhist
monks and martial artists who wished to develop their inner strength. One of the
most notable groups
who engaged in this discipline is the legendary Shaolin monks of China, who
learned their fighting skills
as a way of keeping fit and defending themselves while following their spiritual
lifestyle. Little was
known in the West about the actual practice of Chi Kung until 1977, when Mantak
Chia became the first
 person to openly teach Chi Kung in the west. Chia's books allow the student
clear, concise descriptions
of the practice, and are recommended for intensive study in the art.
In HoshinTao we focus on training of the breath to amplify and direct the body's
natural flow of 
chi. While this may seem like a foreign concept, or maybe a little too far "out
there." Think about this.
Have you ever felt drained around certain people? Have you ever "felt" someone
staring at you? Have
you ever instantly liked or disliked someone due to the "vibes" you got? Have you
ever sensed another 
 person's presence without hearing or seeing them? All these things are results of
interactions of your 
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 body's internal energy field with those of other people. The human body is
surrounded and permeated by
 
6
a field of Chi. Scientific methods, such as Kirlian photography, have proven the
existence of the body's
energy field known as the "aura."
According to Chinese medicine, the chi flow regulates the function of the organs
in the body.
When there are physical problems, they can be sensed through the aura. The
practice of Chi Kung will
help develop and strengthen the chi, as well as help learn how to direct it for
healing and self-defense
applications.
In directing Chi, the mind (along with the breath and the intent) is used to
visualize the chi
moving. In quantum physics, scientists are beginning to prove that all "matter" is
actually energy that is
vibrating at different rates. In the exercises you will learn, you can discover how to
change the
vibrations of your chi, and direct its flow, using your consciousness. As you learn
this, you will begin to
 become more aware of subtle interactions of energy, both inside and outside
your own body. This
awareness is available to everyone, and yet few people ever actually take the time
to develop it, as it is
not generally accepted as a valid, natural human ability. It is generally regarded as
an "unexplained
 phenomenon," and yet in all probability, it is simply something science is just now
catching up with.
However, Dr. Morris, a scientist and psychologist himself, states that
"enlightenment is a biological
 process, which has intellectual consequences." Teachings, which were hidden for
centuries are now
 becoming available due to science's work in proving their validity. In this practice,
it is best to have an
open mind, as some things you will learn may be surprising, and even enjoyable,
depending on your 
openness to experience.
MEDITATION
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Meditation is simply the act of relaxing and stilling the mind. While this may seem
simple, when
one sits down and attempts to do this, the person may encounter surprising
difficulty. Silencing the
mental "chatter" which the conscious mind produces requires practice. There are
many different
techniques in meditation, some of which include focusing on a certain object to
the point of becoming
absorbed in it, or a certain word or sound, as well as guided meditations, in which
the meditator 
visualizes a certain setting or situation, like walking into a story. In HoshinTao Chi
Kung, we use certain
meditation techniques for relaxation and stress relief, and others for energy work.
Studies have shown
that people who meditate have lower stress levels, calmer mental states, increased
creativity and
awareness, and when following proper breathing techniques, are less prone to
stress-related conditions
like heart attacks and nervous disorders. Meditation has also been used
successfully in overcoming
addictions.
When in meditation, the mind enters a different state of consciousness from that
which is
experienced in everyday life. The brain waves slow down, in conjunction with the
heart and breathing
rates. Stilling the mind and silencing the "chatter" can allow one to reasonably find
solutions to
 problems by focusing the mind without interference. It can also help one find a
sense of peace within the
self, sometimes by simply enjoying the silence and escaping the pressures of
everyday life. There is a
wide variety of music available that is composed especially for meditation, as well
as recordings of 
guided meditations. These are intended to help the listener achieve a meditative
state.
Meditation can be practiced practically anywhere that allows someone to remain
undisturbed for 
the needed length of time. It can be practiced in a chair, or lying down, seated on
the floor, or even while
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moving, walking, or jogging. Zen meditation involves "mindfully" doing whatever it

is you are doing at
any given moment. This is part of what we work toward in HoshinTao Chi Kung,
by using meditation
and affirmations to internalize states of mind for building confidence, creativity,
and the ability to
manage stress in a productive way.
OPENING UP

 
7
One of the most prevalent terms in modern esoteric literature for the main
energy centers in the
human body is "chakras." Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning "wheel," or "disk."
The chakras are also
known as "lotuses." The goal of most esoteric practices is to open these "lotuses."
In HoshinTao chi kung, we work with a structure based on Togakure Ryu Bujinkan
Ninpo's Go
Dai (Five Centers) system. With each chakra, there is a correspondence with the
physical body through
the endocrine system and spinal nerve nexus, a particular emotional and mental
state, and a particular 
 psychological value. To further understand this, let's look at the chakras and their
correspondences.
1st Chakra- "Earth/ Stability/ Muladhara (Bear)
 
Located at the perineum, in the base of the spine, the first chakra is primarily
concerned with
security and survival issues. Its associated color is bright red, and the endocrine
glands it connects with
are the ovaries and testicles. The martial attitude is stability.
2nd Chakra- "Water/ Adaptivity/ Svadisthana (Dragon)
 
Located below the navel on a line across the hips, the second chakra is primarily
concerned with
emotional and sexual issues. Its color is bright orange, and the endocrine glands
are the ovaries or 
testicles and adrenals. The martial attitude is defensiveness.
3rd Chakra- "Fire/ Intensity/ Manipura (Tiger)
 
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Located at the solar plexus, the third chakra is concerned with issues of personal
power and will.
Its color is bright yellow, and the endocrine glands are the stomach, spleen and
pancreas. The martial
attitude is aggressiveness.
4th Chakra- "Wind/Generative/Anahata (Lion and/or Eagle
)
Located at the center of the chest, the heart chakra deals with love and
compassion. Its color is
 bright lime green, and the endocrine gland is the thymus and heart. The martial
attitude is evasiveness
and compassion
5th, 6th, and 7th Chakras- Void/Self-Actualizing/Vishuddha
(throat), Ajna (third eye), and
Sahasrara (thousand pointed lotus) Spider and/or Crane
At this point, the three chakras in the head are grouped together as the Void
element, and are
known individually as follows:
Throat: communication, creativity, tied to the thyroid, the associated color is sky
blue.
Third Eye: intuition, imagination, dreaming, tied to the pineal, the associated color
is
dark (cobalt) blue/indigo.
Crown: understanding, knowing, bliss, regarded by some as "cosmic
consciousness."
The associated color is violet fading to white.
Chakra and the Japanese Go Dai are not perfect matches but there is enough
similarity in the
traditions to allow a synchronous comparison across cultures. It is interesting that
the animal totems of 
many Asian and American Indian cultures have similar meanings as well. There are
also
correspondences with elemental Western Alchemy.
Further exploration of Chi Kung and the GoDai

What follows below is a deeper look into the chakras, for each element the
feelings, body
 positions and ideas of that element will be explained. For each element there is
also a visualization
exercise.
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EARTH
 
Earth/ Stability/ Muladhara (The Bear)
The posture is calm and relaxed with the shoulders down, the back straight, the
head erect with
the chin pulled slightly in. The knees are slightly out as are the toes. The pelvis
rocks imperceptibly
with your breath and shifts with your stride so your spine is always supported and
balanced. When you
move, you move your whole body. When you walk, you place your heel on the
ground first and then
shift your weight forward along the side of the foot.Your shoulders and arms will
swing in a rolling
motion as you walk and rotate your spine.Your knees and ankles should be
relaxed, soft, and flexible.
Practice making this your everyday walk, it will do more than just benefit your
fighting style.You will
 become centered, smooth and flowing.
The thinking attitude of the earth is relaxed happy acceptance of the universe or
situation as it is.
You have no fear as you are confident in your strength and experience.You are
steady, loving, and
confident.You are curious, uninhibited, practical, and enjoy a good laugh.You smile
at others and make
eye contact.You reward service and kindness with praise and reciprocity.You are
careful with the truth
of your words.You are honest and reliable. If there were still kings and queens
worthy of the name you
would be their peer.You enjoy the way your body feels and study how it reacts to
the world and people
around you.You do not use your strength to intimidate others, but to help those
who are weaker to find
their own source of strength.You use your anger to right wrongs and punish those
who attack you but
do not initiate, only retaliate in an appropriate manner.You are a teacher of the
Way as well as a
warrior.
The point of concentration is the perineum at the base of the coccyx, below the
genitals. When
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you want to assume a strong Earth attitude you touch your little fingers to your
thumb. If standing and
want to quickly drop your center you simply rock down on your heels. The color
of the aura and
 phosphenes behind the eyes are bright red.
Our path to self-actualization and integration via the spinal column begins at
ground level, in the
Earth chakra. As in all things, the key to being successful lies in starting from the
bottom and working
your way up to the top. Build a strong foundation. In Sanskrit, it is called Muladhara
or "root." You
may have heard someone refer to "grounding" or being "down to earth," and
indeed, developing an
"Earthy" attitude will promote this. This chakra relates to all solid earthly things,
like the body, health,
survival, material and monetary existence, and the (st)ability to focus and manifest
needs. Its color, a
deep, vibrant red, has the longest wavelength and the slowest vibration in the
visible spectrum. With the
focus at the base of the spine, it connects with the legs and feet to the ground. The
sciatic nerve, which
extends from the sacral plexus down though the legs, is the largest peripheral
nerve in the body (about as
thick as your thumb) and functions like a root for the nervous system. The nerve
endings in the feet
 provide us with much information as we walk. This can be thought of as the first
step in thinking with
the spine and not just the brain. The endocrine glands linked to this chakra are the
genitals, which are
activated in situations where growth, creativity, sexuality and reproduction are
necessitated.
Emotionally, the positive sides of this chakra are feeling strong, confident, stable,
nourished, and
therefore ready to grow. The negative side is conventionality, rule-boundedness,
anger, and unbridled
sexuality, as well as an attachment to security and monetary things. "Grounding" is
considered a state of 
mind in which you are "here and now." We "plug in" the hardware of the body/
mind to receive and
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transmit the enormous variety of energies like the finely tuned instrument that it
is designed to be
"Measurements have shown that when the human body is standing on the ground,
it is
electrically grounded as well. There is an electrostatic field surrounding the Earth
with a resonant
frequency of about 7.5 cycles per second. Itzhak Bentov discusses a micromotion
of the body which
consists of the constant vibration of the heart, cells, and fluids of the body. This
micromotion has been
measured by him to vibrate at a frequency of 6.8 to 7.5 cycles per second.
Therefore, the body resonates
with the Earth's ionosphere. Connecting physically to this great body, as in walking
or lying on the
Earth, our own bodies enter into this resonance more deeply."--- Anodea Judith,
Wheels of Life.
Walking is excellent for grounding higher energy, as is just about any exercise that
requires
contact with the Earth, like yoga, Tai Chi, or other martial arts. Eating, since it
relates to survival, and
redirects the body's energy to digestion, is also a good grounding activity. In
meditative practice,
focusing the mind on the body and developing awareness of physical condition
could be helpful when
working with the Earth chakra. Meditations which lead into caves, or other stone
structures are good for 
connecting with Earth energy. The following exercise from Amber Wolfe's
 Elemental Power 
is one such
meditation.
Stone Sanctuary: An Imagery Exercise for Strength
Imagine that you are walking through an earthen tunnel that leads into a limestone
cave.You
carry an oil lamp to help guide your way. The light from the oil lamp reveals fossil
patterns embedded
in the walls along the way.
Here and there, black smudges show that others have come this way before,
perhaps in ancient
days. There are no indications that this tunnel has been visited in recent times.You
find that the
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 passageway is clear and open. The limestone is pale and brightly reflects the light
that you carry with
you -- and within you.
You find an opening leading to a small, quiet cavern, just large enough for you to
stand up. This
small cavern is rounded, smooth, and silent.You step through the opening and
settle comfortably into
this special place.
Lifting your oil lamp, you search the walls and ceilings for fossils, symbols, or signs
that
someone has been here before you.You search, but find nothing. Only the twinkle
of lights reflecting
off the limestone is present in this quiet, pristine, place. Slowly, you lower the
flame of your lamp until
the cave is comfortably darkened.
It is completely quiet in this, your private sanctuary of stone.You become aware of
a strong,
steady rhythm. Its sound vibrates off of the walls, amplifying itself with power.You
wonder about the
source of this sound, until you realize, with some amusement, that you are hearing
the sound of your 
own heartbeat.You laugh out loud, and echoes of delight dance around inside your
cave. After a few
moments, the sound fades away, and all is silent once more.You rest in the smooth
comfort of your 
stone sanctuary, and reflect upon the strength and the steadiness of your
heartbeat.You feel the steady
strength of your Self as you rest there, centered and connected to the quiet
rhythms of your self-nature.
All around you is a stillness and a silence of profound power and peace.You feel
yourself 
merging with this stillness, becoming part of this power, entering into the silence,
and finding the peace
 profound.
From deeper within the heart of Nature, you hear the steady rhythms of the
Earth.You feel them
inside yourself, strong, stable, and abiding rhythms of power.You feel the strength
within.You feel
supported completely by these peaceful abiding rhythms of the Earth, of Nature,
of your Self.
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In silence, you connect with the core of your Self.You connect with the structures
inside your 
Self that bring you strength. In connecting to the heart of your Self, you find your
deepest power waiting
and abiding within; you find the foundation of patience and perseverance.You find
that these have their 
origin in the profound power of peace that exists within the sanctuary of your
Self.
You know, with deepest assurance, that this sanctuary is always there, abiding in
peace, waiting
for you to enter into its silent power and find your strengths.
The meditation above could be added to the Earth door in Da Mo's Cave very
easily (Path
 Notes), or it could be used as a separate exercise to familiarize yourself with
Earth-type energy. Here on
the ground floor, we work to build a strong foundation for the process of self-
actualization, so we can
use that inner strength to keep reaching for higher levels of potential. Internalizing
the feelings of 
security, strength, self-confidence, discipline, and stability is a large part of working
with the Earth
chakra. Stability may be necessary on more than one level as you climb the spine
toward the upper 
chakras, since some strange and interesting things may happen along the way. In
your meditative
 practice, you may want to pay close attention (without attaching!) to what goes
on, as you may receive
some surprising information about yourself. Feeling strong and secure helps to
prevent becoming
fearful regarding information we may receive in other realms of consciousness
which is intended to
assist in our development. Sometimes truth manifests in strange forms, and is not
always pleasant, but
remaining "grounded" can help us to cope. A quote from Frederich Nietzsche
comes to mind--"That
which does not kill us makes us stronger." This is typical of an Earthy attitude
regarding challenges.
One of the greatest challenges in personal development is having the confidence
to keep going through
any number of challenges to reach the goal.
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WATER 
 
Water/ Adaptivity/ Svadhisthana (The Dragon)
Primary motivation at Water is learning to use the power of emotional reaction in
any situation.
The samurai thought the most powerful emotion was anger, but anger is based on
fear of loss. The most
 powerful emotion is actually love. A lover has a much easier time opening this
chakra than one who
hates. The chakra being opened is the point above your pelvis sometimes referred
to as the dan tien, seat
of the soul. We usually refer to it as having guts. Or doing something even when
you're afraid. The
endocrine tie-ins include the adrenal glands, so this chakra teaches your body how
to channel the energy
of reactive terror into power.
The posture is one of moving away but maintaining the ability to retaliate from a
safer position.
The posture of ichimonji no kamae of the Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu-the result
of 800 years-plus of 
empirical combat research- best represents the physical manifestation of this
attitude. The legs are
spread wide for balance, one back in a drooping L (pointing away at an angle)
rather than a T as in cat
stance. The hips are lowered and the knees are relaxed. One hand loosely covers
the center line of the
upper body--throat and solar plexus. The other is extended loosely to fend and
ward off grabbing
attacks. The drooping L back angling step of the legs away from the attacker allows
the individual using
this posture to be completely safe from attack even though they appear
vulnerable. Study on this.
The movements of the water chakra are flowing using the natural body movement
of the attacker 
to direct you out of his or her way. It is like a wave wearing down a rock by
flowing out and back.You
will learn to move circularly like water sucking someone down into a whirlpool.
Like a stream or 
flowing round your opponent and filling every opening with your presence to
unbalance and wear him
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down.
The thinking/feeling attitude of water is enjoying the challenge. Using every trick
you've got to
defeat the attacker.You are a good listener and enjoy clever conversation and
artistic achievement.
You are responsive to others and focused on "getting the job done".You like to try
out new things, tend
to be sensual and seductive, as well as strong.You're optimistic and ambitious for
yourself and others.
You're a good friend, and a feared enemy
 
11
The point of concentration is below the navel on a line across the top of your
hips. To quickly
slip into water you place your ring finger against your thumb, or take one step
backwards as you draw in
a deep breath. The color of the aura and phosphenes behind the eyelids is bright
orange.
We continue our path up the spine, moving from Earth to Water, from stability to
adaptivity. In
Chinese alchemy, this is sometimes referred to as "steaming the cauldron," using
the warm Earth energy
to "boil" the water and transform the inner properties. When we in HoshinTao say
someone is
"cooking," chances are they have at least reached the stage of opening this chakra,
if not farther. In
Sanskrit, this chakra is named Svadhisthana or "sweetness," which becomes
appropriate when you
consider that this chakra deals with sexuality. This relates to the function of the
water chakra in its
correspondence to bodily functions having to do with liquid, such as circulation,
sexuality, and
reproduction. This chakra is also the center of emotions, sensation, pleasure,
movement, and nurturance.
Physically, its location is in the lower abdomen centered between the navel and
genitals, corresponding
to the sacral vertebrae and nerve ganglion called the sacral plexus. This plexus
hooks into the sciatic
nerve and is a center of motion for the body. This is the reason for the title "seat
of the soul." In the
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Water chapter of Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings, there is a reference to

"tightening the
wedge," or "wedging in". The movements described by Dr. Morris above describes
how this principle is
applied to another Water property, which is movement, or "flow". This is also a
good example of what
is meant when Taoist sages refer to "becoming yin" or "feminine," as most men
carry their center of 
 balance much higher than women, who tend to carry their center of balance in
the hips.
Learning to use the hips, walking, triangular postures and angular movement are
fundamental to
opening this chakra. Here we make use of the innate survival instinct along with
the pleasure principle
to move away from danger or pain and move toward a solution to the adversity.
The duality of existence
as reflected in masculine and feminine principles is another main feature of this
chakra. This also brings
us to the subject of sexuality, which ties in to the emotions, pleasure, and desire.
Healthy sexuality can
 be seen as a resolution and celebration of our differences.
Taoist internal alchemy is largely seen as a process of uniting the warm, masculine
energy(yang)
with the cool, feminine energy within the self, to refine the spirit as a whole, or
unified person. In Taoist
esoteric yoga (chi kung) and tantric yoga, sexuality is seen as a life force, in an
expansive movement
that balances, restores, renews, and reproduces. Part of the process of most
esoteric systems is to
connect the base chakra to the crown chakra, genitals to brain, as Dr. Morris says,
"so you can think with
the higher brain instead of the lower." How many people do you know who ran
into trouble for using
the wrong one?
Change, or adaptivity is a major part of this chakra, and working to develop
balanced desire,
sexuality, and self-confidence may change the motivations for which this energy is
used. Redirecting
the powerful sexual energies to the brain can have the effect of rejuvenating the
endocrine system, as
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well as other interesting effects you may notice as you progress. Due to the
power of this energy itself,
however, one should pay close attention to the warnings given in chi kung practice
to avoid what
Mantak Chia refers to as "Kundalini Syndrome," in which the energy is not cooled
before reaching the
higher chakras. This is what we call "frying," as opposed to "cooking." Kundalini is
like a 220 current
 being released into a 110 circuit, unless the warnings are heeded, and the energy
becomes "yin" before
reaching the brain. Many unfortunate people in the US (5 out of 6) who
experience this release are
 briefly hospitalized for psychosis, as western doctors and psychiatrists do not
acknowledge subtle
energy in their practice. Dr. Morris himself encountered great difficulty in his
experience with this until
Suzanne Carlson, one of the original Hillsdale founders of the hoshinroshiryu,
transferred icy cold chi
that she had learned how to control during her kundalini rising.
Positive thinking plays a major role in the opening of this chakra as well as the
others, as a
negative emotional reaction can lead into the negative side of Water- paranoia.
This can be avoided by
using the Secret Smile exercise, and being as positive as you can. Otherwise, an
overly emotional
reaction can awaken the adrenal glands tied into this chakra, further promoting
fear and terror.
This exercise from Amber Wolfe's
 Elemental Power 
is designed to help find solutions during
troubles, to find the calm within the storms of emotional upheavals we face in life.
The Silent Storm: An Imagery Exercise for Finding Much-Needed Inner Wisdom
and Solutions to Deep
Problems.
Imagine that during a raging storm, you are seeking shelter under an outcropping
of rocks that juts forth
from high steep cliffs at the edge of the sea.
As the gale-force winds drive the rain between the stones, you feel the depths of
your despair.
 23 / 84

You feel cold, uncertain, and alone. As the winds howl and the waves crash against
the cliffs, you cry
out for help.You do not know which way to go.You do not know which path will
lead you home to
safety and calm comfort.You remember all the storms you have weathered
before, but they seem to be
nothing more than insignificant tempests compared to the storm you face now.
Your tears blend with
the salty spray sweeping in from the sea.
In anguish, you reach within your Self to find the answers, the solution for the
situation you are
in now. Deep within, you hear the voice of reason counseling calm, patience, and
comfort.You reach
ever deeper within your Self, seeking that inner voice of wisdom. As you do so, the
wind ceases its
furious onslaught, the waves smooth out, and the rain sweeps out across the sea.
All is quiet, peaceful,
and calm as you find the wisdom within your Self.
In the tranquil moments that follow the terrible storm, you hear that wise inner
voice.You hear 
the wisdom within, and you know what you must do.You listen and find new
direction. With relief and
renewed purpose, you find the path that leads you home.
"As you learn to face head-on any stormy emotions that arise in your life, you will
find that they
 pass far more quickly when you let them flow through you without fear"
This meditation can be used separately as a quick problem-solving technique, or
along with the
Water door in Da Mo's Cave. Either method should bring favorable results in
working with opening to
this chakra and its emotional aspect. In working with the emotions, it is helpful to
nurture the Self in
safety and security needs, as well as social needs, and all this is tied into the Water
chakra. Remember 
in your practice that joy and happiness are valid, important emotions, and they
should be internalized for 
 best results.
FIRE
 
Fire/ Intensity/ Manipura (The Tiger)
 24 / 84

The chakra of fire is the solar plexus, and is also associated with the stomach and
pancreas in
Chinese esoteric yoga. In Chi Kung it is considered the second cauldron for
steaming the sexual energy,
and in Christian esoterica it is considered necessary to the experience of the
Holy Spirit and ecstasy. In
Hoshin it is the opening to transcendental joy and recognition of your ability to
accomplish change in all
three planes of existence-- body, mind, and spirit.
The physical response is to joyfully leap forward to embrace your destiny, as your
attacker is the
test for which you have been training. The shoulders are squared to your
opponent, the trunk is angled
forward and the legs drive your punches in rhythm with your steps.You drive
through any resistance.
You see beyond deception.
The mental attitude is assertive intensity. It might be called exuberance.You are
concerned with
the attainment of excellence.You are warm, dynamic, and expansive using your
powers of reason to
control and manipulate your environment.You are not aggressive in the hostile
sense of needing to
dominate, but enjoy the challenge of solving problems and using power.You are
emotionally stable and  
13
relaxed physically, developing harmony of mind and body.You have little concern
for status and
control as you are trusting of others.You see yourself as a truth teller and tend to
be strongly forthright
in your speech, which others sometimes perceive as blunt and tactless.
Your enthusiasm draws others to you like moths to a flame, so you must be
careful of your 
impact as your energy increases. Fire is associated with charisma or star quality.
You find empirical
and precise study interesting and may develop into an eloquent and expressive
communicator of new
and creative ideas.You have to be careful to frame your thoughts in ways to make
them acceptable to
others, as you tend to forget that others do not have your perception of reality as
an integrated human
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 being.You must be careful not to fall into paranoia or cynicism as you are not
alone, only rare, as most
never learn how to open themselves.
The point of concentration is the center of the spine behind the solar plexus.You
can bring up
the inner fire by touching the index finger to the thumb, or leaning forward as you
step. The color of the
aura and phosphenes behind the eyelids are bright yellow.
Fire is the element of transformation. The fires of will temper the desires of the
second chakra,
refining them, directing the passions toward a higher goal. Mind and action
combine to overcome
inertia and ignite the flames of inner power. Overcoming inertia creates
momentum, in turn creating
heat, causing combination and transformation through increased interaction.
The third chakra is associated with will, the intellect, energy, power, and of course,
fire. Its name
in Sanskrit is Manipura, meaning "lustrous gem." Physically, it relates to the
digestive system. The
issue of power found in the third chakra is best thought of as "power to " or
"power within" the Self and
others, rather than the negative side, "power over." In dealing with will, it is not a
matter of forcing
one's will on others, but developing the will to improve as a human being. The will
gives rise to the
energy needed to continue progress. Here we begin to use the intellect to gain
knowledge and
understanding of how things connect, and how we connect to others. Here we
find the continuing
courage to become and be our Selves. We discover our strengths by the
revelation of our vulnerabilities.
We are forced into situations which require reaching beyond ourselves in order
to survive and grow,
which personalizes our connection to the source of all life forces. Fire purifies,
strengthens, and refines,
 burning away the deadwood, the impurities, the non-essentials.
Fire gives us the gift of courage, which is needed to face the Shadow within the
Self. The
Shadow, as psychologist Carl Jung termed it, is that part of a person comprised of
qualities the person
 26 / 84

considers negative. The Shadow is the part that does not coincide with how we
like to think of ourselves.
Because of this, we repress our dark side, and think it is eliminated. This is not
true. The Shadow,
along with potentially positive qualities, when repressed, is transformed into our
personal demons.
Inevitably, in our refusal to accept the Shadow, we project and experience this
aspect of ourselves as
 part of others. The ninja of ancient Japan knew that tremendous courage is
required to face our own
Shadows. Their acceptance of their own Shadows allowed them to transform this
aspect of themselves
into a teacher to discover where their strengths were. The Shadow contains
strengths that are viewed as
negative, and therefore rejected, but it also contains positive qualities that are un-
realized. The ninja
were courageous enough to follow the Shadow into the unknown depths of their
being, to bring their 
hidden strengths to light. As Jung once said, you do not become enlightened by
imagining figures of 
light, but by working with your darkness.
This meditation, from Amber Wolfe's
 Elemental Power 
, is designed for working with Fire
imagery and discovering your Shadow. In facing and taming your Shadow, you can
better work toward
achieving a more integrated state of mind.
Shadows on the Stones- An Imagery Exercise for Self-Empowerment.
 
14
Imagine yourself on a dark, starry night, dancing around a roaring fire amidst a
circle of standing
stones. The air is cool against the stones, but warm near the flames.You dance to
the rhythms of a
distant, inner drum.You dance in circles out from the fire, and weave your steps in
and out around the
standing stones.
You bask in the warm sensation of your own strength.You celebrate the life forces
that created
 27 / 84

you, the essential, independent dancer.You dance your own dance, free and
unbound by any
restrictions.You find your own rhythm.
Dancing closer to the flames, you feel the power of its heat.You feel the power of
your inner 
courage. The light from the flames casts your shadows onto the faces of the great
standing stones. As
you dance, you create shadows of your Self, empowered only by the energy and
the shape of your 
movements. Imagine, now, a shadow that is frightening, a shape projected on the
stones in your own
image. See it lurking there, unable to define itself alone. It is at the mercy of your
movement,
controlled by the direction of your dance.
Shift quickly to the stance of a great warrior. Show your strengths. Show yourself
the shape, the
feel, the sensation of your power. This, too, can be a shadow. Its form is
determined at your own
discretion. Choose the shape of your Self. Choose the projection of your power.
Dance for a time in this place of inner vision. Dance around these sacred flames.
Dance in the
light of your inner fire. Feel the rhythm, the heat of your power. Shift the shapes of
your shadows
 projected on the stone faces surrounding you. Shift the shape of your shadows as
easily as you shift the
steps, the movements, the rhythm of your dance. Define the shape of your
strength. Find faith in your 
Self. Dance and celebrate your unique Self.
Denial of our weaknesses and fears only feeds them, increasing their strength.
Here, we use the
adaptivity learned at Water to accept our Shadows and our fears in order to grow
as human beings. Fire
gives us the courage to meet and master the challenge, to pass the test, to keep
going until we reach the
goal.
WIND
 
Wind/ Generative/ Anahata (The Lion and/or The Eagle)
The Wind attitude is associated with the opening of the heart chakra. It is the last
cauldron of Chi
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Kung and for most people it is the last chakra to be opened. This chakra acts as a
buffer to the brain and
can cool energy before it enters the skull. It is better not to force energy through
this chakra but wait
for it to melt, thus reducing the risk of damage to the base of the brain and
hypothalamus.
The postures associated with the wind are very erect with the neck raised and
head tilted. The
arms are lifted with the elbows dropped slightly forward and parallel to the
shoulders with the hands
forward of the face; the palms showing as if you were surrendering. The legs are
loose and the weight is
off the heels so you can twirl and leap like a dancer. The chest is lifted and
expanded so you've full lung
capacity. Response is to turn sideways so you can twirl into your opponent like
the wind. Here you
develop your skills of working close to your attacker, merging with his movement,
and using him or her 
to shield you from other attackers. The wind draws on righteous anger and the
fear of the mother for its
fighting power.
Wind reflects the potential to develop others with wisdom, humor, and love. Wind
in a martial
sense can be defined as orientation toward instruction, repair or control of
another human being without
doing irreparable damage. This is the hardest personality configuration to learn if
you did not have good
models and usually only develops with age and extensive experience. The wind is
associated with
compassion, forgiveness, and healing. It is the manifestation of pure love needs
based on the need to be
generative rather than as a reaction to external factors. Many religious systems
focus on developing this
chakra alone, as it is considered to be the most predictably beneficial.

 
15
You do your part to make the world a better place.You are generous with your
time and material
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goods to help others who've had less opportunities than you.You are open-
hearted and benevolent in
the purest sense of those terms.You have to be careful not to waste your energy
on the hopeless and
helpless, as the mean and poor of spirit will be with us always.
The point of concentration is the heart or thymus.You can increase the energy of
the Wind by
 pressing the forefinger to the thumb, or simply turning the hands outward with
the thumb extended and
up. The colors of the aura and phosphenes behind the eyelids are bright lime
green.
"Opening your heart" takes on new dimensions at this stage in our practice. As
Dr. Morris states,
“this chakra is the opening to compassion and love.” In Sanskrit, its name is
Anahata, meaning "sound
that is made without any two things striking," as well as "unstruck, unhurt, fresh,
and clean." Here we
no longer fight against what we love, in attempting to own, control, or dominate,
but move with it in
harmony. The fight of the third chakra is replaced by acceptance in the fourth.
Here we come to the
 point which is referred to by Taoist masters as the lesser kan and li
enlightenment, the point at which the
masculine(li, or fire) and feminine(kan, or water) aspects within the personality
begin to combine.Yang
 becomes Yin. As mythologist Joseph Campbell said, "Here you move out of the
field of animal action
into a field that is properly human and spiritual." Hopefully, here we have
transcended or fulfilled our 
needs through the force of will, the will to become a more complete human
being. We come to
recognize our connectedness to life around us, as we transcend the more
physical, animal instincts of 
survival, procreation, and dominance. The heart chakra is considered the point of
balance between the
 physical and "spiritual" chakras. The two types of energy combine here. Many
people do not open
 beyond this point, as going further requires quite a bit of work at taming your
ego, which you must still
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cope with, enlightened or not. Healing requires compassion, as you come to the
realization that we're all
in the same boat after all, and the Golden Rule makes sense. Love is no longer
subject-object, but
comes from joyous acceptance of your place in the universe, which brings self-
harmonization, allowing
you to be generative, no longer fearing "running out of love."
Self-acceptance is the key to acceptance of others and the universe. We dislike
what we see
"wrong" with others because it mirrors things we dislike about ourselves. This
realization can be a
motivation for healing of self and others. It is said that all true warriors are
healers, and that the true
warrior does not fight for pleasure, or personal glory, but only out of necessity.
Great courage is
required to face and tame the shadow within, or at least reach an agreeable truce.
Courage is a matter of 
heart, and many do not wish to make the sometimes perilous journey within the
depths of the soul to
find what lurks in the dark recesses of repressed consciousness. We sometimes
scare ourselves.
Acceptance of the shadow as part of the self is a part of healing, becoming a
whole person. Once we are
whole, we can help others to heal themselves.
Here are some affirmations for use in healing work, as presented in Dr. Morris's
book,
Shadow
Strategies of an American Ninja Master.
1. Assume a posture of genuine love for the injured party. Penetrate his or her
body fields with
these feelings and thoughts. Think only loving thoughts and desire their injuries to
heal. Place your 
hands so that your energy can flow along the patient's meridians in the proper
direction, and then breathe
your own body energy into him or her while visualizing a growing green light. If
you are religious you
may ask that the relevant aspect of healing associated with your deity guide you in
this healing and
 benevolent task. This is a technique used by many massage therapists and some
chiropractors. The
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mood created is often enhanced with a soft musical background and dim lighting,
which increases alpha
 brain waves(associated with creativity) and decreases beta brain waves(associated
with reactivity.)
2. Assume the posture of the teacher. Study up and know your subject matter. If
you can't work 
up real affection, treat the subject like a well-liked pet known for its intelligence
and obedience, such as
a horse or dog. Some people who have been poorly trained to accept and use
intuitive information find
 
16
this emotional state easier than genuinely loving the patient, though in the long
run it is far more
difficult, as it requires learning how the energy affects the anatomy. It is particularly
useful if you work 
with animals, who can't explain their pain. A good vet is much harder to find than a
good physician.
Carefully and gently rest your hands on the koshi(energy points) or pressure
points that lead to
and through the injury, and ask the subject in a soft and soothing voice to relax.
Breathe into the circuit
you have created with the thought: "Here's some healthy energy, learn from it
what you have to know to
get better." With the same attitude, brush your hands throughout the subject's
spirit body in a circular 
movement from the head to the feet and do a few extra swirls over the injured
area. This is called "The
way of the teacher." You might teach the subject how to breathe properly and rub
air over the injury.
Musashi recommended a variation of this technique, and the brushing of the aura
is common
shamanistic practice across cultures. The shadow side of the brushing is the ability
to cut the energy
with your own chi in what are called "secret sword techniques" that slow an
opponent and cut-to-cut
momentarily steal his strength.
3. One of Stephen Hayes' poems has the line "Let The Cosmos decide," which
became a war cry
 32 / 84

for some of the fiercer Hoshin students over the years. Assume a feeling of awe
and gratitude for being
 present to participate in whatever happens.You just do what you do, to the best
of your ability, and
maybe the cosmos will decide in favor of the patient.You simply lay your hands on
the meridians that
feed the injured area with the attitude of "letting be" or offering a gift that the
patient may use for 
whatever is necessary. After all, who knows how this stuff works? In Christianity
we say, "Thy will be
done." This attitude favored by Zen warriors was a recognition of the process of
evolution in operation
in the universe. This attitude requires the absence of desire. It is a recognition that
everyone dies;
maybe you shouldn't be meddling in what is a natural process.
In opening the heart chakra, we deal with wind, using it to give lift to the wings of
our spirit,
allowing us to soar to new heights. Here, we use the inspiration of opening to love
and compassion to
 prevent the plunge into the negative aspects of lying, greed, and jealousy. It is said
that the best art,
 poetry, and music is that which comes from the heart. Which one is your passion?
You may try
expressing yourself from the heart through some inspired creative pursuit.
Regrettably, no meditation
can be offered here to help learn how to love and be loving. Each of us are alone
in that lesson, and
experience is the best teacher we can have. However, the Wind door in Da Mo's
Cave may provide
some interesting insights. Follow your heart!
VOID
 
Void/ Self-Actualizing /Vishuddha-throat /Ajna-brow /Sahasrara-crown and above
(Elephant, Crane,
and Spider)
The Void for the Japanese is inexplicable, as it is reflected in spontaneity and
intuition. From a
human alchemy and mystical yoga viewpoint it is the opening of the fifth, sixth, and
seventh chakras.
 33 / 84

For the Chinese, it is the final collecting points for energy that are in the throat
and brain.
The fifth chakra is associated with verbal skill, sky blue, and social creativity.You
enjoy
expressing yourself and are able to empathize with others. Ideas are your
playground.You enjoy the
company of writers, speakers, and artists, and have some interesting projects you
call your own. The
 point of concentration is from the joining of the collarbones up through the
tongue and the base of the
skull.
The sixth chakra is often referred to as the "brow chakra" or "Third Eye," is
associated with the
 pituitary gland and is considered to be the psychic center. The color is dark blue,
shades of indigo, or 
 purple as it mixes with the other chakras. It is associated with nobility.You trust
your perceptions and
make appropriate responses to external conditions with calm. The point of
concentration is made by
slightly crossing your eyes and looking up
The seventh chakra, often called the "crown chakra" or "Thousand-petaled lotus"
is at the top of 
the brain and associated with the pineal gland. As the base chakra is associated
with the Earth, the
crown chakra is associated with Heaven. For the Chinese, Heaven and Earth must
combine. It is
considered the gateway to the spirit world and guidance by the higher Self. The
color begins as violet
and eventually becomes a silvery white. It just develops as your brain becomes
more accustomed to
receiving more Chi. To increase Void ability, surround the thumb with the tips of all
your fingers when
you meditate.
"One of the most enigmatic of all transpersonal phenomena is the experience of
the Void, the
encounter with primordial Emptiness, Nothingness, and Silence. This extraordinary
spiritual experience
is of a highly paradoxical nature. The Void exists beyond form of any kind. While
being a source of 
 34 / 84

everything it cannot itself be derived from anything else. It is beyond space and
time. While we can
 perceive nothing concrete in the Void, there is also the profound sense that
nothing is missing. This
absolute emptiness is simultaneously pregnant with all of existence since it
contains everything in a
 potential form."--Stanislav Grof, M.D.,
The Holotropic Mind:The Three Levels of Human
Consciousness and How They Shape Our Lives
.
The throat chakra is called Vishuddha in Sanskrit, which means "purification." This
implies that
the body must have reached a certain level of purification in order to open this
chakra. Once we realize
our connection to others in opening the heart chakra, the need to express this
unity comes forth. This is
done through communication, which is a method of relaying information, and also
a method of 
extending consciousness. There are many methods of communicating thoughts,
images, ideas, feelings,
etc. One of the main mediums of communication is speech, so with this chakra we
discuss sound and
vibration. The associated glands are the thyroid and parathyroids.
The brow chakra is called Ajna in Sanskrit, which means "to perceive," and as this
chakra is
associated with the "third eye" referred to in mystical and esoteric literature,
opening this center relates
to perception beyond the physical senses. This is often referred to as psychic
ability, intuitive vision,
"second sight," "sixth sense," and so on, and may simply be a reference to the
ability to use information
we receive from the energy around us, such as other people's auras. Seeing is
related to the visible
spectrum, and so with this chakra, we will discuss light and color.
Finally, the crown chakra, called Sahasrara, meaning "thousandfold," a reference to
the
"Thousand-petaled lotus." It is seen as blossoming forth as a fully realized vehicle
of consciousness, its
 petals reaching out from the top of the head towards higher dimensions. It also
represents the infinite
 35 / 84

reaches of expanded consciousness. The crown chakra is considered the seat of

Enlightenment, or self-
actualization. Enlightenment can be seen as a result of attaining a fully integrated
level of 
consciousness. Here we will discuss thought and consciousness, working with
methods of achieving
different states of consciousness through different meditation techniques. In our
discussions, topics
ranging from modern transpersonal psychology to ancient shamanic techniques
may be introduced, in
order to illustrate the possibilities of learning to use the mind as a tool for higher
awareness.
The Void, as Dr. Morris states, is not really subject to explanation, however, it
appears to be a
common concept across cultures, known to the Native Americans as the Great
Mystery, to the Taoists as
Wu Chi, from which yin and yang manifested, and Australian aborigines seem to
have a similar concept
in their stories of the Dreamtime. The Void is seen by some as the origin of the
universe itself, as well as
that place to which all existence eventually returns. It is also a realm of possibility,
in which the
adventurous meditator can visualize a reality in order to manifest it in the physical
world. It is also the
realm of what pioneer psychologist Carl Jung called "archetypes," which may
appear to someone during
meditation with relevant information, which can be assimilated for use in everyday
life. A working
knowledge of mythology and symbolism is very helpful in deciphering information
received in this
largely unknown realm of consciousness. Maintaining a state of mind without
expectations is also very
important.
"As each chakra corresponds to a gland, chakra six is related to the pineal gland, a
tiny (approx.
10 mm x 6 mm) cone-shaped gland located in the geometric center of the head at
approximately eye
level. It is possible that this gland was, at one time, located nearer to the top of the
head. In some
 36 / 84

species of reptiles, it still is, forming a kind of light-sensitive perceptual organ,

resembling another eye.
The pineal gland is actually a mystery to modern science. It reaches the height of
its
development at the age of seven, and has been thought to influence the
maturation of the sex glands.
Embryologically, the pineal gland is derived from a third eye that begins to develop
early in the embryo
and later degenerates.
It is believed that the pineal influences both the endocrine and central nervous
systems, but at
this point no one is quite sure how. There is general agreement, however, that the
pineal gland is
affected by light. Melatonin, a chemical relevant to pigment cells, has been isolated
from the pineal. It
is suggested that the production of melatonin is triggered by exposure of the eyes
to light. However,
another source states that 'changes in external lighting influence pineal
activity...even when the
 pathways mediating conscious light perception have been severed.'" Anodea
Judith-
Wheels of Life.
 
The Third Eye is truly an intriguing phenomenon. Although the pineal gland is a
light-sensitive
organ, which would seemingly relate to the sixth chakra and third eye, most
esoteric writings associate
the pituitary gland with this chakra. The above paragraphs are from one of the few
books that associate
the pineal gland with chakra six. According to most esoteric writings, as well as
Dr. Morris' book 
 ,
Shadow Strategies of an American Ninja Master 
, opening the sixth chakra activates the pituitary gland,
as well as the hypothalamus. It could be hypothesized that the pituitary gland must
be awakened first in
order to regulate the functions of the body and endocrine system properly before
the pineal gland is
activated. Many esoteric beliefs hold that activating the pineal gland opens one's
perceptions outside the
 37 / 84

range of the body, into a "cosmic" or "universal" consciousness. However, it must

also be noted that
 physiologically, the pineal gland is actually located above the pituitary gland, and
due to this, as the
energy travels up the spine to the brain, it reaches the pituitary gland first. The
pituitary gland acts as a
"master gland," controlling the functions of all the other glands. It is this
"command center" function
that prompted the above author to reverse the usual associations of these two
glands. In either case, the
Third Eye chakra is still the Third Eye and it relates to sight, as well as psychic
"seeing."
As you probably know by now, in Chi Kung we focus on breathing in "colors." This
helps the
mind focus on a certain type of energy we wish to bring into the body, for
example, green for healing,
red for strength, yellow for the intellect, etc. However, studies have shown that
when someone is
thinking about using a certain type of energy, this energy tends to show up as
yellow or gold. The reason
is that yellow is related to thought and the intellect, like the third chakra. So
instead, we attempt to work 
with using a certain feeling appropriate to the kind of energy we want to use. This
is another reason for 
the emphasis on the Secret Smile exercise, the ability to internalize feelings and
call those feelings to
mind at will. We are drawn to colors that activate the type of energy we need, and
this is why we are
more comfortable with some colors than others. A list of colors and their
potential applications and
effects will be given on the last page of this chapter.You may wish to experiment
with different types of 
colored energy as you meditate and build your catalog of results for reference.You
could also
experiment with different colored light bulbs in your home to see what the effects
are. The colors given
in Dr. Morris' commentary at the beginning of each chapter are the colors to
focus on when you wish to
work with a particular chakra, and these colors will show up in the phosphenes,
the patterns of light
 38 / 84

 behind the eyelids when you close your eyes.

The third eye allows you to "see" into the Void, and possibly assists in the ability to
see auras.
The color chart on the last page can help you build your catalog in observing
auras, as well as
experimenting with different types of energy. Since our thoughts, emotions and
experiences tend to
affect our perceptions, each person's experience of the Void will be different from
that of others.

Developing expectations of what you will see in the Void is essentially an exercise
in futility, as the
manifestations of the unconscious, individual or collective, may offer very
interesting and sometimes
frightening surprises. A good study of symbolism and comparative mythology, as
well as transpersonal
 psychology, could be of great assistance in deciphering the messages and images
received in the Void.
At this point, we are still unable to completely de-mystify the experience of the
Void as another reality,
 but we must also consider that its existence in one form or another is
acknowledged across many
different cultures. It was known as Wu Chi to the Taoists, the Great Mystery to
the native Americans,
the "collective unconscious" to psychologist Carl Jung, and noumas to the Greeks.
Whether it is truly
the spirit world or another realm of the mind is uncertain. What is certain is that
it is a largely unknown
reality, able to bring forth archetypes, visions, and what could be considered
doorways to other 
dimensions. Each person is different, and each will have a somewhat different
concept of what is seen
during meditation.

 
20
 
Auras and their meanings
 
 39 / 84

Blue-White : The basic aura color, inanimate objects have no other.

Earth Chakra Dominated
 
Pink : The true friend. affection, sympathy, compassion, emotional involvement.
Rose : The giver. A deeper shade than pink. generosity, warmhearted, the "mother"
instinct.
Red-Bright : The leader. Optimism, an energetic personality.
Red-Dark : Only a color of desire, sensuality, even sexual in context.
Water Chakra Dominated
 
Orange : Reactive, open hearted good will, emotional person.
Beige : Perhaps cowardice, fear or a feeling of inferiority.
Brown : Character disorders.
Fire Chakra Dominated
 
Yellow : The color of intellect, thought, education and learning.
Yellow-Pale : A humanitarian; with very high ideals, this is a common color.
Yellow-Green : The possessor.
Wind Chakra Dominated
 
Green : The salt of the Earth, practicality. Fresh, interested personality. A cool,
harmonious color.
Green-Lime : Healer, healing energy, common with women
Green-Olive :. A moody depressed color, can mean a liar.
Green-Dark : Envy, hate and malicious feelings. Jealousy.
Void Chakras Dominated
 
Blue-Green :Very much aware of self, ideals and goals.
Gray: Tries too hard. False personality
Blue-Medium : The peacemaker. Tranquillity, peace, calm.
Blue-Light : The creator. Can also signify spirituality, idealism.
Lavender : The explorer. Open to new experiences
Violet : The child mind. Opening of the lotus renders one childlike.
Indigo: Seeker of truth. Psychic powers of third eye. Sometimes mistaken for black.
Purple-Deep : Nobility of spirit. Earth to Third Eye connected.
White : The enlightened. Mature lotus development. Differs from first white/blue
by
 being wide and diffused particularly around the head.
 
21
 40 / 84

While the above list does not mention all colors or the full meanings of all the
ones
it does, it should provide you with a good basis to begin your observations.
 

Level 1
 
Basic Principles
Zen Breathing
Energy Awareness and Feeling
Harmonizing the Chi
Golden Light Meditation
Standing Meditation
Lifting the Sky
Drawing the Moon
Sinew Metamorphosis 1
Emptying the Mind
Tracing the Halves of the Circle
Healing Screen Meditation
Buddha Walk/Warrior's Stru

Level 1
 41 / 84

 
Basic Principles
 
Sitting meditation is normally done in a seated position, where the hips are above
the knees in
terms of height. A good position to meditate in is Fudosa. In fudosa the heel is
under the perineum for 
 balance, the back is straight, and the shoulders are down, there is a diagram
showing this posture at the
 back of this book.
When practicing any form of meditation or Chi Kung shown in this book it is
important to
keep
the tongue pressed to the roof of your mouth
, as this completes the energy circuit and reduces the
chance of damaging the nervous system, and therefore prevents or lessons Chi
sickness.
Zen Breathing
Zen Breathing is the main form of breathing used in HoshinTao ChiKung. It is a
relaxed form of 
 breathing involving the bringing of the air, through inhalation, to below the
abdomen rather than the
chest. This form of breathing is known by many names: the baby's breath, the
Buddha's breath, fetus
 breath, etc., because it is the way that both babies, and enlightened people
breathe.
It is the most
important practice in chi kung. Mastering deep belly breathing is
the mark of the master and
essential to achieving the kundalini.
The Zen breathing meditation should be mastered before moving into any of the
energy moving
meditations. It should be the basis of any meditation and used at the beginning of
each meditation
session. It relaxes the body, focuses the mind, helps prepare for higher
meditations, and builds the chi.
This meditation alone will greatly increase the chi circulating within the body and
will yield profound
health benefits.
 42 / 84

1. Begin by sitting in the meditative posture of choice, placing the hands in the
mudra of choice (in the
 beginning, the recommended mudra is to simply rest the fingers of the right hand
within the fingers of 
the left hand, palms facing upwards, the thumb-tips touching each other. This
should be resting
comfortably in the area of the genitals.)
2. Place the tongue on the roof of the mouth, just behind where the teeth join
with the palette. Close the
eyes.
3. Begin to slowly belly breath, inhaling the air DOWN into the abdomen,
expanding the stomach as the
air enters the body. Fill the lungs from bottom to top. Inhale for a count of four.
(Time the breathing
with the SLOW counting, so that you have filled the lungs just as you reach four.)
4. Exhale slowly, from the top of your lungs to the bottom, contracting the
stomach inwards (pulling the
tummy and back in towards the center of your body.) Do this to a slow count of
ten.
5. Inhale once again, same as before. There should be no pause between the
inhaling and the exhaling;
the breath is seamless. Focus on the counting to keep the extraneous thoughts
from intruding. Continue
this for at least ten minutes a day.
The eventual goal is to get the breathing down to between four and six breaths a
minute. The
downward push of inhale will eventually become testicular breathing and push out
well below the navel
without the upper ribs moving at all.
Energy Awareness and Feeling
 
24
This is a set of awareness drills to make the student more aware of his own chi,
other people's
chi, and what it feels like. It is very useful for building confidence and amazing your
friends at parties.
This is probably the first exercise to introduce after Zen Breathing.
1. Have the students stand in an approximation of the Tree Hugging Pose. Begin in
a moderate horse
 43 / 84

rider's stance, with the feet about shoulder's width apart and facing forward. The
knees should be bent
and pointed slightly inward. Have them keep their backs straight.
2. Rub the hands together and intertwine the fingers as they rub to massage the
meridians on the insides
of the fingers. Then have them flick their hands downwards a few times, as if there
were water on
them, and the dispenser just ran out of paper towels.
3a. Have them place their hands about a foot apart (while still breathing deeply!!!!)
and begin to slowly
move them hands closer together and further apart. Advise them to feel for either
a pulling or a
repelling sensations from between their hands. Tell them to see how far away they
can feel these
sensations, Advise them that they might feel a warmth or a cooling sensation.
3b. Have them turn one palm inward while pointing the fingers of the opposite
hand toward that palm.
Have them slowly fan the hand back and forth, checking for any sensation in the
palm. Try varying the
distance of the fingers from the palm.
3c. Have them wiggle their fingers at the palm. Ask how the sensations change.
Have them switch
hands and notice the differences in intensity, temperature, and feeling. Try moving
the projecting hand
and its fingers in a circular direction.
4a. Have the students hold up their palms for each other to feel how somebody
else's energy is different.
Have people switch around, switch hands, and use various hand positions and
motions.
4b. Have the students attempt to see how far away from each other they can
project then energy and still
fell it.
4c. Have the students hold their hands away from each others' bodies and try to
feel where the aura
 begins. See if they can feel the different layers. Ask them for sensations. Heat,
cold, tingling. Does the
 body being felt feel the person trying to feel him/her?
Harmonizing the Chi
This is physical Chi Kung set which should be performed before and after any
physical ChiKung
 44 / 84

set, after taichi, or after any seated meditation to bring the chi into balance. These
harmonizing
movements returns the chi to a neutral mode. This keeps the chi from stagnating
or flowing
uncontrolled.
1. Stand with the feet together, toes pointing slightly out (at about 30 degrees).
Heels are touching, the
knees are slightly bent, and the body is relaxed. The hands should be placed in
front of the tantien, with
the palms down and the fingertips (but not thumbs) touching.
2. Inhale and raise the arms to the side and above your head, gradually turning the
palms up, and the
fingertips nearly touch above the head. The end of your inhalation should coincide
with the point at
which the arms become vertical. As you are inhaling, bring the chi from the tantien
to the perineum, up
the spine to a point between the shoulder blades directly behind the heart
(gaohuang point). Here it
 branches off into three tracks, one continuing up the spine to the crown chakra
(niyuan point), and two
spreading out each arm to the chakra point on the palms of each hand (laogong
points). The chi reaches
all three chakra points at the same time, at the end of the inhalation and
movement.
3. Exhale and slowly return to the starting position. The chi which is in the palms
and crown chakra,
reverses its path and returns to the tantien as you complete the exhalation. This is
one round. This
exercise should be practiced by performing six rounds
Golden Light
This meditation for beginners involves visualization, concentration, and
absorption. It
strengthens the immune system against disease and it also strengthens the aura. It
purifies the breath and
 body.
1. Sit it the meditative posture of preference. Close the eyes. Drop into Zen
Breathing for eleven
 breaths. Make sure that the tongue is pressed to the roof of the mouth. (If
desired, to give the
meditation a much stronger kick, tighten the anus as you exhale.)
 45 / 84

2. Take another eleven slow breasts. As inhaling, visualize the air that is being
inhaled is pure light. As
you exhale, see the breath leaving as dark smoke filled with nasty toxins.
3. Take another slow eleven breaths.Visualize the air being inhaled as being pure
light. As you exhale,
see the breath being exhaled as being pure light and positive feeling. Then continue
with belly
 breathing.
4. See a glowing ball of golden light at the perineum. Hold this image for
approximately one minute.
5. Maintaining this image, see a glowing ball of golden light at the pineal gland
(crown chakra). Hold
this image for about a minute.
6. See the two glowing balls of light become connected by a thin strand of light. As
the two connect,
see the two balls glow more brightly.
7. Slowly expand the strand connecting them to the size of your little finger. Pause
briefly.
8. Slowly expand the strand to about the width of your thumb. Pause briefly.
9. Slowly expand the strand to the width of a staff. Pause briefly.
10. Expand it to the size of a column. Pause briefly.
11. Expand it into a cylinder which expands beyond the body. Pause briefly.
12. Shape this cylinder into the form of an egg which surrounds the body, and
holds it in a protective
shell.
13. Imagine the light from this glowing egg shining down on you, penetrating the
body from all
directions. If there are any black, dark, or uncomfortable areas in your body, see
more off the light
concentrate itself in those areas. Bask in this light and feel it fill you up for as long
as you are
comfortable.
14. Reverse the process until the you have the two glowing orbs connected by the
thin strand. Pause
 briefly.
15. Bring the sphere at the perineum up the strand of light until it reaches its twin
at the pineal. See the
two orbs merge and flare brightly. Pause briefly.
16. Slowly bring this sphere down the inside of your body to the (lower) tantien.
See the sphere
 46 / 84

compact itself smaller and denser, then be absorbed into the tantien. Concentrate
upon the tantien for 
about one minute.
17. Slowly withdraw from the meditation, keeping your breathing focus on the
belly and deep.
Standing Meditation
 
This simple meditation helps to teach the student how to relax.
1. Stand with feet approximately one foot apart, with the eyes closed, and the arms
hanging gently at the
sides. Slip into Zen Breathing.
2. Feel a gentle energy flow down into the top of your head as you relax the scalp,
cheeks, eyes, nose
and neck, As this energy reaches them, they relax more deeply.
3. Feel the soft energy creep down into the upper torso as the shoulders, chest,
and back muscles relax.
Slowly rotate the shoulder to remove any tension.
4. Feel this warm soothing energy flow down both arms, relaxing the muscles as it
flows until your 
fingertips are relaxed.
5. AS the energy flows into your lower torso, it relaxes the stomach and
abdominal muscles. It relaxes
your buttocks..
6. Relax the lower limbs as the soft energy flows down your feet and legs into the
feet. Feel the energy
flowing out of your feet and into the ground, removing all the tension and stress
that was held within
the body.
7. Try the same relaxing process starting at the feet and working up. Decide which
works better for you
and use it often.
Lifting the Sky
This is a very simple physical form which is significant for the energy flow that it
produces. It is
considered to be one of the best forms in ChiKung.
1. Stand with a relaxed, upright posture with the feet held six to twelve inches
apart, or as comfortable.
2. Begin Zen breathing for approximately a minute. Remember to keep the tongue
pressed to the roof 
of the mouth.
 47 / 84

3. With the arms straight down in front of you, bend the wrists at right angles so
that the palms face the
ground and the RELAXED fingers of the hands point towards each other.
4. Breath in gently through the nose as you raise your arms in front of you until
the palms face the sky.
As the hands pass in front of the eyes, follow the backs of your hands with your
eyes by tilting the head
 back.
5. Continue to look at the hands as you hold this breath.
6. Now push the hands upwards as is trying to lift the sky.
7. Slowly let the arms down sideways as you gently exhale. Relax your wrists as
your arms descend
and lower the head to look forward.
8. Feel the energy flow down the body as you pause for a few seconds.
9. Repeat.
This exercise should be repeated from 10 to 20 times in a session.
Drawing the Moon
This exercise helps to keep the body trim and lively. Once again, it is a very simple
physical
exercise.
1. Lie flat on the back on the floor or bed. Begin Zen breathing.
2. Raise both feet together so that the heels are about six inches from the floor.
3. Point the toes away from the head.
4. Exhale and hold the breath and stomach tight. With the feet together and the
legs straight, draw a
small circle (about 4 or 5 inches in diameter) in the air with the toes. Take approx.
30 seconds to 1
minute to complete the circle. Inhale slowly.
5. If able to continue, draw more circles in the same direction. If not, lower the
legs and continue to
Zen Breath as you rest. Then continue.
6. Repeat the above procedure the same number of times, but drawing the circles
in the opposite
direction.
Gradually increase the number of circles you make until you can perform ten
perfect circles.
Sinew Metamorphosis 1

1. Stand with a relaxed, upright posture with the feet held six to twelve inches
apart, or as comfortable.
 48 / 84

Attempt to empty the mind as you fall into Zen breathing.

2. Bend your wrists so that your hands are at right angle to your arms with the
palms facing the floor 
and fingers are pointing forward.
3. While holding this position, press down with the heels of your hand and
simultaneously bending and
raising the fingers as far as you can.
This may seem absurdly simple, but within 2 months it will builds incredible
strength.
Emptying the Mind (Dr. Death's Bad Ass Brain Scrub)
1. Begin Buddha Breathing. Press the tongue to the roof of the mouth.
2. Start by simply counting to ten, one number as you inhale, one number as you
exhale.YOU ARE
ONLY ALLOWED TO THINK OF THE NUMBERS.
3. Any extraneous thoughts at all besides the numbers sends you back to the
beginning.You are only
allowed to count your breath. Be VERY honest and patient with yourself, as it will
be most difficult to
do in the beginning. If you see Bullwinkle creep into your thoughts, back to
number one.You get the
 picture.
After a month or so of controlling and scrubbing the mind, you will notice that
memory is
greater, as well as your attention span.
Tracing the Halves of the Circle
This exercise is better known as a TaiChi exercise, yet it is extremely beneficial for 
strengthening and stretching the legs, and practicing coordinating the breathing
with movement. As
with most moving meditations, it greatly improves balance and chi circulation. It
will be practice for 
making chi follow the intent. It will also be built upon in later exercises.
1. Begin with the feet about shoulder's width apart and facing forward. The knees
should be bent. The
hands are crossed (left over right) in front of the pubic area, with the palms facing
in. Begin the
Buddha/Zen Breathing.
2. As you inhale, slowly bring the arms up in front of the body (about an inch away
from the body) until
the hands are stretched completely over the body and the palms turn out.
Simultaneously, the legs
 49 / 84

straighten. As the legs have straightened and the arms become fully extended, you
should reach the end
of your exhalation.
3. Continue an outward circular motion with each of the hands (palms outward)
as you begin to exhale
and drop your weight and flexing the knees. Just as your hands return to their
original position (with the
 palms toward the pelvis) you should be exhaling the last of the breath. Legs are in
original bent
 position.
This should be repeated about 20 times per session. Remember to coordinate the
breathing with
the movement and remain relaxed. A common tendency that students seem to
have with this exercise is
to bend the back in an unseemly manner while going down on the exhalation. The
back should remain
straight at all times. Shoulders should be relaxed.
Healing Screen Meditation
This one is good for relaxation before a massage, as a prelude/warm-up to DaMo's
cave, etc.
 
28
I start with the student breathing deeply with proper music in the background.
Take them down
with the breathe until you see them begin to relax in the shoulders and neck. Then
suggest that they
visualize that they are at the top of a flight of ten steps. The steps lead down into
the darkness and they
are not Have them visualize stepping off with the left foot first and feel their
weight sink into the step as
their foot touches down. Have them time the steps with their slow breathing. Take
your time and do all
ten steps. As the descend they get more and more relax and heavier.
When they reach the bottom they are facing a great flat plain, which disappears
into the distance.
A few yards away is a door unsupported by any walls. It just hangs there in the air.
They go to the door 
and open it to another dimension. Beyond is a large room with walls, floor and
ceiling. The wall
 50 / 84

directly across from them is made entirely of a television screen. Before it is a

recliner. The recliner is
in the center of the floor. Have them sit in the recliner and lean back.
The television comes on and they watch themselves as a bird, soaring over great
expanses earth.
(I let them choose the terrain. I am surprised at the difference in terrain people
come up with, but its all
 personal preference.) As they watch the television the chair vibrates them,
relaxing muscles. Soon the
 become so relaxed that they turn to jelly.
They become a gelatinous mass which slowly begins to seep through the chair to
the floor below.
The floor below is a large screen, like a filter. They slowly deep through the filter
to a room below. As
they seep they leave on top the screen/filter lumps of problems, unresolved
issues, aches and pains
accumulated during the day/training. These all stay on top.
While below they are dripping into a mold of themselves. As they are pooling in
this mold they
appear to be gold and viscous like honey. There is no blemish or sore, pimple or
bruise on this new
 body. Their minds are clear and have nothing to cloud their think or make them
feel depressed, and
angry. Everything remains above on the filter. (It is best to draw this out over a
good length of time.
Have them drop through a drop at a time, make it a very lengthy process. Get rid
of everything.) Once
they are fully reformed without the bad stuff have them sit up in the mold. In front
of them at the foot of 
the mold is a mirror.
In the mirror they see themselves as healed, renewed, cleansed of everything
which held them
 back or distracted them from their goal(s). Let them marvel at themselves in the
mirror for awhile then
have them exit the mold and move to a door. As they go through the door they
find themselves on a
 beach.
They can walk or jog along the beach, enjoying the wind, sun, sand and waves.
Exhilarate in the
 51 / 84

occasion, its freedom and release. Feel alive and excited to be so. If you wish to
take them to DaMo's
then have them head for the mountains in the distance. They can be led by a guide
who waits them at
the edge of the beach. I personally have encounter American Indians, women, and
animals who guided
me to the distant mountains. If you want to wrap up the meditation go another
route.
Have them sit on the sand and relax. Eventually they lie back and bask in the sun.
The sun heats
up their new body and slowly melts it into the sand. They become one with the
earth. They feel the
movement of the sand, animals, bugs, etc. They become smaller and finer and
eventually the sand
 becomes larger and larger. From its minute size it grows to that of rocks, then
boulders. Finally it is the
size of planets and they are slowly gracefully falling like a feather between the
great cosmic sized grains
of sand. They are falling towards a bright pin point of light far below.
As they fall towards the light the see it become slowly larger and larger. They
finally realize that
the light is our sun. As they approach it they feel its heat as a welcome and friendly
warmth. It grows
and grows and they pass through it. It feels like a hot shower which again cleans
them and makes them
even more radiant and pure. (NOTE : Everytime they fall through something make
them better, cleaner,
healthier.)
As they fall past the sun they see Earth. They fall to Earth slowly floating like a dust
note and
see themselves sitting in the room or wherever you started the meditation. They
are a minute piece of 
energy, smaller than an atom. They float down to a point just above which ever
chakra you are working

and enter the body through that opening. Slowly they fill themselves up with this
clean, pure, energy.
They recharge themselves and feel invigorated and renewed.
Bring them back to the surface now as new people, with a renewed zest for life.
Robin Martin
 52 / 84

Buddha Walk 
This is not so much an exercise as something which can be incorporated into
everyday life to
 promote the flexibility of the spine and greater lung capacity. It can also be used
in Iron Shirt training
techniques.
To implement Buddha’s walk into your life make the following changes to how you
Walk.
There is a chapter devoted to walking in
 Path Notes
.
- Take small steps
- Roll your shoulders back 
-swing your arms, and in doing so twist your spine.
To add this exercise to your Iron Shirt conditioning; as you step forward with your
right leg, hit
your left pectoral muscle with your right hand while striking your kidney with the
left, reverse this
 process as you step forward with your left leg.

Level 2
 
Chakra Opening and Color Correspondence
Aura Viewing
DaMo's Cave
Basic MicroCosmic Orbit
Carrying the Moon
Sinew Metamorphosis 2
The Shy Monk
 53 / 84

Level 2
 
Chakra Opening and Color Correspondence
1. Sit straight-backed. Buddha breath for about five minutes to clear the mind.
2. When your are ready, shift your focus to the back of your eyelids and look up to
where your third eye
would be.
3. Now look down into your self (it helps to actually look down with your eyes
closed).Visualize you
root chakra. Concentrate on it. (It is located between the anus and the sex
organs.) Concentrate on this
area until you feel something. Then visualize it as a red spinning wheel of energy
which points down
and out of the body and forward (out the front of your body); up into the body,
and out the back. See
this wheel which spins to face all directions, while also spinning like a tire. See and
feel it glowing
 bright red. With each breath it grows brighter and brighter. (NOTE- If you have
trouble feeling it,
concentrate on just the visualization for about a minute. Then, clench your anus
tightly and release it 5
times. Relax and concentrate on only feeling the energy. This should help.You can
do this with all
chakras.)
4. DO NOT PROCEED TO THE NEXT CHAKRA UNTIL YOU FEEL
"SOMETHING", even if it is
 just a slightly tingle or pressure in the area. This is important, so as not to create
an imbalance within
the body.
5. Proceed to the next chakra and repeat step 3 as appropriate to the
corresponding energy.
6. Water chakra or tantien. It's color is orange and its energy is a bit cooler.
 54 / 84

7. Fire Chakra. Located where the ribs come together or above the belly button.
Go where it feels right
to you or where your feel the chi best. Its color is yellow.
8. Heart Chakra. Again, there is debate as to where exactly this is located. In
general it is located in
the middle of the chest, at or behind the sternum.
9. Throat Chakra. First Void Chakra. Located where the Adam's Apple would be on
a male. The
color is blue.
10. Third Eye/Ajna/Brow Chakra. Located just above the nose and slightly above
the eyes on the
forehead. Its color is indigo or violet.
11. Crown Chakra. Located at the top of the head. Its colors are violet or
lavender, and become white.
12. Once you can feel and see (or at least feel) all seven chakras, visualize your
entire backbone
glowing with a golden light. See a thin strand of golden energy coming from the
spine and connecting
with each of these colored chakras. Fan this glow for ten breaths, seeing it become
brighter with every
 breath.
Aura Viewing
1. Sit facing the subject placed against a white, gray, or light violet background in a
room with
dimmable lights.You may have to experiment with the lighting. Lights are to be
preferably dim, but
not dark.
2. Have the subject hold a finger approximately six inches in front of their face. Go
into relaxation
response and focus on the finger, so that it is sharp and clear and their faces is
slightly out of focus or 
 blurred.
3. Once you eyes have adjusted or gotten used to be being slightly out of focus,
look above their 
forehead and between their ears and shoulders.You'll probably get a thin corona
of misty lighter color 
or white. Let your eyes shift out to about three inches above the head, then down
around the shoulder.
You will probably get color. If you do not, have the subject close their eyes, breathe
deeply, and think
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32
about something they really like and enjoy. Observe the shifts, particularly around
the head. Ask the
subject to pause, take a deep breath, and begin thinking about something they
really dislike. Observe.
4. Have the subject begin to slowly sway from side to side and backwards and
forwards. Notice the
difference between what is the aura and what is the afterimage created on your
eyes by the tiring of the
rods within your eyes. Ask the subject to sway back and forth and notice the
difference between aura,
afterimage, and shadow. That which follows the subject as they move, like a layer of
water above the
skin, is the aura. Ask the subject to slowly walk around and notice how the aura
follows and how your 
 perception of the aura changes as the subject walks in front of different
backgrounds.
5. Try the same thing with a different subject. Notice the difference between
people.
6. Memorize how you feel as you are doing this, not what you are doing. Play with
it. Practice under 
different conditions. Practice makes it easier. Being in a relaxed or meditative state
is also helpful.
Experiment with this under black light and in front of chalkboards (they work
really well).
DaMo’s Cave
 
See
 Path Notes of an American Ninja Master 
, North Atlantic Press.
Basic MicroCosmic Orbit
1. Hit the position of choice. Breathe seemlessly through both nostrils at the same
time while
expanding and contracting your belly. Allow your mind to become completely still
and empty.
2. Look down inside of yourself. Picture a ball of bright red energy below you navel
at the tantien.
Sink the ball behind and below your genitals. Pull it across your rectum.
 56 / 84

3. Tighten your rectum and push it up towards your spine. Hold the spine as erect
as possible with the
shoulders back and down, which lifts the front of the ribcage.
4. As you inhale, bring the energy ball up the back on the spine and up over your
head. Make sure to
coordinate the arrival of the ball at your nose (from over the head) with having
filled the lungs. Be
careful to keep your head slightly bowed and your chin tucked and the tongue
against the roof of your 
mouth.
5. As you exhale, let the ball of red energy catch on the tip of your tongue, then
fall down the front of 
your body, coordinating the last of the breath with the arrival at the tantien or
perineum (whichever you
are more comfortable with). If the ball changes color to correspond with chakra,
that is a good thing.
6. Repeat each cycle of breath for as long as a you are able to sustain your sitting
posture and the state
of no-mind (mushin).
7. If you cannot feel the energy moving, do not worry.
Just pretend that you can
and imagine this
 process. Do this every day for at least 20 minutes until you
can
feel the energy moving.
8. At this point, do not attempt to bring through an archetype, god, or spirit by
imagining yourself to be
in a particular wavelength or way of thinking or feeling. This is powerful enough,
and you do not want
to fry if you are just beginning. Sustain No-Mind.
9. Make sure that the orbit and the breath are seamless, so that the energy flows
in a continual motion,
with no herky-jerky stops. We do not want any stagnant energy.
10. When you have finished a sitting session, get up and walk around. Give yourself
a massage and
gently tap the top of your head.
Sinew Metamorphosis 2
This exercise may seem too simple, but it builds incredible strength. Try it for a
few months if 
you do not believe us.
 57 / 84

1. Stand tall and relaxed with feet slightly apart and arms at your sides.
2. Empty your mind of all thoughts.
3. Raise your arms to shoulder level in front of you and make fists with your
thumbs on top.
4. Clench and relax your fists 50 times.
The shy monk 
 
Sit cross-legged. Fold yourself down so you can see your navel and then start
buddha breathing
while trying to expand your ribs. It will make your bone pumps work a lot better
when you breath
standing.
Carrying the Moon
This form is one which is used in order to help achieve and maintain a youthful
body. Always
keep your thoughts on energy flow while practicing this form and remember to
breathe gently, keeping
the tongue on the roof of the mouth.
1. Stand upright and relaxed.
2. Keeping your legs straight and your back straight, bend forward at the waist so
your arms hang out in
front of you with your fingers just below the level or your knees.
3. Pull your chin in towards your chest so your back and the back of your head
form a smooth curve.
4. Softly hold your breath.
5. As you hold your breath, feel the energy flow up your spine from just below the
base and through
and out the top of your head.
6. As the energy reaches the crown of your head, straighten your body slowly,
taking about four 
seconds.
7 As you breath in gently through your nose, raise your arms, with the elbows
straight, in front of you
and then over your head.
8. When your arms are over your head, form your hands to a shape that would
hold a large balloon over 
your head.
9. As you shape your hands, continue the movement of your body and head
backwards so that your 
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 back bends in an arc and you are holding the "moon" above and beyond the back
of your head, with the
eyes looking at the moon.
10. Hold your breath and this pose for 2 to 3 seconds.
11. Again, taking about 4 seconds, lower your arms slowly to the sides as you
breath out softly through
your mouth.
12. Feel the energy now flowing out f the top of your head through your body and
out of your finger 
and toes. Imagine this energy washing away all the toxins and negative emotions
and other garbage out
of your system as you feel your fingers and toes vibrating with energy. Let this
energy enter and
revitalize every cell in your body. Stay still for about 10 seconds and enjoy the
feelings.
13. Repeat this sequence about 10 to 20 a day.You may combine this into a kata of
sorts with other 
 physical forms, such as Lifting the Sky. Ex. Try 7 Lifting Sky followed by 7 Carrying
the Moon to
increase the rate at which your endocrine system rejuvenate and your body gets
younger.

Level 3
 
Chi Spiraling
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Taoist Flaming Sword 1

Chakra Energy Circling
Secret Smile
Healing Screen
 Nine Elders Breathing
 

 
35
 
Level 3
 
Chi Spiraling
As Chi moves best in circles it is important to be able to circle your energy.
1. Stand in a comfortable position and begin Buddha breathing.
2. As you breathe in picture energy spiraling up your arms, legs and around the
spine.
3. As you breathe out spiral the energy back down your arms, legs and spine.
4.You may wish to try this while walking, spiraling energy down your supporting
leg into the ground.
This will increase your balance.
This exercise allows energy to travel your body in a different path of travel from
normal and can
 be used to “drain off” excess or unwanted energy.
Taoist Flaming Sword 1
 
1. Hit your favorite meditation position and start Buddha breathing.
2. Picture a sword with its hilt at your hips and its blade running up your spine.
3. As you breathe in picture energy running up one side of the blade.
4. As you breathe out picture the energy traveling down the opposite side of the
blade.
Keep going for the length of your meditation session.
 
Chakra Energy Circling
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This exercise is a combination of the level 2 techniques, Chakra Opening and
Color 
Correspondence with the MicroCosmic Orbit .
1. Start in your favorite meditation position, begin Buddha breathing.
2. Start running the MicroCosmic Orbit.
 
3.
 
As in the Chakra Opening exercise concentrate on the root chakra until you feel
its energy.
4. When you feel the root chakra, run its energy and feeling through your orbit.
5. Work your way up through each chakra, stopping to run the energy of each
chakra through your orbit.
Secret Smile
 
See
 Path Notes of an American Ninja Master 
, North Atlantic Press.
Healing Screen
This exercise is designed to generate, literally a screen of energy around you that
is used for 
healing, yours or others. All though all colors of screen can be used we have found
that Green and White
energy screens are the most effective.

1. Stand in a comfortable position and start buddha breathing.

2. Start running the MicroCosmic orbit.
3.Visualize a sphere of energy surrounding and enveloping you, use which ever
color you wish for this
sphere (as mentioned Green or White are good)
4. While you are in this sphere you should have a feeling of general well being, hold
onto this feeling.
5. To help other peoples natural repair system bring them into your sphere and
visualize them healing/
feeling better/relaxing etc.
Nine Elders Breathing
This meditation is brought to you by Robin Martin. It can be used to deepen a
trance, or to relax
 61 / 84

student to the point of sleep. Do not be surprised to hear Tibetan Buzzsaw

mantras when leading this
one.
Lying on back, legs slightly apart, toes relaxed and falling outwards. Arms are
slightly away from the
side, with palms facing up. Fingers may seek mudra appropriate to level or chakra
you are working on.
Level 1) Begin by breathing slowly and deeply filling the chest and abdomen as fully
as possible.
Student should visualize that they are totally filling and emptying the lungs and
stomach. Tell them
100% exchange of air. Do this 3 times.
Level 2) Continue breathing but lower inhalation and exhalation to 75% chest and
abdomen capacity.
Do this 3 times.
Level 3) Continue breathing but lower inhalation and exhalation to 50% chest and
abdomen capacity.
Do this 3 times.
Level 4) Continue breathing but lower inhalation and exhalation to 50% chest and
abdomen capacity.
Do this 3 times.
Level 5) Continue breathing but lower inhalation and exhalation to 75% chest and
abdomen capacity.
Do this 3 times.
Level 6) Continue breathing but lower inhalation and exhalation to 100% chest
and abdomen capacity.
Do this 3 times.
Total of 18 breaths performed as slowly and deeply as possible. Body and mind
becomes very relaxed
and very oxygenated. Now take them on a real voyage to the undiscovered
country.
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Level 4
Ice Cream Swirl
Aura Feeling
Tree Hugging
Developing the Gate of Jing
Sun Salutations
Laser Light

 
38
 
Level 4
 
Ice Cream Swirl
 
This exercise is designed to spread even out your body temperature, especially if
you are finding
your are running a lot of Yang(hot) or Ying(cold) energy.
 63 / 84

This exercise can be conducted sitting or standing, so choose your position and
start your 
 breathing.
1. Picture a ice cream swirl (like a tornado) starting at your hips and rising,
widening to your shoulders.
This is mainly a chest exercise.
2. As the tornado rotates, picture it bringing Yin energy from the left side of your
body to the right, and
Yang energy from the right side of your body to your left.
Aura Feeling
 
A useful “trick” with chi is to be able feel other peoples energy. From being able
to feel other 
 peoples energy you can find out how healthy someone is, where people have
been previously been
wounded and where there is currently a problem within their body.
The best and possibly only way to learn this ability is to try it out on different
people to see what
you feel. The way to feel an aura is similar to the exercise from level 1, Energy
Awareness and Feeling.
Get the person your are working with to stand in a comfortable position with
their arms out stretched to
the sides. Bring your palms nearer and nearer to the person (Start your hands one
or two feet away) until
you feel a resistance to your energy. This is their aura. Move your hands around
the aura noting different
sensations. Build yourself a list of these sensations and meanings. As you get better
at this exercise you
will be able to feel aura from a greater distance.
Tree Hugging
 
Trees have a large amount of Earth energy and a very good if used to cleanse
energy or healing.
Please remember when tree hugging(all will be explained) to return the energy.
Morning and Noon are
the best times to try this exercise.
1. Stand or sit one or two feet away.
2. Extend your palms out towards the tree so that your palms are facing the tree,
they should not be
touching the tree.Your elbows should be angled downward, your arms bent.
 64 / 84

3. First, feel the energy of the trees aura. Once you have found this energy,
4. spiral the trees energy up your arms and cycle it through your MicroCosmic
orbit.
5. Return the energy to the tree by circling it down your legs into its roots.
You may wish to experiment with different types of tree and see what happens.
Some points
about different trees.
- The bigger the tree the more energy it has.
- Pine trees are good for healing and soothing dreams.
Cypress and Cedar trees reduce heat and nourish Yin energy.
- Willow trees reduce high blood pressure.
- Elm trees calm the mind and strengthen the stomach.
- Fir trees help clear up bruises, reduce swelling and heal broken bones faster.
- Hawthorn trees help aid digestion and lower blood pressure.
- Birch trees help detoxify the body.
Developing the Gate of Jing
 
This is also known as testicular breathing, its purpose is to bring the Jing energy
from the
genitals and turn it into Shen thereby aiding the cause of enlightenment.
1. Enter a meditation position and start Buddha breathing.
2. Start the MicroCosmic orbit.
3. As you breathe in or out experiment with tensing your scrotum and pulling the
energy from your 
testes (or ovaries if female).
You will need to experiment with this experiment to find out which combination
of breathing
and tensing works best for you.
Sun Salutations
 
This is an exercise which becomes more and more important as you approach the
higher 
echelons
of Chi Kung.
1. Start by standing, feet shoulder width apart.
2. Crouch down into the squat position (also known as the frog position).
3. Stretch your right leg back as far as possible.
4. Wrap your left leg around the outside of your arm for a good stretch.
5. Swap legs and repeat.
6. Return to standing positions.
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7. Repeat between four and twelve times.

Laser Light
 
 NOTE: Student needs to be able to breath through his crown chakra for this one
so its an advanced
exercise.
Begin with deep breathing drawing in through your Crown Chakra while listening
to SPACE
music (something like the Mysterious Void). Once sufficiently relaxed and deep
enough, attempt to
open your chakras. Those that are clear will open easily while those that are
blocked will benefit from
this and be blown open by the light.
Visualize your body as a vast empty chamber or perhaps the insides of a giant
statute of yourself.
I like to see myself as sitting in a lotus position, like a Buddha would. Bring the
white light from the
Universe down through the Crown like you had opened just a peep hole and a
single shaft of pure white
light is penetrating the darkness of your body. Watch as the dust motes dance in
the light. If there are
any unfriendlies in the shadows send them scampering away in fear of this lights
cleansing effects. Let
this light shine on your tailbone and slowly warm it up. As it heats up it will slowly
open like a flower.
Inside the flower is a mirror. Once the beam of light strikes the mirror it lances
out towards my first
chakra the root. It burns through the root chakra and punches out to light the air
in front of my groin. If  
40
the root is blocked the light opens it by burning away the blockage/problem. I feel
a sudden release of 
 pressure and anxiety. A pleasant almost sexual sensation.
As the flower continues to raise its head the mirror tilts upwards to each chakra,
burning through
them just as it did the root. I open the root, navel, solar plexus, throat, one on the
roof of my mouth,
third eye, and fourth eye, at the hair line. Once these are all open then I turn to
my spine.
 66 / 84

I look for blockages in my spine and let the mirror turn towards them and burn
them away. Then
I search for other problems and again the light sears them into nothing. Slowly bit
by bit I punch so
many holes in my out shell that there is no longer any me there is only open air
filled with this intense
 pure white
light. The problems, blockages, pain and doubt are gone. Burned up by the power
of the universe.
Students should expect to see wild sights with this, feel rushes of power, and may
experience
rising of Kundalini energy. They may or may not experience the complete rising
but they may see
snakes, dragons, goddesses and other symbols of higher consciousness. They may
also experience states
of bliss for some time after the meditation, a euphoric high. Robin Martin.

Level 5
 
5 Gates Breathing
Sun Salutations 2
Taoist Flaming Sword 2
 67 / 84

Level 5
 
5 Gates Breathing
 
Five gates breathing is simply drawing energy in through your feet then your hands
and then
your crown chakra. Breathing in with the inhale. Breathing out with the exhale.
This exercise
strengthens the energy channels and has combat applications.
Sun Salutations 2
 
This exercise should be performed as detailed in the Level 4 version, with one
exception. The
first time the exercise is done it is the same as detailed. The second time using just
your finger tips
instead of the entire palm. The third time should be done on your knuckles and
the fourth time on the
 back of your hands.You can also experiment with rotating the hips and pelvis in
the various positions. If 
you can get up to twelve repetitions you will be very strong.
Taoist Flaming Sword 2
 
1. Hit your favorite meditation position and start Buddha breathing.
2. Picture a sword with its hilt at your shoulders and its blade running up and
through your crown.
3. As you breathe in picture energy running up one side of the blade.
4. As you breathe out picture the energy traveling down the opposite side of the
blade.
Keep going for the length of your meditation session.
 68 / 84

Level 6
 
Marrow Washing
9 Sip Breathing
Bringing Chi to the Palms
Alternate Breathing Methods

 
44
 
Level 6
 
Marrow Washing
 
This is a very important exercise as it helps the Chi to flow through your body,
strengthens the
 bones according to the elders, it promotes longevity. This exercise should be
practiced whenever you
meditate.
1. Start meditating (Start by Buddha breathing, Emptying your mind, run the
MicroCosmic orbit) .
 69 / 84

2. As you breathe out and tense your anus, imagine all the bones in your body
shrinking.
3. As you breathe in relax and allow your bones to return to their normal size.
4. incorporate this into your normal meditation.
9 Sip Breathing
 
This is an exercise for those of you who truly wish to be the most efficient in the
use of 
 breathing.
1. Start by Buddha breathing.
2. Once you have inhaled, take 9 more little intake of breathing, move your
shoulders back a little
further with each additional breath. This fills the lungs from bottom to top as well
as expedites bone
 breathing and improves one’s posture. The Lord loveth an upright man.
Bringing chi to the Palms
 
This is a useful thing as it can increase sensitivity to Chi in your palms, aid healing
and for those
of you with martial ideas increase hitting power. If you intend to use it for this
purpose make sure you
hit lightly, to prevent damage to both your partner and yourself. There are two
ways to do this
technique, one Yin and one Yang.
The Yin method is as follows. Picture the energy in your genitals. take this energy
up your 
sternum and split it down your arms and pool it in your hands. it is now ready for
use.
The Yang method is slightly different in that you take the energy up the spine, as if
doing the
MicroCosmic orbit. Split the energy at the shoulders, down the arms and into the
palms. Play with both
methods. particularly when doing martial arts.
Alternate Breathing Methods
 
I will mention two alternate breathing methods here, although the changes may
seem small they
do have a big effect.
1.Yin breathing, when you inhale do so through your left nostril. This can cool.
2.Yang breathing, when you inhale do so through your right nostril. This can heat.
 70 / 84

Remember these techniques if you find you are running too much energy of one
kind.You may
have to experiment as Yin and Yang are not always balanced or sided

Level 7
 
Macrocosmic Orbit
Chi Packing
Iron Shirt Breathing

Level 7
 
Macrocosmic Orbit
 
Achieving the macrocosmic orbit is an important step in meditation as it unifies
some of your 
earlier teachings and helps prepare the body for the things to come.
1. Start by running the MicroCosmic orbit.
2. Draw energy from the Earth with your feet, draw it up your legs and mix it with
your orbit.
3. Draw energy from your surroundings with your hands, bring it up the arms, mix
it with the orbit.
4. Draw the energy of the sky through your Crown chakra, mix it with the orbit.
5. As you exhale run energy back down your through your feet, hands and crown.
 71 / 84

Chi Packing
 
This exercise strengthens the diaphragm, helps store Chi and allows the stomach
to withstand
 blows.
1. As you breathe in tighten the stomach muscles and push the energy down into
your hara.
2. Repeat this X number of times, without breathing out.
3. Push from the hara down to the genitals.
4. Once the Chi is packed, give it a swirl, then use the orbits.
Iron Shirt Breathing
 
This exercise increases vitality and helps strengthen the body.
1. As you breathe in draw energy through all the pores in your skin.
2. mix the energy with your orbit.
3. As you breathe out let the energy leave through your skin.
4. While doing this picture golden light emanating from all over your body.
5. Before meditating hit yourself all over lightly with your hands, a rolled up
magazine works well.

Level 8
 
Kundalini Meditations
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Level 8
 
A Few Words on the Kundalini
Due to the nature of the HoshinTao's practice, it becomes important to give
special
attention to the subject of the kundalini and its probable activation and possible
rising
 because of such practice. There is much to say, and since it is such a large and
important
subject, it cannot be fully detailed here. For more information concerning the
Kundalini,
 please refer to
 Path Notes of an American Ninja Master 
and
 Shadow Strategies of 
an American Ninja Master 
by
 Dr. Glenn J. Morris.
A Layman's Introduction to the KUNDALINI Process (edited version)
By Wayne R. Oliver 
Foremost I must state that the Kundalini is not a game. I approached it with this
"game" attitude
and I would not suggest that anyone follow in my footsteps. I did not heed the
safety precautions and
warnings (which will be detailed herein), thinking that I knew better than the voice
of experience. In
doing so I denied myself what could have been a very blissful experience, and I
risked permanent
damage to myself. The Kundalini can be fun, but it must be taken seriously, for the
perils in reaching
the rewards are great.
The method which "we" use is loosely termed "HoshinTao Chi Kung", and is a
series of 
meditations developed to build, move, and direct the body's natural energy and
ultimately achieve (if 
desired) the Kundalini. This method was developed by my personal teacher Dr.
Glenn J. Morris. Dr.
Morris has pioneered the modern methods of safely achieving the Kundalini in the
aftermath of his own
 73 / 84

experiences. The good doctor, unfortunately, stumbled headlong into a very

powerful and very
uncontrolled Kundalini, the likes of which nearly crippled him.
When Dr. Morris was finally able to repair the damage to his body and mind
(among other 
things) and safely complete the process, he proceeded to develop the HoshinTao
method to keep people
from (as he puts it) "screwing up" the way that he did, and as well as providing a
means of controlling
and healing spontaneous Kundalini rising in unknowing "victims.” Since his rising,
The Doc has
successfully helped over forty people achieve safe Kundalini rising.
Doc had no idea what he was tapping into or how to control it, and he had to
survive it all on his
own, having nothing as a reference point to use to keep his sanity. Fortunately, we
have his knowledge,
experience, and example from which to draw.
WHAT IS THE KUNDALINI?
Let's back up and get an idea of what energy is all about. As living creatures, our
body is
continuously surrounded by an electrical field which allows us to function
normally. This electricity
runs through your nervous system and is what allows your brain to give
commands to your body. For 
the sake of simplicity, I will refer to this energy using the Chinese term "chi",
meaning air, vital energy,
life force, etc. In other cultures or disciplines it is referred to as "ki" (Japanese/
Zen), "prana"
(Hindu/Yoga), "mana" (Native American), etc.
The kundalini is, as I understand it, the process of taking your body's natural
energy, amplifying
it, and unleashing it from the genitals and having it flow up the spine and into the
brain, where it can
lead to what is referred to as Enlightenment or Self Actualization. When the
energy reaches the brain, all
sorts of wonderful fun stuff begins to happen. Since this is a biological process, not
a mental one, the
changes are physical; these physical changes lead to the mental characteristics
which are usually
 74 / 84

associated with Enlightenment (not vice versa). So......when this energy reaches the
brain, certain
dormant parts of the brain are re-awakened (These are my theories). These are
parts of the brain which
have shut down since we, as a race, became "civilized", no longer having to depend
upon these brain
functions for survival. Among these are the "Reptile Brain", the hypothalamus, and
the corpus
collosum. When these parts of the brain come to life, they command certain
glands in our body to
 begin secreting certain hormones which our bodies do not normally produce
after puberty. The release
of these energies stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands. (The stimulation of the
pineal is believed to
 prevent the production of the aging hormone that ultimately leads to death. As a
result, the effects of 
aging are greatly reduced. People in their eighties or nineties appear to be two or
three decades younger.
People in their sixties appear in their mid-forties.) Therefore, the effects are like
introducing a drug into
your body for which you have no tolerance. (Example: your adrenals work in a
constant flow, rather 
than in spurts stimulated by emotional conditions.)
Your body now begins to act differently and is governed by a whole new set of
rules.You
develop all kinds of interesting (both pleasant and not, depending on how one
handles it) side effects. In
fact, you can say that the Enlightenment is actually a by-product of the Kundalini.
Your long-dead
instincts come back to life (Haragei.). Simultaneously, you become more primitive
while evolving
forward with increased mental abilities. Morris claims that one's IQ. jumps up
about twenty points once
you undergo the Kundalini.You are more in touch with your body and what is
going on in and around
it.Your senses become more acute.You mind works faster and more clearly.You
can sense things
which surround you.You heal faster and you do not get sick as often.You
endocrine system is
rejuvenated.Your reflexes grow faster. (All these, provided you don't "screw up".)
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The chi kung method involves controlling this energy through the breath (as well
as the more
advanced techniques of Nei Kung, which do not involve the breath) and
controlling it safely. By using
the chi kung to increase the chi in the body, the internal organs are strengthened,
self-healing is
 promoted, the circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems with the endocrine
glands are activated.
Because of this, the blood, spinal fluid, and hormones will flow more easily and the
heart will not have
to work so hard. After all, the heart is a muscle which never rests, from the
moment it starts to beat until
the time you die. Therefore, the less stress you place upon it, the healthier you will
be. The healthier 
you are, the gentler your kundalini arousal. The worse shape you are in mentally or
physically the
rougher the ride when the great snake appears coming up your spine.
Of course, some of these results may be a product of the martial base from which
HoshinTao's
training comes. We place a great deal of emphasis of feeling the "harming" intent of
an opponent. In
other words, you feel the danger before it happens. We do not train to read
minds, we train to feel
emotion and danger. We train to be able to identify a person's character or intent
in their aura, or trust
the feelings we feel in our gut. Empathy is one result.
Even if you do not want to achieve the kundalini, here are a few thoughts as to
why you might
want to pursue meditation as a pastime. Research has shown that people who
practice relaxation and
meditation have the following characteristics: they have faster reaction time; their
parasympathetic
nervous and immune systems are enhanced by reducing the fight/flight syndrome;
they have lower stress
levels and fewer stress-related medical symptoms; they score higher on creativity
tests as opposed to
 people who do not practice meditation (in general); they have better motor
functions, better memory,
and lower blood pressure; and on the average, medical tests show that they are an
average of ten years
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younger biologically than their chronological age.

People who practice the techniques of what is called The Relaxation Response
show these
characteristics, as opposed to Type A people. They are more calm; they have better
muscle tone; their 
heart rate is lower; they sleep better; their speech skills are more fluent; they
show little or no arthritis
and muscle pain; they live a longer and more active life; and finally, their intelligence
increases with
 
50
age. Whereas a Type A person usually dies shortly after retirement, due to their
egos and self respect
 being linked to their work.
There are many types of Kundalini rising, of which the two most common are the
involuntary/spontaneous rising and the controlled/directed/induced rising.
The involuntary rising usually occur when the person has unintentionally triggered
the release of 
their Kundalini. This can occur in several ways. Uncontrolled/unfocused/unsafe
meditations, yoga
 practice, drug use/abuse, injuries to the spine or tailbone, emotional turmoil,
puberty, menopause, or any
number of things can trigger a premature or uncontrolled rising. Drug use/abuse is
especially dangerous.
It is in spontaneous rising where one can get into a lot of trouble. The victims
usually end up with a
number of physical and/or psychological problems, which are more often than not
are misdiagnosed as
schizophrenia by physicians. There are several support groups made up of these
kundalini “survivors.”
The controlled/induced rising are usually much more safe and pleasant, provided
that the person
is taking care in his/her pursuit of "Enlightenment". Unsafe practices can result in
many of the same
 problems which manifest from a spontaneous rising.
A controlled rising usually deals with becoming much more in tune with your
mind and body.
This can include, but is by no means required in order to achieve the kundalini, a
change in: diet, living
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conditions, attitude, and education. More often than not, these changes are a
natural step which the
Tatsujin (Kundalini survivor) chooses to make after s/he has undergone a
complete rising and s/he has
adjusted to the changes in the body, mind, and environment.
Methods of inducing rising involve practice in gaining voluntary control of your
body's natural
energy forms (bio-electrical/sexual), and learning to direct them in specific
manners (both through
 physical exercises and meditations) to begin in setting the Kundalini process in
motion.
IT IS REAL. IT IS EXPERIENTIAL. IT IS REPRODUCIBLE. ANYONE CAN DO IT
(provided they have gone through puberty). Physical changes can be felt, even if the
person has not
undergone a rising. The chi kung exercises themselves will begin to flow the chi
throughout the body
quite forcefully.
A directed Kundalini rising is much more safe because it is a much more gentle
process than a
spontaneous rising.You are preparing the body for the onslaught of these powerful
forces, giving it
time to adjust, while you slowly "build up the charge". While the voltage in your
body increases, you are
 placing the insulation to keep the wiring safe.
A spontaneous Kundalini rising is like forcing 360 volts of electricity through a
socket designed
to handle 120v.You end up with melt-down. In a controlled rising, the kundalini
comes through when
your body is prepared to handle the force; no fry, only ecstasy as the energy
enters the brain.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ACHIEVE A CONTROLLED RISING?
In yoga practices, there is no telling how long. Many different factors in yoga
practice can lead
to the kundalini; the body's shock to the asanas (postures and exercises), physical
preparedness of the
 person, the mental level and level of self-actualization which the person has
already achieved, the
undirected or incorrect use of breathing techniques, etc. can all lead to
spontaneous rising. As far as I
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know, most forms of yoga have no safeties placed in their practices (or at least
none that they show in
commercial YMCA classes) to control the flow of these energies when they
commence. And when they
do commence, the instructor usually has no idea what is going on or what to do
about them. Thus, the
student is left alone and scared, with only a snake of fire dancing in his/her back
for company.
The Zen method is a very viable and safe way of achieving Enlightenment. The
drawback (at
least for our American fast-food point of view) is that it can take anywhere from
eight to twenty or more
years. The Zen method is very peaceful, quiet, and gentle. I would recommend this
method to those
who just want clarity of mind while contemplating their navel. It is good to
combine this type of 
meditation with other forms of kundalini meditations to keep things nice and
clean.

 
51
The chi kung method is that which Dr. Morris began using. This is probably the
safest method
there is. (Most chi kung instructors never get beyond what is called "the lesser kan
and li", or mini-
kundalini. It is as if you were to compare a candle to the sun. In controlled rising
you achieve the lesser 
kan and li before the kundalini, and you can use it as a guide to check your
progress. Things really get
fun after the lesser kan and li.)
Chi kung places an incredible amount of "safeties" in its energy practices to
prevent or alleviate
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the darker aspects of chi production or kundalini rising (the actual kundalini rising
is referred to as "the
greater Kan and Li"). I would suggest that anyone who has had an uncontrolled
rising seek the help of a
very knowledgeable and honest chi kung adept to help them get everything
balanced.
The higher levels of Chi kung, such as the Iron Shirt training and the Bone Marrow
Washing Nei
Kung are disciplines which bring the body and its energy into health and
alignment. The Iron Shirt
concentrates air into the connective tissues surrounding the vital organs,
strengthening them and laying
the ground for higher spiritual practices. The Nei Kung cultivates the chi and
absorbs it into the bones,
to revitalize the bone marrow to replenish the blood and remove excess fat from
the body and blood.
These rejuvenate the mind as they rejuvenate the body.
Using safer techniques taken from chi kung, his own experiences, his training in
ninjutsu and
other martial arts, and his education as a psychologist, Dr. Morris developed his
Hoshin method. This
form of chi kung can usually induce a complete and safe Kundalini within 30-90
days, depending on
"how together you've got your shit." It also depends upon whether or not you are
a complete
 blockhead, like I was/am.
THESE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT HAPPEN WHILE YOU ARE TRYING TO GET
YOUR 
KUNDALINI TO RISE.
You might get a channeled "deity" during a vision. We all seem to go through a
patterned
sequence of visions, using this Hoshin method, which are almost identical and
occur at nearly parallel
 points in our individual progressions. I am keeping a record of every person who
has these same
visions. We don't tell them, yet they still have them!
(My theory.) When the energy hits the brain and reawakens these sleeping areas, it
triggers
certain genetic memories which are imbedded within our DNA. As a race, all
humans have these
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"movies" imbedded in our very atoms. (It would explain why all cultures have
some sort of religion,
and most religions has some sort of parallel concepts and/or messiahs. Think on
this.)
One explanation for these visions is that when the pineal gland (located
approximately where
you would find your "third eye") is reactivated, it begins to secrete a substance
called melatonin into the
 bloodstream and into the brain. It is said that melatonin can have psychotropic or
hallucinogenic effects
under certain conditions.
Also, once your energy really starts to flow (usually after achieving the lesser kan
and li),
sometimes you will have a hard time falling asleep at night, due to the explosion of
lights which will
 begin to flash, glow, or pulse behind your eyelids. These lights will come and go,
grow and diminish,
and sometimes seem to burn into your retinas. This is a good sign. Just learn to
relax into it. Watch the
lights.You may get interesting things. Let these lights hypnotize you and you may
find very interesting
things happen, maybe even a rising. These lights will burn brighter while you
meditate. Run the
Microcosmic Orbit and see what happens.
There are two types of energy that begin to flow when you begin this type of
practice. Cold
energy and hot energy. Hot energy is the first type that will begin to flow.Your
body will get warm
during meditations, you will sweat, shake, have muscle spasms, and a variety of
other fun things. For 
safety's sake, as soon as you can manage to do so, learn to transform the energy
from hot to cold. The
hot energy comes from your lower chakras, and it deals with violent emotions.
Not to mention the fact

that hot energy burns. Dr. Morris' energy was hot when he went trough his
Kundalini; that is why he
"fried".
Cold energy is full of compassion. The cold energy is soothing and gentle. It makes
the
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transition into the kundalini much more pleasant. The cold energy is associated
with the upper chakras.
The following is a brief description of what happens when you undergo a kundalini
rising, using
my own experiences as a guide. The reason that I do this is so that if and when
someone reading this has
their rising, they will be able to identify it as such. (When it happens, there is no
mistaking it.)
The energy will literally be felt more strongly than ever before. It will be an actual
solid feeling,
like a rod, a stone, a serpent, etc. moving up at great speed within your spine.You
may experience a
time shift/distortion, as if a minute is a day, or three hours passed in a second.You
will see the light
grow behind your eyes.You may even see a visual representation of the kundalini
as it rises, as I did. It
is a very odd experience, looking down inside yourself, like double vision.You may
be paralyzed as
this happens.You may hear a voice inside your head as it happens. I heard a roaring
noise.Your 
conscious and you sub-conscious minds may meld together into one, as they did
with Morris.
Remember, this energy is most closely associated with a female snake dancing its
way up. Also, as the
energy rises, it may throw you around violently, as it corrects any problems in
your spine. Do not fear;
enjoy it.
OK. Now my warnings. These are things, which in my opinion, are the most
important things
to do when following this path.
1. Keep your spine and neck very healthy and flexible. If the energy hits a blockage
in the
spine, it burns. It hurts. Energy passes through the path of least resistance. The
smoother the ride, the
 better the kundalini. Keep the pipe clean so that the flow is unimpaired.
2. Keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth. At least while you meditate. But
try to make
this a permanent habit throughout your day. Just trust me on this. If you don't,
you'll be very sorry.
This is probably the most important rule.
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Keep the tongue up!

 
3. Don't try to do too much too soon. That's where I "screwed up". And if you
learn to absorb
energy from other people, for God's sake, don't take it from someone who is
better at using energy
(stronger) than you are (at least not without their permission). Some vampires will
punish you for being
 presumptuous and greedy.
4. Do not let fear creep into your meditations, visions, or experiences at all. Fear
will hold you
 back and hurt you. Take it all in stride. If you see something that scares the living
hell out of you, either 
ignore it until it goes away or take its energy and make a meal out of it, recycling
the energy. Fear, after 
love, is the most powerful of emotions. Fear is the worst thing that can hurt you in
this process, second
only to ignorance.
A couple of other things:
Stay healthy. Exercise and stretch regularly.
Make deeeeeeep diaphragmatic breathing your everyday breathing.
Stay happy and keep a good attitude. Have a sense of humor about the whole
thing.
Don't expect anything.
Don't force anything; let it happen naturally.
Don't try too hard.
Remember, that for some people who experience a successful kundalini rising,
profound
realizations do not occur until months or years after the signs and symptoms
begin, or their actual rising
took place. Practices in Zen or Taoism can push the mind in that direction and
speed up the
Enlightenment.
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53
To some, their experience may seem to be some sort of mental and/or physical
disorder. As long
as these people realize that they are not sick or crazy; everything will be fine. This
is very beautiful,
even though it can be very scary in the beginning. "Ride the snake." Just enjoy the
physical side and
work on your wonderful new personality. It's great fun to touch someone from
across the room, or to
heal. (So I've heard.)
When your life starts getting weird, step back and realize that it is a result of
things changing
around and within you. And back off when your temper starts to flare. Eat yogurt
and rice when your 
stomach gets upset. Drink plenty of water and juices. Avoid alcohol during the
process. After its over 
your vices may amuse you.
So take care. I hope that this was informative and not more confusing. KEEP THE
HUMOR!!
Be happy.
Happy training, and PLEASE, for the love of God, keep your tongue up!!!! Wayne
Oliver.
Special Thanks :
There are people, besides the authors, without whom this book would not have
 been possible. Special thanks goes out to, Robin Martin, Kenneth Morgan and
Rebecca Robertson
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