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Zhong Yuan Qigong

The First Stage of Ascent: Relaxation

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Copyright © 2012 Mingtang Xu and Tamara Martynova All rights reserved. ISBN-10: 1467903949 ISBN-13: 978-1467903943

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Mingtang Xu Tamara Martynova

Zhong Yuan Qigong

The First Stage of Ascent: Relaxation

A Book for Reading and Practice

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Zhong Yuan Qigong. First Stage of Ascent: Relaxation—A Book for Reading and Practice. Second revised edition. Translated from the fourth Russian edition supplemented and revised. K.: JV “Da-Yu”; “Sophia,” 2007.—392 p. Illustrated/Series “Enter Your Inner World” Translator: Natalia V. Bagniouk Editors: Prashant Bhawalkar, [email protected] Ksenya Medvedev, [email protected]

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Qigong is an ancient Chinese art of self regulation, improvement of one’s health and communication hest levels of Qigong. It has a seven thousand year-old lineage and is comprised of the wisdom and knowledge of Qigong masters from many generations. The methods of ZYQ allow a human improve one’s health, reach longevity and increase the quality of life. This is the first book on ZYQ from twith different forms of life. Zhong Yuan Qigong (ZYQ) represents the highe series “Enter Your Inner World”. Reading it and practicing the exercises can help you realize that all forms of life in the universe constitute a whole, and that the universe is a living organism which we are a part of. ZYQ is a branch of science through which you can learn how to develop your body, energy, and spirit. This knowledge thus leads to the development of individual and evolution of human race. ZYQ is free from any branch of religion, ideology, or politics. Its exercises are suitable for people of all ages. The practice of this system helps people become immune to stress, achieve inner balance, and attain true happiness. The book is intended for general readers as well as for qigong practitioners.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgement A Note About the Authors Preface Foreword to the Fourth Russian Edition Foreword to the First Russian Edition Warnings and Disclaimers Introduction If by R. Kipling How I Discovered Qigong and Why We Need It PART ONE: THEORY AND PRACTICE Chapter 1. ORIGINS, PHILOSOPHY, METHODOLOGY What is Qigong? Qigong Movements and Schools Main Elements of Qigong Systems What is zhong Yuan Qigong? Training in Zhong Yuan Qigong Chapter 2. PRACTICE General Principles and Approaches A Base for Practicing Stage One Opening Channels in Fingers and Toes PRELIMINARY EXERCISES First Preliminary Exercise: Child Praying to Buddha Second Preliminary Exercise: Hands of Buddha Observing Images Third Preliminary Exercise: The Sacred (Immortal) Crane Drinking Water ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Forth Preliminary Exercise: The Devine Dragon Stirring Sea Summary of the Preliminary Exercise Questions and Answers MAIN EXERCISES Big Tree Closing Exercises Sensations and Phenomena that Accompany the Big Tree Practice Questions and Answers Refining Qi Closing Exercises Phenomena Experienced During the Refining Qi Exercise Questions and Answers Small Sky Circle or Small Microcosmic Orbit Method One: Small Sky Circle Using Breathing Method Two: Small Sky Circle Using Mind Accompanying Benefits and Phenomena Questions and Answers The State of Qigong SUPPORTING EXERCISES Qigong While Walking Qigong While Sleeping Cleansing, Gathering, and Emitting Qi Cleansing Methods for Bad Qi Collecting Energy Breathing through Points and Channels Methods of Emitting Qi Questions and Answers PART TWO: MEDICAL ASPECTS OF QIGONG Chapter 3. DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT USING HANDS General Principles, Approaches, and Methods Diagnosis with Hands The Basis of Hand Diagnosis Methods and Rules of Diagnosis with Hands Accompanying Phenomena ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Treatment with Hands Review of Methods and Approaches First Method: Eagle’s Claws Plucking Bad Qi Second Method: Draining Bad Qi through Channels Third Method: Supplying Energy or Replenishing Qi Fourth Method: Contact Method How to Protect Yourself from Bad Qi Some Self-Healing Exercises Treating Kidneys Treating the Liver Working with Sight Chapter 4. QIGONG AND FOOD Fasting Therapy and Normalization of Weight About Weight Loss Special Types of Food Transformation of Food Questions and Answers Afterword. QIGONG IN DAILY LIFE How to Practice Twenty-Four Hours a Day How to Practice after a Seminar Summary Questions and Answers about Everything Necessary Conditions for Successful Practice Master’s Wishes APPENDIXES Appendix 1. FEEDBACK FROM SEMINAR ATTENDEES Changes in Perception of the World and One’s Self Therapeutic Effect Development of Various Phenomena Appendix 2. PAGES FROM MASTER’S LIFE Pages from the History of a Family Line Childhood Pages ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

My First Teachers New Stage of Practice Pages of Incidents, or About Life and Death Milestones: Spiritual Practice Milestone Page: All Life is Oneorthe Liberation of the Souls of Native Americans Why I Teach Qigong

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am deeply grateful to Ksenya Medvedev for the effort and care with which she proofread and edited this manuscript. Ksenya’s unique combination of vast subject knowledge and fluency of both Russian and English allowed the preservation of the spirit of this work as well as accuracy of translation. The end result is a book that brings the opportunity to master the foundations of the ancient Chinese art of healing and human development to all readers and Qigong practitioners.

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A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHORS Grand Master Mingtang Xu, professor of TCM, the founder and director of the medical scientific research institute “Kundawell” in Beijing, China and Seattle, USA, executive consulter of Worldwide Chinese Medical federation, vice-president of World Academic Society of Medical Qigong, president of the international foundation “Mingtang”, graduated from Beijing University with a major in software engineering in 1987. He apprenticed at the American Center of Modern Computer Technologies, worked in the software laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and served as a senior specialist at the Special Abilities Research Institute in Beijing. Xu comes from a family of famous surgeons in China’s Hunan Province. Since early childhood, Xu practiced Wushu from his great grandfather and learned Wu Yi, a Chinese form of shamanism, from his grandmother. In his school years, he started to learn spiritual methods of healing and practice with his first teacher, an eighty-year Shaman-woman. This was the beginning of his ZYQ education. After Xu’s first great teacher ascended to the heavens, he was introduced to other teachers (who were her brothers) to continue ZYQ practice. In addition to his technical studies, Xu studied Traditional Chinese Medicine. During his third year of the university, he worked for a hospital as a diagnostician. Since 1998, Xu has run annual international ZYQ retreats in Shaolin. He currently conducts ZYQ seminars and demonstrates healing methods throughout the world. Dr. Tamara Martynova, a board member of the Ukrainian Association of ZYQ and Kiev’s ZYQ Center, coauthor of more than ten ZYQ ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

books, videos, and educational programs. After graduating from Kiev Polytechnic Institute in 1969, she worked till 1998 at the E. O. Paton Institute of Electric Welding of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Martynova also took courses in parapsychology at the Institute of Psychology of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in the eighties. In addition, she served on the board of the A. Popov Scientific-Technical Society of Radio Technology, Electronics, and Communications Specialists, where she taught classes on the extension of consciousness. In 1991, she met Master Xu Mingtang, who introduced her to ZYQ. Deeply impressed by the comprehensive logic of Qigong, she became the first organizer and translator of Xu’s seminars in Ukraine and Russia. In 1995, Dr. Martynova founded the Kiev Association of Qigong and presided over it until 2003. Starting in 1993, she has been teaching ZYQ all over the world, and, from 1998 to date, she has been a regular participant in ZYQ’s annual international retreats held in Shaolin, China.

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PREFACE By opening this book, you take a step into the world of an unusual, uncommon reality. We invite you to take a journey and explore this new world and make it yours. As you proceed, you will evolve into a healthier, happier, and stronger individual. You will find that, as your journey continues, you will gain in talent and emotional balance and will, as a result, emerge a kinder and more tolerant person. For some of you, this material might be familiar and obvious; for others, interesting and unusual. But for the rest of you, it will seem like a wild fantasy, or a dream of unattainable perfection. This third category of people, strange as it may seem, is the most receptive to the exploration of terra incognita. The “First Stage of Ascent” is the basis of Zhong Yuan Qigong, where you are presented with more information and exercises than anywhere else in the system. Do not let the word “First” confuse you, as this stage is the most important one. It establishes the foundation for your initial jump into a deeper knowledge of yourself. It opens the gates to a new reality and allows you to understand that you are a part of the Universe1—a cosmic being. But, first and foremost, you will learn to relax—not only at the physical level, but also in your mind and consciousness. Without relaxing your mind—by no means, an easy task—it is impossible to develop further. Perhaps you have read about other systems and practiced them, but here you will learn the philosophical concepts behind the development of humanity as a species, the connection that human beings have to the Earth2 and the Universe, fundamental principles of self-regulation, and conscious and harmonious interaction with the environment. This foundation will activate the resources for improving your health and allow you to view the world and your place in it in a different light. You will discover additional ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

channels of perception beyond the five known senses, and you will find a completely new method of learning known as knowledge transplantation. You will experience different structures of Qi and be able to regulate them through your consciousness. If you have the courage to step onto this path, you will see the world as it is and yourself as you are. In addition, you will be in close contact with your deep inner world, instead of the superficial environment you live in. As a result, you will be able to see for yourself your evolution into a better human being. Ultimately, only your will and aspiration can make it possible for you to transcend a way of life that dissatisfies you and, at once, jump over onto a new track. Perhaps it’s worth it? You will never know unless you TRY! Tamara Martynova

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FOREWORD TO THE FOURTH RUSSIAN EDITION It has been a little less than ten years since the completion of this book and eight years since the publication of the first edition in the Russian language. During these years, thousands of people from different countries have learned the Zhong Yuan Qigong system and have continued to practice it to improve their health and develop their spirit. Recently released information and other events make us think harder about where humanity is going, the near and distant future, the meaning of Life3—particularly conscious life, the meaning of consciousness, what forms it can take, and what role we are to play in all this. The practice of ZYQ helps us answer these questions and realize our possibilities and goals. In this edition, we present advanced forms of treatment and an expanded series of exercises already known by many people that practice ZYQ, in the light of a new world outlook. Tamara Martynova The purpose of Qigong is to understand what Life is by opening our eyes wider to see our world in a different light. Through this system of knowledge and healing, we can open our hearts to understand the many hidden aspects of the Earth and the Universe. Practicing Qigong can help us realize that all living creatures in the universe constitute a whole, and that the Universe is a living organism of which we are a part. Similarly, our planet Earth is alive, just like us. Qigong helps us understand the relationship between the whole and its individual parts, while enabling us to establish a connection between them. Each living being has its own life span. We often measure the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

lengths of others’ lives against our own. Through the practice of Qigong, we can understand that such comparisons are, by their very nature, limited. They exist only in our world and our imagination. As humans, we have a natural desire to know more about our place in this huge, living Universe. We also want to know the nature of our own individual lives. In order to understand how to maintain good health, we need to comprehend the nature of life and the various forms that it is capable of taking. For this purpose, we can say that Qigong is a branch of science designed to deal with the very notion of Life and its roots. Through its use, the practitioner can enhance the quality of his or her life and look forward to a brighter future. Mingtang Xu

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FOREWORD TO THE FIRST RUSSIAN EDITION An ancient Chinese art aimed at self-healing and psychological training, Qigong was unknown to the Western world for centuries. It was only at the end of the nineteenth century that it found its way to Europe and America. The earliest Qigong practitioners in the West typically preferred to focus purely on the medical aspects of this discipline. The universality and effectiveness of traditional systems of medicine are widely acknowledged today. These systems owe their existence to the efforts of individuals living in different times and places, who discovered that they could revive human homeostasis by using the impact of physical factors on the reflex regulation process. In China, this became the solid philosophical and medical approach that survives to this day in almost unchanged form. Its proponents and practitioners tried to combine the general with the particular, emphasizing the relationship of the whole to its various parts. The body was studied in relation to its living environment and organs within the body, to the organism that hosted them. These methods, known as Cheng Chiu therapy and acupuncture, appeared in Russia in the nineteenth century. However, their systematic study and usage in clinical practice only took hold in the USSR in 1957, after a group of Soviet scientists returned from China with a deeper understanding of acupuncture. They then established acupuncture centers in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Kazan, and Gorky. Currently, methods of Oriental medicine are experiencing a rebirth throughout the world, being widely adopted even in clinical medicine. Today, the term “reflex therapy” is recognized as a separate healing system. This system is based on reflex reactions formed during phylogenesis and ontogenesis. These reactions are realized through nervous and neurohumoral systems, by the stimulation of receptors in the skin, mucus coats, and ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

underlying tissue. This therapy aims to normalize the activities of separate organs within the entire system. Qigong uses the very same concepts. It is based on the same ideas as Chinese folk medicine. It involves the use of energy channels and bioactive points located on the surface of the body. In addition, Qigong follows traditional teachings about Qi, the vital energy that moves in these channels; the interactions of two opposite forces, Yin and Yang; and teachings about the five arch-elements (Wu-Xing), among other things. The difference between reflex therapy and Qigong is that the latter does not make use of needles, moxa cigars, or other applications. Instead, it uses welldefined static or dynamic poses, special breathing, self-massage, and imagination. During the last two decades, the effectiveness of Qigong has made it increasingly popular in many countries. The establishment of the World Academic Society of Medical Qigong and a Fourth International Conference organized by this society (September 1998, Beijing) provide testimony to its continuing success. Contained within this book are the history, philosophy, and methods of the Zhong Yuan Qigong system. These are explained in intelligible language, for the benefit of a wider audience. Reading this book does not require any special knowledge. The book is highly recommended for general readers wishing to acquaint themselves with this ancient system while trying to learn modern methods of self-regulation. In addition, this book can serve as a manual for studying under the supervision of professionals in this field. E. L. Macheret, Professor at Kiev State Medical University, Corresponding Member of Ukrainian AMS, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine, Laureate of State Prize of Ukraine, Chief Specialist for Reflex Therapy of Ukrainian Ministry of Health

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WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMERS This book is intended for general readers as an introduction to the system and for people who are graduates of the Zhong Yuan Qigong seminars and workshops and practice the system. Although extremely unlikely, the exercises described in this book may cause excessive stress in some individuals. Please consult your doctor and stay under his or her supervision, especially if you suffer from mental or cardiovascular diseases. Neither the authors nor the publishers are responsible for any health problems that could occur as the result of incorrect practice, such as overextending the duration of the exercises, improperly selecting certain exercises, and misinterpreting the instructions.

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INTRODUCTION For many centuries, Qigong has been seen as an ancient Chinese art of health improvement and self-regulation, capable of helping people overcome illness, prolong life, gain physical and spiritual strength, and develop a deeper knowledge of the world around them. A way of life in its own right, it has been an essential part of Chinese culture and philosophy since ancient times. It has helped people achieve harmony, gain serenity, and grow in wisdom. Until recently, the practice of Qigong was a secretive affair. It was mostly restricted to schools associated with various clans, families, monasteries, and other such organizations. Slowly, however, over a period of hundreds of years, increased interaction between these schools led to exchanges of ideas and knowledge. By the middle of the twentieth century, researchers began to closely examine the goals and methods of a few Qigong schools. However, the practices of most schools continued to remain closed. The Healing school of Qigong proved an exception, but only to a limited degree. Even with such scant information, however, Qigong methods for fighting illness and strengthening body and spirit appeared so effective that they began to attract the attention of the Western scientific establishment. This interest led to the establishment of various scientific, medical, and learning centers throughout America and Western Europe and, eventually, to the establishment of the World Academic Society of Medical Qigong. The therapeutic methods of Qigong began to grow in popularity worldwide. The West was growing increasingly closer to the East. This dialogue might have been initiated by the West; however, it flourished due to the consent and participation of the East. Qigong itself includes numerous small and large well-known schools. You can find among them lesser-known branches and training methods that help us become smarter and wiser. They guide us in our quest to ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

understand our inner and outer worlds. They help us reflect on what it means to be human. They enable us to explore the past, present, and future development of humanity. They answer the question of where we have come from. Zhong Yuan Qigong (ZYQ) is such an ancient practice. This school represents the highest levels of Qigong. It forms a solid system of knowledge and methods designed to allow us to normalize our physical and mental state, increase creativity, and foster spiritual growth. It helps us to leap from an ordinary state into the state of a human with special abilities that lead to the development of individual and evolution of human race. ZYQ includes elements from most other schools of Qigong. This eclecticism frees it from any set of religious beliefs or ideological goals. As a result, it is acceptable to people of all religious persuasions. The system is based on fundamental elements common to all living organisms, such as energy channels, biologically active points (BAPs), and Yin-Yang theory. Its learn-and-master process does not require any changes in dietary patterns, pace of living, or work habits. Its primary concern is the improvement of health. It is only after this has been achieved that it focuses on the development of special abilities. Its exercises are suitable for people of all ages—from children to the elderly. The practice of this system helps people become immune to stress, and achieve inner balance, optimism and, of course, good health. Many elements of Qigong practice are similar to those used in other healing and spiritual traditions on different continents of our planet. Perhaps they all have their roots in the same universal knowledge; the same, because there are the same laws of physics, physiology, and biochemistry that govern all living beings on our Earth. Perhaps in the future, we will discover the same knowledge in other regions of the Earth. For now, however, we should be happy that we have a ready-to-use, time-tested system that offers us an invaluable opportunity to evolve physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is an opportunity that we would do well to take! We have been given a chance, so let’s try not to miss it.

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IF R. Kipling If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting, too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!” ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

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HOW I DISCOVERED QIGONG AND WHY WE NEED IT I studied software engineering at the very famous Xian Jiaotong University, and continued my education as a postgraduate student at Beijing University, graduating with flying colors. After that, I was trained for two years at the American Center of Modern Computer Technologies. Upon graduation, I started my software-programming career at the Center of Programming in the Academy of Sciences in China. I have since changed my path and am now totally devoted to Qigong and everything related to it. In contrast, my fellow students are now successful professionals, employed in prestigious positions around the world. People often ask me, “What was the reason behind your change of profession and way of life? How did your transformation take place?” It is hard to answer these questions because the paths of our lives begin early and form gradually, little by little. Often, we cannot identify their beginnings, just as we cannot see the part of an iceberg that is underwater. We often notice only those things that are clearly visible on the surface, and even then, we have difficulty defining them. We live in a particular world, surrounded by a particular environment. We might live sixty, seventy, or even a hundred years, and then all of us will die. Our lives are usually monotonous. We work, eat, and sleep. Sometimes, we have fun; often, we face problems. As I tried to analyze my life and the lives of those around me, I began to think of how humans neglect their own development, and the suffering they incur as a result. This seemed particularly true in the case of my grandfather, grandmother, and their parents. In the end, what did they leave behind, apart from materials and memories for their families and closest friends? If you think about this, you will realize that most of our lives fit this pattern. Since the very beginning, humans have had to work for food, clothing, and shelter. Now, however, conditions allow us to do more than just ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

work. Today, apart from work, we can do things that we enjoy and that give us satisfaction. Many people have hobbies. However, have you ever wondered what exactly one gains from a hobby? I began my involvement with Kung-fu in childhood, in the best traditions of Shaolin, and I continued this while attending university. But at a certain point, I asked myself, “What will this give me?” What, in general, can any hobby or sport give us when we are old? Let us say a person becomes an Olympic champion, and then, a famous coach who authors a book as a respected specialist. What happens, however, when a trauma forces the coach to switch professions? What exactly does the sport do for the coach when the coach must give it up? This led me to the conclusion that I could play sports for pleasure, or use them to improve my health. However, if we perceive hobbies and sports as a direction for our lives, if we try to use them to fill our lives with meaning and purpose, something is missing. For this reason, I did not see hobbies or sports as a way of life, as a way to perfect myself as a human being with body and soul. In addition, during this period, while apprenticing at the American Center of Modern Computer Technologies, I started asking myself the same questions about work as I had asked about sports. I still could not understand the deeper significance of my involvement in a computer-related profession. Of course, there is the fact that we can perform serious calculations. We can also model natural and human processes that advance theories and have practical applications. We can create learning software and games. However, are such business-related goals relevant to the meaning of our lives? If so, then I did not fully understand the software and computertechnology business. I therefore began to have serious doubts and questions. Did I have to waste my entire life limiting myself to mere professional perfection? It was at this point that I started delving deeper into Qigong practice, so that I could analyze my life and surroundings and rethink my experiences and knowledge. I asked myself three questions: How do I develop myself? How do I get to know myself? How do I see my future? With these questions in mind, I started spending more time practicing Qigong. Outside my professional life, I used every opportunity at my disposal to pursue this new calling. Finally, certain Qigong exercises guided me to the path I needed to take—the path of self-realization. It appears that throughout the duration of our development, we ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

create and develop external methods for learning about things. We connect to the world through such objects as glasses, contact lenses, microscopes, telescopes, radios, televisions, food processors, and cars—in other words, external devices, external tools, and external methods. As in everyday life, in science, in technology, and in medicine, we typically develop externally, but don’t know how to proceed from there. The reason for our inability to move ahead is that we don’t spend enough time focusing on our inner development. We, as humans, are very precise and sensitive, more so than anything else that exists. We use our brains, knowledge, and wisdom to deal with the external world, but we often neglect the use of these in dealing with ourselves. If we could somehow overcome this negligence, our lives on earth would be of greater value to everything that lives and breathes. I have met many specialists and scientists who, in their later years, were concerned about how to teach the youth all that they had discovered in their long lives. Upon aging, they realized that life was too short, and that they didn’t spend enough of it studying themselves. Their careers took up most of their time. Did you know that many scientists, such as Newton, Mendeleyev, and others, asked questions in their older years, such as: Does God exist? What force moves the earth? Where does natural law come from? How can we know more about this law? In what direction should we move to learn more about our world? What happens after we die? Is death the end or a beginning? If people lived long and understood a great deal, where does all their knowledge go after their death? What will happen if a person dies not due to old age, but disease? Can we prevent that? What preventative measures can we take? When people are young and full of energy, they feel like masters of the earth, capable of doing many things. They tend to look to the future and not to think about the past. However, time goes by quickly, causing them to understand the limitations of their abilities. Then with age, they begin to fall ill. No one wants this to happen, but such is life. As a rule, many people, after their fortieth birthday, start to realize that it is time to take care of their health. Due to the fact that all of us have a physical body, we cannot avoid being sick. Very often, illness brings big problems and troubles, not only to the ones who are sick but also to their family and friends. Therefore, sickness causes people to suffer due to their pain as well as their dependency ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

on others. Since ancient times it was believed that the first cause of suffering was disease. The second was old age. Everyone wants to be young, full of energy, and healthy. Unfortunately, old age comes to everybody; it is unavoidable. Death, too, cannot be avoided, and it is the expectation of this that is the third cause of suffering. The fourth4 is birth. Why, after all, does a baby cry when it is born? Perhaps because coming from a habitual environment into our world is uncomfortable. When a person starts to realize that he does not have much longer to live, he turns his eyes to the past, when everything was supposedly clear. He sees no value in looking to the future, because for him, the future is death. What next, he asks himself? It is now that he begins to understand that he doesn’t know very much about the meaning of life. He muses and contemplates several questions: how does one prolong life and youth? How does one find out what happens after death? What is the soul and what happens to it after leaving the body? Are you afraid of death? Indeed, everyone knows that death is unavoidable, that we all have to die some day. It is not that important to believe or not believe in God and an afterlife. It is more important to get your own experience and knowledge of what death is while you are still living, as this is the only way you won’t fear it. It is our fear of the unknown that causes us to fear death. Our triumph lies in overcoming our ignorance in this matter and using the knowledge gained, based on own experience, to control the process of dying. The time and manner of our birth, on the other hand, are beyond our control; they do not depend on us. However, we can control the manner and time in which we die, through very special knowledge and practice. What is the meaning of Life? Individuals must find that out for themselves. After that, they will clearly understand what the world is, what the Universe is. Furthermore, if they understand where they came from and where they will go after death, they will be able to understand who they are. When people understand their true nature in this manner, they will no longer be upset about the years they have wasted or frittered away purposelessly because they will know themselves and their lives as part of the past, the future, and the entire Universe. All beings living on Earth pass through suffering, whether they are rich or poor. It is important to understand the relationship between events, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

to evaluate your emotional state, and to learn from every situation the valuable lessons that contribute to your development. Qigong is the instrument, the tool, that will teach you to revitalize yourself by getting rid of diseases. Qigong provides ways to help you comprehend, fully, your world and see yourself as a part of the entire Universe. It shows you the path to happiness—happiness from existence, happiness from mutual understanding, happiness from conscious selection of the Path; simply happiness. That is why when people ask me what Qigong is and why we need to study it, I sometimes ask in reply: “Why do people go to the theater? Why do people go to concerts?” These are the places where they can connect to art. As a result, they acquire something—knowledge, comfort, and perhaps, happiness. Similarly, Qigong is the art of self-development, and this is the highest level of art. With Qigong, we gain knowledge on how to develop as we tread the Path. As a result, this kind of Path is of interest to everyone. Qigong practice helps us throughout our lives; it becomes a part of us. We don’t retain forever our everyday experiences, such as the cinema or the theater. With Qigong, on the other hand, everything we learn, acquire, and practice stays with us forever. The normal states of happiness experienced by a person have nothing to do with the happiness received from Qigong practice. This happiness has a different feeling. You will see that it has two phases. If you ever experience this phase of happiness, you will want it to remain with you forever. It is also very important to know that by practicing Qigong, you will develop, complete yourself, and attain unity and wholeness. You will gain wisdom, knowledge, and skills. These benefits have nothing to do with age. If you have reached your senior years, you will be able to do more than what a typical senior person is able to do. You will always have an interest in living and you will not be tied to your physical body. Up to the last minute, you will have the energy to fulfill your purpose, and you yourself will be able to decide when to leave your body. Xu Mingtang ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. William Shakespeare Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature. St. Augustine People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars.... and they pass by themselves without wondering. St. Augustine The idols of the tribe are inherent in human nature, and the very tribe or race of man. For man's sense is falsely asserted to be the standard of things. On the contrary, all the perceptions, both of the senses and the mind, bear reference to man, and not to the universe, and the human mind resembles those uneven mirrors, which impart their own properties to different objects, from which rays are emitted, and distort and disfigure them. Francis Bacon Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them. Marcus Aurelius

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Zhong Yuan Qigong is a simple science of life. Xu Mingtang

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PART ONE THEORY AND PRACTICE

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Chapter 1: ORIGINS, PHILOSOPHY, METHODOLOGY WHAT IS QIGONG?

There is no easy way to translate the word Qigong. Western languages do not have an equivalent term for it. In Chinese, it is the combination of two characters or hieroglyphs: Qi and Gong. First, let us explore the meaning of Qi.

What Is Qi? Usually, the term Qi is translated into other languages as energy, but in Chinese it has a much wider and deeper meaning; it is a huge conception. Different dictionaries of Chinese hieroglyphs list from ten to thirty words, apart from energy, associated with the concept of Qi including air, atmosphere, weather, climate, gas, gaseous matter, fog, emotional strength, power, and life force. How, then, can we understand the meaning of Qi? To understand this concept, we first need to obtain some information through our senses to process and analyze. In order to do this, we will examine some characteristics of Qi and their connection to humans and the environment, as well as the conditions necessary for healthy living. The Chinese traditionally refer to Qi as air. When we inhale, we take in oxygen. Therefore, by inhaling, we breathe in Qi, as Qi also refers to oxygen. By continually inhaling and exhaling Qi, we share our Qi with our environment. Breathing affects our health. Problems with breathing, therefore, relate to problems with health. If people breathe irregularly, inhaling quickly and exhaling ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

slowly, they will probably not live long. Some illnesses, like asthma and heart disease, reduce the duration of inhalation relative to exhalation Therefore, it is clear that one should seek to increase the duration of inhalation and shorten the exhalation. However, these adjustments are not enough, because health also depends on air quality, which in turn means Qi quality. If the air is dirty, if Qi quality is poor, then further problems seem unavoidable. The body needs clean air with sufficient amounts of oxygen in it. Tibet, for instance, has clean air with no harmful pollutants. However, because of Tibet’s high altitude, the air is low in oxygen. As a result, it is difficult to breathe. Oxygen levels affect the quality of one’s blood, which in turn affects the health of cells within the body—especially heart and brain cells. Oxygen deficiency increases body fatigue and decreases mental alertness. Furthermore, Qi does not only refer to air, but also to the weather and temperature. High temperatures lead to an increase in energy levels, while low temperatures cause these levels of Qi to decrease. As a result, energy levels vary from season to season, depending on the weather. To attain good health, energy balance must be achieved and maintained. All forms of life form close connections to the energy of the Universe. Thus, everything that lives and breathes, plant or animal, changes, often dramatically, from one season to the next and in different climatic conditions. Western calendars divide the year into four seasons: summer, fall, winter, and spring. In contrast, the Chinese calendar divides the year into twenty-four seasons. Master’s Story As a result of the Chinese calendar having twenty-four seasons, the Chinese have twenty-four levels of energy or Qi. The many divisions in their calendar allow for many categories of seasons—for example, hot, extremely hot, cold, chilly, and a season of very severe frost. For countless centuries, the Chinese people have worked their farms and led their lives in accordance with these many seasons. The information on seasons and energy gives people guidance on what plants to plant and when, when to harvest, and how to behave during extreme cold and heat. Health, too, is connected to weather conditions, and the twenty-four levels of Qi that they produce. In wintertime, for example, many people catch colds and coughs; while in spring, many people suffer ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

strokes. Why does this happen? In winter, when it is cold, the level of Qi energy is low. Low energy affects lungs and causes people to cough. Spring, when everything starts to grow, is characterized by the presence of wood energy. According to the Wu-Xing (five elements) theory, the liver belongs to the Wood element. If too much energy enters an unhealthy liver, the excess energy goes to the brain, where it may cause a stroke. Many people in Moscow suffer from high blood pressure. However, if they go on vacation to Spain’s seaside with its warm water and humid climate, their blood pressure becomes normal. So, instead of taking medicine, people sometimes improve their health by choosing to live in a different climate. Several friends of mine in China suffered from asthma, but when they came to California, their asthma disappeared. Why? Their weather and climate changed. In the United States, a lot of people suffer from allergies, particularly to dairy products and cereals. However, some Americans get rid of these allergies when they travel to China. Many people have noticed that in some places, they feel active, fresh, and brisk, while in other places they are tired, uncomfortable, nervous, and simply not themselves. Furthermore, people who suffer from chronic disease know that in particular seasons and under certain weather conditions, their diseases worsen. This is the result of the quality of the external energy. Specifically, this occurs with people who have arthritis, including its rheumatoid form. As a rule, these people sense future changes in weather much earlier than meteorologists. From our own experience with these conditions, we can see and feel the effects of Qi on our life and health. When we talk about weather and climate, we are talking about external, naturally occurring conditions. We understand what happens when it is hot or cold outside. However, what can we say about ourselves, about the manifestation and flow of our own energy, our inner Qi? First, we can take our temperature and judge, by the results, our energy level at that precise moment in time. It has been proven that the normal temperature for the human body is in the range of 36° C (96.8° F) to 37° C (98.6° F). However, inside the body, different parts and organs have their own temperatures. For example, the heart’s temperature is higher than that of the kidneys. Under the influence of the environment, the temperature of the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

various parts and organs of the body can vary. If you catch a cold, your body temperature can suddenly rise above 40° C (104° F). When this happens, you have more energy than in normal conditions. Therefore, you need to lower your temperature. Our health is connected to our energy balance. Healthy people are energetic. Their hands and feet feel warm to them. If people have problems, they sense a change in their levels of energy. If they have too much energy, their temperature rises; if they have too little energy, they feel weak and apathetic. We need to understand that if we feel ill and our temperature rises, there is something wrong with our health. Oftentimes, sickness is not connected to the entire body; it might be connected to some part of the body or some organ. If a body part or organ is infected or inflamed, you will feel the temperature rise in that area – it becomes hot. If you injure yourself, the temperature can rise only in the injured spot and not throughout the entire body. After some time, this spot might swell. Then, if you touch it with your hands, you may feel that the temperature of that area is higher than that of the surrounding tissue. In this case, you need to decrease the temperature of the given location. Sometimes, however, one experiences the opposite condition, when a part of our body feels colder than others. As a rule, we are used to ignoring this. However, this coldness can indicate an energetic disorder and problems in the body. You have probably noticed that when you are tired, when the energy level is low, you might feel chilly, or your limbs might become cold. As a rule, these feelings of coldness occur there where there is a problem with energy and blood circulation. Therefore, Qi is a substance which exists in each point of the universe. It comprises the three following components: Material, Energy, and Information. Modern devices can measure the first two, but the third one can be detected only indirectly, through its influence on certain objects. In addition, there is an internal Qi, an external Qi, an individual Qi, and a cosmic Qi. There is also a type of Qi that exists in humans from birth (prenatal Qi) and another types that humans can receive from the environment (Qi of mountains, Qi of water, etc.), which can subsequently be accumulated and spent.

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What is Gong? Gong is the action or work that needs to be done to control and manage Qi energy. This requires considerable time and effort, as well as a specific speed. We can say Gong is a way of measuring Qi. Therefore, based on the translation of Chinese characters, Qigong refers to the art of using and transforming Qi energy taken from the environment. But, in the broader sense, Qigong is the art of maintaining normal health. It is a science, a philosophy, a way of thinking. Qigong is, all in all, a method of exchanging energy and information with the surrounding world and communicating with the entire Universe.

What is Kung-Fu? The term Kung-fu usually refers to the time and effort spent in attaining mastery in Qigong. This includes proficiency in methods of accumulating energy, transforming it and controlling it. Kung-fu also refers to the “reaching of a limit” in any noble activity involving the understanding of the mysteries of the Universe and the attainment of harmony with universal laws. Physics explains the meaning of Kung-fu differently: A = F x S, where (A) is Work or Applied effort, (F) is Force, and (S) Distance. Furthermore, S = V x t, where (V) is Velocity (or Speed) and (t) is Time. Therefore, Kung-fu is defined by three factors: force, speed, and time. In Qigong, force has a special meaning. Force is the work or effort needed for the mastering of Qigong. It is the persistence of students during practice. However, most exercises in Qigong systems, including ZYQ, represent specific postures involving relaxation of body and concentration of mind. This is also known as Quiet Qigong. Thus, the force of Qigong is a quiet force. This quiet force comes from the heart, or from the cells of the body. It connects us to the environment and the Universe. It allows us to ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

practice Quiet Qigong for long periods of time (hours, days, months, years) without any movement. But we will talk more about this later. Naturally, speed represents how fast a person masters Qigong, while time represents the length of the practice sessions. Therefore, the quality of practice depends on three factors: force, speed, and time. If the method is weak or if there is no experienced teacher who can correct errors and point a student in the right direction, then the student can go on practicing for years or even a lifetime with little or no improvement. In this case, Kung-fu would be equal to zero and the practice would be unproductive. Sometimes the speed of a person’s progress is very rapid. The student assimilates everything easily, the teacher is good, and the method is suitable. In such cases, however, if the time devoted to practice is too little, changes in one’s energy levels and body do not occur. Therefore, Kung-fu in such situations would also be equal to zero. Consequently, persistence and systematic training under the supervision of a qualified and experienced teacher are absolutely essential for success.

QIGONG MOVEMENTS AND SCHOOLS The roots of Qigong art go back several millennia. According to some sources, Qigong systems have been in existence for over five thousand years. An intensive period of development might have occurred as early as the reign of the Yellow Emperor, Huang Di, before 2500 BC. There are different movements and schools within Qigong. They differ in terms of purpose and method of practice. Traditionally, since the middle of the twentieth century, they have been divided into Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist, Healing (or Medicinal), and Martial Arts (or school of Boxing).

The Confucian Movement Confucius (551–479 BC) (Picture 1a) was a founder of a philosophy centered on social ethics. Later, his ideas formed the Confucian ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

school. Confucian practice was directed toward the regulation of consciousness, the expulsion of emotions, the nurturing of moral characteristics, and the perfection of one’s personality for the benefit of society. The followers of this school were required to attain a state of selfcontrol, calm, and quiet. Temples dedicated to Confucius are located in many regions of China. The main temple is situated near the burial site of Confucius in the center of the district town of Qufu in Shandong Province (Picture 2a). All official ceremonies in honor of Confucius take place there. In Henan Province, twenty kilometers (twelve miles) from the Shaolin Monastery, on the outskirts of Danfeng, one comes across Confucius’s original school and a tree he planted (Picture 2c). The library, classroom (with the original chairs), and living quarters have been preserved in reconstructed form. Among the buildings, there is an ancient well and a yard for contemplation and discussions. (Pictures 2b, 2d).

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Picture 1: Originators of Main Qigong Schools (a) Confucius, (b) Lao Tzu, (c) Bodhidharma (Damo), (d) Buddha Gautama

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Picture 2: Places Associated with Confucius (a) Temple of Confucius (Shandong Province), (b) Well in the School of Confucius (Henan Province), (c) A tree Planted by Confucius, (d) Yard for Discussions

The Taoist Movement The Taoist movement is a genuine part of ancient Chinese culture. Many specialists think that Taoism came into existence about five thousand years ago through various cults, beliefs, and philosophical concepts. It became a unified body of learning in approximately the third century BC. The central concept of Taoism is Tao. The notion of the Tao was ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

first introduced in the treatise Tao Te Ching by Lao-tzu (fifth to fourth century BC), the world-famous thinker and philosopher. In deep meditation, Lao-tzu (Picture 1b) saw what we now could call the origin of the Universe and the way of its evolution. He did not know what to call what he saw, so he gave it the name Tao. He said that the Universe originated from Tao. Later he wrote, “The Tao that can be described in words is not the true Tao.” The true meaning of this expression reflects the great vastness of the Universe and the countless laws and rules that govern it, which we cannot describe with our limited vocabulary. Moreover, since the Universe changes every moment, we can only obtain relative knowledge, but not the absolute Truth about it. This is the reason why Taoism tries to devise a method for understanding the Tao without concentrating on anything specific. This way, one can understand it through one’s own mind. In addition, his statement, “if we can describe the Tao in words, then that is not the true Tao” means that we should follow but not speak about the Tao. That is why the concept of the Tao is translated simply as “the Path.”5 To follow the Path or the Tao is to follow nature. If we look at the Tao from the standpoint of ancient Chinese culture, then its philosophy also comes from hieroglyphs and their writing order (Picture 3). The inscribed character visually depicts the movement of a head. In other words, the Tao refers to the moving of the head and not of the feet. Therefore, the Tao is the path of the head and not the of the feet. The philosophical meaning of the combined characters can be interpreted in the following way: humans are creations of the Universe and belong to it; therefore, human development must proceed in accordance with the general laws of the Universe. Throughout their existence, humans must change and constantly move toward the understanding of the fact that the Universe is One, and that everything in it is connected. The laws and rules of the Universe are the same for all forms of life. Humans, as a part of the Universe, must have a clear understanding of these laws and rules. They must be followed by every person and by society as a whole. When humans realize these things and accept them into their hearts, they will become as harmonious and complete as the Universe. They will be able to function anywhere in the universe, at any point of space and time, carrying out, simultaneously, their human and cosmic tasks. In light of the above-mentioned explanation, the Tao is the Path, the way of development for all that exists, for all life forms. Those along the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Path proceed from simple existence to a state of realization, followed by an understanding of the World and Life. This process culminates in illumination. This is why the art of teaching in this field can be called Tao-teaching. Tao The left part of the character means “to go“ or “movement.“ The horizontal line means “the entire world“ or “the whole Cosmos“. The two little lines above it say that Cosmos consist of two parts—Yin and Yang. The lower right block means “me myself,“ and the entire right side means “head.“

Picture 3: How to Understand Tao

In general, the concept of the Tao is very wide and very deep. In Taoism, we are given the method of understanding the Tao without concentrating our minds on something specific, so that we can embrace it through our own perception, our own experience, our own mind and consciousness. Master’s Story Nowadays we can say that, in general, “Tao” is a very common word: any type of road, pathway, or track is known as Tao; this is the visible Tao. Then we have the Tao that refers to the Way of human Life; that is, the invisible Tao. That is why here we mean, on the one hand, the way of our own life, the Tao of the world, i.e., the Tao of nature and the Tao of the universe. In terms of Nature and the Universe, the Tao also refers to the way of their development; for us, however, it manifests in the form of Laws or Principles of the Universe. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Each of us represents a small universe (microcosm) that is part of a larger universe governed by laws and rules, which we must follow and obey. This is the reason why, for us, the Way of the Universe, the Way of Nature’s development, is Tao. Moreover, our Way must be in accordance with the Way of the surrounding world. By Tao, we mean the unity of the Way of the Universe and human development. Accordingly, our journey along the Life Path must be in accordance with the larger universal Way. Now, there are many books, the names of which contain the word “Tao”; for example, “Tao acupuncture,” “Tao of food preparation,” “Tao of business.” Originally, the books of Lao-tzu referred to a very specific Tao: the Tao of humans and the Tao of the Universe. Since ancient times, the Chinese have contemplated the various components, or stages, of the life path. There are many books on the Tao of humans, covering a wide range of subtopics such as how to communicate with people around you, how to be healthy, how to manage business or politics, and much more. These encompass each and every sphere of human existence, including the Tao of self-development. When Lao-tzu wrote about Tao, he did not itemize that concept in respect to its various aspects; he did not speak separately about life, business, politics, or health. Instead, he presented the whole picture. Moreover, because Lao-tzu’s books covered various aspects of our lives, they are still studied by representatives of different professions. They present a generic picture of human activities, existence, and life. Lao-tzu expressed even his most abstract, complex philosophical concepts in a very simple and clear way. When we read his writings in light of our knowledge and experience, we understand how useful they are for us. Consider, for example, his writings on water. Lao-tzu observed the movement of water in different situations and came to a number of interesting philosophical conclusions. He wrote that water is very soft, never fights anything, and never resists anything. Furthermore, it always flows downward. However, this is only one facet of water. From another point of view, water permeates and feeds everything. Through this example, Lao-tzu illustrates that it is possible to have a beneficial impact on the world around you without being aggressive or forceful. In spite of its seemingly passive nature, Lao-tzu observed, water is far from weak or soft. To illustrate this point, he described a rock near his house. Every day, water would drip on it. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

After a while, the water pierced a hole in the rock. Through this example, Lao-tzu illustrates that tolerance and flexibility do not mean weakness. In other words, if you are tolerant of others, it does not mean that you are weak. We need to understand the way of thinking and the philosophies of ancient thinkers. They taught people many things, but the most important one was the principle of continuous, constant change. They showed that everything changes and taught people to follow the changes in one’s life that occur in this World. How Can We Understand De? The term Taoism, which has been in common use for a long time, appeared at the very beginning of the first century AD following the union of the teachings about Tao and De (De is a benevolent force that supports good deeds), the philosophy of Yin-Yang, the concept of the spirit Shen, and the doctrine of immortality. Taoism is characterized by the tradition of “inner-alchemy” practice. The dominant feature of the Taoist movement is the training of body and mind simultaneously. The training of mind includes a method of practice that allows you to achieve silence of mind and a state of Qigong, which we will discuss later. The strengthening of the physical body and prolongation of life are intended to allow us to understand the meaning of life and master the methods used, over centuries, to develop the human soul and grow spiritually. This is the reason why these methods give equal attention to the physical and the spiritual, combining physical exercises, nature observation, meditation, and surrender of the self to the Tao. The first Taoist temple is located in Beijing and is called “The Temple of the White Cloud” (Picture 4a). It is often called the Temple of Lao-tzu, although Taoism was developed and cultivated in the Wudang Mountains (Pictures 4 c–e).

The Buddhist Movement The Buddhist movement of Qigong is very similar to the Taoist one. It was also introduced at the beginning of the first century AD as the result of the penetration of Buddhism into China from India. Buddhism is the one of the world’s most ancient known ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

religions.6 Christianity is younger than Buddhism by five centuries; Islam, by twelve. The founder of Buddhism is Prince Siddhartha Gautama (Picture 1d) of the Shakya nation, who lived in the fifth century BC in the Ganges River Valley. When he became a wandering hermit, he was given the title of Shakyamuni (“Hermit of the Shakya Nation”), and later Buddha, meaning “the enlightened one.” For forty years, he traveled around the villages along the Ganges River, preaching, performing miracles, and attracting disciples to the Buddhist path. He passed away at the age of eighty, an event which Buddhists call “the great passing into Nirvana.” There is a belief that the Buddha came to Earth again after an infinite number of reincarnations to show humanity the way, including the means to rid oneself of suffering. The way of salvation in Buddhism is universal for all people, regardless of their social environment, material possessions, status, ethnicity, education, or level of development. Scholars of Buddhism believe that all of the aforementioned features allowed Buddhism to become a universal religion, spreading as it did from India to many countries.

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Picture 4: Temples (a) Taoist White Cloud Temple (Lao Tzu Temple) in Beijing, (b) Temple of Buddha’s Tooth in Beijing, (c-e) Taoist Temples in Wudang Mountains

Master’s Story When Shakyamuni was going to leave this world and pass into another one, all his advanced disciples gathered around him to receive farewell words. They asked him to give them his final advice on what to do. Shakyamuni spread his arms open, pointed to the surrounding world, and did ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

not say a word. One disciple did not understand that gesture and asked Shakyamuni to summarize his teachings of the last forty years. Shakyamuni answered that he had taught nothing and said nothing. What did he mean by that? At the end of his life, Shakyamuni understood the world very deeply and extensively. Compared to his understanding, everything he had said to his disciples was insignificant. It is when we widen our range of perception that we receive most of our knowledge from and about the world around us. As a result, we can obtain a completely different range of vision and a panoramic view. Furthermore, since the Universe changes every moment, what we perceive is limited and what we know is relative. Shakyamuni knew and understood the fact that everything, including people, changes. There is nothing permanent in this world. Everything he said in the past covered the past, not the future. Therefore, he could not allow his disciples to keep in mind anything constant and without change. Thus, he could not tell them what to do. Through his methods, Shakyamuni tried to encourage his disciples to receive enlightenment by understanding the world through their own experiences and channels of perception. His teachings showed the way that guided him to enlightenment: hermitage, suffering, life-long meditation, and deep knowledge. In Chinese culture, Buddhism and Taoism are very close and coexist very well. They do not oppose each other, but focus on different methods of practice. For example, Buddhists concentrate more on nature and, as opposed to Taoists, neglect the state of their physical body. In Buddhism, meditation incorporates thousands of methods that are based on the experiences of numerous monks and that originate from diverse schools of thought. It is said that, in Buddhism, there are 84,000 methods of practice. Should we learn one method every day? How many years would it take to learn them all? Taoism has fewer methods—only 3,600. At the rate of one method a day, it would take ten years to learn them all. As opposed to Taoists, Buddhists consider life to be a chain of suffering and an endless embodiment of the wheel of reincarnation. They believe that only continuous perfection can help overcome karma, achieve enlightenment, and attain the State of Buddhahood. Buddhism perceives the world of material reality and appearances as an illusion. That is why the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Buddhist method of study is directed toward the regulation of the emotional state, contemplation, and dissolution of mind in the “absolute truth.” After Gautama Buddha’s ritual cremation, his ashes were split between the tribes with whom he communicated during his life, and ritual sites were set up to house the remains. Some of the most sacred relics of Buddhism are the teeth of the Buddha. To preserve them, the temples of Buddha’s tooth were built in India, Sri-Lanka, and China (Picture 4b). There are many Buddhist temples in China. One of the three most important buildings devoted to Buddhism is Longmen Grottoes (or “Dragon’s Gate”) in Henan Province (Picture 5). Its construction started at the end of the fifth century AD. It took over four hundred years to build. In the past, it was a cave monastery. There, in the sandstone mountain, the two thousand natural and manmade caves contain more than a hundred thousand stone statues of the Buddha, his beloved disciples, and heavenly guardians, along with two thousand high reliefs, pictures, and texts, some of which deal with the subject of curing diseases. Today, it is a treasure of Chinese medicine, a unique center for tours and pilgrimage. There are several main branches of Buddhism. In China, a special position is held by the Chan school. Chan (meditation, contemplation) is known in the West as Zen Buddhism (Japanese variation). It appeared in the fifth century BC. Its basic idea is not gradual perfection, but sudden enlightenment, instant illumination. However, the preparation for this takes a long time and consists of sitting meditations (a passive form); dialogues where masters ask disciples questions that have no logical answers (an active form, or coan); and the practice of martial arts. The founder of Chan Buddhism was the Indian prince Bodhidharma, also known as Damo, who is worshiped as a Buddha (Pictures 1c, 6).

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Picture 5: Longmen Grottoes (The Dragon Gates)

Picture 6: Bodhidharma (Damo) (a, b) “White Buddha”—the White Marble Statue (c) Entrance to Damo’s Cave

Master’s Story One-and-a-half thousand years ago, Damo, a follower of Buddhism, a monk, and a prince by birth, went from India to China to spread Buddhism. In those days, Buddhist monks usually visited China by the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Emperor’s invitation. When Damo reached the southern part of China, he met the Emperor who, however, had no interest in him. Therefore, Damo went further north to travel around the country. He visited many places before he reached the central region of China (now Henan Province, where thousands of years earlier, the ZYQ system came into being). There, he sensed a powerful energy, and he stayed there to continue his spiritual development. Damo spent nine years in a cave practicing, meditating, and learning. Having integrated Buddhism with Indian philosophy and ZYQ, he brought it to his disciples and followers. This is how the Chinese system of Chan appeared. In the Chan system, it is necessary to sit motionless for a long time. However, this mode of practice is not recommended for people who are not in the best of health. Alternatively, continuous static practice without sufficient physical movement makes one weak. Hence, Damo, while practicing in the cave, combined the Chan system with the local practice of Kung-fu. As a result, many exercises connected with kung-f methods prevalent in that region appeared in the Chan system. Similarly, many aspects of spiritual practice connected with the Chan system, including its philosophy, appeared in the Kung-fu system. Damo achieved the highest level of mastery in the science of healing, and learned to see and understand the connections between things. There are many legends about him, all of which have a deeper meaning, including the following one: Damo loved to sit under a tree and watch people walk by. He could see their diseases and often offered to help them. One day, a very important military commander passed by the tree where Damo was sitting. Damo looked at him and said, “You have a very serious disease, and if you do not take care of it right now, you will die in nine days. But I can cure you.” However, the military commander did not feel sick. That’s why when Damo (an unremarkable commoner) addressed him (such a great and honorable person), he felt offended and beat Damo up. Then Damo said, “You have wasted too much energy and emotion. Now, you have only three days left to live, but I can still cure you.” The military commander became further enraged with this pauper’s words and beat him up again. Then, Damo continued: “Now all you have left to live is one day, and I cannot help you anymore.” Again, the blows followed. After he arrived home, the commander died that same day. News spread quickly through the neighborhoods. To this day, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

this story is told to those who only listen to the opinions of higher authorities or officials. At the insistence of the monks, Damo settled in the Shaolin monastery (Picture 7 illustrates Shaolin today), where he began to teach. He is recognized as its first patriarch. When the time came for him to leave this world, his body disappeared. Even today, no one knows where it is. He is said to have left for a better world and to have taken his body with him. Only one of his shoes remained. Since his passing, Damo has been worshipped as a Buddha. There are some other widely spread branches of Buddhism, such as Theravada Buddhism7 and Lamaism8 (or Tibetan Buddhism). It is obvious that the state of inner silence and blending with nature or Divinity cannot be reached without strengthening one’s physical body and freeing it from diseases. This is the reason why all schools of Qigong have carefully studied the arts of self-regulation and healing.

The Healing Movement From the blending of various schools and ethnic practices came the Healing (or Medicine) school of Qigong. Here, the main goal of Qigong exercises is self-regulation, prevention of health problems, curing of diseases, and prolongation of life with an energetic body and a clear mind.

Martial Arts The name of this school says it all. Its aims are to strengthen the body and spirit, maintain calm in all situations, and help its practitioners develop self-defense capabilities. Sometimes this school was called Boxing school. It pays a great deal of attention to self-regulation and health improvement, since the body of a warrior must be physically strong and capable of fast recovery. However, it differs in many ways from other schools in terms of its system for health improvement. Today, the school of Martial Arts includes some styles of Wushu (sometimes called Wushu Qigong), including the well-known form hard ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Qigong and the lesser-known light Qigong. Practice of Hard Qigong makes the body insensitive to blows and helps the practitioner develop the ability and skills to concentrate Qi energy on a particular body area instantly. This is demonstrated through such feats as the breaking of concrete slabs, bricks, and wooden bars with the head or hand; the bearing of heavy weights (having a car driven over one’s chest), and resistance to sharp weapons (knives, swords, and sabers). Practitioners of Light Qigong can control their weight, travel fast over several hours without rest or fatigue, and quickly climb high hills and mountains as if they were flying. In former times, this was the training for messengers and warriors. Nowadays, masters of light Qigong sometimes walk on fresh eggs without breaking the shells or on paper ribbons tightened between supports. In general, the methods of Qigong are divided into two types: hard and soft. Hard methods are usually used for developing skills to activate instantaneously the full powers of the body’s functional systems for the realization of physical and psychic abilities. Soft methods usually aim to cure and improve health. However, the border between hard and soft methods cannot always be clearly identified. In addition, the exercise methods in all schools are divided into three classes: static (sometimes they are called quiet or calm or idle), dynamic, and static-dynamic (combination of idle postures and movements). Each type of exercise addresses a particular activity: body regulation, breath regulation, mind (consciousness) regulation, or some combination of the above. This classification system, created at the beginning of the twentieth century, appears to be conditional. It seems to have its basis in the interaction that took place, at the time, between a number of ideas and philosophical doctrines. The concept of Tao, for example, was essential to all movements and schools in China. The term “Qigong” itself first appeared in only the third and fourth centuries BC. At first, it was used to define a particular movement. It was only during the 1960s that Qigong became universally associated with the now-famous technique of psychophysical training.

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Picture 7: Shaolin Monastery (a, b, d) Participants of one of the International Training on ZYQ, (c) Pagoda Forest (Stone Forest—the Cemetery of Shaolin Monks), (e,f) Inside the Monastery

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Picture 7: Shaolin Monastery (g, h, i) Practice in Stone Forest, (j) Kung-fu Show in Shaolin

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, a research program studying the effects of Qigong methods on people was undertaken. It was temporarily stopped during the Cultural Revolution, but in the 1970s, the research resumed more intensively. Qigong became a part of clinics, sanatoriums, health resorts, educational institutes, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Qigong classes also became a part of university curriculum, and famous Qigong masters representing various movements, some from monasteries, were invited to teach. The way of life that one finds in Chinese monasteries is different from that of monasteries in Western countries. To being with, not all Chinese monks have lived in monasteries their entire lives. They studied there till they had mastered their subject. Then they went on to devote themselves to practicing and perfecting what they had learned, whether it was medicine or ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

martial arts. A monk’s education could last years or even decades. Sometimes, a monk who became a Master,9 a specialist in his subject area, would leave the monastery to serve the world and teach students. He would travel many years, searching for students and teaching the most talented among them. However, as a rule, the teaching was conducted in appropriate monastery schools. Today, many monasteries are open to visitors and tourists. Qigong, through mass education, research, and application to medical practice, has redefined itself as a system of knowledge, transcending its original classification and purposes.

Modern Classification All religious movements within Qigong are joined together in a separate category called Religious Qigong. Today, the movement of Qigong that is attracting special attention is Therapeutic Qigong. Thanks to its emphasis on health improvement and disease prevention, it has gone far beyond the borders of China and is being followed in many countries where Chinese masters and specialists in this area now work. The creation of recognized authorities in the field, along with the wide and successful application of this ancient and efficient art of self-regulation, have led to the establishment of the World Academic Society of Medical Qigong. Since the 1990s, Beijing has organized and hosted international conferences on medical Qigong. Research work on the physiological processes of living beings and functions of brain activities of Qigong practitioners, compared to ordinary people, were presented at these conferences. A great deal of attention is paid to the applications of Therapeutic Qigong. Research, for example, has shown that some diseases, which, cannot be cured by other means, can be cured by Qigong. The next movement, Sport-Application Qigong, includes various styles of Wushu, Sanda (Sanshou), and many other types of martial arts (Picture 7h). Then there is the movement known as Scientific Qigong. This involves the study of the abilities and changes taking place within the Qigong Master or patient (recipient) under the influence of Qigong. Second, it ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

researches phenomena such as telekinesis, teleportation, etc. Third, it involves the study of information obtained through Qigong methods such as clairvoyance, long vision, and telepathy. Within this gamut, a special place is held by a movement almost unknown to the West, Zhong Yuan Qigong (ZYQ), which is the subject matter of this book. This movement may be the most ancient among those known today. ZYQ began in Central China more than seven thousand years ago, long before the birth of most of the world’s religions. About two thousand years ago, Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian systems started to interact and merge. Perhaps this is why we can say that today’s Taoist system contains many concepts from Confucianism and Buddhism. The Buddhist system, in turn, includes many aspects of the Confucian and Taoist systems. Considering that ZYQ had been cultivated in that region for a long time, all of the above-mentioned systems contain many of its elements. It is well known that the Chan system came to China from Bodhidharma about fifteen hundred years ago, spreading from the Shaolin monastery. However, at that time, the system came under the very strong influence of local practices and philosophies, almost merging with local Kung-fu along with ZYQ. ZYQ was in turn influenced by Chan philosophy and practice. As a result, its practice incorporates many aspects of the Chan system. However, the main difference is that Chan is a religious system, in that it follows various Gods or Buddhas, and that its practices are concerned with the next life. ZYQ is free of all such religious overtones. Now, in spite of its ancient roots, it can be considered a scientific movement. The practice of this system is aimed at human development and transformation. It offers methods and approaches that allow for the attainment of enlightenment in this life itself. In this system, something cannot be had for nothing. Everything is achieved through practice and effort. All movements of Qigong belong to the Chinese National Association of Qigong. Each movement of Qigong is a separate branch of that association. Only Qigong Masters can become heads of particular branches. Furthermore, beyond being Masters, they must also be the best practitioners within their movements. In addition, they must make significant contributions to society. The higher their level, the greater their responsibility. One of the functions of the association is the education of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

specialists. It is also been involved in the creation of medical centers and health resorts using Qigong methods in combination with the methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In addition, it organizes and hosts Qigong conferences for exchanges between Qigong Masters and scientists involved in Qigong research.

MAIN ELEMENTS OF QIGONG SYSTEMS All Qigong systems have three basic components: Yin-Yang, Wu-Xing, and energy channels with biologically active points (BAPs).

Yin and Yang Concept In ancient Chinese thinking, everything in the universe consists of two opposite (but not antagonistic) forces: Yin and Yang. We can compare these two dynamic forces to the magnetic poles: North and South. If we take a magnet and cut it into pieces, no matter how many pieces or how small they are, each piece will have a North and a South Pole. Similarly, no matter how we divide the universe, each part will have two forces, Yin and Yang. The forces are inseparably connected, each Yang containing some Yin, and each Yin, some Yang. On Picture 8a, you may recognize a two-dimensional reflection of a sphere in the moment of Yin and Yang balance. The image illustrates the dynamic exchange between Yin and Yang. At any given moment, we will find that changes are taking place. When Yin decreases, Yang increases, and vice versa. We call the image (Picture 8a) with Yin and Yang in balance, the Yin-Yang Fish. Yin represents the feminine, soft, cold, dark, negative, inert, passive, and calm. Yin is night, winter, Moon. Yang represents the masculine, hard, hot, light, positive, active, moving, and energized. Yang is day, summer, Sun. Since Yin and Yang are always in motion (developing and, possibly, changing places and turning into their opposite), the two forces are not always balanced. For example, if we look at a twenty-four hour period on a bright sunny day, we find little Yin but a great deal of Yang. As evening comes, Yin increases and Yang decreases. Yin begins to grow out of Yang. Then, at night, Yin reaches its highest levels. As the morning comes, Yang ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

increases, and Yin decreases. Yang begins to grow out of Yin (Picture 8b). Therefore, over a twenty-four hour period, Yin and Yang are balanced. Furthermore, just as we speak of the Sun rising and setting regularly, the interchange between Yin and Yang occurs regularly. Following this analogy, let us consider an entire year. The summer is characterized by Yang and the winter by Yin, and spring and autumn are periods of transition from one to the other.

Picture 8: Yin and Yang (a) Yin-Yang Fish, or Symbol of Great Ultimate: the Left Part—Symbol of Evolution (from Birth to Death), the Right Part—Symbol of Returning to One’s Origins (to Immortality), (b) Daily, Seasonal, Yearly Changes of Yin-Yang

Categories of Yin and Yang are general and universal. They are a part of any act of nature, and they are present in all human activities. The knowledge that all things develop according to these universal laws will help you grow in your life. Master’s Story Today, everyone knows about computers. But how is the computer technology developing? A computer also has Yin and Yang. From the viewpoint of the computer, it is a binary code (On/Off, 1/0). A computer has eight bits, consisting of 1s or 0s, then sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, and so forth. These numbers describe the principles of development. The same principles can be found, not only in computers, but in ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

every area of technology. When we find processes going in different directions, we find the forces of Yin and Yang at work. If one wants to create something considerably new, then he can apply this theory to his research work. For example, working in the area of chemistry, you achieve something through concentration. Then you can also achieve it through the opposite method of dilution. This is also Yin and Yang. Expanding and retracting, heating and cooling, exhaling and inhaling—these are all examples of Yin and Yang. We are a part of the universe, of the Universe. Therefore, Yin and Yang are present in each of us. It is usually said that the human body contains the “solid” Yin organs (liver, heart, pericardium, spleen, lungs, and kidneys) and the “hollow” Yang organs (gallbladder, bladder, small and large intestines, stomach, and “triple warmer” or “three parts of body”). This does not mean that these organs are strictly Yin or Yang. These characterizations, instead, refer to the dominant Qi in the particular organ. The Yin organs contain more Yin and the Yang organs, more Yang. Moreover, the inner part of the body (the one that is inside the embryo) is more Yin-centric, while the external is dominated by Yang (Picture 9a). If we were to look at a human as if it was cut by a vertical plane, the right side would be governed by Yang and the left side by Yin (Picture 9b). Yin and Yang must find balance in nature, humans, and society. In nature, we find many incidents of fire in the areas where Yang is overabundant. Conversely, we find many floods in areas with too much Yin. Humans with too much Yin and too little Yang cannot stand cold weather. They prefer heat, often feel tired, complain of loss of sleep, and are prone to depression. In contrast, people with too much Yang and too little Yin tolerate the cold better than the heat. They act hastily, offend easily, get fidgety, and are prone to aggression. Where Yin and Yang imbalance exists, society loses stability, and sicknesses take over the human body.

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Picture 9: Yin and Yang (a) Human Fetus Position, (b) Yin and Yang in a Human Body

In society, the material world relates to Yang and the spiritual to Yin. If the material elements develop faster than the spiritual ones, society becomes unstable and prone to antagonisms that may lead to wars. Currently (on the planet in general), there is an overabundance of material goods, yet people want more. We measure our level of well-being through material things—where we live, our possessions (the number of luxury items we have, the type of car we drive, the kind of summer home we have), etc. In a materialistic society, we work not only for necessities, but also for insatiable wants and desires. A society based on material wealth cannot be happy. Its population is destined to suffer. However, the good news is that since we have an overabundance of Yang in the world, all kinds of Yin activity have begun to appear, as is evident in the sudden growth of spiritual movements and practices throughout the world. They cover many countries and are becoming popular across the various levels of society. As the universal law of Yang and Yin has decreed, the levels of Yin on earth are on the rise. Hence one of the purposes of Qigong is to regulate and balance Yin and Yang.

The Wu-Xing Concept Every cycle involving the interchange of Yin and Yang consists of these phases: (1) Spring or Morning, the period of birth and growth; (2) Summer or Noon, the period of maximum level of activity; ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

(3) Autumn or Evening, characterized by waste and depression; (4) Winter or Night, the period of minimal activity. Ancient scientists divided the world into five main phases of movement. This concept was referred to as Wu-Xing, which literally translates as the “five goings.” The symbols for these five phases are: Wood as the symbol of birth, growth; and transition from passive Yin to active Yang; Fire as the symbol of maximum activity and expression of full Yang; Metal as the symbol of regress, beginning, and transition from Yang to Yin; Water as the symbol of minimal activity and expression of full Yin; Earth as the symbol of the center and axis of cyclical changes in the world. Each of the five elements, all inseparably connected, has its own quality and Qi color. Using these classifications, we can systemize all natural processes, bodily organs, food products, emotions, sounds, scents, etc. A more advanced study of Wu-Xing takes place at the second stage of Qigong study.

Energy Channels The idea of energy channels also goes back to ancient China. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the human body has three basic systems: a blood-vascular system, a water system, and an energy system. The energy system of channels connects the surface of the body to the inner organs. Each channel has a large number of BAPs. BAPs occupy the entrances and exits of the energy channels. Through them, we find the interchange of Qi in humans and interaction of Qi with the environment and the entire Universe. Humans have five points that play the role of the main connectors with the environment: Laogong on the palms (Picture 10a), Yongquan on the feet (Picture 10b), and Baihui on top of the head, on the vertex (Picture 10c). These main connecting points are larger than the others. They are the most used in the first steps of Qi reception and emission. We cannot detect points by simply inspecting the body of a human or an animal. Regular vision cannot detect the energy channel system. This helps to explain why, for a long time, the West had doubts about their ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

existence. A high success rate in the cure of diseases through acupuncture has made the West more interested in studying this method of healing. As a result, we now have methods that allow us to locate the exact positions of the channels and BAPs. In many countries, the method of measuring electrical resistance between the points is very popular. If two points belong to one channel, the resistance between them is less in comparison with the points of the different channels. In addition, a group of Chinese scientists discovered that the sounds of signals coming from the points of different channels differ. Therefore, we can use sound signals to determine which channels belong to what point. Judging by the increase in electrical resistance and the tone of the sound, we can discover which point is closed, and at what part of the channel the transfer of the energy is broken.

Picture 10: Five Major Energy Points and Mai-Channels (a) Laogong Point, (b) Yongquan Point, (c) Baihui Point, (d) Ren-Mai Channel, (e) Du-Mai Channel

Modern research has demonstrated the validity of the channel system. However, this has been known in China for a long time—some say about two thousand years and others, more than five thousand years. This brings us to the question: how was it possible for practitioners of TCM to ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

locate a system which is invisible to the naked eye? After all, scientists did not have the sophisticated tools to discover these systems until the twentieth century. The answer is simple. The research tools used in ancient China were human beings. Humans are the most sensitive and precise devices for detecting energy channels. With the appropriate training, the capabilities of these wondrous instruments are unlimited. We have twelve main energy channels and eight Mai (miracle) energy channels. The twelve main channels are associated with the twelve main organs. According to TCM, these organs are not only anatomically separated, they also constitute functional systems. The channels have branches or collaterals that create a network and unite all parts of the body into one system. The main channels are usually associated with rivers, and the miracle channels, with lakes. The miracle channels are connected to the main channels, but they have their own routes. Their main function is to manage and control the main channels and redistribute the Qi in them. If there is an overflow of Qi in the main channels, the miracle channels begin to absorb that energy; if there is a shortage of Qi, the deficit is compensated for by Qi from the miracle channels. Due to their importance, Mai channels are also often called vessels. Among them, the most important vessels are antemedian Ren-Mai (Picture 10d) and post-median Du-Mai (Picture 10e). These two vessels control the functions of the rest of the channels. Du-Mai was named the Governing Vessel, and Ren-Mai, the Conception Vessel, or the Messenger Vessel. The latter carries and executes orders given to it. It is called the channel of conception or the channel of action. Ren-Mai controls the main channels of Yin, whereas Du-Mai controls the main Yang channels. If Qi moves freely within the channels, a person is healthy, with all his/her systems functioning normally. Blocked channels create obstacles for the free circulation of Qi, giving rise to diseases in the area of the blockage. In some cases, the disease will remain localized. However, in other areas, the blockage can lead to defects and derangements in the functioning of surrounding zones or areas as well as with the organs connected to that channel. Therefore, from the view of TCM, spasms in an area of the channel indicate a blockage, which in turn leads to disease. In diseased areas, we can always see partial or full channel spasms, resulting in lower levels of energy circulation. This energy system also includes areas of Dan Tian (also often ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

called “energy reservoir” or “cinnabar field”). The concept of Dan Tian traditionally belongs to Qigong systems. The term itself came from Taoism. Dan is a concentrated, thickened, very strong energy. Tian is a field, zone, or area. Hence Dan Tian is often translated as “energy reservoir” or “chamber.” In general, Qi energy exists in two states: concentrated (when it is similar to visible, tangible substances), and discharged (when it is similar to gas). With special training, we can control our Qi state.10 During the initial period of practice, it is necessary to work with the zone having the form of energy that is easiest to feel. In fact, Dan Tian means a zone that is suitable for the collection of the Qi energy which we receive from the environment, its transformation, and its improvement. In ZYQ, we practice using the energy in three different reservoirs or chambers (Picture 11). We refer to Dan Tian only during the initial periods of practice, since it is easier to concentrate and sense the energy in these zones. Besides that, they have different structures (levels) of energy. However, with continuous practice, we will be able to concentrate the energy in any area of the body, including BAPs. If we concentrate our energy strongly enough on one point, that point will have the appropriate Dan Tian. This process might explain why the qualitative improvement of Qi is sometimes referred to as “bringing up Qi.” With intensive Qigong practice, we can bring Dan Tian to any area of the body. Practice involving the Lower Dan Tian is undertaken for improving health, reorganizing the physical body (bringing order to it), replacing expended energy, storing energy, improving the quality of the energy, and finally, for rejuvenating and prolonging life. Working with the Middle Dan Tian increases power and force. Here, we refer not to the widely accepted meaning of force in the sense of physical force, but to a Picture 11: Three Dan Tian of the Body readiness to accept obligations and attain confidence in one’s ability to solve problems. Often, we meet people who are reluctant to start a new business for one simple reason—they lack confidence in their ability to succeed. They fear the volume of work and other complications that could arise. They doubt their ability to handle the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

unknown. They remain unconvinced that they can do the job. Practicing the middle Dan Tian will help them become confident in their own abilities. Practice of the Upper Dan Tian increases creative abilities, intellect, and spirit. It widens perception channels and gives psychological stability—especially in stressful situations—which in turn facilitates the development of wisdom. It is necessary to note that classes of any of the various Qigong systems will help people collect and increase their Qi. However, not any method helps achieve high levels of development. This is because many methods are used only for definite purpose, for example, to improve one’s health or to develop warrior’s skills. They are practiced only for a certain period (the length of time it takes). These methods are not a complete system by themselves, they represent only a part of such complete system. Hence, practitioners must define their purposes and goals for themselves. If people want to improve their health, they can privately learn and master the methods of any Qigong school, including ZYQ. However, for higher goals, people need appropriate methods that allow them to go from acquiring the basic foundation, to mastering the process of building on this foundation, until they attain a complete picture of the world and their place in it. The ZYQ school provides ways to work toward these higher goals.

WHAT IS ZHONG YUAN QIGONG? Origins of ZYQ Now, let us examine the Zhong Yuan Qigong movement. Zhong Yuan, the Middle-Chinese Valley, is the terrain around the Huang He River, otherwise known as the Yellow River because of the yellow color of its waters (Picture 12). It was once a large province that has since been divided into three parts. Thousands of years ago, the Chinese settled along the river’s banks. Today, this region is considered the cradle of Chinese civilization and culture. The area consists of flat lands surrounded by high mountains. Various cult constructions, later to become temples and monasteries, grew in the largely inaccessible mountainous terrain. More than seven thousand years ago, it was here that ZYQ came to life. The formation of this system predates ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

other Qigong movements as well as the creation of most of the world’s major religions. In its early days, the movement did not have a name. It did not need to differentiate itself from others, because there were no others. Now, to ensure the memory of its origins, it has adopted a name. ZYQ is a complete system of Qigong, a boast no other system today can make. Its theories and practices include all aspects of human existence—education, development, self-regulation, health improvement, healing, and cosmology. By virtue of its comprehensiveness and universality, as well as due to its special methods of study and training, many parts of this system are still considered “secret knowledge,” inaccessible to a wide audience. However, those aspects of the system that people find accessible allow them to expand their knowledge and see themselves and their environment in a new light. This enables students to break through the limits of seeing themselves as merely inhabitants of the Earth and accept themselves as cosmic creatures in the process of a nonstop ascent in the evolving universe. This, in turn, leads to a greater understanding of their existence and goals in the context of their place in the world.

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Picture 12: Yellow River and Mountains with Caves

This means that in ZYQ, we focus on discovering and studying ourselves. One of the main purposes of this practice is to understand who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. This requires the study of the whole framework, incorporating humans living in this world, “here and now,” their origins (before “here and now”), and their future (after “here and now”). Thus, ZYQ can be defined as a simple science of Life. Here we have the broadest understanding of life and its forms—from life at the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

microscopic level (crystals, cells, microorganisms) to life at the macroscopic level (ecosystems, planets, galaxies). Of course, this study includes the lives of human beings as links in this larger chain.

Three Parts of Zhong Yuan Qigong In this section, we will explore ZYQ as a scientific, practical system, with no connection to religion, politics, or ideology. ZYQ comprises three parts, each one of which can be considered an independent, autonomous system. These are: (1) System of Self-Development (or Developmental System); (2) Image Medicine (or Image Therapy); (3) Knowledge Transplantation. (1) The System of Self-Development By self-development we refer to the exploration of “I” and “self”: what does it mean? There are many research methods for finding answers to these questions. In Zhong Yuan Qigong, we gradually start to understand our egos through practice. In fact, ZYQ first became known in the countries of the former Soviet Union as early as 1991, from people seeking to experience this component of self-development. Today, ZYQ lectures and practical seminars have spread to every continent and many countries, including dozens of cities in the Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Moldova, as well as the United Sates, Canada, Germany, Spain, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Israel, India, Nigeria, and others. The teaching of the first block is divided into five stages. Any person can have access to the first four. Of these, the first three involve seminar classes where students learn the basic elements and practice various techniques. In this way, they can begin to improve their health and, perhaps, enter the realm of special abilities. These classes are taught not only by Grand Master Xu Mingtang, but also by instructors throughout the world who have studied under him. Only a grand master can teach stage-four classes. This stage involves the opening of the central Zhong-Mai channel and the qualitative improvement of communication abilities for information reception from the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

different forms of life on Earth, plant as well as animal. The students learn the principles that govern the interactions between them and their environment. With correct and persistent practice, many practitioners achieve an understanding of life across various dimensions. The fifth stage is still belong to secret knowledge and is closed for training. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the fifth stage is based on spiritual laws. Students who have advanced this far seek to better understand and work with the causeeffect connections that govern the human condition, society, and every worldly and otherworldly aspect of human existence. Therefore, classes at the fifth stage require a certain level of development of the soul. It is very difficult— practically impossible—to advance this far without serious preliminary training; without experiencing the opening of the Third Eye11; without the experience of the soul going beyond the limits of the body. Secondly, the fifth stage deals with individual and universal consciousness. To begin this stage, students must have succeeded in reaching a level where the ego is dissolved and the heart is pure and kind. These are prerequisites for the mastery of the fifth stage, where students develop spiritual powers, abilities, and talents to change the world for the good of humanity. To study and receive the deeper knowledge offered in any of these stages, students must abandon their routines and participate in retreats. These intense retreats last from five days to several weeks. They include lengthy practice sessions with the Master or specially certified instructors. Finally, we should mention that, like many of the other serious ancient systems, ZYQ has a “personal apprenticeship” form of training. This has many similarities to postgraduate study. We will discuss this in detail later. (2) Image Medicine This section represents an unusually effective medical movement considered secret until 1997. It comprises four stages. These classes acquaint students with the multidimensionality of space and with laws governing various forms of life—their coexistence and interactions. Students study methods for improving health and curing diseases through methods like the use of different images, symbols, and mantras. Through the first stage of Image Medicine, students attain detailed knowledge of the various levels and structures of energy—energy of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

fog, energy of light, and transcendental energy. They study the anatomy and physiology of energy in ways similar to medical students studying regular anatomy and physiology. In the second stage of Image Medicine, students study the anatomy and physiology of information. The next two stages of Image Medicine are dedicated to the influence of material stuff, such as herbs with their substance, energy, and information, on the entire body. (3) Knowledge Transplantation This section opens special and unusual channels for the receipt of knowledge directly from the surrounding world. The word “transplantation” refers to the quick reception of knowledge, especially about existence. While mastering the methods included in this process, a person can receive answers to any question. Only about five percent of this part is used for teaching ZYQ. Recently, these methods have been used for regular subjects in some Chinese universities and specialized schools to help students ingest large amounts of information more effectively. Master’s Story The movie The Martial Arts of Shaolin that was popular in different countries in the 1980s has led many people to believe that the most ancient forms of Wushu, Tai Chi, and Qigong originated in the Shaolin Monastery. However, the monastery was in fact established thousands of years earlier. Even today, in isolated mountain villages, people develop secret ways of working with the body, mind, and spirit. In these ancient mountain regions, from early childhood, people have been practicing a special type of Kung-fu. This type of Kung-fu is the basis for the now-popular Wushu and Tai Chi Chuan schools. One of these high mountain villages is the village of Chinyagor, which gave these systems to the world. It was here that the Chen style originated. Later in other regions, it was transformed into a variety of styles, including Wu. Until 1997, this area was closed. In the coming years, another ancient style, also from this area, will become known to the world. Geographical maps still have “white spots” which, historically, can symbolize the centers or cradles of a culture or civilization. Seven thousand years ago, the above-mentioned area was the cradle of Chinese ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

culture. How could a complete system of knowledge and practice have come from this place so long ago? Where exactly did it originate? When was it born? We still do not have answers to these questions. However, there is a legend about the first Chinese people who found a giant turtle on the banks of the Yellow river. The turtle’s shell contained inscriptions about humanity and the Universe, and about methods of practice and movement. As homage to the turtle that brought this system and knowledge to humans, all monasteries and temples in China have sculptures of big turtles and dragons as well as inscriptions on their buildings detailing this event (Picture 13). This still does not clarify for us the origins of this knowledge. However, you can begin to discover these things for yourself when you start to bring order to your health and learn to control your energy and consciousness. For this, you need to open your central channel of connection with the external world, with all of nature, and with the Universe; you need to expand your communication abilities; you need to learn to accept and understand necessary information.

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Picture 13: Turtles and Dragons in China (Shaolin Monastery)

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Picture 13: Turtles and Dragons in China (a) The Nine Dragons’ Wall in Forbidden City, Beijing, (b) The Dragon-Flower Composition in Beijing, (c) A Burial Site in Henan Province, (d) Museum in Henan Province, (e) Boat in Summer Palace, Beijing

The Meaning of Zhong and Yuan Zhong and Yuan mean several things. Zhong is translated as “center” or “middle.” Yuan means “initial,” “original,” or “natural” recourses. Zhong, in the context of Qigong, means “the middle way” or “to keep to the middle.” In mathematics, the middle of a line is located equidistant from both ends. This gives another meaning to Zhong: “equilibrium” or “balance.” As far as health is concerned, people get sick when Yin and Yang are not balanced. Everything in the world must be balanced. From a philosophical perspective, humans are considered to be a part of the Universe. Humans are interconnected with the Universe in a process of nonstop development, and they hold a central place in the system of Earth-Human-Sky12 (Picture 14a). From this perspective, each one of us ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

is a center of the Universe. By studying, developing, and perfecting ourselves, we can begin to understand the structure of the world as well as our place, purpose, and mission in it. What is a human being from the standpoint of ZYQ? Since ancient times, the human being has been seen as a complicated system made up of a physical body, an energy system, and an information system or soul. Furthermore, since ancient times, people have known and used training methods that allowed them to develop, improve, and transform each of these systems. We can add that a human being is a microcosm that also has a middle or middle way. Here, we are referring to the median channels DuMai, Ren-Mai, and the central or piercing channel Zhong-Mai (Picture 14b). The Zhong-Mai channel is like an axis of the body, going through the Baihui point on top of the head and the Huiyin point in the perineum. One can say that the way of the Tao goes through the center of the body. We must open and prepare this path for the soul to move it along. Almost any person will be able to guide his/her soul to exit and reenter the body. The opening of the Zhong-Mai channel refers to the building of pathways for the movement, exit, and return of the soul. The main purpose of practice in ZYQ is to open the Zhong-Mai channel. In our everyday life, the concept of Zhong also translates into the philosophy known as “the golden mean.” This life principle states that our emotional state should not have any quick depletions or sudden bursts of anger, joy, delight, or offense. Everything must come in balance, in equilibrium, in good measure; not too much, and not too little. In addition, physical balance must be accompanied by emotional balance. When we walk, our body should not wiggle from side to side; to avoid dissipating our energy outward, our mind and eyes should not wander. We must turn our attention away from our external surroundings and direct it inward. Another aspect of Zhong involves the connection between consciousness and ideation. We must not let our thoughts run wild. Only when we keep our thoughts focused and centered will we increase our consciousness to a point where we can participate in an activity without any stops or interruptions. It is only by following these rules that one can succeed in his/her activities. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Picture 14: External and Internal Yuan (a) Three External Yuan, (b) Three Internal Yuan

The Inner Yuan The concept of Yuan applies across the board to all Qigong schools, but the techniques and methods differ. In ZYQ, Yuan means that before practice, we must first know where to begin. Yuan represents something very important and unique to our body. Given that the human body is large and complex, what is its most important component? In the human body, there are three zones with different structures: Yuan-Jing, Yuan-Qi, and Yuan-Shen (Picture 14b). Let us talk about these different types or structures of Qi. About Yuan-Jing Jing, the densest of the three structures, refers to the life force, vitality, stamina, seed (sperm for males, eggs for females), and hormonal substance (male and female reproductive hormones). An average, normal adult has Jing in a thickened state. Hence, we can say that Jing is a type of substance; therefore it belongs to the material world. From a scientific point of view, Jing is associated with DNA and RNA. If a male’s sperm and female’s egg join, they give birth to a new life form. Yuan-Jing contains complete information about us (the vital or genetic code) from the moment of birth until our death. We are born, grow up, and become adults with sufficient hormones for reproductive functions. Upon reaching old age, our reproductive ability is lost, and eventually, we die. This is the way of life on ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Earth, the natural path from birth to death. We can represent the natural development of everything through the sign of Monad, or Taiji, or the YinYang fish (the balanced state of Yin-Yang). This circle represents spinning in a clockwise direction (Picture 8a, the left part). This raises a question: is there any way to slow down the process of aging or to postpone it? Is there any information about this in the ancient system of ZYQ and its philosophy? As it turns out, we can use particular qualities of the Yuan-Jing of our bodies. This, too, was known thousands of years ago, in antiquity. The one who practices the technique of Qigong associated with the extension of life is called an “inner alchemist.” The inner alchemist explores ways to ensure that the Jing does not get thick and rough. Some specialized work with Jing in the lower Dan Tian may allow the transformation of rougher and denser Jing into more subtle Qi. This process is an inversion of what is natural. We have already said that by using and expending Jing, you follow the natural processes and the natural sequence of life. You stay human, and when your time comes, you die. However, having sensed that you have enough Jing, you can turn it into Qi and not follow the natural processes. In this case you can become immortal. We can represent this unnatural process with the symbol Taiji going in the reverse, counterclockwise direction (Picture 8a, the right part). In summary, the Taiji symbol helps describe the ZYQ system and explain its philosophy and practices. It captures the various processes of development from birth to death, of returning to nature, to our origin and roots, and even of going from old age to longevity, to youth, and, perhaps, to immortality. You can find this symbol on the entrance gates of many Taoist temples and in places of spiritual practice (Pictures 4c, 4d). The first step of the transformation of Jing into Qi in involves “bringing it up” to the brain. This can result in our acquisition of special (extrasensory) abilities, prolongation of youth, and achievement of longevity. We describe these practices in detail in the set of exercises labeled “The Refining of Qi.” About Yuan-Qi Yuan-Qi (literally, “energy”) refers to the type of energy that ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

originated in our bodies at birth, that will continue to exist there constantly, and that is found throughout the Universe. We can control this energy with our mind, with our thoughts. It has various levels. We can feel its movement within the body, we can radiate it, we can send it out of the body, and some of us can see this form of Qi in the form of fog. If the level of energy increases, the energy becomes visible as light. This type of Qi relates partially to the material world and partially to the spiritual world. It exists between the two. Its dual existence helps explain why, at certain times, we easily sense it, while at other times, we cannot sense it at all. With this type of Qi, we can transfer energy from the material world into the spiritual world and back. About Yuan-Shen This definition refers to the soul or spirit, depending upon its level. Unlike Yuan-Qi, this form of Qi belongs solely to the spiritual world. We would have difficulty seeing Yuan-Shen even with the Third Eye. It can be seen only in a certain state or with the help of Qigong practice.

The Levels of Yuan-Shen and the Development of a Human Yuan-Jing, Yuan-Qi, and Yuan-Shen we call Inner Yuan. These are three structures (or phases, or levels) of Yuan. We will practice each level of Yuan, and then merge them into one using the Zhong-Mai channel. As we have seen, we can classify the Inner Yuan into two groups (Picture 14b): (1) The area from Yuan-Jing to Yuan-Qi, which belongs to the material world; and (2) The area from Yuan-Qi to Yuan-Shen, which belongs to the spiritual world. When merging the three Yuan into one, a person can gain an understanding of the material as well as the spiritual worlds. ZYQ systematically teaches how to merge them in actual practice. Finally, we can think of each lower level of Yuan as a provider of food for the next level. In its transformed state, Yuan-Jing becomes food for Yuan-Qi, which in turn, in its transformed state, becomes food for YuanShen (the soul). Let us examine in more detail the three levels of Shen: YinShen, Yuan-Shen, and Yang-Shen (Picture 15). The First Level: Yin-Shen (Yin-Soul) ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

We can begin to understand Yin-soul by comparing it to the soul of an average person who does not engage in any special practice. This person lives, and eventually dies a natural death. After death his soul will be controlled by nature and follow the natural way. Within the Christian tradition, this means that the soul goes to Heaven or Hell depending on how well the person has lived his life. In contrast, within many Eastern traditions, the soul incarnates into another body. It does not have any other choice because it is governed by Yin. The same cycle will repeat itself after the next death. The cycle of rebirth continues endlessly until there is a break in the circle of reincarnations. At this point, the soul “jumps out” into another space. To accomplish this feat, the soul needs a high-power impulse, similar to the one given to a satellite to override the gravity of the earth. This power can be achieved through Qigong practice. Overall, people have two forms of existence. The first of these follows the usual sequence: birth, adulthood, reproduction, old age, and death. Surprisingly, the second form also involves a reproduction, but this reproduction does not produce a child. Instead, it produces an “immortal embryo.” When using special methods to work with inner energy, the practitioner experiences qualitative changes. Yuan-Jing does not contribute to the formation of male or female reproductive hormones. Rather, it transforms particular structures of Qi so that they can merge with other Qi structures, thereby creating a qualitatively different substance. With sufficient energy levels to open the central channel of Zhong-Mai, a person’s soul receives an opportunity to leave the body. However, this requires the fulfillment of a number of conditions. The main condition is the acquisition of skills needed to enter a so-called “State of Pause.” To attain the ability to perform these practices, the practitioners must first bring order to their physical bodies and emotional states and learn to calm their minds by stopping the flow of thoughts. With very intensive practice and a good state of health, people can achieve these results in a hundred days. Nevertheless, the process usually takes much more time because of the different levels of health, living situations, and character. Unfortunately, many people are just too lazy to practice regularly. In addition, we need to take into account that not all people want this because, for the most part, they do not understand why they need it or what they have to gain from it. We will talk about this in more detail a little later. In the State of Pause, at first, a soul can leave the body for ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

several seconds or minutes, because such soul is still weak. That is why, as a rule, the soul does not go too far away and still sees the body. After some time, the soul can go out for a short period again, but it will go a little further away. With increased practice and experience, the soul starts going further and further away for longer periods. Still, the length of its leave depends on preliminary practice and a person’s level of training. The soul remains connected to the body through an “energy cord.” Wherever it goes and whatever trajectory it follows, a single thought about returning will instantly bring it back to the body by the shortest distance. From the moment of the first conscious departure of Yin-Shen from the body to its return, the soul keeps strengthening over a period of ten months. This process takes place in the body. During this period we call the soul an “immortal embryo” (Picture 15a) for several reasons. First, in the area of the lower Dan Tian, the Third Eye sees this strengthened soul as a little baby. Second, the one who practices this method “carries” the soul for approximately ten months as a mother carries a child. Therefore, we also call this period a pregnancy. For that little soul to grow and become strong, we need to perform, in general, inner practice. For the strengthening of energy and soul, we practice lower Dan Tian. Throughout these ten months, the soul needs to stay inside the body and must not leave. In summary, we need about ten months to let the soul grow completely, until it gains enough power to reach the next level. After that, the next level takes about three years. With its new strength, the soul starts regularly practicing its departure from and return to the body, constantly increasing the length and time of departure (Picture 15b).

Picture 15: Shen Levels (a, b) Yin Shen, (c) Opening of the Third Ear

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Little by little, it becomes stronger and acquires more abilities. This period contributes to its education and development. At this stage, practitioners acquire the clairaudience ability—the opening of the Third Ear13 (Picture 15c). Traditional wisdom has it that it takes three years to “bring up our child” (to educate and develop our Yin-Shen). However, this is only an estimate. It can take a year for some practitioners and ten years for others. It depends, as we have already seen, on many factors. In the end, each person achieves this result in his/her own time. Now, because of these practices, practitioners will no longer have ordinary Yin-souls. They will have reached a different level, that of Yin-Shen, which gives them the opportunity to learn about other worlds and receive information from them. At this level, practitioners will start receiving answers to such questions as “Who am I?,” “Where do I come from?,” and “For what purpose have I come into this world?” In addition, they can look at or even choose the world where they would like to go after their physical body ceases to function. The Second Level: Yuan-Shen With further practice, the quality of the soul starts to change: there is a decrease in Yin and an increase in Yang. When there is more Yang than Yin, the soul, which is controlled by a person’s mind, acquires new abilities. It then starts to divide and multiply (Pictures 15d). Through practice, people will first begin to feel as if their soul has been divided into two souls. They will feel that they do not have the usual single, unitary consciousness but that they have two. As a result, they can do two different things simultaneously. After some time, the souls will continue to divide— first four souls, then eight, etc. Consciousness, too, goes through these divisions. It is worth noting that this process does not lead to problems such as dual personality. In this case, it simply means that the person has reached the next level of spiritual development. In effect, the Yin-soul has been transformed into the soul of the second level, Yuan-Shen. There can be many souls within the practitioner at this stage, but all Yuan-Shen souls are connected and understand each other. These souls are not entirely autonomous individuals like different people. Each one of such Yuan-Shen is individual, but all of them represent one. Each one can perform its own actions, but the rest of the souls will know what each one is doing. Such Yuan-Shen can be at different points of space at the same time and perform ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

many different actions, including, teaching, curing, receiving information, and communicating. Perhaps many of you know about the data that is received by a hologram. We can break a hologram image into many pieces, as we would a painting. However, unlike a painting, from any one piece we can restore it to its original state. Analogously, a person who has acquired a Yuan-Shen soul can divide it into many souls, located in different places. Yet, as with a piece of a hologram, at any given moment those Picture 15: Shen Levels (d) Yuan Shen souls can again reunite as one. Sometimes, after reaching the Yuan-Shen level, people move toward increasing the quantity of Yuan-Shen. Their souls, then, acquire the ability to divide themselves into many thousand parts or souls. For example, this is exactly what Buddha Guan Yin, who lived about five thousand years ago, did. It is said that kindness and his will to help people completely transformed his appearance, making him look like a woman. He practiced the division of the soul into large numbers of Yuan-Shen, so that each one of them could help people. That is why, even today, some people worship him as the most merciful goddess. The ZYQ system has different goals and missions; therefore, there are very strict rules regarding soul division. This system allows division into only eighty-one souls. Then, all Yuan-Shen reunite as one soul and merge with the physical body. Further practice, then, would continue not “in width,” but “in height.” This stage of Yuan-Shen practice takes between six and ten years. Sometimes it can take even much more than ten years, but never less than six. The Third Level: Yang-Shen The third level takes a minimum of nine years. After the YuanShen merge together in the body, the most complicated stage begins. The goal of this special practice is to get rid of Yin energy completely and receive only Yang energy. There are many ways to accomplish this. In general, as we know, a person has Yin and Yang parts, Yin ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

and Yang Qi, and Yin and Yang systems. Their activities differ during different periods of life. This is similar to the idea we discussed previously where the quantities of Yin and Yang vary over a twenty-four hour period, as well as during seasonal changes throughout the year. Before birth, a child has very strong Yang systems. After birth, a person’s Yang systems gradually weaken while the Yin systems strengthen. Furthermore, when a person’s Yin reaches its maximum, his/her life ends. This is the regular pattern of development. What we want to achieve is the opposite—develop and strengthen the Yang and weaken the Yin systems. If we can do that, then we can prolong life. To achieve this, we need to practice changing Yin into Yang. In this case, the soul of the second level Yuan-Shen transforms into the soul of the third level—Yang-Shen. The exact meaning of Yang-Shen is “spirit,” not “soul.” During this type of practice, the body starts to change too, as it gains in strength and health. Yang spirit always keeps the body in a healthy state. After further transformations, Shen appears exclusively as Yang with a high level of energy (Pictures 1d, 15e). When Yin-Shen departs the body, other people, as a rule, cannot see this, since it is visible only to those who have the Third Eye. However, if YangShen departs, we can see the stream of light. The soul, at this stage, has a characteristic golden glow, although it can radiate light of any color. This type of soul is able to move into any point of space and time, in any part of the Universe, and to understand the Picture 15: Shen Levels (e) Depiction of Yang Shen language of any alien civilization or any form of life. If you reach the Yang-Shen level, your physical body will to transform to such an extent that it can be transported by consciousness. The consciousness will be able to transform it into a substance similar to steam, by breaking the body into its molecules in one place, and then after transportation, putting it back together, so that it suddenly appears in another place—in a place of “assembly.” Then, in the eyes of onlookers, it will suddenly disappear in this place and appear in the other place, the place of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

“assembly.” For Yang-Shen, there is no death in the usual meaning of the term. Death is controlled by consciousness and its energy. Hence, the purpose of the highest levels of ZYQ is to practice the third level of Yang-Shen. To summarize, there are three levels of spirit and soul development. It is not easy to realize any of these levels. They require a great deal of time and effort. The time and effort approximates the time and effort that we spend from our first school lesson till our graduation, or even postgraduation from university. However, does this even compare to Yang-Shen level? Regarding the first level (Yin-Shen), there are methods that allow us to feel and move it out of the body in a very short time. These methods are called a one-hundred-day basis, some of which we will cover during Stage I. Master’s Story The following incident took place during a seminar in Kiev. In the middle of the first-stage seminar, a young man came late into the lecture hall. He hardly had time to walk to an unoccupied seat when he fainted. Perhaps, more accurately, he appeared to have fainted. Nevertheless, even though many people witnessed the episode and seemed concerned, I assured them there was no problem. I told the class that he was going to be fine and that his soul had simply gone for a short walk. I approached him and performed certain manipulations. Those nearby heard that I pronounced certain sounds. After that, his soul came back, and everything turned out fine. His Yin-soul had merely gone for a brief walk. To bring a soul back into the body, one needs to know the language and laws of the Universe. Certain practices enable our hands to reach the space where the soul goes. We mentally reach with our hands there, into infinity, and those “hands” then bring the soul back into the body. Without these manipulations, this young man’s soul would have returned anyway, but he would have slept for some time and missed a part of the class. The next day, the same person told me that his soul had departed a second time that day, during the evening. He claimed that his soul had traveled to China, where he saw how to practice certain exercises for travelling to other worlds. However, I already knew that because, during the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

manipulations, I had given him information about how to practice further, so that his soul could leave and return to his body without any difficulty. Two years before that episode, a similar incident occurred in Yekaterinburg. The soul of one of my listeners left and went to another world. From the viewpoint of an average person, that world was one from the distant past—about a thousand years ago. Specifically, the soul went to the monastery of Shaolin during the time of Damo. In these other worlds, the special guardians do not, as a rule, admit souls. For a soul to enter, they need to see something similar to a passport and visa. If they do not see an entrance ticket, they will refuse the soul admission, because they do not know what kind of creature you are, or when and why you appeared before them. Of course, there are no passports for these other worlds, but there are special passwords that one needs to pronounce at the entrance. The guardians will ask you how you got this knowledge. They will require you to identify your Teacher14, whose name they will check in a “database.” If you have something like this ID card, they will admit you. Otherwise, they will prohibit your entrance. When I visited different worlds, the guardians asked for my password. All worlds have the same rules. Sometimes, these stories sound like fairy tales. In any event, they are not easy to explain. At this stage, suffice it to say that, for millennia, the highest stages of Qigong remained forms of esoteric, secret knowledge. Piece by piece, these secrets are being revealed gradually and selectively to those whose efforts and years of practice have brought them close to the understanding of the next level. When you approach these levels, these stories will appear less as fantasies and more as truthful accounts. So, we have discussed three Yuan that must be practiced: YuanJing, Yuan-Qi, and Yuan-Shen. These are the Inner or Internal Yuan that comprise our entire internal unity (Picture 14b).

The External Yuan External Yuan also exist. We have already noted that, in this external system, humans are viewed as the middle link between Earth and Sky. There are three types of external Yuan: Human Yuan, Earth Yuan, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

and Sky Yuan (Picture 14a). Earth is Yin, and Sky is Yang. We are permanently located within their flows. Through our feet (points Yongquan), we receive the Qi of Earth; through the Baihui point, we receive the Qi of Sky Yang (Pictures 9b, 9c). Only after we open the Zhong-Mai channel will we be able to connect and merge all three inner Yuan. In addition, when we open the Baihui and Huiyin points, we will be able to unite the three external Yuan into one. After that, we can become a true center of the Universe. Having achieved this, it is possible to reach the state of enlightenment and from there, to understand what the Tao is. This is how enlightenment is viewed in ZYQ. According to the ZYQ concept, the Tao creates ONE, ONE creates TWO, TWO creates THREE, and THREE creates everything (Picture 16). We can look at TWO as Yin-Yang and at THREE as Earth-Human-Sky.

Picture 16: The Way of Evolution

The above-mentioned description concerns the usual, normal way of human development. This is the way from birth to death. When we practice this Qigong system, we go back, in reverse; we go against the normal flow. The methods of knowledge from the first to the fourth steps are built in such a way that practitioners, being originally broken up into three parts, three inner Yuan, can go back to their original states, to their beginnings. Following this, enlightenment is possible. After this, it is possible to understand what the Tao is. Those systems that unite many into one are correct, but their methods of achieving the whole may be different. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Three Schools By merging the three external Yuan (Earth-Human-Sky) into one, a person will develop extraordinary abilities. Depending on the movement of actions of such a person, we can consider three schools—three movements representing those three External Yuan. 1. The School of Humans15: Taoists call this school Ren Shen, which means “human being and mountain,” because its practitioners see everything as if they were standing on top of a mountain. From the mountain’s peak, these masters see much further than anybody else. The practice of Human Yuan demands that students first attain good health and special abilities. Because of this requirement, its practitioners can control many things and events in nature and life, including the curing of diseases in other people. Moreover, the practice of Human Yuan enables them to prolong their lives for many years. The practitioners can hold on to their physical bodies for as long as they want, without experiencing damage and deterioration. To attain these things, the disciples typically will move up into the mountains to seclude themselves, not only from people, but also from animals. They can send their soul on a long trip around Earth or into the Universe to perform certain work. Then, they can bring it back into the body and again send it out involuntarily or voluntarily. In these cases, the body will not change for hundreds of years, and the person will not die. This school has earned acceptance in Buddhist systems and, partially, in Taoist systems. 2. The School of Sky: The practice of Sky Yuan provides the skills to transport yourself freely across space or time, to perform your mission on Earth and in the Universe. Here, as a rule, almost no attention is paid to the human connection with Earth. This movement is not intended for everyday life. It is practiced mostly by monks and hermits, who live in seclusion and have almost no contact with other people. This school has taken hold mostly in Tibetan systems. 3. The School of Earth: The practice of Earth Yuan focuses on one’s abilities to work with earth plans for the good of the Earth and the development of civilization in connection with the environment, and according to the laws of Universe. In this school, they also pay a great deal of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

attention to methods for improving health and curing diseases. Its practitioners love Earth; they love living on it and don’t ever want to die. They practice a great deal to become healthy. They want their physical bodies to exist for hundreds and thousands of years. This school is widely practiced in Tibet and has earned considerable fame in China. Those who belong to the first school do not usually want to reincarnate as humans. However, if they wish to do so, they can. Practitioners of the second school want to reincarnate repeatedly as humans. Representatives of the third school do not want to die or to reincarnate at all; they want to live forever. China has all three schools, and each one of them has its own masters. Different movements of Qigong usually work with different schools. The person who has knowledge of all three schools is considered the greatest grand Master. Master’s Story Sometimes we read about the death of a famous Master: his body self-ignites and burns, leaving only ashes and nails. These Masters typically come from the Tibetan system. The transformation of Yin-Shen into YuanShen requires energy, and the transformation of Yuan-Shen into Yang-Shen also requires energy. When these Masters depart our world by leaving their physical bodies, they appear in different worlds. Their energy level at the moment of departure from this world determines which world they enter after death. Moreover, the condition of the physical body after the soul’s departure depends on the soul’s energy level. What is death? Put simply, it is a process involving the departure of the soul from the body. If you know exactly when your soul will leave your body, you can control the situation. To do this, however, you need to practice. Through practice you can control the process of the soul’s departure, while knowing in advance where exactly it will go. It is possible to know this before the death of the physical body. There is an interesting story about a woman from Beijing who was a Qigong practitioner. Newspapers from around the world wrote a lot about her. She wanted to give scientists an opportunity to examine the body of a Qigong Master through her controlled death. Knowing the moment of her own death, she informed her children and grandchildren, family and ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

friends about her departure and invited them over. She also notified the Academy of Sciences of China about the sequence of the changes in her physical body after the departure of her soul. At the specified hour, relatives who had gathered did not believe she was about to die, due to her excellent health. When the time came, she put on clean clothes, lay down in a particular pose, and became quiet. Her relatives thought she had fallen asleep. They could not tell that she had already passed away. Her facial features and skin color had not changed. Similarly, the body did not stiffen and lose its elasticity. Moreover, those in attendance could not detect any smell, despite a stifling room temperature of over 38°C (100.4° F). For the following three months, two representatives of the Academy of Sciences stayed with her body, recording everything and taking measurements. They made the following observations. After several days, and in exact accordance with the details set down in her letter, they noted that the room had a touch of flower scent. In a short time the scent became stronger, and filled the room for more than a week. As it turned out, the scent came from the body of the departed. Little by little the room eventually lost the scent. Then, they noted that, for many days, some stuff was coming out of the stomach through her mouth till it emptied completely. This occurred despite the fact that the woman had not eaten anything for two weeks before her death. Then all the body’s fat started to extrude through the pores of the skin. Attendants had to be replaced. It was necessary to change the fatsoaked sheets under the body every day. The body also started to look dehydrated, with blood vessels appearing as blue stripes under the thin skin. Furthermore, some kind of discharge started from the center of the palms (Laogong points). They tried to analyze this discharge. However, no one could understand it since, even today, modern biochemistry has not found anything similar to this substance. Finally, the body started to dry up as though it was naturally mummifying itself. Moreover, despite a long and hot 1994 Beijing summer, they could not detect any further changes in the body. I have seen mummified bodies in the caves of the Pechersk Lavra in Kiev. I do not know what led to their mummification. Was it due to external factors, such as the microclimates of the caves? Was it because of special procedures that the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

attending physicians performed on the bodies? Was it the result of the deceased having practiced similar methods to those used by the Master? If the Master’s energy level had been higher, then while leaving the physical body, such Master could have set it on fire and burned it completely with that additional energy. You can meet this tradition at Tibetan masters, but not in ZYQ. The system of ZYQ goes further with possibilities. If the level of energy increases even more, it starts to transform the physical body. From the highest levels of achievement, Masters can change their bodies in such a way that when they leave the physical world, they take their bodies with them. The body transforms in accordance with the world where the Master is going. Moreover, the Master can return to our world. Normal people, who are not initiated into this mystery, will not realize that they have met such a Master because to them, the Master looks like a regular person. Although, when touched, such a Master’s body will seem as warm and solid as that of a normal person, the Master is from another world and can instantly disappear from this world and go back to that one. In that other world, a small number of such “people,” including the greatest Teachers of ZYQ, can be found. ZYQ unites all the schools into one, making it possible to understand them and cross over to the Tao. The first three stages of ZYQ come mostly from the School of Earth. The fourth stage unifies the Schools of Humans and Earth. The fifth stage adds to this combination the School of Sky. Each person can select goals from the movement that he or she likes the most. Those who reach a high level in the School of Earth can work well with everything that is associated with the plant kingdom. For example, they can learn to hold a seed in their hand and watch a big, healthy plant grow out of that seed. Alternatively, they might blow on a small, weak seed and watch it grow fast. In the School of Sky, attention is focused on communication with other worlds and the choice of habitat for the afterlife. In the School of Humans, high-level Masters can send their souls out to learn about other worlds and then bring them back to the body. They can also diagnose and cure terrible diseases. The movement of ZYQ pays equal attention to all these three Schools because the real great Master must be able to work in any of them. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

When a practitioner merges all three inner and external Yuan into one, he or she becomes a holistic being that understands his/her own Self, the meaning of all things (particularly, the reason why we came into this world), the purpose of existence, and his/her connection with and place in the Universe. From what we have discussed, it becomes clear that the highest goal of Zhong Yuan Qigong is to walk the path from being a regular person to being a person of the whole Universe, who understands people and the laws governing the development of the Universe. The practitioner must live in accordance with these laws while consciously performing his/her mission, without being tied to the physical body Master’s Story Masters, who get deeply involved in the movements and achieve incredible results, often live secluded lives. They typically live in mountains, monasteries, or closed settlements. These Masters do not need the usual amenities, since they can obtain necessities from the worlds beyond. With few ordinary needs, they rarely communicate with other people. My Teacher was such a Master, and lived this way. One day, many years ago, while still a student at Beijing University, I went for an extended stay in the mountains to practice with him. There, completely secluded, I studied for a few weeks. Once I was trained quite far from the house the whole day long. During one of the breaks, I felt hungry. However, I had not brought any food, since my teacher had told me that I did not need to bring anything. Yet I was hungry. I felt fatigued and had no desire to continue practicing. Doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not understand why such deprivation was necessary. I tried to concentrate on the exercises, but these thoughts kept spinning in my head. Finally, my teacher, apparently sensing my predicament, said, “Very well, let’s take a break and eat.” I became even more confused, because I had not seen any food. He chose a rest spot and asked me to make myself comfortable. I began to think that perhaps he had some pancakes or something else that did not take up much space. That might explain why I had not noticed any food. The teacher, then, asked what I wanted to eat. At first, thinking he was joking or testing me, I blurted out: “Beijing duck!” ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

For those who have never been to a fine Chinese restaurant, I need to say something about this complex dish. Beijing duck takes a long time to prepare. A duck that has almost no fat is soaked in special marinades before being cooked in a particular way. It is then sliced and served with sauces on thin crepes. Not every restaurant serves Beijing duck! So after I said, “Beijing duck,” I waited anxiously to see what would happen next. “Beijing duck, you say,” the teacher repeated, perhaps in disbelief. “Oh well, let it be a Beijing duck. Take off your jacket,” he said. Thinking that this was some kind of game, I took off my warm jacket and gave it to the teacher. He took the jacket, and shook and flapped it before setting it on the ground. “Well, here you go. Eat your Beijing duck,” he said. I stood still, because I could not understand anything. “What, you are not hungry?” asked the teacher. “Why aren’t you eating?” he asked, while pointing to my jacket. I approached my jacket, bent over, and lifted it up. And there, underneath it…yes, I found an actual serving of…Beijing duck! I devoured the duck and filled my stomach. Spots on my jacket proved that it had really happened. The teacher, then, told me that I could learn this if I energetically followed all the instructions. However, he cautioned that what he had shown me was actually not very interesting. He pointed out that I could not yet understand the really interesting things. He had only shown me what I could understand at the time. Years later, I began to realize that there are much more interesting, useful, and amazing things. At that moment, however, the most interesting and useful thing for me was a real Beijing duck that appeared from nowhere.

Interconnection of Three Human Aspects In order to better understand the methods and principles of ZYQ, let us return to the question of what a human being is. We have already mentioned that this is a holistic, multilayered system that comprises the three ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

aspects: physical (the physical body, substance), energetic (a system of channels, Dan Tians, etc), and informational (Shen). Therefore, we may say that a human being is: H(human) = P(physical body) + E(energy) + S(Shen) This notion can be represented graphically (Picture 17a,b). We’ve reviewed the meaning of Shen above. Shen is a complex notion that can be described as a soul or spirit, depending on its level of development. This notion also includes consciousness and the psychoemotional aspects of personality. Let’s see how these three pieces interact with each other and influence us. How These Three Aspects Influence Our Body You know that when you are in bad mood, upset, or depressed, you don’t feel like doing anything. You don’t have enough energy to do anything that requires effort. But if you are in a good mood and you feel happy, then you feel strong enough to “climb a mountain.” This is how our emotions and spirit affect our energy (Picture 17c). However, the excessive emotions (both good and bad) have a negative effect on our being. For example, excessive joy can kill. If we feel sorrow or offense, tears appear. This is our natural reaction to our emotional state. Likewise, if you are inspired by an idea, you don’t feel tired, even after working many hours. In this state of mind, it is hard to become sick. However, all disease can be overcome, if you determine, to recover soon. This is how Shen affects our physical body (Picture 17d). However, there are exceptions to this rule. If the physical disease is strong and we are in pain, a lot of things become unimportant. One only wants to get rid of the pain and become healthy. For many people, pain becomes a serious test of spiritual strength. In this example, the condition of the physical body influences our desires and emotions, or Shen (Picture 17e). Apart from this, all illnesses, even common colds, lead to reduced energy levels. During our lifetime, we all get sick. Some common manifestations of sickness include weakness, sleepiness, and apathy. These are examples of how the physical body affects our energy (Picture 17f). ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Conversely, our energy levels affect our physical body and Shen (Picture 17g). When one has plenty of energy, one feels active, fresh, and full of strength. Usually, this means that the inner energy channels within the body are open and that energy circulation is good. This, in turn, leads to clear thinking, high creativity, emotional well-being, and spiritual balance.

Picture 17: Interconnection of the Three Human Aspects

This, in turn, results in youth and longevity. Such people have good immune systems and are not susceptible to either the common cold or the flu. When energy levels are low, a body’s resistance is poor, and it is easy to get sick. Besides, lack of energy causes weakness in memory, reduced alertness, and diminished creativity. From the above, we can conclude that in order to have a good ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

quality of life and longevity, one must have good health, a positive outlook, and a balanced emotional state. This allows us to enjoy life, feel satisfaction from being in the here and now, be happy, and build a brighter future. This is why we should develop all out interconnected aspects (Picture 17h)—our physical body, our energy, and our Shen. What do we mean when we talk about such development? How We Can Develop Our Body We want to strengthen our physical body, in order to avoid suffering from its diseases. Should a disease appear, we want to get rid of it quickly and without any side effects. We want to be able to restore our body, in case of traumas. We want our physical body to live as long as possible, and to have enough time to transform it, so that it will never age. We can use our physical body only if we need it. But when we don’t need it and it is useless, we want it to be changed into energy or disappear. This is the constant goal that the Taoists are trying to reach: to be able to change a body into energy for a while and then reconstruct this body from energy. The theory and methods of Taoist practices describes such transformations of substance and energy. But first, one should achieve longevity. Similar methods exist in ZYQ. Therefore, we begin the development of the physical body by strengthening and restoring its health. How We Can Develop Our Energy If we don’t have enough energy, we feel tired and can fall ill. Through special exercises, however, we can increase our energy levels. We can also improve the quality of our energy, through meditation and other practice methods. This allows us to use energy for the maintenance of good health and the healing of diseases. We know that if we don’t have enough energy, our brain doesn’t work very well. Thousands of years ago, the Qigong masters knew of the systems of energy generation located in our body. To produce our own energy, we need to activate these systems. We also need to study the methods through which Qi is received from the surrounding environment and stored. Everywhere in the Universe, there is a limitless supply of energy. Therefore, if we knew how to obtain it and use it well, we would never run ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

out of it. Energy can be controlled by our mind. The development in the area of energy means the development of our inner ability to control external energy, gather it, and refine its quality. What It Means to Develop Spirit (or Shen) Our spirit is unlike any physical structure. Its development is a two-part process. The first of these processes involves our mind, which is easily affected by emotions and the stress of external events. As a result, we don’t feel well. During our lives, we all encounter external pressure and stressful situations. These can be connected to family, work, or social relationships. Just as our physical body suffers from illness, our mind suffers from problems related to mental states. To develop our spirit means, that we strengthen our mind to the point where it can solve any problems encountered during the course of life. Usually certain breathing and meditation exercises must be undertaken. They allow us to strengthen ourselves psychologically and emotionally. After this follows the practice of Shen, the three levels of which we have discussed previously.

TRAINING IN ZHONG YUAN QIGONG The quality of a system relies on its training methods and teachers. Without good training methods, even the best students will be unable to effectively receive the subject matter. ZYQ has its own unique methods of training. For example, ZYQ uses direct transfer of knowledge or “knowledge transplantation.” This method allows students to receive a large volume of knowledge in a short period of time. It involves direct transmission from the brain of the teacher to the brains of the students (“from heart to heart”). To teach students quickly, a Master opens his heart and mind and then uses a special method for fast transmission of information to the listeners. The listeners, in turn, have to use special methods of listening, so that they can also open their hearts and minds to receive this information. By practicing ZYQ, students receive knowledge as well as abilities. They develop their energy and expand their perception channels. In the end, they gain wisdom. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Each system and method has its own path. Before we discuss the methods and approaches of ZYQ, let us see how humans learn. What is learning? How do humans learn and by which teaching methods?

Levels of Training There are four levels of training. First is a method of repetition. A teacher demonstrates a particular exercise, and students then repeat the exercise until they can do it automatically. This method is used to master various movements in dance or sports, for example. You probably follow a similar method when, during classes or lectures, you write down what the teacher says or writes on a blackboard, so that you can take your notebook home to study or memorize the material. Second, a teacher can help students by giving them the energy needed to master the material. This speeds up the process of learning, remembering, and experiencing. Third, a teacher can directly increase the students’ abilities to increase their energy levels. This makes the programs easy to master. Fourth and the highest method involves transfer of abilities and opportunities from the teacher to the student, without any preliminary training. Students receive everything instantaneously, without ever having imagined that they had these skills. This happens only in certain situations. For example, when someone needs to perform a task but does not have sufficient knowledge or skill, a teacher might give the needed knowledge and skills to the student by “putting them inside” the student. As another example, sometimes the teacher asks students to do something that they think they are incapable of doing. Suddenly, however, they realize that they are able to perform this task. This means that at that moment, this ability was given to them by their teacher. However, such transfers take place rarely and only if absolutely necessary. In our everyday lives, we typically resort to the first and lowest method of training. Why? ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Common Channels of Perception Humans habitually receive information from the surrounding world through the regular channels of perception—that is, the five senses: vision, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. However, the sensory organs are limited in their ability to perceive information. For example, the greatest volume of information we receive is through the vision channel. This includes ideas about the form, color, and size of objects, but only within a narrow range of electromagnetic emission and only at certain lighting.16 Our hearing is limited even more in comparison with other living creatures on our planet.17 Our tactile senses (which can allow us to assess health without touching the body) are also limited. Let’s not even talk about our sense of smell! So many species of animals surpass humans with the range of their sense of smell, as they do with other senses as well. For example, bats and dolphins can see with the help of sound navigation and ranging (Sonar), and fish and birds use the Earth’s magnetic lines, etc. If the capabilities of our sensory organs are limited when we receive information, then we must have limited knowledge or perception of the world. If we do not have full knowledge, then our ideas about the world will not be complete. In fact, our understanding of the world is not just limited—it is distorted. Of course, we have a wide range of technical devices, tools, and instruments to help us study the micro and macro worlds. These devices (Xray equipment, magnetometers, radio telescopes, and electroencephalographs, etc.) extend the range of our natural perception. While we continuously try to perfect these devices, do we also perfect ourselves by expanding our capabilities? How do we acquire knowledge? At school, we just listen to the teacher and take notes. Afterward, we review the material at home. We can also read books, watch television, or listen to the radio. We can use computers and explore artificial intelligence. Yet with all of these, the principle remains the same—we receive information from the outside, through the five known sensory organs.

Additional Channels of Perception ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

The Qigong system works with at least three and sometimes five additional channels of perception. We call these sixth, seventh, and eighth senses the Third Eye, the Third Ear, and the Second Heart18, respectively. We have evidence that the Third Eye is a system connected to certain parts of the brain, such as the pineal gland in the area of hypothalamus, and energy channels. When a sufficient amount of internal energy reaches that part of the brain, the pineal gland becomes active, giving us the ability to see with our eyes closed. We see not as they normally see, but in a range that is entirely inaccessible to normal vision. We then can see things beyond our usual perceptual range (X-ray, infrared, etc.). This opens up other worlds and dimensions that we can experience through clairvoyance, telepathy, long distance vision, and the like. In Stage III of the ZYQ system, we practice exercises that help to develop the Third Eye vision. Through these, it becomes possible to see the energy that is outside our bodies. The Master, using his own energy, can help students to see with their Third Eyes, but this lasts only for a short time. Each individual must practice regularly to receive sufficient energy to open the Third Eye. No Master can help students maintain Third-Eye vision if the students do not practice and collect their own energy. In order to see, one needs to be able to use one’s eyes. If there are eye-related problems, those can be helped. But how do we help if there are no eyes? This is why, during Stage II, we practice Yuan-Qi to prepare us for Stage III. The Third Ear is similar to the Third Eye. While expanding hearing range, it also activates particular areas of the brain through its inner energy. Finally, through a particular set of practices, we can develop sufficient sensitivity to activate our Second Heart. The Second Heart is not just our physical heart. It is a synergy of the heart, the central nervous system, and the soul. Intuition is one of the functions of the Second Heart. Master’s Story At the Beijing Special Human Abilities Research Institute, we extensively researched the Third Eye. There was a room where a special material covered the walls inside. It disabled the penetration of the magnetic field into this space. In these conditions, it is possible to research the magnetic emissions of different areas of our body, especially the brain. If we place a recording device similar ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

to the electroencephalograph on the area of the Third Eye (found on the forehead, level with the eyebrows), the device will display signals that appear as a line with little waves. If we send our internal energy to this area and activate it in a special way, like Qigong practitioners, we will see clearly visible wavering, instead of smoother lines in the recorded signals. The length and aptitude of the waves correlates to a range of electromagnetic emission (ultraviolet, X-ray, etc.) that becomes visible to the subject, the person being tested. I myself have also passed such tests a few times, not only in our institute, but in research institutes in Japan and in the former Soviet Union. If I do not activate the Third Eye, the signals appear as a straight line. If I start using the Third Eye, powerful waves appear in the recorded signals. When color photos are taken during this time, researchers are able to see a glowing spot in the area of my Third Eye, which changes color depending on what I am looking at and how I am using the Third Eye. This is not difficult to check. There are different devices that allow such experiments to be repeated. I often find that when I do not have time to call students, they call me. They tell me that they felt the need to call me but did not know why. Perhaps you also have had similar experiences. These are small examples of connections we make that are out of the ordinary. Through ZYQ, we develop our abilities to use these new ways of connecting to solve many problems. Hence, in Stage I, we study methods that allow us to increase sensitivity and give a jump-start to the development of the Third Eye, the Third Ear, and the Second Heart. Further, these abilities will continue to develop as the practitioner begins to understand how they all work together. One of the purposes of Zhong Yuan Qigong is to develop our special abilities. Hence, we use the special methods of ZYQ to develop our abilities to obtain more precise and correct information from the surrounding world. Let us examine how we can transmit this information.

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication We are used to communicating verbally. Besides we use gestures, mimicry, written word, and pictures. Our normal ways of communication mainly use the two channels of perception: vision and ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

hearing. The use of other channels for communication allows us to move up to higher stages. However, before students can use the higher channels, they must be prepared to receive information through them. The use of the Third Eye, the Third Ear, and the Second Heart requires a completely different method of information transmission—namely, using Qi, as opposed to light or sound. We know from modern detection devices that humans emit “something” that contains electric and magnetic emissions, ultrasound, infrared, and other waves or “ingredients.” Light is one of the characteristics of Qi energy. When a person achieves a quiet mind by reaching a certain state of relaxation, then he or she can see that light. Our bodies constantly radiate this form of light. By using special methods of training, teachers can considerably increase the kind of information they send to their audiences. Such emission of signals can be called energy or Qi. The first level of energy/Qi that can be seen is similar to fog. The second level is a light that contains different colors. The training in ZYQ classes goes beyond the use of the five known perception organs. In ZYQ, information and knowledge directly enter the brains of the practitioners. In general, information may come to us in different forms and give us different kinds of knowledge.

From the Third World Conference on Medical Qigong (Beijing, China, 1998) Among the numerous researchers presented there, a series of reports on human emissions was given. At the Institute of the Physics of Higher Energies (Institute of High Energy Physics) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a group of scientists led by Yan Yulin studied the emissions coming from auras. They used the Kirlian method of filming developed in Leningrad. They made photos of objects in electromagnetic fields of high voltage. The films capture corona discharge. Their experiments showed the following: Emission of Qi from Laogong points and the area of the Third Eye is possible in the range of roentgen radiation. Emission of Qi can affect the spectrum of electromagnetic waves in the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

ultraviolet as well as the visible part. It can change the color and structure of grape wine, and red or blue plastic films. The spectrum peak may be moved by the emitted Qi. Emission of Qi can affect the structure of water, including tap water, and can create distilled or highly purified water. Some masters of Qigong are able to emit Qi in the form of a light stream that can become visible to those who can see Qi. This type of radiation can be caught on film or videotape. This shows the electromagnetic characteristics of the light emission of Qi. Secondary radiation emanating from the electromagnetic energy can lead to the ionization of the air where, as a result, the ions of various colors are created. This was filmed and presented as special pictures. The acquisition of knowledge through Qigong can be compared to driving lessons or swimming lessons. In these cases, it is not enough for the learners to read a book. They must experience the activity with their entire bodies. Likewise, in the Qigong system, people receive knowledge through their physical bodies, through experiences with their bodies. Through the feelings in their bodies, they can understand and express this knowledge. Thus, we see that—just as we do while learning to swim—in Qigong, we acquire special abilities beyond the mere receipt of information. In every area of study, we receive the appropriate information and then use it for an appropriate activity. However, the science of Qigong is a foundation science that makes it possible to increase human abilities. Again, drawing an analogy between this science and swimming, a person is not only taught to swim, but also learns to increase his abilities. For example, the strength in his muscles grows, and his tolerance increases. If we further draw an analogy with the study of the exact sciences, such as mathematics or physics, then through Qigong training, a person does not just receive knowledge. He also strengthens his intellect and ability to think, which means that he can receive and perceive much more than he would with the usual ways of training or studying. We learn for a long time, and when we finally acquire a sufficient volume of knowledge, we have reached old age. Then we have a problem: how can we pass on our knowledge and experience to the young? How do we do this quickly? How can we make a person absorb everything in a short time—especially all those things collected by others over many years? ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Master’s Story In China, research work into the many channels of perception has been going on for over fifteen years. The results from these studies have been applied in schools. We have found that if a teacher uses the method of knowledge transplantation, students understand much faster. For one experiment, we selected a school with eight classes of senior students. Chinese schools group students into different classes based on results of an entrance examination. From the eight classes, we chose the one ranked second-to-last. Before each session, Professor Gao, who teaches physics, gave students from this class five minutes of Qigong practice. He taught them special methods, using the sixth and the seventh channels of knowledge transplantation. Six months later, this class showed the highest results on a physics exam. Students from the Qigong practice class captured thirteen of the top fifteen overall highest grades, even though the class was second-to-last based on the entrance aptitude exam. Experiments have shown that if listeners are taught through the appropriate method of knowledge transplantation and if they accept the material using the same method, their results will be much higher than those following regular study methods. I have been using it since 1988. When I read a lecture or give a seminar class, my brain emits different types of energies through different channels. This makes me different from a regular, non-practicing person. For Qigong training, I also use this method. Usually, while studying Qigong, it takes about three months of practice to feel the motion of energy within the body. However, through knowledge transplantation, several days is enough. When we study, we want on the one hand to gain knowledge, and on the other, experience. Therefore, I show the different ways through which listeners can reach their goals faster. I will guide students, but they must follow me and try to be earnest pupils. What does this mean? Qigong differs, in principle, from any other form of study. Training in this area of knowledge is hard because listeners have many obstacles, especially if they come from other countries. Sometimes I use words associated with Chinese culture, but students still understand them in terms of their own cultural traditions. In every culture, there are things that we cannot translate exactly. Sometimes, while translating from one language to another, mistakes are possible. Often, even in the direct translation from Chinese, a translator cannot catch the meaning because he or she is not ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

familiar with the subject matter. However, even those who know the language well can miss things. In Western languages, for example, there are no analogs to Chinese characters. Nevertheless, the main obstacles do not lie in language. Rather, the difficulties stem from differences in mentality, in ways of thinking. For example, imagine I told you to “cut off your heads and give them to me. After the end of the seminar, I will give them back to you.” For any Chinese person, everything would be clear. The statements mean that the students should trust the teacher for the duration of the class and that they should not try to find analogs between the subject of training and another subject from a different source. In other words, do not think during the process of the training; simply absorb the information as has been offered by the teacher, and practice, practice, practice. This describes a situation similar to the one where you close your eyes and follow the teacher. Then, at the end of the class, you open your eyes and see a completely different world. You could have analyzed and compared things throughout the class, but you would have disrupted the learning experience. Therefore, during seminars, I ask listeners to do what I instruct them to do without thinking about whether it is correct. Just do it! If you think about every word I say, you will not be able to follow me. For example, I might ask you to stand in a particular pose for thirty minutes, but you might think that ten minutes are good enough, since you have already mastered the posture. Then you will miss my lesson. This is the whole point.

Phenomena and Obstacles Daily practice appears to bring the most gains. If we tried to explain all of those gains in detail here, a great deal of time would be unnecessarily lost. Everyone’s experience is different. While one may master something right away, others will take longer. Moreover, the results change according to the training and practice of a particular skill. Eventually, every practitioner starts to understand everything. However, if, every time, we ask why we do something in a one particular way and not in another, or why someone has achieved a particular result but not others, learning becomes difficult indeed. A person experiences something only when he or she is ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

ready for it. All people come with their own individuality, with their own illnesses, life experiences, and perceptions of themselves and the surrounding world. One final and most important obstacle, however, is everything that you already know. More precisely, what you believe to be possible or impossible creates the most formidable obstacle. Master’s Story When I tell you, “Give me your heads,” and you answer, “Please take them,” you might take it as a joke, a game of words, and nothing more. Many people do not understand the true meaning of a command like this, because all they know is that if they give away their heads, they will die. Their thinking, then, blocks the knowledge they might have gained. The same thing happens with other things I ask students to do or perform. They start thinking about whether they can do it before they even try. Imagine two Qigong students who have followed their teacher’s instructions precisely. Imagine, further, that they have not been asking the teacher questions. Both students, then, receive a piece of information that contains the teacher’s request to come to the mountains for further training. They go up a high mountain only to see the teacher at the bottom of it, in a very deep chasm. The teacher says, “If you want to study—come here.” Here, we have something similar to a test. One of the students trusts the teacher and jumps down. The second one, not trusting the teacher, turns around, and returns. Until that moment, they both seemed to trust the teacher completely. Yet doubts never left the second student. He knew that if he would jump off the mountain, he would die. His knowledge gave birth to fear. Knowledge and fear, then, became obstacles. In contrast, the first student, who trusted his teacher completely, jumped down to train further. Sometimes it is not easy to believe certain things. In many situations, when you practice Qigong, it will seem like a test or trial. If you are afraid of something, you cannot develop further. This is the reason I keep repeating, “Cut off your heads.” If you do not have a head, what will be the source of your fear?

What We Want to Achieve Practicing Qigong ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

You may notice that while knowledge allows us to do many things, knowledge is also an obstacle to many other things. One of the reasons is that we know from the very childhood about the “impossibility” of some actions and some events. Thus we even do not think about them and do not try. This is why one of the purposes of ZYQ is to increase our potential abilities. What we receive in ZYQ is not only knowledge, but also capabilities, talents, and thoughts. This is the development of our inner world. We repeatedly say that ZYQ is intended, first and foremost, for human development. If we develop, will we be able to reach a higher world? Does this higher world really exist? If it exists, how can we see and reach it? To answer these questions, we need to develop ourselves in such a way that in our next life, we live in another, better world. Hence, we divide the system into several steps. At each step, when you receive something, you start to understand that you are getting closer to the goal. I have been to different worlds. That is how I know. With the development of each additional capability, we will become more and more capable of understanding ourselves. We will know more about our bodies and our health. We will become healthier and happier, because we will now have a higher purpose and know where and when we need to be. The purpose of Zhong Yuan Qigong is self-development, to first improve health and strengthen our intellect, then to understand the Universe and ourselves. Finally we’ll get the ability to jump out from our world into another one. Sometimes the idea of moving from our world into another is hard to accept. Think of it this way. Imagine a person that lives his whole life in a small town without TV, computer, Internet, and cinema, never traveling anywhere outside his town. His knowledge and understanding of the outside world will be limited. He does not know what the surrounding world is like. Then, suddenly, he finds himself in a big city, surrounded by the previously unseen hustle and civilization. He has to open his eyes really wide just to look at the tall buildings. To him, the world and many things have changed. Similarly, imagine what would happen when he saw the magnificence of an ocean or the Northern Lights for the first time. To him, these things would seem otherworldly. The Qigong concept of another world is very similar to this. With dedicated practice, the soul begins to move to another world, and we are surprised. The movement of the soul is similar to the man traveling outside ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

his town, but it is far more amazing than any Earthly travel. To travel from one place to another, we might board a train, fall asleep, and wake up in a different city. It is convenient to travel while we sleep. But modern cars and highways allow us to reach the destination faster. Therefore, in developed countries we can find much more highways than railroads. Still the first place is up to speed on aircrafts. As the level of life is elevated, pace of movement increases and horizons broaden. However, we cannot travel to other and parallel worlds by trains, cars, or airplanes, but Qigong gives us such abilities. We practice Qigong to change our view of the world, to change the way we see our environment. However, if we speak only about the high goals, it is hard to understand and sense them right away. Therefore, it is necessary to go to the beginning, to the place where we are right now, and start developing gradually, step-by-step. In China, Qigong is practiced from college days. For those who do not attend an institution of higher education, there are a variety of courses, seminars, and schools. Nevertheless, before studying Qigong, students like to practice other systems. Usually, they study Tai Chi, Wushu, or something else associated with health improvement. Of course, it is not easy to spend several years studying some other system in order to prepare for Qigong training. Hence, a system was developed that enables us to change this situation. Now, it is not necessary to undertake years of preparation. This is a special method of training where the teacher intentionally gives Qi to his students. The Qi can then be used for practice without it having to be obtained through other systems of training. This is the reason why at every stage, we consider different methods of teaching and perception. In the first stage of training, students listen with their hands. This means that you listen, but as if do not hear. For that, the pose must be comfortable and the body completely relaxed. We must try to reach a state similar to sleep, while actually you are still awaked before the moment of falling asleep. We describe this state as “it seems it is; it seems it isn’t.” At first it may be not clear, but in other words we can say, “it seems we are sleeping, it seems we are not sleeping.” In this state our body and mind are very relaxed and very quiet. This state allows us to sense more than in the normal, usual state, and we can see some images. At first we do not trust these feelings, so we can describe them as “it seems I feel; it seems I do not feel” or “it seems the image exists; it seems it doesn’t,” or “it seems it is real; ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

it seems it isn’t.” All these explanations describe a certain intermediate state just as between waking and sleeping. When your mind is very busy with your thoughts, you do not notice your surroundings, as if you are not here. For example, if suddenly your friend asks you, “Did you like this dog with a girl passing by?,” you will not react immediately; maybe you will not even hear this question. Then a thought appears in your mind as if someone has addressed you. Such a situation can also be described by the words “it seems I heard sounds; it seems I didn’t.” After the second question, you realize that sounds (a question) were real. Thus for any description of the intermediate state at any stage while practicing, we will use the words “it seems it is; it seems it isn’t.” Similarly, we can say that with each stage of Qigong, you are halfway to the next level. At Stage I, the teacher helps you perform exercises using the second level of teaching. At Stage II, the teacher increases the student’s energy with the third level of teaching. At Stage III, the teacher directly gives certain abilities to his students. At Stage IV, students unite with the teacher and thereby acquire many abilities. The training at Stage V takes place individually, where contact with a teacher is telepathic, independent of location. After Stage V, the teacher changes and loses his/her normal appearance. The role of a teacher can be played by some other creature or entity who is not present physically, like a high-level Spirit or a representative of other worlds and dimensions. This concludes our brief overview of ZYQ. You can experience all of this in the future, approaching step by step to your destination. For now, let us start at the very beginning, with Stage I.

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Chapter 2: PRACTICE GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND APPROACHES A BASE FOR PRACTICING STAGE ONE The Main Goals of ZYQ

The first stage of Zhong Yuan Qigong works with the lower Dan Tian, because health, potency, reproductive functions, and longevity depend on the quality and quantity of a person’s Qi, especially, Yuan Jing. Chinese medicine pays considerable attention to the kidneys. The health of the other systems within an organism depends on the state of the kidneys, according to the Wu-Xing theory. The goals of Stage I of ZYQ are (1) to activate energy in the lower Dan Tian; (2) to improve the quality of the energy; (3) to transform the energy in a manner that increases the life forces; and (4) to normalize the circulation of the energy in the channels by opening blocked areas. Fulfilling these goals will contribute to the full opening of the energy channels, to the strengthening of the body, and to the improvement of its functions. The exercises learned at the first stage of Qigong are directed toward (1) the balance of Yin-Yang in the body, (2) the opening of channels and BAPs, (3) receiving Qi from the environment, (4) collecting Qi in the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

lower Dan Tian, and (5) improving the quality of Qi. Side effects that accompany these exercises include improvement in (a) the body, (b) the mind, (c) sensitivity, and (d) the control of inner energy, which in turn enables the diagnosis and cure of many illnesses. Today, many people are familiar with computer technology. Computers have two basic parts: hardware and software. Hardware parallels the human body, and software, the human consciousness. If the computer has excellent hardware but lacks the appropriate software or computer programs, it will not work. This is comparable to a human without the appropriate mental or brain functions. Consider the opposite case where we have many computer programs, but no hardware to run them. Sometimes, we find physically strong but intellectually weak people who train to improve their skills and abilities. They may not be able to understand their needs or formulate their goals. They merely want to learn something. Alternatively, we also find intellectually strong but physically weak individuals who understand their goals. However, they may not be able to achieve their goals, due to the limits of their physical bodies. This is comparable to a computer with good software that is inaccessible due to poor hardware. It is impossible to start the system and receive appropriate results if the hardware is no good. A good computer comprises a harmonious combination of software and hardware. We would consider it bad if our mental faculties worked well but our bodies did not. We would think it equally bad if our bodies functioned perfectly but our minds failed to work properly. To develop well, we need to develop the mind and body to bring them to balance. This process needs enough energy. Through ZYQ, we simultaneously train the spirit, the body, and the energy to be in balance. Today, we live in a society based on the principle of give-andtake. With ZYQ, we do not receive new knowledge. Instead, we develop new capabilities. These capabilities, in turn, open up opportunities for us to improve our lives and the lives of others. These are the goals of practice on Stage I. At the highest stages, we will receive new knowledge and understanding in exchange for what we give back to other people. ZYQ allows all its practitioners to acquire certain abilities that will help them live life to the fullest. For example, through ZYQ, one can normalize one’s health, and be able to work efficiently, and earn a living. Or one can diagnose and heal others. Thus, we can see that the main results of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Qigong are not the obtaining of new knowledge, but the development of new abilities, and the simultaneous raising of the intellect and creativity. These enhance the performance of all our actions. These are the goals of the first stage. Therefore, in ZYQ, masters teach the highest stages, including knowledge and understanding of the world, only if the practitioner gives something back to others. In ZYQ, we follow a system of interconnected preliminary, main, and supplementary exercises. These exercises bring about changes in the practitioner. For example, an exercise might guide a student to associate the self with a plant or an animal. Through the exercise, the student is able to reach a calm and relaxed state, and obtain sufficient energy from the surrounding environment. These practices open all channels and BAPs, through which life energy can be increased. Stage I covers four of eight preliminary exercises, and three main exercises—Big Tree, Small Sky Circle, and Refining Qi. All Qigong exercises require first of all, imagination, and and ability to merge with an image. The seemingly simple physical movements require the mind, consciousness and identification of your personality with a particular image.

Goals and Meanings of Exercises Each exercise in ZYQ has three levels of benefits, or three levels of exercise goals, each goal dealings with the influence of the exercise on our body, energy, or informational systems. The first level applies to the physical body. Here, we find regular physical exercises for regulating the body, lubricating the joints, and opening energy zones in the key areas, such as the spine. The second level focuses on Qi. Its aim is to develop sensory abilities, regulate consciousness, and work with certain Qi structures. The third level deals with information. It involves merging with certain images and exchanging information with the representatives of the animal and plant worlds. Some people, especially those who have not developed their visual and imaginative capabilities, might find the exercises complicated. However, systematic practice can overcome these problems. Students have a 70–80 percent success rate in mastering these materials. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Rules for Zhong Yuan Qigong Practice For safe and successful training in ZYQ, practitioners need to follow certain rules: 1. Perform all exercises in a comfortable place, wearing comfortable clothes (casual footwear or barefoot, with loose-fitting clothing), and most importantly, while in a calm frame of mind. 2. Do not practice Qigong either on an empty or overfilled stomach. Begin exercises thirty minutes after a light meal. 3. During practice, relax the body and the mind. Do not concentrate too intensely on your sensations, images and phenomena. Follow the general rule: “It seems it is –it seems it is not” or “It seems I see –it seems I do not see” 4. Practice on a regular basis, without long breaks (weeks and months) or overload trainings, so that favorable changes in body and mind come naturally and have enough time to settle. 5. Do not set any particular goals for yourself. Do not seek to experience any feelings or phenomena. In addition, most importantly, do not force your mind and consciousness to control Qi during the exercise. Pushing yourself in this manner can lead to hallucinations and the loss of a sober, clear, and critical attitude toward your transformation. Performing an exercise, do not control or manage the processes within you, but only watch. Let everything develop naturally. REMEMBER: The more you want something to work out, the lower your chances of achieving that goal. After completing the main exercises, place your hands on the lower Dan Tian (Sia Dan Tian) and concentrate Qi in it. This applies throughout the practice. If you become distracted at any point during the practice, put your hands over the lower Dan Tian. Before classes begin, prepare yourself not to react to external factors, such as loud sounds. If something scares you during the exercise, place your hands on the lower Dan Tian and bring your breathing to a normal state. If you are professionally engaged in physical exercises or sports, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

start Qigong practice only after your regular training, when you have relaxed the body and mind. Wait for at least thirty minutes after the end of Qigong practice to resume intensive physical exertion (running, jumping, working with free weights, etc.). During intensive training, limit the intake of drugs and alcohol. You do not need to limit the quantity or type of food. You can eat anything you want and need. At some point during the training, students will naturally stop eating certain types of food, such as meat. Sometimes, you feel the necessity to clean your body and fast for a while. In all other cases, we do not recommend any excessive or forced limitation on food consumption during ZYQ practice. The rest of the rules are stated in the descriptions of the corresponding exercises. REMEMBER: Smoking is unacceptable for mastering the higher Qigong levels.

Body Position for Standing Practice Place feet parallel, shoulder-width apart. Slightly bend your knees, so that the projection of the knees goes forward of the toe line (Picture 18). In this position, your shoulders and knees should line up so that points Yongquan (at the feet) and Picture 18: Position of Chien Chin (at the shoulders) lie on one straight Legs during Practice vertical line. Yongquan means a “seething spring” or a “gushing fountain.” Chien Chin means a “burrow,” a “well,” or an “opening to fill with water.” When your legs are in the correct position, knees over the toes, these points are connected to each other by a vertical channel. As a result, the fountain (Yongquan) fills the well (Chien Chin) with water. That is, the Qi from Earth enters the points of Yongquan and moves up to the points of Chien Chin, which connect to the sky. This allows Qi to circulate freely in the channels of the legs. In this position, the body does not tire for a long time. Slightly tilt your head so that the chin is pointed slightly down, as if your head is hanging from above. This position aligns the Baihui point ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

in a single vertical line with the Huiyin point. This makes it much easier to enter a state of detachment. In addition, this position eases the entrance of Qi into the cervical spine area. The back must be straight. (If you have problems with this exercise, try to imagine something heavy dropping on your head from the sky. Imagine, now, how you would position your head in order to balance an object on top of it). The eyes can be entirely closed or half-open. If you leave your eyes slightly open, lower the eyelids, so that light will enter through a narrow space and direct the eyes forward without focusing. By doing this, you relinquish control of the surrounding world but maintain control of the position of your body in space. Touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, building a “bridge” for Qi to flow between the Du-Mai and Ren-Mai channels. Your face should have a light smile in order to relax the mind. Your jaws should be open, not touching each other. While traditional Qigong practice of most schools focuses attention on spatial orientation, we do not require that here. The Zhong Yuan Qigong system incorporates the highest level of Qigong. It rises above the usual concepts of space and time. For a true Qigong Master, there is no space and no time. One of the purposes of Stage I of Zhong Yuan Qigong is to open up energy channels. Let us discuss one of the methods of opening channels in our fingers and toes.

OPENING CHANNELS IN FINGERS AND TOES The Sequence of Movements for This Exercise As previously noted, the body contains twelve main energy channels that connect the inner organs to its surface. The areas where these channels begin and end lie under the surface of the fingers and toes. Similarly, the points where these channels begin and end are located at the corners of the nails (Picture 19a). ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Picture 19: Opening of Points and Channels (a) Points on Fingers, and Toes, (b-e) Opening of Channels on Fingers

1. Stand straight with feet shoulder-width apart and parallel, body relaxed, and eyes half-shut. 2. Bend the arms in front of the chest with palms facing down. 3. Bend the index and middle finders of the right hand. 4. With these fingers, squeeze the base of the thumb of the left hand and pull the thumb away from those fingers. Repeat one more time with the thumb, and then do with each finger of the left hand, one by one, pulling each finger twice (Pictures 19b–e). 5. Reverse the procedure and repeat the same with the other hand. 6. Slowly bring your hands down. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

7. Now, as with your fingers, repeat a similar procedure your toes. Using your fingers, open the channels in the toes. (Of course, not everyone’s toes are so flexible that a finger can fit between them. To make it more convenient, you may first lift or lower the toe that you will work with. To make it even easier, you may also use the index finger and thumb of your hand, instead of the middle and index fingers.) Open the channels of the right foot with your left hand, and the channels of the left foot with your right hand. While doing this exercise, imagine that you are opening those channels by cleaning dirty areas, as though you were squeezing out something thick and rotten from a flexible tube. Furthermore, imagine that you are losing bad, grey-colored Qi and replacing it with clean Qi from the outside to clean the channels. If you are at a seminar where you can walk around outside, you can open the channels on the feet by simply curling (flexing or bending) and uncurling your toes inside your shoes. You also can stand on tiptoes and rotate in this position to the right and left. Optionally, you can make the same rotation with each leg separately.

Exercise Goals and Meaning First Goal: to promote the exchange between internal and external energy. Second Goal: to eliminate bad Qi from inside the body. What do we mean by bad Qi? How can we know the quality of our Qi? A very simple method allows us to define the level of our energy. Look at your nails. They have whitish, crescent-shaped areas known as lunulae (Picture 19f). While these lunulae may be absent or poorly visible on the pinkies, they do exist on all nails. Picture 19: Opening of Points and Channels (f) The thumbs have the biggest ones, after which they Lunulae become smaller and smaller. The size and color of the lunulae shows the quantity and quality of a person’s Qi. Nails with large lunulae signify the presence of large amounts of Qi. You may check the size of the lunula on each nail and determine the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

percentage of space it occupies on the nail. If your thumbs have lunulae but only a few of the other fingers do, this indicates insufficient energy. Similarly, if each lunula occupies about fifteen-twenty percent of your nail’s length, you have barely enough energy. Ideally, each lunula should occupy about fifty percent of the nail’s length. This is how you can determine the quantity of your energy. Now, how can you define the quality of your Qi? Clear, white lunulae indicate good-quality Qi. If the lunulae are of dark or grey color, Qi quality is low. The use of antibiotics or chemotherapy often results in fatigue state or tiredness, and his lunulae become grey. These are the symptoms of Qi deficiency. You can also determine the quality of your blood and its circulation by examining the nails. If they are pink and clear, your blood is of a good quality and circulates through the body normally. In contrast, if they are dark or spotted, or have small light-colored lines, your blood is of poor quality and circulation is weak. If pushing down on the edge of the nail causes it to turn white, followed by pink after it is released, you have good blood circulation. However, if the nail becomes red or pink, you have bad circulation. Dark nails are indicators of low-quality blood. When people are ill, all the bad Qi is concentrated in their fingers. They can determine the condition of their inner organs and the state of their health by examining the condition of the nails and fingertips. Nails that are not pink and lunulae that are not white indicate the concentration of bad Qi inside the fingertips. In these cases, practitioners can open the channels located inside the fingertips. To do this, they need to open the points at the end of the fingers in order to remove bad Qi from the body. As a rule, after taking a seminar and practicing, the color of the lunulae improves. You can write down and compare the sizes of your lunulae before and after Qigong practice.

Phenomena While opening the channels in your palms, you may feel extreme heat in the center of the palms. This heat can be so strong that it might become painful. If you place your hand over the region where the pain is being felt, the pain will go away. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

If, through practice, you reach this energy level, you will be able to cure a number of conditions associated with chronic, painful symptoms. By simply placing your palm over the diseased area, you will be able to make the pain go away.

Recommendations You should repeat this exercise daily—in the morning after waking up, in the evening before going to sleep, and before most other Qigong practices.

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PRELIMINARY EXERCISES First Preliminary Exercise: CHILD PRAYING TO BUDDHA Sometimes the name of this exercise is translated from Chinese as “Little Boy Greeting Buddha” or “Child Worshipping Buddha.” What does this mean? In China, Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, is not the only Buddha. In fact, a Buddha is any person who has reached enlightenment. For example, China has a Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas and many other temples that have halls with statutes of different Buddhas in them. We need to keep this broader idea of a Buddha in mind when practicing this exercise. In this exercise, we put our hands together with palms facing each other at the chest level. In the East, people have used this posture, since ancient times, as a greeting. In many regions, people still use it in this way. This is particularly true of Kung-fu practitioners. The pose signals more than a greeting; it also indicates a show of respect between, for example, two Qigong Masters, two monks, two doctors; in other words, any two people of equal social standing. Most notably, it is through this pose that children express their respect for adults and students for their Masters. The pose has many other meanings. For example, when we put our hands together with palms facing each other, we put together the Laogong points located on the right and left hands (Picture 10a). This balances the energy in the front part of the body, the part that faces other people. This ensures that, as a sign of respect, when people meet they do not project their emotional state or negative energy onto each other. Perhaps you have noticed that sensations from the left and right parts of the body differ. One hand may be colder than the other. One-half of the body may feel heavy, while the other feels light. These sensations ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

represent certain symptoms of energy imbalance in the body. One of the reasons for this is that the energy of the left and right parts of the body cannot move freely. This, in turn, prevents the interchange of energy between them. As we have already discussed, we need to balance our inner energy to improve our health.

The Sequence for the Exercise The stages in the execution of this exercise are illustrated in Picture 20. 1. Stand straight up with legs shoulder-width apart, feet parallel, and body relaxed. 2. Connect your hands together at your chest level. Keep your arms away from the body. As noted before, in the East, this is a respectful form of greeting. In our training sessions, it is an expression of respect for the person in front of you. This is also a pose used to pray to the Buddha. 3. Open your palms, with the palms facing toward you. Using a rotating motion toward your body, rotate your palms until your fingers are pointing downward. In this position, the backs of the palms should be touching back to back. 4. Continue the rotation, as your palms rotate and open away from you. Then, with a closing motion, bring your hands back to the original position. 5. Repeat this full rotation eight times. 6. From the same starting position, rotate your hands in the opposite direction, away from your body eight more times. When rotating your hands, you should be rolling your palms and fingers at the same time.

Exercise Goals Purpose: to activate and bring the energy system inside your body into balance. The various goal levels are as follows: First Level: to provide regular physical exercise for the hands, elbows, and shoulder joints. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Second Level: to balance the body’s Yin and Yang. Disruption of this balance may result in a feeling of energy moving inside of you. But this is simply the energy flowing from one hand to the other. You can test yourself by putting your palms together and holding them motionless for some time. If one palm becomes colder than the other, the energy will start flowing from one hand to the other, and you may begin to feel the movement.

Picture 20: First Preliminary Exercise (a-h) Rotating the Hands to the Body

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Picture 20: First Preliminary Exercise (i-p) Rotating the Hands from the Body

This exercise helps to balance the left and right parts of the body, especially when we align the Laogong points in the center of the palms. In this way, the energy on the inner Yin surface becomes balanced. When we rotate our hands and turn them to touch one another back to back, we align the projection of the Laogong points (the “external Laogong”). In this way, the energy on the inner Yang surface becomes balanced. Rotation of the hands helps Qi flow within the body. To bring ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

something into balance, we need motion or movement. In this case we need to move Qi. The physical movement of rotating the hands stimulates the body’s flow of energy. Third Level: to develop intuition and the ability to communicate. If you really want to improve your intuition, you need to imagine, during this exercise, that you are standing before a spiritual teacher or before someone you that you see as a source of wisdom. Adopting this pose suggests that you are greeting and notifying someone that you will be doing the exercise. We do not know exactly why the ancients selected this pose and technique, but we know that the exercise establishes a connection between a practitioner and a spiritual teacher. When visualizing a spiritual teacher, you may direct your thoughts to any being who has achieved enlightenment, or even God itself, as you want. Eastern thought believes that each person, including you, the student, can achieve enlightenment; every child is a future Buddha. Therefore, you need to imagine yourself as a child —a little Buddha. It is important to sense this state of being coming from your heart. If your body is well relaxed, you can sense that as you rotate your hands, something inside of you starts to rotate too. In this way, you begin to connect to the energy and information at a much higher level—a level that belongs to the being that you imagine; and then this level of energy and information comes into your body.

Second Preliminary Exercise: HANDS OF BUDDHA OBSERVING IMAGES Think about the name of this exercise. What does “observing images” mean? At first, you will not be able to see the energy, but you will be able to feel it. However, after some practice, you will be able to see it as well. Moreover, you will not only see it with your physical eyes, but also with the Third Eye and with your hands. Like the Buddha, you will touch and observe the earth, sky, and the universe with your palms. Recall that a Buddha is any person that has achieved ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

enlightenment. Reaching the state of Buddhahood means attaining a Godlike level, where you can do everything. Chinese epics have many legends about people trying to achieve the level of a Buddha, trying to attain immortality, or trying to help people. Master’s Story There is a popular book in China, loved by young and old, called “Journey to the West,” written by the famous seventeenth-century traveler Wu Chengen and translated into many languages. While the book tells the story of the adventures of the Monkey King Sun Wukong, it also gives an account of practical methods for overcoming various types of obstacles. Wu Chengen writes about a magic monkey born soon after the creation of the world. We learn how this monkey, in his travels around the world, strove for self-perfection until he learned and mastered the Great Teaching. Thanks to his mother’s wit, he received the title of “Great Sage, Equal of Heaven.” However, none of this was enough for him; he always wanted more. His arrogant behavior set the celestials, such as the Goddess Guan Yin, the most worshipped deity of the East, against him. After he refused to heed any warnings, the Army of Heaven mobilized against him, but their mission failed. Finally, the Jade Emperor appealed to Buddha Tathagata, who arranged a meeting with Sun Wukong. (Here it should be pointed out that Tathagata is traditionally interpreted to mean “one who comes and goes the same way as the previous Buddhas.” According to the Tripitaka of the Pali Canon, Tathagata is the name used by the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, or Siddhartha Gautama, to refer to himself. The term highlights the unique and ambiguous status of a fully enlightened being, since such a one is beyond the categories of existence and non-existence; in fact, beyond all categorizations.) At the meeting, the Buddha found that the Monkey King considered himself worthy enough to take the throne of the Jade Emperor, due to his superior intelligence and knowledge. The Buddha made a bet with the Monkey King. If the Monkey King could jump out of his—the Buddha’s— palm, he would receive the Heaven Throne from the Buddha himself. If he failed, the Buddha would send him to Earth, never to return to Heaven to disturb the celestials. Sun Wukong tried not to show his surprise at this easy bet. The Buddha reached out with his right hand, and the Monkey ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

King jumped right into the middle of the Buddha’s palm, which seemed as big as a lotus leaf to him. Then, Sun Wukong whispered something and raced forward at what he thought was the speed of light. However, at that moment, the Buddha, knowing that the Monkey King’s speed was actually much slower, directed his Eye of the Mind at him. After a while, Sun Wukong concluded that he had reached the edge of the world, since he saw five skincolored pillars. To prove to the Buddha that he really went there, he got off his horse, pulled out a hair from his head, turned it into a brush with ink, and signed the central pillar. Finally, just for fun, he urinated at the base of the pillar before jumping on his horse and rushing back. “Now give me the throne of the Jade Emperor,” he said. “I reached the edge of the world!” “You, rascal,” answered the Buddha, “You haven’t even jumped out of my palm!” “No way!” shouted Sun Wukong, “I put my signature at the edge of the world.” “Get off your horse and open your eyes wider, and while you are at it, sniff around,” said the Buddha. Sun Wukong saw his signature on the the Buddha’s middle finger and smelled a strong odor. He wanted to jump out of the the Buddha’s palm and run away, but the Buddha turned his palm upside down and dropped the Monkey King from the Heavenly Gates to Earth. Then the Buddha, with his five fingers, created a mountain from the five elements and five environments. He dropped the mountain on Sun Wukong, leaving only a small opening for air. This story shows us that no one is allowed to break the order of the Universe and its laws.

The Sequence for the Exercise The stages in the execution of this exercise are illustrated in Picture 21. 1. Starting position: stand straight with legs shoulder-width apart, feet parallel, and body relaxed. 2. Slowly raise your arms, with palms facing down, to shoulder height. Slightly bend your arms at the elbow to relax the arms and hands. Close ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

3.

4.

5. 6. 7.

8. 9. 10.

your eyes and imagine that your arms have become very long, that the palms have become as huge as the Buddha’s, and that you, with your palms, can see and touch the entire earth and the sky as well as the energy that comes from them. Sweep your hands forward until your thumbs softly touch each other, concentrating your attention on the palms. Your body, following the arms, also moves slightly, and this creates a light squeeze of the rib-cage area, while stretching the area of the shoulder blades. Move your arms back to the sides in a sweeping motion, continuing to concentrate on the palms. This will open the ribcage area and gently squeeze area of the shoulder blades. Repeat steps 3 and 4 eight times. With your hands outstretched to the side, turn your palms to face up, arms slightly bent at the elbows. In a sweeping motion, move the hands forward, while still concentrating on the palms, until you feel the light touch of the pinky fingers. As in the previous case, your body will move slightly, moderately stretching the back area and lightly squeezing the rib cage. Again, open your arms in a sweeping motion, while continuing to concentrate on the palms. Repeat the movements of steps 7 and 8 eight times. When moving your arms to the sides for the last time, turn the palms down and slowly bring your arms down to your body.

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Picture 21: Second Preliminary Exercise (a-f) Listening to Yin of Earth

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Picture 21: Second Preliminary Exercise (g-l) Listening to Yang of Sky

Exercise Goals First-Level Goal: to aid the opening of the channels of the middle sections of the spine, especially the section between the shoulder blades and the thoracic spine. These are the zones where points are difficult to open. Sometimes these zones are even referred to as “gateways” or “wickets.” ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Moving the arms forward opens the chest area of the Du-Mai channel, and moving the arms to the sides opens the chest area of the Ren-Mai channel. Points Mingmen and Dazhui (Picture 10e) are also difficult to open. If the upper points are not opened, people may experience headaches and high blood pressure. If the middle-zone points are not opened, people may find it hard to breathe. They might feel as though something is preventing them from inhaling deeply, as if there is an obstruction in the area of their heart and stomach. Regular checkups do not give any explanations for these uncomfortable feelings. When we move the arms forward, we experience a light tension in the shoulder blades, neck, and back. After that, the body relaxes again. However, when the arms are opened fully to the sides, we stretch the rib cage and create some tension there. When we bring the shoulder blades together, the back relaxes. This way, one by one, we experience squeezing and stretching— a cycle of tension and relaxation that aids blood circulation. This also helps balance Yin (relaxation) and Yang (tension). With this movement between Yin and Yang, we can bring balance to the body, particularly between the front and back. In addition, this exercise helps to loosen the upper part of the spine and to remove pain in the thoracic girdle and the cervical and upper part of the thoracic spine. Second-Level Goal: to develop hand sensitivity. This exercise seeks to train the hands and palms to sense the different Yin and Yang energies. It requires you to use your consciousness, intellect, mind, and imagination to feel the cool Qi of Earth and warm Qi of Sky. It usually takes several days, and causes the practitioner to experience various sensations. While doing this exercise, you should not feel your hands close to you. Imagine your hands traveling into infinity. After some practice, you will be able to make changes in your palms and expand their functions. Eventually, you will feel a connection between Earth and Sky in your palms. Third-Level Goal: to begin to imagine yourself as a gigantic spiritual teacher, a Buddha, or a God. You must imagine that you have become so huge that, with your palms facing down, you can touch the entire Earth and that, with your palms facing up, you can touch the entire Universe. Just like the hands of the legendary Buddha, your hands can also see long distances. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

When performing this exercise, you need to sense the spherical aspect of Earth with your palms. Likewise, you need to imagine that the sky is also a sphere and that you can touch it with your hands. These visualizations provide training for the mind as well as the body. Our eyes sense light from various colors, because areas in our brains transform electromagnetic emissions of a certain wavelength into color perception. Another area of the brain enables us to receive information from our hands and transform it into pictures or images. If the eyes are closed, these images appear as though they were on an inner screen in the mind’s eye. Scientists have detected the activities of the Third Eye in the areas of the hypothalamus. Usually, people locate the Third Eye in the area between the eyebrows, which, for example, the Hindu people often mark with a red dot. Neural science now shows us that the Third Eye actually operates through the hands. This underscores the importance of using imagery during the exercise. We should have a mental image of where our arms go, of their expansive reach, and of the fingers racing off to infinity. This helps us develop a new way of seeing. Master’s Story When I finished this stage of training, I had to pass a sort of an exam. We had certain places for the training of specific exercises. To hold this exam, we went to a field where a number of different-sized holes were dug out. They had covered the holes with shields and soil, making them impossible to locate with the naked eye or any other regular sense. They had placed a rock in one hole, a piece of wood in another, and some copper in the third. The test was to locate and identify each of these buried objects with only the energy from our hands. It was only after we had passed this test that we were permitted to move on to the next stage of practice.

Third Preliminary Exercise: THE SACRED (IMMORTAL) CRANE DRINKING WATER ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

The title of this exercise refers to a bird called the sacred crane, because it lives in Heaven. Our imagination plays a critical role in this exercise. Imagine that you are a crane standing on a lakeshore. Imagine that your neck is long and flexible, like those of the other cranes around you. Also, imagine that your crane neck can turn easily in any direction. To strengthen the neck, spine, and shoulders, you need the energy of a crane.

The Sequence for the Exercise The stages in the execution of this exercise are illustrated in Picture 22. 1. The starting position is the same as in previous exercises. 2. Lower your chin, and then rotate your head counterclockwise, moving the chin to the left shoulder as far as you can. 3. Raise your chin, returning your head to the starting position, as though your chin was following an oval path. 4. Repeat eight times. ATTENTION: 1. Don’t raise your chin too high; in other words, don’t allow your head to bend backward. 2. Do not overexert. Please note that your ability to do this depends on the length and flexibility of your neck. When you turn your head, you should feel only a gentle tension in that area. 5. Next, repeat the movements eight times in a clockwise direction, turning the chin to the right shoulder, and again returning it to the starting position. 6. Now, imagine you are scooping up water from a lake with your (crane’s) beak. With your legs and knees straight, extend your chin forward as far as possible. Then move your head down, touching, if you can, your chest with your chin, while at the same time, bending your knees. 7. After this, with the chin pressed against the chest, slide it upward along the chest, simultaneously straightening out your legs and spine. Returning to the starting position, continue to raise your chin away from ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

your chest and neck, as if to enable the crane to swallow the water that was scooped up with the beak. (Again, do not tilt your head backward.) 8. Imagine, next, that you are moving the water down to your stomach. 9. Repeat eight times.

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Picture 22: Third Preliminary Exercise

During this procedure, your legs and spine are moving in a wavelike motion from your feet to your head.

Exercise Goals We can regulate our health not only with medical drugs, plants, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

food, and other substances, but also with information. Information has a profound effect on health. The body reacts in different ways to various types of information. There are always vital interactions taking place, even when we cannot easily sense them. Imagine that on a hot, dry summer day, someone points out a lemon tree and asks you to look at its fruit. How would your body react to this information? Many people would begin to salivate excessively. Oddly enough, this bodily reaction to information might start to quench their thirst. A few words and a brief glance at a lemon produce a powerful reaction. Imagine, then, what can happen if we see ourselves as birds with long supple necks drinking water from a lake. How will such an image influence our body? First-Level Goal: to address problems with spine and neck functions. Many people, due to their sedentary lifestyles, have their necks and heads constantly inclined. This creates problems with the spine, especially the cervical spine. If, on a daily basis, we do exercises to control the position of the spine, we can prevent many diseases. These exercises increase the mobility of the cervical spine. Persons over forty and those who have cervical osteochondrosis will find these movements helpful. Furthermore, while turning our head to the right and to the left as far as we can, our neck enters a state of relaxation. This helps improve blood circulation, digestion, and balance. In this exercise, it is important to feel yourself picking up water with a beak and then swallowing it all the way to your stomach. Your body will start bending into a shape similar to the letter S. Feel your back and entire body move effortlessly, like waves in the water. The energy will then start moving in waves up your spine and along your back, as if it were a slithering snake. These waves come up from the feet, through the calves, etc. The water that you “swallow” goes down. You then have energy flowing like waves in two opposite directions—up and down. In the process, you may feel the spinal discs aligning into their correct positions. In summary, this exercise enables us to regulate the entire spine, especially in the neck area. This exercise yields better results than massage. When the spine ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

moves in a wavelike motion, it increases the freedom and flexibility of the discs, thereby adjusting and correcting the entire spinal column. This appears to aid in the prevention of many diseases. This exercise also helps improve blood circulation, and can heal scoliosis, among other things. Second-Level Goal: to improve Qi circulation in the energy channels. This exercise helps the Qi go upward from the feet. On the way up, the Qi opens the body’s BAPs. The exercise regulates the spine with the help of energy, without the use of any kind of force. The resulting movement of the energy waves aids blood circulation, which strengthens muscle tissue, which in turn helps control spinal movements. The energy of the spine is associated with the energy of the kidneys, which belong to the water element. The energies of the kidneys and water are the same. Therefore, we should imagine that, when we drink water, we are not drinking real water, but the energy of the water. This exercise can improve the functions of many systems of our body. After practicing the exercise for some time, people can salivate excessively. Modern biochemical research has shown that this saliva contains a large amount and variety of microelements, which have therapeutic effects on the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. You should swallow the saliva that you produce during this exercise. When you get used to this exercise, you will only have to think about doing it to produce the saliva. This is a very convenient method to quench thirst if, for some reason, there is no opportunity to drink real water. Third-Level Goal: to understand, communicate with, and receive energy from other creatures. You began this phase of the exercise by associating yourself with another type of life—namely, in this case, a bird. You need to fit yourself into the image of a crane drinking water. These thoughts and images discipline the mind so that becoming a crane, we can understand such creatures. Then, after some training, we will be able to see these birds during meditation or in a state of Qigong. Then we can learn to understand how to communicate with them and receive their energy.

Forth Preliminary Exercise: THE DEVINE DRAGON STIRRING SEA ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

The Chinese version of the title of this exercise includes the phrase Shen Loon. Shen is translated as “spirit” or “soul.” However, in combination with the character Loon, which means “dragon,” Shen means “fairy,” “miracle,” or “real being from another world.” Before going any further, you need to picture yourself as a dragon. At this point, students often ask about the kind of dragon they should picture. A Chinese dragon, for example, has one head, whereas a Slavic dragon has three. Here, you need to picture yourself as a Chinese dragon, because Chinese dragons live in a water environment, whereas Slavic dragons live in mountains or forests. In this exercise, we imagine that we stir the sea to get information from the dragon. The dragon has a very strong and powerful body. We want to use the energy of the water and information from the dragon to strengthen our kidneys and improve the lower back, or lumbar spine, and the entire body in general. Now, imagine yourself as a Chinese dragon deep within the sea.

The Sequence for the Exercise The stages in the execution of this exercise are illustrated in Picture 23. 1. Place your feet shoulder-width apart or a little wider. 2. Place the palms of your hands on the kidney areas, with thumbs pointing toward the front of your body. 3. Rotate your upper body counterclockwise, to the left, eight times. 4. Then, rotate your upper body clockwise, to the right, eight times. During the rotation, as the torso bends over, the back remains straight. When the torso bends back, the back straightens. During the exercise, keep your feet flat on the floor. During the movement, while imagining your body moving in the water, you should feel the resistance of the water as you rotate your upper body through it. Also, make sure you move your knees. 5. When you finish the rotation, strongly shake your entire body from your feet to the top of your head, as if you were a dragon jumping out from the sea by pushing off with its tail and flying up into the air. Stand up on ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

your tiptoes, and then all at once, drop down onto your heels. As you drop your heels, keep “pushing off” with your hands. During this sequence, the motion of your body will be similar to what happens when someone grabs you from behind, and you immediately and forcefully shake yourself free. When you shake your body in the described manner, you relax your inner organs. It is enough to shake two times: once to one side and once to the other. However, you may shake more times, and, if you wish, you may shake just to one side. The shaking helps release stress from the inside of the body and strengthen the legs and back by removing spasms in the muscles and channels.

Exercise Goals First-Level goal: to improve the lower spine and knee joints. The lower spine works during the rotating, and the knees also participate, due to their own rotation. The hard-to-open Mingmen point is located in the lumbar area. As a result, bad Qi often collects in this zone. When that happens, blood circulation decreases, which may in turn cause congestion, pain or discomfort and even lead to diseases such as cancer. Practice of this exercise contributes to the normal functioning of the lumbar zone.

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Picture 23: Fourth Preliminary Exercise

Second-Level goal: to strengthen the energy of the kidneys. When we picture ourselves as the dragon and imagine that we are in the sea, we again work with the energy of water (as in the previous exercise). From the point of view of the Wu Xing concept, the kidneys belong to the element of Water. This means that the Qi of water and the Qi of the kidneys are the same. When you place our hands on the kidney area, all your attention should shift to that area. If you can picture and also actually feel yourself in ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

the water and feel the water’s resistance as you turn and spin about, the Qi of the water will wash your kidneys. While going through your kidneys and throughout your entire body, this water will remove the bad, stagnant Qi. By strengthening the energy of the kidneys, we strengthen our bone tissue. Thus, this exercise contributes to strengthening our bone system. In addition, TCM does not treat the kidneys as separate organs but as a system of organs within the urogenital sphere. This exercise, then, helps to improve the functioning of this entire system. When you shake your body, the energy flowing from the feet upward helps to cleanse it in its entirety. If you perform this exercise correctly, you will soon feel its heat in the form of hot streams going into your legs and abdomen. Third-Level goal: to prepare for communication with creatures from other worlds. In this exercise, you imagine and feel yourself as a dragon in the sea. Soon, you will begin to identify with the dragon. If during the practice, you enter the state of Qigong, you will realize that dragons do exist, but that they live in other worlds. Then, you will have prepared a foundation for future communication with other types and forms of life, other civilizations, and other worlds. Master’s Story In the East, especially China, dragons are honored. Earlier, there was a Cult of the Dragon, which involved various rituals that now take the form of feasts and dances. According to an ancient legend, dragons are the ancestors of the Chinese people. The legend goes on to say that these dragons now live in other worlds, where they moved after achieving the appropriate level of Shen. Many old buildings and monasteries have pictures and sculptures of dragons (Picture 14). Today, we also see the reliefs of dragons on the ridges of roofs. In modern China, we find houses, amusement rides, and decorative plants built in the shape of dragons. Besides, almost in every temple you can see the monuments and pedestals to turtles, decorated with high reliefs of dragons playing with pearls. Isn’t it the dragon’s population, which had left the knowledge to their descendants before leaving this world? Are they more than mere legend? ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

SUMMARY OF THE PRELIMINARY EXERCISES Influence on the Body and Exercise Goals The first exercise regulates the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints. The second exercise trains the area between the shoulder blades, the shoulder girdle, and the thoracic cage area. The third exercise trains the entire spine. The fourth exercise works knee joints and the lumbosacral spine segment. This exercise provides complete training for the leg and arm joints as well as the spine. The First-Level Goal of these exercises involves the training the physical parts of the body. The Second-Level Goal focuses on the regulation of the energy in the body and on the regulation of the body with the help of energy. The Third-Level Goal emphasizes the impact of information on the body, particularly the impact of images on the internal workings of the body. Here we see that Qigong simultaneously trains the mind, consciousness, energy, and body.

Final Note Feel free to modify the time of day as well as the duration of each practice at your discretion, according to how you feel and how much time you have at your disposal. You may perform the exercises in the order presented here, or modify them to suit your needs. In addition, we encourage you to teach these exercises to your friends and children.

Questions and Answers Questions about Channel Opening 1. Some writings claim that during the procedure of opening the channels, destructive energy may also enter the body. Does energy have a constructive as well as a destructive side? ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Energy is similar to rays of sunlight. On the one hand, sunlight helps everything grow. In fact, nothing can grow without it. On the other hand, strong sunlight can cause damage. As a rule, bad or evil energy comes from the Universe. Individual human energy does not have enough power to harm other people. The energy we radiate is a vital energy that helps life. It is wrong to think that when the channels are open, damaging energy can enter. Why? Our body has an aura around it, similar to the atmosphere around the planet Earth. Similar auras envelope each organ and living cell. These auras provide the body with its own protection system. Qigong practice strengthens that system by making the auras thicker and wider. When we get sick, our aura loses thickness and becomes weaker. When this happens, “bad” external Qi can have an impact on our body. The bad Qi can lower our energy levels and weaken us. Indeed, when we communicate with a seriously ill person, the sick person’s energy can have a negative impact on us. Questions about the First Preliminary Exercise 1. Why do we repeat the exercise eight times? Answering this excellent question in detail would take a very long time indeed. We can begin by noting that every culture has its own numerology. Why do Europeans dislike the number thirteen? Why do Russians call this number “the devil’s dozen”? In the Qigong system and in the entire Universe, different numbers have different meanings. In the very beginning, since we did not know the nature of the Universe, it was called TAO. Then, TAO created ONE, which stands for the Universe in general. ONE created TWO in the form of YIN and YANG. YIN and YANG then divided so that Yin always includes Yang and Yang always includes Yin. This way, we obtained FOUR. Each of these pairs has Yin and Yang, giving us EIGHT. EIGHT further divides and creates SIXTY-FOUR. All changes follow these principles based on the theory of Yin-Yang. Before the universe divided into Yin and Yang, there was something, and that something was named Wu-chi or Emptiness. Indeed, Zero means emptiness. Wu-chi came before our Universe. The division into Yin and Yang occurred later. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

On a less metaphysical level, we should note that Chinese people typically associate the number EIGHT (meaning “everything” or “infinity”) with success. The word “eight” translates into Chinese as ba, pronounced as fah, which means “to make money.” Hence, in China, people frequently seek license plates and phone numbers that end with the number eight. They believe that numbers ending in eight will help them become successful in business. 2. What is the correct leg position during the practice? During the practice of all exercises, legs should be slightly bent at the knees. If your legs are straight, you will get tired very soon. Feet must be parallel to each other. 3. Is it necessary to rotate the palms toward yourself and then away from yourself? The first exercise can prompt many questions: Why must the rotation take place in two directions? Why do we need to rotate first toward and then away from the person? Why do our palms need to touch each other? There is a simple answer to all of these questions. Instead of asking them, we should simply do the exercise. After some practice, it will all become clear. The exercises have been designed to help us balance everything inside the body. 4. What breathing pattern should we follow during the exercises? Do not pay any specific attention to your breathing. During exercises, you should breathe naturally unless told otherwise. The only exercise that requires special breathing is the one called “Small Microcosmic Orbit” (or Small Sky Circle), which will be discussed later. 5. Are there any restriction in food or diet in the Qigong system? There are no restrictions. You can eat anything you want. Later, we will discuss this in detail. 6. What is the best direction to orient oneself during practice (north, south, east or west)? ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

In this system, orientation has no meaning. Later, when you start studying the main exercises, you will understand this better. 7. Should I practice barefoot when I am at home? While it is generally more comfortable to practice barefoot, it is not necessary. Questions about the Second Preliminary Exercise 1. What is the breathing pattern for the second exercise? As we have already discussed, if there are no special instructions about breathing, it means that you can breathe as naturally and freely as you wish. For this exercise, breathe naturally. 2. In this exercise, is it only the wrists that are relaxed, or also the arms? In the second exercise, the wrists and arms must be completely relaxed. 3. At times, I can feel tension in my back. Should I also feel tension in my arms or hands? If you move your hands in a natural motion and relax, there will be no tension in them. Tension during the rotation should occur only in the areas of the chest and of the back, between the shoulder blades. 4. The only thing that I feel constantly is warmth. I cannot separate Qi from Earth and Qi from Sky. What should I do? At the very beginning of this practice, you may not feel any coolness, especially if there is a high amount of energy (a “log” of Qi) in your arms. Later, after the arms become calm, and when you enter a state of relaxation, you will feel the difference between Earth and Sky. 5. I do not feel any difference in the sensations of Earth Qi and Sky Qi, but I constantly feel goose bumps on my hands. Sometimes, I feel some trickles or motion in the body, but not in my palms. Why? At the initial stage of practice, your body undergoes changes in ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

the Yin-Yang balance, and very often, the sensations that you experience are the reactions of these bodily changes. These are internal, and not external, reactions. 6. During the exercise, my arms and hands start hurting and go numb. It feels as though they are heavy. What should I do about this? In this case, you need to repeat the exercise more often, but not for longer periods. You will feel pain if you have problems in your shoulders or joints. Should this be the case, you will need to work on your joints. 7. How do these exercises compare to regular physical training? Should I stop physical training and only do these exercises? You can combine Qigong exercises with physical exercises, because Qigong does not have many dynamic movements. Besides, physical exercise is generally required to maintain good physical health. Therefore, we recommend that you engage in some type of physical exercise program. In China, people usually combine Qigong practice with dynamic exercises such as Tai Chi Chuan or Kung-fu. During the first stages of ZYQ, we practice many exercises of the calmer variety that belong to Quiet Qigong. Eventually, these build up to constitute more than 70 percent of all of the exercises. If you do not take part in any form of physical activity at home, you should practice one half of the calm exercises and one half of the dynamic exercises, while also engaging in some form of physical exercise. 8. What should I practice first? It depends on how you feel. After you become familiar with all the exercises, we will speak about what and where to practice and how to combine Qigong with other types of physical activity or sports. 9. Do I need to keep the fingers together while they are moving? No, the wrists should be relaxed, and the fingers should not be interlocked. 10. Is it necessary for the fingers of the right and left hands to touch each other while rolling the hands forward? ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Yes, there should be a slight touch. 11. Do we need to make pauses when the arms are at the sides or directed forward? There should be no pauses.. The transitions from one movement to the next should be smooth. Questions about the Third Preliminary Exercise 1. Is there a particular speed for performing turns and bends? You can do turns and bends at any speed, depending on how you feel while performing them, and as is shown in the videos and DVDs. Be alert to the sensations you experience while performing these movements and adapt accordingly. These movements should be pleasurable. 2. What is the correct way to turn the head? Just relax your neck, slightly lower your chin, and turn your head so that your chin “looks” at your shoulder. The main thing here is to NOT throw back the head. 3. How many times should this exercise be repeated? Each part of this exercise should be performed over one full cycle, eight times. You can then repeat it over one, two, or three consecutive cycles. 4. During the preliminary exercise, I feel dizzy. In general, I have serious problems with my balance. Maybe I should not practice this exercise. On the contrary, you should practice more. Repeat the exercise as many times as you can, gradually increasing the number of turns. At home, you may practice more than the specified eight times. This exercise is very useful for those who have problems with the cervical spine or shoulder girdle and for those who have problems with the circulatory and vestibular systems. By improving the supply of blood to the brain, this exercise also relieves headaches. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Questions about the Fourth Preliminary Exercise 1. How should a person with a herniated disc practice? In the event of a herniated disc, practice should be done in a gentle and relaxed manner, based on how the person feels. 2. What can you recommend for scoliosis? You should practice Big Tree and the Third preliminary exercise for a month. By the way, the Third preliminary exercise can help in more ways than this one, because it improves the state of your spine. A herniated disc results from problems with urinary bladder energy. The functions of the urinary bladder and kidneys have connections. This Fourth preliminary exercise is directed to improve the kidneys energy, that is why it can also give help to spine problems. 3. Is this exercise harmful if there are multiple lymphomas along the spine? I have had several patients with lymphomas. They could practice all these exercises; the exercises will not cause you any harm. 4. How many times a day should I practice this and other preliminary exercises? You can practice as many times a day as you wish! When you achieve perfection in the practice of these exercises, once a day will suffice. 5. What is the best time of day for practicing these exercises? It does not matter. It is best to practice when you have free time and when nothing distracts you. You can vary the time of day and the duration of practice for each preliminary exercise as you wish. 6. Is it necessary to maintain a particular sequence while performing these exercises? No, it is not necessary. 7. Is it acceptable to practice one exercise eight times, and the other, for example, for ten minutes? ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Yes. You can perform some exercises for a long time until, for example, you start to feel the Yin and Yang. Then, the next time, you can perform another exercise for a longer period of time.

MAIN EXERCISES BIG TREE Big Tree is the most important exercise of the first stage of the ZYQ system. It dates back thousands of years and is performed at three other stages as well. Various schools of Qigong and Wushu practice it in various modified forms. However, they all call it Chang Chuan, which can be translated as “a pole,” “a pillar,” or “a tall tree trunk.” These schools usually tell their students to stand still, like a pole, for a long time.19 Origins of the Big Tree Exercise In the ZYQ, this exercise is known as the “Big Tree” exercise. In China, if people speak about the “Big Tree” posture, they usually note that it is taken from ZYQ. Compare a tree to a tall column or pillar, which is immobile but lifeless, while the nature of a big tree is a strong and healthy form of life. Throughout history, people have wondered why human life ends at the age that it does. In many countries they live sixty, seventy, and eighty years. Even today, it is not often that we meet a ninety-year-old person, and meeting someone who has lived to be one hundred or more is very rare. As we have mentioned several times before, ZYQ practice can prolong life by improving one’s health. What does “living longer” mean? Each person faces different conditions and factors throughout their life. For example, a person who is fifty years old might feel like a twenty-year-old after Qigong practice. This person, then, has become younger. Conversely, a twenty-year-old might look fifty. This person would not be truly twenty years old. Overall, we judge people’s ages not by the amount of the years but by the amount of vital ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

energy that they have in reserve. Scientifically, longevity correlates with sexual potency. Sexual activity typically begins around the age of twelve. After thirty, many young people begin to experience weakening sexual function. Qigong practice can help them recover quickly by increasing their energy and power. Sexual potency begins to fade after the age of fifty. How can we acquire longevity? How can we prolong life? Many plants and animals live much longer than humans do. Tortoises can live to be hundreds of years old. Trees have incredibly long lives. You may know trees that are hundreds of years old, but what about those that live for thousands of years? In China, the longest living tree is the Ginkgo Biloba tree. The tree in Pictures 24a and 24b is 1,770 years old, yet this tree is not old when we compare it to the tree in Pictures 24c and 24d, which is 4,500 years old. It is the sixth oldest tree in China. A 6,000-year-old tree holds the honor of being the oldest tree in China. People decorate these ancient trees with yellow and red ribbons containing notes to the trees. People believe that these trees can answer questions and provide help. So people from all over China come to those trees with their questions and pleas, and attach ribbons with words of gratitude as gifts. To prevent damage to these trees, caretakers usually wrap the trunks with netting so that people can tie their ribbons to the nets without disturbing the trees.

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Picture 24: Long-Living Trees (Henan Province) (a, b) 2000 years old, (c, d) 4500 years old

Every form of life has consciousness. Trees that have lived long have acquired vast reservoirs of wisdom. Humans can learn a great deal about longevity from these trees. You may have read about experiments that showed plants reacting to people’s thoughts and emotions. Researchers detected the plants’ ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

responses to humans from sensors attached to the plants. If a person approached the plant with kind thoughts (“You are so beautiful,” “I like you,” or “I love you very much!”), the plant had well-defined impulse frequencies. However, if a person came up to the plant with hateful thoughts (“I hate you” or “I want to set you on fire”), the plant radiated another type of impulse, irregular. In addition, the plants reacted with analog impulses to threats to neighboring plants and to the demise of small animals close to them. Therefore, it seems highly likely that plants communicate with each other and with animals. The plants used in this research were young. Imagine how a tree that has lived for centuries would understand human thoughts and emotions. Master’s Story From these experiments, we see that when humans communicate their thoughts and emotions, trees and plants understand and respond to them. In contrast, however, when the trees and plants think about something, humans do not understand them. If, for example, you approach a big, centuries-old tree with questions about aging, then perhaps the tree would understand and answer you, but you would not understand it. If we could understand plants and trees, then we would quickly change our attitudes about nature. In ancient China, highly skilled Masters who lived in isolated mountain regions could communicate with flora and fauna. They could understand the soul of nature. They uncovered the secrets of longevity and passed them on to others. In Chinese history, we know of a person named Pan Tzu who, incredibly, lived nearly eight hundred years. Another amazing man, Chang Sen Fen, lived so long that people lost count of his age. Among notable person who lived long lives is Lao-tzu, the first to speak of TAO in his book Tao Te Ching, now translated into many languages. Leaving his manuscripts behind, he moved to the mountains, where he lived for a very long time—for how long, no one knows. Some Masters reported that several hundred years after his disappearance, Lao-tzu visited and taught before disappearing again. Furthermore, they claimed that his coming and going took place over several generations. It still remains a murky secret. We still know very little about individuals who live for such long periods of time, although great longevity among trees is not uncommon. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Trees can live several thousand years, if no one damages them and they do not get sick. If people did not get sick or suffer injury, and if they did not fight wars…if…, if…, if…, how long would they live? Similar to humans, trees may perish at the age of thirty or forty, either from disease, climate conditions, natural disasters, or simply because people use them for their needs. Disease has become humanity’s main curse. Humans often look old not due to aging, but due to illness. Think about the reasons why most people die. It’s a fact that most people die from illness rather than old age. If people had good emotions, if they lived in sanitary conditions, if they had healthy bodies, if they had interesting work, if they had satisfactory lives overall…if they had all these things, life would not be a burden, and no one would want to die. Some people may not want to live for eight hundred years, but undoubtedly, they would want to live as long as possible within their physiological abilities and limits. Each form of life on Earth has its own natural limit. So what is our natural age? Many scientists believe that the natural age of humans may range from a hundred fifty to a hundred eighty years. At present, however, this lifespan has been cut by half or more. We do not know how to live longer. To discover this knowledge, we need to learn from trees. There are many things a tree can teach us. For example, trees recover quickly from diseases, an ability that we need to master in order to start growing again. Our emotions cause us trouble. We nervously rush about everywhere and nowhere. Our physical well-being constantly fluctuates. We feel discomfort when it’s hot or cold. The world of trees is a different matter: in winter and summer, in cold and heat, under the sun and in the rain, they live without any desires. Their roots go deep into the ground and receive water with all the nutrients, which goes up through the trunk to the leaves. Their crowns reach higher and higher, showered by the rain, swayed by the wind, bathed in the rays of the sun during the day, and in the light of the stars and the moon at night. These elements penetrate the leaves, branches and trunk, and go down into the roots. This is how the trees receive their food and energy from the earth below (Yin) and the sky above (Yang). These two types of energy move toward each other, collecting in the trunk and enabling the tree to live and grow. Thus, the tree unites the earth and the sky inside itself. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

In other words, we can say that trees know very well how to receive energies from the sky and the earth. We need to learn these skills from the trees. How can we do this? We can truly learn from trees by becoming one with them.

What We Can Learn from a Tree If you turned into a tree, you would be able to understand its nature. You would start feeling the energy inside your body, the energy you accept from earth and sky. The experience of Qigong masters and practitioners tells us that if you turn into a tree, if you stand just as a tree does, you may live longer. Many age-related problems can be solved and diseases cured through such practice. Very soon, the practitioner will begin to feel an increase in vital energy. Therefore, from the point of view of health, the practice of Big Tree prolongs life. In addition, according to Qigong, this exercise enables the practitioner to merge with the Universe. It enables us to unite Sky, human beings, and Earth; in other words, the three external Yuan merge into one. First, we imagine ourselves as a big tree. Then, the image of the big tree disappears, leaving behind a Big Man, in whom everything merges. Of course, this does not happen right away, but gradually. The Chinese say, “Until you practice Big Tree, it is impossible to understand what it is.” According to ZYQ philosophy, to understand Nature and the Universe, we need to return to Nature and unite with it. When in your thoughts you become a tree, you enter Nature and merge with it. Obviously, we are not trees, but if we stand in a tree-like pose, how else can we feel? The experience of the ancient masters, confirmed by that of countless other practitioners, states that daily practice enables a person to unite with Sky and Earth, with the entire Universe. This will help us understand how to learn from the surrounding world. The fundamental principle of ZYQ tells us that if we unite with Sky and Earth, we will understand the nature of each of them. And this, in turn, will help us realize yet another goal of Qigong practice: improved health, extended life, and attainment of harmony. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

The Sequence for the Exercise The stages in the execution of this exercise are illustrated in Picture 25. 1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, feet parallel, and knees slightly bent. Move the pelvis forward a little to make sure your back is straight. Tilt your chin slightly downward, so that the neck is straight. The head should hang by the vertex. Relax your body. Let your tongue touch the roof of your mouth and close your eyes halfway. You should have a little smile on your face to relax the mind. Do not bend backward. Imagine that you have a third point of support, like a kangaroo’s tail, and stand in such a pose. If you prop your heels against the wall, your back should not touch the wall. You can check your pose by seeing if you are comfortable balancing an object on top of your head. In the correct pose, you can support an object with your head. 2. Extend your arms so that your palms are facing your navel and are level with it. Round your arms by pointing your elbows slightly out. Your armpits should be open, as though you are holding a pair of fragile tennis balls in there, as fragile as eggs. Relax the arms. There should not be any tension or physical force in your arms. Imagine you are holding and feeling an energy ball between your palms and your navel. 3. Next, forget about yourself. Imagine that you are beginning to turn into a big tree. It can be any tree, even a hundred-year-old pine tree or an even older Gingko tree. Picture yourself in a forest, with both legs growing deep into the ground and eventually turning into roots. Then, with your roots, begin to absorb the earth’s moisture. Take in the Yin energy from the earth.

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Picture 25: Big Tree Exercise

4. Imagine, next, that your tree-trunk body grows wide and reaches into the sky above the clouds. Then, imagine your head turning into the tree’s branches and absorbing the light from the Sun and the energy of the Universe. Become as large as Universe and take in the Yang energy from it. Now you are a big tree. 5. Forget about the exercise and yourself. Feel the Qi of earth coming from below, through your leg-roots. Feel the Qi of universe coming from ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

above. Feel their movements in your body, and feel the energy ball with your palms and the navel. Then, again, forget it all. 6. As a modification of point five, imagine and feel the ball grow bigger and bigger, until it goes through and beyond the boundaries of your body and you appear inside. Feel yourself inside that ball. Feel the sounds of music with your body, when you and the ball become as large as universe. (Big Tree, like the other main exercises during the beginning stages of learning [Stages 1–4], is practiced with special music. These special tunes are performed on ancient Chinese instruments. Their goal is to help you master the various exercises. The sounds help open BAPs and clear energy channels by allowing them to resonate with certain structures and levels of Qi.) Then, imagine the ball gradually shrinking and becoming smaller. Imagine that the energy inside the ball becomes more solid and dense until its surface decreases and goes through your body. Then, fit the ball in between your palms and navel. Feel the sounds of music with your body and compare these feelings with those experienced previously. Then, the ball again grows larger, and you are inside it. Then, it decreases again. Repeat this pattern several times. 7. After finishing the exercise, get back to your normal state: now you are again a human, not a tree. Then, you can start feeling the energy ball again between your hands and navel. Mentally decrease the ball’s size, and, slowly moving your hands toward your navel, put the ball into your lower Dan Tian through your navel. Place your hands on your navel. Women should put the right hand on the navel with the left hand on top. Men should do the opposite. The thumb of the hand on top hides under the lower hand to create a “lock,” and the center of the lower palm (the Laogong point) is aligned with the center of the navel. Mentally concentrate Qi into the smallest size possible in the lower Dan Tian. Feel the warm area or the pulsations inside the body, against the palms. These sensations mark the center of the lower Dan Tian. Then, slowly, open your eyes. REMEMBER: 1. Menstruating women, to avoid heavy bleeding, are strongly advised to practice Big Tree by extending their arms as ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

though they were holding the energy ball at chest level (rather than at the level of the navel), level with the middle Dan Tian—Zhong Dan Tian. After finishing the exercise, they should put the energy ball into the middle Dan Tian, and then move it down into the lower Dan Tian. 2. Pregnant women may practice Big Tree in a similar manner as in the preceding paragraph. At the end of the exercise, lower the energy downward into the lower Dan Tian. Do this without hands and without any sensation of the ball at the level of the lower Dan Tian. Similar to physical exercises, this exercise leads to certain feelings within the body, such as muscle pain. When your muscles are sore from a physical exercise, generally, if you do the exercise several times, you will feel much better. The same happens with this exercise. You will find it much easier to stand in Big Tree the second time. After the third time, you will experience a little pain. After the fourth time, you will begin to enjoy the exercise. If you give up after the first try because of unpleasant or painful feelings, you will never understand why trees live so long. If you use the correct pose, you will not feel any fatigue in your arms or legs, because during the Big Tree exercise you will receive Qi from the outside. If you stand correctly for several minutes, the Qi will start to fill up the body. You may feel heavy or numb, but you will not experience any pain or desire to move. Typically, it is hard to stand motionless because this is not natural for a human being, so it needs some training. Big Tree must be practiced for a minimum of thirty minutes. This is so because it takes about thirty minutes for blood and Qi to circle all the channels and vessels. After some time, when you get used to this posture, you can extend the length of the Big Tree exercise to two hours. Please note that during the practice of Big Tree, your mouth will produce large amounts of saliva. At first, the saliva will have its usual taste. It will then turn sweetish. After a certain period of practice, the saliva takes on a full range of tastes, including honeydew. It is important not to spit this saliva out. As it collects in your mouth, swallow it slowly, mentally lowering it into the stomach and even further into the lower Dan Tian. In earlier times, this saliva was called Jade saliva or Golden Liquid. These names reflected its value to the body. It was valued more than gold. Modern biochemical research has demonstrated that this kind of saliva contains many various ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

microelements. As a result, it improves the gastric and intestinal mucus and the process of gastrointestinal digestion. It can even cure digestive disorders such as gastric ulcers. Often, after the practice of Big Tree, the practitioner’s fingers will swell to a point where it becomes difficult to bend them. It may seem that they get thicker as well as longer. This happens due to the excessive amount of energy collected in them. Today, the Big Tree exercise has become widely accepted and practiced. People continue to use it because it allows for the fast collection and increase of body-revitalizing energy. For general health maintenance and recovery from illnesses, thirty minutes of daily practice should suffice. When you start enjoying this exercise and it stops causing unpleasant feelings in the body, you can start practicing more. If you do not have enough time to practice every day, practice once or twice a week. However, if you shorten the frequency of practice, you should increase the duration. If you feel that you are catching a cold or getting sick, then start practicing Big Tree for at least an hour each day. If you have a fever, two hours of solid practice will help bring your temperature to normal. For serious practice, you should devote about two (but not less than one) hours daily for this exercise. If for some reason daily practice is not possible, try to practice at least twice a week, and on one of those days, try to practice this exercise for several hours straight. After you get experience and practice longer, the saliva produced in your mouth will be not liquid, but like foam, and you should swallow this foam. As you swallow it, mentally put it in your lower Dan Tian. This is a method for increasing Jing.

CLOSING EXERCISES The Sequence of the Exercise The stages in the execution are illustrated in Picture 26. 1. Rub your palms together until they feel burning hot (Picture 26a). ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

2. “Wash” your face with your palms, from the chin to the top of the forehead, using soft upward motions. Then, wash more vigorously downward along the cheeks to the chin, with the thumbs gliding downward from earlobes (Picture 26b). 3. Intensely pat yourself on the head, using relaxed palms, moving from the back of the neck, over the top of the head, to the forehead (Picture 26c). 4. “Brush” your hair with your fingertips, all the way straight back from the forehead and temples to the back of the neck. Massage the skin on the head through the hair with intense pressure from your fingers (Picture 26d). 5. Rub both earlobes simultaneously between your thumbs and forefingers from top to bottom; do the same with your earlobes, until you feel as though your ears are “on fire” (Picture 26e). 6. With soft, relaxed palms, vigorously pat both sides of your arms, moving from the shoulders to the wrists. Begin with the left arm; then, do the right arm (Pictures 26f,g). 7. With both arms together, pat the front of your body downward from the neck to the waist, and at the lumbar level, from the sides to the lower Dan Tian (Picture 26h). 8. Pat your legs from top to bottom and from all sides (Picture 26i), starting with a strong pat on the Huantiao point (Picture 27a). 9. Pat your back, from the bottom up, along the spine. 10. Rub your palms together and place them on the kidney area. Feel the warmth of the palms pass to the kidneys and to the area of adrenal glands.

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Picture 26: Closing Exercises

Comments on the Closing Exercises 1. Intense rubbing of the palms contributes to the balance of Yin-Yang. Before beginning to rub your hands, you can check your Yin-Yang balance, right after the Big Tree practice. If the temperatures of both palms feel the same, it means that Yin and Yang are balanced. If the temperatures differ, the balance is imperfect. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

2. During the exercise, when you activate the palms, you create an intense Qi field. “Washing” your face with your palms improves the microcirculation of the blood in the skin’s top layer and strengthens your metabolic processes. The Qi field massages the skin. Imagine and feel your palms smoothing the wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes. With regular practice of this exercise, the facial skin will rejuvenate. In ancient times, people used this cosmetic technique to rejuvenate their skin with Qi energy, and they didn’t need ointments or creams. Unlike modern cosmetics, this method, still in use today, has no adverse side effects. When you wash your face, you are unconsciously massaging your facial skin. This also happens when you apply creams to your skin. However, given the fact that different skin types have different levels of sensitivity, you risk the side effects from the use of cosmetics. In addition, the use of cosmetics may lead to increased dependence on them. After prolonged use of cosmetics, the skin loses its resilience and ages without them. It does not look fresh, and it requires permanent applications of the cosmetics. As a result, the regular entry of outside materials into the skin decreases and stops the skin from producing its nutrients naturally. You can manage without these cosmetics by putting water on the activated palm and vigorously rubbing it into your facial skin, mentally massaging your face with your Qi energy.

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Picture 27: Human Energy Channels and Points (a) Location of Huantiao Point, (b) Auricular Points, (c), (d) Front and Rear View

3. Patting the head with activated palms, surrounded by an intense Qi field, helps to open the channels and activate the points located in the head area. This regulates Qi movement in that area, which in turn stabilizes blood circulation. Moreover, it can cure headaches and promote brain feeding. 4. Combing the hair (that is, massaging the skull with the fingers) improves blood circulation in the skin. If you do this with three hundred to five hundred movements two or three times a day, you will start to grow hair during the first month itself, even if you are bald. 5. The earlobes have BAPs that are connected to every internal organ of the body (Picture 27b). The intense rubbing with activated fingers is the equivalent of a full-body massage. Rub the points that cause pain longer and more vigorously. A pain point indicates problems with the internal organs associated with that point. 6–9. Pat the arms, legs, and body along the path of the energy channels to open the points in those channels (Pictures 27c,d) and to improve the Qi circulation in them. If the patting is done intensely enough, a student may learn a type of Kung-fu, where the body becomes less sensitive to external blows. The practice of hard Qigong includes these types of exercises.

Recommendations For best results, practice the Big Tree exercise in the morning. This way, it can help with the reception and collection of energy from the outside throughout the day. Many people have an excessive amount of energy that makes it hard for them to fall asleep, when they practice the exercise in the evening or at night. However, the choice of practice time is yours. These are individual decisions that depend on each person’s situation and opportunities. There are no strict recommendations for any of these first steps. REMEMBER: Before you practice Big Tree, you need to open the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

channels in the fingers and toes. After finishing Big Tree, you need to do the closing exercises, as they help distribute the Qi equally throughout the body. Otherwise, you may experience headaches, burning sensations, a swelling feeling in some areas, or some other discomforts.

SENSATIONS AND PHENOMENA THAT ACCOMPANY THE BIG TREE PRACTICE During the first stages of practicing Qigong exercises, we normally experience eight sensations or feelings: (1) Heat—sometimes painfully hot; (2) Cold—sometimes so intense that your blood “runs cold,” while sometimes you experience long shakes; (3) Numbness, and a feeling that insects of various sizes are creeping through or over the body at various speeds; (4) Itchiness—sometimes so unbearable that you want to tear your skin; (5) Weightlessness—or the feeling of complete loss of weight, sometimes it feels as though you’ve lost your body; (6) Heaviness—or the feeling that you have weights attached to your arms and legs, or that your legs are so deeply entrenched in the ground that you cannot lift them; a feeling that you are expanding from within. This is the natural result of energy overflow; (7) Slippery – sometimes you might feel as though your skin is slippery like ice, or greased up; (8) Skin roughness is the opposite feeling, and you may sense it to any part of your skin. The presence and intensity of these sensations depend on many factors, but most of all on the physical and emotional states of your body. Besides the above-mentioned feelings, you may experience a number of other feelings that are associated with certain diseases or simply with changes in the physical body and your own evolution. Examples of this include Qi vibration in the body, pain, sounds, light, or scintillation. Let us briefly review the most common sensations and experiences. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Common Phenomena 1. Heat or Cold. If Yin and Yang are not balanced, you might experience heat or cold during practice. The concentration of Qi in the lower or middle Dan Tian usually causes a sensation of a warm or hot ball. With the correct practice of Big Tree and an intense collection of Qi from the environment, you might experience unbearably extreme heat. Your heart rate may increase, and you might experience excessive perspiration. During certain stages of practice, some people experience differences in temperature in the right and left palms or in the right and left halves of the body. This happens because one half of the body belongs to Yang and the other to Yin (Picture 9b). There are methods of practice that allow us to strengthen and seal this effect. In ancient times, this was used in martial arts systems. One hand could scald an enemy as though it were a torch; the other hand could freeze him. Sometimes for several days, you may feel chilly, as though you were catching a cold. During such a period, wrapping yourself in a blanket might not even give you warmth. This indicates the beginning of changes in your body, and you need to practice more intensively during these days. Occasionally, after practicing Big Tree, students can suddenly experience extreme cold. For them it feels as though the blood is freezing in their veins. Do not be frightened by this state; do not try to break it artificially, through massage, hot baths, or warm drinks. When this occurs, it means that the body is still in the process of changing, even after the exercise is completed. In this case, one needs to overcome this state, these feelings, and to continue practicing. When you have achieved this, you ascend to the next stage of your development. 2. Insects or Itching. Sometimes, you might feel as though there are insects creeping and crawling all over your body. These sensations often accompany the opening of the BAPs. If the points have been blocked and begin to open very quickly, you might also experience itchiness. In the area of the head and neck, the itching can become unbearable. Don’t scratch these itches, because you may interrupt the process of changes in your body. Try to overcome this discomfort. After a short time, such unpleasant sensations go away, and you will feel better and lighter in those areas. You can then “breathe” through those zones. Sometimes the feeling of creeping insects is accompanied by ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

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trembling or vibrations. Goosebumps accompany the vibrations of the zones. However, these vibrations, which seem to come in waves, are not permanent. Usually, they are more interesting than discomforting, but sometimes they can become painful. A sensation of pain indicates a very intense opening of the points. After the process ends, the body feels as though it has became more porous and open, as though air now blows through the pores and the body itself. In this case, until students become familiar with these feelings, we recommend avoiding extremes of hot and cold while showering or, for example, swimming in cold water. Weightlessness. Lightness and weightlessness occur when, during the exercise, practitioners manage to “forget about themselves.” Eventually, with practice, they will pass to another state, where the body does not limit their perceptions and feelings. This is the first stage of the QIGONG STATE. It marks the next stage of one’s development. The feeling of heaviness appears to be due to the failure to relax or to adopt a correct posture. Unusual positions of different parts of the body will cause heaviness and numbness. Filling up with Qi also causes sensations of bloating, whereby the legs, fingers, and toes swell, making them hard to bend. In time, the Qi begins to be automatically redistributed throughout the body. Vibrations usually occur when Qi enters our body from the outside and flows in the channels. Sometimes it feels as though we have live humming wires inside our body. When excessive Qi enters the brain, it may cause ears to block and a humming sensation, as though we were in an airplane changing altitude. Later, students will acquire the talent to hear distinct sounds and talk over long distances. Flashing Lights. The activation of BAPs in the zone of the Third Eye when a large amount of Qi enters the area can cause feelings similar to lights flashing in front of you (mainly with the eyes closed). Visions. Practitioners may experience different images that include communication with Jesus, the Buddha, or other Saints, visions of other epochs on Earth, pictures of other worlds, voices, advices, etc. During the first stages of Qigong, these types of visions are produced by the mind working at various conscious and subconscious levels. They are based on our internalized information from books, movies, studies, and the imagination. They do not represent the truth.

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However interesting you find them, do not focus your attention on them. The feelings and visions will constantly change, since they are associated with changes in the body and mind. If you pay attention to these visions, you will easily lose your direction and never reach your goals. Compare this to the highway where you drive your car. You need to cover this highway by a certain time. Various landscapes fly by your windows. You may enjoy them; keep them in your memory. But you don’t lose track of the goal of your journey. The more you focus on the passing sights, the less you will remember the goal of your trip. However, if you stopped at every new area and got out of the car to look around, you would never reach your final destination. You would be stuck at the very beginning of the Path, not even realizing that it was just the beginning. Other landscapes and perceptions await you on your way. You would risk losing your Path, being extremely late, or never reaching the end of your journey. Your life might not be long enough for you to arrive at your desired destination. REMEMBER: Visions are illusions. Do not pay attention to them. Don’t give in to weakness by trying to touch the unusual. These things will all come by themselves, in their natural ways, and will stay with you in your daily life. 9. Pain sensations. Several things can cause pain. a) If the practitioner is healthy and collects sufficient amounts of Qi in the head and Third Eye area, he pain may arise through the activation of the BAP in the area of the Third Eye. Activation and opening of the point in the top part of the head can also cause pain. These are indications that the body is preparing for a future journey of the soul. b) The pain is unavoidable if the practitioner has had or is suffering from some kind of illness, trauma, etc. Let us review all these phenomena in detail. Phenomena Associated with Illnesses ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

1. Pain Sensations TCM believes that in each disease area (past or current), we can observe the constriction or blockage of channels where Qi circulates. This leads to Qi congestion or blockage in that area, and as a result, blood circulation weakens. The states of these channels compare to the bed of a dried-up river that still has areas filled with water. During the practice of Big Tree, Qi starts flowing from the outside into the body. As Qi flows in, it automatically goes to those areas where it is needed. Redistribution of Qi takes place. When the energy goes through narrow or blocked channels, the person feels pain. In China people say, “Qi fights the disease.” Pain can vary in intensity and length: a) Sometimes, the pain occurs during practice and then disappears without ever returning. This means that the practitioner received enough Qi to “break through” the rough area of a channel immediately. b) Sometimes, a long-lasting pain occurs regularly. It can last several days or weeks. As soon as the practice of Qigong stops, the pain goes away. This can happen with long-lasting, chronic diseases. Sometimes, literally everything starts hurting. This indicates that an excessive number of disorders have been treated with large amounts of medication. In these cases, the Qi is collected at a slower rate. Time is required to defeat the diseases and cleanse the body of “waste” (that is, the remains of medications, excretions etc.) It is important, therefore, to continue practicing. We need to allow the Qi to complete the healing process. We know that at first, a disease can become aggravated during healing, but that it will eventually go away. The same principle applies here. However, in this case, there are no side effects—like from medication—and you heal yourself with your own Qi. Unlike external methods of healing, such as medication, your Qi automatically goes where it is needed and performs the work that it has to. Therefore, Qigong practitioners should not try to stop this process if they want to become healthy. c) Sometimes, practitioners will feel well before they begin practice. Then, while practicing, they begin to feel pain. REMEMBER: A person will never feel pain or discomfort in areas with free-flowing Qi. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Pain signals important information about areas with disorders. It helps one recall past traumas, surgeries, or injuries in problem areas, even those that occurred years ago. If the practitioner cannot remember any past problem in the area, the disorder or problem may have developed recently. If the pain can be tolerated, continue practicing. Eventually, the pain and the problem will disappear. If the pain is strong you need to consult a doctor, because hidden problems can later develop into serious diseases. In summary, if you have had surgeries, injuries, chronic inflammation of the internal organs or joints, lower back pain, arthritis, sinusitis, etc., pain sensations (or pronounced discomfort) will be unavoidable with the correct practice of the exercises. d) Another reason for feeling pain during Qigong practice relates to the intense training of your energy. In general, training of the energy is similar to the training of the body through physical fitness programs. If you strain a muscle with an exercise one day, then the next day your muscle may hurt. When you fail to mark the limits in energy training, the same type of symptoms can occur. For example, people with calcium deficiency can have spasms or convulsions in some parts of the body during energy training. If during intense practice, you feel pain, you need to take calcium or bone stock (bones cooked for a long time). These unpleasant symptoms are connected to the fact that the movement of energy affects and changes the body. In these cases, as a general rule, we need to take some additional minerals and nutrients. If the pain appears stronger in some areas, don’t worry. This is a normal reaction and, typically, only lasts a few days. 2. Fainting Practitioners who are still recovering from recent surgeries might experience short fainting spells during the Third preliminary and Big Tree exercises. Heart disease, problems with blood pressure, or a disruption in the cervical spine may also provoke such symptoms. These are caused by the intense flow of Qi into a weakened body part or organ (especially the brain). This is not dangerous. As a rule, after several minutes, the practitioner will regain consciousness without any help. Sometimes, however, the fainting spell can be transformed into regular sleep. Applying pressure to the Yinjiao point helps revive the person (Picture 10e). Those who feel weak or close to fainting (about to lose consciousness) should rub their nose area with their fingers, especially while ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

washing the face. This also heals nose diseases. Next, they should massage the temples. If they suffer from headaches which make them feel faint, they should massage the Yinjiao and Hegu points by rotating the fingers eight times Picture 28: Hegu in one direction and eight times in the other. The Hegu Point point is located at the base of a thumb on the backside of the hand, between the first and second metacarpal bones, closer to the radial edge (Picture 28). If a person loses consciousness, applying pressure to the abovementioned points, combined with some light patting, will help. The person can continue practicing after regaining consciousness. In fact, that person needs to keep practicing. Later, these fainting states will no longer bother the practitioner, and he will start to feel stronger, fresher, and more capable. 3. Intense Vibrations of the Entire Body This happens when the practitioner cannot relax, still suffers from nervous stress, or has psychological disorders. These conditions cause the cramping of the nerves, muscles, and energy channels in different parts of the body. Qi, entering the body during the Big Tree exercise, starts to break through these blocks and searches for “bypass routes.” People should monitor these states. They should also relax fully to help the energy heal the body. If the vibrations become uncontrollable, intense pressure on the Hegu points followed by folding the arms on the Sia Dian Tian will help. 4. Severe Nausea and Retching During the practice of Big Tree, this may occur due to gastroenteric diseases, especially gastritis and peptic ulcers. When you practice, do not try to stop these symptoms. Continue exercising after your stomach becomes empty. With regular practice, these symptoms will improve, and you will heal. 5. Intense Movement, Heavy Body Rocking a) If Yin and Yang are not balanced, a person might rock slightly when relaxed. This sometimes happens during the first two or three classes or, perhaps, at the beginning of practice. Soon, however, the body calms down, and the practitioner can stand motionless. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

b) If the Qi flow is broken in some areas of the energy channels, the body might move uncontrollably as the Qi tries to go through these areas. c) Intense movement and body rocking occur in the event of spinal problems, nerve disorders, birth traumas, ICP, stammering, psychological disorders, and other chronic diseases or traumas that lead to spasms of the energy channels. In the event of intense bodily movement, the practitioner should exercise with the eyes open and not longer than thirty minutes. 6. Loud sounds Crying, laughing, singing, and shouting during the Big Tree practices are symptomatic of certain heart and lung diseases. a) With these sounds, bad Qi leaves the body, and good Qi comes in. You should not intentionally cry, shout, or otherwise “fake” these emotions. Students may allow them only if they occur naturally in a state of Qigong. b) If you are sensitive enough to feel the illness of a person near you, your Qi can also react to it. Sometimes, for example, the state of that person will improve after you have cried. All of the above-mentioned effects are results of various healing procedures that may happen during practice.

From the Third World Conference on Medical Qigong From “A Report on the Qi Field as Observed through Corona Discharge Photography” by Richard H. Lee (China Heathway Institute, San Clemente, CA, United States) Corona discharge photography (Kirlian photography) is a highvoltage photographic process that records the corona discharge from the fingers of test subjects on photographic film. This process has been shown to measure the electrical conductivity of the individual, and appears to show the conductivity of individual meridians, which connect the internal organs with the points that are used for the acupuncture. Qigong practitioners were examined from this perspective. The following was demonstrated: (1) Individuals performing external Qigong in a park with pine trees with the intention of collecting Qi (such practice was similar to Big ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Tree) showed an increase in the brightness of the corona discharge, indicating increased internal electrical conductivity. Individuals performing internal Qigong or other forms of meditation or quiet prayer showed both a decrease in the brightness of the corona discharge, and a change in the image surrounding the finger. Instead of substantial balls and streamers, there appeared a smooth, round halo. This indicated the phenomenon of superconductivity with electrons flowing without the normal ionization of the air. Qigong masters often did not have a corona discharge at all. Instead, there was a high flow of current through their fingers. Apparently, there is a highly expanded superconducting field around their fingers. Although, most of these masters could produce a normal corona discharge and transform it according to their wishes into balls and streamers.

From the Report about the Demonstration of the existence of Qi to Western Doctors by Yuan Zhi Fil and Rikhard H. Lee (China Heathway Institute, San Clemente, CA, United States): The value of Qigong is not easy to understand or accept for most Western doctors. Whereas scientists require theories that can be verified with the help of different bio-electrochemical measurements, practical doctors need a presentation of practical treatment techniques, which can provide consistent physiological improvements and correlate to specific clinical improvements. Mostly, Western doctors are not interested in Qigong exercises or methods of emitting Qi, because, first of all, they cannot measure the physiological changes during such practice. Besides, they do not believe in the existence of Qi. In our Life Enhancement Workshops, we teach doctors to feel and use a special technique developed by Qigong masters which is easy to learn and apply, induces observable physiological changes, and is clinically effective. Transfer of Electrical Conductivity. In this first demonstration, we have shown that physical contact, intended to relieve discomfort (massage), substantially increases electrical conductivity in the hands of the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

recipients, while decreasing conductivity in the hands of the givers. This exercise shows doctors that Qi can flow from one person to another. Pine Tree Qigong. The second demonstration involved the performance of Qigong exercises by the doctors, with the intent of collecting Qi. Most experienced some sensation of Qi. Testing showed that the electrical conductivity of their hands after the exercise increased considerably. Objective measurement of increased electrical conductivity as a result of Qigong exercises is highly encouraging. ... These and other facts have started opening the minds of Western practitioners to the nature and potential of Qi and the value of Qigong.

Questions and Answers 1. During the exercise, I felt some pain in the right leg, but almost none in the left. Why? Usually the right and left sides of the body have different sensitivities. The right side of the body belongs to Yang, whereas the left belongs to Yin. Since the part that belongs to Yang is more sensitive, people typically start feeling the movement of energy in the right half of their bodies earlier. However, there are exceptions, such as when the Yin part is more sensitive, or when both halves of the body have equal sensitivity. 2. I do not feel anything in my legs, but I have horrible headaches. Sometimes I even feel shivers in my body. What else do you feel, besides headaches? Vibrations in the lower Dan Tian. Have you ever had headaches before? Yes, I have, and very often. If a person suffers from disease, the energy channels in those diseased areas are narrow. When you collect Qi, it tries to break through areas of the channel and, in the process, may puncture the area and induce spasms. This condition can lead to discomfort or pain. It may seem that the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

disease is coming back. However, you should practice even more, and the disease will leave faster. 3. I feel light warmth in my legs, and my eyes hardly recognize any light. This is an appropriate reaction. It indicates that the energy is entering into the leg area and that the activation of the Third Eye is beginning. 4. I do not feel anything. Is this bad? We can divide the energy sensitivity of people into three categories: about 80 percent of people feel the energy, but not very dramatically; less than 10 percent of people are extra-sensitive; less than 10 percent have little or no sensitivity. People in this last category need to repeat the exercise numerous times. If you do not feel the energy right away, don’t worry. A person who feels nothing at the beginning can usually radiate stronger energy than a person who has relatively more sensitivity. However, if you do not sense anything, it doesn’t mean that you need doubt in the correctness of your practice. Your lack of sensation simply means that you belong to a category of people whose channels work differently and that you cannot sense them clearly. Similarly, there are people who do not react to summer heat—they simply do not care about it. On the opposite side of the coin, there are people who cannot stand hot weather. These reactions are specific to their particular natures. Nevertheless, both reactions are perfectly normal. 5. I have not sensed any heat, but I have sensed something moving up my legs. I am going through Stage I for the second time. Last time, you sent us energy and helped us practice. However, now the quality of the energy seems different. Am I right? Of course. The energy you receive will differ from time to time, just as there are differences in the types of energy that exist. Besides, every day we change. Today you are different than you were yesterday. Similarly, you change from one seminar to another. 6. I produce excessive amounts of saliva during the exercise, and it makes me want to cough it up. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

You should swallow the saliva as it is produced. As we said earlier, it is very useful due to the richness of its various microelements. It can dramatically increase your energy and have a therapeutic effect on you. 7. When I have finished practicing, I still keep getting more saliva. Is this normal? Yes, keep swallowing it. 8. Can I spit out the saliva? We strongly recommend swallowing it. 9. I yawn during the exercise. Is there any explanation? Yawning reflects a relaxed state and normal changes in your body. 10. Sometimes I want to move with the music. What should I do? This is normal. You should not resist this urge and force yourself to be motionless. Let your body go. Do not prevent the Qi from doing its work. 11. In general, can a person move during the exercise? You can move if your movements are automatic. When the Qi energy enters your body, it can break through the spasm areas of “sick” channels. Most of the time, these areas have tightened muscles. To let the Qi go through, you will often need to adjust your pose. 12. I feel vibrations inside my body. Is this happening because of my health or because of the energy? These vibrations occur due to the movement of Qi. When the Qi starts flowing through the channels, we experience vibrations and shivers. The shivers will disappear only when the channels are completely open and Qi flows through them as water flows through a freely moving river. 13. I have different sensations every time while practicing Big Tree: sometimes I experience stomach pain; sometimes I feel heat in my body. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Today I felt the urge to laugh during the entire exercise. What does this mean? What kind of sensations should we experience in general? There is no hard and fast rule about the sensations you should experience. They are very individual and vary from person to person. For example, today, you feel cold, but, tomorrow, you might feel hot. The more you practice, the more sensations change. 14. During the exercise, what parts of the body should we imagine the Qi goings through? You need not imagine anything. You will soon feel it. 15. I experience different temperatures in the right and left palms—one is cold, while the other is warm. This is not a problem. Different temperatures reflect the division of the body into two parts. One part belongs to Yin, and the other, to Yang. You will often experience different temperatures during practice. In ancient times if, during a battle, warriors could not avoid hand-to-hand combat, they would make use of these differences in temperature while fighting. They intentionally developed, nurtured, and made use of this phenomenon. When you find the balance between Yin and Yang, your sensations will change. 16. After Big Tree, my legs seem to be numb. What is the fastest way to bring them back to normal? During the final patting exercises, you should start hitting your legs from the Huantiao point (Picture 26c), or intensely massage that point by applying finger pressure. 17. Why do some parts of my body (for example, my head, neck, and shoulders) start itching? What should I do in this case? Very often, the opening of the BAPs and the zones will cause itching, especially in the head, neck, face, and shoulders. You should try and tolerate this. For these unpleasant sensations to disappear, you should practice more intensely. Vigorous practice will enable more Qi to enter the body, and the process of opening the points will take place faster.

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18. While practicing Big Tree, I experience constant swelling of the fingers. Sometimes it is hard to bend them. Why? This is what happens when Qi accumulates in the wrists. It is a correct phenomena. 19. I often feel like laughing while listening to certain melodies that are played during the practice of Big Tree. Should I stop myself? Do not stop yourself. Such phenomena are related to certain changes in the physical body and the flow of Qi. They will change as you practice. 20. Some of the music that follows ZYQ exercises irritates me. Why do some people say that they like these melodies, when I cannot stand some of these selections? Such phenomena are related to your physical body. Different music affects different parts of the body. If the Qi enters a seriously ill area, you feel pain in that zone. If the problems are not too serious and connect to the state of the nervous system and the psycho-emotional sphere, you may experience irritation, or rage. These moods will continue until the area is worked out completely. Then, you will stop emotionally reacting to the melodies. 21. During the exercise, my body goes through rocking and bending motions. It feels as though some force is driving me. Sometimes, I fall down. What should I do? People who experience such movements should not close their eyes completely during the exercise. This will help them control their body positions better. Continue practicing with opened eyes. 22. I feel as though my hands are located on top of a ball that grows bigger and bigger. Sometimes I find my hands floating higher than the level of the navel, and I cannot feel my arms at all. They seem to be on top of some kind of pillow, and it is hard to bring them back to their original stance before the end of the exercise. What should I do? You are experiencing the appropriate sensations. Do not put your arms down during practice. The only thing you should do is place them in the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

original stance in the beginning and then try to forget about them. All the rest will happen automatically. 23. At some point during Big Tree, my breathing slows down, becomes shallow, and then stops. For some time, I do not want to breathe at all. Then, I gasp for breath. My breathing pattern returns to normal and becomes regular, but soon afterward it again becomes shallow and stops. This usually happens several times. After this, I do not feel my body at all and cannot sense any breathing. Is that dangerous? These reactions are good and indicate that you are doing everything right. This is the beginning phase of the state of Qigong. Later, you will be able to “switch” to that state instantly. 24. It seems to me that as soon as I adopt the appropriate position and start seeing some blurry images with changing colors, the music stops and I need to do the end exercises. Is there any explanation for this? This is very good. This is the true state of Qigong. In this case, you can practice the exercise longer—for an hour or two. 25. I used to feel so hot that sweat dripped off my face and back. However, yesterday, all I felt was heat. What does this mean? This reaction is not a problem. In Qigong practice, heat and warmth are normal phenomena. These reactions occur because you have collected large amounts of Yang Qi during the exercise. 26. I experience strong pain on my left side that lasts for about thirty minutes after the end of the exercise. I did not feel this on the first day; however, on the second and third day, the pain made its first appearance and became hard to tolerate. What should I do? Are you aware of any problems that you might have in the area of the pain? Yes, six years ago, I had two fractured ribs. Last year, in the same spot, I had intercostal neuralgia, but I am fine now. Could these be connected? Of course, these factors are connected. Even if the problem is ten ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

years old, it will probably make an appearance during practice. A pain sensation points to a disorder in the associated area. You need to continue practicing. The pain, and eventually the problems, will go away. But why did I have no pain on the very first day? There was no pain because, on the first day, we practiced Big Tree only briefly. This means that you did not receive enough Qi for the pain to manifest. 27. I do not feel anything. Does this mean that I do not collect energy? I do not feel any warmth under the hands in the lower Dan Tian. All I feel is pulsation and pressure. These are also sensations. They indicate the collection of Qi and its entrance into the lower Dan Tian. At this stage, you need not experience warm sensations. These will come later. 28. I always see flashes of light, sometimes bright and multicolored, during Big Tree. What does this mean? This is a good reaction. It shows that you have activated the Third Eye zone due to a large quantity of Qi entering your brain area. Does the color of the flashes matter? At first, no! Later, these flashes will be as bright as lightning and will often be purple. 29. Sometimes I experience ringing of the ears. The sensation I experience is similar to jingling bells. Sometimes one of my ears plugs up as though I were in an airplane. This is fine. The experience of ringing bells occurs before the Third Eye starts working. Plugged ears are a normal experience during Qigong practice. 30. At some point during the practice of Big Tree, I experience heartache. Just before the pain appears, I almost stop breathing. Then, just below my shoulder blade, I feel as though a plug has been inserted. Involuntarily, I ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

inhale deeply and the pain goes away, but the whole experience gets repeated after some time. This lasts throughout the forty minutes of practice. It happens even when I practice at home. However, I have a healthy heart. This happens when you have narrow channels in the shoulder blade area. A very rough region for the Qi to travel through is the area around the Chiachi point. People often report heartache when Qi goes through this area. These discomforts will last until the point has opened up completely. If you practice intensively, these unpleasant sensations will go away faster. Yes, perhaps you are right. Today the pain was much weaker than yesterday. Tomorrow, it will be even less. 31. You tell us that during Big Tree we collect Qi. Nevertheless, after the exercise, I feel very sleepy. What kind of energy is this? Is it possible that instead of collecting it, I am losing it? What was your condition before you began this practice? Three years ago, I underwent surgery for a bad appendix. After that, I had a slight fever for more than a month. During the last month, I constantly had a bitter taste in my mouth, and I did not sleep well enough. It felt as though I had insomnia. Has anything else changed apart from the hypersomnia? The bitterness in my mouth seems to have gone. The headaches have almost stopped. You see, hypersomnia is symptomatic of the body undergoing reconstruction. You have had too many problems. Energy is necessary for healing. It will aid in the recovery of your organs’ functions in particular and your physiological state in general. Very often, during Qigong practice, the prolongation of sleep is connected to all kinds of healing and healthimprovement processes in the body. As you heal, your vital powers will increase and the duration of your sleep will shorten. As you see, it is all quite logical. 32. Before the practice of Big Tree, I did not experience any headaches, but ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

now they are severe. Please tell me if you have ever had any headaches previously. I had some, a long time ago. Later, I outgrew them. This relates to the opening of points and channels in that area. In addition, this tells us that you do not practice much. You need to practice more. The first days bring pain sensations to many people; but later, everything gets stabilized. 33. I am aware of all my diseases, and I would like them to disappear as soon as possible. I would like to open up my points as fast as I can. May I intentionally direct the energy toward the infected areas during the Big Tree practice? No, you may not do so. First, when there is a large amount of Qi, it will move automatically to the appropriate area. Second, you do not know the exact and required path of the Qi movement inside your body. You know where you are experiencing problems, but overall, you seem to have no idea how to work out these faults. 34. Can I move to the second stage if body rocking and similar movements have not stopped after the completion of the first stage? This depends on several factors. Usually, this is not an obstacle. However, we need to review each case individually. 35. I experience pronounced up-down-and-rotating movements. When I try to stop them and control myself, I get bad headaches. You should not interfere with these movements. Let them continue in this natural way. Your body needs them. The only additional thing you can do is practice with your eyes open. What is the connection between my moves and my headache? Why do I suffer headaches when I try to stop moving? Do not make a conscious effort to stop moving. Your movements are a result of the energy entering your body. When you force yourself to stop moving, the energy going to your head collects there. Have you had ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

headaches before? I had some a long time ago. In addition, I had headaches when I was sick with the flu. Practice more and do not force anything on your body. 36. I have always considered myself healthy because I rarely get sick. I do not take sick leaves or see doctors, except for dentists. However, on the third day of the Big Tree practice at home, I started to experience spontaneous movements. If I try to stop my body from moving, I feel irritation, disturbance; sometimes, I even have tears in my eyes. This worries me. I am a grown-up man, not a whiny child. What should I do about this? The passage of inner energy causes changes in your emotions: sometimes, you feel like crying or laughing; sometimes, you experience other emotions. Do not try to control yourself. Do not restrain yourself. These emotions arise because the energy inside your body has been activated. Do not control it. Do not worry. These responses should be welcomed. If you have sick areas, your body will certainly move. If the movement does not take place immediately, it certainly will after several days. If there is no illness in your body, if you know you are healthy, all your channels are open and the energy flows freely. In these cases, there will not be any movements. If movements occur, it means that you have problems and that the passage of Qi energy makes your body move. Therefore, there is no need to force your body and intentionally stop the movements. If you do this, you will interfere with the passage of energy. As a result, you can experience emotional outbursts or pain. Let everything work naturally. This is the process of healing. 37. When I try to concentrate on the image of a big tree, I feel either the head or the legs. How often do I need to redirect my attention to imagining the roots or the top? Should I fight this phenomenon? You should imagine this picture only at the beginning. During practice, you need to remove all thoughts from your mind. First, picture yourself as a big tree; then, feel yourself as a big tree to the extent that you are unsure whether you are human or tree. This is the correct method. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

38. I cannot sit still after practice. I feel all this excess energy, and I cannot sit down and read a book. I experience urges to walk, run, and move. What should I do in this case? Every time I try and stop this process, I do not know what to do. You can do anything you want or need to do after practice, as long as it does not harm other people. Very often, you can perform something that is hard to undertake in your regular state. You need to learn to take advantage of this state. After all, we practice to be able to do more things, to do better things. 39. May I manipulate the sick areas of my body, primarily the spine, during the Big Tree exercise? No, you may not. You must learn to let go completely. If you intentionally try to control your bodily processes during practice, you will not be able to relax. 40. Can I stand right next to a real tree during the exercise? It is believed that only actual big trees fit the goals of the exercise and that, otherwise, the exercise will not be beneficial. No, this is not true. Standing next to a tree is of no essential value, as far as the exercise is concerned. What is of importance here is the working of your mind at the initial moment of the exercise. You need to imagine yourself as a big tree. 41. I don’t feel anything when I pat my head with my hands after Big Tree. It seems as though it is not even my own head. How do I bring back normal sensations?” You need to intensely pat your head with your hands. Soft patting will not work. While patting, you need to imagine that your activated palms open BAPs and channels. Try the exercise again, with these modifications. Yes, this is much better. Don’t be afraid. This is normal.

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42. My thoughts always simmer in the back of my mind. Are there any methods to relax my “monkey mind”? A primary goal of the Zhong Yuan Qigong system is to increase our inner energy. In addition, in Qigong, we also want to acquire the abilities and skills for relaxation. Many people think it is easy to relax. However, in reality, it is not easy at all. Relaxation involves more than the mere adoption of a calm pose. When we truly relax, both body and mind feel peace and calm. It is easier to relax the body than to calm the mind, because we tend to think all the time. If you perform a lot of physical labor, you get tired. If you are tired and lie down to rest, your body relaxes right away. However, your mind keeps working. It is very hard to calm your mind, as is evident from the tension around your forehead and the area between your eyebrows at such times. If you feel stressed, if it looks like you are frowning, it means that your mind is not relaxed. This part of the face can tell us exactly whether a person is relaxed or not. In Chinese, we say, “Relax the body and the heart.” If a person is nervous and uptight, his heart rate is a little higher than it should be. When we truly relax our mind, the area between the brows is smooth and the heart rate normalizes. I have been to many cities where I have found that even young people have heart problems. Usually this happens when they have been under constant stress. In these cases, the heart rate goes up and stays in that unnatural position for a long time. This, of course, leads to heart disease. Children undergo great stress when their parents do not get along. Consequently, children can suffer from heart disease. I recommend practicing Big Tree to get the physical body tired. Then, in this sedentary position, the body can relax so that it becomes easier to relax the mind.

REFINING QI There are two ways to increase your own energy. The first is to use certain exercises that allow you to receive this energy directly from the environment. You are already familiar with the most effective exercise for this—namely, Big Tree. The second way is to generate the energy inside your body or to ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

transform something into energy. We will now learn a method for generating energy. The Chinese name for this exercise is Yang Qi Gong, or simply Yang Qi (which we call “Refining Qi”), which translates to “the nurturing or the transformation of Qi.” Sometimes, people speak about the diligent cultivation of Qi or the improvement of its quality. We will learn how to transform the energy from Jing into the more subtle Qi. This process is similar to refining (changing) an ore into a metal. We can produce high-quality energy inside our body by performing certain procedures. How do we determine the amount of energy we have? How do we know if we have enough energy? Previously, we spoke about how the size and color of our lunulae correlate with the quality and quantity of our energy. We can also make a preliminary assessment of our energy state by noticing our warm or cold feelings. Usually, we feel cold or chilly when our energy level is low. Similarly, we feel warm or hot if our energy level is high.

About Qi Generation Every person has an internal energy system. Within this system, there is a certain area where, with special training, we can generate large amounts of energy. This zone is known as the lower Dan Tian. Pictures 11 and 29 show its location around the navel area. It can be felt and it is capable of collecting, storing, and refining (transforming) Qi. At the beginning of practice, we have no special sensations in that area; it is no different than any other part of our body. However, if it is trained in a special way, the process of energy generation will begin. Such activation will cause feelings of warmth followed by heat in this area. (Pictures 29a–c) After many thousands of years of practice, people have confirmed that this area really does produce energy. This is also the zone where sexual hormones are transformed into Qi. How does this happen?

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Picture 29: Refining Qi Practice (a) Lower Dan Tian Not Activated, (b) With Warm Qi Ball, (c) With Hot Qi Ball

You know that in order to build muscles and strength, you need to exercise. However, exercise alone is not enough. Only after exercising regularly for a period of time do we notice any increase in the size of our muscles and our strength. The same applies to the lower Dan Tian. After a certain period of training, we start feeling warmth followed by heat in this area. When we vigorously rub our palms together, they become hot. If we run or do some other intense exercise, our body heats up and we begin to feel hot as well. Qigong practice in the Dan Tian area requires the opposite approach. First, we must reach a deep state of relaxation and quietness and not make any movements. Here we use a new method of producing energy and warmth. This method is not dynamic but has similarities to a chemical method. While working with this area, we first increase the quantity of our energy and then, its quality. How do we do this? Most people notice that our energy decreases when we feel sick or have bad moods or negative emotional states. In contrast, our energy increases when we feel upbeat or happy, or experience a high level of interest in something. The increase in energy means that our minds have connected with Qi. Hence, in order to produce Qi, we need to use our minds. For this, we should use visualization techniques.

About Visualization Imagine that you are looking at a red ball of energy located in ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

your lower Dan Tian. Here visualizing means to look at a nonexistent ball. You don’t have to think about the presence of the red ball all the time. Although we have used the expression, “to look at the ball,” we do not mean that you should literally “see” the ball. Whether you “see” or “don’t see” it, the important thing is to enter into a process of “looking.” In the beginning, you might have to tell yourself that the ball is there and that you need to look at it. You need to relax your mind, so that it can do this task. You need to see with your mind, and not with your eyes. This is why we say that visualization is looking with your mind, not with your eyes. Visualization involves imagining an object and then looking at it. If we look at the ball through sight, it will appear that there is no ball. However, you should not keep thinking about these things. You should not concentrate your attention on these issues, because then the energy will not stay with the ball. Instead, it will go up to the brain where the thinking is taking place. Then, the energy will fill up the brain, and you will feel as though your head has increased in size and weight. In all probability, you will also get a headache, since prolonged concentration leads to energy loss. Nevertheless, you should not forget about the ball. Forgetting will make you start falling asleep. Then you will no longer be practicing or meditating. Many people can easily fall asleep if they relax too much. To offset this, during the practice of this exercise, you should smile slightly. Also, keep your eyes half-open, so that some light can still reach them. If you fully close your eyes, you will fall asleep. So you should not concentrate on this process, but instead imagine that you see as well as don’t see the ball. It appears, and then it disappears. Meanwhile, you should constantly change the focus of your attention from visualization to relaxation. Why do we practice this way? For a very important reason. If we concentrate our attention on a particular part of the body and observe it, the energy will flow to that zone, where it will begin to collect. As a result, we will be able to feel that zone. The more distinctly we feel it, the more energy will collect there, and the more active it will become. In this way, visualization of the lower Dan Tian leads to an increase in energy. With further increases in energy, the resulting warm feeling will become stronger and eventually turn into sensations of heat. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

The Sequence of the Exercise Steps for practicing Refining Qi are as follows below (also see Picture 30.) 1. Ideally, try to sit in the lotus (Picture 30a) or half-lotus position (Picture 30b). For those who have trouble with this posture, we recommend sitting on a small pillow and crossing your legs Turkish style (Picture 30c). Alternatively, you can sit on the edge of a chair, using only about one-third of the seat. The back must be straight. The head should “hang” by the vertex as in Big Tree. The eyes are only half-closed so that light can still enter. The face has a slight smile. People who cannot sit with their backs straight for extended periods should sit deep in an armchair so they can support themselves using the back of the chair. Remember to avoid bending the back, and to lean slightly forward. We also recommend loosening the belts of pants and skirts to make the body more comfortable. You can practice this exercise in the standing position, as long as you keep the spine straight —that is very important. 2. Men place their left hand on their navel. The center of the palm (Laogong point) must rest directly on the navel. The right hand goes on top. Women place their hands in the opposite way, with the right hand on the navel and the left hand on top. Do not forget that the thumb of the upper hand should be tucked inside “the pocket” of the lower hand. This position of the hands is the same as when you are finishing Big Tree. 3. Relax the body. You can relax the body in stages, feeling and calming each zone in turn: relax your head, relax your face…, relax your neck…, relax your shoulders…, relax your arms…, relax your back…, relax the lumbar…, relax your chest…, relax your stomach…, relax your legs…, relax your feet…, relax your inner organs… 4. Let your mind picture and feel a hot ball in the lower Dan Tian, under the palms of your hands. 5. Imagine a red ball there. Visualize that ball. Look at the red ball. Feel that the red-hot ball is there, inside. 6. Try to free your mind of any thoughts, as though you were resting. Do not think about the ball, but do not forget about it either. Feel the ball getting warmer until it gets hot. As the sensation of warmth increases, the ball alternatively appears and disappears, along with the sensation of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

the ball. It is as if it is both there and not there at the same time. For this way of practice we may use the words “it seems it exists; it seems it doesn’t.”

Picture 30: Practice Postures (a,d) Lotus Pose, (b) Half-lotus Pose, (c,e) Turkish Style

The duration of this exercise is thirty minutes or longer. Of course, at the beginning, there is no ball, to say nothing of a red ball. However, you need to imagine that there, inside of you, is a red ball and you then need to visualize it with your mind’s eye. ATTENTION: Menstruating and pregnant women should practice without the use of their hands or arms. They should imagine only the red color of the ball. They should not try to generate any heat sensations. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

CLOSING EXERCISES Rub your palms until they are hot and wash your face with them. If you were practicing for a long time, perform the entire set of closing exercises that we did after Big Tree. In addition to the above-described practice of Refining Qi, you can also exercise in the morning and the evening, as follows:

Picture 31: Refining Qi Practice in Lying Posture

1. Before falling asleep, lie on your back in bed, relax and close your eyes, and put your hands on the area of the lower Dan Tian (Picture 31). 2. Imagine and feel the same red-hot ball in the lower Dan Tian. Fall asleep in this state. 3. When you wake up, while still lying in bed, put your hands on the lower Dan Tian. Concentrate your Qi in it. Feel the hot ball. The duration of this exercise is three to five minutes.

Practical Guidelines Perhaps you have noticed that some people have no problem picturing the images and colors, but that they may have problems feeling the energy. In contrast, other people have trouble doing the visualization, but have no problem feeling the energy. Few people can both picture the images and feel the energy. Hence, some practitioners may find it easier to perform the exercise by breaking it in two parts.

1. 2. 3. 4.

First Section: Sensation of the Energy Ball Assume any position, sitting, standing, or lying down. Pick the most comfortable one, the one that enables you to relax the most. Place your hands over the lower Dan Tian in the same way as described above. Imagine and feel a hot ball under your hands, inside the body. Try not to think about anything, but periodically direct your attention to

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the zone under your hands. In your thoughts, “tune in” to feel the warmth in the lower Dan Tian. “It is both there and not there, at the same time.” 5. While feeling the warmth, concentrate on it for a short period of time and try to intensify it in your mind. Then, relax and redirect your attention to the zone of the lower Dan Tian. Try to further intensify the warmth, and then relax again. You can practice while commuting, reading, or watching television and so on. Second Section: Visualization of the Ball 1–3. Do the first three steps, the same way as in the first part described above. 4. Visualize a warm or hot ball in the lower Dan Tian. Then, imagine it to be red and look at it with your mind’s eye. Do not try to imagine it continuously. Act as if it was “there and not there, at the same time.” First, you may see just a red color of light or, perhaps, a red ball as if it was directly in front of you on an internal movie screen. Later, you can look with your mind’s eye down, inside the lower Dan Tian, as if you were looking into a pipe. If you see a different color, paint it red. You can choose which section to do first, according to whether you find it easier to imagine or to feel the object. If you find it easier to imagine, practice second section first; if it is easier to feel, practice section one first. This means that if you find it easier to feel warmth from the ball, then you should imagine that the warm (or hot) ball radiates red light, like the heating coil of an electric stove. If it is easier for you to picture a red color or a red ball, imagine that it is radiating warmth. If you still cannot imagine the red color of the ball, you can try practicing with a red light or with glasses that have red lenses. You can also hang a piece of semitransparent red material directly in front of your eyes. In short, try to find something that works for you.

Methods to Activate the Energy Ball ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Many practitioners have no or weak sensations in the lower Dan Tian. This can happen for a number of reasons. For example, a person may have very little or inactive energy. Alternatively, a person may have low sensitivity to his own energy. A disease or surgical procedure can break channel conductivity. Some people cannot relax or concentrate. Sometimes, a person feels so relaxed or tired that he keeps falling asleep. These are just a few of the reasons why a person cannot distinctly feel the red ball. In any event, if you do not feel any warmth or heat in the lower Dan Tian during Refining Qi, you need to activate your ball. There are several methods for helping to activate your energy ball, and they can be exercises in themselves. You can use these methods as separate exercises until you reach a level of high sensitivity. However, you can also use them to begin the practice of Refining Qi. As you know, we can feel the Qi with our hands and control it with our mind. These realizations serve as a foundation stone for the exercises that activate the energy ball in the lower Dan Tian. You can practice these sitting or standing. However, keep in mind that when you practice standing, you will get quicker results. Method One: Compression of the Ball in the Lower Dan Tian 1. Put your hands on the navel as you did during the Refining Qi practice. Imagine your palms energetically connecting with your ball in the lower Dan Tian. 2. Slightly squeeze your palms. Picture them squeezing the ball to increase the concentration of energy in the ball. 3. Then, release the squeeze. Imagine that the ball has returned to its original size, and the energy to its original concentration. 4. Again, squeeze the palms and picture the ball contracting. By squeezing and relaxing the palms, we mentally squeeze and release the ball in order to feel it better. 5. Visualize the ball. Imagine and feel its warmth. One cycle of squeeze-and-release should take from two to four seconds. The duration of the entire exercise should take from thirty minutes to one hour, or until you feel the warmth. Eventually, you will start to feel a hot spot in the area of lower Dan Tian during practice. Method Two: Kneading of the Ball in the Lower Dan Tian ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

1. Put your hands on your navel as you did during the practice of Refining Qi. Also, as before, imagine your palms connecting energetically to the ball in the lower Dan Tian. Try to feel it or, at least, try to imagine it. 2. Then, open your palms and put them parallel to one another, close to your navel. Move the palms away from each other and back toward each other several times. Imagine doing this with the ball in your lower Dan Tian. Now, place your palms on both sides of the ball. Squeeze and stretch the ball in a horizontal direction several times. 3. Then, placing the palms above and below the ball, squeeze and stretch in a vertical direction. 4. For the next step, knead the ball by moving the palms as if you were kneading dough to make bread. Imagine that the consistency of the energy in your ball is like bread dough, and work it accordingly. The palms should be facing the lower Dan Tian, moving up and down in turn. Alternatively, they may make rotating or mixing movements. Feel this movement by squeezing the ball with your fingers and kneading it. After a while, you will feel the motion of this energy in the lower Dan Tian. 5. After the exercise, put your hands on your navel and mentally concentrate Qi into the smallest size possible. 6. Imagine and feel your ball warming up. Mentally, intensify the sensation of warmth. Perform this exercise for an hour or until you get a clear sensation. Method Three: Stirring the Ball Outside 1. As in the previous exercises, put your hands on your navel and imagine that your palms connect to the ball in the lower Dan Tian (Picture 32). 2. Then, open the palms and place them parallel to each other, before you lower them to the Dan Tian level. Imagine that your ball is expanding after your palms have moved away from the lower Dan Tian, and has ended up between your palms. Relax your arms and wrists. 3. Spread your arms to the sides. Mentally stretching the ball (as if it were dough or whatever suits you), stretch it to about 1.5 feet or more. 4. Then, bring your palms to within a few inches (five to ten centimeters, or two to four inches) of each other, while mentally squeezing the ball and concentrating the energy in it. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Your arms must be completely relaxed and move in a smooth motion. Do not apply physical force. Use your imagination. 5. Squeeze the ball as if you were pushing it with your palms as they come together. Stretch the ball when the palms move aside. Again—stretch and squeeze, stretch and squeeze… 6. When you feel the ball (or something dense) between your palms, keep it motionless between your hands. When necessary, you may move your hands slightly, in order to better feel the ball. 7. Having finished the exercise, slowly move your palms toward each other, mentally reducing the ball’s size. Imagine and feel it becoming smaller and denser. Then, enter the ball into the lower Dan Tian through your navel. Put your hands on your navel and concentrate the Qi in the lower Dan Tian. The duration of this exercise also depends on your sensations. Usually, it lasts from thirty minutes to one hour. If, for some reason, you cannot stand for an hour, start practicing the exercise in a standing position, and when you feel the ball in the lower Dan Tian, sit down and continue practicing. Start practicing the Refining Qi when you experience sensations of warmth or Picture 32: Activation of Energy heat. In this way, you can get faster results. Bal Master’s Story We use our mind to control Qi, so that it can serve us. Humans constantly strive to learn, progress, and develop. However, first we need to understand who we are. The existence of all living creatures, including humans, has three aspects: physical body, energy, and mind/consciousness or spirit. Therefore, human development assumes the development of each of these aspects. We believe that we understand everything about the physical body. We have devised many sports—football, basketball, skiing, ice-skating, swimming, jogging, etc., and special types of training for certain muscle groups. To develop the body, we begin athletic training as early as preschool. We have developed gym facilities filled with exercise equipment. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

However, despite all these efforts, an analysis of the health of professional athletes shows that by the age of forty, if not earlier, their health is much worse than that of other people of the same age. This indicates that there are limitations and drawbacks to our knowledge and philosophical perception of life and health. Let us turn to the second aspect of human nature—energy. What methods can we use to improve it? Can you recall being taught this subject at school? What have we learned about developing our spirit and soul—the third aspect of a human being? Today many people, including students, suffer from depression in the face of stressful situations. Why don’t we focus more on ways to improve their emotional states? Maybe our philosophy of life is not quite right? May be we misunderstand what health means? We devote considerable attention, effort, and resources to the improvement of the material aspect of life, but comparatively little to spiritual and emotional development. In recent years, however, biotechnology has started to make tremendous progress, because humanity really wants to understand what life is. It is time to start the development of Human Beings as a form of Life. Qigong provides a way for us to attain deep insights into the nature of Life and various aspects of its existence. To assure success in this venture, we need to develop our brain. To do this effectively, we need to develop our energy and to improve its quality. This should help us understand the importance of the practice of the Refining Qi exercise. The recipe is simple: first, improve your health, and then, develop yourself—your mind, intellect, and spirit.

Goals and Benefits of the Exercise The Refining Qi (or Yang Qi) exercise relates to the main exercises in two ways. First, it improves our health, and second, it raises our intellectual level and develops our intuition and creativity. 1. Health Effects a) This exercise tunes up the inner organs. It also brings a certain order to the body. As a result, each organ works optimally and in harmony ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

with all the other organs. We practice Qigong to bring each organ to its optimal state. Perhaps we would not need to do these things if external factors were not causing excessive, uncontrolled emotions in us and if these emotions were not affecting our inner organs; if our body parts were not being damaged by medications, or improper food; if our bodies were not being subject to improper physical exercises and incorrect practices; if…if… The state of deep relaxation and silence of mind brings all inner organs to order automatically, naturally, without any help. The practice of the Refining Qi exercise brings us to this calm state and returns our inner organs to their normal functioning. When we relax and calm down, our energy increases and properly flows through the channels. Such flow of inner energy helps balance the inner organs. This shows us the importance of learning how to relax during this first stage of training. Visualization helps greatly. It activates the occipital part of the brain and calms down the frontal parts of the brain, so that it appears to have fallen asleep. The frontal part is responsible for our thinking processes. Hence, our mind also calms down, and our thoughts do not trouble our body and energy system. Visualization techniques allow the energy to flow as it is supposed to. In Qigong, the mind does not control or direct the energy. Qigong aims to enable the body to go to its natural self-regulatory state. b) One more aspect of this exercise also affects the transmission of pain. The Refining Qi and ball activation are energy exercises. If someone has a disease of the inner organs, located in the lower Dan Tian area, that person will feel a pain similar to the one felt during the Big Tree exercise. The opening of the energy channels offers ways to remedy this. Pain symptoms frequently occur in women with gynecological disorders, and in people with healing problems after surgery. Colitis and distortions in the urogenital area may cause discomfort as well. The image of a red hot—not just warm—ball can help relieve these pains and discomforts. 2. Rejuvenating Effects The practice of Refining Qi allows us to transform our body, to improve brain functions, and rejuvenate ourselves. When we practice this exercise, we work with the lower Dan Tian, which is located in a part of the body containing Yuan-Jing energy. We have already mentioned that this energy relates to the genetic code (DNA and RNA) and to male and female ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

sex hormones. Researchers have shown that this practice transforms DNA and RNA into the energy that feeds the brain and activates its cells, thereby making them work more efficiently. In addition, this exercise activates the cells of the spinal cord. You will only have truly mastered this exercise when you constantly feel warmth in the lower Dan Tian outside your daily routine, and when you feel intense, almost painful, heat during practice. The heat produced by the exercise relates to the process of transforming hormones into Qi. This heat indicates that your body has started to change. It is difficult to improve one’s health without the sensation of a hot red ball. Hence, it is important to practice daily, with the ball. Recommendations Find a special time for practice. However, you should try to practice at any opportunity: whether riding a bus, reading a book, working at a computer, or during any type of activity that allows the periodic redirection of your attention to the lower Dan Tian area. In these cases, you can practice, without using your hands, by mentally recalling your ball in order to check on its state, and to feel it in the lower Dan Tian. Constant practice will increase hormone production in the body, which in turn will generate more energy. What sensations accompany these processes? Master’s Story With regular practice of the Refining Qi exercise, a person will feel younger and more energetic. This increase in energy leads to an increase in male and female sex hormones, followed by desire and sexual potency. In many people, a lack of or decrease in sexual drive results from disease, not aging. If sexual feelings have faded away with age, they will return with Qigong practice, because the Refining Qi exercise triggers the recovery of related physiological functions. In other words, your Qi returns to you. When your energy starts increasing, your sexual desire also increases. If you do not control this desire, you can lose energy and the Third Eye will stop working. If your sexual desire increases during practice, you need to redirect that energy to your brain. This energy will feed our Shen (or spirit), activate the brain, and lead to the opening of the channels of extrasensory perception. Usually, to redirect the energy, we use the Small Sky Circle (or Microcosmic ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Orbit).This exercise we will review later. Once, at the very beginning of my seminars in Russia, an eightythree-year-old man approached me. He was a highly decorated retired military officer. He always had a highly professional approach to whatever he did, and he always finished the projects that he started. He practiced Qigong regularly and followed all instructions to the letter. When, at the age of eighty-five, he went for a checkup, his physician told him that he could still have children! He returned to work as a tour guide on the mountain trails. Sometimes, the trips could be about twenty miles (or thirty kilometers) long and seemed more like accelerated military marches. Middle-aged people in the group could not keep up with him. Once he told our seminar group that he regretted not having found ZYQ twenty years earlier. He said that if he had known about it, he would have used it in the intervening years to acquire wisdom and all the qualities needed to manage the whole province or even govern a country. Newspapers have published articles about him. This is only one of several examples. Unfortunately, older people don’t often come to our classes. 3. Developmental Effects By practicing regularly, you will soon feel a hot area in the lower Dan Tian. Further practice leads to intense heat, near-pain, and sometimes, fire. Usually, the energy from the lower Dan Tian automatically goes up to the brain and reaches the area of the Third Eye. Sensitive people may feel the movement of this energy. When it reaches the brain, you will see something similar to flashes of lightning, of the kind that you experienced in the Big Tree exercise. Later, various colors of light will also appear. These colors are very distinct, very bright, and clean. All the while, your mind will remain clear. This experience marks the beginning of the work of the Third Eye. At the beginning, we said that Qigong practice increases the quantity of our energy and improves its quality. This means that Qigong practice expands the range of our sense perceptions. Normally, we see ourselves, other people, nature, and the surrounding world through our perception channels, but our senses are limited, as mentioned above. Widening our range of sensations enables us to widen our ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

perceptions, understanding, and knowledge about the environment, about us, and about life. 4. Increasing of Intuition and Creativity There is another positive aspect related to the rising of the energy to the brain as a result of Qigong practice: it helps us develop intuition. An improved intuition allows us to make decisions faster, to feel in which direction it is better to conduct business or research, and live better lives. More importantly, a better intuition makes us feel as though this world has many different types of life. During the practice of this exercise, we make extensive use of visualization. Visualization itself contributes to positive qualitative changes, including more creative approaches to problem-solving during studies, activities, and daily life. It is well-known that people show enormous differences in their memory, reasoning, and creative abilities, as well as in their philosophies of life. Further, we know that their successes and failures do not always depend on their education. Sometimes we find that excellence in education does not lead to success in business. Some barely pass their college examinations because they spend all their time being the life of the party. Yet they sometimes become highly successful in their careers and in life. Conversely, we find hard-working students who get good grades but later become failures. Why does this happen? We also know about another typical situation. This is when people pass the same or similar classes, study in the same way, and get similar results and knowledge. After that, they work in the same field, doing the same work. But, after a few years, some of them become experienced and respected specialists, who get satisfaction from their jobs, their surroundings, and their lives in general, while others cannot go beyond positions involving dull, routine work. Why is this so? When people cannot find explanations for these discrepancies, they tend to attribute them to fate or karma. Yet they still wonder how and why they happen. Master’s Story Researchers in the United States investigated the use of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

creativity in problem solving. They polled and tested many people who appeared to have achieved success. These individuals came from a variety of professions and social statuses and had various standards of living. They included famous musicians, models, fashion designers, businesspeople, lawyers, reporters, advertising agents, scientists, actors, and doctors, as well as Qigong masters. The investigators used electroencephalograms and other devices to measure their brain waves (that is, the alpha, beta, gamma, theta, delta, etc. rhythm). It is known that different brain rhythms and their correlations characterize various states and several potential capabilities of a human being. The results showed that, compared to other individuals, successful people had clearly pronounced delta rhythms, with extremely intense activity coming from the occipital part of the brain. This intensely working zone of the occipital area is often referred to as the “awakened one.” This area is responsible a for person’s creative abilities. Creativity helps a great deal in problem solving. The more creative the approach, the greater the likelihood of success in this area. This indicates that a key differentiating factor between successful and unsuccessful individuals is the extent of their creative abilities. Next, the researchers began to look for efficient and effective ways to increase the activity of the occipital part of the brain. It turns out that these methods already exist. Scientists have discovered that people who practice Qigong have stronger creative abilities and more intense activity in their occipital areas. Nowadays, some countries use Qigong and certain devices to enhance activity in the occipital areas of students’ brains. A few researches from Japan and Russia examined my brain. The results showed a highly active occipital region. This comes naturally, because during Qigong practice, we “look” at some part of our body. During this process of visualization, the occipital region of the brain becomes activated. Therefore, we now have strong scientific reasons for saying that Qigong practice enhances our chances for success in life, since it activates the occipital area, the region responsible for creativity. Thus, one of the main reasons for practicing Qigong is to strengthen our vital energy, and then to use it to restore our physical body, improve our intellect, and develop Shen, or spirit. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

PHENOMENA EXPERIENCED DURING THE REFINING QI EXERCISE Visual Phenomena Many practitioners experience the phenomena that accompany the activation of the Third Eye, which we have mentioned before. As you continue to develop the Third Eye, you will see new images at each stage. The images appear automatically. Here you should not think about what you see or may see, but continue to maintain a state of relaxation and mental silence, and keep on practicing. We call these visions “phenomena,” because of their constantly changing nature. Do not try to analyze them or determine whether they are correct or not. When your phenomena change, you also change. These changes indicate your progress. If you like some phenomena and want to linger to spend time with them, then your progress will stop. If you believe everything you see during meditation, you will have serious problems. For example, you might see yourself as a child of God or as God. If you believe in these phenomena, focus on them, or respond to them, you might get mentally excited and they can drive you insane. REMEMBER: Each practitioner will probably experience a number of these phenomena during practice. Do not trust or believe them. Do not divert your attention toward them. They are illusions that reflect your desires, habits, intellect, beliefs, emotions, and many other factors. You must not think about whether they are correct. Simply continue practicing without paying attention to them. Then, and only then, will they eventually disappear. Auditory Phenomena When your energy rises into the area of the ears, that area may feel hot. The ears may then start itching, and you may experience painful sensations. After that, you may hear the sound of wind, and then, voices. The opening of the Third Ear is similar to that of the Third Eye. Your response to the auditory phenomena connected to the opening of the Third Ear must be the same as your response of the visual phenomena associated with the opening of the Third Eye. In other words, you must not pay any attention to them. Just keep practicing. Do not try to strain your ears to determine what ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

sounds or voices you are hearing. You must ignore all of these phenomena. If you stop paying attention to the sounds and stop trying to understand them, they will soon disappear. However, if you believe them, and want to listen to them and figure them out, you can get into trouble. Our memory allows us to remember not only the images and pictures we see, but also the sounds we hear. After a music concert or a club, we sometimes can continue to hear the music even after returning home. We realize that we are hearing something that was playing earlier and pay no attention to it. Eventually, the sounds go away. In contrast, if we listen to the auditory phenomena, pay attention to them, and try to recognize them, they may settle in our brain and become almost impossible to get rid of. We need to learn about and understand the nature of these phenomena without attributing them to extrasensory abilities. Then, there is no danger. We should just keep practicing and, after a short time, they will disappear. Later, they will reappear, but only as real information, and not as phenomena. For maintaining health: To recover from illness and to improve our intuitive and creative abilities, we need to practice this exercise on a regular basis until we experience a permanent sensation of warmth in the lower Dan Tian area. We must feel this warmth even when we do not practice. We should be able to feel it by simply directing our attention to the area of the lower Dan Tian. For serious practice: If you desire self-development, if you truly want to understand is the meaning of life and your place in it, if you want to understand yourself and to know where you came from and where you will go, you need to intensify the practice of this exercise. You need to bring the sensation of warmth in the lower Dan Tian area to a point where the heat is close to pain. At times, during mediation, you may feel a fire that you also see with your mind’s eye. Usually, this happens when you collect and save strong energy as result of regular Big Tree and Refining Qi practice. At this point, you will also experience an increase in sexual desire. We can put this energy to use through two methods. The first method is more common. We use and lose the energy for reproduction. Through the second method, we move it inward for the development of our body and spirit. In order to take our practice to the highest stage, we need to ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

bring energy to the brain through the trajectory of a Small Microcosmic Orbit (or a Small Sky Circle), while avoiding sexual activity for about one hundred days (see the next exercise).

Questions and Answers 1. How big should the ball in the lower Dan Tian be? The ball should be the size of a large apple. 2. What happens if, during Refining Qi, I feel the heat all over my body? This is very good. It means that you have large amounts of Qi. In this case, after the exercise, you need to concentrate the energy in the lower Dan Tian. You need to gather it mentally from all areas of the body and put it in the lower Dan Tian. This means that you mentally move the energy from the entire body into the lower Dan Tian and compress it into a small ball, almost the size of a dot. 3. Should I feel the ball in the navel area or a little lower? You do not have to imagine where exactly the ball is. When you feel it, you will know exactly where it is. Using this method, you must place your hands on the navel area and start activating the area inside the body. Later, you will feel a red dot or ball somewhere. Different people experience this in different areas. Hence, we do not speak of its exact location. Some people feel it a little lower than the navel. According to some books, this zone is located three to four tsuns below and within the navel, with one tsun equaling the length of the phalanx of your middle finger. These types of directions often cause confusion, since people have different bodies. This makes it difficult to use measurements. 4. How do I stop thinking? Continue practicing this exercise and collecting the energy it generates. The more energy you collect, the easier it is to calm your mind and stop thinking. 5. I do not see the red energy ball. Instead, I see some circles—first blue, then ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

dark. In the very beginning, you will not see the ball. If you could see it, you would not need to meditate. Likewise, you will not be able to feel the warmth at first. Later, you will begin to see and feel everything. All you need is practice. 6. I do not see the ball. I see an oval that moves very fast. What is that? The ball can spin but not very fast. Think and imagine that it is there, and then, that it is not. 7. Yesterday, when I concentrated my energy in the lower Dan Tian during the exercise, I did not feel anything. Then, I had a vision of the energy of my inner organs. I was very interested because I saw what was happening inside me. This lasted several minutes, and then I felt so sleepy that I lost control over the state I had attained. In the morning, I concentrated the energy and tried to reach the same state as the day before, but could not. Are there any exercises that can help me attain that state again? Do not consciously think about this. Do not get fixated on the idea. Every day, the phenomena you experience and the state you attain will change. Do not try to reproduce, simulate, or repeat. Otherwise, you will stop at that point and remain there. Everything will come in its own time. You need to practice. 8. How does the energy transform during the Refining Qi exercise? Can we call it “evaporation of energy”? No, it is not an evaporation of the energy. It is a metamorphosis, a transformation, a change. The transformation takes place at the molecular level and is connected to changes in DNA. We say that during this process, the seed Jing can turn into the energy feeding Yuan-Qi. 9. I feel warmth in the lower Dan Tian, but cannot concentrate it into a small volume. What should I do? I always observe this area with my mind’s eye. This is quite normal during the first stage of practice. Try and redirect your attention to the center of this area and do not look at the entire zone. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

10. I have gone through all three stages and practiced intensively. Now, I am repeating the first stage. I thought that I knew the material well, but now it seems different and triggers different sensations compared to the first time. This is true. Students come to seminars many times. Sometimes, they too repeat the first stage. While the exercises stay the same, the practitioners’ understanding of them changes. As you practice, you change the level and structure of your energy and, depending on how it changes, you change your understanding of what you do. When your understanding changes, you start moving to the next level of development. This happens all the time during practice. This, indeed, makes serious practitioners want to attend seminars without considering how many they have already taken. 11. I practice Refining Qi very often, usually for thirty minutes, but sometimes for two hours. At the beginning of my practice, I felt warmth in the lower Dan Tian. With time, it turns into heat, and finally, I begin to see the light. This doesn’t happen every time; however, when it does, it takes much more time than I thought it would. For example, when I think that it will take fifteen or thirty minutes, it ends up actually taking two or more hours. When you enter the state of relaxation and peace of mind (this exercise relates to Quiet Qigong), it is easy to reach the Qigong state. Then, you do not feel the passage of time. It may feel as though it has been several minutes when, in reality, an hour or more may have passed. It is the same with Big Tree. Some people seem to take to this position. They close their eyes and, much to their surprise, forty minutes go by, and the exercise is over. This is a good thing. This is how it should be. 12. You said that to practice the Refining Qi exercise the right way, we need to enter a calm state where nothing distracts us. Nevertheless, how can we ignore our environment when, from day to day, we live chaotic lives? Even when everyone else in the house is asleep, I cannot practice because of snores coming from the other room. I think this is not as much about the external situation as it is about you. I will tell you a story. Try to see the analogy in it. Master’s Story Our practice room had an electric lamp that hummed. One of the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

students would give it an irritated look and sigh. Obviously, the noise distracted him and interrupted his practice. Exasperated, he could not hold back any longer. He asked me if the light bothered me and rhetorically inquired whether I thought it was a good idea to turn it off. I advised him to listen to the sounds and try to enjoy them, because such vibrations can clear up the channels. After some time had passed, he indicated that he agreed with me. He reported that he had absorbed the sounds, and that they had increased his energy. In our lives, we come up against different situations like this. If we react to them in a negative way, we will have bad feelings. Therefore, even when you have to deal with bad things, think how you can use those situations to learn about changing yourself.

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SMALL SKY CIRCLE OR SMALL MICROCOSMIC ORBIT The Small Sky Circle—also known as the Microcosmic Orbit—exercise is the basic Stage I exercise of ZYQ as well as one of the most important exercises of the Taoist system. What is this exercise and why does it attract so much attention? How, in the past, did this exercise get this name? We know that the Moon revolves around the Earth, making a complete circle in one month, which marks the lunar calendar. The Earth revolves around the Sun, making one full circle in one year. We also know that the celestial bodies, including those in our solar system, follow certain laws of motion. After completing a certain stage of training, we can feel the motion of these celestial bodies within our own bodies if, by silencing the mind, we enter into a state of calm. We can feel the motion of the energy inside us, according to the corresponding movement of Energy in the Universe and its rhythms in its different parts. The movement of our own energy in certain energy channels will match the movements of specific celestial bodies. For example, Small Sky Circle represents the Moon revolving around the Earth, and Big Sky Circle follows the Earth revolving around the Sun. When we sit quiet and motionless, images of other planets’ motions appear before us. We can also feel them within our body. The ancients did not have any special tools to do this. People simply relied on their sensations to discover the motions of the celestial bodies and to create maps. We see, then, that our body contains all information about the external space. If we have questions about the surrounding world, we can address them to ourselves. To make it possible to receive answers, we need to attain a special state of calm. From this point of view, Qigong is the System of inner vision and inner thinking. Usually, we only use external methods of investigation to solve problems. However, these external methods are based on inner sensations. The only way we can understand and feel this is if we enter a state of deep relaxation, silencing the mind, stopping the inner dialogue, and attaining the state of Qigong. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Yet, even at this stage, some questions might linger. What parts of our body, or more specifically, what channels let us feel the Moon’s motion? Why do we need these ancient techniques today when modern science and engineering have already enabled humans to walk on the Moon? What possible benefit can we receive from these ancient practices?

Small Sky Circle’s Trajectory Small Sky Circle maps the way of Qi with its permanent circulation through the vessels or through the miracle channels of Du-Mai and Ren-Mai (Picture 33). The Ren-Mai channel starts at the Huiyin point and goes to the Chengjiang point located in the lower jaw. The Du-Mai channel also starts in Huiyin, but then travels up to Baihui and down to Yinjiao in the upper jaw. Hence, the two channels diverge at a particular point. To reconnect them and close the trajectory, we lift our tongue to the roof of our mouth and touch two little bumps behind the upper teeth. This action is known as “establishing a bridge” or “bridging.” After practicing Big Tree, we have plenty of Qi in our body that we have stored in the lower Dan Tian area in the form of an energy ball. After we practice the exercise for Re-fining Qi, the ball becomes active and we can feel it more clearly. We liken this ball to the Moon. Our body serves as the Earth and, completing the picture, the Du-Mai and Ren-Mai channels represent the orbit of the Moon around the Earth. When we practice this exercise, the ball of Qi from the lower Dan Tian first goes up along the Picture 33: Small spine, the Du-Mai channel, then down along the front Microcosmic Orbit, the of the body along the Ren-Mai channel. The ancient Trajectory 1: Baihui, 2: Mingtang, 3: The RenChinese called this “steering a boat down the river” Mai Channel, 4: Shan because the channels serve as navigable waterways. To Chung, 5: Qihai, 6: steer the boat, the river must have plenty of water or Huiyin, 7: Weilu (Lower Gate), 8: Tsiatsi (Middle Qi. Therefore, to succeed with Small Sky Circle, we Gate), 9: Du-Mai need to practice exercises that contribute to the channel, 10: Yuchen (Upper Gate) collection and activation of Qi as much as possible. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Under certain conditions, the Qi can move from the lower Dan Tian along the Du-Mai and Ren-Mai in a way similar to the Moon revolving around the Earth. When we enter the state of deep calm and manage to silence the mind, the Qi will travel very slowly through our body. However, before we begin the practice, we need to map out, and start moving our Qi ball along, the route. Due to various circumstances, such as disease, sedentary lifestyle, spinal problems, energy deficits, emotional stress, etc., some parts of the Du-Mai and Ren-Mai channels or vessels may be narrow. These constrictions will hinder the free circulation of energy along the trajectory. In addition, we will find hard-to-open zones along the Du-Mai channel or road. We call these zones “the gates.” Several points and areas mark the trajectory of the Microcosmic orbit. First on the map, we find the Baihui point on top of the head. Next, lower down in the Yin part of the body, we note the Mingtang point located at the brow level. The Chinese character “Ming” translates as “a light or bright glow,” and “Tang” means “palace” or “world.” This point marks a channel entrance, which leads to the Third Eye. The next point on the map is Jengjiao (meaning “the middle of a person”), located between the nipples. This point marks the center of the middle Dan Tian. Lower still, below the navel, there is the Qihai point. Finally, the Huiyin point is where Yin and Yang meet. If we trace the “gates” on our back, we will trace the spine down along the Yang surface to the Chanchiang point. We call this first gate Wei Lu, which translates as “coccyx.” The Mingmen point, located between kidneys, can be hard to go through. We call the second gate Tsiatsi (“compacted vertebra”), which is located behind the heart in the area of the Lingtan point (“gates of life” or “spiritual palace”). The third gate is Yuchen (“jade pillow”), located in the area of Haoxy point (“the palace of brain”) at the base of the skull, where the spine begins. Because of its reputation as the hardest area to go through, people call it the “iron wall.” At the initial stage of practice, in order to master the motion of the ball along Small Sky Circle, we can help the process with our breath. Overall, there are two methods of transferring Qi along the trajectory: first, using breath; and then, the mind (unrelated to breathing rhythm). Let us examine these methods.

Method One: ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

SMALL SKY CIRCLE USING BREATHING Sequence of the Exercises 1. The posture is similar to the one in the Refining Qi exercise: the spine is straight, the head hangs by the vertex (Picture 30), the tongue touches the roof of the mouth, and the hands are folded on the navel. 2. Concentrate your attention on the lower Dan Tian. Imagine and feel a hot red ball inside it. 3. During inhalation, push in your stomach slightly with your folded hands, while tightening your buttocks and anus. By doing this, you push the ball out from the lower Dan Tian to the belly button, and then along the Ren-Mai channel downward, to the perineum, the Huiyin point. Then move the ball up along the spine, along the Du-Mai channel to the Baihui point. Observe this process and feel the path of energy as it travels from the lower Dan Tian to the Baihui point. 4. While exhaling, let go of the stomach, relax the body, and move the Qi from Baihui downward to the roof of the mouth. Then, bring the energy into the lower Dan Tian, passing through your tongue and down along the Ren-Mai channel (Picture 34). 5. During the next inhale, repeat the same motion with the ball. Again, push in your stomach and tighten your anus. Lower the ball along the Ren-Mai channel to the Huiyin point. Then, continue moving the ball up the Du-Mai channel to the Baihui point. On the exhale, lower the ball into the lower Dan Tian. Please notice that during this sequence, we use reverse breathing: we push in the stomach while inhaling and relax it while exhaling. 6. Completing the exercise, put your hands on the navel and concentrate Qi in the lower Dan Tian. 7. Finally, pat yourself on your head and chest as you did after the Big Tree practice. This ensures that Qi does not stagnate in the head and the upper body area instead of going down to the lower Dan Tian. If you practice for a long time, you can proceed with the full series of closing exercises as after the Big Tree practice. Usually, Small Sky Circle should be practiced from twenty to thirty minutes. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

ATTENTION: a) In order to prevent Qi from getting stuck in the head area, there should be no pause between inhaling and exhaling. b) After exhaling, you may pause and stop the Qi in the lower Dan Tian. Then, make another run along the trajectory of the Small Microcosmic Orbit. c) It is recommended that you breathe and move Qi as slowly as possible. However, in the initial stage, the speed is up to you. Let everything happen naturally. d) While practicing this exercise with the help of Picture 34: Small breathing, you must keep your back and neck Microcosmic Orbit, Qi straight and sit straight. Do not lean on the back of Ball Movement the chair. When you curve your spine, the Qi may change its trajectory and move from some areas of Du-Mai and Ren-Mai into nearby channels. e) Those who suffer from seriously high blood pressure should not tighten their anus, as this may cause a rise in their blood pressure.

Method Two: SMALL SKY CIRCLE USING MIND Sequence of the Exercises 1.

2. 3.

4.

One way is the following. In a comfortable position, sit or lie down and relax the body. Let your hands be free; they do not have to rest on the navel or lower Dan Tian. Touch your tongue to the roof of the mouth. Half close your eyes. Concentrate your attention on the lower Dan Tian. Feel the hot ball in the area. Visualize a red-hot ball in the lower Dan Tian. Use your mind to move the ball slowly and smoothly along the Ren-Mai channel to the Huiyin point. Then, continue moving the ball along the Du-Mai channel to the Baihui point. Visualize your ball of Qi and observe its motion. Relax your body and breathe freely. You do not need to push in your stomach or tighten your buttocks. Without any stops, continue moving the ball along the Ren-Mai channel

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to the Huiyin point. Observe its path. Feel and see the ball’s motion. 5. Without stopping, continue moving the ball along the Du-Mai channel to the Baihui point and, again, along the Ren-Mai channel to the Huiyin point. 6. Finishing the exercise, as before, put your hands on the navel and concentrate Qi into the lower Dan Tian. 7. Finish by patting yourself on your head and chest as you did after the Big Tree practice. If you practiced for a long time, do the full series of closing exercises as after the Big Tree practice. Practice this exercise from twenty to thirty minutes.

Practical Guidelines Find out which of the two methods (the breath or the mind) gives you a clearer sensation of Qi moving along Small Microcosmic Orbit. Depending on the answer, you can start with the exercise that is easier for you. You can start with five to ten minutes of the easier method, and then continue for twenty to thirty minutes with another, more difficult method. It is more convenient to practice when you can feel the ball and compress it to a small size. As a rule, any method works fine and you feel the movement of this ball when, initially, you have plenty of Qi or when you obtain large quantities of energy during the Big Tree practice. You may get the same result when you activate the ball using Refining Qi. High sensitivity and good imagination increase your feelings during this practice. If you have insufficient energy, or if you have a problem concentrating this energy in a ball or imagining this ball’s movement inside the channels (Picture 35a), try picturing half the ball under the skin, and the other half outside the body (Picture 35b). In the Picture 35: Small early stages, some people find it easier to practice Microcosmic Orbit, the Small Sky Circle (using breathing) in another way. Ways of Moving Qi Ball

Sequence of Exercises in Another Way 1. Place the body in the same position as in the first breathing method of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

the Small Sky Circle practice. In a comfortable position, sit or lie down, and relax the body. The hands are free; they do not have to rest on the navel or lower Dan Tian. The tongue touches the roof of the mouth. The eyes are half-closed. 2. Move your Qi ball from the lower Dan Tian to the surface. One-half of the energy ball is still inside, but the other half is over the surface. 3. As with the first method, when inhaling, you need to tighten the anus. Lower the ball to the Huiyin point, and then bring it up to the Baihui point. The ball moves through the surface. (One-half of the ball is still inside, but the other half is over the surface) (Picture 35b). 4. Then, while exhaling, relax the body and lower the ball in the front of the body to the navel area at the lower Dan Tian level. Here, again, half the ball moves inside, while the other half moves outside. Repeat the cycle. 5. Completing the exercise, bring the ball back from the surface of the body into the navel, and drop it into the lower Dan Tian. 6. Put your hands on the navel and concentrate the Qi into the lower Dan Tian. Using the mind, without focusing on the breathing (breathe naturally), one can practice Small Sky Circle with the above-mentioned method. At first, we need to move the ball mentally from the lower Dan Tian to the navel and then visualize its movement as it glides along the surface through the Du-Mai and Ren-Mai channels in full diameter (one-half of the ball inside, and the other half outside.) (Picture 35b) Sometimes, during the early stages of practice, people find it easier to move the Qi in the reverse direction, up along the Ren-Mai channel, and then down along the Du-Mai channel. However, after they experience the full sensations in the lower Dan Tian, the direction of the Qi movement can change automatically.

ACCOMPANYING BENEFITS AND PHENOMENA 1. Health Benefits ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

a) Energy Balance: The front part of our body is Yin, and the back is Yang. When the ball of energy starts moving along, it triggers an exchange between Yin and Yang, and they become balanced. This exercise allows you to balance the energy when you experience symptoms that indicate a disruption in the balance. For example, if you feel that one part of your body is heavier then another, the balance is broken. Another symptom is the feeling of a heavy head that prevents concentration and makes it hard to think. In these cases, your thinking will seem slow and your thoughts unclear. Like many others, you may find yourself complaining about your feet always being cold. If you have any of these symptoms or chronic pains, such as painful sensations in the lumbosacral spine area, back, shoulder blades, or head, practicing Small Sky Circle will ease your condition. b) Channel Opening: This exercise may sometimes produce pain sensations similar to Big Tree. The reason is the same: the Qi moves through narrowed or blocked parts of the channels. Moving along the Du-Mai and Ren-Mai channels, Qi activates the energy inside them and cleanses them by breaking up the congestion and removing blockages. The actions of the Qi have beneficial health effects on the organs and the zones of the body located along those channels. In fact, these are all internal organs, such as the throat, nose, eyes, brain, spine, and central nervous system. The active Qi also speeds up the process of healing from the common cold and flu.

2. Developmental Benefits a) The Third Eye: When the Qi moves from the Baihui point down, it goes through the area of the Third Eye and activates it. This movement of Qi causes a number of phenomena, such as flashes of light, glowing and tingling sensations, pressure, pain, etc. When a sufficient amount of Qi builds up in this area, it becomes active, thereby causing the opening of the Third Eye—a new channel of perception. Practice of the Third Eye falls within the scope of Stage III of ZYQ; however, intense practice of the main exercises of Stage I can also open the Third Eye. During Stage I practice, in rare cases, the Third Ear may open, as well as the Second Heart. Usually, practice for the opening of the Second Heart begins at Stage II. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

b) Intuition and Creativity: The practice of Small Sky Circle makes extensive use of visualization. These exercises activate and develop the occipital parts of the brain, which in turn causes phenomena and effects similar to Refining Qi.

3. Enhancement of Intellect When Qi enters the brain via the Du-Mai channel, we sometimes feel as though the head is “filling up.” It is known that a person typically uses less than 10 percent of his brain cells. The rest of the brain cells are inactive. A person simply cannot absorb the ever-increasing body of information from the different sciences, engineering, art, social life, etc. It would help matters greatly if we could find one simple, special method to use for brain enhancement. Thousands of years of experience, which science has recently confirmed, lead us to conclude confidently that this exercise is most effective for the natural activation of the brain cells and the enhancement of the intellect.

Summary For health improvement, you may consider that you have mastered this exercise, if the Qi flows automatically and constantly along Small Sky Circle and if, at any given moment, you can observe this motion when attention is directed at it. This moving energy can be perceived as a ball or stream—a streamlet or a ribbon. For serious professional practice of Small Sky Circle, one should avoid any sexual activity for about one hundred days. During the accumulation of strong energy and its activation, the energy starts moving independently along the trajectory of Small Sky Circle. This affects the Mingtang point, located at eyebrow level, causing flashes similar to lightning. This is the beginning of the opening of the Third Eye. We need to note further that almost every person has the ability to achieve Third Eye vision and, as a consequence, understand the deeper meaning of life. But adults often lose their energy through sexual activity. In contrast, when children start practicing, almost all of them start seeing immediately ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

with their Third Eye, as they are not expending Yuan-Jing energy. The situation with adults is quite different. As they practice Qigong, they might initially see flashes of light, which, after some time, may begin to acquire different colors. However, the colored flashes of light soon disappear, only to reappear much later. The repetition of this cycle indicates that these adults have still not had any visions, whereas many children have experienced visions with the Third Eye. For one thing, adults need to make more efficient and productive use of their energy. For adults to start seeing with the Third Eye, we recommend a hundred-day abstinence, during which male and female hormones are conserved. What happens during those hundred days of abstinence? Master’s Story First, the ball moves along the trajectory of Small Sky Circle. We concentrate this ball in the lower Dan Tian. Then, it stretches out in a manner similar to a comet. Gradually, its “head” catches up with its tail, producing the image of a constant stream of Qi running along the trajectory. Later, while mastering this exercise, another phase starts: sitting in a calm and relaxed position, you will feel this energy automatically moving along the trajectory. After some more practice, you will experienced the next phase when the stream turning into a wide ribbon start to move along a few parallel channels at once, as a hot wide band through the entire back. If you continue practicing even more, at the next phase, this wide ribbon will divide itself in three energy streams: one will be warm or hot; the second will be cold or cool; and third will be neutral, with no temperature variations. You will feel all of these different streams simultaneously. Moreover, you will start seeing the color of each stream: black, yellow, and red. When you reach this stage, you can truly say that Small Sky Circle has started working. However, this is still not the last phase and the highest level attainable through the practice of this exercise. If you continue regular practice, all three streams will gather in one. Then, experiences will take one of two forms. First, the stream will change its trajectory and move not into the Du-Mai channel but directly into the spine and brain. When the three streams combine into one and go through body and brain, the sensations produced are hard to describe with words. Suffice it to say that, at this stage, all necessary conditions for our soul to go out of the body and come back have ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

been met. After that, our soul can travel to other worlds. Second, the stream will form a ball. However, it will not be the original ball from the lower Dan Tian, but a very powerful energy sphere. It can automatically move through the central channel Zhong-Mai, through all three Dan Tians, opening all areas of the central channel and Heaven Gates in the Baihui area. After that, the soul can leave the body. This is what is called the hundred-day base for further practice. That is because the real practice of Zhong Yuan Qigong starts from this moment, the moment of the first soul’s departure. This is when spiritual practice begins – the practice of soul and spirit. Everything we did so far was directed at the improvement of our health, and the preparation of our body and mind. Of course, not everyone needs exactly one hundred days to build this foundation. Some people need ninety-six days, while others require one hundred five days or even more. Everything depends on the readiness of their physical bodies. If they encounter many problems and have many diseases, they need to cure them first. The Stage I and Stage II exercises are particularly suited for this purpose. Only after that can you send your soul on journeys. Theoretically, any healthy (or relatively healthy) person can attain quick results during the hundred-day period of practice without any sex. Here, let us use as an analogy the task of boiling water. Imagine putting a pot on the stove. The water warms to a temperature of 80° C (176° F), at which point you remove it from the stove, instead of letting it continue to boiling point. Then, after the water cools, you again turn on the stove and bring the temperature of the water to the 176° F mark, after which you again turn off the stove. If you keep repeating this process, you will never bring the water to a boil. It is the same with Qigong practice. Therefore, it is better that you engage in intense practice for a period of time to obtain definite results. Since ancient times, ZYQ has been taught mainly to children and not to adults. The Teachers waited for the children to open the Third Eye, and then taught them how to initiate the journey of the soul. After that, the children’s souls traveled to various worlds, where they could see the Universe and understand the meaning of Life as well as the meaning of these other worlds. They were allowed to have families and children only after they mastered these techniques and reached these levels. Usually, women had to complete the practice by the age of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

twenty-one and men, by the age of twenty-four. After the women and men reached their respective age limits, they could marry. All of the above relates to Yin-Shen practice. The next step would be the beginning of Yuan-Shen practice.

Questions and Answers 1. I do not feel any motion along Small Sky Circle. What should I do? What techniques can I use? Try to perform physical exercises that warm up the body. For example, do some push-ups. When your body is warm, the muscles relax, the vessels and channels open up, and sensitivity increases. 2. Instead of going along my spine, the ball goes parallel to the Du-Mai channel and aside from it. What does it mean? This means that your Du-Mai channel is still closed. Later, as you practice, the ball will become stronger and go where it is supposed to go. There are several channels on the left and right side of the spine, apart from the one in the middle. Energy flows to the zones where it meets least resistance. 3. If I feel a chill, instead of warmth, during the exercises. Is this normal? This is normal during the initial stages of practice. 4. I cannot feel the channels. How do I know which trajectory to use for my energy to go along my spine? What places and depth should I imagine the Qi stream to flow? Do not think about locations and depth. Just try and feel that the Qi is flowing through your channels. For the moment, that is good enough. As you progress, your ability to feel the energy will improve, and all the questions will disappear. At present, the energy should rise up the back and down the front. 5. What kinds of changes take place in our body during Small Sky Circle? If you practice well, you will have a large amount of saliva in ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

your mouth. When you feel the heat of the rising energy, it is healing diseases as it moves. 6. Should the speed of the energy flow be the same during home practice as it is during seminar classes? I feel as though the flow of the energy is slower at home. The speed may vary. Every individual has his/her own speed level. At seminars, we try to do exercises simultaneously, in order to heighten the effect. At home, you should practice in a manner that is convenient for your rhythm. 7. What happens if the energy ball moves too fast? In this case, you need to slow down the movement of energy ball in order to feel it better. If the Qi ball flows fast, you have no time to thoroughly feel its entire trajectory and work out all the zones. 8. I feel as though the energy gathers in the back of my head. You need to pat this area very intensely after practice. 9. I do not feel the motion of the energy. What I do feel appears to be something like a pulsation. I feel as though this is more my individual perception, rather than a real sensation. This happens during the initial stages of practice. You need to practice more. 10. I imagine the red-hot ball that moves along the spine. However, I do not feel any warmth inside my body. At this point, you imagine more than you feel. The sensations will come as you practice. 11. Do I need to imagine the movement of the Qi? This is also possible. First, you need to help this movement of Qi with your breath similar to the way in Section One. Then the Qi will start moving by itself. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

12. I feel the energy moving only in my head, not the entire body. From time to time, I feel its motion within the body, but then the sensation disappears. You need to pat yourself on the head vigorously, so that the energy will make a full circle. 13. During the exercise, I experience a metallic aftertaste, and the end of my tongue feels as though it is being pinched, as though I were touching battery poles. What does this mean? This means that the Qi is going through the lifted tongue (“the established bridge”), between the Du-Mai and Ren-Mai channels. This is a correct reaction. 14. I feel as though it is not a ball that is moving inside me, but rather a ribbon or an endless stream. Should I try to transform it into the form of a ball? No, do not do that. You are experiencing the proper phenomenon. Let everything take place naturally for you. 15. I feel the ball. However, it is easier for me to move it constantly and evenly than to stop in the lower Dan Tian. Do I have to pause between inhaling and exhaling and stop the Qi at the bottom? No, do not do that. Nonstop motion is the best. 16. As the Qi moves along its trajectory, I feel a lot of heat along the path it takes. It feels as though the Qi is lighting up and burning. Is this dangerous? This is the correct phenomenon. This happens when you have plenty of Qi and it is concentrated. 17. When I practice Small Sky Circle, I start moving with the rhythm of the imaginary motion of the ball inside my body. Am I practicing correctly? Yes. Later, however, your movements will cease. 18. When I practice this exercise, I feel pain in the navel area. There is a point in that area that is hard to open. Later, the pain will go away. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

19. I do not feel any energy movement at all. If I keep attending your classes, will I be able to feel anything? Right now, I do not understand what I am supposed to feel. What do you sense during the practice of other exercises? When I practice Big Tree, I feel pain. When I try to make the ball move automatically, I do not feel or see it. However, I feel pain in the area where I have my hands. These are normal sensations for the early stages of practice, before you start to feel the energy moving inside your body. You are not yet feeling the motion itself. As you practice more, the pain will cease. Then you will experience stronger sensations. Keep practicing. 20. Is it normal for the ball to hop instead of moving in a smooth manner? It is possible at the beginning. 21. What color should the ball and stream be? You do not need to consciously imagine the colors. In the future, you will begin to see the colors. For now, you do not need to think about them. 22. I feel the ball moving in Du-Mai, but it stops in the shoulder-blade area, against the chest, and then again at the base of the skull. These zones have points that are hard to go through. You need to give yourself time to open them. 23. Can I practice this exercise standing and while lying down before sleeping? Yes, you can. 24. Can I practice this exercise while walking? Not if you walk fast. You can practice this exercise while walking only if you walk slowly. Nevertheless, the best thing to do while walking is to practice Walking Qigong! ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

25. Can the ball make stops during its movement? Generally, when the ball goes around, it should not stop. It may stop at the Baihui point on top of the head, and at the Huiyin point in the perineum, since these are the highest and lowest points, respectively. When we exhale, the ball starts moving downward from the Baihui point. We inhale when the ball takes off from the Huiyin point toward the Baihui point. You do not have to pay attention to these two points exactly. You only need to observe the ball’s movement along its trajectory. 26. With the strain that the special breathing can cause, how does the practice of Small Sky Circle during the initial and later stages of pregnancy affect the baby? Can this exercise result in the termination of a pregnancy or harm to the baby? Pregnant women do not have such negative reactions to Small Sky Circle. When you practice, do not restrict yourself to a breathing pattern. You may skip breathing practice entirely and use your mind to move the ball. Also, you may start from the middle Dan Tian, instead of the lower one.

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THE STATE OF QIGONG A person can be in several states: awake, asleep, the intermediary stage between these two, and the state of Qigong. The state of Qigong is the one between the intermediary and sleep states. Yawing, typically, indicates a relaxed body. A person can enter the state of Qigong only after he loses his regular state and makes a Transition. However, during the Transition, and immediately before it, the person may experience a feeling of great discomfort. Any Transition is a loss, a loss of the familiar, a renunciation of what is habitual and known. Transition is a Leap. The body and mind resist, especially during the first time it takes place, because this new state is unknown, unclear, undefined. It brings with it changes; it is the future. Therefore, depending on the individual psychophysiological state and general readiness level of each person, the transitional sensations will be different. Nevertheless, after the first transition, the practitioner feels more comfort. As time goes by, the practitioner gains more experience. In the next stage, in the state of Qigong, one will experience occasional interruptions in the beating of the heart and in the breathing. In the final analysis, one will learn to transit from one state to another in a short time—in a leap. In the state of Qigong, the brain and consciousness have different perceptions of the environment. When you reach this state, you acquire completely new knowledge. Usually, the transition to the deep state of Qigong is very difficult for a human being. For a better understanding, we can compare this transition with skydiving. When you jump for the very first time, the weightless state you experience feels very unusual, unpleasant, and discomforting. Similarly, on entering the state of Qigong for the first time, you feel an inner disorder—that something is not right. REMEMBER: If during one’s entire life, a person has never entered the state of Qigong—he or she will have experienced a very big loss, never having known his/her “second” side. It is very similar to Yin-Yang, when you know only one side and ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

are not even aware of the other. Only if you learn about both sides, Yin and Yang, and both sides of yourself, will you become a complete person. As we grow older, we acquire more and more knowledge about the surrounding world. Most of this knowledge becomes fixed and begins to place limits on our brain. Most of it is based on our ability to perceive the world through our regular sense organs and logic. Hence, for a person with a higher education, especially one who works in the sciences, it is sometimes very hard to enter the state of Qigong. Such a person has a very welldeveloped Yang side. Education, occupation, and lifestyle have a big impact on the state of the brain, and therefore, on the level of a person’s sensitivity. Children’s thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of the world are much more natural than those of adults. If you raise a child in the proper manner, before the end of puberty (ages twelve to fourteen), the child will easily go through the changes associated with the opening of the Third Eye and development of a correct vision of the world. In Qigong practice, there is an expression, explaining the purpose of Qigong practice: to return a human being to its natural state—the Childlike State. Precisely because a child does not have a lot of knowledge, he or she is not limited in his/her ability to perceive. Moreover, a child’s mind is always willing to follow the path of Fantasy. As a result, the child has an open mind and is always ready to accept new data. Things that seem illogical, impossible, and absurd from the point of view of an adult are absolutely clear and obvious to a child. Therefore, in order to make the Transition, it is necessary to return to a Childlike State.

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SUPPORTING EXERCISES QIGONG WHILE WALKING We have already mentioned that ZYQ exercises naturally intertwine with our everyday lives. In the modern world, we all are busy, and therefore it is necessary for us to combine many activities. Every day, for example, we may spend a lot of time walking. We can continue to practice Qigong while walking.

Conditions Necessary for Successful Practice In order to practice Qigong while walking, you need to pay attention to the following three factors: Factor 1: The body should be relaxed, but should not sway from side to side. The back should be straight. Factor 2: Direct your attention inward, inside your body. Your eyes must be directed straight ahead and must not wander. They must not look at anything or anyone. Factor 3: Direct your thoughts to the inside too, as that is where your spirit resides. This is important for the following reasons. After Qigong practice, a lot of energy is collected inside your body. When you think about irrelevant things, glance from side to side, and talk, this energy leaves your body. It radiates from your brain and follows your glance and thoughts to the point where your attention is directed or focused. Thus, by looking at or thinking about external things, you spend your energy on them. Therefore, Qigong Masters say: “Close your eyes and ears, close your mind, and let your energy work inside your body.” In the earlier times, in order to stay focused during the process of Qigong training, visiting places of entertainment was forbidden, because exposure to bright colors and loud music could dissipate your energy. While practicing Qigong, in any condition or situation, it is important to maintain a balanced and solid emotional state of mind. Do not practice Qigong during emotional outbursts, as it will not be effective. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Stages of Practice 1. Relax the body. 2. Take a step, first by striking the ground with the heel, then by rolling on to the toes (Picture 36). By doing so, you activate the points in the area of impact and shake up Qi in channels within the legs. As a result, you strengthen the functioning of the kidneys and the entire urogenital sphere. You should walk, or run, easily, unhurriedly, and steadily. 3. Imagine and feel that, as you continue to be in contact with the ground, your energy rises from your heel, up the leg and the back. During the rolling from your heel to your toes, the energy goes down the front part of the body and one leg. It is recommended that you walk in this manner at all times, so that it becomes a habit. Master’s Story Massaging the heel closer to the instep can enhance the sexual functions of men and women. Nowadays all this is well known. Earlier, however, there was no theoretical basis for practicing this exercise. When I was learning Qigong in my youth, my Teacher told me that the monks, who lived in the mountains, and people engaged in Taoism regularly practiced this exercise while walking. However, apart from telling me that this method is very useful for the physical body, he did not go into any details. The rest—an understanding of the benefits of this method of walking—was left to the practitioners to understand from their own experiences.

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Picture 36: Qigong While Walking

Due to intense research into the physiological processes associated with Qigong practice, a lot of information about our body is now available to people. Now, on the basis of scientific data, it is possible to explain the benefits of every Qigong exercise, and verify the stories of the ancient Masters.

QIGONG WHILE SLEEPING Qigong while sleeping is, in fact, an automatic continuation of regular practice. Started immediately before sleeping, this exercise continues ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

as you sleep. Usually there are two positions used for this exercise: the back position and the side position (Picture 37). This exercise is not difficult.

The Stages of Practice 1. Lie down on your back and relax. 2. Put hands on the lower Dan Tian. 3. Imagine and feel a hot red ball. Fall asleep in this state and position. You can also practice Small Sky Circle with the help of your mind without focusing on breathing. Begin your practice just before sleeping, and continue into your sleeping state. If a person really practices Qigong while asleep, he or she enters the state of Qigong very fast. In this case, comfortable bedding is not necessary (Picture 37, lower photo). You can practice as you sleep, while lying on your side. In that case, one hand should go under your head, in place of a pillow, and the other hand, on the lower Dan Tian. Also, you can prop your head against one hand, while the second hand lies along the body—the pose of the Sleeping Buddha (Picture 37, upper photo).

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Picture 37: Qigong While Sleeping

Master’s Story We have already mentioned that sleep is the best natural method of rest and energy restoration. However, very often, an exhausted person is not able to fall asleep. Logically, an exhausted person should be able to fall asleep right away, almost instantaneously. Why, then, does this fail to happen sometimes? ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

If you are tired and unable to fall asleep, it is because there are disorders in your energy system. If the energy flow is not right, the brain cannot stop—it cannot function well. As a rule, when you don’t sleep well, you cannot perform your work duties very well, because the body has insufficient energy. Therefore, you have increased drowsiness during the day, instead of being active and ready to work. At night, when your brain and body must rest and recover, your thoughts do not allow you to fall asleep— your brain is active as though you were working, not resting. The brain works nonstop in a person who suffers from insomnia. This problem has a solution: energy training. Our body has a perfect energy system. Modern science knows a lot about general anatomy, but knows almost nothing about the anatomy of energy in our bodies. ZYQ knows about it. If we are to train our energy system as we train our muscles, it will work much better, and we will be able to prevent serious diseases. Sleeping Qigong is the simplest method. Each system of our body needs a certain amount of energy in order to work. If all of a sudden, you realize that you have problems with memory or some organ, the problem might not be physical, but due to lack of energy. You know that school classes have the same conditions and environment for everyone; however, some people learn faster than others. The reason for this is not merely the speed of the intellectual process. It is that the child cannot understand the language, and one of the reasons for this is a lack of energy in the brain area. Such children might be very active and playful; however if their brain has insufficient Qi, they think slower and have trouble memorizing. We can practice Qigong not only at specific times when we are awake, but also at night, while we sleep. Using this method, people can successfully solve many problems. By practicing Qigong during sleep, one can solve a lot of health problems by oneself. In general, Qigong during sleep and while awake can be used for two purposes: mastering certain exercises for self-development, and self-healing.

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With Hypertension First Variation: 1. Lie down on your back, relax, and close your eyes. 2. Stretch your arms along the sides of the body, palms down. 3. Imagine the Yongquan points on your feet…feel them. Breathe in the direction from the Baihui to the Yongquan points (see “Breathing through points”). In your thoughts, direct the stream of Qi this same way (from the Baihui point to the Yongquan points). Then, stop concentrating on these points: “it seems it is; it seems it isn’t.” Fall asleep in such a state. Breathing follows attention. Qi follows breathing. Blood follows Qi. As the result, blood pressure goes down. Second Variation: In the above-mentioned pose, you can mentally look at your feet, imagining hot red balls or, simply, fire at your feet. In this case, the Qi of fire goes down (fire and the Universe belong to Yang Qi), blood follows, and blood pressure goes down. It is recommended that you practice these exercises for ten to twenty minutes daily before falling asleep. With Hypotension First Variation: 1. Lie down on your back, relax, and close your eyes. 2. Stretch your arms along the sides of the body, palms up. 3. Imagine and feel the Baihui point. Do not concentrate on it intensively: “it seems it is; it seems it isn’t. Fall asleep in such a state. Second Variation: 1. Lie down on your back, relax, and close your eyes. 2. You can also breathe in the direction from Yongquan to Baihui (see “Breathing through points”). 3. You can also imagine a fire in your feet that is rising. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Here, the explanation is similar to the previous one: Breathing follows attention, Qi follows breathing, and blood follows Qi. In this case, the pressure rises. With Heterotopias (Pressure Fluctuation) 1. Lie down on your back, relax, and close your eyes. 2. Place hands on the middle Dan Tian: men put their left hand on their chest and right hand on top of the left; women put their right hand on their chest and left hand on top. 3. Imagine and feel the middle Dan Tian. Fall asleep in this position. With Insomnia 1. Lie down, relax, and close your eyes. 2. Stretch your arms alongside the body, palms down. You can place your hands on the lower Dan Tian. 3. Breathe quietly and evenly. Try not to think about anything. At the second stage, we will discuss various methods of breathing through the body. Some of these methods help stop the flow of thoughts and help us relax, contributing to the quality of sleep.

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CLEANSING, GATHERING, AND EMITTING QI CLEANSING METHODS FOR BAD QI Often some organs, such as the heart or stomach, can displace from their proper positions in the body. This can happen due to repeatable stresses or lack of physical activity. Then, some areas of the body experience disorders in blood flow and energy circulation. This may also lead to general discomfort, which in turn can lead to the inability to practice static exercises for long periods of time. Such disorders can also make it difficult to relax or to enter the state of deep calm and silence of mind.

First Method: Body Shaking Shaking allows us to relax our body and muscles, helping organs restore correct orientation in the body based on Earth’s magnetic lines. Exercise Sequence The exercise is performed in the following way: 1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms hanging down along your body. Your body should be relaxed. 2. Lift yourself on your tiptoes, and then suddenly drop down on your heels, shaking the body. 3. When you lower your body and hit the ground with your heels, imagine that the bad Qi goes into the ground through the legs and Yongquan points. 4. Keep shaking for one to five minutes. You may feel as though you are a ball bouncing off the floor. The duration of this exercise depends on your health. If you have serious heart disease, brain-vessel spasms, herniated disks, or any other problems limiting physical activity, you should not shake your body very intensively. In such cases, one to two minutes of shaking is enough. Base the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

duration of the exercise on how you feel. The Meaning and Purpose of This Exercise Practicing this exercise before the longer Big Tree can be very beneficial. It is also a good exercise to practice after lengthy Quiet Qigong exercises and meditation. This is due to the fact that the position of your body during Quiet Qigong may be not completely correct and could cause crossclamping of channels or muscle tissue in some zones. Such shaking allows us to sense the areas with disorders of blood and energy circulation—you will feel heaviness in these areas. During the process of shaking, the body relaxes completely, the feelings of heaviness disappear, and you can feel Qi movement inside the body. This exercise is very useful when you feel tired or sick, or when you are emotionally unsettled. It is recommended that you practice such shaking after the establishment of a patient’s diagnosis and treatment, together with the exercise for purifying by energy ball.

Second Method: Purification by Energy Ball (Pushing Bad Qi Out) This exercise is one of the most effective methods for cleansing the body of bad Qi. We recommend that you practice this exercise after, or instead of, the body-shaking exercise.

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The Sequence of the Exercise Execution (Pictures 38a–d) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms hanging freely along the sides of the body. With the palms facing up, slowly lift your arms along the sides of the body over the head, imagining that they extend high into the sky, into the universe (Picture 38a). Inhaling, imagine and feel that your arms are filling up with cosmic energy, which you are holding like a ball over your head (Picture 38b). Hold your breath and bring this energy ball, through the top of your

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head and the Baihui point, into your body. Picture your body as a hollow pipe; imagine the ball as a piston, moving inside that pipe. 5. Exhaling, slowly move your arms (bent at the elbows) down in front of you with palms facing down. Your forearms should move parallel to the ground. Your palms should be connected, through energy, to the ball. Move the ball down though the “body-pipe” (Picture 38c). You may begin exhaling when the ball has passed the head area and is being lowered to the neck level. 6. Without changing position or bending, push the bad Qi out through your legs into the ground (Picture 38d)

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Picture 38: Cleansing and Gathering Qi(a-d) Cleansing Using Energy Ball, (e-i) Gathering Qi from Outside

Repeat several times. The Meaning and Purpose of the Exercise When we inhale, we receive good Qi from sky. We send it down through our body, pushing out bad Qi through the legs, into the ground.

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COLLECTING ENERGY The most effective exercise to receive and collect energy from the outside is Big Tree. It is surely the fastest method. While practicing it, we receive Yin and Yang Qi into our body, similar to how a tree does it. However, there is one more way to receive Qi. This method allows us to selectively choose and differentiate incoming energy. It enables us to accept energy from the sky, the Moon, the Sun, or the mountains. The Sequence of the Exercise The exercise is very similar to cleansing with an energy ball. Unlike the cleansing exercise, however, here the ball of Qi is gathered while inhaling and is then placed in the lower Dan Tian (Pictures 38e–i). To perform this exercise: 1. Stand straight, with your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart, body relaxed, and arms hanging freely along your sides (Picture 38e). 2. With the palms facing upward, slowly lift your arms along the sides of the body and imagine that they extend high into sky and into the universe (Picture 38f). 3. Inhaling, imagine and feel your arms filling up with cosmic energy, which you are holding like a ball over your head. 4. Hold your breath and bring this energy ball through the top of your head and the Baihui point into the body. 5. While exhaling, slowly move your arms (bent at the elbows) down in front of you with palms facing down. Your forearms should move parallel to the ground (Picture 38g). Palms are connected, through energy, to the ball. Move the ball down to the lower Dan Tian. 6. Place your hands on your navel, as after Big Tree (Picture 38i). Concentrate Qi in the lower Dan Tian and feel it. Again, while inhaling, take in Sky Qi; and, holding your breath, bring it inside through Baihui; while exhaling, slowly move it down into the lower Dan Tian. There are several variations of this exercise. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

First Variation When you inhale, receive the ball of Qi with your palms. While holding your breath, bring the ball inside your body, and while exhaling, move it down into the lower Dan Tian. Second Variation When you bring the ball into the lower Dan Tian and put your hands on the navel, concentrate Qi in the lower Dan Tian until you feel distinct sensations. At this point, breathing is arbitrary. After some time, through regular inhalation, receive Qi into your palms. After that, repeat the action of taking the ball into your body through Baihui while holding your breath. As you exhale, put it into your lower Dan Tian. Then again, for some time, concentrate your attention there without focusing on breath, and so on. Third Variation After receiving the ball of Qi into your palms while inhaling, lower it to Baihui point and hold it there for some time until you feel it with the top of your head. During this procedure, breathing is arbitrary. Then, with another exhalation, move the ball through your head and entire body into the lower Dan Tian, and put your hands on the navel. After this, you may use any of two variations: as in the first one, you may receive another ball into your palms with another inhalation and repeat the action of holding the ball over Baihui. Or, as in the second variation, you may hold your hands on your navel and direct your attention to the lower Dan Tian. The Meaning and Purpose of the Exercise Practice this exercise from several minutes to up to an hour, based on your goals and available time. You can practice this exercise to overcome fatigue and increase vigor. You can practice outdoors or while standing in front of a window, imagining that you are absorbing early morning freshness or midday heat, evening coolness, or the scent of flowers, depending on what you see. You can also get energy from the mountains, the sea, meadows or forests, fog, or sunlight. With this exercise, you can choose whether to collect Yin or Yang energy. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

To collect Yang Qi, you need to receive Qi of the sun or daylight. If you always feel cold or chilly—if even in summer, you put on extra clothes—you have a deficiency of Yang energy. If you sleep a lot, but do not feel rested; if you are resentful or easy to offend; if you are often on the verge of bursting into tears; again, you are lacking Yang energy. To overcome the Yang deficiency, you need to collect Yang Qi by accepting light and warmth from the sun. Stand facing the sun. Lift your arms and mentally extend them toward and reach for the sun, and then inhale its energy. Then, as in the previously discussed exercises, bring the energy into your body through the Baihui point and move it down to the lower Dan Tian. Repeat this exercise multiple times. To collect Yin Qi, you need to accept the Qi of the moon or the Qi of water. If you have predominantly Yang Qi—that is, if you are often excited, worried, or enraged, you should work on increasing Yin Qi. To collect Yin Qi, in the evening, when the moon is out, mentally stretch your arms out to it, accept its energy, and move it into the lower Dan Tian. You also can mentally extend your arms toward some body of water. Then, as previously described, while inhaling, take the Yin Qi of Water into your palms, bring it into your body through the Baihui point, and while exhaling, move it down into the lower Dan Tian. In addition, there is a lot of Yin Qi at cemeteries, and you can collect it there too. If for some reason you need to calm down on a bright sunny day, or if you need to become more active at night, you can use your imagination and your mind to receive the kind of Qi you need. To receive Yang Qi in the evening, close your eyes, raise your arms, and imagine that they are touching the sun. Take the Qi of the sun into your hands, imagine and feel its warmth in the palms of your hands, and bring it into the lower Dan Tian. To collect Yin in daytime, you can receive the Qi of Water, as water is a Yin structure. Another way is to close your eyes and imagine that your stretched arms reach the moon and accept its Yin Qi. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

BREATHING THROUGH POINTS AND CHANNELS In order to completely open the five most important points—the Baihui point, the two Laogong points, and the two Yongquan points—and the channels in the arms and legs, we need to breathe though them and concentrate our attention on them. We need to imagine that during inhalation, Qi enters the body from the outside through a certain point, and that during exhalation, it goes out through that same point. Such breathing leads to the opening up of the corresponding channel or point, which in turn enables a more effective cleansing of the body and channels of bad Qi. Breathing through the legs is very useful for fighting fatigue, especially during long periods of standing or walking. It is also very good for varicose veins. Breathing through the hands helps heighten palm sensitivity, thereby enabling us to diagnose and treat with our hands. Additionally, theses exercises help us learn to retransmit and emit certain types of Qi, including the variety used for treating patients. The same method of breathing allows us to get rid of pain in our own body, caused, for example, by injury.

Breathing Through the Laogong Points Practice while standing, sitting, or lying down, and in a relaxed state. 1. Imagine that while inhaling, Qi comes in through Laogong, and while exhaling, it goes out through the same point (Picture 39a). Feel the difference in sensations while inhaling and exhaling. First, practice with each palm for a certain time in turn, and then try to observe sensations while inhaling and exhaling through both palms, simultaneously. 2. Observe the sensations in your palms, inhaling Qi through the left palm and exhaling Qi through the right. Then, change the order: inhale through the right palm, and exhale through the left. 3. Observe and feel the direction of Qi movement from the Laogong point to your elbow joint while inhaling. Do the same as Qi moves from your elbow to one of your palms while exhaling. First, breathe through your left arm, then through your right arm; then use both arms at the same time. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

4. Watch and sense the direction of Qi movement from the Laogong point to shoulder joint when inhaling. First use one arm, then the other, and then both arms at once. 5. While inhaling, lead Qi from the Laogong point to shoulder in one arm, and then, while exhaling, from shoulder to the Laogong point in the other arm. Then, change the direction of movement.

Breathing Through the Yongquan Point 1.

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Practice while relaxing, either sitting or lying down. Imagine that while inhaling, Qi comes in through the Yongquan point and, while exhaling, goes out through the same point. Feel the difference in sensations while inhaling and exhaling through each foot separately, and then, through both feet at the same time (Picture 39b). Feel Qi while inhaling through the left foot, and while exhaling, through the right foot. Then do the reverse—inhale through the right foot and exhale through the left foot. Just as you did while breathing through the arms, watch and feel Qi movement while inhaling and exhaling from Yongquan to the knee joints, then to the hip joint. First use one leg at a time, then use both legs at once. While inhaling, lead Qi through one leg and, while exhaling, through the other leg. Then do the reverse.

Picture 39: Breathing Through Points and (a) Breathing through the Hands, (b) Breathing through the Legs, (c) Breathing through the Baihui Point

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Breathing Through the Baihui Point Practice either sitting or standing. Feel the difference in sensations while inhaling and exhaling through the Baihui point and its area (Picture 39c).

Combined Breathing 1. While inhaling, receive and feel Qi through Baihui, and while exhaling, move Qi out through Yongquan. 2. While inhaling, receive Qi through Baihui, and while exhaling, move it out through the Laogong points. 3. While inhaling, accept Qi through Yongquan and, while exhaling, move it out through Baihui at the top of the head. 4. Inhale Qi through Yongquan, and exhale Qi through Laogong. 5. While inhaling, receive Qi through Baihui and Yongquan simultaneously. While exhaling, move Qi out through the Laogong points. At first, use each arm separately, then, both arms simultaneously.

Practical Guidelines Most people have far less sensitivity in their legs than in their arms. Not surprisingly, since legs’ functions are less diversified, particularly in comparison with the functions of our hands, wrists, and fingers. Moreover, the legs always carry the pressure of our weight, which unfortunately, often turns out to be excessive. Therefore, in order to develop sensations in the legs, we need to practice in a lying position while moving Qi, preferably before sleeping at night, for fifteen to twenty minutes. This way, even people with low sensitivity will start feeling Qi movement in a couple of weeks or even less. Very often, people with low sensitivity turn out to also frequently suffer from cold hands or feet. Breathing through our extremities allows us to improve blood and energy circulation, which leads us to improving and restoring the normal state and sensitivity of the body.

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METHODS OF EMITTING QI Method 1: Sending Yang Qi This method is similar to breathing through the points and can be practiced in a vertical position, standing, or sitting up straight. While inhaling, receive Qi through Baihui and/or Yongquan; while exhaling, let Qi go out through Laogong (Picture 40a). For more intense emitting, you can receive energy not only by breathing through Baihui and Yongquan, but also through the Laogong points and the entire body at the same time. Then, while exhaling, you need to move the energy through the arm and emit it out of the palm. During inhalation, we receive energy; during exhalation, we emit it. If you use this method, the emitted energy from the Laogong point will contain a lot of Yang, even if you inhaled through Yongquan and received Yin Qi from the earth.

Method 2: Sending Yin Qi Often this method is called “the sword method.” Extend your arm straight out and direct your middle and index fingers at the point to which you wish to send energy (Picture 40b). Fold in the rest of your fingers. Breathe in through Yongquan, and breathe out through these two fingers. Qi will go out through the points that we open when we practice the opening of the channels in the fingers. In this case, Yin Qi dominates in the emission.

Method 3: Intense Qi Emission 1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and parallel to each other. 2. Lift your arms at the elbows, with elbows touching the body, palms in the vertical position and facing forward; wrists must be at shoulder level (Picture 40c). ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

3. Slowly take a deep breath. 4. Slowly breathe out through your nose with your mouth closed, making a vibrating and humming sound similar to “Hmmmm…mmm.” When you do this, your arms act as if they are pushing a heavy object away from the body. Extend your arms outward slowly, parallel to the ground— elbow joints should remain slightly bent—while keeping your hands positioned vertically (Picture 40c). 5. Feel the vibration in the channels of your arms and palms. Feel the emission of Qi from the Laogong points. 6. Upon inhaling, bring your arms back into their original position. 7. Repeat everything again.

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Picture 40: The Ways of Sending Qi (a) Sending Yang Qi (from Laogong), (b) Sending Yin Qi (The Sword Method), (c) Intense Qi Emission

Method 4: Sending Energy via Qi Ball 1. Using your imagination, form an energy ball in one of your palms. You can do this using several variations: First Variation ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

1. Place your palms apart, facing each other. 2. Then move them toward and away from each other in a slow and smooth motion, feeling Qi between your palms. Palms and arms must be relaxed. 3. Imagine these sensations in the form of an energy ball. Move your hands as though you were squeezing the ball with your hands and then releasing it and allowing it to expand. Use your mind and imagination (Picture 32). 4. Then concentrate Qi in one of your palms (Picture 40d). Second Variation 1. Hold your palms apart, relaxed, motionless, and facing each other, exhaling through the Laogong points into the space in between (Picture 40e). 2. Feel Qi between your palms. 3. Mentally concentrate energy in one of the palms, in the form of a ball. Third Variation 1. Move or rotate your palms, as they face each other, until you experience distinct sensations in them. Then, concentrate those sensations in one of your palms in the form of a Qi ball. 2. Feeling the Qi ball in one of your palms, send it into the other palm with a light movement (Picture 40f). 3. Repeat the action of throwing the Qi ball from one palm to the other, until you experience distinct sensations.

Picture 40: The Ways of Sending Qi (d) Concentration of Qi in a Palm, (e) The Qi Ball between the Palms, (f ) Throwing the Qi Ball

This method is used for treatment. You can treat your own pain by sending the Qi ball into the area where you feel pain. You may use the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

palm that feels the emissions better. REMEMBER: In all these methods the practitioners do not emit their own energy. Instead, they use the Qi that they receive from the outside, during inhalation.

Questions and Answers 1. What is the color of the energy that we receive? There is no need to think about the energy’s color. What you need to think about is the quality of the incoming energy, be it energy from the mountains, the sun, or the water. 2. How do we benefit from each of these different kinds of energy? Different objects and different elements give us different types of energy. For instance, if you get angry and aggravated easily and often; if you have dry tongue, lips, or skin; if you have red eyes, you probably an excessive quantity of hot Yang energy. In this case, you need to receive energy from Water or Moon. If you are always cold, or your hands and feet are always cold, you need to take in energy from Sun. If you have no clearly defined symptoms of any illness, then you should just reach with your arms toward sky and receive the energy of the universe into your body. 3. Why do we begin receiving pure energy from above and not from below? What is more important, the brain or the legs? Therefore, we take in energy through the brain, which goes down through the body, to the feet, and out. During its movement, the bad Qi is pushed out of the body. We do not want any bad energy to get into the brain and affect it. Besides, we need to push bad energy out into the ground, because earth will transform that energy into energy that is useful for trees and other plants. 4. What is the guarantee that we are receiving pure energy from Universe and not taking it away from other people or humanity in general? There is plenty of energy around us, much more than air. You don’t think that when you inhale air, you take it away from other people, do ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

you? We breathe automatically, from birth, but receive energy consciously. So, it seems to me that we are taking this energy away from others, that we may be behaving as “vampires.” Is this not plausible? All right, I will try to give you an example. You want to take water from the sea. In the sea, there are various plants growing, and fish and animals living, whose bodies contain water, too. Which water is more accessible? Which water will be easier to take? The water that has been taken directly from the sea, or the water from the bodies of fish and plant cells? Now, keep in mind that there is much less water in the sea and air on earth than there is energy in the same sea and atmosphere. 5. What is the color of Qi that we need to imagine during inhalation and exhalation? Do not make an effort to imagine the color. First, you need to try to feel Qi while inhaling and exhaling. Later, when the Third Eye area is activated, you will see the color without having to imagine it. 6. I feel the difference between inhalation and exhalation through my palms very well, but I have almost no sensations when I breathe through my feet. Why? The reason for this is the fact that the points on your feet have not been opened yet. This is because your feet perform harder and more monotonous work as opposed to your palms. You need to devote more time to this exercise. 7. When I try to “play” with the ball, throwing it from one hand to the other, my right hand feels it very well, but my left hand hardly feels anything. Is there an explanation for this? As we said earlier, usually the Yang part of the body is more sensitive. The right side belongs to Yang. 8. I feel that the palms of people differ in temperature. Some palms feel warm to me, while others feel cold. Does this mean that some people give energy, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

but others take it away? No, this is not true. Usually, Yin Qi is cooler than Yang Qi. Very often, the ratio of these energies depends on the state of the person. 9. The sensations in my left and right hand differ. Is this how I’m supposed to feel? Such differences are typical. You can train your hands for equal sensitivity. However, as a rule, one hand is more sensitive than the other. 10. Could you please repeat how to determine which energy we should receive—Yin or Yang? If Yang is the dominant energy in your body, you will experience irritability, and your mouth will be constantly dry. The question whether your body is dominated by Yin or Yang can be answered by investigating how your lips curve, and also whether your lips are dry and often chapped. Depending on the curvature of your lips, and the dryness of your lips and tongue, you may need to absorb some additional Yin. If you feel cold, weak, lazy, or sad, you need some Yang energy. 11. Is it necessary to receive energy through the Baihui and Yongquan points in order to emit it through Laogong? Can we just hold our hands and feel the energy directly entering us from the environment? If you have high sensitivity, you can use this approach. 12. In our area, the air is not very clean. The houses have concrete ceilings and floors. Can I practice Qigong in such conditions? Of course. Having fresh air around would be ideal, as it is healthier. However, from the Qigong point of view, it does not matter where you practice. What matters is the effort you put in through your mind and consciousness.

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PART TWO MEDICAL ASPECTS OF QIGONG

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Chapter 3: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT USING HANDS GENERAL PRINCIPLES, APPROACHES, AND METHODS Master’s Story I will now try to introduce to you some aspects of oriental methods of diagnosis and healing. Since early childhood, I have been familiar with TCM. I later learned about the Western approach to medical care. It appears that medical science is particularly rich in the various approaches it contains. The East recognizes several types of traditional therapy and usually uses them in conjunction with each other. The most popular one is called herbal therapy (or phytotherapy). In today’s society, this method has experienced a rebirth and has developed intensively. Plants are used in herbal therapy, as basic ingredients from which pills, tablets, drops, and ointments—all those forms of medication that are used in treatment—are made. Earlier, the procedure for preparing medicines amounted to the making of teas and tinctures, and was the patients’ responsibility. For many people, it was a great inconvenience, due to a lack of time, energy, and proper conditions. Often, the teas and tinctures turned out to be unpalatable. In recent years, thanks to industrial technology and new development methods in the preparation of extracts from secondary raw materials, we have an opportunity to produce herbal medicines in forms that are suitable, convenient, and easy to use for people from Western countries. Such pharmaceutical factories now exist in Japan, China, the United States, etc. The second method widely used in Chinese medicine is called ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

acupuncture. In China, it is usually referred to as Cheng Chiu: Cheng means the use of needles, while Chiu refers to the use of moxa cigars (or moxa sticks), moxi-bustion, heating, and warming. I have found a number of differences between Western and Eastern approaches to acupuncture. Usually, books on the Western approach describe needle impact on BAPs as a method to control the state of the body through the nervous system. However, Chinese specialists use BAPs in order to affect energy channels and the flow of Qi inside them. Traditional Chinese reflex therapy uses needles based on the Yin-Yang theory, Wu Xing, and energy channels. For the successful application of reflex therapy, the doctor must know exactly not only the point that needs to be impacted, but also the kind of impact it requires, as there are many different methods for adding or taking away energy with needles. The third method, which is also widely used in TCM, is massage. Usually, a doctor who uses massage in his practice is familiar with Cheng Chiu methods. Today, Chinese universities recognize and recommend several separate branches: Cheng Chui, massage, herbal therapy, and Qigong therapy. However, good specialists always use Qigong methods, regardless of whether they work with the other three methods or not. The reason for this is that Qigong methods work with energy as a base, as a result of which, they work well with other methods. The end results of medical care defines a doctor’s level of qualification: if the doctor practices Qigong well, the results are much better. Today, the whole world is interested in TCM, especially herbal medicine and Qigong. I think there are several reasons for this, the most important one being the mentality underlying treatment methods. After diagnosis, Chinese doctors use different methods of treatment for seemingly similar illnesses.

Eastern and Western Understanding It is known that the movement of a person’s Qi through the channels becomes problematic before illness is diagnosed. When the factors that hinder this movement increase and last longer, they lead to functional disorders and other physical problems, as a result of which, disease can rise to an organic level. For example, the Chinese believe that exposure to wind ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

or a draft will cause a sensation of pain in some parts of the body. However, if we test this same area using Western methods, we will find no disorders or deviations from the norm. Only if the disease progresses will the area have traumatized vessels or other organic disorders. According to Chinese medicine, this mechanism works as follows: first, due to a disturbance of some sort, a part of a channel experiences Qi congestion. This, in turn, leads to stagnation, which prevents normal blood circulation in that area of the body (we now have devices that can detect these areas). Then, functional changes begin, followed by organic changes that can cause tumors. Unlike Chinese medicine, the names of organs in Western medicine are merely used to describe individual organs, which can be removed during dissection. However, in China, the name of an organ refers to the organ along with the area surrounding it and other organs that might be involved in its functioning. Therefore, from the point of view of TCM, when we speak of the heart, we are referring to the organ known as the heart, the system of nerves driving it, the area surrounding it, and the brain. In addition, Chinese medicine doesn’t limit itself to the physical body; it also takes into account the soul. In fact, it pays particular attention to spiritual problems. Western clinics have many specialized units dedicated to dealing with diseases of specific organs. This approach is useful in curing certain diseases. The Chinese method is more systematic and involves the regulation of the whole body. In many cases, such treatment is more successful. We see this in particular with chronic pain, and with diseases that seem to have no cause. In the West, the patient is subjected to tests performed through the use of devices, examined, and evaluated. If the results are inconclusive, the disease and cause may go undetected. Oriental and Western medicine approach the problem and control of disease and pain differently. In the Chinese mind, disease can have a number of causes, internal as well as external. Internal causes include emotional mood swings and stress, while external causes include wind, moisture, cold, etc. These are some of the factors that are used to classify diseases: disease of the wind, disease of moisture, etc. For example, let’s say that you are calmly sitting and relaxing in a place where you can feel a light breeze. That breeze, or wind, can block one of your channels. Such cases usually require the application of suction cups, or cupping. If you cup the painful area, the skin will immediately turn dark. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

You may sometimes notice that the painful area is not concentrated in one spot. If you drink something cold from the refrigerator, your body may react in the same way. You can identify illness by looking at the soles of your feet. When you are ill, the skin on your soles is not smooth—it is chapped through the replacement of old skin by new. If the disease is caused by a disturbance of energy circulation in the channels, oriental methods of treatment are very effective, especially in conjunction with Cheng Chiu therapy, Qigong therapy, and sometimes massage. For example, there are patients who experience pain in channels around the waist. Spasms in these channels may be the result of wind, moisture, or other external factors. In any case, the end result is pain. It is easy to cure illnesses connected to channel problems. Methods of acupuncture are very effective in this case, especially for the treatment of knee-joint diseases. Master’s Story Often, women experience pain in their knee joints while walking. It has been discovered that this is a secondary problem caused by gynecological diseases, due to the lack of free flow of energy in that area. This results in blood congestion. If the disease is new, it can be cured in a short period of time. In addition, this problem might have a number of causes, including diet. Acupuncture is a great way to cure headaches or postinjury disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Usually, at the beginning, stroke patients receive medications; sometimes, however, medications lose their effectiveness over time. This means that the disease is now a channel disease. Further treatment is possible through the use of Qigong and/or acupuncture methods. Each treatment method has its own advantages. Some methods result in extraordinary success, while others are less successful. Therefore, the specialist who additionally practices Qigong will use Qigong methods of diagnostics and treatment in his practice and become a very famous doctor. In China, there are several such famous doctors who can cure any disease that cannot be cured by Western methods. The reason for this is that instead of treating individual organs, they treat the body as a whole. During my early childhood, I was fortunate to meet an interesting person. He was a medical doctor and a friend of my father. He had the nickname “Three Needles.” He was given this nickname because for ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

every patient and disease, he used only three needles and worked with only three BAPs. He never used anything apart from the three needles. Often, people went to other doctors who also used the Cheng Chiu method, but without success. He was once visited by the relatives of a sick person who, despite a lengthy treatment program, had not improved and could not get out of bed. The patient was able to walk again after a single session of acupuncture involving only the three needles. My father, a surgeon, became interested in this case and the method of treatment used. He started asking questions about the treatment and how it worked. As it turned out, the doctor detected in his patient three points in energy channels that were completely blocked. He inserted needles into these three points, opening them and restoring the flow of Qi through the channels. As a result, the patient regained his ability to walk. The doctor independently discovered that for any cause of pain, he could always find three points which were in worse condition than the others. Therefore, in order to treat any patient, he always used three needles.

Causes of Disease It is very important to understand the cause, and the origins, of a disease. There are some patients who always feel hot, as though they have a high temperature. Even though they appear to be suffering from a fever, a thermometer might indicate that they are normal. Nevertheless, such person still feels hot in the area of the head or face. This type of sensation is not really a result of high temperature but what the Chinese call “empty fire.” This doesn’t mean that the person really has a high temperature and high energy; it simply means that he or she has a deficiency of Yin energy. Sometimes you may experience light shivers similar to those that appear before your body temperature increases; but in fact it remains normal. This indicates a decrease in Yin energy. If it will continue to decrease, you will experience intense perspiration while sleeping, even if your room is cool or chilly. From the Qigong point of view, these are energy problems that can be treated through some form of energy regulation. However, in modern science, particularly in Western medicine, there is no concept of fog Qi, light Qi, and transcendental Qi in our body. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

The most probable cause of disease may have its basis in emotional states; emotional stress leads to energy congestion in a particular area. As a rule, such emotions as grief or sadness have a direct impact on the heart. Conversely, the heart is also affected by emotions such as joy. As a result, heart disease may be sometimes caused by excessive joy. When energy flows into a specific area, the blood traveling with that energy also enters that area. If Qi is stagnant in a particular area, the blood in that area is also stagnant. Many diseases may occur because emotions have blocked the energy. The movement of Qi and blood is similar to the flow of water in a river. With an unrestricted and fast current, the water is clear and transparent. However, with stagnation, its quality declines with time. To describe such phenomena, the Chinese have a saying: “Unlike stagnant water, streaming water does not spoil.” Stagnant water develops a bad odor. Additionally, when the temperature rises above +20°C (+70°F), bacteria can develop. However, diseases aren’t caused by viruses or bacteria—these appear later—but by the stagnation of Qi. Therefore, if we use the methods of TCM and Qigong, we may discover disease earlier than through the techniques of modern medicine. Master’s Story Often I am asked why an inflammatory process has developed in a particular area or why there is pain in a particular zone. Western doctors might deduce that pain is the result of inflammation, as this zone has a larger concentration of white blood cells. While this is certainly possible and can be a valid explanation as to why we feel pain, is it the cause of pain? Why, for example, do you feel pain if someone hits you or if you bump your head? I will give you an example of a systematic approach. Let’s say a patient complains about a heart problem. We can figure out the exact problem and its cause using pulse diagnostics (Picture 41a). If the rate of the patient’s heartbeat is high—in the West, it is called tachycardia or rapid heart, and it is treated in a certain way, the Chinese doctor tries to define the roots, or sources, of disease. For the treatment of the heart, it is sometimes very effective to have a remedy that affects not only the heart, but also certain points. When energy flows up the spine, that point affects the heart. Therefore, we first need to check to see if the heart problem is caused by a problem with the spine. If we are able to determine that it is a cardiologic ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

disease only, the heart will, of course, receive treatment before anything else. However, it might be determined that the heart problem is connected not to a heart as an organ, but to the liver. In this case, when the heart is treated first and gets better, doctors will start treating the liver. Additionally, depending on a patient’s type of energy, doctors will find herbs that are suitable for him. It is therefore important that, while meeting with his patient, a Chinese doctor must have the ability to determine whether the patient is a Yang-type person or Yin-type person, and whether the disease is Yang-type or Yin-type.

Picture 41: TCM Diagnostics (a) Pulse Diagnostics, (b, c) During the Image-Medicine Workshop

In general, Western medicine considers the possibility of many different causes or diseases when a patient has a heart disorder. Chinese medicine, on the other hand, calls it “an excess of fire in the heart.” Sometimes, Western doctors find it hard to understand where the fire is, but they can tell you about the sensations or symptoms of this disease. On the outside, the symptoms include dry lips, dry tongue, and red eyes, and the patient is quick to lose his temper. Therefore, in order to cure such diseases, we use herbal medication that subdues this fire and increases water in the body, thus, strengthens kidney function. Famous Chinese doctors practice Qigong intensively in order to obtain sufficient amounts of their own energy. In this case, they do not need ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

devices to see problematic areas—they can see them all by themselves. In other words, Qigong is a system that allows us to regulate our overall state in order to be healthy. After we have recovered out health, the practice of Qigong allows us to enhance ourselves further and develop our body and soul in order to acquire special abilities. Therefore, Qigong is a system through which we develop ourselves. Through this system, we encounter phenomena that can completely change our lives, our way of thinking, and our perception of the surrounding world. In the process, we become kinder and softer, and are able to lead easier lives. The development of a human being depends, after all, on the state of the physical body as well as the soul. Our health, in general, relies on these two aspects. It is important, therefore, to be healthy, as illnesses can seriously restrict our ability to lead complete, fulfilling lives. Humans and computers have been designed along similar lines. The body and soul that comprise the former run parallel to the hardware and software of the latter. What, then, does human development require? Let us review three types of humans (Picture 42): a healthy person (Type 1), a person with a disease (Type 2), and a healthy person with special abilities (Type 3). To begin with, we need to know how to return a sick person to a state of good health, thereby transforming him from a Type 2 into a Type 1. This is what medicine usually does. But to transform a Type 1 person into a person with special abilities (Type 3) requires special knowledge. This is where Qigong comes in. There are times, however, when medicine alone cannot transform a sick person into a healthy person, let alone into a person with special abilities. In Qigong, there is a number of specific methods of treatment that enable us to transform a physically ill body into a healthy one. ZYQ shows us the path to human development, while allowing us to return an ill person to a healthy state and then transform him into a person with special abilities. How to return health to a patient? There are two ways: ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

1. Follow your doctor’s orders and the prescribed treatment. This approach is based on the assumption that the doctor knows exactly how to treat every particular patient. 2. Use different methods of Qigong practice. As a result, patients receive the ability to recover themselves. Such methods allow them to obtain additional energy from the outside. This energy will lead to certain changes in their bodies, and these changes will return them to a healthy state. Many people are familiar with the first method. Therefore, we will discuss it only from the point of view of Qigong. In this manner, we will be 42: Comparison able to illustrate the extent to which Qigong therapy Picture of Qigong and Western can be applied. Medicine The subject of this book serves as an introduction to the second approach. Zhong Yuan Qigong is a system of selfbelief, self-development, self-reliance, and self-mastery.

From the materials of the Fourth World Conference on Medical Qigong From the Report on Qigong in the West: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual SelfCare and Health Promotion by Steven K. H. Aung (Department of Family Medicine, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Extension University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada) In the traditional Chinese medical system, Qigong is the central therapy. Unlike acupuncture, which works from the “outside in,” and herbal medicine, which works from the “inside out,” Qigong works from both directions at once, in terms of prevention as well as cure. While in the West, Qigong is not as well-known as acupuncture or herbal medicine, it plays a vitally important role in primary care, especially with respect to self-care and health promotion. This role—and responsibility—fits in quite well with the new and growing emphasis in Western societies on health promotion. Qigong may be viewed as one of the vital components of the Western holistic health movement, which has been developing over the past two decades, and ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

which has resulted in the acceptance of various “complementary” therapeutic modalities, including acupuncture and herbal medicine. Unlike acupuncture or herbal medicine, however, Qigong requires considerable time, practice, and commitment on the part of patients to learn the appropriate exercise series to help enhance their essential vital energy. It therefore embodies intelligent, disciplined self-care. Qigong complements the other TCM therapies as well as biomedicine. Since the early 1990s, I have taught Qigong theory and practice to the general public, healthcare practitioners, and physicians, not only in Canada, but also around the world. This is termed Aung Medical Qigong, and it encompasses the Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian approaches, including basic breathing, concentration, phonation, and posture/movement exercises with a view to developing an awareness and appreciation of nature and an attitude of genuine compassion and loving-kindness toward all sentient beings. More advanced students are encouraged to take part in Qigong group retreats, so that they can cultivate their vital energy from Mother Nature and learn from one another in wilderness surroundings. The vision behind my Qigong teaching program is that of a country full of healthy, active people practicing Qigong, and other beneficial exercises, each and every day to enhance their personal well-being as well as the quality of life of our whole society.

DIAGNOSIS WITH HANDS The ZYQ system, as we have already mentioned, belongs to the highest levels of Qigong. It goes without saying, therefore, that its ultimate goal is high, too. However, in order to reach these ultimate high goals, it is necessary to be in good health. Humans cannot work normally if they are not healthy—if they are experiencing pain or discomfort, high goals are not important. Therefore, the first part of ZYQ—“Development System”— includes additional methods of diagnostics and treatment. Besides, as a person develops, he must be able to help others. The knowledge he obtains during the process of study and independent practice is not a goal in itself, but the key to normal existence in any social and ecological environment. By acquiring such abilities, a person must give his skills, knowledge, and intellectual potential to people ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

around him and to society. Why do we study methods of balancing Yin and Yang at the first stage? The state of a person improves and many diseases disappear as the result of such practice. Why do we learn about the methods for accumulating energy from the environment? Because in the process of living, we lose energy; if we do not have enough energy, we become ill. Mastering the above-mentioned methods and exercises (Chapter 2) allow us to bring our own psychophysical condition to a normal state while acquiring the ability to diagnose and treat others. There are many diagnostic methods in Qigong; we can diagnose with our hands, body, eyes, or Third Eye, in direct communication with the patient, by photograph, by name, and by text written by the patient’s own hand. Using Qigong methods, we can find the cause of a disease as well as foresee future diseases. Qigong methods allow us to identify past diseases and predict different situations for other people. We are able to talk about their parents, children, and friends, as well as their present, past, and future. We are able to look into a person’s history and analyze the health of his family and friends. We can do all this, because everything in this world is interconnected, similar to a computer network: not only health and illness, but also thoughts, actions, the direction of life, behavior, etc. Moreover, if our body can receive information from that network, we can analyze the data and receive more knowledge about our environment and the world in general— more data than we can imagine. In the first stage of ZYQ we study diagnostics with our hands. It is very simple, useful, and easy to accomplish, and does not require any special energy. This allows us to diagnose almost automatically and then treat diseases. In Stage II, we study methods of diagnosis within our body, and in the third stage, we study diagnostics with the Third Eye. In Stage IV, we study methods of analysis into the causes of a disease, and methods of seeing the past and future—all this belongs to the function of the Third Eye.

THE BASIS OF HAND DIAGNOSIS What is the principal foundation of these methods? We know that each living creature or plant has a biological field ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

around it. In the Qigong system, we call it the Qi field. Each field is different; moreover, each organ has its own Qi field, and all these fields put together make up the Qi field of the whole body. After a certain amount of Qigong practice, we open BAPs and channels and our palms acquire extra sensitivity, as a result of which we can sense other Qi fields. During diagnosis, it is necessary to consider three factors: (1) The state of the person being diagnosed (2) The state of the person performing the diagnosis (3) The diagnostic method As a rule, people have healthy palms even when they are ill. Therefore, calm palms, without any specific sensations, can perform precise diagnosis. If the Qi field of the palms touches the Qi field of another person (an organ of his, or anything alive), certain sensations will occur in the palms. Our hands are capable of sensing the distortion of energy fields by diseases. Therefore, we need to know the organs in our body that radiate warmth, the ones that radiate cold, and the ones that don’t radiate anything. If we know the characteristics of organs, then, at the time of diagnosis, we will be able to figure out exactly where the energy is correct and where it is not. If you already feel Qi during the practice of preliminary and main exercises, you may use these sensations for diagnosis. As a result, when you move your hand close to a person’s body, you may be able to feel warm areas, cold areas, and “ill” zones without touching the person. If our body experiences problems, as a rule, it has something to do with an energy disorder.

How Does Energy Manifest Itself in the Body, and What Sensations Does it Cause? The most common sensation that we experience during this process is warmth. We may also feel cold coming from a particular area. Wind is also a manifestation of energy. But how does one describe pain? You know from your own experience that during Qigong practice, you may experience various sensations, such as pressure, numbness, moisture, or dryness. You may feel stuffy and find it hard to breathe. In such cases, the Chinese say that your “heart is caught in the doorway.” As a rule, this happens in extremely hot weather and when the humidity is very high. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Sometimes, we may experience smooth and slippery sensations, along with the opposite sensations of roughness and viscosity. There are many words to describe these sensations. But words are simply words! What matters is our ability to feel these sensations during practice, as well as during diagnosis. We must be aware of the normal sensations of energy that we, as humans, experience during good health as well as illness. In other words, our ability to diagnose depends on our knowledge and sense of what is correct and what is not. Practically everyone can feel warmth, cold, pressure, and pain. These are the main symptoms, but more than 60 percent of diseases cause sensations of cold and warmth.

What Leads to the Sensations of Warmth and Heat? What is Warmth and Heat? Judging from your own experience, what happens if you put your hand on top of the area where you feel like you have a high temperature? At first, you might suspect an infectious or inflammatory process. What happens if you feel heat, but the temperature in that area is normal? There are many herbs and herbal medicines that cause heat sensations but do not cause a rise in body temperature. The body’s temperature can sometimes rise in response to an external disturbance. At other times, it is the opposite: while there is no change in temperature, you may still feel heat. For example, red hot peppers give the sensation of heat, but so do garlic, onion, mustard, and ginger…and many other plants. Even if you do not taste them, but simply place them on your skin or rub them into your palms, you feel heat. Similar sensations appear in the skin from strong acid or alkalis. These can cause a chemical burn. In addition, there are internal factors capable of causing such sensations, namely emotions. If you feel embarrassment or shame, your face can instantly turn red, and you may feel as though it is “on fire.” If you become agitated or angry, again, your face may feel warm. Often, heat emerges if a person is excited about something. It is important for us to know and remember that heat sensations can be the result of our own emotions, as well as temperature, chemical substances, food, and other external factors. If you feel heat, you need to understand its origins. For example, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

if two people had a heated argument, the liver becomes hot and remains hot for a period of time. If during this period, one of these two people come to you to receive a diagnosis, after feeling heat in the liver area, you may decide that there is a problem in this area. However, in reality, the person’s condition is temporary because the heat will soon fade away. Concluding that the person is suffering from liver problems would be wrong. Sometimes, we experience a sensation of heat after intense physical work, when our body heats up due to our exertions. Similarly, while suntanning, our body becomes hot. The body can heat up under the impact of physiotherapeutic procedures, such as ultrasound, quartz, or infrared light treatment. What does it mean if your temperature increases due to participation in sports or similar activities? It means that your organs are functioning very actively at that particular moment. For example, intense physical movements heat up muscles. This heat is the result of dynamic activities. What are Cold Sensations and What do They Mean? Cold sensations are also associated with temperature, but in a reduced form. Some herbs and substances, such as menthol and mint, engender a feeling of cold or chill, for example. Therefore, if we feel cold, it does not necessarily mean that our body’s temperature has decreased. What does it mean if we experience a cold sensation inside an organ? Usually, this indicates the hypo functioning of an organ. For example, if you feel cold in the liver area, this means that the liver’s activity is low and the liver is weak. Nevertheless, a doctor will not be able to see this, because test results will be normal. We may also feel cold if we have bad blood circulation. Some emotions may also cause a cold sensation, like fear or horror. If you were suddenly frightened by something, you would feel cold or experience chills. Sometimes in such a situation, one might say, “a cold shiver ran down my spine.” If the area with poor blood circulation becomes infected, it starts an inflammatory process that leads to heat. Therefore, occasionally, cold is transformed into heat. If a person catches cold (has been affected by cold) and his temperature rises, it means that this cold has been transformed into ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

heat. However, heat can also be transformed into cold. For example, if a person suffering from infection or inflammation is treated with antibiotics, the virulent form of the disease may become chronic. Antibiotics belong to a type of very cold medicine. Similarly, chronic infection and chronic inflammation belong to a cold, not heat, type. Why? The reason is that chronic infection and inflammation lead to a lowering of functions of relevant organs or tissues. Therefore, Chinese medicine and Qigong classify these as a different type of disease. From the point of view of Western medicine, these diseases still belong to the above-mentioned infections or inflammations. Therefore, we can use our own abilities and intelligence to identify pain and its location. Such methods are much safer than using X-ray radiation, because this biological energy does not harm humans in any way. The accuracy of the diagnosis depends exclusively on the level of our own sensitivity.

Sensations from Our Body Typical Sensations from Healthy Organs Our inner organs have several characteristics, each with its own biological field and energy structure. When a person is healthy, the majority of the inner organs, and the body itself, will not have any special sensations during diagnosis. However, if the palms of the diagnostician have some sensations from an area of the body being diagnosed, that would indicate that there is something wrong there. But the following three organs in our body give out specific sensations: 1. Kidneys, which belong to the Water element. If the kidneys are healthy, they present a cool sensation. If they radiate cold or warmth, or if they give off a tingling or unusual feeling, it means that they are not functioning properly. 2. Heart, which belongs to the Fire element. If the heart is healthy, it will give off a sensation of mild warmth during diagnosis. Other sensations, including heightened warmth, indicate a disease. 3. Lungs, which belong to the Metal element. If the lungs are healthy, they either do not give any sensations at all, or they give off a soft ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

vibration, similar to the vibration of a bell upon impact. In addition, you may also experience a soft tingling or numbness in the palms. Other sensations indicate problems. Now, let’s review some disease symptoms in greater detail.

Some Phenomena and Symptoms of Diseases Kidneys Kidneys must give a cool sensation. Place your hands on the kidney area, feel them, and compare the sensations received from the left and right kidney. You may diagnose a patient using a touching or a non-touching method. A cold, almost icy, sensation indicates kidney stones or a lot of kidney sand. Similarly, feelings of warmth or heat indicate improperly functioning kidneys, signaling an excess of Yang and a lack of Yin. If the disease is serious, the patient can experience a noise or buzzing in his ears. Easy sweating is another phenomenon that accompanies this disease. Such a state affects heart function, and if the illness lasts long— at least a year or more—the condition of the heart worsens, leading to an increase in heartbeat and tachycardia. All of these are either phenomena and/or symptoms. There is no need to fear them. Instead, one should work with them. If you feel heat or warmth from the kidneys, you need to fill them with more Yin energy. We will discuss how to do this later, in the chapter about treatment. Heart If the heart is healthy and works properly, it always gives off warmth. This can be felt with our hands. Check your own heart and see if you can feel warmth. Place your hand on the heart area, close your eyes, and wait a bit —about one or two minutes. Listen to the sensations that come from the heart, not from your clothes or your skin. Wait until the sensations rise from the depth, until you start feeling them. Compare the different sensations you ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

received from the heart and the kidneys. While diagnosing another person, your hand can be some distance away but will still feel the warmth. Cold or cool sensations indicate heart disease. If you place your palm on the skin over the heart and it feels cool, you can be certain of the existence of an illness. For example, as a rule, before or after a heart attack, the heart gives off a strong sensation of cold. Because the heart does not work very well in such a state, it cannot generate a sufficient amount of warmth. Therefore, a sensation of coolness or cold in the hands indicates a heart disorder. Most of the time, a heart attack sneaks up on people before they can expect it. If your hands feel coolness emanating from the heart area, you could say that the person has symptoms of an upcoming heart attack. The person must be very cautious and careful. If we use energetic methods for the prevention or cure of heart attacks, the results can be very good. A heart attack indicates a problem with blood circulation in some part of the heart or its vessels. As a result of this problematic circulation, heart tissue dies. By making fog energy move in the channels of the area with affected heart muscle or vessels, we will be able to achieve a more active movement of blood, and as a result, tissue regeneration. This is the reason why energy methods of heart attack treatment provide such good results. If during diagnosis of the heart, you sense heat instead of warmth, this is also an indication of heart problems. If a person has a very serious disease, you can feel pain in your palm by simply moving your hand closer to the affected area. Lungs We have already mentioned that healthy lungs give off no sensations at all, or only minor ones. Therefore, of all organs, the lungs are the most difficult to diagnose with hands. But if you feel definite cold, wind, warmth, or heat coming from the lungs, this is a sign that they are not working properly. In order to find problems with the lungs, we need to use additional methods of diagnosis, using, for example, the body or the Third Eye. We will learn these methods at the second and third stages, and in the second part of ZYQ: “Image Medicine.”

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The remaining organs, if healthy, do not give any sensations. If you feel a sensation in some other part of the body or in an organ, it is possible that the area has wrong energy, which can cause problems. Many upcoming problems in the physical body can be detected by energy disorders long before they appear—sometimes six to eight months or even a year in advance. Often, in the beginning, when the energy changes, the physical structure is still the same, and the patient feels completely normal and problem-free. However, you can feel everything with your hands, and must warn him about the energy disorder and the need to take preventative measures, before it’s too late. Some types of disease give off very specific and definite sensations. For example, a cool strip or wind experienced while moving your hand over some area of the body indicates the presence of a surgery. A sensation of warmth, sometimes excessive warmth, indicates an inflammatory process in the inner organs and joints—the knee, elbow, or shoulder joints. If, in this area, you feel a coolness or breeze, this can be a disease similar to arthritis, known as arthrosis. Folk Chinese medicine classifies disease in a way that is very unusual for Western doctors. Examples include diseases that belong to hot or cold types, diseases of wind, diseases of moisture, etc. This can be hard to understand, because such a diseases cannot be diagnosed using devices. Without special education, it is impossible to understand and define differences between Yin and Yang. Therefore, it is hard for foreigners to study TCM. In Chinese medical universities, it is compulsory for all students to learn Qigong, Wu Xing theory, and TCM. Very often, during herbal therapy or Chen Chui therapy, we obtain different results even if two different patients with the same disease are treated in the same way. This is because there are different methods for increasing or decreasing Yin and Yang in the body. But if you do not know whether a given disease belongs to the hot or cold type, you will not be able to use the proper method and cure the patient. Therefore, in order to become a good specialist, one needs knowledge of TCM and basic methods of Qigong. The diagnostic methods of ZYQ are very useful for both doctors with a traditional Western education and for folk healers; because this knowledge allows them to exactly locate areas of real disease, even if the patient complains of discomfort in another area. After that, they can use methods of examination targeted to specific areas. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

METHODS AND RULES OF DIAGNOSIS WITH HANDS Methods of Diagnosis with Hands Let’s not forget that, in addition to a person being diagnosed, there is a diagnostician, whose condition, whose state of mind and body, must also be considered. If he is in an excited state, or if his palms are too cold or too hot, then the information received from the patient will be incorrect. Statistically, about ten percent of people cannot diagnose. When you are in a good state of mind and body, you must define and remember what sensations in your palms are your own and how you feel your own palms. After some practice, you will be able to distinguish between sensations from the outside and sensations from your own palms. Then, during diagnostics, when you experience deviations in these sensations, you will know for sure that these changes belong to the Qi field. Various sensations indicate various diseases, but for each person they are very individual. This is the reason why a period of extensive practice is required to master the correct criteria for grading a patient’s state. First-stage diagnostics gives one the ability to detect problems. The first step of diagnostic method is to define a problem area, not a particular organ. Following this, the diagnostic method can be directed at disorders specific to that area. The second step we need to take is to concentrate our attention on the organ that is to be diagnosed. For example, imagine that you are starting to diagnose the lungs. You can imagine to yourself that you are diagnosing a particular part of the lungs. Let’s say you are looking at the top or bottom of the left lung. If you want to learn to define which organ is not healthy, you need to have a holistic perception of the anatomy of the human body. The key to successful diagnosis with hands lies in following certain rules.

Main Rules for Diagnosis 1. The diagnostician must be in a calm, relaxed state of mind. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

2. The palms must be neutral, otherwise the sensations in his own palms, such as cold, warmth, or tingling, can be mistaken for sensations from a patient. 3. The patient should not be tense or excited. Before the beginning of the session, try to relax the patient and bring him into a balanced emotional state. 4. The healer should not feel any inner resistance to work with this patient before diagnosis. He should simply desire to find his problems. 5. When diagnosing, you need to move your palms slowly around the body at a distance of approximately one foot (thirty centimeters) from the body (Picture 43), because at a shorter distance, you will feel body warmth, and this will distort the information that is being received. If a diagnostician is highly sensitive, the distance between his hand and the patient can be significantly more than one foot. 6. While diagnosing, you must think about the organ you are evaluating and try to picture it. Otherwise, you will receive integral, complex information from the scanned area, not from the particular organ, because many organs overlap. For example, heart and lungs, liver and gallbladder all overlap, and additionally, there are bones, muscles, vessels, and skin. 7. There should be no drafts or significant air currents from fans, heaters, or air conditioners in the room that you use for diagnosis.

Picture 43: Diagnosis by Hands

NOTE: Men usually diagnose with their left hand and women with their ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

right, regardless of whether they are right-handed or left-handed.

Accompanying phenomena Sometimes during diagnosis, the patient feels pain. If the pain was there before, it may become stronger. The reason for this is that after Qigong practice, the Qi field around the diagnostician’s palms is much stronger than that of the patient. Therefore, during diagnosis, the Qi from the palms affects specific areas of the patient’s body with disease. Furthermore, as explained before, the additional Qi received from the diagnostician tries to go through a constricted channel. Sometimes, the patient faints or comes close to fainting. This can happen if the diagnostician does not control his own energy very well and a) the patient has extra sensitivity but is physically weak (then, during diagnostics, he will receive a lot of energy); b) the patient has a heart disease; or c) the diagnostician is the parent who has a similar Qi structure to his/her child. In such cases, it is recommended that you use the methods described in the Big Tree exercise: work with the Hegu and Zhenchzhun points. The opposite may also happen. During diagnostics or simple communication with a sick person, some people may start sensing this person’s problems immediately, such as toothache or a feeling of heaviness in the liver. Why is this happening? If you are very sensitive, your body may the feel symptoms of another person. For example, if your patient has a headache and you sit right next to him, then upon relaxing, you may suddenly get a headache too, without knowing why you have it. Nevertheless, in reality, it is not your headache—it is a sensation that you are picking up from the other person. Unless you are going to specialize as a healer later, do not pay attention to such symptoms. Your body is merely in the process of learning not to react to such external influences, and after a while, these symptoms will disappear.

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How to Train Hands If you would like to learn how to diagnose, you need to do it many times. But in addition, you also need to train your hands. First, learn to receive different sensations from different things, such as wood, wool, water, metal, rocks, etc. Then, learn to feel the difference between various trees, and between their trunks and leaves. Continue practicing, working with different types of leaves: puffy leaves like those of the violet, hard leaves like those of palm trees, or the prickly needles of cacti. Learn to define the flower and stem. After that, learn to differentiate between the structures of similar nonliving objects, such as rocks and metals. As a rule, it is not difficult to differentiate between iron, aluminum, or copper. But it is more difficult to feel stones that have different crystal structure. Next, you may try to experience the sensations of colors when objects are similar, for example, differently colored paper. It is easier to recognize red, white, and black colors; then, you can add other colors from the Wu Xing circle. The next stage of training may include the hand scanning of objects through paper (you may use objects that you have already mastered to recognize). Cover them with a sheet of paper, and try to feel them through this barrier. In addition, of course, you can learn to feel with your hands any structural changes under the ground. When I was a student, such practice was mandatory in China during the advanced practice of the second preliminary exercise. A more detailed description of this subject is beyond the scope of this course.

TREATMENT WITH HANDS REVIEW OF METHODS AND APPROACHES Since ancient times in China, it has been known that the color of Qi in diseased areas of the body is the gray of smoke, or sometimes black. This is something that can be easily seen by the Third Eye. This type of Qi ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

has an interesting feature: if somehow, we were able to take it out of the body, it would stay in the place where we left it. Then, if a person with a similar disease appeared, the original Qi would be attracted by the similar, corresponding Qi in the person’s diseased area. It would merge with the corresponding “bad” Qi in that person’s body and worsen the disease. This type of Qi will not move anywhere by itself; wind cannot blow it off, water cannot wash it away, and fire cannot burn it. Nevertheless, such methods of healing—with fire or water —are well-known and similar in different world cultures, and often give good results. There is a good reason for this. There are many methods of treating diseases. However, if we try to analyze them, it would appear that folk methods of healing boil down to well-defined procedures using water, fire, sounds, and the movements of a healer. Today we often talk about praying, the use of various mantras, tambourine and tam-tam sounds, etc. In modern terms, the use of various sounds for healing is called sound therapy. It causes certain vibrations in the body. Often, such a procedure leads to channel opening, loosening of certain parts of the body, release of spasms, and a boost in metabolism. This category also includes rituals (ceremonies), involving dancing and singing in front of large audiences, and participants who cooperate in the healing process. When the healer relaxes and “loosens” his body and mind, he falls into a trance-like state in which he involves his tribesmen. In the trance, the body is out of control, convulsing, etc. Similar methods are still in use today. Many nations have different methods of “burning out” or “pouring out” diseases that are different in form but similar in nature. In today’s society, some healers in Western countries and the former Soviet Union use fire in the healing process to “burn out” bad Qi. However, the Third Eye can see that this type of Qi does not interact with fire or water. Nevertheless, the disease vanishes after the use of such methods. Modern research tells us that such Qi cannot be destroyed by water or fire, but by thought and mind. In ancient China, there were many methods that used water and fire for healing. For example, paper was used to burn out diseases. Sometimes, special paper was used for these purposes—it could change color when being burned or wet. Because of this, both the patient and healer ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

thought the disease would be destroyed. It is true that the disease did get destroyed, but only by the minds of the people working together toward a single purpose. The thoughts, indeed, destroyed bad Qi and the patient felt much better. After a period of training, our hands will acquire the ability to draw unhealthy Qi from the body. At Stage I, we study four methods of treatment with our hands. They boil down to the extraction of bad Qi from a sick patient’s body and the replacement of sick Qi with healthy Qi. These methods are simple and easy to understand. The difficulty is that the energy in the hands at the initial stage of practice does not possess enough power. Therefore, nothing you have read or learned in theory makes using these methods any more effective. What do we mean by “energetically strong hands”? This means that during practice, you can feel strong heat, almost to the point of pain, in the center of your palm at the Laogong point. If you experience such sensations, then after reading about, understanding, and trying methods of healing, you will obtain good results right away. While medicines cause undesirable side effects and various allergic reactions, methods involving energy-based treatment appear to be very powerful and effective, because they give fast results without side effects.

First Method: EAGLE’S CLAWS PLUCKING BAD QI We use this method in cases where a patient has one or more localized and well-pronounced areas of pain: a) Moving your palm, and sensing bad Qi in a given area, try to establish contact with it. “Stretch” your palm (the Qi field of your palm) into the patient’s body, into the unhealthy organ, and grab the bad Qi with the Qi field of your palm (Picture 44a). b) Pull out the bad Qi from the area with the energy field of your palm, as though your hand were the claw of an eagle. c) Hurl the bad Qi deep into the ground. You must control this procedure with your mind. Again, moving your hand near the sick area, grab the bad Qi, extract it, pull it out, and drop it into the ground. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

NOTE: Do not worry about Earth collecting too much bad Qi. Bad Qi undergoes certain changes while in the ground, and helps plant growth. You must repeat these steps until you feel that there is no illness in this area. During the procedure, you can either touch the patient’s body or work from a distance. You can grab bad Qi, wrap it around your palm as though it was a snake, pull it out of the body, and hurl it into the ground. The direction of palm movement is not important: you can move your palm clockwise or counterclockwise. It does not matter if you are in contact or at a distance during this procedure. The main thing here is your imagination. The patients always feel as though something is being drawn out of them from a specific area. In addition to dropping the bad Qi into the ground, you can give it to a tree or throw it into water. For example, if you pull bad Qi out of the liver area and give it to a tree, the tree will like it. Even though the bad Qi is not good for us, it can be very useful to other life forms. For example, oxygen is very useful for us; in fact, we cannot survive without it! We inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Trees are just the opposite—they take in carbon dioxide, transform it into oxygen, and release it. After the bad Qi has been extracted, it needs to be replaced with good Qi (see Third Method).

Second Method: DRAINING BAD QI THROUGH CHANNELS We use this method when the location of the disease cannot be found, if the patient has many diseases, if they are scattered all over the body, or if they take up a large amount of space, like, for example, pneumonia, bronchitis, or gastrointestinal tract problems (Picture 44b). In these cases, we drain bad Qi from the body through energy channels. For that, we recommend the following: a) The patient should sit down or lie down. b) Open the channels in the patient’s fingers and/or toes, depending on the part of the body you are working with. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

c) Grab the patient’s bad Qi with your palm, and move it from the diseased area, along the channels, to his fingers or toes. The principle of “grabbing” bad Qi is the same as in the first method: the palm goes inside, reaches the diseased organ, and using your own Qi, grabs the bad Qi from that area. Then we move it along the channels. We can first “wrap” it around the palm and move it out. While extracting bad Qi, you need to give the patient good Qi after two or three passes (see Third Method). d) After performing this movement, take the bad Qi off the patient’s fingers and, as done in the First Method, throw the bad Qi deep into the ground.

Picture 44: Treatment with Hands (a) Eagle’s Claws Plucks Bad Qi, (b) Drainage of Bad Qi through Channels

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is in an overall bad state of health, or has a problem with blood circulation or with the lymphatic system—ask the patient to stand up, and clean his body, using the Qi field in your palms. Move your hands downward from head to feet, thereby throwing this bad Qi into the ground. If the patient is weak and does not feel well, it may be hard for him to stand. Ask him to lie down, and then perform the same procedure of cleansing, moving your palm over him from head to toe. In this case, you will be moving his bad Qi through the entire body, to his toes. Then, you can take it off through his feet and/or toes and throw it into the ground. Using this method, you can work over all necessary areas or the entire body in general. It doesn’t matter whether you touch or don’t touch the body.

Third Method: SUPPLYING ENERGY OR REPLENISHING QI By extracting bad Qi from the patient’s body, we deenergize the affected areas. If you extract a lot of bad Qi, it will weaken the patient and maybe cause him to faint. Therefore, we need to replenish the lost Qi with healthy Qi. There are several ways of doing this: a) Upon inhaling, accept Qi of Universe through Baihui, and Yin Qi of Earth through your feet, as we did during the Big Tree practice. Upon exhaling, move it through your arm and emit it from the Laogong point into the patient’s body. When healing with the first method, we first extract bad Qi and then replenish the loss of energy with good Qi. We perform replenishment after several extractions. While healing with the second method, bring good Qi into the patient’s body by reversing the movement of your hand, after one or more passes along the channels. If you extract excess Yin energy, you need to refill the appropriate zone with Yang Qi. In order to do this, you need to inhale through Baihui. Additionally, you can inhale through the Laogong points of the upward-facing palms. NOTE: We do not lose any energy when we give good energy to a ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

patient. We serve merely as conductors and, therefore, do not use our own Qi. Therefore, if a diagnostician has a disease, he will not harm the patient in any way. If you extract excess Yang Qi from the patient’s body, you will need to replenish it with Yin energy. In order to do that, you need to accept only Yin energy through your feet. However, the Laogong point radiates a lot of Yang Qi. Therefore, we send Yin Qi using another method, known as the method of the sword. This method allows for the emission of energy from the index and middle fingers (see “Cleansing, Gathering, and Emitting Qi ”). b) In a smooth motion, send the energy ball, formed in your palm, into the “empty” zone. You can form a ball using any of the abovementioned methods. If you really take out bad Qi and replace it with good energy, the earlier dark zone will start turning lighter.

Fourth Method: CONTACT METHOD About five percent of people do not sense Qi. There are people who are unable to smell, or distinguish between colors, melodies, etc. Nevertheless, this does not mean that they do not have energy. This is similar to situations where people do not react to the acid contained within lemons and can eat lemons without sugar. If you meet a patient who is unable to sense energy, you need to rub your palms together intensively until you feel heat, and then put one hand on the problematic area, using the contact method (Picture 44c). Then, rub your palms together again until they feel heat, and repeat the procedure. This will lessen the pain and put the patient at ease. Usually, Qi is weak in the diseased area. Stronger Qi, activated by rubbing, will act according to the law of equilibrium in connected vessels and push out bad Qi. The duration of this procedure depends on the patient’s condition and the healer’s skills. Usually, when pain decreases, you may open channels in the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

fingers and toes of the patient (as described in the second method) and completely drain out bad Qi through the channels.

Picture 44: Treatment with hands (c) Contact Method of Treatment

NOTE: The use of contact methods is not recommended if the diagnostician/healer has a disease that is similar to the patient’s or has many diseases.

The above-mentioned methods are fundamental. They serve mainly two functions: the extraction of bad Qi and its replenishment with good Qi. We can combine these methods with previously studied exercises in any possible way. For example, in order to cleanse a patient, ask him to shake his body in the following way: he should first rise on his tiptoes, and then lower his body on his heels. After this, help him with your hands to drain bad Qi from the body. You may show the patient the method of Qi purification and its replenishment, while accepting energy from Universe during inhalation. You may extract bad Qi from the kidneys by asking the patient to imagine that you are flushing his kidneys with the Qi of water. In this case, his imagination and thoughts will help you perform this procedure. You can also heal yourself using the above-mentioned methods. Additionally, you can send good Qi into the affected area, mentally directing energy into the appropriate zone, after you inhale and collect Qi from the environment. In China people say, “Qigong methods can heal any disease but cannot heal any person.” Many different factors can cause diseases, and the attitudes of patients to their diseases and healing methods are different as well. REMEMBER: During the process of healing, you must love your patient or at least want to help him. If you dislike your patient, or if during the process, neither of you is experiencing any sensations, or if there are no changes in the patient’s state, you should not work with that ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

particular patient.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM BAD QI Sometimes (especially at the beginning of training), the practitioner feels pain after diagnosing or healing a patient. The pain appears to be in the same area where the diagnostician found or healed pain in the patient’s body. Practitioners themselves are inclined to think that they let bad Qi come into their own body because they still cannot sufficiently control Qi with their mind. Sometimes, this really happens, but very rarely. Healthy Qi is stronger and denser than bad Qi. Therefore, bad Qi cannot easily enter the body of the Qigong practitioner. However, if a person has this fear and thinks about it, if he listens to his sensations after his contact with the patient and fears feeling pain in the same area of his own body, his mind and attitude will “attract” bad Qi. Sometimes, he doesn’t think about these things but still feels discomfort and pain. What is the reason for such a phenomenon? Even after a short practice of Qigong, especially if you have attended intensive seminars, your channels and BAPs open up. You acquire sensitivity that is sufficient to feel disorders in another person’s body. Diagnostics with the body, described at the second stage, works in a manner that is analogous to this principle. If a sick person is somewhere near you, you may feel his pain. You may feel discomfort in the area of your body where the patient has narrow channels or some other disorder. Almost certainly, you may sense the illness if you concentrate your attention on the patient. Therefore, if you sympathize with the patient during diagnosis or healing, often you can feel his illness. To postpone this until you have sufficient skills, you need to follow several rules: 1. When diagnosing and healing, imagine your hands covered with a protective layer of Qi, like gloves with unidirectional conductivity (from the patient to you). 2. After the procedure, wash your hands and visualize water washing bad Qi off your hands. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

REMEMBER: The work of your mind is the most important factor. 3. Perform an exercise of purification and collection of Qi from the environment. 4. If you are still afraid of bad Qi, or feel yourself uncomfortable after you communicate with someone, practice Big Tree. During Big Tree you grow as big as the Universe. Everything becomes small compared to you, and all bad influences, including bad Qi, spread around the Universe with no adverse effect. After all, what could possibly hurt a creature as large as the Universe?

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SOME SELF-HEALING EXERCISES TREATING KIDNEYS In TCM, the kidneys are considered important organs. Any illness affecting them leads to a reduction in youth and vital energy. Their functions affect the state of the entire skeleton system as well as the teeth and lungs. Therefore, a lot of attention is given to treatment of the kidneys. There are several easy methods that can be used to normalize the function of kidneys.

First Method This method follows the Big Tree exercise. After practicing Big Tree, you should 1. rub your palms intensively until you feel intense heat; and 2. place your hands on your kidney area with thumbs pointing forward. Sense the warmth of your palms as they transfer the heat to your kidneys and adrenals. (If you suffer from kidney disease, use this method regularly) 3. Perform a light massage of the kidney area, moving your palms in a circular motion, first in one direction, then the opposite. Do this eight, sixteen, or thirty-two times. While moving your palms, imagine that your hands are entering your body and touching your kidneys, after which they will directly massage the kidneys. 4. While making the first movement with your palms, imagine that your kidneys are growing bigger and bigger, growing beyond your body’s limits. When you move your palms in the opposite direction, imagine that they are getting smaller and smaller, until they return to their original size, leaving bad Qi outside the body. Feel those fresh, renewed kidneys. You can also do these exercises without practicing Big Tree first. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

However, you should always start by rubbing your palms intensively before placing them on the kidney area. If you did not practice Big Tree first, you need to repeat this exercise several times in a row. If you are older, practice this exercise daily at home without any clothes on the kidney area, placing your hands directly on your skin.

Second Method Another good method for treating kidneys is clicking of the teeth. Perhaps you have noticed that many children like to click their teeth. In this manner, they are strengthening their kidneys automatically. Do not stop them. Instead, consider having their kidneys checked.

Third Method The third method is practicing Qigong while walking, when you hit your heels on the ground. When you walk in this manner, Qi is shaken up in channels in the leg, including the kidney channels. Qi becomes more active and leads to better kidney functioning.

TREATING THE LIVER In TCM, a disorder of liver functions is diagnosed by the condition of the patient’s eyes. The liver and the eyes are connected by energy channels. If bad Qi rises from the liver into the area of the eyes, a person can experience such things as dry eyes (xerophthalmus), and then sees everything out of focus. As time goes by, the person’s sight worsens and he becomes nearsighted. There are several methods to cleanse the liver of bad Qi.

Method 1: Ejection of Bad Qi through the Eyes This exercise must be practiced while standing, with the body’s position being similar to the one in the Big Tree exercise. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

1. When you inhale, accept good Qi through Baihui and Yinchuan, and bring it into the liver area. 2. When you exhale, mentally bring up bad Qi, and expel it through wideopen eyes with a hissing sound “shhhhhhhhh…” (somewhere between “shh” and “she”). This exercise should usually be done sixty-four times. It can be combined with other methods and adjusted to a person’s individual circumstances. After some time, the practitioner may experience discomfort in the area of the eyes. He or she may feel discomfort as though there is “sand in the eyes”, itching and pain. Such sensation in the eyes is explained by rising bad Qi to the eye level without being ejected immediately. Therefore, after this exercise is done, we need to use healing Method 4 (contact method). Also, we use this method in case of extreme pain during breaks: we need to stop practicing and release our eyes from bad feelings; then we can continue this exercise. To use Method 4, rub your palms together until you feel intense heat, and cover your eyes with your palms slightly cupped (small “boats” formed from the palms in such a way that the Laogong points are positioned right opposite your eyeballs). In this case, the Qi of the palms will push out bad Qi from the eye area inside of the channels and bring its leftovers back to the liver, following the same channels it took to rise up. You may also use the first method of healing—namely, extracting or pulling ill Qi from the eyes, before you rub your palms together. With regular exercise, many practitioners can dramatically improve the condition of their livers within a month.

Method 2: Exchanging Qi with a Tree 1. Touch any tree trunk with the tips of your toes or stand on top of the tree’s roots, if they are protruding from the ground. 2. Extend your arms toward the crown of the tree and upon inhaling, take Qi from the tree. 3. Bring the energy inside your body through Baihui point (similar to what we do when we cleanse the body) and move Qi to the liver. 4. Upon exhaling, direct bad liver Qi out, through the feet, into the trunk of the tree, or into its roots. You can do this using only your mind or ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

moving your hands to help the process. When your feet touch the tree, the Qi that is pushed out during exhalation goes into the tree very easily. This exercise for treating the liver should be done daily, three hundred times a day. After exchanging Qi with the tree, you may continue cleansing the liver using the first method of emitting Qi through your eyes. This set of exercises eliminates many liver diseases. If you do not feel comfortable with some trees, that is OK. However, please make sure that you like the tree you work with. You can do it all without using your hands, accepting good Qi from Universe. However, if you have been suffering from chronic liver disease for a long time, you need to begin by performing breathing exercises for the liver and spleen, cleansing three hundred times. You then need to follow this up by expelling bad Qi through your eyes sixty-four times.

WORKING WITH SIGHT Improving Sight To improve your sight, you need to do the following. After Big Tree, rub your palms together in an intense manner. Cup them slightly, forming a little boat, and cover your eyes so that the Laogong points are over the pupils. Try to sense warmth from the center of the palm flowing into the eye area. In a similar fashion, you can nourish your eyes with your own energy after performing the Refining Qi Exercise. This procedure can be repeated several times a day, after intensely rubbing your palms together. Additionally, you need to massage the points around your eyes.

Nearsightedness Very often nearsightedness is connected to the fact that the eye lens has an unduly convex form. In this situation, the distance for focusing is very short. If this is the primary reason, we can cure nearsightedness by following a series of steps similar to the previous exercise. We need to begin by rubbing our palms together until we feel heat. Then, we cover the eyes ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

with cupped hands and imagine the energy coming from the palms and flattening the eye lens. Then, we need to try with our minds to “seal in” this effect. This method is especially effective in treating children, who have not been nearsighted for too long. Sometimes, we need to define the reason for nearsightedness. If problems remain even after every attempt to try and reverse them, it is necessary to determine their cause. For example, bad vision can be the result of diseases affecting organs other than the eye. For example, certain disorders of the liver or the spleen lead to the weakening of the eye muscles. Sometimes, liver and spleen problems may also cause pain of certain parts of the spine. In such cases, treatment should be multifaceted: you need to treat the liver and spleen at the same time; besides, treatment of the liver needs to be combined with the extraction of bad Qi, as we did it using the hissing sound “shhhhhhhh” (see “Treating the Liver”).

Farsightedness Farsightedness is connected to the fact that the eye lens has been flattened. Therefore, we must change its form into one which is more convex. It can be stretched like a ball. To do this, first remove the bad from the eyeballs (the first method of treatment). Then place the palm of one hand on the back of the head. With your mind, prolong the energy of the fingers of another hand to the eyeballs, grab the energy of the eye lens, and pull it out; again grab and pull, and again. During this procedure, imagine that the energy you are pulling “stretches” the eye lens. After some time the results follow. If it appears that the liver and spleen are involved, you need to take care of these organs first. You should adjust the duration of performing this procedure depending on the level of improvement in your vision: you may practice less if vision improves more. The results are usually much better if you practice near a big tree. During this exercise, you can accept the energy of the tree while inhaling and direct it into the liver area.

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Chapter 4: QIGONG AND FOOD FASTING THERAPY AND NORMALIZATION OF WEIGHT Methods of fasting or fasting therapy that have spread throughout the West have not yet been widely adopted in the East. Also, while fasting therapy does allow for quick and effective weight loss, it is not for everyone. Consider, for example, a situation where, in spite of your persistent efforts to lose weight, you find yourself constantly confronted with your favorite dishes at social events and parties. Also, what can you do if you’re a foodie who takes real pleasure in eating and drinking? How can you lose weight under such conditions? There are three methods for losing weight: 1. practicing special Qigong exercises which involve collecting energy from the environment; 2. using special foods or special supplements; and 3. drinking special teas, while eating regular food.

ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS (1) The first method involves a special fasting practice. Qigong systems have special methods for weight loss. However, a regular person will find it very hard to use these methods. To use them, all channels must be clean and all BAPs over the surface of the body must be open. This way the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

practitioner is ready to accept energy from the environment. These methods allow our body to turn excessive fat into energy. You can practice for as long as you want. Weight loss occurs only in the first month of such practice. Practitioners lose about eleven pounds (five kilograms) during the first seven days. If a person keeps practicing and refrains from food, the second and third months will not bring any weight loss. What is our ideal weight? If we calculate weight in relation to person’s height and build, we will be calculating normal weight, not ideal. There is, however, an ideal weight standard in ZYQ. If a practitioner totally refrains from food for a month, his or her weight will stop fluctuating and stabilize. If he continues without food for a second and even a third month, his weight will nonetheless remain the same. From this practice we know that during this period of fasting the practitioner reaches a balance between the environment and his inner physical being. When this happens, the body achieves a state of equilibrium. This, indeed, is the standard or ideal weight of that person. At the first stage of ZYQ, the practitioners’ channels and points are typically not yet open wide enough, so it is impossible to get a sufficient amount of energy from the environment. Therefore, for such practitioners, it is better to drink water and eat some fruit during the fast, so as to avoid being constantly hungry. Master’s Story Very often, students ask me to tell them a little bit more about fasting being a normal and natural thing in Qigong practice. This is absolutely true! If you practice, you can see the true value of this method, especially, at Stage III. When I was still a student at a certain stage of practice, I did not eat for 108 days. In the first several days, when the body reorganizes itself because of such training, a person simply cannot eat. He feels sick every time he eats—he vomits as the body rejects food. The same is true with water. It is a “dry” hunger—a month of total fasting. When you want to drink but cannot, your body absorbs the Qi of water. Usually, such practice takes place somewhere in the mountains, where the air is fresh and clean, and a river or some other body of water is relatively close by. This is where the Qi of water comes from. You can see a body of water with your Third Eye and accept ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

water from there, or from fountains, rain clouds, etc. Then, after a month of fasting, you can start drinking water bit by bit, but you cannot consume food for a long time. You simply don’t feel like eating. Do not assume that you should force yourself to reject food. It comes naturally: during the practice, there comes a time when you simply do not want to eat. This is something completely different from hunger, because in Qigong practice this happens naturally. A person leads a normal life, can continue his or her work, but simply cannot eat. During practice, the person consumes energy instead of water and food. After several months of such practice, the appetite suddenly returns. The practitioner starts eating normally, immediately, without any restrictions. Then, there are no problems. There is no special way of abandoning the fast. The person simply eats the food that he wants. That’s all there is to it. Such methods cure many diseases very effectively, because the body cleanses itself during the fasting period. We receive such results, because in Qigong practice such a period of fasting happens naturally, automatically, and as something completely normal.

SPECIAL TYPES OF FOOD (2) The second method of regulating our weight involves special foods and supplements. Certain low-calorie dietary preparations containing specific nutrients can be very beneficial. Usually, these are made from seafood. However, if you consume them, you should eat only certain foods and nothing else. While this is an effective method, food lovers might consider it problematic due to the dietary restrictions it involves. Moreover, the supplements of these preparations have specific tastes and smells that might be unpleasant to some people. However, if a person only consumes them and nothing else, there will be dramatic slimming in the very first week itself. This is a very good method for those who need to lose weight in a short period of time, such as athletes who perform in a certain weight category. (3) Finally, the third method involves special teas. You can eat anything you like, but you can only drink tea. This is the method for lazy people. The tea does not allow the stomach to absorb fat. Fat that is already in your body has biochemical reactions and washes out of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

the body. Thus, the person loses weight.

TRANSFORMATION OF FOOD After specific mental training, having good visualization skills and a sufficient amount of Qi in the body, the practitioner is able to change the structure of matter. This acquired skill allows the practitioner to transform food. Sometimes, the food we eat can be lacking in quality or nutrition. Sometimes, a person may have a craving for something special but might not have the opportunity to eat this food. For example, the person cannot afford such food or the food is not readily available. In this case, sitting at the table, you can clearly imagine what it is that you want to eat. When you start eating, think and visualize that you are eating something different. Imagine that you are eating the food that you want. Picture it, feel it, and sense its taste in your mouth. Experiments have shown that when you do this, the body reacts as though you were eating the food you imagined. You can do this with regular water and change its structure in such a way that it will have the same therapeutic impact as medication. Such practice can dramatically help to regulate food and drinks in based on the wishes and needs of the practitioner’s body.

Questions and answers 1. During diagnosis, I do not use my second hand. However, I still experience the same sensations in it as the first hand. Is this normal? The sensations can be very similar. It is better to train your hands so that one is used for diagnosis and the other for healing. If you can train your hands to perform different functions, the effect is much better. 2. During diagnosis, I feel tingling in my palm whenever I move it over my patients’ heads. What does this mean? Is it possible that they all are sick? As a rule, healthy people have very warm and active Baihui ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

point. Therefore, you can feel stronger energy coming from that zone. Usually, this is not a sign of disease. 3. What is the explanation for this or that sensation that arises in the palms during diagnosis? How can we use it to determine the name of this or that disease? To detect the pathology in different parts of the body of the patient, apart from the three organs mentioned above (kidneys, heart, and lungs), you need to rely on your own experience. For example, you can sense a well-defined feeling of warmth in an area where there is an inflammatory process. A normal state does not trigger any sensations. However, from the point of view of Qigong, there are no definitions for inflammatory processes or other such ailments. According Qigong and TCM, all diseases are either a hot or cold type. If a patient has a serious disease, such as cancer, the diagnostician can feel pain. The more severe the disease, the more pain you’ll feel. This is the reason why the diagnosis of patients with serious diseases usually is correct. 4. I often have cold hands, as a result of which, it is impossible to make judgments based on sensations in my palms. How can I warm them up fast? Rub them together intensely. 5. What does it mean when my hands sense a very strong feeling of warmth during the diagnosis of some part of the body? It depends on what organ or area you are talking about. For example, I experience a sensation of strong warmth in my palms, similar to a hot flash. Let’s again review the sensations in our body. We have discussed the specific sensations that we receive from the three organs when they are healthy. If you are experiencing sensations in areas other than those three organs, you should ask the patient what he feels there. As a rule, the sensation of heat appears when there is inflammation in that zone. If the patient cannot say anything about that area, he needs to have himself carefully examined by a medical practitioner, perhaps even in a hospital, in order to determine the cause for such a sensation. Hands can detect the area ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

of sickness but often cannot find the cause. To see it, we would need to use the Third Eye. 6. If I catch a patient’s disease during diagnosis, what should I do? Why are you so afraid of catching your patient’s disease? It is impossible. The quality of your energy changes when you become a Qigong practitioner. It becomes stronger and increases in volume. It is therefore very hard for you to get sick. Moreover, we have exercises for body cleansing and purification that we perform on a daily basis. In other words, there is no need to be afraid. You can also wash your hands in your mind, which is more effective than regular washing. 7. Speaking of healing, you said that we could collect energy and send it to a sick organ. Could we use the same method to cure ourselves without help from other people? You can use almost all these methods to cure yourself. You can extract bad Qi from your sick areas yourself and refill these areas with good energy. However, self-healing is not as effective as being treated by someone else. An external healer can be more effective than your own impact on yourself. 8. When I breathe through my feet, I feel almost nothing. Can I still heal my hypertension? Yes, you can, but it will take more time. 9. If we diagnose and heal other people, can we hurt them? For example, when I diagnosed my son, I experienced all the sensations you told us about: warmth from the heart and coolness from the kidneys. Everything was as it should be. However, my son said that he felt tingling in some parts of his body. I didn’t feel this. What is the explanation? Is this dangerous? No, this is not dangerous. Your son’s sensations are easy to explain: during the process of diagnosis, your hand accepted the energy from his body parts while you were sending energy to him using your own palm. This is a common occurrence when you work with children, because they are more sensitive than adults. Moreover, parents and children always have a better connection due to their genetic relationship. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

But this is a very negative effect. He felt pain in those areas. If he felt pain or something unpleasant in some areas, they are not very healthy. There are some problems there. That is why the Qi in these areas was weak. During the process of diagnosis, the Qi of your hand was moving to the places of your son with bad and weak Qi. So his pain was the usual effect of healing. But I didn’t sense any anomalies in those areas. My son sensed it, but I didn’t feel anything. It is possible that when you conducted the process of Qi emission, you didn’t assume the right frame of mind for feeling. Therefore, you were unable to feel what he did. Moreover, as we have already said, children have greater sensitivity than adults. 10. What are the factors that affect our ability to heal patients using the methods mentioned above? You have to have strong energy in sufficient amounts to pull bad Qi out of the body. If the energy around your hands is strong enough, you can pull the unhealthy Qi out of the body in one or two sessions. You will also improve your curing abilities by using such procedures. 11. I have a whole slew of illnesses. It seems to me that I get worse from all these exercises. Maybe I should not practice as intensely as other people who do not have as many diseases. Do not be afraid of such things. If a person can come to class by himself, all exercises are good for him. The worsening of diseases is a very common thing, and many practitioners experience this occasionally. The most important thing in this case is your own attitude. Many things depend on your mental attitude while practicing Qigong, as well as in your life in general. If we start to think, daily, that our health today has improved compared with yesterday, we can cause the opposite situation, involving every day new problems. This may happen due to regular comparing nowadays state of health with previous. In this case, all the time your mind returns to the past, when your state was worth. Thus the information of worth state might be strengthened. In order to avoid this trap, you need to “jump” out of the state ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

where you generally think about your health. Stop believing that you can be sick. If you do not want to be ill, if you are convinced that you cannot get sick, it will indeed be hard for you to get sick. If, on the other hand, you want to get sick, you fall ill easily. However, if you think the exact opposite, if you tune into the idea that you have no time to get sick, that you cannot afford to get sick, the energy around your body will reorganize itself. The protective layer will be much more powerful. We know that an individual’s psychology plays a crucial role in achieving and maintaining good health. Below is an example. Master’s Story Here in the West, we do not practice too intensively. In China, by contrast, my classes were much more intense. They last ten days in a row, day and night, in a secluded place. As a rule, after such intense practice, many diseases disappear. We have found that many diseases are linked to emotions. They are linked to our thoughts. Qigong is not the only system that knows this. United Nations researchers have shown that many diseases are linked to our thoughts and depend on them. I often meet people who talk about their many illnesses. They are sure that their diseases are more serious than those of others. Why do you always think about your suffering? You need to think that all of your diseases will go away. You need to help yourself with your mind, thoughts, and consciousness. The following happened to me in my healing work. Two patients came to me with cancer. Doctors, having discovered numerous metastases, had already passed unfavorable sentences. At that time I was in a period of self-evaluation, and I thought that if I really possessed special skills, I would cure these two patients. I told them the whole truth: I told them, that their doctors were sure that they would die soon. Then I have added that I was their last and only hope, as I was the one who would help them survive and get well. “You don’t have to believe me during the first two days,” I said. “However, after these two days, you will see and feel changes for yourself. After these two days, you will tell me honestly what your heart is telling you —do you believe that I can help you?” Even people with no medical education know that terminal cancer brings unbearable pain and that patients cannot go on without analgesic agents or painkillers. They must take medication before sleeping ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

and during the day. So I started treating them. After the first session, they slept through the night with no painkillers. Experience has shown me that after this initial progress, patients typically start trusting their healers, because they begin to sleep without medication and start gaining strength. Usually, I spend several days treating such patients, after which I leave for a week so that they can get to work on themselves while I am away. I then come back and work with them for two more weeks. After these two weeks, they go to a hospital for a checkup. These checkups always show that most of the malignant cells have disappeared. Why does this happen? Partly because I have enough energy to treat cancer. But the most important thing is that I arouse the energy of the patient with whom I work, so that he gains the ability to fight for himself. If we used only my energy, it would not be sufficient. However, if the patient is distrustful and thinks that no one is going to be able to help him and that he is going to die, nothing can save him. Therefore, if you are sick, you must believe you can help yourself. Moreover, you are the only person who can help. We say, “If you don’t want to go to Hell, no one can make you go there.” Our body is self-aware; it can restore itself. From this point of view, disease is an abnormal state. With the help of Qigong exercises, you can open yourself to the outer world and bring Yin and Yang into balance. Then, most of your diseases will disappear. Do not think about your diseases while exercising—think about your upcoming recovery. Then you will become healthy, and it will be difficult for you to get sick. Doctors are constantly treating patients who have lost their will to live. There could be a number of reasons for this loss of will, such as misery, diseases, problems, etc. Poor emotional state of a human reduces its energy and resistance to diseases. The Chinese have a saying: “A fox doesn’t eat sick hens.” 12. Different cultures of the world have used special herbal and mineralbased hallucinatory mixes and drugs in order to speed up psychological training. Has something similar been used in China, or is Chinese healing mostly focused on exercises? The Chinese have used various herbs and drugs but not on a mass scale. I’ll explain. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Master’s Story Very often, people with diseases attend our classes, understandably so—after all, the first stage of our system helps improve health. Sometimes, we find that our practitioners have a low sensitivity. This is due to the fact that they lack Qi in their body and that they have narrowed channels. Persistent practice improves one’s health and increases sensitivity. In ancient times, there were two methods of work in such cases. The first method was based on the practice of the person himself. You could achieve unbelievable results, but only with a lot of time and effort. This method was used by the common people. Nowadays it is known as the “inner” method, People of other classes, such as Chinese emperors, wanted to gain results without spending their time practicing. As a result, a new method was developed for them—“the external” method—involving preparations of plant, animal, and mineral sources. Ancient Masters knew how to use herbal preparations to treat many diseases. They added a small amount of mercury to them. Mercury, combined with different herbs, was heat-treated, and the resulting solution served as a base for special mixtures. Practitioners who drank these mixtures would experience a change in the physical body afterward. All of the body’s energy channels would completely open. It was very hard to obtain the primary components. Moreover, the method itself was not suitable for everyone, because it was very dangerous. It was dangerous because after taking these preparations, all channels would open up, including the one on the top of the head. As a result, the soul would leave the body and often would not want to return. In ancient China, there were cases when even Emperors died after taking such preparations. Now, we use methods that pursue two goals: increasing vital energy and healing. These herbal preparations do not have the same strength as previous versions. As a result, their use does not cause death. On the contrary, after taking them for two years, a person becomes younger. 13. How can we protect ourselves against bad energy or, as some call them, “energetic vampires”? A person whose abilities are lower than yours cannot steal your Qi. If the person’s abilities are greater, he has a different type of Qi and does not need yours. Thus, neither would steal your Qi. Also, there are many ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

places on Earth where the energy is much better than inside of our body. Therefore a person with abilities of taking Qi from the outside can take it from there much, much easier than from you. Even if some bad person will try to harm you in such way, he will fail with a Qigong practitioner. The Big Tree exercise allows you to imagine that you and your energy are as large as the universe, which enters you. So, do not fear such vampires, for what can possibly hurt a creature as big as the universe?! 14. Are there people who are better off left untreated? Usually, if you are very sensitive, but your body is weak, it is better for you to perform just diagnosis, without treatment. If you feel good and work as a healer, you should not work with a patient if something about working with that person “goes against your grain,” so to say. Sometimes, we just don’t want to treat a particular person. This may mean that you are not able to help him at your level, or that other specialists are required for his particular disease, or that the disease has progressed too far. 15. Are contact lenses obstacles to liver cleansing through the eyes? No, they are not. No obstacle can prevent the flow of Qi. 16. Often, when I perform liver cleansing with full concentration, I lose count. What should I do? Count the cleansing one or two times, and make a note of how long it takes. Then, you can measure by time and not by number. 17. How many times do I need to repeat the exercise when I treat farsightedness and nearsightedness? It depends on how successful you are with this procedure. You may need to repeat the exercise thirty-six times. However, if you are successful, eight times can be enough. 18. I usually use other methods of treatment. If my relatives or friends ask for my help, can I treat them without using methods for collecting energy from the outside and putting it into a sick organ? I want to use the other method known as “empty head.” ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Yes, you can do that. Indeed it is very good, provided the head is empty. 19. From the medical point of view, it is known that in some regions, including Kiev Province after the Chernobyl accident, some procedures that require the use of warmth are not recommended. How can the image of a red-hot ball inside of the body affect some patients? Could it harm them? In such cases, when the patient has a “hot” disease and we give him additional warmth, he can get worse. However, the warmth that we use here during practice is not regular warmth. It is the energy inside our body— our own energy. If we have such energy in large quantities, the body will get better; it will be strong and healthy. Such warmth is not harmful; it has a different nature. To clarify the previous answer, could you please tell us what kind of disease you consider to be of the “hot” type? “Hot” diseases include conditions involving inflammation or fever. With these diseases, if we give the patient additional warmth, he will obviously feel worse. Nevertheless, if we use our own warmth, there will be no problem. If our body has less warmth than needed, the body will become very weak. This warmth is actually a type of vital energy, which is why we need to practice using it. 20. How can we help a person during an asthmatic attack? My husband sometimes has them. This beginning first stage does not provide enough knowledge to help in this situation. Sometimes, these attacks are very strong. If you really want to help a person who is ill, explain to him the importance of selfpractice. During attacks, it is very hard to help from the outside. Outside help is not very effective with this disease. It is better to rely on medication. In general, Qigong practice increases the body’s vitality and energy. Only with a higher level of practice are we able to make a difference quickly. There, we treat and cure diseases with light instead of Qi. That makes it possible to produce changes in diseased areas quickly. Apart from this, if something is wrong somewhere, we change it in such a way that the affected area returns to its pre-disease, normal state. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

This method of healing does not involve the use of channels. It is a true Qigong method of healing. It belongs exclusively to the Qigong system. For example, we can treat a patient with water. In order to do this, we send a specific structure of Qi energy or light into water, and if the patient drinks this water, it will trigger the necessary changes in his body, causing it to heal. But this relates to truly medical Qigong, the second block of ZYQ, known as Image Medicine.

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Afterword QIGONG IN DAILY LIFE HOW TO PRACTICE TWENTY∼FOUR HOURS A DAY 1. As you wake up in the morning, place your hands on the area of lower Dan Tian and concentrate Qi in it. Duration: three to five minutes. 2. Open the channels in your fingers and toes. 3. Perform Big Tree. If you have some extra time, start with the preliminary exercises. Otherwise, practice Big Tree only. If you don’t have much time at all, accept Qi from environment by standing in front of the window. 4. Practice food transformation during meals. 5. Practice Qigong while walking, as you go to work, to a store, or anywhere else. 6. If you are in a vehicle, commuting or traveling, practice Small Sky Circle, Refining Qi, or Big Tree without hands. 7. While driving, practice Refining Qi. 8. If you have a sedentary job, first concentrate your attention on the lower Dan Tian and feel the hot ball inside it. Then, start working. Periodically, direct your attention to the lower Dan Tian and sense the ball there, as if it’s both there and not there at the same time. You may also practice Small Sky Circle. If your work involves standing, you may practice Small Sky Circle or Big Tree without hands. 9. It is very good to practice Refining Qi while watching television. 10. In the evening, before going to bed, open the channels in your fingers and toes, and practice Refining Qi for five to ten minutes. Then, sitting calm and motionless with your back straight and your eyes closed, try to ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

see the red-hot ball in the lower Dan Tian with your mind’s eye. 11. Lie down on your back and do healing exercises (if you need any). You may practice Small Sky Circle or place your hands on the lower Dan Tian area. Fall asleep in this position. REMEMBER: With all these recommendations you must definitely practice De—being a good person. Master’s Story Your state, your thoughts, and your desires affect the quality of your energy. In turn, your energy affects people around you, because everything is connected in our world. If you talk about your miseries to your friends, they will start to avoid you. Similarly, in order for you to practice Qigong, you must first convince yourself that you need to be healthy. If you practice Qigong very well, you will definitely become healthy, and your energy will become pleasing and good. If necessary, you will be able to help your friends, and people will love you. If a person has strong energy, there is no need for that person to speak to others. He affects them by simply being around them—his energy improves them. I will give you several examples. Soon after I arrived in the former Soviet Union for the first time, I went to visit a family with three children of different ages—the youngest being about two years old, a dog, and two cats. I didn’t speak Russian yet, so I sat quietly on the couch and relaxed and watched the adults. This is what happened: the children and animals climbed all over me. The toddler climbed on one of my knees and put his head on my stomach. His sisters joined from the other side. However, the most interesting thing happened with the animals. One of the cats took a fancy to my shoulder, while the second climbed on top of the girls and tried to lie down with its face near the youngest child. Approaching from the side, the dog wanted the same spot for its head. For some time, the cat and the dog were each trying to push or move over the other’s head, without actually fighting. Then, all three heads— the child’s, the cat’s, and the dog’s—lined up with each other and lay still. The adults watched this scene with quiet amazement. The thing is that everyone there had his/her/its own character and temper, as in any society. Such an idyll had never been seen before. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Children and animals can feel the quality of energy very well. If Qi is of a truly good quality, they feel very comfortable in such a Qi field and do not want to leave it. Perhaps you have had similar experiences: it’s pleasant to be around some people, but not others. When you have a particular attitude toward somebody, very often that person has the same attitude toward you. We need to practice in order to change the situation. When we practice, we change energy quality. Good Qigong practice triggers changes in the physical body, mind, heart, and energy. When your heart has empathy for others, the quality of your energy improves. After practice, many people feel like crying. This is a good phenomenon. When the heart changes, our emotional state changes too. Therefore, if you practice Qigong wherever you go, your surroundings will become more peaceful, balanced, and calm in a matter of minutes, and people will enjoy communicating with you.

HOW TO PRACTICE AFTER A SEMINAR The material you learned at Stage I is only the beginning of the Path. Now you need to keep practicing independently in order to master that material and to advance further. How do you continue developing your energy? How do you continue improving your health? How do you continue developing your wisdom? Perhaps you have noticed that you have better-defined sensations in classes or during seminars, and that everything works better than at home. This is connected to the fact that the teacher (and a good instructor) includes the second level of training, which strengthens everyone’s energy and capabilities. When you practice by yourself, you rely on your own powers. Therefore, practicing at home is always harder than in class, in a collective Qi field, receiving help from a Master or an instructor. However, practicing alone will enable you to acquire enough Qi of your own very soon. Then, you will return to the level you had attained during the seminar and progress further. To perform the exercises of this stage with ease, and to move further more effectively, we recommend that you practice at home with family members, if they also practice Qigong, or with your friends at least once or twice a week. It is best if you go to a ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Qigong center, once or twice a week, to practice and meditate with a group of people. Beginners should practice together in groups and not by themselves. With such grouping, practitioners stimulate each other. They learn the basics faster and experience more powerful sensations. Additionally, there are opportunities to share experiences. It is good if groups consist of people who know each other very well or who met at seminars. It also does not preclude independent practice. We recommend practicing together at least twice a month. If for some reason it is hard for you to practice daily, try to practice for five to eight hours in a row, at least once a week. In this case, you will achieve positive results: your health will start improving, your intuition will grow stronger, and your creativity in solving domestic and professional problems will develop dramatically. While on vacation, you can spend two or three weeks practicing. Dedicate one of your vacations to healthimprovement exercises, and another to developing a deeper understanding of life and its various forms. It would be good if you had the chance to practice in the same auditoriums or rooms where Masters conduct classes. These can be classes involving other types of Qigong or Yoga as well; the type of spiritual practice doesn’t matter. The information and energy field from these practices remain after the conclusion of the classes. It is also useful to attend such lectures and workshops, even if you practice using a different style or school. Through practice, you can achieve great results in outdoor settings (forests, mountains, seaside), ancient places, ritual places, and temples. You can find a comfortable, pleasant place and practice there. Complete relaxation will show you such a place. Sometimes, you can acquire certain abilities not during Qigong practice, but by being in a specific place with strong energy or by meeting a person who will give your development a boost. If you practice Qigong effectively, the quality of your energy will increase, people will feel comfortable around you, you will be able to establish new friendships quickly and easily, and your friends will help you. You can also read books after seminars. Now, after some practical experience, it will be easier for you to understand their content. REMEMBER: The main thing to do is to keep practicing on a regular basis, with a desire and an eagerness to learn and understand, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

without expecting anything in return. Only then will you achieve success.

SUMMARY You have completed Stage I of Zhong Yuan Qigong. In closing, we would like to remind you that ZYQ is simply a science of life. You must consider this system as a science, first and foremost, because it offers the specific technology required to modify a human being in accordance with his goals, such as the improvement of health and the widening of outlook for serious spiritual development. With this, we realize the process of studying and understanding ourselves, the environment, and the various forms and levels of life. The first stage of ZYQ gave you the opportunity to learn the origins of the ancient art of self-regulation, health improvement, and individual human development, which remains relevant and applicable to our modern world. You have learned the goals of the system, and the stages of practice required for their attainment. Every person has the option to choose things that suit his desires and inner goals. The majority of people strive to improve their health and the quality of their lives; some people want to increase their capabilities and healing skills, while others would like to increase the capabilities of their sense organs and acquire a panoramic world perception. Then there are those who are attracted to mystical and unknown things, those who want to “touch” things that are covered by the curtain arising from our modern lack of knowledge. There is one more desire common to all—to be happy. Many of you have experienced various phenomena while performing exercises described in this book. These phenomena include sensations of Qi, as well as the activation of the Third Eye and the Third Ear. However, this is just the beginning. With advanced practice, your capabilities will increase. In general, all these capabilities exist in all of us; all we have to do is awaken them. Success depends on the individual person and his or her natural ability. Some people with natural talents can achieve the results almost immediately; others have to apply more effort. Nevertheless, if you continue practicing, you will be able to dramatically improve your health, as well as your brain ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

function. This means that Qigong can increase the potential capabilities of a person. Young people need to put more effort into the development of wisdom, while the elderly can focus their attention on their health. We know that we can be successful in life if we have good intuition. Intuition and its associated capabilities depend on the activation and development of the occipital brain. This is the reason why Qigong practice can have a significant effect on the future careers of students and people belonging to creative professions. How is this possible? We have seen how ZYQ helps us develop our physical body, energy system, and Shen simultaneously. We have discussed the connection between these three components of the human being. Everyone knows that each mechanism, each object, has a certain period of normal functioning followed by wear and tear. This applies to any construction, material, or substance, be it a residential or industrial building, vehicle, computer, clothes, etc. The same is true for living organisms. Each organ, and each part of our body, has a certain limit of durability. If you increase the workload and go beyond this durability limit, the organ or body part will be damaged. This is clear in the example of muscle usage: if you do not use your muscles, they atrophy. If you use muscles regularly, they become bigger and stronger. If you use muscles excessively, they get damaged. If we have such knowledge about each and every part of our body, about every type of tissue and organ, we will understand what kind of overload (physical, emotional, and mental) is unacceptable. We know how to train our physical body. We also have some knowledge about our energy system, but this knowledge is very little. For example, what do we need to do in order to increase or decrease our energy? There are several levels of energy in ZYQ. Such a division is connected to our ability to feel, and corresponds to our ability to understand. The energy inside our body exists in the form of fog. This is the first level of energy. When we heal diseases through acupuncture, this process is based on the theory of channels, and the energy of fog. Fog energy is constantly flowing through our channels. It is similar to blood, since it circulates through the entire body. Some functions of channels can be compared to blood vessels. Thus, if there is an obstacle in the energy path in some body part, if the energy cannot flow freely, we will sense pain and pressure in that area. These sensations are the same as the ones that arise ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

from problems with the circulation of blood through the vessels. Qigong practice includes the clearing of the blocked area in order to let energy flow freely through the channels. For this purpose, we have several exercises, such as the first preliminary exercise, and Small Sky Circle. We are able to see the second level of energy with regular vision as well as with the Third Eye. This energy level is multicolored; we can see its colorful light, which is why it is called light energy. This type of energy doesn’t move, but remains around organs and body cells at all times. If for some reason this energy moves into a different spot, it will create a problematic zone. Therefore, Qigong practice works in such a way that we are able control this energy and give it the ability to be in its original position. So in order to avoid energy problems, we need to bring our energy into balance. For this purpose, we have several exercises: Big Tree, Small Sky Circle, and all preliminary exercises. One more level of energy is known as transcendental energy. It goes through the channel of cerebrospinal fluid. We cannot sense or see it, but when the channel has obstacles, we develop serious problems in our body. The reasons for such disorders may be connected to strong external radiance—for example, radiation, sudden emotional changes, and stressful situations. We experience different conditions and life situations. Sometimes, we are very excited, or we work too much. However, we have periods when we feel tired and weak—at such times, we don’t even want to communicate. If we experience such a state for a long time, the immune system weakens. If this happens, it is much easier for us to fall sick. It is for this reason that we need to learn how to increase our energy. For this purpose, we have the most effective exercise—Big Tree, and one more method of gathering Qi with our hands from the outside and bringing it into the lower Dan-Tian through the Baihui point. The combination of Big Tree and the Third preliminary exercise can help improve spinal conditions, even in the case of scoliosis. Very often, such an exercise can eliminate similar problems forever. Qigong philosophy, through its approaches and practice methods, sometimes gives us a completely different understanding of how to maintain our health and improve it. The methods of diagnosis and healing, in this system, come from the second part of ZYQ, Image Medicine. Mastering these methods is not mandatory in order to advance in practice. However, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

their knowledge and skillful application are very useful in our unstable world, with its numerous stressful situations. Your individual practice develops your energy system and widens the abilities of your sense organs. Therefore, even with no additional time, if you know and understand how to deal with human problems correctly, you will be able to help yourself, your family, your friends, and all who are close to you. Usually, a Qigong master, or even a good practitioner, can give help in the face of many diseases. In the past, this was considered to be necessary, since such abilities could ease the lives of common and undereducated people, especially those living far from cities and large settlements. Times may have changed, but our priorities remain the same—everybody wants to be healthy and happy. Therefore, we suggest that you master this technology of helping others and yourself. The cruel scourge of our civilization is cardiovascular disease. Through Qigong, you can ensure the full recovery of heart functions after infarctions and heart attacks, as well as the prevention of possible strokes and tumors. To achieve this, one hour of practice and meditation daily, combined with the ability to enter a state of relaxation and mental tranquility, is enough. People without serious diseases will increase their creative abilities and wisdom through the same practice within six months. This is the reason why the development of your creative abilities is one of the goals of the first stage. If you want to develop seriously; if you want to understand life, the entire world, and all its levels; if you want to know where you came from, and where you are going after departing this world, you will obviously require more than one hour of daily practice. To achieve these goals, you will need to practice a lot, seriously, and on a regular basis.

Questions and Answers about Everything 1. What is the best time to practice Big Tree? This is not important. More than anything else, it is good to practice when you have time and when nothing is distracting you or interrupting your practice. Secondly, the time is right when you suddenly feel the urge to practice. You should consider another factor, namely that this exercise aims to take in energy. Therefore, if you practice successfully in the morning, you will receive enough energy to last you all day. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

2. Why do we practice many exercises from 11 p.m. until 1 a.m.? This is the time when Yin transforms into Yang. Midnight is characterized by minimum Yang and maximum Yin, while at noon the situation is reversed—there is minimum Yin and maximum Yang. The increase in one form of Qi and decrease in the other is more intense during this time. Since we are a part of nature, the most intense changes take place within us at the same time as in the rest of nature. Therefore, it is easier to sense something, or change something within us, when changes take place in a natural way. 3. Based on this, can we practice during the day, say around noon? Of course you can. However, most people work during the day. At night, the environment is calmer—people are sleeping, businesses are closed, etc. 4. From what I understand, everything you have said applies to animals as well as plants, right? Of course. I think most of us have houseplants. You can observe the behavior of flowers and leaves throughout the day. At different times during the day and night, their behavior varies. The speed of their growth is not the same throughout the twenty-four hours of the day. Try and determine the time period in which they experience the fastest change. This is the time you need to set aside for practice, because you will master the material faster. 5. Is there any particular time that is better for practicing Small Sky Circle? As we have already explained, you can decide for yourself. Your energy becomes active at certain times of the day. Usually, we say that a suitable time for practice is before one o’clock; however, that is not the only suitable time. As a rule, there is another time period that is also good for practice which people rarely speak of. That happens when, sometimes, you feel that the area below your navel has become active. In this case, you need to concentrate your energy in the lower Dan Tian, and this is a very good time to practice Small Sky Circle. Why does such phenomena signal a time for practice? Usually, you cannot catch the moment when the seed turns into energy. However, after the transformation, you can feel it very well (we discussed these sensations while learning exercise “Refine Qi”). When you ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

feel that the energy in your lower Dan Tian becomes active, start practicing Small Sky Circle. Bringing that energy up into your head you will expand the functions of your brain. In other words, you will be giving this energy to your Spirit. Another phenomenon is connected with increased sexual desire. An increase in your sex drive tells you that your energy is becoming very active. Then, when you inhale, you can bring it up. You must raise that energy to the brain and when you exhale, lower it. You can perform this energy movement eight times. 6. I am a volleyball player. Does China use Qigong in team sports, and how does Qigong benefit the players? How can I combine these two? Many different sports, including soccer, volleyball, basketball, etc., use Qigong. Qigong practice helps you recover faster and overcome fatigue. You can practice Qigong after a workout or practice session to calm down and return your heart rate back to normal. 7. Can I try and send the energy to flowers, like we do to our patients? Of course you can. You can conduct the following experiment. Send energy to one part of the flower, or a plant, while ignoring the other parts. Send energy to this same part for five minutes daily. Notice how the area that receives energy will grow faster than the one that does not receive any Qi. 8. If I don’t have the opportunity daily to practice each exercise fully, how can I choose exercises that suit my needs most of all? I still want to continue developing my intellect and increasing my energy levels. If you have health problems, concentrate your attention on dynamic Qigong, the preliminary exercises, and Big Tree. If you are healthy, practice a lot more of Quiet Qigong, doing Small Sky Circle. This exercise is connected with the transportation of your energy inside your body, that energy that you must “save up” after practicing Big Tree and Refining Qi. Therefore, people who would like to become wiser, and see with the Third Eye, should pay more attention to Refining Qi and Small Sky Circle exercises —they develop the intellect of a human. 9. During an appearance on a TV show, there was a video of you performing ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

some exercises. They said that the exercises were from Stage IV, but they looked like Wushu and Five Animals-style exercises. Yes, they certainly do look like that, but they are different. What you saw in the video is the practice of Stage IV Qigong. After mastering Stage IV, you will be able to execute many exercises, including those connected to Kung-fu, Wushu, etc. All of these specialized exercises came from the fourth stage of Qigong. If you look up the history of Wushu, you will see that Wushu came from Qigong, as did Tai Chi Chuan, for that matter. The original forms of these exercises are from the highest levels of Qigong. Later, Masters simplified them to make them accessible for everyone. Since only a limited number of people can reach the highest levels of Qigong, these exercises had to become standard, suitable for all seeking to study them. Today, they still exist in this form. 10. Is there any additional literature on Qigong that we can use? How can it affect our practice of ZYQ? It is impossible to progress in practice of Qigong through books alone. The most important factor is the availability of your teacher. If there is no teacher, it is impossible to learn Qigong. The only thing you can understand from books is how to practice; they contain no information that you receive directly from the teacher. For example, practitioners in my courses receive energy directly from me, daily. We direct the knowledge transplantation method toward each person attending the workshops. It is impossible to receive that from books. Therefore, it is difficult to progress. From the very first class, we discourage beginners from reading about this subject. By reading a lot, you acquire a lot of knowledge but little experience. However, knowledge does not help you perform the exercises. If, on the other hand, you start reading books after practice, you may see that some of the things described in the books are identical to what you have experienced yourself. 11. I read that even after the soul leaves the body, the two remain connected by a silver thread. How can the soul travel to other worlds with this thread? What do other worlds look like, anyway? It is very hard to describe other worlds—you have to see them yourself. Only after frequent practice will you be able to fly there. As I have ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

already mentioned, listening to stories or reading will not help you form a clear picture on the subject. Master’s Story During the early years of my work in the cities of the former Soviet Union, such as Kiev, Moscow, and Saint Petersburg, I faced a pattern that amazed and impressed me. We have always believed that Qigong is an art that helps people obtain their own experience for further development. At least, this is what happens in China: we can get knowledge and information through practice. In the countries of the former Soviet Union, there are many people who have extensive knowledge about things connected to spiritual practice and other worlds. They have read many books and know everything about the Third Eye and about the soul and its departure from the body. However, in spite of this knowledge, nothing has been changed in those people—their souls are not developing. The reason for this is that knowledge received from books, newspapers, magazines, TV shows, etc. is superficial knowledge on an informational level. It may be very interesting, but it is not your own experience. This knowledge is not the same as what you would acquire as the result of engaging in spiritual practice that can transform you. You can read a lot about someone else’s experiences. You can read all your life, think about what you’ve read, and retell it to others. You can ask questions on every situation or phenomenon described, but if you don’t have experience of your own, then in the end, you will not receive any true information. I have many so-called “personal students,” who wrote different books on this subject. One of them asked me why I hadn’t written a book about my own experiences. I told him that some things are not very clear to me and I don’t want to write about them. I don’t want others to repeat my mistakes. When I understand things, they cannot be described in words. Why do I need to describe something, if everything is clear? This is the point at which people will write in order to explain something to themselves. For example, one of my personal students wrote a lot on this subject. Because he contemplated what he might write, he found many words to describe his thoughts. When everything is clear, there is nothing to describe. Usually, this area does not use written experience, and training involves a “face-to-face” component, so, there is a direct transfer of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

knowledge from the teacher to the student. My Teacher received his knowledge directly from his Teacher. He taught a group of students and transplanted knowledge the same way as I do with you. If you were to merely read about it, it would be unclear and therefore confusing. Let us consider the example of a table. You know what a table is and what purpose it serves. I can therefore specify only some details: Is it big or small? Is it a coffee table, dining table, or magazine table? Does it have one or four legs? Now imagine that in your entire life, you have never seen a table, and you have no idea what one looks like or what it is used for. How long will it take, and what kind of words will I need, to explain to you what a “table” is? And still, after my description, each of you will form your own picture of this object, and all of them will be different. Possibly, none of your pictures will represent reality. If a person is familiar with an object, his description may be insufficient for another person who knows nothing about it. He may forget to mention some details that are obvious to him but are important to the other person. As a result, the other person might form an incomplete or even distorted view of the object. For example, what holds the table up? How many supports have you seen? Are there four legs? Or three, for that matter? There are tables with three legs, too— magazine tables, for example. Or consider the large antique tables that have one big, round pedestal leg. And then you have modern folding tables, which are not supported by the usual four legs. What if a bar cabinet has a hinged door that turns into a table? In this case, there are no legs at all! The same applies to a writing cabinet. I have seen children in small apartments doing their homework on such “drop” tables. You might say that this is not typical; a regular table comprises a plane with legs. However, this is your point of view, based on your own experience. But it is only the tip of the iceberg. Similarly, other worlds, of which there are many, which are often very different from our physical world here and which have become commonplace destinations for those practicing higher stages of Qigong, cannot be described in words based on our current experience. 12. Some scientists are under the assumption that there are worlds with higher speeds than our own, and that these worlds are able to beat the speed of light. What can you say about this? In general, if a soul decides to live for a while on its own, will it find the body afterward? ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

It is true that there are different kinds of worlds. The group that includes our world has a speed that is much slower than the speed of light. In other groups of worlds, the speed is much higher than the speed of light. However, in these worlds, time is slower. In accordance with Einstein’s theory of relativity, if the speed at which a material object moves approaches the speed of light, the object’s size decreases and time slows down in it. Several minutes for such an object equal years, even decades according to our time—higher speed slows down time. We know that time is constant in our world, but in other worlds, it changes. If time changes, life changes. This is hard to understand if you have no personal experience. Nevertheless, scientists today are prone to think that there are worlds where the speed of movement is higher than the speed of light. Concerning the soul visiting other worlds and returning to the body, I can tell you one true story. Master’s Story Did you know that China had a Great Cultural Revolution? During this period, many monasteries and temples were destroyed. But before that, there was a person, the Superior, at a Taoist monastery, who practiced very intensely. One day when he was practicing Quiet Qigong, he saw his Teacher. The Teacher offered him the opportunity to go and practice in a completely different place, in a special cave in the mountains. After giving orders to the monastery where he lived, the Superior went to the cave to practice with his Teacher. While practicing, his soul moved to another world, along with that of his Teacher. He visited different worlds and spoke with different Teachers in these worlds. He saw many things, learned many things, and understood many things. Then, all of a sudden, his Teacher told him to go back to his body. The Superior didn’t want to return; he wanted to remain in the other worlds. However, he was forced to return, and suddenly, in a leap, he realized he was in his body and on Earth, in the cave. In his opinion, he had been gone for sixteen, maybe eighteen hours. He didn’t want to return to the monastery so soon. He tried to leave his body and revisit the other worlds, but nothing worked for him. Then he started crying, screaming, and begging his teacher. Still, there were no results. He had to return home, because in the other worlds, he understood a lot of things about Earth and had to bring this understanding to our world. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

He had to tell our world what he had seen. So he had no choice but to leave his cave, go down the mountains, and return to his monastery. But while he was descending, he couldn’t tell where he was. He didn’t recognize the area. At first he thought that, due to his preoccupation with his journey, he was lost and had gone down from the mountain in the wrong direction. Then he began to ask strangers how to get to the monastery, but no one knew the answer. Finally, one person brought him to an old relative who had visited that monastery. As it turned out, the Superior was not gone for sixteen to eighteen hours, but for almost twenty years. Everything had changed—people had changed, time had changed, life in general had changed. The Great Cultural Revolution that destroyed his monastery had ended a long time ago. As time went on, the Superior adapted to new conditions and realized his place in this life. He started giving lectures about everything he saw and understood. At first, he gave lectures in China, then in Singapore. This is an example of how time operates differently in different worlds. It also tells us that we cannot always willingly leave this world. 13. Is it possible for a soul to depart and for a person to visit other worlds through this practice? I often see different pictures. Nothing of the sort happens during the early stages of exercising. Pictures are often just a reflection of the information that a person collects during life, including movies, stories, legends, and personal thoughts. In order to leave, the soul needs certain conditions. In general, we practice soul departure at higher levels. 14. You have told us a story about how, one day, a seminar attendee had his soul depart during classes. What would happen if my soul were to leave my body during the Big Tree exercise and not return? How do I live all by myself? First, if you practice independently, your soul will not leave. It is very complicated, but because your energy isn’t strong enough, your soul stays inside your body. During classes, I give you additional energy. Sometimes, you feel like your soul leaves your body, but only during sleep. If this happens during sleep, both you and your soul know that the soul must ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

return. Almost everyone experiences the departure of his or her soul during sleep. Later, you refer to it as a dream, like a flight to some place or a meeting with some people. 15. How and when does the soul leave the body? Is the practitioner aware of this? Does he hear anything during this time? How does it appear from the side? How can he hear or see if the body is left behind? In general, a person can always feel his soul departing. When he feels this, he simply knows that it will return automatically, because he gives his soul the order to come back. The departure of the soul, and everything connected to it, is not our primary goal at the first stage, and does not happen during the initial period of practice. In fact, this requires a lot of special practice. First, the soul goes out, and comes back after traveling a short distance. Then it goes a little further, for a longer period of time. It practices inch-by-inch, step-by-step. When the soul departs from the body for real, the person does not faint, although it may appear to the people around him that he has fainted. With that, his pulse disappears, and people get the impression that he has had heart failure. However, the person knows everything. It is only the body that is cold, because it still doesn’t know how to change its appearance: the person understands everything but cannot move, and his soul sees everything that is happening to him. If we only speak about this, you will receive certain knowledge without knowing how to practice. When the soul leaves during practice, you fill this gap. Therefore, we should postpone this conversation to a later time. 16. One of my acquaintances had a very strange experience. She was lying motionless for a week and, in her head, kept hearing the hissing “shhh…” sound. She did not know what had happened to her, because she could not move. However, she did keep hearing that sound. Was this the soul departing? If the soul leaves the body, the person knows that. It is as though the person has simply moved to another place. He knows everything and understands everything clearly. But his body remains motionless. He gets the impression that just takes part in some action. The only difference between this state and real travel in the body is that he can travel now much more easily wherever he wants, and immediately reach the destination. Perhaps, it ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

is for this reason that your acquaintance had a different experience. There are many states connected to diseases affecting the physical body or the psychoemotional sphere. However, this is something completely different.

NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE If you would like to achieve success in this area, you need to know and understand several fundamental principles created in ancient times. These principles were established through empirical means, as the result of the personal practice of Masters of various Qigong systems and the training of many generations of “personal” students. These conclusions are considered true even today. Hundreds of years ago, Masters of Qigong figured out the methods of achieving success in Qigong practice. It is necessary to consider four factors. In the Chinese language these factors are called Fa, Lui, Tsai, and Dee. They can be roughly translated as method, companion or partner, wealth or money, and location or circumstances.

1. Method (Fa) There are many different methods and training systems. It is important to find the one that is best suited for you. The method you follow must show you the way and lead you to a certain goal. If the system belongs to the higher levels, with time and effort you can achieve high goals. It must be a system that allows you to start from the very beginning, from bricks, as it were, and construct a building, an integral picture of the world, having determined your own place in it. If the system is not good enough, if it is limited and leads nowhere, you can spend a great deal of effort and time, maybe even years or an entire lifetime, and you will not obtain anything in return. Your goals will not be met. In summary, if this is interesting to you, and you feel the urge to ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

learn this line of spiritual development, if you feel attracted to it, you must first find a good system for yourself. This can be any system of deep and allaround human development, not necessarily ZYQ. Above all, such systems are connected to a teacher, and must include methods of training—namely, (1) how to teach; (2) how to learn; (3) how to help students move forward in training. If the teacher is at a high level of learning and growth, he will be able to teach his students a lot of material in a short period of time. They will easily understand him. However, if the teacher is not at a high level, his instructions will take longer and may not provide the fundamentals of the system. Therefore, apart from selecting a good system, there has to be a good teacher. He must be able to teach, as well as understand whether a particular method is suitable for you; and he must be able to a find a matching, suitable method that you understand and that is good for you—one that will help you attain your goal. As you practice and train, you may experience many phenomena and have many questions. The right teacher is the one who has already been through this, who is able to answer your questions and point you in the right direction for further practice. Do not go to a person who only teaches using the classroom instruction or lecture method. There are some instructors who have never mastered the subject and have no experience at all. These instructors simply have read books and/or attended seminars, and at once began to teach. However, they lack practice experience. Afterward, such a person will read something else and then start to teach again, but another topic. Such an approach demeans the vocation of teaching; this is a profanation of teaching. In ZYQ training, we do not use books—we use our experience and our hearts. Our knowledge comes from the heart and from the Universe in this type of teaching. If students are taught only from books or the experiences of other people, they will make serious mistakes in practice. Therefore, the best teacher is the one who has positive, practical experience and guides you toward the direction in which you wish to go.

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From the Report “How to Distinguish True Qigong from False” by Yu Zhe (Swimming Pool Qigong Association, An Ding Road, Hangzhou, 310002, China) 1. Some people call themselves Qigong Masters and founders of a Qigong form. But they cannot cure their own diseases. Is it possible that they are true Masters? 2. Observing his complexion and the expression in his eyes, you can see that he is not healthy and doesn’t have vigor. Is it possible that he is for real? 3. Is the surplus income obtained from Qigong used for the “Master’s” own enjoyment or for public welfare? 4. He must be virtuous, whether his Qigong is acquired or innate. It is absolutely impossible for him to fake things and require others to worship him. There is a strange phenomenon in contemporary Qigong: the false Master dares to boast, while the true one doesn’t choose to tell either the truth or lies. What must be done? The only way is to beat around the bush and let others guess. 5. Usually, the true Master of Qigong eats what he want to, without going to extremes, while the other opts for a vegetarian diet. Therefore, one should not only listen to a Master’s words, but observe his actions. 6. Generally, Qigong Masters have similar habits: they eat less (comparatively), sleep less, and have little or no sex. In short, they attach great importance to preserving health and cultivating virtue. Conversely, the so-called Qigong “Masters” always make false claims and cheat others. 7. The real Qigong Masters take no interest in success, fame, profit, sex, wealth, power, and position at all. They stand aloof from worldly success and uphold impartiality without exception. 8. Only the real Qigong Masters are kind and easy to approach. This is because they attain the state of Tian Yi (unification of man and universe), after a long period of cultivation. Their internal power is strong, in a manner that relates to the saying “De Dao Duo Zhu” (a just cause enjoys support) by Chairman Mao. 9. Sensitive awareness tells us that if Qigong turns out to be effective, trust it; if not, don’t trust it. At the same time it is not realistic to demand instant results, independent of the type of illness. Results may come in ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

five days, but sometimes twenty or even thirty days may be necessary. It is an old dogma that Qigong will be efficacious if a person simply trusts it. 10. If practicing Qigong leads you astray, take it as a danger sign. For your health and personal safety, it would be better not to practice it. We have already mentioned that the concept of Gong is connected to three factors: time, speed, and force. When it comes to force and time, everything is clear. But how should we understand “speed” in this case? Speed, as a rule, depends on the interaction between teacher and student. If you feel you understand the teacher and can interpret everything he says, keep on practicing. This means that the system is suitable for you and easy to understand. However, if you are having difficulty during classes or don’t understand what is being taught, you need to change either the system or the instructor. In the ZYQ, the teacher shows you the Path—how to move, and how to move from one point to another. However, this Path is not the only one. It is very similar to a flight on an airplane. A plane can bring you to a desired location very quickly. However, if you are afraid of heights and don’t want to fly in an airplane, you may elect to take a train instead. Similarly, in this case, you simply “change the system.” Today, our society is developing very fast, and it is unrealistic to think that we would achieve anything if we were to restrict ourselves to walking. In other words, our time is too short. We need to do as many things as we can in this short period of time. This is the reason why, if you are serious about doing something, you always need to consider the time factor and determine how you can achieve the maximum result in the shortest possible time. As a rule, we think that time has more value than other things. Even if you have large amounts of money, you cannot buy an additional lifetime. Therefore, it is important to use time in a very productive manner, in order to develop ourselves, and to do the best we can in whatever we do. Our lives revolve around three things: living, learning, and working. These three things apply to any regular person. However, we also need to develop ourselves. To complete our lives, we must add selfdevelopment to the above list. All of the above relate to Method (Fa). In China, the word for Student, Di Dzi, also means “pupil” ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

and “child,” while the word for Teacher, Shi Fu, also means “teacher” and “father” together. A Teacher is, therefore, a person who takes paternal responsibility for his Student, while educating him at the same time. He is responsible for the Student in the same way a father is responsible for his son. Such a relationship belongs to the highest levels of training, when the student truly achieves masterhood. In China, a student used to live in the teacher’s house. Sometimes, training lasted more than a year. After training was completed, regardless of the type of system (Qigong, Wushu, etc.) the Students became brothers, and their bonds were closer than family bonds.

2. Companion or Partner (Lui) You realize that in order to learn the right way and practice well, you need a teacher. Of course, you cannot stay with your teacher all the time. Therefore, you need a good partner, who will be able to help you during practice, and whom you can help. Here, your partner is, above all, a second family member (husband for a wife, and wife for a husband). In addition, these partners are soulmates, with whom you have much in common, and who can support you during difficult times and “hold up the rear.” It is especially important that this remains in the family, because sometimes, the practice of Qigong requires long-term detachment; inner tranquility; and at higher levels, a period of solitude, and care for the body when the soul leaves it for training and practice in other worlds. It is possible to achieve success, only if there is mutual understanding and support within the family. Therefore, the Qigong practitioner must pay more attention to his family and take on more responsibilities than before practice. Otherwise, what is the value of his training and knowledge?

3. Wealth or Money (Tsai) If you are serious about this subject, expenses are unavoidable. You will have to spend money on this practice. In China, there is a saying that expresses this sentiment: “If you have money, you can practice Wushu, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Kung-fu, or other systems. If you have no money, you can stay home, read books, and write articles.” Why do we spend so much money in order to practice these systems? We live in a society governed by market relations, where money is necessary for life: shelter, food, clothes, and education. Therefore, it is impossible to reach a high level of Qigong without money. To practice the highest levels of Qigong, you need opportunities to isolate yourself in mountains, forests or the seaside for a period of time; in, other words, in places full of natural beauty and no people. To make these trips, and for food and shelter, you need money. It is also important that one’s family have everything they need during the practitioner’s absence. Sometimes, the practitioner will need to communicate with his teacher, or with those who have reached or surpassed his level. This might require travel to different cities, countries, or continents. If you do not have a material base, it is impossible to reach the higher levels of Qigong. Of course, there are rare exceptions, but, for the moment, we are only discussing the general rules. A person needs to work in order to have income. Therefore, if you are serious about ensuring good Qigong practice on your part, you need to try to find a job that will allow you to earn enough money for living. Lazy people cannot earn money and cannot practice well either. This way, on the one hand, we improve our health through the ZYQ practice; and on the other, we increase our creative activity. This is the reason why, with practice, we are more capable of working and earning money that can be used for training and development. The amount of work performed is directly proportional to how fulfilled and interesting a person’s life is. One needs to live, learn, work, and develop.

4. Circumstances, Location (Dee) Many things depend on the above. If you have no opportunity for education, or for practice, neither method nor teacher will be able to help you. Sometimes, we meet a person who is the only breadwinner for a large family. He has neither the time nor the opportunity to learn and practice, because of his many responsibilities. Similarly, sometimes a person lives in an area where little is known about the practice under discussion. He has neither the opportunity nor the chance to learn. Life brings different situations to ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

different people. The location of classes is also very important, especially for beginners. Different cities and parts of the world have different energy structures. Therefore, if you want to move fast in a given direction, you need to try and find a comfortable location with strong energy, so that that you can immediately enter a state of relaxation and tranquility. Such a place is best suited to practice. If you cannot immediately locate such a place, you can practice in areas near churches, cathedrals, temples, or places where people have been living and worshipping since ancient times. You can also practice in places that are rumored to be sites of strange happenings or miracles. Often, it is good to practice at a big cemetery, where your soul can speak with the souls of the departed. You can also select a place with a beautiful landscape, that you find visually appealing, a place where you like to spend time. Sometimes, when you walk in a relaxed manner, you’ll suddenly feel an area with very active Qi. Such a place is also very suitable for Qigong training. Places with energy can be found everywhere. In very ancient places, where people used to live, it is always possible to find information or energy. Perhaps, grand masters used to practice and meditate there. If you practice in groups, you affect each other, and the result is more significant than if you practice individually. When a grand Master comes to your area, you can attend his courses and practice, because as a rule, he brings very strong energy. In order to achieve better results, a good Master always sends strong energy to his students. This way, even if you are not engaged in training or practice of the material taught to you by the Master, even if you are not planning to practice it, you can simply go and stay in that place for some time. Staying in its field will enable you to receive additional energy. Master’s Story (A Parable) Once upon a time, there lived a very wise man. People called him Master. He had pupils who called him Teacher. When someone from the settlement had a problem, they addressed this Master for help and advice and were never denied. Therefore, people respected him and tried not to bother him with small matters. One day, people found out that the Master had decided to accept ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

new pupils. Many people wanted to be his students but considered themselves unworthy of such an honor. Nevertheless, on the appointed day, they appeared before the Master. He looked at them and said that he could not take them all. Then he explained that being a student is a very serious matter, and that for a new student to learn everything the older students already knew, it is necessary to study very hard, beginning with the simplest things. He asked these people, “Why did you come, and what can you do?” Many of them lost their nerve and could not articulate anything. All their explanations boiled down to one thing: they were ready for anything, “if only given a chance,” because they knew nothing. They saw how the Master, and sometimes his students, helped solve problems that seemed very complex to local residents. When it was time for one of the applicants to speak, in contrast to the others, he started listing what he had done, what he had practiced, which masters he had visited, what he had learned, and from where. His speech was long, logical, and beautiful. He obviously stood out from the rest, who dropped their heads—they understood what kind of pupil the Master needed. The Master listened attentively and calmly. Then, he asked one of his students to bring him two bowls: one was empty, the other filled with water. He took a jar containing a healing elixir, filled the empty bowl with it, and then started pouring the elixir into the bowl with water. The healing liquid started spilling on the ground over the edges of the bowl right away. “Teacher!” shouted the last applicant, “What are you doing? Don’t you see that the bowl is already full? Is it impossible to put more into it. This is a waste of elixir!” “You are absolutely correct,” said the Master. “You know so much, and have seen so much, that there is no room left in you to add anything more. I am sorry.” All the rest became his students. If you want to achieve a lot, don’t think that you know a lot. Think that you know little and can learn little. In training, put yourself in the lowest position, for the deep sea gathers waters from many rivers. If you think you are at a high level, you will not be able to take in information from other sources. This is especially true when we consider that knowledge ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

gained from Qigong is dramatically different from knowledge acquired through another system. You can ask whether the teacher is good or bad. When you take Stage I classes, you will heighten your sensitivity. You can have contact with your teacher, and if you feel pleased and at ease, this means that he is right for you. When people receive information during the training period, many of them think that simply hearing and understanding something is good enough. However, in Qigong training, a student must receive information not only in the form of words, but also with one’s body and heart. To define this, eight words are used in China: Sing, Chuang, Kou, Shou, Sing, Lin, Ee, and Huei—four of these concern the Teacher, and four, the student. 1. Sing has been translated as “heart” since ancient times. However, in ancient times, this was considered the organ of thinking. Therefore, it reflects different psychological aspects: soul, thought, mind, mentality, feelings, etc.; 2. Chuang means “to pass on” (or “to convey”), which, together with Sing, means “to pass on through heart and mind simultaneously”; 3. Kou means “mouth”; 4. Shou means “to teach.” Together with Kou, they mean “to teach verbally” (by mouth); 5. Lin means “to receive”; 6. Ee means “thought” or “consciousness”; and 7. Huei means “to understand” or “to be able to.” Four words for student mean “to receive knowledge and understand thoughts with soul and heart, with soul and mind.” Four words for Teacher mean that the Teacher uses words and heart while teaching, so that his students can hear and understand. Students must use their hearts to receive this information from the Teacher and use their brains to understand it. Ancient China had several extraordinary Teachers. They allowed their students to do whatever they wanted. Some students thought that the Teacher was not teaching them anything with such an approach, as a result of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

which, they left. Those who understood the idea stayed. Perhaps it took about three years before the Teacher could tell a student, “You have received everything I could give you; now go, and find yourself another Teacher in another place.” He also said, “If you have difficulties, all you need to do is to call me, and you will know what to do.” Therefore, if a student has problems similar to those that his Teacher had, all he needs to do is address the Teacher for the latter to come to the student’s help in solving these problems. In general, if a person wants to practice Qigong and develop in this direction, he must have many teachers. Not only human beings can be our teachers. They can be plants, animals, localities, or situations, as Qigong training methods have nothing in common with other educational approaches. Qigong training is based on reallife situations, not on books. Therefore, anyone or anything that can help you in your development can be your teacher.

MASTER’S WISHES I am sure that the methods you have just learned will help you to master Qigong in the future. I hope you will be able to continue practicing and meditating for the rest of your life. I believe that these exercises will improve your health, help you develop your intuition, and creativity, and make you a successful person. I appreciate everyone who came to learn. I appreciate those who heal people and came to learn this system and its methods. I am grateful to the organizers of the seminars–they allow me to make many friends. I wish every one of you good health, a loving family, healthy, happy children, many friends, and prosperity. Do not compare your material income with that of other people; do not compare your social position with that of others; do not compare your house or your car with others. Instead, gradually rise higher and higher, along ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

the Path of Spirit and Mind Development. I wish you all good Qigong practice. I wish that you all reach higher levels, know yourself, understand Life, and all the worlds, and teach this to others.

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Picture 45: During, and After the Workshops

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Picture 45: During, and After the Workshops

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Picture 45: During, and After the Workshops

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Picture 45: During, and After the Workshops

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APPENDIXES

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Appendix 1: FEEDBACK FROM SEMINAR ATTENDEES The following section is a collection of feedback and letters received from attendees of Zhong Yuan Qigong (ZYQ) seminars. It contains their perceptions of the system, their philosophies, and their attitudes toward the world. This section identifies goals and aspirations of practitioners during the very first class, as well as the goals and aspirations which they come to possess after having been transformed by their Qigong practice. These changes are a result of improvements in their health and their states of mind, and a widening of their perceptions of the world. This section could have been endless, because ZYQ seminars are growing and spreading throughout the world and we receive thousands of letters and comments. The seminars are attended by people of different ages, social groups, social classes, and professions. We have selected only a small portion of received feedback and comments, containing students’ opinions and impressions based on their subjective sensations and objective performance before and after training. Each person describes his or her own experiences, results, and outlook. However, we cannot disclose the specific diseases, psychological problems, or overall conditions of practitioners that were entrusted to the grand master or their instructor, for ethical and privacy reasons. Therefore, we have limited each participant’s identifying information to profession, sex, and age. Nevertheless, each feedback and comment represents facts and information from a real person, and the authors fully stand behind the reliability of the provided information. Perhaps during your own practice, you had experiences similar to those described below. If so, you will see that you are not alone and that ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

similar sensations are more the rule than the exception. For those of you who are not familiar with this practice but plan to become acquainted with it, you will gain insight into what the future could hold for you. Typically, received feedback focuses on results involving the following three areas of practice, listed by order of importance: Changes in perception of the world and one’s self Therapeutic effects Occurrence of various phenomena Although these are somewhat hypothetical divisions, we thought to use them to help organize the feedback. Often, it is impossible to exactly differentiate between therapeutic effect, sensations, phenomena, changes in one’s state of mind, perception of one’s life through someone else’s eyes, etc., because all of the above connect to and arise from one another. Following our seminars, we often invite practitioners to write their comments and impressions, and these comprise the sections below. We maintained each individual listener’s perspective, and retained his/her personal style of writing. As a result, these comments are very diverse, from long descriptions to brief phrases. We are very similar, and at the same time we are very different —and this is wonderful!

CHANGES IN PERCEPTION OF THE WORLD AND ONE’S SELF Engineer, Female, 40 Years Old I discovered Qigong during the summer of 1992 when I attended an introductory lecture for the first stage. I attended the lecture for personal enrichment and had no intention of practicing. I had previously read some materials on Qigong and did not think it was for me—it seemed excessively exotic; I had a “show-me” attitude. However, by the end of the first lecture, I realized that I had discovered something that was much more serious and deep than I had believed. The books that I had read about Qigong and the actual practice were very different: a case of information versus live action. I decided to study the first stage, if only to understand how my “spirited” but somewhat one-sided excitement had become a mild, and somewhat ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

inexplicable, holistic understanding and peace. During the next five days, I enjoyed a growing sense of inner peace and purity. However, I don’t think my attraction to Qigong practice was governed only by these two factors. My health had also improved. Qigong unexpectedly assisted me in dealing with other personal issues. I am a contemplative person, one who is not very social. I have always had problems with social adaptation and cooperation. These issues became more evident when, in a short period of time, two people, both of whom were very dear to me, died. My life became meaningless, all sense of purpose was diminished, and my life—as well as everything in it—became an abomination. I was continuously depressed and lived in a state of aggressive excitement, which on occasion pushed me to do shameful things. Qigong, indeed, gave me the power to get out of this painful prison. This transformation was not immediate, however, and I had to fall on my face a few times. Eventually, I received a priceless opportunity to determine the path my life would take. While tripping, starting, and quitting things, I had an opportunity to control my own life—to fight back—or to throw in the towel by sponging on my family and shedding tears over my miserable life. Qigong gave me the power to understand and solve my problems. Whatever problems I faced, whether they were issues of a physical or emotional nature, or problems at home or work, or even spiritual questions, the key fit every lock. The truth opened each door that I knocked on, as long as I collected and saved up power and energy, nourished clean and pure thoughts, and relentlessly “knocked on the door.” I didn’t handle all the tasks which Master had set for us attendees, but I cannot recall any life issue that I could not solve, if I worked hard. However, as Exupéry’s Mr. Fox said, “Nothing is perfect.” As soon as I started neglecting my practice, my magical grasp of everything, as well as the ability to control my life, disappeared. Again, there was inertness and an impassable chain of problems around me, until an opening appeared. Five years have passed. Looking back, I understand that I had become a different person, just as my Qigong had changed too. It had morphed from occasional class attendance, into a constant component of my life, one of the tools for researching and transforming this life. I use Qigong constantly and am always trying to perfect my skills. It is like having a second set of eyes or arms. In the beginning, they seem to be unnecessary and ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

in the way. As time goes by, however, you cannot understand how other people live without them. The main thing, ultimately, is not what is identified above. It is the sense of overall understanding of, and love for, the world–an awareness of its intelligence and perfection. I wasn’t looking for this. This state comes of its own volition and is a new kind of door that I am just trying to open. And I will continue to try, as long as I can. MD, Neurologist, Male, 40 Years Old The main purpose of a human being’s life is his self-perfection and development, including gaining an understanding of his true nature and his oneness with the Cosmos. The ZYQ System serves this purpose. Created by sages, it is a synthesis of methods of psychophysical and spiritual practices that lead to the gradual realization of this purpose. The distinctive aspects of this system are its accessibility, manageability, adaptability, easy mastering, humanity, safety, practicality, many-sidedness, universality, flexibility, and viability for the individual and society as a whole. This synthesis of various methods, indeed, allows for the development of a harmonious person in a gradual and effective way–it contributes to the creation of a multifaceted human being who uses his full potential for the good of Humanity and the Cosmos. The twenty-first century is the beginning of the epoch when man masters psychic energy, through which he realizes the spiritual principle hidden in the secret recesses of his physical body. The ZYQ is the school that allows us to understand the esoteric wisdom of the human body and discover ourselves as astral beings—components of the Cosmos. The opportunity to learn this system is the gift of perfected sages, who gave humanity a chance to survive during times of tests and hardship. The system’s possibilities for development are inexhaustible. Among them are increased creative potential and reserve capacities; the awakening of ultra-sensory perceptions; use in medicine and other disciplines for realization on the level of knowledge, intellect, and intuition; use of cosmic and earth energy in the planning and construction of schools, hospitals, and - houses, and in the designing of especial space forms according Feng Shui; ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

use of ZYQ principles to define and develop promising areas in science and industry for the purpose of healthcare and improvement of the human race; use of ZYQ methods that allow optimization of food consumption; and the opportunity to gain Universal Knowledge and contact other civilizations and worlds. Marine Engineer, Male, 45 Years Old The results are outstanding! Qigong is serious work for your own sake, as well as for the sake of others. Thanks, teacher! Aircraft Equipment Engineer, Male, 23 Years Old I have no complaints about my health. Training increased my self-confidence and assured me that I could reach my goals and that the world is beautiful and amazing. My senses work better. I do experience, unwillingly, body rotation during the Big Tree exercise and intense itching during the Small Microcosmic Orbit. Military Engineer, Male, 70 Years Old I am a retired military engineer who served in the army for about forty years. During the last twelve years of service, I was a teacher in a higher military college. The thought of a spiritual component to our existence plagued me all my life, although I am a dedicated materialist by education and upbringing. Before I was introduced to ZYQ, I had completed several different courses in bioenergetics. There I was trained how to feel the human’s biofield with my hands and how to heal with the help of Qi emission. Their content did not satisfy me. Teachers of many courses taught material with no holistic world perception, and filled up most of the “holes” in their conceptions with religion. I am a baptized Orthodox; I respect believers and accept common Christian commandments. There was plenty of studying in my life; I taught and was engaged in scientific work; therefore, implicit faith is not for me. My mind demands analysis and evaluation of all hatha-yoga phenomena and facts. If there is an opportunity, I prefer analysis in the form of an experiment, so that I can understand the core of a system ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

before I believe in it. In this sense, all known schools of Qigong stand out from the above-mentioned, through their systematic nature and consistency of theory and practice, all of which was developed by thousands of adepts as a result of their empirical work. For me, the personification of success and the real achievement of the school is Master Mingtang Xu. Therefore, I unhesitatingly prefer him and this school. To begin with, the school of ZYQ appeals to me due to its complexity and its systematic nature. Through these, it brings us beyond the limits of earthly existence to the beginning of the Cosmos. Secondly, the school does not deny knowledge obtained in other spheres; it does not deny our Slavic mentality and religious commitments. Therefore, I believe that it should take root on our soil. Thirdly, I work for the human resources department in a company. This requires work with people who have different temperaments and intentions. In the sea of human relations that has reefs of wrongs and deception, one needs self-control, tolerance, benevolence, and a balanced mind—these are the very qualities that Qigong develops. Fourthly, God did not endow me in childhood with a special energy gift, but I hope to attain it through persistent work in the high-level school. I am doing acceptably well in practice. According to my readings, the level of my energy rises five times or more after the Big Tree exercise. Qigong practice has improved my health. As a senior citizen, I had collected many illnesses through life. However, during ten months of almost regular practice, I have had a series of positive changes. For example, the arthritis pain in my shoulder joints and my right jaw joint has gone into remission. Earlier, I could not lift my arm without a sharp pain, and now even this is residual. Sometimes, I simply forget about the illness. Early in the postwar period, I had chronic inflammation of my nasal pharynx, or pharyngitis. However, after one winter of practicing, I no longer caught catch, and I am now able to drink liquids directly from the refrigerator without affecting my throat and nose. Since childhood, I had suffered from gastritis, which caused chronic inflammation of my intestinal tract. As a result, I often suffered pain and other consequences of its abnormal functioning. Now, my gastrointestinal tract works, more or less, normally. I believe, systematic practice will abolish my diseases and grant me good health for the rest of my life. That is immense! The practice of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Qigong is, therefore, well worth it, even if you never reach the higher stages. But this is all in the future! The Tao, or Way of mastering the secrets of the Universe is endless, and the De, or Good Deeds that humanity so desperately needs, call us to action! Show Business Manager, Female, 45 Years Old I attended a ZYQ seminar absolutely by accident. Nevertheless, I have no regrets; I am happy! This system positively affected my perception of the world. I had never previously attended any similar courses, because I did not feel that I had the need for them. Now I attend ZYQ seminars, and my soul is happy. As I spend more and more time practicing, I enjoy the system even more. I think Qigong fulfills man’s dream to strive for perfection and aim upward, figuratively speaking, with the soul and body merging into one—as you can see, we’re already waxing lyrical. The nature of my profession requires me to communicate with many people. I organize concerts and shows and am a show business manager. I deal with many different types of people, from young teenagers who are into rap or rock, to silver-haired people for whom we bring in famous bands, and so on. Having mastered three stages of ZYQ, I am sure that this system will help me directly in my profession. I would like to carry a torch for ZYQ, because I think that this system can help develop and increase creative potential, which will undeniably benefit our society. We must help our youth find their place in this world. We must teach them good health, not only for the body but also, and this is the main thing, for perfecting the soul. After all, young people are our hope and our future. Secretarial Clerk, Female, 48 Years Old Before practicing the ZYQ system, I had been engaged in different schools for five years—astrology, Osho meditation practice, the Reiki healing system—and I had read various kinds of literature associated with spiritual self-development. Once introduced to the Qigong system, I started mastering it and felt fortunate to receive such a gift. I started feeling the energy; I could see and sense it. Later, I ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

realized that it could work wonders. The capabilities of the system are endless. We can heal our beloved planet Earth and all points that need treatment. Perfecting ourselves, we can change everything around us. I would love to master this system as Mingtang Xu did and share my acquired knowledge with others. If more people master Qigong, life on earth will become more beautiful, and we will develop a more harmonious relationship with the environment. We will realize that we are one with the universe. My goal is to perfect my spirit and myself in general, to share my experiences with others, and after leaving this world, to become a spiritual teacher, so that this honorable mission will come to fruition and spread the light of love. Thank you for this priceless gift. Biologist, Mail, 43 Years Old Master, I have an idea! We should tell the truth about Life and Death by dancing—for patients in hospitals, who are facing imminent death. My reasoning for this is that when the body is relaxed, the soul accepts the truth more effectively. In general, I would love to tell the story of the ZYQ in dance. Chemistry Teacher, Male, 52 Years Old I waited for Teacher and he came. I wanted to walk beside him and not follow. This is the way of ZYQ. I want to help Teacher train other people, so that many can walk in this manner. I’d love to see this system become a state-run program in many countries. If this were to happen, there would be no places of darkness on Earth; they would all have the light of the Great Teachers. Every person seeking to practice ZYQ would be able to do so. Editor of Television Programming, Female, 48 Years Old I work for a TV station. Widespread automation of the professional process requires the involvement of people who can support complicated technical systems. This is the work of a commissioning editor. It is this person to whom the management of the “human-equipment-air” ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

production system is entrusted. The activities of the editor include control over the work of organizing all technical equipment and the entire process of preparation and broadcasting. They also include standing by for possible signs of work collapse, prognosis of emergencies, and decision-making. Stress engendered by the “standby” mode, rudeness, misunderstanding of situations, a countless number of “fears,” and the lack of mutual respect among team members leads to imbalances within the body and gives rise to various illnesses in, and decreased efficiency from, the people who must work together to prepare the program for broadcast. This, in turn, affects the content as well as the quality of a program. The main result of Qigong practice is spiritual evolution and the expansion of personal self-perception reached through the all-around development of one’s psycho-emotional sphere and intellectual abilities. Methods of ZYQ allow each practitioner to acquire certain abilities. As a result, any person using them can exist normally in this world while experiencing a simultaneous increase in intellectual and creative activity. This dramatically increases work output in any occupation. Apart from health improvements, people practicing this system attain inner balance, self-confidence, a disposition toward benevolence, and activation of all abilities. Efficiency also increases. During three years of practice, I have been removed from the register of the tuberculosis clinic, I became healthy. I have said goodbye to the problems of cardiovascular inefficiency, hypotonus, osteochondrosis, and other joint disorders. Now, through the practice of ZYQ, I often help people regulate their condition—physical, as well as psychic. After I receive all the information, I decided to learn how to pass this knowledge and skill to other people. While practicing Qigong, I always had an image of my mother in my mind, knowing the problems she had with her health. I am much obliged to Xu Mingtang that I could help her. Currently, she lives in the Moscow region and I live in Kiev; circumstances do not allow us to see each other often. Qigong helps us to communicate and be calm and strong during this rough time. Postgraduate Student, Male, 24 Years Old Exercises have gone well; efficiency has dramatically improved; ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

my head has cleared up; I have become calm and peaceful. Thank you very much for developing my ability to diagnose and heal, and especially for the opportunity to experience different states of mind —for this feeling of unity, of belonging with everything living, instead of having feelings of loneliness. I think I know now what to do (and how to do it) in order to improve my new skills, and to further progress in training, education, and everything else. You are the best Teacher; we are the best students. I think that the proper way for me is to work hard. Financial Analyst, Female, 30 Years Old Before the classes, I had periods of depression, desperation, and fear. After the classes, all of these disappeared, and I experienced improvement in all areas, including sight. The exercises were not hard to practice. Within four to five classes, the separation between me and the surrounding world disappeared. Thanks a lot! The hours I spent with you while attending the classes were truly wonderful. I look forward to your next visit and hope to be a worthy student of yours by that time. Designer/Sculptor, Male, 28 Years Old In spite of not having trained before, I felt everything. My impressions of the seminar: normal, interesting, and useful; I feel like a fool and need to work more. I used to think of myself as a seeker and an observer of life. Of course, I am not blowing up bulbs, and my Third Eye does not see as well as my normal two. However, I feel many things and often cannot explain what I feel. I learn from life, from nature. I have not had a human teacher. Perhaps I would like to have one. I would love to record Chinese music; I do not like money; and I do want to continue my spiritual education. Senior Professor/Philosopher, Male, 44 Years Old I was involved in yoga and astrology. Because of the [ZYQ] classes, my physical state remained unchanged, while my moral and psychological states improved. I am working on my doctoral dissertation in philosophy on a subject very similar to Qigong. In 1983, my book about the contemporary ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

consciousness of society, The Dynamics and Tendencies of Development, hit the stores. Fifteen years ago I practiced Hatha yoga, but in recent years I have become interested in astrology. I am sensitive and feel the emotional states of other people. As a result, I have had a mass of psychological problems. Dear Mingtang Xu! I am very grateful to you for your classes. You do many kind things for people, for nations, and for the development of civilization. Editor of Television Programming, Female, 53 Years Old Since the very first day of practice, all the energy centers of my body have been working without problems. Playing music during the exercises has dramatically contributed to this state of being. I can feel cleansed and am aware of improvement in the health of my organs, regardless of whether they are in motion or not. My entire body, as a large tuned mechanism, is becoming bigger and stronger. A state of happiness overfills my soul. My efficiency has increased, and the general state of my body has acquired the stability that goes with well-being. Thank you for the knowledge of self and one’s possibilities which you have imparted! I will work more and hope to progress! (Repeated first, second, and third stages, practiced Stage IV and courses for instructors. Training continues.) Personnel Officer, Female, 46 Years Old A long time ago I asked myself, “What is the meaning of human life? Is it to give birth to children and to raise them so that they will benefit humanity? Later, I found this explanation insufficient. Think about it— humans are endowed with colossal powers and abilities. There is no way we exist only to eat, sleep, and bear offspring. Nevertheless, I could not find the answer for a long time, perhaps due to my ignorance in the matter. Several times, I did things that were reckless and could have cost me my life. Each time, at the point of life and death, an angel saved me (I came to know of this just recently). After forty-two years of living, I was finally given a lifechanging opportunity. A stranger suggested that I read books I had never ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

heard of. My road began there. Reading “Agni Yoga”, I understood that I could not progress without a teacher. I prayed to God to direct me to one, and so it was that I ended up at Stage I of ZYQ in December 1993. I could not miss a single Stage I or Stage II class conducted by Teacher. Unfortunately, my progress in training has been slow, but changes have been taking place within me and in my life. These changes are so obvious that it makes me happy. My health has improved significantly; I can say that I have no problems with it. Each day brings me happiness. The years of my youth did not bring me as much delight as I am experiencing today. Everything in my life has changed; I can’t imagine returning to my previous state. I do not set any specific goals for myself; I am simply walking the path of life while experiencing transformation every day. Qigong turned me into an optimist. I learned to find solutions for life’s situations. Constant practice makes me healthy, benevolent, balanced, and creative toward my work. Software Engineer, Male, 28 Years Old I started practicing ZYQ at the end of 1993. At that time, I was in a horrible state. My entire body was in pain and I was aggressive, with frequent and continuous nervous outbreaks. Perhaps, that is why I grabbed this method as a lifeline. At the beginning, I could only practice the Big Tree exercise for twenty minutes. My entire body would shake, and practice was very hard for me. Nevertheless, I started practicing three times a day, adding five more minutes every three days. After two months, I could practice for two hours without experiencing any problems. I felt comfortable and calm in this position. Then, immediately after the seminar, I lost my appetite and did not eat for a week. Stage II practice was worse than pre-Stage I. Major body cleansing had begun. Every kind of filth came out of my body in the form of salt. I constantly tasted salt in my mouth. With this, my aggression and unpleasantness disappeared; I felt kind of empty inside, able only to take in impressions without evaluation. Moreover, for the first time in my life, I saw structures of Qi when I started Stage II. The first time this happened was in the subway. Something similar to a cloud or fog surrounded everyone. This was when I realized that I needed energy for “vision.” In a month or two, the points and channels in my body opened up, and I could physically feel that Mingtang Xu was right when he said, “We can feed on ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

solar energy.” Even today, when I do not practice as intensely as though I am in the sun, my body “eats” that energy. At the end of 1994, I went to the Czech Republic for a year, where I met a Master of Reiki and started working with him. There, something inside me turned upside down. For some reason, I started saying and doing things that Master Mingtang Xu had told us at seminars, although I had never believed in these things. I could tell you many stories of things I experienced during that year. For example, in the winter, they needed someone to work in a boiler house to heat up the building. No one was willing to do it, because that room was very dirty. There was coal dust, carbon monoxide, ashes, and soot everywhere, all of which are detrimental to health. I kept telling everyone, “Why do you consider these substances harmful? They contain the same atoms and molecules that are present in all forms of matter, and you can use them.” It is the same energy, but in a “mean” form. I, therefore, volunteered for that job. There were other stories. Whenever I cooked, the meals were very tasty. If I needed the help of a specialist, that person would come to me by himself or herself. I would think about something at night and, in the morning, my thoughts would be fulfilled. I understood that I could help myself in anything. There comes a time when one needs to give in order to develop a deeper understanding. However, giving is also something that has to be learned. In my opinion, the method of education known as “knowledge transplantation,” which is used in ZYQ, is necessary in every level of education—from kindergarten to advanced science. This method was referred to as “heart-to-heart” or “teacher-to-student” in ancient times. That is the reason why the development of the ZYQ System, which borders on pedagogy or educational system, is very important. To put it mildly, the volumes of information with which it is necessary to work now are not matched by existing methods we must use. The establishment of a center (or institute) for the training of ZYQ teachers, as well as teachers, who can carry and pass on knowledge, seems promising to me. If we learn from childhood without any conflict with our inner selves, we are whole, holistic, one; if we are whole, our lives are different and we do not get sick, because illness starts with a conflict in the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

mind and later builds up everywhere. I think the purpose of every holistic system is the creation of a whole human being, and this can be achieved only through proper education. Therefore, development in this direction is strategically important. I thank my fate for giving me the fortunate opportunity to meet Master Mingtang Xu and learn the ZYQ System. (Currently a ZYQ instructor.) Nurse (on Maternity Leave), Female, 20 Years Old Before taking the classes, I was restless. Immediately, I felt connection with the Master. It was like being in contact with something good and kind. A sensation of inner peace and balance came to me during the third lesson. During practice, a feeling of lightness and isolation changed into cold. I wanted to practice more. I now feel very well. Engineer/Kung-fu Trainer, Male, 27 Years Old I cannot describe the changes that have taken place in a few words. The sensation is very deep and interesting. I am very pleased! I plan to continue my training, perhaps going up to Stage V of ZYQ. Lab Assistant, Male, 35 Years Old My sensitivity increased, my condition improved, and I enjoyed communicating with the Master. I acquired stability and deep peace. Many complexes disappeared. I came to an understanding of unity with the whole (I cannot find an exact word). Electrician, Male, 43 Years Old One day, the planetarium showed a movie about ZYQ. In that movie, when Master Mingtang Xu showed the preliminary exercises, something inside me stopped—I became aware of an invisible, more complete, stream of life underneath the surface. Then, the Master visited our town. Meeting him increased this feeling. Qigong classes cured my disease and brought about many changes. I acquired an inner peace and an infinite joy for being alive. My life has changed dramatically. Now I have a new habitat: Qigong. Fate gave me a chance. I took advantage of this chance through Qigong, and I now have to return the favor. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

In order not to be an alien element of our milieu, I have to be able to let it flow through me. I need to teach. This is the reason I came to learn. Chef/Businessman, Male, 40 Years Old One Eastern wise man said, “As soon as thirst arises, existence prepares a spring to quench it.” My thirst brought me to Master Mingtang Xu. He was not the first master I met. His enthusiastic students introduced me to Qigong teachings. I was shocked when one day, during my practice of Big Tree at home, Master appeared before me. My delight was endless when I recognized him right away in Kiev! Before Qigong, there was a long search. I read a lot, tried different methodologies, and dreamed of a real Master. I am very thankful to the Lord that he sent me such a teacher. I think that this system has been perfectly tuned over the course of thousands of years. Many great sages have worked on it. It is hard to add anything to the system. I would love to communicate with Master directly; I have so many questions. I think that the higher-level seminars should be organized in secluded open-air areas (for example, in health resorts or vacation houses), where learning can continue without interruption from domestic cares or frustrations and with a deep immersion in Qigong. I have many plans and projects for the future in my head. However, it seems like the main thing for me, right now, is to open up and realize myself; to reach the level that will let me work with people. I am grateful to fate and our Master for this priceless opportunity to receive valuable pearls of knowledge and to touch the system that was developed, using the heart, by Chinese masters! Financial Analyst, Male, 30 Years Old Thank you, Master! Where is the power to find knowledge, to find love? Where is that power? Mechanic, Male, 48 Years Old Before the classes, I would choke as a result of not being able to inhale deeply. As I practice, this tightness in my chest is going away. I have become much kinder. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Accountant, Female, 30 Years Old I would like to share my experience of the Qigong system and how it affects my work and me, in general. I work as a chief accountant in a small business. It so happened that when I took this job, I had no experience. It was very hard for me to learn and retain all the new information. As a result, after two months, I had a burning desire to quit. At that time, I was learning Stage I of Qigong. When the situation reached a critical stage, I suddenly opened up. Two months later, I realized that I would not quit my work; moreover, I wanted to perfect myself, to develop myself even more. I knew that if I continued self-perfection, self-development, and helped those around me, they would also have motivation to perfect themselves. Before I ended up in the ZYQ class, I was conducting my own search. I wanted to understand what was happening to me, but was afraid to end up in an environment where my inner world would be altered, corrupted, or subjected to pressure. I turned to God, to religion. Even now, while practicing Qigong, I trust in God. However, my religion is very different from the rules set in a church and various kinds of meetings. I tried, as far as possible, to master the Bible. In my opinion, the Bible is a code of morality for any normal and decent person. However, the book did not give me the knowledge I was expecting. People must know and follow Biblical canons, of course, but they are not enough for development and self-perfection. Addressing a pastor of the Pentecostal Church and other priests, all I heard was, “Have faith—and render what is necessary. Oppose the existing order and you will be immediately anathematized.” But that was not enough! Practicing Qigong, I understood what I had to do to become better, to learn how to control my energy in order to develop my mind, body, and soul, bringing it to God in the process. There is no dependency here, but the right to choose. This is is the reason why Qigong is science. Qigong gives knowledge and a choice— between progress and reason on the one hand, and evil and an abyss on the other. We come into this world naked and depart naked. What do we leave behind us? A human being lives forever if memories about him, or his works, continue to live. After death, the body is consigned to oblivion. This, however, is not true with the soul, for then the life that is given to us is a meaningless burning of energy and the end of progress. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

ZYQ helps us perfect the soul, to raise it up, step by step, higher and higher and finally, to give it to the Cosmos, the powerful engine of Universal Reason. To give it up for life and goodness—isn’t this happiness? Chemist, Female, 48 Years Old Before I was introduced to the ZYQ, I practiced meditation and completed courses in Reiki. As a result of seminar training, I have regained my appetite and my mood has improved; some old health problems have been resolved. My state, in general, has become better. I have reached optimum balance. The sensitivity in my hands has increased, and I have detected some minor problems and found development paths. I wanted to go through Stage I again. The opportunity knocked on my door six months later. I was in a different state during all the exercises. I could understand the meaning of many things and see new aspects of existence. My body became more mobile and I achieved emotional balance. In addition, my health problems disappeared. Now, my entire life revolves around ZYQ. Thousands of thanks to Master! Medical Student, Female, 17 Years Old I have no major problems. I could easily relax during Big Tree and I found that all the exercises were very easy for me. I felt the connection with Master. Diagnostics went well too—clear sensations of warmth, cold, and tingling. I could feel waves of kindness coming from Teacher. I always wanted to follow his instructions. During the classes and after them, I had feelings of satisfaction and bliss. My soul would separate from my body, and my movements were uncontrolled and natural. I wanted to close my eyes and submerge myself in the world without any thoughts, feelings, or motion. I felt energy moving and gathering throughout my body. In conflict situations, I do not experience the usual frustrations; I have become more balanced psychologically. I have transformed from participant to an observer. Later, I realized that I did not want to leave this state; I wanted to hold on to it and not let petty things get me down. Engineer, Male, 69 Years Old ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

I attended the Sri Chin Moy Center. Before the classes, my health was OK, considering the cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis that I was dealing with. After training, my pain eased and my mood and sleep improved. I was satisfied with the knowledge I had received, especially with the philosophy of Qigong—to be calm, balanced, and free of extraneous thoughts; to live in the present. The final class trained us to develop an awareness of Truth about ourselves, life, and human relations. Thank you very much, Professor Xu Mingtang, for your noble and ascetic work aimed at promoting good health among the people! Your work is priceless! You have done it masterfully and at the highest level possible. I thank you for health, for life. (Continues to attend classes in ZYQ; successfully doing Stages II and III.) Software Engineer/Translator, Male, 37 Years Old Before exposure to the ZYQ System, I had practiced Tai Chi (Chen style) for three to four hours daily. Lessons given by respected Master Mingtang Xu helped me immensely (similar to a powerful speed-increase unit). Now, I definitely feel more Qi during Tai Chi practice. My movements are more effective, and my understanding of many details has increased. In every exercise, I feel Qi movement very well. When I practice Tai Chi, my arms are very strong. During attacks, my Qi feels very strong, too. My sensitivity has increased, sleep has become deeper, and my mood is just great. Thank you very much, Master! I hope to continue Qigong practice under Master’s guidance. (Later, he completed all the remaining stages, as well as the instructor’s courses. Now, he is a ZYQ instructor.) Biologist (and Yoga Practitioner), Female, 34 Years Old I want to go horseback riding, but my horse won’t let me. Rain clouds, overcast sky, but it’s not raining. I wake up and, in the window, I see children playing with snowballs in the yard, as we did many years ago. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Next seminar: Everything is lost; I have nothing left. He looks at me and waits. I worry if any of my actions will be wrong. Why are you crying, child? What is the reason for your suffering? You think that the world doesn’t understand you. But maybe, you don’t understand the world! White light over any suffering. I do not feel joy; I am joy, myself. Sometimes, I feel something, but there is no end. Kite on a string. (Later, she passed Stages II–IV. Now, she is a Qigong instructor.) Gymnastics Coach/Choreographer, Female, 45 Years Old Good health before the classes. Day 1: Everything hurts, especially my eyes. Day 2: It was good and fun. Day 3: Also good. Day 4: Something is changing inside me. I have the hands of a dinosaur. I don’t know what that means. Day 5: I understood how little I know. I understood how good it is to simply be! Marine Mechanic, Male, 30 Years Old I had attended courses of higher magic, cosmic consciousness, meditation, Osho, and Reiki. Day 1: I was blown away by Master’s power and his method of teaching. It is at a very high level. I looked at the world from a new point of view. Day 2: I was a little annoyed by an unpleasant sensation under the shoulder blades (during the static exercises). Day 3: The unpleasant sensation increased, as did aggravation. I learned many interesting things. Day 4: Again, aggravated during the class. During the evening at ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

home, I had a catharsis. Day 5: Complete tranquility. Instrument Mechanic, Male, 22 Years Old I have stopped smoking since the second class. I got a feeling of lightness. Financial Analyst, Male, 62 Years Old My diagnosis is rheumatic arthritis. Each finger and toe is enlarged, and my joints are deformed. Due to practice, four joints have strengthened, and others are on the way to becoming straight. Thank you so much! Metal-Treatment Technologist, Female, 50 Years Old I love the music that accompanies the classes. On day three, I sensed a ball, my sleep became better, and I learned to diagnose. The classes are very impressive! I would like to thank Master Mingtang Xu with all my heart. His smile, calmness, and tolerance generate sympathy and trust. I wish you all the best in life! God bless you! Paramedic/Masseuse, Male, 19 Years Old When I practiced, I felt a pulsation of energy in areas that were affected by illness. Then, I experienced a sensation of levity in my body; starting day three, I felt calm and internally quiet. Before anything else, you gave me an opportunity to understand and feel that state of well-being I always wanted to be in. Only after that, you gave me the ability to give treatment. I thank you, once again, for what you give people and wish you the same love in return! Thanks! (Later he passed Stages II and III.) I feel so much better, both physically and morally. I’m satisfied with this state. I’ve become more life-loving and started to feel a connection to my surrounding world. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Teacher/Translator, Female, 36 Years Old ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

I had chronic cholecystitis, dark circles under my eyes, headaches, low blood pressure, and problems with my pancreas, gallbladder, and liver; I had sand in my kidneys and my limbs were always cold. Thanks to practice, my hands are warmer, I have no headaches, and I do not get cold at all. There are no more dark circles around my eyes; I have plenty of time to do everything and help others. Most importantly, I have finally found time to spend with my children. Thank you. It feels as though I now know how, having changed my attitudes toward myself and having gotten to know myself, to alter my own life and that of others—in health, human contact, work, and family; to not be a slave to circumstance, but instead, to create conditions of life that are better for me and those surrounding me.

THERAPEUTIC EFFECT Accountant, Female, 50 Years Old I have completed Stage I twice within the interval of one and a half months. I practice daily. At first, it was hard to make myself stand in Big Tree position after the seminar. However, after five days, time would fly, and I increased practice to sixty minutes. During the evenings, I practice Refining Qi and Small Microcosmic Orbit. I have experienced the following changes: 1. Dramatically improved memory—I notice that I remember information and phone numbers with no difficulty at all. 2. Hair color is returning. 3. My sight has improved. I had age-related farsightedness, +1.5 diopters; now it is +0.5. 4. My hearing has improved. 5. Climacteric symptoms have disappeared, and the elasticity of my body has returned; my facial skin is much lighter. 6. I feel full of energy; I can easily treat headaches and my own bad blood pressure as well as that of my friends. A Four-Person Family: Doctor, Professor, and Two Children The wife, thirty-nine years old, is a medical doctor at the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Ministry of Health. The husband, also thirty-nine, is a senior professor at the Institute for Scientific Research. Their sons are nine and twelve years old. Together, they completed Stage I. All phenomena and effects were normal. One month after completion of Stage I: Practice, three-to-four times weekly, freed the husband of pain in his gastrointestinal tract. This gave him the opportunity to quit his restrictive diet (in the past, he had suffered a duodenal ulcer and minor dysfunction of the pancreas). At the very beginning of Stage I classes, he was easily able to stop his periodical bouts of vegetative-vascular dystonia. He increased his efficiency and prolonged his real effective work time to twelve to sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, instead of his usual ten to twelve hours, five to six days a week. The wife hasn’t noticed any changes, except for sporadic mood improvement. She is better at work. She practices Qigong once a week. The oldest son has improved his outlook on people; he is better behaved at school, and doesn’t fight with classmates. He has become more open to connections and is much healthier. If he does get sick, the recovery is much easier and the illness disappears faster. Five months after completion of Stage I: The psychological climate in the family has improved. The husband has reached financial stability by finding additional sources of income. His regular headaches and bouts of vegetative-vascular dystonia have disappeared completely (he practices two or three times a week). His spring allergy, however, remains active. The wife, practicing one or two times a month, appears to have better sleep. For twenty-five years, she had received ineffective treatment for insomnia, on many occasions and through various physicalpharmacologic methods. Their sons have been able to improve their school results in general by 30 percent, and they do not get sick as often as they did before. The boys practice one or two times a month. Various other transformations have taken place among the members of this family. For example, by noticing a strange person, the husband avoided a daylight mugging and recovered his wallet. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

The incident took place on payday, when he was taking a trolley bus to collect his salary (in cash). After three or four trolley stops, he sensed an “emptiness” in his rib cage, a “discomfort.” The reason, he realized, was that someone had stolen his wallet. In the one or two minutes that were left before his stop, he entered the state of Silence, and understood who had taken his wallet and where that person was. He then went and retrieved his wallet from the pickpocket’s pocket. Dishwasher, Female, 41 Years Old A year ago, my hands started developing moist eczema that would go away only after four or five days of treatment and of not letting water with detergents touch my hands. Even rubber gloves did not work due to the perspiration, which was emanating from my hands. On the third day of the classes, my hands started healing and, by the end of the fourth day, new skin started to grow. Even after doing the laundry with detergent, its appearance did not worsen. (She has completed Stage I twice.) For more than a month and a half, I am feeling great! There is no eczema, even though I still work with hot water and detergents and often with no gloves. I want to continue training. I believe Qigong exercises can keep me healthy. Homemaker, Female, 50 Years Old Before Qigong, tests in the hospital diagnosed in me the following diseases: 1. Chronic pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, and nephroptosis 2. Erosive gastritis 3. Post-surgical plexitis of the left arm after radical mastectomy Since 1992, I had frequent bouts of nephrocolic, constant pain in my lumbar area, dizziness, and insomnia. Often, my arms and legs would grow numb. My left arm was almost insensitive and nearly motionless. I appealed to many clinics on numerous occasions, but nothing worked. In December 1992, following the recommendation of Professor Mingtang Xu, I started practicing the ZYQ System regularly. In the beginning, the exercises caused me horrible pain due to my left arm. Within a month and a half, I felt that the arm had regained its sensitivity. One month later, I could button my shirts with no help at all and ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

with no pain in my left arm. With time, the pain in the lumbar area disappeared, and my kidneys hurt far less than before. Since the summer of 1993, large amounts of sand have been coming out. At the end of the summer of 1993, clinical tests showed normal results. I do not have stomachaches or dizziness, and my sleep has improved dramatically. I continue training and am becoming more and more convinced that this method is having a great effect on my body. Obeisance to the person who helps us believe in our abilities and improve our health during these hard times. THANK YOU, MINGTANG XU! (She has passed more seminars ever since. Now, she is practically healthy and very active.) Architect, Female, 61 Years Old Before I found out about the ZYQ System, I attended hatha yoga, but constant tension and the feeling of sudden senescence would not leave me for anything. My leg felt as though it was being pulled from the hip—it hurt and the bottom of my foot “burned.” In addition, I had a toothache. On the very first day of the seminar, during the Big Tree exercise, my entire body was rotating like a turbine. I was somewhat tired. At the second class, rotation of the body continued, but I felt surprisingly satisfied from the class. On the third day, I felt active movement along the spine. Rotation during Big Tree decreased. From the fourth class, my well-being began to improve and I had general flexibility in my joints. After the, the changes are just amazing. I have become ten years younger; I feel light in my entire body. I sense energy very well, and my body is wrapped in a pleasing warmth. The problem with my leg is almost gone. Thank you!!! I appreciate this greatly! I thank God for sending us this teacher! Aviator, Male, 64 Years Old This is the first time I have attended such courses. About three years ago, I fell from a height of three meters (ten feet) and landed on my ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

coccyx. After that, I felt constant pain in my lumbar and kidney areas. During the first class, I did not experience any sensations, phenomena, or problems. However, my arms and legs grew very heavy while practicing Big Tree. On the second day, I felt several sudden stabs in the perineum during relaxation and Master’s “listening with hands.” During the third class, I experienced a weak sensation of Earth and Sky energy in my palms. I did not want to eat at all. On the fourth day, I felt a hot ball in the area of the navel, my palms became moist, and I still didn’t want to eat anything. One night at 3:00 a.m., I woke up due to a sudden pain in the pit of my stomach. I rolled from side to side, and the pain went away. However, in the morning, I had a headache. The pain came and went in waves; it hurt until I was able to vomit and then went away. At 4:00 p.m., I took a fifteen-minute nap and the pain disappeared completely. During the classes, I felt the ball very clearly. When I sent energy, others felt it. As a result of the fifth class, I feel light, as though I have rested after a physical challenge. The pain has decreased so much that at times, I am completely pain-free. Philologist, Male, 48 Years Old Before the classes: depression, general weakness, and diabetes (twenty-nine years taking insulin injections). After the classes: improvement in general state, feeling of freshness, good mood, and sudden drop in blood sugar levels. Wishes: to create a recreational and diagnostic center that will be accessible to everyone. Financial Analyst/Director of a Joint Venture, Female, 46 Years Old Before the classes: weakness, apathy, and insomnia. After the classes: interest in life, good sleep and lots of energy. I can say that my health has improved dynamically. The Qigong system has worked positively. Master Tailor, Male, 60 Years Old This is the first time I have attended such courses. I suffer from ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

colitis, gastritis, and meteorism. During the Big Tree exercise, I experienced strong pain in my ankles and on the right side of my forehead. On the second and third days, I also felt heaviness in my hands. I felt “the ball” on the left side. On the fourth day, the pain in my forehead went away, and the ankles did not hurt that much. On the fifth day, I felt comfortable and light and the pain in my urinary system disappeared. Masseuse, Male, 26 Years Old On the morning of the third day of the seminar, I saw a bluishgray fog around the objects in my apartment and in the street. From day four, Small Microcosmic Orbit was easy for me. On day five, I woke up due to a loud sound—energy started going through me and then, independently, it started moving around Small Microcosmic Orbit. My hands healed—they used to have open wounds from treatment. I have completed Stage I twice. My perceptions have become much better. Each class has given me a deeper understanding of the exercises; I execute them in a calmer and more natural way. Finally, I have received answers to the questions that had been bugging me forever. Perhaps this happened due to the practice of the exercises of the previous cycle. In the beginning, after morning practice, about 7:00 a.m., I felt very weak; later, it became merely a moderate weakness; and then, a light weakness in legs. I feel very good now. I experienced delight and exultation at the end of the fifth class. Thanks a lot for your work and for helping all of us! Engineer, Female, 44 Years Old I have been practicing Hatha yoga. I suffer from a number of health problems, including thyrophyma, breast tumor, lipoblastoma, and rheumatism. I am familiar with exercises for the receipt of energy, but “the Big Tree” attracted my interest. Practicing this exercise in the first several days clearly aroused three sensations: wind, cold in the area of trigeminal ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

nerve, and a hot lump in my thyroid gland. The classes swept me away. I want to practice more and more; the changes in sensation made me want to perfect myself. Failure in Big Tree practice at the fourth class was a horrible thing for me. I can’t find words to describe it. I felt a hot ball while transporting the energy. The fifth class went very well for me; the sensations were very clear and rich. Dear teacher! Not only do I want to solve my problem with tumors, but I would also like to use your experience in my practice. I would like to understand my body, feel Qi, and use Qi. Yesterday, I tried to see your face, but I only saw clothes. How can I develop my vision? I want to continue my education, but I am aware of the fact that I do not practice enough. However, I will do my best. Engineer/Geographer, Female, 56 Years Old In 1987, I attended classes on Chinese astrology and Qigong. I have problems with my gallbladder, pancreas, and intestinal tract, salt deposition in my fingers, and vision impairment. During the first ZYQ seminar class, it was very hard for me to stand in Big Tree. However, I felt roots, branches, and energy inside me. The exercise of kidney normalization brought me the clear sensation of my kidneys being washed with water, with the result that the sand went out through my feet. That night, I had a beautiful dream: I was flying, even through the glass. I have never experienced anything like this before. When I repeated Big Tree, I clearly felt the flow from the top, but the legs were stiff. Dizziness, nausea, and a heaviness in the vertex changed with the clear sensation of the energy moving inside me. I had a headache when I practiced Small Microcosmic Orbit, but it went away after I patted myself. Working with the liver, I felt movement inside, and then all discomfort in my liver and stomach areas disappeared. It was easier for me to stand in the third class. I felt hot but still did not feel my legs. Small Microcosmic Orbit made me experience a strong flow of energy, with pain in problematic zones. It was easy and pleasing to stand in the fourth class. Energy was coming in from the top and bottom in waves, as though it was seaweed in water. I clearly felt the sensation of a flow during the practice of Small Microcosmic Orbit too. While executing the transformation of Qi, light blinded my eyes, as the sun would do. Again, I felt an inner movement ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

accompanied by clear sensations during diagnosis. It was very easy to stand in Big Tree on the fifth day. The movement of the energy was rich and diverse; all the sensations were pleasing. Discomfort in my liver, stomach, intestine, and heart areas disappeared. I experienced happiness and ease, just like when I was a child. A blue-purple color and the Master’s eyes appeared in the area of the Third Eye. Software Engineer, Female, 26 Years Old The classes were very interesting. However, it was hard for me to practice Big Tree—I had pain in my adnexa and kidneys, as well as severe nausea. In a couple of classes, I acquired sensitivity in my arms and hands, and it became easier to stand in Big Tree pose. Before class, I could not spend a long time in closed places containing many people; now I don’t have that problem. Sales Associate, Female, 21 Years Old I have attended classes of Sakhaja-Yoga and bioenergetics. My health is not in a very good state: I have adnexal affection, gastritis, a painful right kidney, vegetative-vascular dystonia, and lymphnode hyperplasia in the inguen. Practicing at the seminar, I felt a glowing concentrated energy from the lower chamber send electrical flashes and specks all over my body. My feet and fingertips were burning. At night, the energy flowed down into the right leg. When I practice, I feel heat and tingling, one after another, across the entire body. I feel delight, followed by depression, after which I become calm and drowsy. When I practice Big Tree, I feel dizzy, as though I am moving in conjunction with the planet and everything on it. I felt the same sensation when I started seeing people’s auras. I wake up every morning feeling endless love toward people and nature. Paramedic, Female, 50 Years Old Before the seminar, I suffered from fatigue, weakness, pain in the heart area, high blood pressure, bad mood, and hypertonic crisis. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

During Big Tree, I felt energy in my fingers that reminded me of Indian dance. At first, during Small Microcosmic Orbit practice with breathing, all I could feel was increased warmth. After the energy cleansing of my kidneys and liver, sand started coming out. I experienced clear sensations appeared during diagnostics. After the fourth day seminar, at night I felt something similar to a waterfall, a one-at-a-time pain in my right foot, left shoulder blade, right shoulder blade, leg, hip as if something was trying to get out and get in; then, all feelings disappeared. I became more work-efficient, my mood improved, and I felt refreshed. During the five days of the seminar, I did not use any medication. I have completed Stage I twice. When I practiced Big Tree, I felt the motion of energy more intensely. My arms moved by themselves; earlier, I could feel only fingers. I feel the path of the energy better, in Small Microcosmic Orbit as well; I also experience tingling in my tongue. However, my sensitivity in diagnostics decreased, although I detected all the problems correctly. Over the course of four days, bursts of energy changed into irritability and high blood pressure. Instead of taking medication, I practiced exercises to decrease my blood pressure. After an hour, the pressure would stabilize, and I would once again have a good disposition. By the fifth class, activity decreased. As a result, all unpleasant and painful sensations were easy to treat by putting my hands onto the disturbed areas. Constant practice during the three months improved my state. I can live without medications now; however, sometimes I feel weak. Thank you very much! Chemist, Male, 55 Years Old I came to the seminar with the following problems: deafness, weak vision, prostatitis, and joint pain. During the process of the seminar, my general state improved and my joint pain eased. Biologist, Female, 36 Years Old Before such seminars, I had problems with my heart and kidneys, along with lumbosacral radiculitis, rritation, and a feeling of weakness. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

After class, I have a feeling of lightness, freshness, and a clear mind—all unusual for me. I hope we have meetings in the future, where Master will introduce us to the philosophical points of view concerning the meaning of our existence. That would bring us closer to God, and then we would pursue the maintenance and improvement of our health with a renewed purpose. Engineer/Confectioner, Female, 37 Years Old My physical state prior to the classes was bad: kidney pain, trouble with my child, and bad moods. From the very first day, I practiced all exercises very easily. I feel, clearly, the intake of energy when I practice Big Tree. My thorough familiarity and comfort enable me to know all the exercises ahead. By the third class, I could hardly open my eyes; I was weak and afraid to fall. When I was walking home, I regained my freshness. By the fourth class, I did everything right and felt good. I needed the energy very much, and I learned how to search for it and accept it. Thanks!!! By the fifth class, I saw my own organs. Thank you!!! Now I can feel the motion of the energy through my legs and arms, and I feel much better. Engineer, Female, 49 Years Old My problems include neuralgia of the acoustical nerve, removed ovary (due to a cyst), removed tonsils, illness of the mucic, and extreme dizziness. The classes have helped me increase my general tonus; my mood has increased dramatically, and the buzzing in one ear has decreased. I have started feeling fields of the Earth, the Cosmos, and different organs. Dear Teacher! I practiced hatha yoga a little bit, but over the course of two years of practice, I did not feel the same changes as during five days of Qigong classes. I appreciate your work very much. I have changed my outlook of the world. Thank you very much! Secretarial Clerk, Disabled (Stage II), Female, 47 Years Old Before the classes, the state of my health was bad. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

On the very first day, I felt pain in my head, liver, stomach, intestinal tract and cervicothoracic spine. I became easily fatigued and experienced feelings of drowsiness. During the second day of practice, my general state improved. I no longer felt fatigue and, perhaps because of increased sensitivity, I experience pleasant warmth throughout my body. With each day, I improved and the pains I previously felt had become gradually milder. Still, I noticed that I felt worse at home than I did during the seminar. On the fifth day of the seminar, the pain, although considerably milder now, persisted in my liver, intestinal tract, cervicothoracicus spine, and head. I began to experience similar sensations at each practice. Following the Big Tree exercise, I would feel decisively better and would be overcome with lightness and warmth throughout my body. The sensations have become very clear. However, these feelings would not transfer to my at-home life constantly. I know that if I keep working hard, I will solve all my problems. I want to continue practicing. (She repeated Stage I after six months.) During the first class, I experienced heavy drowsiness, characterized by yawning and irritability. On the second day of practice, I felt a piercing pain in the right part of my body, as well as bloating and drowsiness. The third day took away the pain and made me feel fresh and brisk. On the fourth day, again, I felt sleepy; I yawned and felt heartache and back pain. The fifth class dissolved the pain and irritability. I always feel connected to Teacher Xu Mingtang. This is my salvation, especially in hard times. He always supports me and gives me little pushes to keep me going. I would like to express my gratitude to Mingtang Xu; he keeps me in the light. I am happy, although I still have problems, which, however, I am able to solve easily. I have become a different person. I have changed. (In two weeks, she started Stage II.) Because of practice, my general state has improved—the pain has disappeared and vivacity, calmness, balance, and confidence have returned. I want to live and create. (In seven months, she started Stage III.) After the seminar, I felt great and in good mood. I became ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

calmer and more confident. I am full of energy. I want to practice more, and I feel like I need it. Engineer/Psychologist, Female, 50 Years Old I used to teach health groups. I also taught various methods of psycho training. Before I started practicing ZYQ, I experienced the aggravation of my existing conditions of bronchitis, pharyngitis, and bronchial asthma. My medications had not worked for several months. I have completed Stages I and II, one after the other. My pain, depression, and drowsiness have disappeared. I have experienced feelings of universal Love, and my sleeping hours have decreased to five hours, all in the course of normal life. I am practically healthy, have had a dramatic increase in tonus on all levels, and work in a far more efficient manner than before. When I practice Big Tree exercise, I experience this state of absolute peace and quiet. Everything stops—it is impossible to describe. After Big Tree, inner discomfort and tension disappear; I feel so peaceful. I see myself as an ocean; everything that happens is on the top layer, on the surface, while in the depths, it is peaceful and quiet. I look at many things now and consider them games; inside me are peace and stability. In general, I experience this state every day during class. Many things appear to be unwanted and needless. Unfortunately, I cannot bring this state into the normal course of my existence. However, I feel as though I have a lot to look forward to! Thank you for the science, for the practice, for bringing me back to my origin, and for opening my mind to a variety of perceptions of the world! Building Engineer, Male, 77 Years Old Health problems: hypertony, polyarthritis, and sclerosis. During the early classes, I felt very sleepy. Then, I experienced a pleasing feeling of appeasement and good sleep, while my mood and overall state improved. Engineer, Male, 28 Years Old Before classes, I frequently felt weakness, apathy, easy fatigue, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

and irritation. After the seminar, I was able to clearly feel energy; I sleep well now and am always in a good mood. I feel fresh and full of energy. I have a clear mind and am efficient at work. Doctor (MD), Female, 70 Years Old I have attended courses in bioenergetics and medical astrology. However, I have many health problems, including allergy (antitoxin rash), vasomotor rhinitis, bronchial asthma with choking spells, and deep vein phlebitis in my lower legs. After classes, the frequency of choking spells has reduced, I have no cough at all, and the pain alongside the veins in my lower legs has disappeared. Financial Analyst, Disabled (Stage I), Male, 65 Years Old I have attended courses in transcendental meditation. Before the ZYQ classes, I experienced loss of strength, depression, sudden loss of vision, aggravation of chronic diseases of the digestive tract, and pain in my liver. After classes, my general state and mood improved, my sensitivity increased, and energy could flow easily throughout my body. My liver does not bother me anymore. Engineer, Male, 33 Years Old Twice, I completed Stage I. I have quit smoking and have more confidence than ever before; however, I still need Master’s support. Thank you, Master Xu Mingtang, for this blessing. Computer Operator, Female, 40 Years Old Health state: ventricle of heart impassability, myocardial disorder, pain in head and spine areas, lymph-node hyperplasia, face asymmetry due to the pinch of occipitofacial and seventh cranial nerves, and gynecology problems. After the classes: I learned to kill pain in the heart using the Small Microcosmic Orbit exercise. My headaches are gone and my lymph nodes have returned to normal; my face is symmetric, all pain is gone, and ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

my efficiency at work has been restored. I have the impression that I can move mountains. My health has now returned to normal. Foreign Languages Teacher, Male, 60 Years Old Before the classes, I suffered from rheumatism, mitral insufficiency, stenocardia, vessel constriction, salt deposition (feet bonelets), allergy, hernia, illness in the right kidney, bad vestibular apparatus, and loss of hair. During practice, all organs ached, especially my heart, hernia, and arms. I felt a tick in my legs, along with tears and blocked ears on numerous occasions. Overall, I always felt very hot—the heat appeared to be in the stomach area, and my body was covered with goose bumps. Then, my legs stop aching (something that was a frequent occurrence, every evening and night) and I stopped losing hair. Dear professor, Master! I would like to receive the whole course of knowledge to develop my abilities to help people who are dear and close to me, and all people in general, even if it would only be for the rest of my life. I hope this is possible. I would like to know as much as possible (I am afraid to say “everything”—perhaps only God can know that much). Do not forget about me. Please let me know whenever you teach classes. [After that, he repeated many classes, and all his pains disappeared completely.] Financial Analyst/Accountant, Female, 53 Years Old I have attended different schools of bioenergetics and the school of “Fire Flower.” At the time I discovered Qigong, I had problems with my kidneys, lungs, and liver, as well as a tumor in my reproductive system. During the classes, I was constantly in a trance but still executed all exercises. At home, I fell asleep very fast and slept well. I did not have that sensation of lightness as others did—I had headaches instead, but overall, my state improved. I sensed my entire body cleansing itself. With that, I also found another problem—someone put a spell on me. During the night class, I was screaming and crying in different voices. First, I said the name of the person who put a spell on me and then I cried, “I feel bad,” after which I ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

sniveled, “I am going away…” Morning practice went the same way—I was crying, “I feel bad.” Perhaps not all my problems disappeared, but my stomach did not move anymore. I only felt a little pain in it. Mingtang Xu, thank you very much! (I repeated Stage I.) I started feeling everything during exercises, immediately after starting. The second day brought me pain in almost every organ, and my ears were burning. On the third day, I experienced a weird feeling of anxiety. On the fourth day, this feeling stayed with me, but all exercises worked just fine. On the last day, I had a major general boost. The aggravation of bronchitis that had originally surfaced has gone. It is much easier to breathe through my nose, and my tumor has shrunk and become softer. During the entire week, I felt as though I was dreaming. It was a major cleansing process. It is hard to describe anything with words! Perhaps for the first time in the last two years, I exercised with pleasure. (Then I completed Stage II.) My lungs, kidneys, and liver cleaned up a little bit; even my voice became more vibrant. My attitude toward life has changed dramatically. I take many things that used to displease me with a smile now. [She continued practice, and all her problems disappeared.] Physics Teacher, Female, 34 Years Old I have attended different courses of bioenergetics, along with Osho, in the school of spiritual development. By the time I got into Qigong, I had induration in my breast, as well as stomachache. During practice, the induration resolved and the pains went away. It took my gastrointestinal tract three days to cleanse. I felt and saw flows of energy. Surveyor, Disabled, Male, 45 Years Old I have dysemia, cystic disease, left lymph-gland cancer, and a series of other medical problems. I do the exercises well, but I still experience painful and discomforting sensations during practice. I have learned well diagnostics and pain killing.. I was able to improve my overall state a little bit. I would like to ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

train with a view to perfecting my intellect and improving my health, after I repeat Stages I and II. I have the sensation of a complete lightness, a major improvement in my overall state, strong feelings of energy movement throughout my body, and the awareness of changes taking place in my body. The changes that are taking place are awesome! Sauna Attendant, Male, 56 Years Old Before the start of classes, I would experience unstable kinetic segments C2-5, partial functionality of segments C1-2, and frank cervical osteochondrosis. During the first class, I felt heaviness in my hands, and pain in the occipital part of the head and in my cervical spine. Then, serenity and tranquility spread across my body. Starting with the third class, Big Tree has cured pains in my arm joints. After I mastered Small Microcosmic Orbit, the head spasms went away and the catarrh stopped. The instability of kinetic segments disappeared, and I can freely move my neck. I feel light, like a bird in flight. Chemical Engineer, Female, 57 Years Old Before the classes, I suffered from palpitations. After the first classes, tachycardia and heartache went away. During the practice of all exercises, I clearly feel the motion of energy inside my body. I can perform diagnosis by phone and by eidolon. Eidolon diagnosis is correct six times out of ten. I feel activity in the Third Eye area. I have been swept off my feet by the magic of Qigong as well as your personal charm, dear Master! I would love to continue learning this system, it is truly amazing! I thank God for having you bring this system here! Librarian, Female, 58 Years Old Two years ago, I completed Stage I. Recently, I repeated it. Main result: I got rid of a thirty-five-year-old metrofibroma by simply practicing your system. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Software Engineer, PhD, Female, 67 Years Old My problems: bad sleep, cholecystitis. When I am doing Big Tree, a wave is moving in my legs and along my spine, and I experience muscle twitching. On the third day, it became easier for me to exercise; on the fourth, more enjoyable. I cannot perform diagnosis. Prior to attending this seminar, I independently practiced autogenic training (AT) in a lying-down position. Eventually, instead of the expected relaxation, tension built up. It caused convulsive movements of my arms, legs, muscles along the spine, and pelvic area. It is for this reason that I had to quit AT practice. However, twitching still occurred, unprompted, during every state of rest. Only after the very first class of Qigong did I feel such a big relief—I relaxed, and learned to transform collected energy. I feel upbeat, and my sleep has improved; I have a new goal in my life now. Student, Male, 14 Years Old When I was practicing Big Tree for the first time, my arms were very tired and my lungs hurt a lot. The second practice of the exercise brought me no pain in the lungs, but a horrible headache and kidney pain. My arms were less tired. During the third practice, there was no headache, and my kidneys did not hurt. My arms were less tired. By the fourth practice, I had visions, and my arms were not tired at all. The fifth class took away all my pain, and my sensitivity increased dramatically. In addition, my ability to perform diagnosis improved. I acquired the ability to perceive pain of others. I am also able to protect myself. Professor, Female, 57 Years Old From 1977–1980, I practiced yoga. However, the state of my health prior to Qigong practice was moderate. I practiced much better during the seminar. I did not have any unpleasant sensations. By day three, I felt much better in general. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

I think that my connection to Christianity and religion, body cleansing for three weeks prior, and the presence of the benevolent Moon phase during the seminar all contributed to my success. Radio Physicist/Athlete, Female, 48 Years Old Prior to practice, I experienced common endocrine disorders. During the first class, I felt a sharp pain in the lower and cervical spine, and my arms went numb. Big Tree practice was accompanied by the movements of my body with strong fluctuations. During the second day, the pain increased, but channels in my hands opened up. Later, a green ball appeared. The third day calmed the pain; the ball looked like monad: onehalf of it, yellowish-green, and the other half, blue. During night practice, when I was in a relaxed state, I saw light alongside the teacher, and I was talking to him. After that, the pain in my spine became weaker, and the amplitude and frequency of the swings decreased. On the morning of the fifth day, I hardly had any swings at all while practicing Big Tree. However, I did feel pain in my cervical spine. The ball contained all the colors of the rainbow, with green and blue dominating. Perhaps my spine damage is purely mechanical, because having been previously engaged in sports, I had sustained some injuries. During my school years, I was an active cyclist. Many times, I fell off the bicycle during training and competitions. Once, I flew over the handlebar, flipped over my head, and landed on my back. I got up and walked with the support of others. Despite the fall, a week later, I was back on the bicycle. I did not pay any special attention to the spine. Before the Chernobyl accident, I was on file at the endocrinological dispensary. Due to factors beyond my control, I had imbibed a large dose of radioactive iodine. My pancreas almost failed. After taking classes on biological energy at the Bioenergetics School with Pavel Srarikh and understanding some of my actions, I felt much better. Last year was very hard for me: I left the field of science and have a new job as an accountant with a heavy workload. In addition, my beloved father died. As a result, my health suffered dramatically. Now, after the courses, I am getting back to life. Thank you, everyone, and special thanks to the teacher. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Production Supervisor, Male, 69 Years Old My problems are valvular heart disease, chronic diseases of the lungs, liver, and kidneys, and osteochondrosis. During the very first days, practice of the exercises caused sharp pains in chronicallyaffected areas. In the next two days, the intensity of the pain decreased dramatically. On the fifth day, the pains stopped, and I feel very well. Thanks for everything! Disabled (Stage I—ICP) Since Childhood, Male, 35 Years Old During the very first practice, I felt as though I was flying. The second class took small problems away. The third class brought me a strong boost of energy. At the fourth class, I was flying again. During the fifth class, I was in pure delight. (Later, he repeated Stage I.) While practicing Big Tree, I experience a sensation of extreme heat, as sweat streams down my back. My speech has improved and spasticity decreased. Thanks! Retired, Male, 62 Years Old Before classes, I had glaucoma and bronchocele. After practice, the bronchocele disappeared and the glaucoma decreased. Instrument Mechanic, Male, 22 Years Old Problems of chronic gastritis, frequent sties. My health improved. I quit smoking in the second day of practice and now have a constant feeling of lightness. Engineer, Male, 26 Years Old I think that a person comes to any school due to a sense of inner dissatisfaction with his life. It does not matter what aspect we are talking about. In practice, we hope to improve our life and increase its quality. We would like to receive more satisfaction, more happiness from life. In my personal case, everything was more prosaic. Since I was in ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

the ninth grade, I was intrigued by the concept of energy. Those years brought us a boom of karate and martial arts. Gradually, I built a chain that led me from one school to another. Then, I discovered Tai Chi. During the very first class, I felt the motion of the energy ball. I understood that there are things we do not know yet; things that human beings generally do not know about themselves. I realized that humans are connected to energy, to something that moves them. I found this system many years ago, constantly crying out for a teacher during practice, “Teacher, where are you?” I recalled a phrase, “The teacher is always ready if the student is.” Later, after mastering each stage several times, I decided to become an instructor, because I needed an explanation of how I cured myself through practice. After stress connected to my parents’ health and my long hours at work, I developed heartache. I had to go to a doctor. Clinical tests diagnosed vegetative-vascular dystonia and preinfarction angina. The doctor recommended a hospital stay for two to three weeks, vacation, and an easier job with no overload, no heavy lifting, and a strict schedule. The doctor also recommended a regular intake of medications. I was to repeat the examination in a year. At first, I got upset. Then, I started thinking. I understood that I needed to calm down and relax, and meditate with the question, “How do I cure this disease?” I knew many systems other than ZYQ. Wouldn’t I find another way apart from taking medications? That night, I fell asleep while meditating. I woke up with the idea that I needed to practice a lot of Big Tree. I started immediately and initially practiced for two hours. Gradually, I increased the duration of practice. I was practicing Big Tree for seven days, without taking any medications during that period. On day seven, during practice, I felt a weird sensation in the heart area as though two corks had flown out of the bottle. I could have sworn that I heard the real noise. I felt as though the power had returned to my body. I even jumped up one meter to confirm this. The next day, I went to the clinic and asked to go on an exercycle. The doctor looked at me pie-eyed and said, “You are not ready yet; you have just started taking medications.” However, I did my best to persuade him. The doctor brought me to the exercycle. The load was gradually increased, and everything was normal. The doctor was confused. He said, “Perhaps the medications had a very strong affect on you.” When I told him ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

that I had not taken any, he was even more surprised. He sent me to a dedicated cardiological clinic for examination. There, personnel looked at my extraction, diagnosis, and ECG, and put me onto the exercycle. While working on it, I performed a load of work that would qualify me as a master candidate of bicycling. All readings indicated that I was functioning normally. The doctor said, “Don’t kid around; you just had a nervous breakdown, that’s it. Go home, have some calming teas, and don’t worry.” After that, I have a very complicated opinion about medicine. I have understood that I need to take care of my own self, but to do it the right way. Since then, I have been practicing Qigong very seriously. (Today, he is an instructor, as well as a participant in several intense training courses in Shaolin.)

DEVELOPMENT OF VARIOUS PHENOMENA Electric Engineer/Software Engineer, Male, 38 Years Old My health is good and I have not attended any other courses. I like the classes, but it was initially hard for me to stand in Big Tree: I had heavy hands and pains in the shoulder girdle, followed by pain in different parts of my body. I felt “the ball” very well. By the end of the seminar, I stood in Big Tree easily and was able to perform all the other exercises successfully as well. (Completed both Stages I and II.) My sensitivity has increased. I have seen dark spots on the bodies of other people and felt their pain while communicating. In other words, my level of empathy for their pain has risen. However, I have always believed myself to be a healthy person. (Repeated Stage I one more time.) On the first day, I felt so good that I did not want to finish Big Tree. On the second day, after Small Microcosmic Orbit, I had pain in my left side (the result of an injury that happened to me eight years ago). Then the pain went away. At the end of the third class, I had cramps—the result of a disease from ten years ago—followed by a long period of feeling cold; the entire body was itchy, and my heart rate was forty beats per minute. My ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

attitude toward these symptoms was one of tolerance. After the fourth and fifth classes, I felt this amazing overflow of energy, characterized by a light feeling throughout the body. In the evening, vibrations from the lower chamber started moving through the entire body, and my spine started hurting. By morning, everything was gone. I healed people who were close to me, helped them get rid of pain, and saw how the space around them was clearing. After classes, I feel very well. I no longer have pain and am able to see colors on the bodies of other people with my eyes closed. When I heal people, I feel their pain in me. I want to help people understand the souls of others and to love everyone. I would like to continue training, to learn how to control my body, my spirit, and my feelings. Thank you very much for your amazing science and for your priceless gift! Financial Analyst, Male, 55 Years Old I am a first timer. The state of my health is, overall, OK. At the beginning of the first class, I had a boost of energy. After Big Tree, I was very sleepy. Since class number two, I clearly feel energy rising along the spine during Big Tree, as well as the movement of the energy during all exercises. However, after completing these exercises, I want to sleep. It is very interesting. Thank you very much. I look forward to another class of Stage I, so that I can master the material completely. Doctor (MD), Male, 54 Years Old In 1991–1994, I attended a bioenergetics course. Nevertheless, I still have pains in my left kidney area and thoracic spine. After attending my first class, there was an improvement in my overall condition. During the second practice of Big Tree, I felt myself to be a part of the Cosmos—I wanted to fly. After practicing kidney cleansing, all my usual weaknesses disappeared. I saw the teacher’s work during kidney cleansing, and felt his influence at massage. Teacher! Thank you for your work. Let your cosmic work be blessed for many years! ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

(Completed Stage II and repeated Stage I twice.) I feel great. Thank you, teacher! God bless! Software Engineer, Male, 43 Years Old I have kidney disease and varicose veins. I was once fond of auto-training and Integral Yoga by the Shri Aurobindo method. After attending my first class, I felt a boost of energy and the activation of processes. During the second class, I felt streams of yin and yang, and my body felt light during Big Tree practice. The third class brought me heat in the lower Dan Tian area; and during Big Tree, I had pain in my legs, kidneys, back, and arms. I started feeling colors, and a difference in the temperatures of yin and yang. During class number four, I felt as though my channels were clean. During the fifth class, I felt heat while performing Small Microcosmic Orbit. One of the powerful effects of Big Tree was the dissolution of the body and an awareness of fresh yin and yang. My experience of these phenomena is unpredictable: sometimes, I experience them, while at others times, I experience nothing. Historian/Healer, Male, 40 Years Old I practiced hard at Qigong and was successful in all exercises. My overall condition has improved and my head is very clear. My kidneys have been thoroughly cleansed, and the sensitivity of my hands has increased. My physical strength has increased as well. Waking up in the morning, I feel energy rising along my spine. Psychologist, Female, 53 Years Old I suffer from injury of the cervical spine and right shoulder joint. I have pains in my kidney area as well. While practicing some of the exercises, I see color pictures: a white Chinese pagoda on a seaside, small white houses on a riverbank, and crowds of people. There is something going on with my family, and I worry. When I did my “homework,” I heard the teacher’s voice, as though he were speaking in a microphone. I feel like an indolent pupil if I don’t practice. (Repeated Stage I twice.) During the introductory lecture, I relaxed, and all of a sudden, I ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

saw my son standing near the car and waving his arms in anger. I called him; he was very surprised, because his car really got into an accident. No one was injured, but he had to ask for help, and he was angry because no one stopped for him. This happened at about 4:00 p.m.; I saw it after 7:00 p.m. During the very first practice, my feet “grew” into the ground, going so deep that upon finishing Big Tree, I could hardly take them off the floor. Later, all the exercises were normal; however, I could not always extract myself from external factors. Doing my “homework,” I saw Master, felt hot waves in my body, and heard aural signals. Nurse, Female, 26 Years Old On the first day, the sensations were unpleasant—profuse perspiration and a faint state. That night, I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and could not get back to sleep. The second day went better. During practice, I felt as if something was moving from the top, to the bottom of my body. The same was going on at night too. On two nights I had a dream that someone was trying to murder me. On the third day, I experienced a very good, light sensation of peace and happiness; all exercises went well, and everything was correct during diagnosis. The dream came back, but I killed people who wished me death. I have not had that dream since then. When I was trying to normalize my stomach function, at night I felt that there was a strange palm on my stomach. It was a giant palm belonging to the Master. Then I saw a sign—a big ring with red and green rhombs inside it. I received a new world outlook; I now see more things in nature and life. Qigong practice has become a part of my life. Thank you very much for everything, dear Teacher! We wish you to be with us in the future and to stay the same, strong and light as now! Children’s Masseuse, Male, 30 Years Old During the very first practice, it was hard to stand in Big Tree pose; my left arm and shoulder hurt. The second day’s practice was easier; I felt an unbelievable enrichment of energy. On day three, it seemed to me that I gained inner balance; sensation increased, and my set of senses expanded. During practice on day four, my navel area and the crown of my head burst ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

into flowers. I felt the spreading of heat in my head. I felt great and light on day five. The heaviness in my kidney area disappeared, and my body became light and energetic. I do not get as tired as I used to. (Completed Stage II, right after Stage I.) New exercises work pretty well for me; the second practice made me aware of the spread of energy, and I experienced minor dizziness. However, overall, my condition was good. Later, I saw pale light around my hand—the vision of auras has begun. Nurse, Female, 58 Years Old Prior to Qigong practice, I suffered from joint and liver pain; In addition, I had Botkin’s disease and had heart surgery. After practicing for the first time, I lost my appetite. However, I did not feel hunger. I like this state very much. After class number two, I didn’t sleep all night. I felt Small Microcosmic Orbit and the motion of warmth up to my neck. Third class: I never thought it was possible to feel your organs so clearly. My left kidney works perfectly and my right kidney is warm. I like to sense and feel the energy travel through me and flow all over my body. Recently, I realized that I could treat headaches, heartaches, and the lower levels of high blood pressure. I stand in Big Tree pose for an hour and enjoy it! During this time, I do not exist. There exists a sandy hill with a big pine on top of it, surrounded by a field of flowers. In the course of that hour, the whole day passes by, from dawn to sundown, with birds chirping, butterflies flying, and afternoon heat. Here and there, spots pop out, as though someone burned them through a magnifying glass. Hot rays flow over my body, first in one hand, then in the other, then in the lumbar area. It is very hard to explain. Sometimes, there is pain in the front top of the skull, but it is a very pleasing pain. Such a feeling remains for a long time. It is impossible to tell you everything in the questionnaire. Thanks a million! I have discovered a new world. Too bad it is so late. Thank you! I bow to you for your gift and for the will and skill to share it with others! Chemist at a University, Male, 55 Years Old Since 1973, I have regularly practiced limo therapy (hunger therapy). The maximum length is thirty-five days. In the last ten years, I ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

practiced ten-to-twelve-days fasts, twice a year. For more than two years, I practiced Taoist school methods for an hour or two daily, independently, following the books. The main thing that I have acquired from ZYQ practice is the feeling of various forms of Teacher’s presence and feeling that I am able to pass to a higher level. Therefore, I am very enthusiastic and ready to work in that direction. (Repeated Stage I.) Between the seminars, I practiced regularly for about three hours daily. The exercises are not hard for me anymore. I feel the strong sensation of a Qi ball moving inside my body, as though it had weight that could cause pressure. Once, during a cold, my nose was all stuffed up, but after the Qi ball moved into the nose, it cleared. When I was repeating Stage I, I understood that I had done many needless things when I was practicing independently. I am doing all the exercises more effectively now. I upped my Big Tree practice to five hours in a row. I take delight in communication and I am eager to learn further. I express my gratitude and admiration for the titanic efforts of the teacher, Xu Mingtang. (Later, he repeated many stages, many times. Today, he is an instructor and a good healer.) Engineer, Male, 48 Years Old I have learned to distinguish between the energy of Earth and Sky, I feel Qi move very well along Small Microcosmic Orbit, and my sensitivity has increased. During diagnosis, I could feel a number of different sensations, but not very clearly. Every day I stand in Big Tree it becomes easier. My goals are as follows: (a) to develop all inner and outer components, (b) to obtain inner harmonization, (c) to have harmony with the environment, (d) to sense the creation of the “immortal embryo” and the departure of the soul, (e) to experience the expansion of the mind to the size of the Global Consciousness, and (f) to obtain unity. (Later, this person repeated Stages I and II, studied Stages III and IV, and attended Instructors’ courses. He now teaches ZYQ.) Philosophy Student, Female, 20 Years Old ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

I practiced techniques of “Free breathing,” “Vanveishi,” etc. I did not have any specific illnesses, but I suffered from general weakness and fatigue. Because of the classes, my overall condition has improved and I wake up very easily. On the first day of Big Tree practice, I was shaking and very dizzy. My Laogong points were vibrating. During the second class, besides vibration, I had light pressure in the Third Eye area and a strong feeling of energy flow in Big Tree. On the next day, pressure in the Third Eye area increased and my eyes hurt badly. The centers of my palms and feet burnt. When I diagnosed others, I felt different sensations in my hands. The fourth class brought me severe eye pain and pressure in the Third Eye area. It seemed as though the Third Eye and hands were connected by threads. Pain sensations during Big Tree weakened dramatically. After the fifth class, I felt as though I was collecting energy. As it turned out, I did receive a lot of it. Thank you! Student, Female, 10 Years Old During the very first class, I saw the Master’s aura. My palms burn if I stand in Big Tree for a long period of time. Second class: I saw animals. During the third class, when I practiced Small Microcosmic Orbit, I saw a red ball that moved from my tailbone up to the crown, alongside the spine, up and down. During the fourth class, I saw a tree. In the fifth class, I clearly felt the energy that I had sent and accepted. Student, Female, 14 Years Old The first class brightened my mood and filled me with delight, thanks to my meeting with the Master. The second day, I felt heaviness in my hands during Big Tree exercise. On the third day, I saw various colors in the form of comets. Practicing Big Tree for the fourth time, I saw various pictures and ornaments. By class number five, I was in a great mood, felt a large boost of energy, and was happy to be communicating with the teacher. Engineer, Female, 58 Years Old ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Prior to practice, my overall condition was below average. On the first day, I felt sharp pain in my spine and joints. The next day, the pain lessened and my body felt divided—my left side was weightless and light, while my right side was dark and ill. Starting with the third class, the exercises were easier for me and I experienced special phenomena. Class four: Qi, moving along Small Microcosmic Orbit, reversed direction of movement. The fifth class was easier and more pleasing. Too bad it was our last day with the Master. May the Lord bless you with good health! Special thanks to the organizers of this seminar! Psychologist/Senior Professor, Female, 40 Years Old I used to attend Reiki courses. My overall condition prior to attending Qigong classes: general decreased tonus, liver disease, osteochondrosis, gynecological problems, and frequent infections of the upper air passages. On the first day, I saw a glow coming from the Third Eye area, demonstrated by Mingtang Xu. It was very hard to execute the Big Tree exercise—my legs were shaking. At night, I was dreaming about a human anatomical image and of someone telling me about the core of disease. During the second practice, I felt much more comfortable practicing Big Tree. However, it was still physically hard, because I felt waves going up and down and my body was waving and wiggling with the waves. Small Microcosmic Orbit went fine too, but with the same difficulties. However, there were no clear sensations. The third class brought me an intense flow of energy during Big Tree. Sometimes it bent me forward or, especially, backward so strong that I could not return to a normal position for some time. At night, I woke up due to stomach discomfort—something was pulling at me, and it was nauseating. This happened several times, but I knew that it was the healing process. I had a dream where I talked to the teacher, or someone who looked like him. When I diagnosed people during the fourth class, they felt my hands. During Small Microcosmic Orbit, I felt as though my Qi ball was stuck in the tailbone area, although others patted me on my back. At the end of the fifth class, I saw a glowing stripe on the Master’s forehead. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Since all of my illnesses are chronic, I have not noticed any dramatic changes. However, my overall condition has improved. Musicologist, Female, 42 Years Old During the lecture, I saw the interaction of purple and black colors and sudden flashes of bright blue. I felt pain in my arms during Big Tree practice, accompanied by bright flashes of various colors. When we worked on our stomachs, I had a vision of the inner structure of the spine. It was very detailed. Later, I felt the sensation of love, disconnected from sex. That feeling was all over my body. In addition, I felt quiet gratitude. The love was not mine; it was a sensation sent by the teacher, accompanied by a mutual sense of gratitude. When I heard music, I had a vision of young Chinese women dancing with that music. Their number grew fast and turned into a cosmically big number. Medical Doctor, Female, 55 Years Old Before I was asquaented with ZYQ, my overall condition responded to my age. From the second day of home practice, my female cat started looking for a “boyfriend.” My needs in food and sleep dramatically decreased, my arrhythmia disappeared, and my overall condition improved. Thank you very much, for all these days. Philologist, Director of a Day-Care Center, Female, 35 Years Old I used to attend Reiki and workshops on biolocation. Day 1: I felt delight because I ended up here. I felt as though the energy struck through my hands, causing them to twitch. I also felt a tough squeezing sensation in my napex area, and my legs felt as though they were being pulled when I sat down. Day 2: I felt a squeezing sensation in the lumbosacral area; it was pleasing and comforting. My face had changed—it had become smoother. I had more energy. Day 3: During the practice of Big Tree, I saw myself as a tree, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

somewhere in a beautiful place, on top of the mountain, among other trees. Below, in the valley, there was a four-sided building, similar to our churches, but in Chinese-style architecture. Day 4: During Big Tree practice, I clearly saw the face of a young woman, which disappeared very fast; I then saw a golden-yellow silhouette of a person in full height. I developed a rash and an itch near my elbow joints and on the inner sides of both legs. Day 5: My health and mood improved and the itch decreased. My skin became almost clean. I got many impressions, but I cannot describe everything. It is great! Master, thank you very much for your work! Biologist/Botanist, Female, 32 Years Old Prior to Qigong, I was engaged in meditative psychotraining. My overall condition included chronic diseases of the bronchi, liver, and kidneys. I had a general feeling of weakness and drowsiness. After the classes, I would experience an energy boost and an increase in cold resistance. Sometimes, in everyday life, I felt hot waves going along the trajectory of Small Microcosmic Orbit. I beg you to let the students experience the states they are supposed to reach (it would be even better if they could do this several times). This way, they will be able to clearly differentiate their real achievements from imaginary things pictured during independent practice. With all my heart, I wish the Master and his helpers health, happiness, and harmony with the world and themselves. Respectfully and sincerely. (Six months later, repeated Stage I.) During the Big Tree practice at the seminar, I felt a clear sensation of “I am not a body.” I felt myself in the points of upper and middle Dan Tian. When I finished the exercise, “I” could not control my body right away; it was hard to move my arms and legs; later, the normal speed of motion was restored. Periodically I had pain in my kidneys; however, the inside system of informational reception worked with more stability and precision. (Later, completed Stage II and repeated Stage I again.) I gained more confidence in diagnostics and healing, using ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

methods of the first stage. I clearly sensed the motion of the hot ball in the tube between the lower and middle Dan Tians. Often, at home and at work, while reading a book, I felt hot waves inside my body, especially in my head, in the area of the frontal lobes, and then in my stomach, kidneys, and chest— all places where I had problems and illnesses. My foreign language learning has been resurrected, with dramatically improved reproduction of the information received earlier. My recollection of words and constructions learned ten years ago takes place quickly. I recommend the organization of foreign language classes combined with training and active practice. Sitting in the state of “silence,” I saw a person; however, I kept seeing him with my eyes closed. He had a glowing contour. Very rarely do I see highly impressive dreams where I fly as though I were hovering. I felt as though I were an energetic entity, with a light-orange glow in a pearl-gray, foggy world. Daughter, School Student, 9 Years Old She practiced all the exercises with no difficulty and regularly practiced with her parents. Six months after her first introduction to Qigong, she suddenly developed a talent for folk painting. Daughter, School Student, 13 Years Old Alongside my daughter, I completed Stage I precisely two days before her school exams. My daughter enjoyed practicing and would persistently repeat each exercise in detail. Sadly, she did not have the same determination when it came to her studies. The day before her exam she notified me that she was not prepared for it. Naturally, I rebuked her and insisted that school was her top priority. I added that if she wished to continue practicing Qigong she must find a way to perform well on the exam. And she did… That night, she memorized two possible exam questions, as well as their answers, that she may have been asked in the morning. Upon arriving to the exam, she volunteered to go first, hoping that the question she would select would pertain to one of the two topics she knew. Later, she told me that she had been thinking of the two topics as she approached the table with the exam questions and, as she reached out to choose one, she felt radiating ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

warmth from one of the papers and grabbed it. It was one of the exam questions she studied. When she came home, with a smile as bright as a new coin, I was forced to admit that she had mastered the Qigong material well. Nevertheless, if she intended to pass all her exams in this matter, how would she obtain an actual education? PS My mother once shared this story on “club day”, a day designated for all participants of the seminar to practice together. There had been two students from the Medical University who were intrigued by the story and decided to try it themselves. Following my daughter’s footsteps, each one felt for the question he wanted, and drew it.

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Appendix 2: PAGES FROM MASTER’S LIFE In this Appendix you will have the opportunity to read about Grand Master Mingtang Xu and the possibilities offered by Zhong Yuan Qigong (ZYQ). You will learn about the Master’s years as a disciple, the origins of his talent, and the factors that encouraged him to practice, study, and eventually teach the most ancient of all systems for improving human health and furthering man’s development known to this day. This is by no means a biographical essay. Rather, it is simply a collection of independent memories and sketches, like pages from life. There is no chronological sequence in which these are narrated. After all, each human being is a Universe, leading a multifaceted life. This life consists of many events and episodes—big and small—and each one of them, although seemingly unimportant, brings its own consequence while being a consequence itself, a result of something. Furthermore, all is connected. Years later, a different new understanding comes and everything from the past lines up in a solid, multilayered picture. With this, some events almost disappear from memory, while others flare, like stars of different magnitudes; some look like legends, losing outlines of reality; others cut into memory, maintaining emotions; and some look like regular stories, the kind that fill our everyday routines. However, there are events that appear to be milestones on the Path, which brighten that Path like lighthouses. We bring to your attention events, episodes, and milestones in the life of Grand Master Xu Mingtang, as they appear to him. We give you, therefore, “Pages from Master’s Life.” Tamara Martynova

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PAGES FROM THE HISTORY OF A FAMILY LINE I was born in Henan province, not far from the Shaolin Monastery (Picture 7). Our family and all my ancestors trace their origins to that place. It just so happens that everyone in the family has had one of two specialties. They have either been Kung-fu Masters or healers who use methods that, today, would be described as shamanistic, magical, or theurigical. Our men practiced martial arts very intensely, and many of them reached perfection and were considered unrivaled warriors. For many centuries, right up to the foundation of modern China, such martial skills were both vital and highly appreciated. They involved the development of the body, as well as the spirit, as it strengthened itself to reach high goals. One of my ancestors, Prince Kimnara, went to the Shaolin Monastery and became a monk during the reign of the Yuan dynasty. Many years of hard learning and devoted practice tempered him, strengthened his spirit and body, and deepened his consciousness, perception, and world outlook. He became a major grand master and reached the level of Pusso— one step below Buddha level. For many years, he remained the Bodhisattva warden of the Shaolin Monastery, its Hu Fa. Hu Fa is a guard and warden. It protects guarded objects from any kind of threat, including robbery, evil spirits, and creatures from our own and lower worlds (Picture 46). Very often, Hu Fa was chosen from the ranks of famed warriors, leading public figures, and eminent scholars, depending on what required guarding. Each monastery placed statues of Hu Fa on both sides of the entrance. They usually were in the armor of their time, with austere faces and often in frightening poses. Many temples have Hu Fa standing at the entrances into the inner halls; very often, they are placed on the sides of statues of the worshipped and honored, such as the Buddha, emperors, etc. Images of Hu Fa were also drawn on the doors of official and residential buildings. The higher the level of the warrior’s skills, the more important the object he was guarding—from the privy chambers of the imperial castle, to the entire system of learning that was followed by many generations of adepts. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

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Picture 46: Statues of Hu Fa

Later, as an award for his extraordinary merits pro vita, Prince Kimnara became the main Hu Fa of ZYQ and retains this title to the present day. In those times long gone, monastery life was more organized and much richer than life outside the monastery. Therefore, very often, monasteries were exposed to raids by robbers—many people did not mind dipping into someone’s gravy. Sometime, the raids were carried out by local ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

bandits; at other times, by those from neighboring fiefdoms. The role of guards, or protectors of the monastery, did not consist only of the ability to fight and to teach others how to repel enemy invasions. Grand masters of Kung-fu were able to find out about preparations for impending attacks ahead of time—they could feel, hear, and ultimately change thoughts. For example, while practicing or meditating, the Hu Fa of a monastery would receive information that some people were developing an attack plan. He would then change their leader’s train of thoughts in such a way that the commander would completely forget about that monastery. He would change this leader’s mind, or redirect his attention to another object, maybe even to a neighboring monastery. This was the main skill of Hu Fa— preventing a clash, stopping it before it reached the gates of the monastery. My ancestor Prince Kimnara was this kind of Hu Fa. People say many unusual things about him. One story in particular stands out. Once, during war, a big army gathered under the walls of the Shaolin Monastery preparing an assault. It was an uneven confrontation between assailants and defenders. The outcome of the battle seemed to be a foregone conclusion. However, the gates opened and Kimnara walked out— he was considered a regular monk in the monastery. Right before the eyes of those present, he started growing bigger in size. He became taller and taller until he stood higher than the mountains surrounding the monastery. Soon, his head went behind the clouds. Then, he put his foot on top of the mountain and took a stick in his hands, as though preparing for battle. The hostile troops were horrified and ran away. The monastery was saved. After that incident, indeed, the amazed monks realized what level their brother had reached and asked him to become Hu Fa of the Shaolin Monastery. Years later, while practicing and helping people, he rose to the next level and was able to leave our world without dying. He left, taking his body with him. And there, in that other world, he still remains Hu Fa, not only of the Shaolin Monastery, but also of the entire ZYQ system. The Shaolin Monastery has a special pavilion dedicated to him (Picture 46). Following tradition, three statues of Kimnara were placed there —one of palm, one of bronze, and one of iron (Picture 47). One of them depicts Kimnara as he came to the monastery for the first time. The second statue shows Kimnara with his foot on top of the mountain—in memory of that unusual occasion or, if you will, legend. The third statue shows Kimnara ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

being in another, higher world. It must be said that all men of the Xu family, over many generations, right until my grandfather, followed the same traditions of Shaolin Kung-fu very closely. My paternal great-grandfather had many brothers, all of whom were peerless in that art. However, in the period of the more recent wars (starting with the war with Japan and ending with the establishment of China’s independence and the foundation of the Chinese People’s Republic), everyone who had mastered Kung-fu was drafted. However, the situation had changed: firearms, instead of martial arts and close combat, governed battle strategy. As a result, many grand masters perished in war. Our family did not avoid this tragedy. All this happened long before I was born, and I do not know all the details. I do know that not many survived. All my great-grandfather’s brothers died. This is the reason why his son, my grandfather, did not specialize in Kung-fu. Instead, he pursued another course, becoming a carpenter and furniture maker. During those days everybody was afraid to openly display his knowledge of Kung-fu. This was because even then, famed Masters were being drafted and sent to places from which no one has ever returned. These developments made my grandfather, against all family traditions, beg my father not to practice Kung-fu but to study medicine. He did not want his son to be simply a healer in the family tradition, but a real professional.

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Picture 46: Kimnara Pavilion, Shaolin Monastery, China (a) Memorial Plaque on the Prince Kimnara Hall, (b) During Interview on Ukrainian TV, (c) In Front of the Kimnara Hall, (d) In Front of Shaolin Monastery

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Picture 47: The Statues of Prince Kimnara, the Ancestor of Mingtang Xu, Hu Fa of Shaolin Monastery, and Zhong Yuan Qigong

My Father My father did become a medical doctor, a surgeon. He appeared to have unusual abilities, many of which amazed his colleagues and patients. Very often, a touch of his hand killed pain in a manner similar to anesthesia. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

And by palpating painful areas carefully, he was able to define problems. This quality of his hands particularly helped postoperative patients. For a long time, my father didn’t even suspect the uniqueness of this ability–he thought that everyone could do this, and I remember it well from when I was eight. Now I understand that his hands had a special type of energy that enabled him to anaesthetize pain. Moreover, compared to other doctors, his patients had the lowest percentage of post-surgery complications. And for the most part, they remained free of any inflammatory processes. All these factors turned my father into a famed and respected doctor while he was still young and, in turn, complicated his life. Many of these complications arose from the fact that my father had many friends and acquaintances. They would often come over and seek his diagnostic, healing, and consultancy services. This could happen even in the middle of the night, or during daytime, after my father had performed a complicated surgery. He could be called to another city during his vacation, but no one ever thought that such involvement would ruin his plans, interrupt his rest, and tear him away from the family. Nevertheless, my father never refused to help. I spent my early childhood and school years on the hospital grounds where I observed patients, their diseases, and various doctors’ healing methods. At first, this was involuntary. Later, through my own initiative, I absorbed this information by being present at discussions on diagnosis, post-operative checkups, and consultations. Therefore, my desire to enter a medical university was natural and logical. My father prevented me from fulfilling it, however, because he considered medicine a very demanding career. Doctors in China live very close to their clinics, sometimes even on the premises, and consequently, can be called upon to see patients at any time. In the same way, then, that my grandfather, based on his own bitter experience, didn’t want his son—my father—to follow in his footsteps by practicing Kung-fu, my father didn’t want me to repeat his experience with a career in medicine. He did not want to doom his son to a life that would not be his own. Therefore, with my father’s approval, I chose what then seemed to be the most modern and promising direction—information technology. However, all this took place much later, after a number of other significant developments, such as… ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Continuation of Family Traditions Like many Chinese children, I began studying Wushu when I was very young, the only difference being that I started much earlier than other children—long before I went to school. My training was in the hands of my great-grandfather, a famous Kung-fu Master. He concentrated his efforts on me and tried to pass on to me everything that he, his father, the father of his father, and our other ancestors did throughout their lives. I was not even six years old yet, but he set the same standards for me as he would for an adult—no slacking, and no leniency during long, hard training sessions. This was in the traditions of the ancient Shaolin School, which were followed by many generations of our family. My great-grandfather died when I was a little over ten. After a short break, I continued my training with another Master. I trained a lot and thought that I would be seriously engaged in this sport. Later, my brother became the five-time champion of China and grand master. (I don’t mean a blood brother, but a spiritual brother. In China, personal students of the same Master were considered to be brothers and sisters.) However, things turned out differently. At the university, I kept practicing martial arts and team sports. One day, at training, I looked at my fellow students and thought, “If, let’s say, I played basketball all the time, what useful things for my old age could I get out of it? Certainly, I could become a famous athlete or a coach. I could be a respected specialist in this sport, an author of books or educational materials. However, if I make this my life occupation and goal, how in the end will I benefit from it?” So this was not enough for me. This particular sport did not offer me the path which I could use, not only to develop as an athlete or coach, not only for character formation, but also to perfect myself as a human being with a physical body as well as a soul. Other sports didn’t do anything for me either. Wushu, of course, meant more to me than basketball, but something was still missing. I decided that sports are good as a hobby. If, however, we are to pursue sports as the central purpose of our existence, some unexpected and unmanageable developments can occur. A serious trauma, old age, or a simple change in one’s economic situation would make many sports inaccessible. Qigong practice, on the other hand, does not depend on these ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

external conditions—one can keep practicing in any situation. I started getting deeper and deeper into Qigong. I started analyzing life and my surroundings. I started reflecting on the nature of my knowledge. It seems that this dissatisfaction and contemplation were caused by some specific experiences from my childhood that had come to the surface.

CHILDHOOD PAGES You can say that the family I grew up in was not really typical. My immediate family and relatives had special abilities of various types and, for many years, I considered this to be the norm. In other words, I believed that everyone had these abilities. From my early childhood, I was constantly encountering new and specific things, sometimes accidentally, sometimes consciously.

My Mother I remember one day when I was about six. We went to a nearby village to visit relatives. A week earlier they had had a death in the family— their grandfather had died. He was the master of his domain, a very strict old man. The adults sat and talked while I loafed around the house. Suddenly, I saw the old man walking into the house and passing me by. I thought that he had actually winked at me, but he seemed to be very grumpy at the moment. I saw that no one except me paid any attention to him, a fact that seemed to anger him. But I knew that he had died. At this point, I grew scared and could not understand how this could happen. Meanwhile, the old man started walking around the house, and no one saw him. Everyone tried to calm me down; people thought my behavior to be strange—after all, how can one see a dead person? Being a child, I could not understand why they were telling me that he did not exist, when he was walking right in front of their noses! For me it was ridiculous, weird, and therefore, frightening. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

They called my mom, who came to me, listened to the story, and took me out of the house. When we were already some distance from the house, she calmed me down and said that she saw the departed, too. She explained to me that souls of dead people sometimes come into their houses after death and visit their families. She said that such visits are normal and that there was nothing special about this occurrence. She did not want to tell me about this in front of everyone, because the others were unable to see what I saw and were therefore unable to believe it. She had a great deal of experience in this area. She could see the souls of departed people, especially those of relatives and friends, and she could talk to them. Many people around her couldn’t do that. She knew about other worlds than her own, through her own experiences. At one point, she had traveled around them for a very long time—her soul visited these worlds for three weeks while her body stayed behind. My father, already a doctor, couldn’t understand why she had been unconscious for so long—he had never experienced such things. Due to his modern education as a surgeon, he tended to deny them. My mother was pregnant while traveling around these worlds, and after the appropriate time, I was born. Before this incident with the soul of the dead relative, I also had thought that everyone saw identically, so it was a revelation for me to realize that this was not the case. It was hard for me to understand that sometimes I see and know things that are inaccessible to many. Indeed, they do not have even the slightest idea of such things... Later, I happened to be in similar situations many times. For example, when in 1992 I came to Kiev for the first time in my life, I rented an apartment in a quiet neighborhood, on the left bank of the Dnepr River. No sooner had I started practicing Qigong in the evening, than an old woman appeared who started walking around the apartment. I asked my landlady if she could tell me who had lived in this apartment before me. It turns out that the apartment used to belong to her mother, who had lived there for several years and had died about six months prior to my arrival. When I started practicing, she sensed strong energy in the area and came over.

My Father’s Mother I have already told you that our family has had many healers. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

However, none of these were regular healers—they were shamans or, if you will, wizards. In our family, almost all my ancestors, more or less, mastered this art, using specific methods for healing patients. For example, my paternal grandmother did not herself heal people. However, she had mastered an unusual treatment technique. In ancient times, such techniques were employed in many regions of the country (they are very similar to what we are learning right now in Image Therapy). My grandmother could pinpoint the cause of a person’s disease and, by doing so, was able to correct his behavior and health. In early childhood, I witnessed many interesting pictures of her life, as well as that unusual mastery. For example, she could predict the future and locate lost objects, using such devices as pendulums. Some incidents have settled in my memory forever. When I was a little child—I remember this very well, although many years have passed—my father bought me a very beautiful pen, and I lost it the very same day. I was very upset and cried. Grandma asked what happened. I told her that I had lost my new pen. She looked at me and said in a very tender voice, “Don’t you worry, I will find it.” Then she filled a big tea bowl with water and got her instrument—a stick with a string. At the end of the string was a needle (Picture 48). It was a simulation of a pendulum. Then, looking at the water and holding her tool right above it, she said, “Where is the pen?” The needle showed her, and grandma told me that the pen was in an old shed, detailing its exact location. It was a building where people milled grain with grindstones. Those were severe years, our family lived in a village, and we had Picture 48: My Grandma’s Device for to grow ourselves almost everything that we needed for Finding Lost Things food. The pen was right there. At that time, I didn’t know how she did it. Now, however, I can assume that she probably used her Third Eye. Apart from doing many amazing things, she taught me a lot. One day in 1998, when I was in Kiev having lunch with three of my personal students, I suddenly heard a voice saying that my grandma was leaving this world. She was eighty-four years old. I was in a state of shock. I felt that this was not right and that I must see her at least one more time. I ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

asked my students to take me to a cemetery right away. Cemeteries are almost exclusively full of yin energy and offer a convenient environment for communication with souls. What I needed to do was to perform a special ritual to postpone the moment of her death. When we arrived at the cemetery, I asked my students to wait behind the gates—they were not supposed to be next to me during the ritual. I then went further to a solitary place. There I recited the necessary mantra, performed a certain ritual, and conveyed through suitable authorities—beings from other worlds—a request that those in China who were next to my grandmother should correct the situation in such a way that she wouldn’t die until I saw her one last time. When I came back from the cemetery, I called my sister in China and asked if she had heard anything. She had not, since grandma lived in a village far from our town. However, my father was at grandma’s house. Because the phone connection was very bad, my sister promised to go there immediately and find out everything. In two days, I called her again. Now she said that something mysterious had happened. That day, my grandma and my father were sitting in the yard and talking. In spite of her advanced years, she was healthy and disease-free. When suddenly my father didn’t hear the answer to one of his questions, he asked again; still, there was no reply. Then, he turned to her and saw that she looked like she had fallen asleep. He touched her gently, but she did not react, which was not like her at all. Then he tried to find her pulse. Her heart was not beating. Then, he started to press the appropriate points and perform the necessary manipulations. My grandma came to. She could not remember anything about those moments, but she asked him, as if irritated, why he was shaking her. That was the time when I was performing that ritual in the cemetery. My actions and the necessary medical procedures had been synchronized. I think that many of you have been in such situations: if someone very close to you leaves this world, you have a kind of premonition. Two years after this incident, my grandmother departed from this life, when it was really her time to go.

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My maternal grandmother was a real healer-wizard during her entire life. My brother was born when I was two, as a result of which I was sent to another village to my mother’s parents. I lived there for several years and observed, firsthand, my grandmother treating people on a daily basis. Sometimes she would do what, for me, were strange things, reminiscent of mantra recitation and dancing. Sometimes she would talk to a patient for a long time. She understood people very well. Today, we would say that she had the talent of a psychologist. I will give you some examples of her treatment. Once, a person with a bad stomachache came to her. Not long before that, someone in the village had died. She told the patient, “The person who has died is the one who always caused you harm. He wanted you to die too, which is why you couldn’t consume food and why you had constant stomachaches.” She added, “Now we need to kill his spirit, so that he won’t bother you anymore. And if I am able to do that, your disease will disappear completely. If I am not successful, you will have to ask someone else for help.” After these words, she took a big cooking pot, put a lot of clean water in it, and said, “Now I will drown him in this water; I will kill him with this water. Watch what’s going to happen.” She asked the patient to look into the water. She then took a little sword, cleaned it till it shone, and instructed the patient, “Watch! Watch the sword!” The patient at first watched the water very carefully, and then the shiny sword. Grandma went into a trance, waving the sword around. The patient, as if under a spell, followed the sword with his eyes. All of a sudden, grandma directed the sword at the pot with water, as though she was aiming at something. Then she sank the sword into the water and screamed, “Hold it, hold it, I’ve got him with the sword! I am killing him. Hurry up and help me hold the sword!” The patient grabbed the sword too and helped her hold it. Grandma behaved as though it was really impossible for her to hold the sword alone, as though its tip was trying to move in the water. Watching this from the side, I had the impression that it became easier and easier for her to hold the sword with the patient’s help, till finally, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

the sword stopped moving in her hands. After that, the patient said, “Yes, we did kill him; I see the blood.” That was the end of the procedure. Several minutes later, grandma caught her breath and asked, “Do you still have a stomachache?” The patient said, “No, it is gone. I have no pain.” The main, and most amazing, thing here is that it was true: the pain did go away. Why did this method yield such positive results? Very often, people have stomachaches after quarrels in the family, at least in small towns and villages. The pain is a consequence of post-quarrel depression. As a result, people have spasms that cause pain symptoms in the stomach. After the aforementioned procedure, everything returns to normal, because the patient completely redirects his attention to some other object. He believes it to be true and participates in the process of his emotional healing. However, even if a person has a serious disease—for example, a stomach ulcer, it heals after a certain time, using the same procedure. What is the reason for this? We know by now that at least one pattern is always consistent: if a person doesn’t believe that he is sick, his body relaxes after a certain time, and he himself finds the behavior pattern that is in accordance with the attitudes, thought, and mindset that are driven by consciousness. And then the disease, too, goes away. Sometimes, feeling sick, a person can behave in a manner that is not right. What do we mean by “not right”? Take the following example. A sick person, every night before going to bed, thinks about all possible causes of pain. Perhaps he treated someone and “picked up” the patient’s bad Qi? Or maybe he is suffering due to having a fight with someone who now wants revenge? What if it is some kind of increasingly serious and hitherto ignored disease? Or, maybe…. The following night before bedtime, he does the same thing: maybe someone thinks ill of him and he feels it? What if it is a spine problem or something worse? If this happens on a regular basis, the person actually creates certain images that influence the physical body through the brain and the nervous system. As a result, his state of pain and discomfort is maintained: it is not forgotten, because the information about that pain constantly feeds on such images. It is extremely difficult to cure such a ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

patient. I learned several methods for helping this type of patients from my grandma, and I still use them. You know that children are very perceptive and learn fast. Sometimes, for them, it is enough to see something once, to remember it for the rest of their lives. At first, they may not understand everything. However, after some time, they begin to understand what they saw, sometimes even using it in practice. In this connection, I shall tell you about an interesting incident. One day in Beijing, a person who was connected in some way to my family members contacted me. He suffered from constant pain in his stomach, but the cause of the pain was unknown. Sometimes it was strong, sometime mild; however, it was constantly present. That pain was real and affected the way he lived his life. He consulted many doctors, but to no avail. My father—a very good surgeon—couldn’t help him. Other hospitals and clinics couldn’t do anything, because his mind was thinking about the pain all the time; his mind was obsessed with it and he was afraid of it. He was not able to free his mind of this information. Unfortunately I was very busy in Beijing at that time, I had to leave soon. I therefore told him that I would look at him just once. I said that I was not able to give him more attention, because I had already booked my plane tickets. So we met. After the examination, I told him that I knew only one doctor who could help him. However, he was a very expensive doctor, due to his extensive experience and his earlier position as the personal doctor of Mao Tse-Tung. The price was 3,000 yuan (approximately $350 US at that time). Then, after some thinking, I added, “Yes, I believe there is no other doctor who could help you.” He said, “But I don’t have this kind of money! It is very expensive!” Here, one can see certain aspects of human nature. Keep in mind that no doctor had been able to help him for a long time, although he had visited many good doctors and had been tested in several hospitals before coming to me. Finally, when he heard that there was a doctor who could really help him, he considered him to be very expensive. After a minute of silence, he said, “He must be a good doctor if ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

he used to work for Mao Tse-Tung. But I still do not have this kind of money.” Do you know why I used such a way to communicate with him? First, I removed half the information he didn’t need, because he was constantly looking for a new doctor, for the one who could help him. As a result, he was always thinking of his disease. When I told him that no other doctor could help him, he understood that there was no need to search further. In the flash of an eye, he lost hope of meeting another doctor who could help him. Confused, he asked me, “What should I do now?” I said, “I do not know, but I will think of something.” After making some phone calls, I said to him, “I just spoke to that doctor; maybe he will give us a method.” In a couple of minutes I made another call, after which I said, “If you refuse that doctor, you have one hope: I am going to the pharmacy. If I am able to get the preparation that doctor recommended, it will help you for sure.” He answered with hope in his voice, “Let’s go together. Hurry up!” We went to the drug store. Do you know what I bought him? I bought laxative herbs! Tea made from those herbs tastes very nice, but thirty minutes after drinking it, one has to run to the bathroom. We bought a huge bag of those leaves (he knew nothing about herbs or medicine) and came back home. I said, “We were able to buy herbs only in that pharmacy and only because the doctor, with whom I had spoken on the telephone, had called the drug store and asked them to sell them to us. Otherwise, you would have needed a special prescription.” Also, I told him that these were very rare herbs from a hard-toreach mountain area, and that this was the reason they cost the same as one visit to the doctor. “However,” I said, “following his special request, the pharmacist sold us the herbs for 2,000 yuan.” My patient turned white when he heard the price. In truth, the leaves cost only two Yuan. I paused briefly and added, “I know that you do not have such money for real; therefore, I will pay on your behalf. Don’t worry.” He started thanking me for this “favor.” Then I told him that I would start making tea immediately. I wanted to know about its effects ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

before leaving. We came to my place and I started making the preparation. After finishing, I told him, “If you experience a laxative side effect, you can be sure of being cured in a short time. It will definitely help you. But if you do not experience such a side effect, there will be no need to stay in Beijing and look for help. Go home to die among your close family members. No other cure exists.” You all know that hospitals generally use certain preparations for certain diseases. This herb sells in every Chinese drug store, even in the United States. As a rule, good specialists always prescribe and use it in combination with other herbs. It has a pleasing taste and a very quick laxative effect. My patient drank the tea I had prepared and was amazed by its nice taste. He seemed satisfied, but he worried whether it would help or not. He didn’t know what awaited him. You see, I had done the best I could. He drank the tea and left. Next morning, I called him and asked how he felt. He said he was unable to sleep all night, because he couldn’t leave the bathroom. But his voice sounded incredibly happy. He was absolutely convinced that he would get well, thanks to the strong effect of the tea. He really did forget about his disease amazingly quickly. Much later, I came across similar methods of healing, in other countries and among other peoples.

MY FIRST TEACHERS In the later years, meeting with anything that was previously unknown to me would arouse my curiosity. I didn’t want to simply learn as much as I could. I wanted to understand the core of things, to see how and why everything happens. Therefore, in addition to being a student at school, I went to study with several healers who used all kinds of specific techniques nowadays referred to as “magic” or “witchcraft.” These healers introduced me to several new methods and later became my teachers. They taught me to treat many diseases, including those caused by spiritual problems.

The Nun: First Lessons ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

My most important teacher while I was still a child was a woman —a nun. During the Chinese Revolution, she took part in battles. In one of them, she lost her sight and became completely blind. As a result, the monastery sent her to a village where she could survive. She had a great deal of talent for healing, particularly with children. Most important was the fact that she loved helping people. Because she had never studied in official medical establishments, she was considered an “unofficial” doctor. The government did not recognize her as a medical doctor, and she was not eligible to take money for her services. However, in accordance with Chinese tradition, doctors received food and fruits. As a result, even during very difficult and hungry years, she had enough to eat. Some patients, though, still gave her money. In addition, she had several students who took care of her. Upon turning eleven, I finished elementary school and was supposed to enter middle school. That was when I became a pupil of the nun. The very first thing she taught me was to bring back the child’s soul if it had left the body due to fear. How do we describe such a state nowadays? Its external symptom is a loss of consciousness—the child cannot speak and appears to be in a syncopal state. But if one were to look at the child with the Third Eye, he would see that the soul has left the body. One can see where the soul is, and there is a method to bring it back. She taught me meditation and methods of Third Eye vision for long time. She didn’t call it the Third Eye then, because, such a name appeared much later. The Third Eye is the name of certain abilities that widen the diapason of vision. The abilities to see with the Third Eye are called Ming Yang Jang. Jang means “human,” and Ming means “light,” “brightness,” and “understanding.” Ming is composed of two Chinese characters, one of them meaning “sun,” and the other, “moon.” All of this put together means “light.” Because my nun-teacher had such talents, she was able to see and cure many diseases, despite her blindness. One Day... Two or three years passed. Periodically I still came to her to study. I must say that her house was located far away from ours. One day, when I came to her as usual, she had one more student there—a woman I had never seen before. The following events unexpectedly took place. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

When the teacher addressed me, she used the words “Ta Da Die”—a typical greeting, similar to the one used to address a sister. She said something like this: “Sister, I have taught you many things. I have taught you to practice independently, and later, you will be able to use these methods to help children and adults.” The unfamiliar woman asked, “Teacher, why do you address him as if he were a girl? He’s a boy, not a girl!” The nun was very surprised and asked me if this was true. I confirmed this, but was surprised by her question and by this meeting with the woman. It was very strange to me because all these years, I had never seen any other students during my practice, and I had never thought about this either. Now I know why she made such a mistake—she saw my previous life and still other previous lives with her Third Eye. As a child, I was very shy. I loved to listen and did not like to talk. Everyone knew that I was not given to speaking. Therefore, for three years I practiced in the capacity of a female. I didn’t know that then, since I only studied—we do not ask the Teacher any questions. Later, I found out from books that part of the practice that the nun involved me in was directed toward the proper development of the girl’s body to a healthy woman. A typical example is the massaging of the breasts. Males do not need to do this. Meanwhile, the nun continued with me: “You need to stop my lessons. I will send you to my brother, and he will teach you everything you need to know.” The man to whom she sent me to continue my education was not her blood brother. They were students of one and the same Teacher.

The Second Teacher My new teacher lived in another village that was located about five kilometers (about three miles) from the nun’s village. Upon my arrival, I asked around for information about how to find him. It seemed as though everyone there knew him. People showed me his house. I was surprised, because he had the best house in the area, particularly compared to the nun’s. Later, I found out that he had major healing talents and that he had built this house together with his students. Every day, many of them came to practice. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

This Teacher was very old, just like my first one. I came to him and introduced myself, informing him of the reasons for my visit and how I came to be there. He asked me what it was, exactly, that I would like to learn. I answered right away, “Dun Fa.” This is the Chinese name for a method that I had dreamt about for a long time. Dun means “pass,” and Fa means “method, rule, law.” Put together, these words can be roughly translated as “the method of transporting.” This is the method by which one might disappear from one place and immediately reappear in another. A similar process is now known as teleportation, and the Chinese term used to describe this phenomenon, Dun Fa, can also be translated as “disappearance.” This means that you can transport yourself from one spot to another in moments. You can go underground, underwater, or in the air. There are many methods for disappearing from one place and reappearing in another. I wanted very much to learn this, because I had seen one of my great-grandfathers do it.

My Great-Grandfather One day, my father got very sick. Now I know that he suffered from inflammation in the area of the pancreatic gland. It was infectious and often accompanied by strong pain. My mother was very scared and started praying. In her thoughts, she called my great grandfather for help. In reply, she received information that the next night, my great grandfather would appear in our house, in my father’s room. He would treat my father. Then, my mother asked my father not to go anywhere, but to wait. In the evening, knowing about the visit, she left the room. During those years, we lived in a house that had two parts, one of which was occupied by our family, the other by neighbors. We lived together very well. Our neighbors often had friends over for a game of Ma Dian, a Chinese game very similar to dominoes, and my father joined them from time to time. As soon as my mother had left, my father went to the neighbors’ part of the house to play—later he said that he had a strong pain again and did this to take his mind off it. While he was out, my great-grandfather ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

appeared. He was very angry with my father for not having waited for him in his room as he had been told to do. My great-grandfather was a very good healer, but his main talent was the ability to be transported across large distances in the wink of an eye. At night, he could instantaneously go as far as eight hundred kilometers (about five hundred miles), while during daytime, he could do even better—a thousand kilometers (about six hundred twenty miles). I still do not understand why he was with us for such a short time. He treated my father after having him called over from the other half of the house, and then in an instant, he suddenly disappeared. Later, many people would tell me about his ability to transport himself, because they had seen it at different stages of their lives. Of course, it was amazing and mysterious. At that time, I didn’t know anyone with the same abilities.

The First Transportation That was the reason why I told my new Teacher that I wanted to learn how to transport myself. He answered, “Very well, I will teach you this method, if you will be patient enough.” He asked me to go with him and brought me into a very small room without any windows. I remember very well that he drew a picture on the dirt floor with a wooden stick. The picture consisted of several lines. Then he showed Picture 49: The Practice of me where I was to put my feet and how I was to Transportation stand (Picture 49). The method resembled our Big Tree. The teacher gave me a mantra and left, shutting the door behind him. He said, “If you see or hear something, tell me about it later, after you are done with practice.” I was left alone in complete darkness. I stood in a specific pose, throughout the duration of which I spoke the mantra. The first few times I practiced, I didn’t hear or see anything. I do not remember how many times I went to that dark room, until one day, I saw a bright white light resembling a big moon. I informed Teacher of this phenomenon. He said, “Keep ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

practicing. It is good.” That was it. No more comments or explanations. So I continued going back to that room many more times, until I saw the same light again. The next moment, it seemed that a bright, glowing hole appeared before me. It grew very fast in diameter and became taller than me. At that very same moment, I felt as though my body was being moved forward, sucked into the light, into the hole. When that sensation of being transported was over, I opened my eyes and found myself standing on the street. I looked around and then went into Teacher’s house and told him what had happened. I said that I had seen a glowing big hole and, through it, had gone to the street from the dark room. Again he commented, “That is very good, very good. Later, if you learn to see that hole in front of you constantly, you will be able to transport yourself to any place—underground, underwater, through anything.” At that point, I was sixteen years old. The same year, I graduated from school, passed exams, and went to Sian, the capital of Shansi Province. There, I enrolled in one of the most famous universities of China to study computer technology. I attended the university for four years, vacationing at home once a year. I couldn’t complete the transportation training, because during that period, my Teacher left this world. He was ninety, about the same age as my first teacher, the nun. I felt this loss, and was very sad. Later, I think it was his son, who introduced me to the next Teacher, also a very old man. Maybe you are wondering why I always met old Teachers. Do you know why? The war, the Great Cultural Revolution, now became history, and everyone was afraid to show his or her skills and level of mastery. As a result, it was hard to find a Teacher back then. These days, Teachers with the ability to transport themselves still exist. However, they are very, very old. I know at least one of them in Beijing, who may or may not be alive. At the turn of the century, he was about ninety years old.

The Third Teacher When I was introduced to the new Teacher, he asked me about my previous Teachers and what I had learnt from them. When I told him everything, he said, “Everything you’ve learnt is just “Siao Fa”—one ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

little method. Now you need to learn what we refer to as “The Big Method.” That Teacher taught me to develop soul and spirit, to create and work with the central channel Ren-Mai, and to leave my body. He also taught me how to use the Third Eye, and many other things. I started learning from this Teacher right around 1980. In 1983, I finished university. My third Teacher taught me the methods for developing the soul, for several years, in a manner similar to how private pupils learn mantras and our ZYQ system. During this period, my Teacher had about twenty students and, as a rule, two to three students would show up every evening for night practice. He practiced the mantra with us all night—not for an hour or two, but for the entire night, without any breaks. Now, I have given this mantra to my personal students. A little bit later in life, my Teacher, this time the Third one, also left this world and went elsewhere. Many years have passed since then, but I remember very well how he would test us. He put something in his palm, closed it, and asked us to see what was inside. Only two students passed that test with the first try—another student and me. The other student, a young man, was about two years older than me. Nowadays, he still works in this area. In 2000, I invited him to visit our retreat in Shaolin. He came with a woman who was in our group back then. She is a Qigong Master. We gave joint classes at Stage IV. Now, he goes to Hong Kong and other countries to cure spiritual diseases. Both of them have a problem—they can do many things and they keep practicing, but they cannot teach very well. They do not have a contemporary education. Therefore, if they are asked questions about what and why something happens, they are often unable to give answers. All they say is, “We do not know.” But a man of today, one with a contemporary education, typically wants to know why. When we studied, we never asked the question why. We simply practiced. Westerners, on the other hand, ask this question many times, long before they start learning something. Well, who knows? I’ll give you explanations and they may sound trustworthy, but sometimes I myself do not know if what I’m saying is correct or not. Maybe it is the truth, maybe not. To be honest, I really do not know if some of my explanations are correct, but I do know for sure that the practice is correct. For me, it is hard to explain too, because, when I work with different worlds, many of them look the same as this one: their creatures look like humans, while their landscapes are the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

same as the ones we find here. Therefore, I often do not know whether I am here or there. However, people from the West keep demanding explanations from me, and I have to give them somehow. I feel very uncomfortable doing so, but if I do not, in general, give explanations to them, they are not going to believe me. But why should I? Many things cannot be shown. When it becomes necessary, you can do those things and create something out of them. However, you cannot show or demonstrate them, because many methods are not a consequence of your abilities. When you read certain mantras, other creatures help you. There are things that can be demonstrated, such as the work of the Third Eye and healing. A sudden disappearance or teleportation is impossible to demonstrate. Only magicians and illusionists have been found to perform such acts. I myself have demonstrated this to people only twice in my life. The first time I demonstrated this phenomenon, I was in Beijing and the famous scientist Fon Lida was present. For many years, she had been studying the influence of Qi on the body and had even read a lecture to the members of the Fifth International ZYQ Retreat. The second and last time I did so when I showed it to my father’s friends. After the demonstration in Beijing, I felt very sick, anxious, and nervous. I could not understand why I felt this way, people had asked to witness the phenomenon and I showed them. I felt as though my body needed something but did not know what that something was. Professor Wan, who later traveled to Yekaterinburg, offered to bring me to his home to rest and it was there that, having realized my body was craving vinegar, I consumed half a bottle of it. Once, after I passed the exam on Third Eye vision, our small group came to our Teacher’s house and practiced an exercise that allows a soul to leave its body. The Teacher then turned to us and said, “Let’s fly.” We went to the mountains and practiced there for a long time. More precisely, our souls were the ones to go and practice. After an extended amount of time, the Teacher simply said, “That’s enough”, and we went back to his home, but actually our souls returned to our bodies that had been in the Teacher’s home the entire time.

NEW STAGE OF PRACTICE ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

New Acquaintance In 1988, I met another student of my third Teacher (thirteen years later she was participating in our Shaolin retreat.) At that point, I worked for a big company that had leased a hotel for its employees. One day, several people stayed there who had come to Beijing for a conference. Among them was this young woman. As it turned out later, our Teacher had asked her to meet me in Beijing. When everyone left for the conference, she remained behind and approached me. I asked her, “Why didn’t you go to the conference?” She said, “I was told to talk to you directly.” I said, “Go ahead, no problem. There is no one in here.” Suddenly, I felt that my spiritual Teacher was there (not on a physical plane) and that I had entered the state of Qigong. Right away, I sensed things that could be felt with the Second Heart, using symptoms to arrive at a diagnosis. I told her, “You have a heavy heart. What happened? It seems as though nobody understands you, not even your family.” She started crying and said that it was true. It was hard for her to live and, besides, she didn’t understand everything during the practice. This, she said, troubled her. The fact is that her Second Heart and Third Ear worked very well, but there were problems with the Third Eye. Earlier, she was able to use the Third Eye, but not long before our meeting, she saw horrible pictures while practicing and got scared. As a result, the Qigong Master closed her Third Eye forever and could no longer see with it. She understood many things and could hear many things, but she couldn’t see them. It troubled her very much. It is true that sometimes during practice, there are moments when it is hard to understand without the ability to see with the Third Eye. We started practicing together, so that she could understand better what a Spiritual Teacher is. One day she told me, “All of this troubles me.” I asked, “What exactly troubles you?” She replied, “Damo. I heard someone say that Damo will be our Teacher.” Here I must add that the Chinese language has many words with different meanings that are pronounced the same, but spelled differently. The same applies to “Damo.” In one instance, he is the famous Indian monk, Bodhidharma, ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

founder of Chan Buddhism (Zen) in the Shaolin Monastery . However, the word is also associated with the Grand Devil . Because this lady couldn’t see with the Third Eye but could only hear with the Third Ear, she understood the word in its second meaning and continued, “I heard that the Grand Devil is going to teach us. What should we do? I don’t want to be his student! I don’t want to be the Devil!” She had never been to Shaolin and had never heard anything about Buddhism or Damo. I then suggested that we look at the person about whom we were talking. There, I saw that a big-bearded person had appeared who did not look Chinese. This, I realized, was Damo—the Damo I knew from books (Picture 1c, 6a, b). Besides, I had been in Shaolin before and was therefore able to recognize his face. I comforted her, “Please, calm down, don’t be afraid. This is our real Teacher. This is Damo from the Shaolin Monastery.”

Damo’s Teaching Damo taught us in Beijing for two weeks. That was somewhat similar to the present-day practice of Stage IV. In addition, Damo told me to come to Shaolin, to his cave, to practice. There were four of us who went there: I; the above-mentioned young woman; another woman, who is now an artist’s wife living in Los Angeles; and a colleague of mine, who is a software engineer, now living in Austin. The artist, whose wife accompanied us, had twice shown us his paintings and demonstrated painting techniques during international retreats in Shaolin. Every evening, we climbed the mountain to Damo’s cave (Picture 6c) and practiced all night long. I will recount one incident that took place during this time. It owed itself to many unusual things. It was an extremely cold day at the end of September or the beginning of October in 1988. At about 11:00 p.m., we were so cold that we had begun to gather branches in an attempt to start a fire for warmth. When we gathered branches into a pile, we discovered that there was nothing to light them with— since none of us smoked we had not thought to bring matches or lighters. It was very dark and deserted. Far away, at the bottom, we could ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

see a dim light—it was the Shaolin Monastery. That place is crowded now— thousands of children from sport academies, locals, and tourists visit the monastery, especially on weekends. Now, it is very hard to find peace and quiet by the Monastery. During those years, however, there were no Kung-fu schools around the monastery. There was no one there apart from monks. In general, you could not find someone at that hour around there. What were we supposed to do? We started practicing. Suddenly, the girl who had practiced with me in Beijing shouted, “Oh, someone told me that we will have matches shortly!” She started reading mantras and dancing; her hands were moving in all possible directions. Suddenly, she opened her palm, and there lay a box of matches. Confused, she said, “Here, they gave me matches.” We had no idea where they had come from. She kept dancing as though she was in a trance. All of a sudden, I saw her holding about ten candles in her hands! She continued the dance moves and this time, once again unexpectedly, she had a bunch of joss sticks in her hand. She put them down and again moved her arms. In that same moment, I heard the Voice. That Voice spoke to me saying, “You must take the Book. Do not show it to anyone because no one will be able to understand it at this time. You will have that Book each time we wish you to read it and it shall disappear each time we do not wish you to.” My hands started moving by themselves, and suddenly, a Real Book appeared in my hands. That was in 1988. Later, when I looked through it, I saw that it looked like an old book that had been written before the invention of the printing press. However, it had one distinguishing feature: it had no text. It consisted of pictures, most of which were symbols. Sometimes, when I work with this Book, my spiritual Teacher comes over to me and helps me understand its contents. He explains many things to me. I have been reading this Book from the time I was presented with it, but have yet to comprehend a lot.. In general, the Book contains a description of the structure of the human and the Universe. It speaks of the origins of the Tao and methods of healing in according to Image Therapy. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

In Chinese, the name of the book is Zhong Yuan Mee Dee. Zhong Yuan refers to our Qigong system. Translated, it means “Middle Chinese Plain,” the location at which this type of Qigong was born more than seven thousand years ago. Zhong means center, middle, and equilibrium, while Yuan means original, initial, natural resources, and source. Mee Dee refers to secret information, or esoteric knowledge. It is, in other words, the Book about where everything came from, and thus, in essence, is the Book of Origins or Beginnings. Now, everything we learn and everything we teach in ZYQ comes from this book.

PAGES OF INCIDENTS, OR ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH I am not afraid of death, and I do not worry that it may come in unforeseen circumstances or as a result of a particular accident. Perhaps that is the reason why I am always ready to try things based on my knowledge, or for the sole purpose of obtaining such knowledge. I am not afraid of death, because I’ve died several times already and I know what it is. Those experiences, which I had long before I started Qigong practice, taught my soul to consciously walk around other worlds. I drowned two times, was electrocuted once, and was once run over by a car. Those were really serious situations, and I am not even mentioning the others!

Early Memories My first such experience was in winter, when I was about seven years old. I was already attending school. One day, I was coming back home, walking on the ice of a frozen river. Suddenly, the ice underneath me broke and I went underwater. I was lucky—there were children on the bank of the river, and among them was my little brother. They all started screaming, and one of the adults got me out of the water. Next, someone resuscitated me and I started breathing again. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

This incident left a deep imprint on my memory. Flashbacks of it are still as vivid as they were many years ago. When I recall the sequence of events, I clearly see and feel the ice breaking underneath me and myself falling and going underwater. My second experience occurred when I was about nine years old. I had gone swimming with a group of schoolchildren. I was swimming a little ahead of the others. The bottom of the river was very shallow at the beginning, but it quickly became very deep. For some reason, I wanted to push off the bottom, but my foot slipped and I went underwater. By the time someone was trying to save me, I was already choking and unconscious. Apparently I had swallowed a lot of water. People told me later that water was coming out of me like a fountain. When I regained consciousness, I was on the riverbank and aware of someone performing first aid on me. This person was pushing down on my chest very forcefully. I felt water coming out of me. The third time was at the university. I was changing a bulb. Because there was no light, I was doing it by touch. Accidentally, I touched bare wires. Of course I received a shock and fell down, face up. Again, my soul left my body. The fourth incident took place in 1983, in Chen Chou, after I graduated from the university. That time, it was not my mistake. I was riding my bicycle down the street, and a car was coming from the other side. The driver put on his signal lights. I was going to turn too, but to the other side. Perhaps the driver didn’t know the road and changed his mind about turning. However, he never turned the directional off. As a result, we crashed—the car ran me over and I lost consciousness right away. I woke up in the hospital. The trauma was serious, my tissues being badly cut. The scar from that surgery still reminds me of that incident. There were less serious situations; at least, they seem like that to me. I’ll tell you one story. A long time ago, when I was still a child, we got a mini tractor. We lived on the grounds of the hospital, where my father worked as chief surgeon. We had a decent plot of land because we were a big family. I saw people working on the tractor. At the time, I liked it very much and wanted to drive it too. Therefore, one day, while no adults were around, I climbed into the cabin, engaged the engine, and started driving. Everything went fine for a ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

while. Not for long, though, and only while I was on an even, flat surface. This changed further down with a sharp descent. I was not able to control the tractor, as a result of which it rolled over. Luckily, I happened to be all the way down and the tractor had managed to get stuck in the rocks above me. I could not get out by myself, but I was not hurt. Someone saw me do this and ran for help. When my parents and some other people came to my rescue, my mother fainted. She was scared and stressed. It was difficult to imagine that I could have survived in that accident. The people who had gathered then lifted the tractor and got me out. On this occasion, everything went fine. There were other incidents, but none so memorable. Perhaps that is why my soul leaves my body so easily. Turns out that dying is not the simplest thing! However, do not try to make your soul depart using similar methods—it is very dangerous and does not always end without harm.

Experiment Sometimes it is necessary to do research using one’s own body, as though in a laboratory. This is how many famous doctors tried out their new vaccines. While this did not always end successfully, some of these pioneers did triumph and go on to be famous. However, such selfexperimentation also involves routine work. In ZYQ, this happens a little differently. Only people with extremely high sensitivity are able to feel certain processes inside the body and understand their influence on our life and health. To achieve this, we need personal experience—experience in using the body as a research laboratory. Several years ago, in a Beijing clinic where I work, we came up with the idea of using certain herbal preparations to fight cancer. It is well known that cancer cells are more sensitive to high temperature and oxygen than regular cells—they do not like either. We, therefore, decided to raise the body temperature using these preparations and analyze the body’s reaction. This is one of those situations when devices and analysis can ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

show only part of the picture. This is usually insufficient. It is important to understand the dynamics of the process at all levels, immediately. This is the reason why I offered myself as a tool, or more accurately, a diagnostic complex. In the process, they gave me experimental preparation and started recording their observations, analyses, etc. I observed myself, and we exchanged information and opinions. We wanted to believe that such preparations could help us fight cancerous growths. In a couple of hours, my body temperature started rising. First, it reached 38°C (100.4°F); a little later, it climbed to 39°C (102.2°F) and kept going up. Sometime later, the thermometer showed 40°C (104°F), then 41°C (105.8°F), and then 41.5°C (106.7°F). I analyzed my sensations and the influence of the temperature on various tissues of my body. I cannot tell you that the process was pleasing. At first, it seemed like no big deal; but when such a temperature remains for three days and nights, one feels very bad. From time to time, my temperature would go up to 42°C (107.6°F) and even a little higher. The results of such increases in temperature included undernourished brain cells and changes in blood structure. I observed and analyzed the process from the inside and compared these observationws to the test results. Unfortunately that method turned out to be inconsistent. Of course, some quantity of cancerous cells may indeed die at such temperature, but not all of them. For complete success, one would have had to reach a temperature of 43°C (109.4°F) and maintain it for a long time, which is impossible, because a further rise in temperature causes irreversible changes in healthy cells. After that experiment, even I, a physically strong person with good health, who can make use of different energy work methods, needed several weeks to recover. When, several days later, without completing the recovery process, I flew from Beijing to Moscow and Kiev for seminars, some of my students asked me why I, Master of Qigong, had an allergy. My neck and body appeared as though I was a child with diathesis. I did not feel like telling everyone that this “allergy” was the result of the experiment—that toxins and decayed products of overheated cells were egesting through the skin and that changes in the physical body take time. Of course, it was very discomforting, but it was not fatal. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Anyway, in ZYQ, none of the similar research projects caused fatalities. However, it appears that such research into certain practice areas may cause a person to become insane. The reason for this is that working with transcendental energy causes one to see many illusions; this happens, in particular, when one is deeply submerged in this kind of energy. Very often, we cannot figure out what is an illusion and what is not. Allowing illusions to take over will cause problems in one’s perception of reality. However, if we are able to use similar research to find those roots from which the restoration of the cells of varied tissues and organs may begins, and if it becomes possible to test and publicize this without difficulties, many people will be able to use it. This is the reason why I am working in that direction. If this, in the final analysis, costs me my life, I do not see any problem with it, as I know that I can take on flesh in twenty years. I think that next time, however, I am not going to return. I will go to some other world. I do remember that in my previous life, I wanted to come into this world again, as I had to solve some problems that I could not solve before. These problems, indeed, made me come back here. Now, I do not think about returning again. This is the reason why I am trying to do my best in this life: I want to complete my mission, so that I do not have to return here. There are research projects that are not dangerous which are very interesting. In 1990, I took part in experiments using a zero magnetic field. That was a special laboratory intended for all kinds of complex research. There, when I entered the state of complete silence and mental tranquility, I could see images of different worlds with my Third Eye. Reading devices recorded corresponding signals radiated by my brain. This procedure had similarities to the experiments at Moscow State Univercity in Russia where I was passing through special tests; and during this procedure the devices took measure of signals from each part of my brain. I thought, then, that if I were able to transform radiated signals back into images, people without Third-Eye vision would be able to see those images too. I think it could be a method, an instrument, a tool with the help of which we would be able to receive and simulate images of the Universe using our bodies, minds, and brains. In spite of the fact that such things appear real in movies, no such tools exist in reality. It is a very good idea and maybe, in ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

the future, it will be realized. If this dream comes true, we will be able to understand the Universe, and ourselves, much deeper and better.

Test, or the Tumor Story I have been conducting research on myself throughout my conscious life, covering not only on my physical body and energy system but also my inner world of emotions, desires, and motivations. Not long ago I came to a better understanding of my inner world. Sometimes, our deep hidden fears become more visible, more pronounced, and more obvious, especially when we are confronted with the possibility of death. Nevertheless, these sensations and feelings can change if one has a purpose, goal, and belief. I am going to tell you a story. Some time ago, around 1998, I had planned a series of seminars, with almost no breaks, in Russia, Ukraine, and Germany. The information about the trip was published on the international website. Of course, I had bought tickets for China–Moscow–Kiev–Munich–Moscow ahead of time. Whenever I would leave Beijing for extended stays in other countries, I would have a very busy week prior to departure: tasks demanding immediate resolution would make them unexpectedly known—patients and sick friends, who have been waiting for me for several months, and of course classes, consultations, and meetings with my personal students. At that time, two students, who worked at the military hospital and had high positions there, had asked me many times to meet with them and check out a new device they were very proud of. It was an entire diagnostic complex with modern computer systems which, according to my students, allowed them to detect slightest abnormalities in the body. They knew that I was leaving for a long time and that I had a very hectic life and work schedule. They therefore suggested solving several problems at once. They wanted to talk to me about their own practice, show the new device to me (they wanted to prove that it was possible to accurately test patients without using the Third Eye), and test me. Since I was leaving for an entire year, they wanted to give me a checkup. Having had no free time whatsoever, I kept rescheduling the meeting. Four days before my flight to Moscow, I finally found some time ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

and went to their military hospital. Because my students knew about my diagnostic abilities, they asked the best doctor in their hospital to run the test. After that, the subspecialists would analyze the results. The test started in the presence of many doctors. They checked my eyes, teeth, ears, brain, nasopharynx, blood pressure, etc. Then came the turn of the inner organs: liver, stomach, intestines, etc. It was then that the gastroenterologist said, “What do you have here, young man?” I said, “I don’t know.” He asked, “What do you mean you don’t know? You should be feeling unpleasant sensations in this area.” Indeed when he applied pressure to the area it was very unpleasant. A healthy person would not have this problem. The doctor looked at me during palpation and said, “I told you there is a problem here. It looks like a bump. You need to check this area carefully, but for that, you need a different specialist.” My personal student, whose initiative had brought me there, looked worried and said that I should really have it checked out. I knew that he was a good doctor and thought, “Well, if that is the case, then I will have to run some tests. I am here anyway.” So I told him, “OK, I am ready.” Next, I was examined by the proctologist. The procedure involved the insertion of a tube in the area under consideration. This doctor, too, shook his head and wrote down “Tumor ten mm (about 0, 4 inches).” He said, “It is clear that you have a tumor. I don’t know yet what kind. We need to run biopsy tests and see if it is benign or malignant.” I asked him when I should do this. He said, “The sooner, the better,” and he made an appointment for me in two days. I was taken aback: I had to wait for the appointment for two days, following which I had to wait for the results. I had to catch a flight to Moscow in four days. What was I supposed to do? I left with that question in mind. That day, I didn’t think about the growth anymore: to begin with, I had no time for such pre-occupations; secondly, I didn’t think it could be anything serious. The doctors had told me it was serious, and my personal student, who was a good doctor as well, had said the same. But I still didn’t think so. My thoughts were focused on other matters because, as usual before departure, I had to do many things. I spent the next day at one of the computer companies and forgot ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

about the hospital completely. In the evening, when I came home, my personal student called me and said, “Please, do not forget that you are to abstain from eating for two days.” “Why can’t I eat for two days?” I asked. He said, “Because the intestine must be clear, so that we can see everything.” So I couldn’t eat and drink for two days. I could drink water of course, but anything stronger was out of the question. We have a tradition: when we solve a problem or finish the healing process, we go out to a restaurant. That evening, former patients of mine invited me to a restaurant. I had accepted the invitation earlier, and now I had to tell them that I would be unable to go out. They asked, “Why?” “The doctor told me not to eat for two days.” “What? You are not allowed to eat? We thought you couldn’t be sick!” My former patients were surprised. I said, “I, too, thought that I wouldn’t suffer from diseases. However, I seem to be.” “Fine,” I was told, “But we have to go to the restaurant, since we have already made plans and reserved a table. This way you can stay away from food, but we will be able to talk.” I had to agree to this. At the restaurant, I started to think more about my condition. Sitting with them, I engaged in conversation, but my head was now preoccupied. I couldn’t understand how this happened. Was it because I had treated many cancer patients recently? It couldn’t be, because after each session, I did body cleansing. The next morning, my personal student from the hospital called me again and said, “Don’t be scared. We arranged for surgery with the best surgeon there is, and he works in our hospital.” I realized that I was not afraid and had not thought about surgery at all. However, they had already arranged for it. This surprised me! The thought of surgery being necessary did not cross my mind. I sat down with medical books, including an atlas and encyclopedia, and started looking up what they had to say about my assumed disease (intestinal tumor). The books listed symptoms. I thought that they were very similar to mine. From time to time, I did have the sensations ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

described in the books. I was so busy that I did not want to pay attention to them. After all, who knows what I might feel if I am constantly treating many seriously sick people? I kept reading. Young and overweight people have this problem more often. When I read more about the symptoms, I found that they usually occurred at the stage when the disease is fatal, with death being the most probable outcome. As it turned out, therefore, the situation was quite serious. The books also said that I should be experiencing pain. I touched, pressed, and felt very light pain. I thought that perhaps each person grades pain differently. One person considers the pain to be very strong, another considers it average, while the third person considers it minor. I did feel pain, though, for sure. At night I practiced Qigong intensively and fell into a deep sleep. The next day, I treated patients again—I still had to finish all pending sessions, and once more, I forgot about my problem. That evening, my personal student called again. “Tomorrow morning you have to cleanse your intestines and stay away from food!” he said. Once again he asked me not to worry. In the evening, after I was done with urgent matters, I started thinking of my relatives in the hope of remembering if any of them had ever had a similar disease. I couldn’t find a sick relative. In my family, my grandfathers, grandmothers, great-grandfathers, and great-grandmothers had all lived long and had never had cancer. Why everyone thought that I must be afraid of the diagnosis, I don’t know. I had been practicing Qigong for a long time, and many years earlier had experienced the departure of the soul from the body for the first time. Having seen various worlds at that point and knowing what happens after the death of the physical body, how could I fear death? Furthermore, this same evening after I got a preliminary diagnosis one of my friends came over and stayed for the night. He began by telling me that I was a free person and that I had nothing to worry about: no one close to me would suffer in the event of my death. I had, after all, no wife and children, and my parents still had sons and daughters who would be able to take care of them. I thought that my friend was right in his own way: I did not have to worry about who would take care of my parents. Finally, I also thought that I had many students I was not done ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

working with. However, this didn’t matter. Some other person, a very good Master, would work with them and complete what I was unable to. When finally I was alone in my room, I started practicing again. I decided to see for myself with the Third Eye what was going on in my intestines. I kept looking and looking—everything was clean and clear; I couldn’t see anything bad. Of course, I had not eaten for two days and had cleaned my intestines in other ways. Having taken such measures, it was unlikely that there was something inside! I decided to have another look, very slowly, millimeter by millimeter. Again, I didn’t see anything. I saw that everything was very clean, and I could not see any tumor. I then fell asleep. Next morning, a phone call woke me up. It was my personal student again. “You didn’t forget to clean the intestines one last time before the hospital, did you?” I told him, “I don’t think I should even go. I didn’t see anything. There doesn’t appear to be a growth.” He said, “No, you have to go. We have made the arrangements, and the doctor will be waiting. He will come especially for you.” “Oh well, if that is the case, I am coming.” I was late. People were waiting for me. They gave me some pills. I took them and had to wait two more hours for them to act. While I was sitting and waiting, I suddenly heard someone talking to me: “Master Xu Mingtang, is that you? You are here, too? What are you doing here?” It was another student of mine, a doctor from this hospital, passing by. I had to explain the situation. He shook his head and sympathized. I asked him if the procedure was painful. He didn’t know the answer, because he had never done it himself. Another patient approached me and he told me that the procedure was very painful and that the pain would last a long time. I asked him why there was so much pain involved. He explained, “Doctors nip off a piece of live tissue without any anesthesia.” Finally, the doctors called me in. The procedure for getting me ready for the tests was quick. I asked the doctor why it was not painful. He said, “Wait, the pain will come.” The doctor inserted the tube. He asked, “Does it hurt?” I said, “No, it doesn’t.” There was a little pain, but it was more of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

an unpleasant sensation than actual pain. He then told me that I was the first person who had said the procedure was not painful. As the tube was being inserted, the doctors were talking. “There is nothing. I don’t see anything. We must look further.” I said, “Doctor, maybe we shouldn’t. There is nothing.” They thought that I could see the screen. They kept looking and looking. They said that everything was clear and that there was nothing. However, they told me to take a blood test. Once again I told them that there was no need, as there was nothing. They took the blood test anyway. I told them, “I cannot wait for the results. I have a plane to catch tomorrow.” That was the end of it, and I left for Moscow. There, at the seminar, I told this story. My students asked me what the problem was. I told them that I had no idea and that everything was done and I was not thinking about it anymore. However, people in the West like to ask questions. They asked me right away why I had not consulted my Teacher, why I had not figured out what happened. I did think about the fact that I had not consulted my Teacher about the problem. In the evening, after the seminar, I started practicing and asked my spiritual Teacher these questions. He said that everything that had happened was a test, an experiment he had conducted. He wanted to know if, in the depths of my soul, I would fear death from cancer. Several years prior, I had started cancer research in the hope of finding a cure for this disease. However, the Teacher had advised me against it, telling me it was very hard work. I had insisted on doing it. I told him that many people die, not due to the disease but due to their fear of it. When a person is afraid, his immune system weakens and the tumor develops more quickly, resulting in death. If there were no fear of the disease, the immune system would strengthen; the tumor would not develop but instead preserve itself, and such serious problems might not even arise. There would, then, be hope for a cure. Why did my Teacher offer me this specific situation for the test? First, by that point, I had seen many patients with different forms of cancer at various stages. I had been unable to cure some of these patients, who had ended up dying in my presence. I had seen them suffering but couldn’t ease their pain. Therefore, I knew death from cancer very well. Secondly, I had researched the subject for several years, but I understood that ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

many things were unclear to me and that I could not cure every patient. Therefore, from time to time, I returned to the thoughts I had at the moment when Teacher advised me against seeking a cure for cancer—I started thinking that he might have been right. Nevertheless, if one decides to do something, he must finish it— you can’t stop in the middle due to difficulties. As a result, Teacher decided to show me what cancer is and what a cancerous death looks like. He wanted me to feel this disease for myself, to analyze the process, and then, with this information, to continue doing cancer research and seeking a cure. Besides, unless you deal with a situation directly, you often have no idea about your possible reaction. You do not even anticipate the possibility of worrying or being scared when you face the problem for real. You might think that you would be indifferent to a hypothetical situation; however, when you are in that situation for real, it can cause negative emotions. It is for this reason that such a test had been offered to me, like a routine examination. The Teacher told me that I had gone through this test and successfully passed the examination, because I had not experienced fear or anxiety for my life. I listened to him and was very pleased, because I knew with absolute certainty that, even in the depth of my soul, there had been no anxiety whatsoever.

The life of a human being consists of many events and episodes. Among them are some very important ones and other totally meaningless ones. Some of them pass by fleetingly; others cause scars or heal wounds. Then there are those events that are unimportant and unnecessary, but longlasting. Also, there are brief but significant episodes. And then, there are MILESTONES on the PATH. One of them is education of the soul in other worlds.

MILESTONES: SPIRITUAL PRACTICE At a certain stage, every practitioner must, for the sake of ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

personal development, master the method by which the soul leaves the physical body. However, for this to happen, one needs to prepare oneself as well as the surrounding environment. What does this mean? Preparing oneself means cleansing the body and preparing the mind. First, it is necessary to clear the stomach and intestines of all food—these internal organs must be absolutely empty. After that, one needs to choose a suitable environment with stable and with moderate temperatures —not too hot or too cold. That is the reason why in ancient times, practitioners went to caves to practice—temperatures inside caves are very stable. This type of practice is very important. One can fully understand what the soul is only after this experience. It allows one to truly understand how a soul can travel and visit various places without the body. One can then also understand the nature of other worlds, in which nothing exists in physical form. This is already a spiritual type of practice—the soul of Yin-Shenlevel practice. This soul is able to leave the body for a short time but can also travel for longer—from several seconds and minutes, to several hours and even days. When the soul goes out, you experience freedom. As a result, at first, you do not know how to return to your body. Nevertheless, as soon as this thought crosses your mind, your soul returns home, back to the body. If the soul leaves for three days (in our system, after a series of short leaves, the soul goes out for three days exactly), there are no problems with the body; practitioners can stay in their own apartments or houses. When, in three days, the soul comes back, the person “wakes up.” The Yintype soul is able to go out for a maximum of seven days. For that, one needs to find a very quiet and secluded place, preferably a special cave. During those seven days, there will be no problems with the body. In order to leave for a longer time, one needs special training of the physical body. To begin with, the body needs to undergo certain changes. If you want your soul to leave, during practice, of your own free will and not due to an outside occurrence, you must learn to enter the state of Pause.

First Departures of the Soul ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Often, it is hard to tell when and where the practitioner will enter the state of Pause. With me, it happened in a room. I finished my work and we, a small group of people, gathered in another room for joint practice. We practiced sitting. It was 3:00 p.m. Suddenly, I entered the state of Pause, and my soul went out and was able to walk around a little bit. It was fascinating. The next evening, I practiced in lotus pose. After some time, my soul went out again. At that point, I had no desires and I did not know what the result would be. I was just sitting and practicing. Before the soul goes out for a long time, it practices short departures of several minutes or sometimes hours. Prior to a long leave, Teacher always tells us when and where it is going to happen, and how we should prepare for it. When I went out on such a journey for the first time, I immediately went through a seven-day-long practice of leaving my body and learning in other worlds. Prior to this, I prepared myself for a long time: I observed a lengthy fast. No fruits, no vegetables—nothing at all! Similarly, I drank practically nothing, since during the fast my body was taking in moisture from the environment.

108-Day Fast My preferred approach towards the preparation—cleansing—of my body was a fast over a period of 108 days. During that period, I did not eat and I did not drink any liquid at all for more than first thirty days. Similarly, during those 108 days, I continued going to work at the Software Development Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. I was social, and none of my colleagues suspected what I was doing. I didn’t eat anything, because whenever I tried to eat something, even a fruit, my body would reject it and I would be overcome by nausea immediately. How did I feel during this period of fast? For the first three days, I felt as though there was some kind of disorder in the body, rather than mere discomfort. Something was wrong and that “wrong” drew my attention to it. As a result, I sensed that something was changing. For example, at lunchtime, when, by force of habit, my mind began thinking, that it was time to consume food, my physical body did not want ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

any. This created a conflict between my mind and my physical body’s sensations. After several days, my state changed, and I seemed to feel light and comfortable. Still, my navel was not working intensively enough. I felt like I needed water. When I was ready to drink some, something inside my body refused it. As a result, I did not drink. My body, however, did acquire specific things: it started absorbing water through its entire surface. For instance, if I were near a fountain, I felt as though my body was filling up with water, as if it was pulling the water from the fountain and absorbing it. At first, this felt as though I had consumed a bottle of water to deal with extreme thirst. I learned from this that my body was capable of receiving water directly from the environment. If we can accept water, we can accept other elements dissolved in that water. Based on experiments, my own experience, and the experiences of other people, I can say without hesitation that this method works. This occurs in stages, in the following way: during the first two months, the practitioner loses weight. But when the body is completely clean, further fasting doesn’t lead to any more weight loss. Usually, in two months, the weight appears to have stabilized and, in spite of the fast, remains the same. It is often hard to understand how this is possible. In other words, why does your weight remain unchanged in spite of the fact that you are not eating anything? In three months, I tried to eat certain foods such as apples, and it was possible. My body didn’t refuse it, but I didn’t like the idea and kept fasting myself. After 108 days, I suddenly felt very hungry. I ate a little bit of food very carefully, and everything was fine. My personal experience was like the experience of my Teacher and other ancient Masters: with correct practice, it is possible to live without food for several months and remain unharmed. However, if your mind is constantly focused on thoughts about food, if the need for food dominates your thoughts during the entire period of fast, you will keep losing weight and actually run the risk of death after some time. For such practice, it is necessary to open the navel and skin and teach them to work together (we learn this at Stages II and III). Only after you have achieved this will everything be fine with you—you will not lose weight and ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

you will not be hungry. In addition, during the period of “dry fast” when we do not consume any food or drink any liquids, we clean our bodies. The stomach becomes very clean, and the skin and navel turn active—they start working together to receive oxygen, moisture, and various other substances from the environment. On the other hand, when we lose weight, we decrease our mass. As mass decreases, energy increases. As far as I know from my Teacher, true grand masters almost do not eat usual food. Apparently they are nourished only by Qi and air. As a result of our bodies becoming clean, we increase our ability to communicate along with our energy levels. Perhaps our power increases as well, allowing us to communicate with creatures of a higher level from other worlds. That is the reason why this period is very useful for learning things from Spiritual teachers. Many years after that experience—about ten years ago, I read an article about how scientists had discovered that the navel has the ability to receive certain substances from the environment and, by using them as a base, create other matter. This was unknown to modern Western medicine. This means that the navel can absorb certain elements from the air and transform them into more complex substances. Therefore, when the appropriate elements enter through the navel, the intestine produces carbohydrates. This explains how monks can survive without food and drink when, for long periods, they retreat to the mountains, away from people. They exist owing to their own bodies’ production of the elements they require. We can survive without liquids for one reason: our bodies have the ability to receive water from the surrounding environment in the form of fog and steam. We drink water because our kidneys need it. If we do not eat, our bodies receive less salt and sugar. This means that the kidneys do not need as much water as during food consumption, which is why there are no problems during dry fasting. My experience shows that during a fast, the body works just fine. In spite of the fact that I had not consumed any water for more than a month, I still passed urine. This means that my body received plenty of moisture ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

from the environment. I must add that I practiced very intensively during these months; I went to work as usual, and I felt very comfortable. Sometimes people ask me why I started eating again after so many days of fasting. There are several reasons for this. The main one among these was that I was done with that stage of my practice. During this time, I had learned many things. The period of study was therefore complete. In addition, I needed to perform a very large volume of my basic work. Finally, when one is practicing in this manner, it is not simply a matter of one’s own desire. As a rule, the body keeps you informed of its needs—for example, it says that the time has come for it to have food.

The Long Departure of the Soul for Study I then set out to fulfill the task for which I had done all of this— the facilitation of the soul’s departure to study in other worlds. There is a monastery with a statue of a Sleeping Buddha in Beijing. Over three or four kilometers (about two or two and a half miles) behind it, you can find a plain. Going still further, you will come across many mountains with caves. In order to get there, you need to go through a peach garden, in which there are many peach trees and fierce dogs guarding them. Then, you will need to go through a cemetery and over a very steep mountain. First, you will have to climb it and then, descend. After that, you will find yourself in a secluded plain, with cave-filled mountains on its opposite side. In ancient times, the area had many monasteries, but these have now been completely destroyed. The caves are still there, though—many different caves, natural ones in their original form, as well as those created by men in those remote times. There is one very interesting and rather spacious cave. Walking inside, one can seclude oneself by closing the entrance with a rock from the inside. This rock has been used for that purpose for many years. On top, in the center of the cave’s roof, there is a hole through which one can see the sky. This cave was named “String into Sky,” because if you look upward through that opening, it appears that the cave is connected to the sky by a thin thread, like an extended wire. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

I practiced in that cave many times from 1986 to 1991. I stayed there for different periods, sometimes for long ones, extending into several days. Often in the course of these periods of seclusion, my soul would leave my body. However, someone would take care of the body. It is a very good cave for such practice, because even during summer, in hot weather, the cave maintains a stable environment—the temperature is constant and cool. If it is raining outside, the inside of the cave it is still dry and clean. The most important factor is that no one can interrupt you and spoil your practice. One of the main contributing factors to this state of affairs is the peach garden that is guarded by fierce dogs, which are feared by all who try to pass through. This is how everything happened: When I was told to go there and practice for seven days, I found a person who knew that locality and everything in it very well. He was my guide. A friend of mine, who worked in a publicity department and dealt with social connections, took a vacation and went with me. He made a special bed in the form of a hammock. He put it between two trees in front of the cave, where I was supposed to spend seven days. I was inside the cave; he was sleeping outside, right near the entrance. He took care of my body. Prior to such undertakings, you must have your Second Heart activated and working. That way, you hear what your Teacher tells you. You hear what you must practice, where you must go, and for how long. When you practice after receiving these instructions, you soon enter the state of Pause, and your soul leaves your body and goes up. There are no obstacles for the soul—no mountain or cave roof can stop it—you simply fly through all these and find yourself over the mountain. There you see your Teacher waiting for you, and you travel together around the Universe with different worlds. When I returned, I felt like a changed man. I looked at our world in a different way. I knew where I came from, for what reason, and what it was that I had to do. Then, I understood in full the nature and development of the Universe and humanity. This was the point at which I began serious spiritual practice. I have already told you that my mother had a similar experience that lasted twenty-one days. For twenty-one days, her soul traveled around ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

other worlds. But I will tell you this story some other time.

Episode with Lotus Pose I had never been required, earlier, to sit in the lotus pose. Since early childhood I had been engaged in Kung-fu and had executed static exercises while standing for long periods. If I had to sit during practice, I sat in the usual way, or with my legs crossed Turkish style. One day during practice, my spiritual Teacher appeared before me and said, “You need to learn to practice in lotus pose so that you can receive my energy and information. I told him that I couldn’t sit in this pose because I found it painful and couldn’t do anything about it. My Teacher replied, “If you can’t do it, you can’t receive this teaching.” He proceeded to say something that I remember to this day: “When you say or think that you can’t do something, it is an obstacle born in your mind, not your body. When you stop thinking about what you are not able to do and think only about what you can do, your mind will make the necessary changes in your body and you will be able to do anything you want!” These words made me sincerely believe that the mind can change the body. I sat in a lotus pose immediately. The very first time, I practiced nonstop for more than thirty minutes. This was followed by a practice session of more than two hours. During practice, I didn’t feel any pain. However, after it was over, my legs were numb and my anklebones bruised. These phenomenons proved my Teacher’s words right and assured me that the mind could control the pose and shape of the body. In addition, I realized that selfbelief can enable us to achieve anything. The lotus pose is one of the most important poses for such learning. No one likes it, because it hurts a lot, especially in the beginning. However, with time, it ceases to cause difficulties. This pose is absolutely necessary for Stage V training. Without this pose, there is no way to receive Stage V information. When you practice using the lotus pose, all major central points face up. The translation from Chinese of the word “lotus” means “five centers or hearts face up.” This means that a person sitting in ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

lotus pose is completely open to all information and fully capable of receiving it through the five main points—Baihui, two points; Laogong, on palms; and Yongquan, two points at the bottom of the feet. For some reason, many people think that this is also a praying pose. In truth, it is the pose for learning, the pose for acquiring knowledge. The lotus pose is the way to receive information from the highest levels.

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MILESTONE PAGE: ALL LIFE IS ONE or THE LIBERATION OF THE SOULS OF NATIVE AMERICANS The United States has organizations that regularly convene interesting conferences devoted to the practical application of science, attracting scientists and also people who are simply interested in research into human beings and their inner world. Once, a conference named Science and Consciousness was organized. Its first chapter, held in 2001, drew about five hundred people. A year later, it attracted about eight hundred people. I am telling you this to show you how quickly interest in this kind of information is growing all over the world. The question is, why? Of course, the name is very attractive: the word “science” always engenders trust. It is possible that for a certain category of people, science is like God—and everyone loves God. The term “consciousness” is intriguing to some degree. We want to know what it is. Such conferences attract many famous scientists, new specialists from related areas, representatives of various religions, and people engaged in the practice of different psychophysical training methods. You can get a general idea of the main thrust of such talks in one of the sections of the book The Tao of Physics by Fritiora Capra. I read this book while still at the university. At these conferences, scientists have presented a number of papers describing experiments in detecting the location of the mind. One such paper was presented by Konstantin Korotkov, a professor at St. Petersburg University. During his presentation, he discussed his research and books on aura-imaging equipment and methods, during life and after death. Last year, I didn’t attend this conference, because I simply did not find it interesting. This year, I was not going to participate either; I did not believe that such gatherings could involve serious practitioners. However, my student Marina showed me thesis reports and told me that many interesting people were expected to be there, including ones from Brasilia. They were going to demonstrate trance-induced healing methods and various ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

types of shamanic practice. As a result, I decided to attend. Four of us—Ernst, Lidia with her husband, and I attended. Ernst works at a therapeutic center in Seattle, in the United States, and is a ZYQ instructor. Lidia, originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, and a psychologist and psychotherapist by training, is also an instructor. She has been living in the States for almost twenty years. Her husband is a yoga instructor. They reserved seats at the conference and bought tickets. The departure was scheduled for Friday. I finished work with my patients and went straight to the airport, with no time to stop for dinner. During the flight, I had no idea exactly where we were going, as I did not organize the trip; I had simply agreed to accompany the group. At midnight, we reached a hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Of course, after a full business day of intense healing and a six-hour flight with only a light snack on board, I felt a little tired. I went to sleep thinking of getting good rest before the next day, the first day of the conference. Something, however, kept me from falling asleep, and it wasn’t insomnia. Something was wrong. For some reason, early morning came suddenly. In the morning, I felt fine. I told Ernst, with whom I was sharing a room, that I had not slept all night. He was surprised and said that he did not realize this, as he had slept all night long. The second night I was, again, unable to sleep. The story of the previous night was repeated. I felt as though this might be connected to the unusually spicy meals that had a lot of jalapeño pepper in them. As a result, the next day I skipped dinner. At the same time, however, something told me that food might not be the real reason for my lack of sleep and in that order to find out the real cause, I needed to meditate. It was strange—for two nights in a row, I couldn’t sleep, but time seemed fly by very quickly. I lay on the bed and was unable to sleep while also being unaware of the passage of time, and when I opened my eyes, it was morning. On the third night, everything was the same; I did not try to sleep but entered the state of silence and started meditating. After a while, my Third Eye opened like a window, and I saw two people in my room. For me, there was no difference between regular and Third Eye vision. I don’t know if you have ever felt, during meditation or some other practice, that at night, you saw the same things with open as well as closed eyes. If you want to practice well, you need to maintain this state all night long. It is easy for me. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

When I enter it, I am able to retain it all night long. However, in situations that are too unusual, it can sometimes be difficult for us to be able to distinguish reality from illusion. You open your eyes and see a hotel room. As you see it, you understand that there are other people there, and when you close your eyes, you appear in another place—not the hotel room—and two absolute strangers are trying to talk to you. When I close my eyes, I see them; I see another world. However, when I open my eyes, I see our world. In spite of the fact that it is night, I see light. There were two elderly people in my room—a man and a woman. Judging by their faces and clothes, I deduced them to be Native Americans. They kept talking to each other, nonstop. I did not understand their language, as a result of which I couldn’t understand what they were saying. However, I remembered two phrases very well. The idea was that many people had been murdered and that their souls still continued to suffer. I understood that those two told me to go to a ritual cave and help them. I remember this very well, because they kept repeating it in my mind. The next day at the conference, I asked people if there was any place around there where many Native Americans had been killed. I was told that, indeed, not far from the conference locale, a large part of the native population had perished. This was five to six hundred years earlier. Similarly, in another place, many people had died of hunger. I and a few ZYQ practitioners decided to visit these places after the conference. The same thing happened when I started meditating at night. The two old Native Americans showed up before me and, again, I had to forget about sleeping, because they kept talking to me, trying to explain things to me. Maybe they were existed in the form of energy and connected to this event and the other world. Again, the night passed by very quickly, as though in a single moment. The Native Americans showed me where the mountain and the cave were; they showed them to me as though we were looking at a relief of Earth from a very high altitude. Then, I clearly saw the color of that mountain where I was supposed to go. I saw this image from the perspective of someone who was looking down from an airplane. In the morning, I told Ernst that I had not slept again. I then asked him to rent a car for the next day, because I needed to go some-place. He asked, “Where do you need to go?” I said, “I don’t know. I need to find a place where many Native ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Americans were killed.” Ernst knew that there were such places, but he had no idea about their exact locations. We therefore had to ask local inhabitants. I asked him to take me to that place the next day, after the end of the conference. Ernst said, “Good, I was going to show you such places anyway.” He then went to rent a car. On my way out of the hotel, I met Lidia and told her that I had to find a ritual cave to perform a ritual and help someone. However, I still didn’t know what I had to do. I offered her to come with us if she wanted. It turned out that Lidia, too, had already rented a car for the same day. She wanted to show me local sights. She was obviously interested in going with us, and she and her husband decided to join our trip. So the next day we were supposed to visit caves whose location was a mystery to everyone concerned. I did not sleep again that night. The old Native Americans appeared before me and again kept conversing with me. The strangest thing was that in spite of the sleepless nights, I did not feel tired or anxious, and the night went by very fast. In the morning, the only thought I had in my head was of that cave where ritual ceremonies were conducted. I also remembered the color of the mountains and their appearance. After the morning session of the conference, we decided to stop, have lunch, and figure out where we needed to go. We ate in a little restaurant. After the meal, Ernst put a map on the table and pointed out a place where he knew many Native Americans had been killed and where, in his opinion, we needed to go. However, Lidia calculated that it would take about six hours to get there. So this meant six hours to go there, six hours to return, and a couple of hours to be spent at the spot—in all, not less than fourteen hours. However, we didn’t have so much time. Then, Ernst found another similar place. However, it appeared that this place was not much closer—five hours away. That was still too far. We started thinking. We didn’t know what to do. Then I said, “Let me ask them.” I closed my eyes and addressed the natives. I told them that I did not know where to go or where the cave was and asked them to point it out on the map. They put my finger on the map, on the place where we were supposed to go. I opened my eyes when my finger touched the map—I had no knowledge of the local geography. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Lidia looked at the map and said right away that the place was very good and had strong energy—she had heard about it the previous year when she had traveled around that area with her husband. Someone had told her that the energies there are high, that there is a strong energy stream and a hot spring. Ernst confirmed that there used to be a Native American village right next to that place. Because I knew nothing about this, I simply said, “OK, it is time to go; otherwise, we will not make good time.” We jumped into the car and at the city border, stopped near a convenience store. I asked Ernst to check if the store had audiotapes with typical Native American music. The reason for this request was that during the night communication with the elderly Native Americans, they told me that I needed their folk music for the ritual. Luckily the store had the tapes we required, and we bought the most popular ones. We then left town and, almost immediately, entered a mountainous area. I had a feeling, however, that something was wrong. A sense of disappointment came over me. Meanwhile, we reached the zone with the caves. My company wanted to stop, but the locality looked different from the one I had seen during night meditation and the talks with the old Native Americans. We had different thoughts on which way to go. Lidia and Ernst had different opinions on which road to take. In accordance with Lidia’s plan, we were supposed to locate a famous spring in which the spirits of Native Americans were allegedly present—it had been their sacred spring since ancient times. After some time, we realized that we couldn’t go further, that the road was blocked. We were told to turn in another direction. Ernst had suggested that road at the beginning. I looked in that direction, adopting a “bird’s-eye view,” and could not see the terrain we needed. However, we had no choice and kept going. Again, after a while, it was clear to me that these were not the mountains we were looking for. Soon we approached the gates of a strange park where there used to be a Native American village. It had since been turned into a reservation. I looked around and was again unable to recognize the locality—it was not the same as the one I had seen in my night meditations. I told Ernst that we needed to go back to the crossroad where we took the turn, because I had noticed something looking like an energy pole over there. But Ernst insisted on going further into the park and looking ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

around. We went through the gates and, as it turned out, there was another park right behind the first one. This one looked like a real museum. We stopped the car and I meditated. However, I still couldn’t see the place we were looking for. I was very disappointed. When I was done meditating, Ernst came up to me and said that we needed to rush and move faster, because it would soon be dark. The gates would be closed, and we still had to make it to the middle of the park and back before this. I had no idea where to go from there and simply followed them. We succeeded in entering the gates of the park before they closed. As soon as we passed the gates, something in my eyes flashed, and it felt as though my body had been penetrated by an electric current. Suddenly, everything started glowing, my eyes kept seeing flashes, and I saw the exact place that we were looking for: I saw a mountain, a big rock and the two natives—the old man and woman. The rock looked like a human being; on it was the old man, while the woman lay in another rock. They saw me and called me, waiving their hands for me to come closer. I approached the rock. Lidia was filming everything. There, I used a special method of communication, similar to Zhong Gun (an exercise from Stage IV). I started pronouncing sounds in a cosmic language, in order to establish contact with the natives and this locality. I understood that the place was right (Picture 50). When I finished my communication and returned to reality, Ernst started rushing us, “Hurry up, hurry up. It is so late already. It is about three kilometers (about 1,8 miles) to get to another big cave in the park, and no cars are allowed there. We must walk.”

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Picture 50: During the Journey to Native American Lands in Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Picture 50: During the Journey to Native American Lands in Albuquerque, New Mexico

We went further. Soon we saw another rock with the old man on it. Passing by, I heard the voice, “Take the music; you need music for the ritual.” I stopped and asked Ernst to give me a cassette player with an audiotape. I didn’t know yet when we would need the Native American music. But it appeared that we had left everything in the car and were already far away from it. Anyway, the most important was to get to the spot, even without music. I said, “Very well, then. Let’s go without the tape recorder.” ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Then, Lidia’s husband suggested splitting up. He said that he wanted to take another road. Lidia asked to go with him, but he said he wanted to go alone. While we were talking, Ernst continued to walk and was far ahead of us. Lidia and I started catching up to him while her husband slowed down and turned. Later, we found out that he had gone back to the car to get the tape player and audiotape, which helped me a lot later—without music, everything would have been much more difficult. When we finally caught up with Ernst, he said that he had just seen a huge snake. I asked him, “Do you believe it was a real snake?” He answered, “Yes, I am absolutely certain. It was a real snake.” I asked that question because my senses told me that that snake was not normal; perhaps it looked like a real snake, but there was something wrong with it. While Ernst was telling me about it, the image of the snake appeared before my eyes for a second or two, and I sensed that this was not reality. However, Ernst took it for real, for an entirely normal but huge snake. It went into a hole in the ground very quickly. Finally, we reached the caves. There were many of them, as it turned out, with the majority located on a steep slope near the top. One of the caves stood out for its big entrance. We had to climb to the top; the steps were steep and some of them were missing. It was, in short, an inconvenient situation, and we didn’t have much time. Finally, we reached the cave. I was very surprised to see an actual “Ritual Cave” sign at the entrance. There were plenty of other caves, but this one, indeed, was intended for rituals. Because I had heard so much about the ritual cave from the natives, I immediately recognized the place when I saw it. I practiced a little bit in the cave, but I felt that something was missing. We looked around. In the floor of the cave, we saw an opening akin to an underground entrance. We went down. This cellar turned out to be a small dwelling. The cave itself was stone, and below, a space for living had been dug out, one in which people lived or gathered. A set of stairs led downward. At this point Lidia’s husband returned with the tape recorder and a cassette. One by one, we went down the flight of steps and sat down, all four of us, opposite each other along the sides of that underground dwelling. I started practicing a certain type of communication with the environment, where one can see what exactly is happening in a particular place, what ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

exactly is inside that locality and in neighboring worlds. This is a specific ceremony, a certain type of Kung-fu, where Sky and Earth open up and one can see the souls of those who lived here, a long time ago and recently. I saw several territorially large places where many people had died, with their souls still experiencing suffering and torment. I used a special mantra in order to bring the souls of these people from the lower world into the higher world. It appears as though you open the ground, take them out from the lower world that makes them suffer, carry them into our world, and then send them to the world in which they are supposed to live. I also saw the old Indians standing above, waiting for other souls to arrive. I conducted this procedure in one spot, after which I saw another place with the same characteristics and went to work there—I kept bringing suffering souls upward. When I was completely done with the procedure and was able to stop, I asked Ernst if he had seen anything unusual. The reason I asked was because at the very beginning of the procedure I saw something that made me worry and even get scared during the procedure—I saw an enormous snake lying on the top of the mountain over the cave we were in. There, on top, the old natives—the old man and woman—were standing right next to the snake. I could not understand why such a huge snake was there and what it was anyway. Because of that, I did not feel comfortable. However, during the procedure, I kept bringing the souls to where the snake, the old natives, and the other souls were. The man and the woman helped bring them up. I still could not understand why the snake was there—I had never seen anything like it before and, since childhood, have always tried to avoid snakes. Suddenly, I remembered Ernst telling me that he saw a big snake slither by us and go into the ground at the end of the procedure. At the same time, I noticed that there was no snake on top of the mountain. Was it the same snake? Ernst had read many books about Native Americans, and each one of them spoke of a connection between Indians and snakes. I do not know how long it took me to finish my job, but finally I could say, “Let’s go back. The ceremony is complete. I have done everything I could.” Going back through the park, we saw the ruins of a Native ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

American dwelling. I had been told to practice there as well and informed my company accordingly. “Here we will stop for just a little bit. I need to do one more ceremony,” I said. Once again, we turned on the music and started our practice. Each one of us danced in his/her own manner. Once again, I saw the huge snake and the same old natives. They answered my questions in a unique way, the information appearing like fragments of a movie before my eyes. I asked about things that were bothering me, including questions involving the origins of the snake and events from the distant past. It was many years ago that the following happened. Once, a big flood occurred in this place, and the people who had been living there were forced to leave the bottom of the canyons very quickly and abruptly; they had to climb higher to the top of the mountain. However, not all of them could make it—the mountain was at a steep incline, as a result of which many people were not able to climb it. Many of them died, carried away by furious streams of water. Then, a huge snake appeared and lay down in such a way that its body could serve as a ladder, and many natives climbed it from the bottom of the mountain upward. The snake gave its body to save people. In this manner, it helped them. I also saw the same old natives with an eagle. I saw it help people climb on top of the mountain to escape the flood. My heart melted. I felt the deepest gratitude and respect toward all life, because at that very moment, I realized that there are no boundaries between the various species of the animal world. I realized that animals, despite occupying a level of development lower than humans, often offer themselves up to help people in extremely critical situations. In the final analysis, there are no borders between animals and humans, because they all constitute Life. Moreover, there are no borders between nations and races. So why are there still wars and hatred among people? Why do we create suffering for people who are the same as us? Why don’t we help each other? Why don’t we live happily in this world? What, after all, is our level of consciousness compared to that of animals and snakes? Suddenly, at that point, a realization dawned on me like morning light: there are no borders between the different levels of life in general, no borders between humans, birds, and animals—in other words, between ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

anything alive. I was grateful to have encountered a situation like this, which helped me to understand more about life. I was grateful to life for giving me such a lesson. I now had the feeling that my spirit had changed, that I had at once undergone certain changes that had made my heart kinder. Prior to this event, I still sensed differences between people, that some were better, some worse. I felt that if someone did something bad, one could categorize that person as a bad person. However, as a result of this event, this line no longer existed for me. I ceased sensing anything bad in people. In addition, the thought occurred to me that “there are so many connections in this world— between the past, present, and future; so many connections between different parts of the Universe and of different worlds, all of which are beyond our understanding.” I understood that there are no differences between myself, other people, and animals—there are no borders, obstacles, or walls—we are all the same; we are representatives of Life. We completed the procedure. I did what I was supposed to do. The Indians then gave me a gift. When I received it, I recalled that I had seen it before. More than ten years ago, my Teacher had shown it to me, saying, “In ten years, when you will be in America, you shall receive this present.” It was amusing, because I knew about this gift ten years ago, but I had forgotten about it until it actually happened—the gift did indeed come to me. I will tell you about this, a little later. Back to the story: we finished everything, in time. If one accomplishes a good deed, Sky reflects it. The unbelievable color of Sky was captured on videotape by Lidia. I said, “Let’s go back to the town and have a great dinner.” Because I hadn’t had any meat in three days and, in general, hadn’t had too much food, I was hoping to have a lot of meat and some beer. We went home through Santa Fe, a little town on the way to Albuquerque. We wanted to find a good restaurant there, but it was impossible, because it was around ten o’clock at night and everything was closed. Finally, we found a café serving pizza and beer. I ordered a drink and pizza with meat. After dinner, we went to our hotel, spending one more hour driving. We arrived at the hotel at exactly midnight, as on the very first night. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Earlier, I had said that we would be there at exactly twelve o’clock. Saying good night to my company, I mentioned that I finally expected to get a good night’s sleep, since everything of importance had been accomplished. Once in my room, I turned off the overhead lights right away and dived quickly into my bed. Ernst sat down near a table lamp to read a book. I fell asleep immediately. However, in about twenty minutes, I woke up again. Do you know why? Indeed, the same two natives had reappeared. However, I was so sleepy that I intentionally kept my eyes closed. I was outraged and, in my thoughts, I was saying that I did not want to see anyone and that I really wanted to get a good night sleep. I said that my mission had been accomplished and that I needed some rest—that I deserved it. They did not care about my outrage and were preparing something. As for me, I just kept sleeping on purpose. However, in my dream, I felt them perform some strange manipulations on me. Due to the fact that they couldn’t wake me up, they took something that looked like a knife—I clearly felt, and saw it—and cut into the skin on my head and exposed the skull bones. Then they dug around my brain and placed over it something similar to a brain membrane. They placed it as though it were a little hat and closed everything. I felt as though they had inserted a bleeding piece of some fabric —I saw the blood-red membrane they put over my brain. They could not open the entire skull at once, so they uncovered one part like a petal and put in one part of the red covering. Then they lifted another “petal,” exposed another part of my brain, and again put in another part of the red covering, and so on. I was sleeping and did not want to open my eyes. However, at the same time, I was seeing them and their actions, and I felt everything. The next morning when I woke up, the first thing I did was touch my head to check what was there. Then I glanced at the pillow to see if there was any blood. Everything was clean. When I was finally completely awake, I let Ernst know that I, once again, hadn’t gotten any sleep, before telling him what had happened. He told me that this was one of the rituals commonly practiced by Native Americans. Throughout their history, they have been known to use such methods. They say that it is traditionally used in connection with certain religious rituals. Typically, Native Americans drill into the skull or make a ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

small opening in the head, and then place something there, in the brain and the skull bones. I don’t know this for sure, but that is how they describe it. The system of ZYQ knows that our brain has nine layers. It appears that by using this method, the Native Americans helped me to change one of the layers of my brain. This means that my brain has something similar to what Native Americans have in theirs, something that unites me with them. We therefore have established a spiritual connection between ourselves. On the other hand, I had been studying a certain type of Kung-fu for many years: it was Kung-fu for bringing souls from the lower world into the higher world. After that event with the Native American souls, I understood why my Teacher had taught me that type of Kung-fu work with souls so many years ago. However, it was at the Indian grounds that I really applied my knowledge and ability for the first time: I opened Earth to reach into the lower world, took out the souls that were trapped there, and brought them up. Usually, the soul of a recently departed person remains in a world bordering our own. This is the reason why such souls often appear around us. Sometimes, we can see them and communicate with them. In order to reach them, one need not apply the special procedure for opening the deep layers, the deep lower worlds—one can simply take the soul and help it ascend. There at the park, I had, for the first time, literally opened Earth to reach into a deeper, lower world so that I could take those souls out of there and move them up. As a rule, when someone dies, his soul after some years goes into a transitional world; in other words, into the world between material existences—between any particular place and the next one, where the next phase, the rebirth of this soul will take place. But because centuries had passed since these Native Americans had perished, their souls were trapped deep inside this transitional world and needed help to be reborn. I had to take them out of this space and send them to the place of their next birth. I always felt that the ZYQ system and the primordial culture of natives populating the American continent had something in common—some kind of interdependence. At times, it seems to me that they have the same roots, although I cannot be sure of this yet. I did, however, become convinced of this belief, once again, after the above-described event. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Also, I realized that we had received the powerful support of the spirits of the natives. We have established powerful Hu Fa there. If we ever teach ZYQ in that area, we will have strong spiritual support. I think you will receive such support too if you hold ZYQ seminars in America. Now, I would like the other members of our group to share their experience, visions, and impressions. “I would like to share my thoughts, because we all received priceless experiences, and everything that happened there impressed me very much,” said Lidia.

Lidia’s Story I must say that when I was flying to this conference, I merely expected to hear many new things related to my areas of expertise: psychology, psychotherapy, and the investigation of consciousness. I didn’t expect to participate in such unusual and fantastic events. Last year, my husband and I had already traveled to those areas of the country and seen many of the places Mingtang Xu has talked about. First, I want to explain what the Snake and Eagle symbols mean —Native Americans consider these creatures sacred. Their legends and chronicles tell about this. That is the reason why Mingtang Xu saw the snakehelper. All ancient Native American cave art depicts the snake as a link between human beings and the environment; in other words, as a symbol of the Universe. It appears that the snake provides a connection between many Native American tribes and the Cosmos. It is therefore the symbol of the endless Cosmos. The park that Mingtang Xu mentioned is called Band Leer. Nowadays, it is a national park with mountains, cliffs, caves, and a beautiful canyon. Long ago, a group of people known as clivd wels (people who live in cliffs) lived there in caves. From the bottom, the area appears to contain multilevel houses, because the caves are located in the cliffs in rows, like floors, level upon level. When you go to this canyon for the first time, you are overcome by the amazing view. Everything is visible to the naked eye: the walls of the canyon, the caves going upward into sky, and the unbelievable colors of the landscape! ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

Some of the caves were created by wind and water, while others were handmade a long time ago. If people had easy access to natural caves, they deepened them, widened them, and lived there. Mingtang Xu told you how he saw the First Stone with an old native man in it and the elderly woman who lay in the Second Stone. I immediately saw that stone too. When we passed through the park gates, we split up: Mingtang Xu and Ernst went one way, while my husband and I went another way. Suddenly, my attention was attracted to that rock. For some reason, all I could see was the rock. I felt as though it was looking at me. It was such an amazing rock! You could feel an unusual energy emanating from it, and at first I didn’t want to capture it in film. I looked at it and felt something indescribable. I saw its energy as fog, or in the form of a foggy cloud. Mingtang Xu saw a real person. I didn’t see a person, but I saw a cloud separating that rock from everything around it. The cloud vibrated, and the rock seemed to be alive. I didn’t want to film it. I just stood there, feeling as though I was becoming one with everything around me. Then I saw Xu Mingtang standing in front of the rock and performing a ritual. I came closer and started filming that very first ritual. A little later, we climbed up to the ritual cave. That was not a typical climb. The steps were very steep, and some were missing. We, therefore, had to put a lot of effort into reaching our goal. The soil and rocks there were very unusual. They consisted of stones that you would never confuse with others. I understand the vision that Mingtang Xu had during his night meditation. The rock was grayish or grayish-brownish, with red spots—it was an unusual rock and caused unusual sensations. Earlier, while we were still driving, approaching the place, we felt as though a great deal of blood had been spilled here. We climbed up the mountain to reach the ritual cave and went inside and down the steep stairwell. It was Kiva! The ritual cave still had Kiva in it. Kiva is a place that is sacred to Native Americans, where people with a certain goal gather. I must say that Native Americans do not have a religion as we understand it. For them, any gathering of people is already a spiritual act, because when people meet, they have spiritual communication with each other and make real contacts with spirits. The place where we went was the spot where Native Americans gathered when they were free, or if they simply wanted to spend some time together. That was similar to a ritual. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

We went down from the big cave through a small opening into Kiva. It was incredible! We sat in the cave, with the light coming through the opening through which we ourselves had entered. I descended first and immediately sensed someone’s presence. I saw a woman. I felt her as though she was going into my body. Immediately, I started singing a song. I felt unknown sounds and words in a strange language flow out of me. I did not know what they meant or the language to which they belonged. Perhaps it was an ancient one. These inhabitants are known as the Anastasy or Pueblo people. Today, scientists have different opinions on which tribes they belonged to. However, all of them are offspring of the Navajo, and are generally said to be descendants of the Pueblo nation. I had a very clear vision of this woman. I saw her sitting and felt her suffering, her deep suffering, as though everyone she knew had been killed. She was knitting some fabric, and in her hands, she had the material from which she was making that fabric. Somewhere in a corner, there was a little child. My awareness of her presence was so strong and clear that I simply saw everything. I saw this woman absolutely clearly. And then she entered my body. I sensed her inner state and her mind even better. It was so unusual, so clearly sensed, that I didn’t even notice others coming down there and sitting along the perimeter of that cellar. Next, Mingtang Xu started the ritual. That was another incredible experience, because one could physically sense Sky and Earth merging! Streams of energy were coming from the top and going through Xu, into Kiva. All of us were sitting and filling up with this energy. Then everything went down into the ground. People with their bodies buried long ago and their souls still suffering in this place filled up on that energy as well. You could almost see the waves of energy and some blurry silhouettes. The process was very emotional and caused deep empathy. It is hard to describe in words. The only way to understand what I am talking about is to experience it. Our drive home was very interesting and much calmer. We picked a different road. We felt such relief that the contact had been established and that we had made a difference; something had definitely changed after the ritual. Even the canyon energy changed—we could feel the difference between what was there before, when we walked into it, and after, when we left. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

On our way back, we went inside some other caves that used to be dwellings, and I wanted to sit down motionless. I felt as though some people used to be happy and peaceful there but that at some point, life and happiness were completely destroyed. I felt it all at the subconscious level. My level of perception was such that I felt as though I, myself, had lived there. You walked into a cave, sat down for ten to fifteen minutes, and felt as though you had been living in that little cave forever, looking at that landscape, the canyon, the trees… The sunset was very beautiful, as it had been two hundred or six hundred years ago when those people lived there. They saw the same landscape and the same relief. They looked at the same sky, the same stars, and the same rocks. Some of the mountains had a human profile. Perhaps the wind did it, but I don’t think it was accidental. When you look outside the cave, you don’t see rocks, but silhouettes of people. It is very impressive and stays with you for the rest of your life. In addition, there is the impression that you see everything as it used to be, when those people were still alive. In between these mountains, on top, on flat surfaces, they grew everything necessary for life. They carried the produce in baskets on their heads down to the caves, to their dwellings. They were great mountain climbers, because there were no stairs or steps for the trek from their caves to their agricultural terraces; instead, there were small brows made of wooden blocks. This canyon had the same things that I had previously experienced during trips to similar places. According to the legends, Native Americans had people named tahunams. They helped establish connections with spirits and knew how to fly. Other than that, they were regular people. When one stands there, in that place, in that canyon, looking over the unbelievable natural landscape, one can clearly feel that the people who used to live there could fly—not like spirits, but in their physical bodies. The amazing steepness of the mountains and the tradition of living in such cliffs engender that feeling. It is known that a number of tribes lived there in harmony and happiness. They did not fight each other. Those wars described in history, which Mingtang Xu felt and which I feel (if you feel energy, it would be impossible not to sense this), started after the coming of the Europeans. I believe that the activity carried out by Mingtang Xu has helped connect the past and future through the present and, to some degree, helped ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

the large cultural layer of the human race by partially resurrecting it.

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WHY I TEACH QIGONG I have been fervently practicing Qigong for many years, and it has brought me great enjoyment. I have had many Teachers, some of whom remain in this capacity to this day. Once, my Teacher gathered all his personal students who had reached a certain level in practice and assigned to each of them, for a certain time, a job, function, or mission which, in his opinion, the given individual could best execute. My mission was to teach ZYQ from the basics, for several years, starting with a general introduction to the system and finishing with the elevation of talented and persistent students to the highest levels. I didn’t want to do this, because practicing with the Teacher and my peers was much more interesting. Here, I would be doing the teaching and, in addition, working with pupils. However, my Teacher was not the only “author” of this mission. From time to time, grand masters of different schools gather and evaluate those whose path is following the Tao. They then decide what kind of mission will be assigned, to whom, and for how long. There are various worlds, and they are very interesting. I didn’t expect to receive this mission. But what could I have done? I had to accomplish the task. And if required, someone from that group of Teachers could always come and help me. At first, I didn’t know why the choice had fallen on me— everything happened quickly and suddenly. After some time, I realized why. The mission was assigned to me because I had done graduate work at a university and was familiar with modern science and computer technology, whereas my Teachers were not familiar with it—they practiced the traditional types of Qigong. Apart from that, they concluded that I had the ability to easily adapt. I adapt fast to new places and soon begin to feel as though I’ve always lived there. Years later, when I went to CIS and started my seminars in Russian and Ukrainian cities, I felt as comfortable as I would in China. I didn’t see any difference. I saw familiar faces at seminars. My friends and acquaintances would meet me and accompany me around. Sometimes I had ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

to remind myself that I had not always been in the given place. I asked myself why this happened and how I was different from other people who feel very uncomfortable in strange cities or countries. Then I remembered my Teacher telling me about my ability to adapt quickly. Due to this ability, I had to go through this particular procedure: When I received that assignment, my Teacher introduced me to the other Teachers. How did it go in general? I entered the state of Pause and my soul left my body. There, I met the Teacher and understood what I had to do and what would happen later. When I returned to my normal state, the Teacher asked me if I understood everything. “Not completely,” I told him, “because everything seemed to be in a dream.” Later, I practiced a lot, and everything became clear to me. Sometimes I ask myself why I started practicing in this area, for I am a good mathematician and software programmer and could earn a good living by simply working in these fields. My fellow students, in the majority of cases, are satisfied with their work, their lives, and their everyday existence in general. However, I think they are satisfied only because they have never seen the things I see, such as other worlds, and they do not know that there is more to life than meets the eye. For them, for those who work in the contemporary fields of science and technology, there exists for the most part only the here and now, which is limited from above and below by the moment of birth and the moment of death. I left my job in the field of information technology in 1993. That time could easily be called the golden period of computer technology, and you could make big money working in that field. At that time, my friends kept telling me that I had to be crazy to quit my job. Clearly, however, this decision was rooted in some inner desire that was more powerful than all external factors. It was not based on interest, or curiosity, or problems connected to work or money. It is always something different that leads you along the Way, on which it is possible to understand what Life is and what other worlds are. These are sensations that are hard to describe in the usual words. But they do indeed push a person to the realization of his deepest motives. After my first soul departure, when my Teacher had accompanied me, I understood where I came from, what my purpose is, and why I came into this world. Then, it took me about six more months to review everything about this world and other worlds—the upper and the ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

lower ones. Only then could I see the whole picture: what I must do, how I must do it, and with what purpose. I am narrating this because, for some people, this could become very important in certain situations in life. I have had many Teachers; one of them lives in the mountains and has a human appearance. If I happen to need anything, he often comes to me in the form of a Yang Shen soul—the souls of Stage III. When he appears before me, he has a human appearance, and I speak to him as I would to a human. He helps me, whenever necessary, by explaining what must be done and how, sometimes offering me instructions. Several years ago, when I conducted a seminar on Stage III in Ternopol, he too came to me. Today, in the hierarchy of Qigong Masters, I have attained the rank of President of the ZYQ Association and Chief Specialist in Education. This applies to specialized education in this area, as well as the training of the general populace. As a result, I am at the center of all curriculum questions. When I finish this my task, I will step up to the next level. At that point, I will choose one of my students, and they will be occupied with these questions instead of me. I myself will be doing something else. Meanwhile, I want to open this practice as much as possible to my students. I know ZYQ is a very good tool to help people in everyday life and in their work, because with serious training, the adherent acquires special abilities, knowledge, and wisdom. We must live in society, work, and study, while also developing ourselves. We must live in a manner that brings us joy and satisfaction in life. Man must develop himself and be happy.

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Everything you have read about in this book is only the BEGINNING OF THE PATH! As you continue, there is a great deal in store, including new abilities; new perceptions; new understanding of the world and yourself; and etter health, mood, fortune, and fate; as all these train you to become your own Master. In Stage I, you were acquainted with the philosophy of the ancient ZYQ system of self-development and health improvement, the State of Relaxation, and the practice involving the Lower Dan Tian. In Stage II, you will learn how to achieve the State of Silence and how to practice using the Middle Dan Tian. In Stage III, you will learn how to achieve the Pause State and how to practice using Upper Dan Tian. In Stage IV, you will learn how to achieve the State of Wisdom, while developing communication abilities with all kinds of Life, including plant as well as animal. In the Image Medicine workshops, you can learn about the anatomy and physiology of energy and information, and their influence on our bodies. This branch of ZYQ allows practitioners to understand human beings and other living creatures as a whole, and to research the essence and nature of Life, and ourselves as its components. You can learn this topic in detail at BEIJING’S MEDICAL-RESEARCH INSTITUTE “KUNDAWELL” (created, founded, and directed by Professor of TCM Mingtang Xu). Today, the Beijing institute “Kundawell” performs several different actions. Research programs include the study of difficult and untreatable illnesses, a search for the causes of these illnesses, as well as a complex treatment of these illnesses through the methods of Qigong Therapy, IM, and ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

TCM. The main advantage of this treatment is that it approaches the patient from three different aspects: physical body, energy, and information. IM’s mission is not to find and treat the symptoms but rather the underlining cause of a patient’s illness. Wellness programs include the diagnosis and development of self healing techniques through the methods of Qigong Therapy, IM, TCM, and meditation. Educational programs work at preparing qualified image therapists and family health nurses capable of operating the methods of IM and following a specified medical diet. The program of study includes the mastery of the fundamental theories, methods of diagnosis and treatment according to IM, study of the basic information and methods of traditional Chinese and western medicine, and practical lessons with skilled specialists. These studies are intended for two months, a year, two years, three years, or four years. The institute also works at developing herbal remedies, and the study and combining of effective and natural methods for health restoration. Website: www.kundawell.com or http://www.kundawell.cn/english Contacts: Personal research programs: [email protected] Study: [email protected] Wellness programs: [email protected] For cooperation and general questions: [email protected] ZYQ websites: USA North American ZY Qigong Association www.qigongla.com Canada www.zyq.ca Russia www.zyq108.com Instructional DVDs on each ZYQ Stage are available.

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1 The capitalization of the word “Universe” refers to material (or substantial), energetic, and informational (or spiritual) aspects of the universe together with all possible forms of life, visible and invisible. 2 The capitalization of the word “Earth” refers to the part of the Universe with definite category of energy similar to Yin. 3 Ñapitalization of the word “Life” refers to all possible living forms in the universe, including animals, plants, crystals, bacteria, souls, etc. 4 We have adopted these four points of suffering from Buddhism. 5 It is necessary to note that the translation of ancient concepts of one culture into the language of another culture, especially a modern one, is a very difficult task. This can be explained by the fact that every historical epoch and every culture has a different mentality, perception of the world, and way of transmitting knowledge. Therefore, such terms often rely on more than one word for the purposes of translation. 6 Besides popular religion branches in China, we need to mention also such ancient religions as Hinduism, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. 7 For many centuries, Theravada has been the predominant religion in Thailand, Burma, Cambodia Laos and Sri Lanka. 8 Lamaism is a modified form of Buddhism which prevails in Tibet, Mongolia, and some adjacent parts of Asia. 9 The capitalization of the word “Master” refers to a master in spiritual field who is familiar with his soul’s departure. 10 To help understand this, consider the following analogy: if ice is to the energy collected and stored in the Dan Tian, steam is another aggregate condition of this ice with a regular state of Qi. Qi, then, exists in these various forms throughout the Universe. 11 The name of an additional channel of perception in Qigong 12 The capitalization of the word “Sky” refers to the part of the Universe with definite category of energy similar to Yang. 13 The name of an additional channel of perception in Qigong 14 The capitalization of the word “Teacher” refers to a spiritual teacher such as Jesus, Buddha, Lao-tzu, etc., or any living person who can teach high level spiritual knowledge and special abilities. 15 “School of Humans”, “School of Sky” and “School of Earth” – are special terms in the Taoist and ZYQ movement. 16 Our eyes sense emissions in the range of 0.38–0.78 microns. 17 The range of sound perception is from 20 Hz to 18 kHz, and on rare occasions, goes up to 20 kHz. 18 The name of an additional channel of perception in Qigong 19 Different nations also followed similar methods of practice. There were the famous pillar ascetics, the first of whom was Holy Simon (fifth century AD). These ascetics would climb on a high pole and stay there praying for a long period of time. These poles were either found or built. There weren’t many pillar ascetics, and this practice was considered an act of faith. In ancient Russia (then called Russ), pillar asceticism was different and was practiced in some monasteries. Seraphim Sarovskiy, venerable Sergius of Radonezh, and their closest students and followers were also pillar ascetics. In the Middle Ages, until the nineteenth century AD, monks following their soul’s desire would become hermits and go into the wild forests far from the settlements of laymen. Living alone for years, they built wooden shacks, arranged them according to Christian tradition, and prayed far from worldly temptations. They listened only to their hearts, accepting judgment only from God and their own conscience. Eventually, the news about them would spread and attract people from various places. The people brought gifts and necessities for their stays in the wilderness. This was not an easy road to travel. Some people stayed overnight, praying together with the monks. For these travelers, shacks, stables, and a church were built. Since the church had to be properly organized and functioning, help was requested

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from some monasteries. A monastery would provide the church with an icon, which would then become the main icon. Later, such a church would become a base for a future monastery, with a monk at its head. In this same way, the monastery of Sergius of Radonezh was established in Belovezhskaya Pustosh. (See “Essays on the History of Russian Saintliness,” Syracuse, “Truth” Publisher, 1991. For a more detailed study of pillar asceticism, see “Holy Foolishness and Pillar Asceticism” published by Podvolsko-Troicko Sergievskaja Lavra, Moscow, 2000, first edition, 1913.) Inevitably, the monastery became a populated place where it was not always possible to have a conversation with God, to isolate oneself, since the order of the day was very strict and learning and household matters occupied a lot of time. At a distance from the monastery, in the woods, a monk tried to find two trees growing next to each other. They were cut down at approximately half a meter (about fifteen inches) from the ground. Then, this monk would step onto these two stumps, acting as though he was their extension, and become one with nature, praying to the highest power and renouncing himself. He would stand in this way for an hour or two and sometimes, it is believed, six hours in a row. In two years of regular practice, such a monk received as a gift the ability of healing and clairvoyance; sometimes, people even thought he was a prophet. If such a monk were brought to another monastery, this practice would be conveyed by him to students and followers. In this way, the venerable Jov came to Pochaev Monastery with his practice. But more about this in later books.

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