THE SECOND REGIME
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THE SECOND REGIME |
INTERNALLY OPENING THE EIGHT SUBTLE QI CAVITIES
This method of the Eight Brocades is directed solely at internally opening the main energy centers along the path of the Function and Control meridians. In contrast to the idea of externally patting the meridians, which is similar to pinching and pressing toothpaste from a tube, the internal process can be likened to unblocking a garden hose that has been crimped in eight critical places so that the flow of water is obstructed. If you uncrimp the hose in the area closest to the spigot, and open three or more crimps, the water will have enough force to push through and open the other crimped areas. This is also true of the qi: if you focus initially on the Returning Yin, Gates of Life, Double Pass, and Jade Pillow cavities, the qi can arch up and over through the Hundred Gatherings, Mysterious Pass, and Bright Palace cavities, and then into the Ocean of Qi cavity. Once the cavities along the meridians are opened, the qi will flow of its own accord.
When these cavities are opened, several initial physical reactions can occur. The intensity of the sensations will depend greatly on how obstructed the cavities were to begin with, along with the depth and consistency of practice. Generally speaking, the physical reactions fall into seven categories: pulsing, heat, tingling, itching, perspiration, surging, and visual occurrences.
1. Pulsing is a good reaction, because it means that not only is blood being accumulated in the cavity area but that qi is also.
2. The reaction of heat means that not only is there an increase in the blood supply being directed to the cavity area but also that qi is likewise present.
3. Tingling is a good sign of increased blood circulation and the initial attraction of qi.
4. The feeling of itching is a temporary one, not unlike the reaction from a mosquito bite. The reason the area of a mosquito bite itches is that all the blood has been removed from that area. The itching is meant to restore the blood to the area. When performing this practice, you may draw more blood to an area, but insufficient circulation causes it to dissipate again; thus the area is left dry of blood and an itching sensation results.
5. Sweating is a good sign of increased blood circulation, and it aids in the removal of body toxins. However, if not enough qi is present, the qi will not penetrate into the bones. It is always advisable to wear a long-sleeve shirt and pants during practice so that the heat generated from practicing is not dissipated. Do not remove the shirt or pants or take a shower until the sweat has dried. This precaution will help the qi penetrate into the sinews and bones. Sweating is an external expression of qi dissipating. But when the sinews and bones sense heat, this is an expression of penetrating qi, which is much more desirable.
My t’ai chi ch’uan teacher, Master Tsung-tsai Liang, always practiced with a sweatshirt on. In fact, he wore one almost all the time, even in the heat of summer. He advised students to wear long-sleeve shirts especially when practicing t’ai chi ch’uan, qigong, or meditation, in order to avoid dissipating the generated heat. Likewise, he advised never to shower immediately afterward, rather to wait until the sweat dried naturally.
6. Surging is a very good reaction because it means the qi is beginning to actually move (like water surging through the hose when it is uncrimped). This usually creates an involuntary reflex action or an incredible wavelike sensation in the body. But this is still an unconscious response of the qi and is therefore not a controlled action, which is much more preferable.
7. The visual occurrences are a difficult subject to discuss because they can take on so many forms, and one needs to clearly distinguish between a real experience and one induced by fanaticism. Positive visions are usually associated with white or clear light and sensations of lightness, and negative ones with darkness and sensations of heaviness.
One example of a positive vision is seeing raindrops or bubbles floating around you; a negative vision would be dark images darting about your peripheral vision, accompanied by a sense of sluggishness. The subject of positive and negative qi experiences runs an extensive gamut: from feeling content, a positive qi, to being angry, obviously a negative qi, all the way to experiences of visiting heavenly realms (positive qi) to visitations by demons and inhabitants of hell (negative qi).
The method of opening these cavities is to focus all your attention on one of these cavities at a time. Feel and sense your breath expanding and contracting the area with each inhale and exhale. Visualizing each area as a three-inch sphere of white light is best. Start with the Returning Yin cavity, breathe nine, eighteen, thirty-six, or one hundred and eight times, as time permits, and then move up to the next cavity, the Gates of Life, and breathe nine times or more there. Continue in this manner until coming full circle to the Ocean of Qi cavity. If time permits, repeat the whole process three or nine complete times, so that the Lesser Heavenly Circuit is performed.
Some texts recommend a different approach from this one, which is the Lesser Heavenly Circuit. They advise to perform first the Lesser Earthly Circuit, which focuses on the Returning Yin, Gates of Life, and Ocean of Qi cavities only, and to do so until some result of qi is achieved. Afterward, you advance to the Lesser Human Circuit, which includes the Returning Yin, Gates of Life, Double Pass, Bright Palace, and Ocean of Qi cavities. When results are achieved with this circuit, you can then advance to the Lesser Heavenly Circuit, which includes all eight cavities.
This simpler approach, called the Three Powers—heaven, earth, and man—was also recommended to me by my teacher. He so advised because he thought, as do other authorities, that it allows the practitioner to keep the qi low in the abdomen at first, then gradually advance it higher. Going too fast with these things, as well as allowing the qi to rise too quickly into the upper body and head, is not recommended unless a competent teacher can be with you at all times during the training.
The focused breathing exercise outlined above can be used as a method of meditation after performing the Fourth Brocade, or as an exercise all on its own. The following is a detailed list and explanation of the Eight Subtle Qi Cavities.
The Eight Diagram images shown with each cavity correspond to King Wen’s arrangement, which is representative of the internal realms.
Lesser Earthly Circuit
Lesser Human Circuit
Lesser Heavenly Circuit
The Eight Subtle Qi Cavities
1. Returning Yin cavity (hui yin ch’iao): This cavity, also referred to as the Mortal Gate cavity (sheng szu ch’iao) and sometimes as the Middle Gate cavity (chung men ch’iao), is located in the perineum area, the soft fleshy space between the anus and penis/vagina base. This area is usually very obstructed because of all the tension applied to it, and therefore blood circulation becomes difficult. The postures of both meditation and most qigong practices within the martial arts assure that this area remains open by avoiding positions in which the buttocks would be pinched together. Especially beneficial is the lotus posture of meditation, which opens the area widely and thus releases any obstructions. When this cavity fully opens, you can have the experience of a loud inner bang, like an explosion, along with the sense of an incredibly bad smell. The mind will become full of light, but you will sense a thick, mudlike blackness below. This is similar to a glass of water in which the debris has settled on the bottom while the water above is clear.
This area is symbolized by Earth (K’un). 
2. Gates of Life cavity (ching men ch’iao): This cavity is located on the lower back (sacrum). Gates of Life is also used to refer to the kidney organs. This cavity and the kidneys are related in that the Gates of Life are the storehouse of ching (sexual energy). This cavity extends from the tailbone up to the lower middle back. It is very difficult for blood and qi to flow here. Taoists observed that, in babies, this area remains bluish in color for at least the first few days of life. After a few days more blood does reach the area and the skin color becomes normal, but as we age most of us tend to hold a great deal of tension in this area, which exacerbates the natural tendency to a restricted flow of blood. It is precisely restriction in this area that hampers a person’s agility. The aim, of course, is to circulate the qi throughout this area. You will perspire greatly here before the cavity opens and will experience a heightened sense of having a very strong spine. Tingling sensations may also be present.
This area is symbolized by mountain (ken). 
3. Double Pass cavity (shuang kuan ch’iao): This cavity is both a qi point and an intersection of two qi channels. In early Taoism, this area was referred to as the juncture of the Blue Dragon and White Tiger qi meridians. These two meridians intertwine along the spine and actually pass through each other at this point; hence the name Double Pass. The Double Pass cavity is located in the middle of the back, directly over the protruding vertebrae. Again, it is difficult for qi to pass through this area because the skin and bone are so close together that large quantities of blood cannot gather—as it can, for example, in the hands. This cavity, when opening, renders a sensation of expansion, as though the middle back and shoulder blades actually extend and round the back, like a turtle’s. A baby’s back is naturally rounded like this. As we grow older, the scapula begin pinching this area, thus obstructing blood and qi.
This area is symbolized by water (k’an). 
4. Jade Pillow cavity (yu chen ch’iao): Also called the Heavenly Drum, it is the area of the occiput, where the skull ends and the soft fleshy area of the neck begins. This is another place where the blood and qi can be obstructed, also because the skin and bone are so close. When you are concentrating on this cavity, the eyes must be imagined to have rolled back as if to gaze at the cavity internally. It is imperative that this cavity be pierced, otherwise the qi cannot arch over the top of the head and down into the front of the body. Piercing is literal in that there is an almost lightninglike experience when this cavity opens, or you may hear what sounds like distant voices carried on the wind or drumlike noises. You may also experience severe headache, but all this passes. A redness can also appear directly above this cavity on the skull.
This area is symbolized by wind (sun). 
5. Hundred Gatherings cavity (pai hui ch’iao): Also referred to as K’unlun Shan or “mud ball” (ni wan). This cavity is directly to the front of the area that, on a baby, is called the soft spot. Depending on the amount of blood and qi you can attract to this cavity, some of the softness can be regained. As in the previous procedure, the eyes must be imagined to roll back and gaze upward at this cavity. A good sign this cavity is opening is the experience of seeing what appear to be hundreds of lamps or small lights throughout the inner cranial area, which is accompanied by a profound sense of tranquil joy. This is evidence that the shen has been stimulated internally and that there is qi in the lower abdomen. Lesser signs are the feeling of ants (or itching) on top of the head; heat and pulsing are good signs, but one needs to progress further in order to raise the shen. The shen will rise upward along the spine into the Hundred Gatherings cavity when the ching and qi have congealed in the lower abdomen.
This area is symbolized by Heaven (Ch’ien). 
6. Mysterious Pass cavity (hsuan kuan ch’iao): Also called Heavenly Eye (t’ien mu), Hall of Seals (yin t’ang), and Cavity of Origins (tsu ch’iao). More commonly, this is referred to as the third eye or upper tan t’ien (shang tan t’ien). This cavity is located between the eyes and back in one inch. You must direct the gaze of your eyes inward when focusing on this cavity. When the cavity is beginning to open, there will at first be a tingling sensation and then a pulsing reaction in the area.
This area is symbolized by valley (tui). 
7. Bright Palace (or Scarlet Palace) cavity (chiang kung ch’iao): Also called the middle tan t’ien (chung tan t’ien). It is located in the solar plexus region at the base of the sternum. The heat generated in this area must be sunk into the lower abdomen in order to get the breath fully into this area. Heat and perspiration are common sensations when this cavity is being opened; a redness can also appear on the chest area directly above it. The chest must be hollowed naturally for the qi to pass through this cavity. The hands and feet will then become consistently warm, and the qi can be directed to them to produce intense heat. Practicing the ingesting of saliva and breath will greatly aid in sinking the qi to the next cavity.
This area is symbolized by fire (li).
8. Ocean of Qi cavity (qi hai ch’iao): Also called the lower tan t’ien (hsia tan t’ien), it is located about three inches below the navel and one inch back into the body. This area is in the pit of the stomach, where there is nothing but emptiness. It is this emptiness that must be filled with qi so that the qi can be adequately transported throughout the body and raise the spirit to the top of the head. The first signs of this cavity beginning to open are vibration felt in the lower abdomen, a feeling of inner warmth, and the breath being really full and natural, noticeably distinct from the normal sense of breathing. The whole body seems to participate in the inhalation and exhalation, not just the lungs or diaphragm. A baby breathes in much the same manner. This is called true breath. Later on, you should sense a thunderous sort of reaction in the lower abdomen. From here, work begins on the method of the Nine Revolutions and the depositing of a drop of pure spirit (yang shen) into the lower abdomen.
