Reverse Breathing/Creating Heat in Lower Tan Tien

[Anonymous]

Hi there.

At the beginning of round 2 of the EA training circle (which I’ve since left), Bruce mentioned that building heat in the lower tan tien was an important preliminary to meditation, and that this had been covered in round 1. However he has never mentioned it on the various meditation trainings which I have attended.

I have decided to explore this because I want to make sure all the fundamentals are in place before practicing higher level material, and also because I’m really bored now of having such a vague and inconsistent awareness of energy in general and specifically the energy in my lower tan tien. I figured if I could get a lot of heat/energy going in my lower tan tien, it would serve as a platform for more consistent awareness of more subtle chi.

I’ve researched online and come across “tummo” from the Tibetan tradition. I’ve read a couple of book, but the instructions differ and rely heavily on tantric visualisation, which is not something I really resonate with. From what I can piece together, the other aspects of the practice are reverse breathing, holding the breath and clenching the pelvic muscles.

I’ve started practicing my own hybrid of all these, along with the various exercises from Bruce’s breathing CDs, in the hope that soon (very soon?) I’ll actually be able to experience a reliable sense of the chi in my lower tan tien. I know that reverse breathing is considered an advanced practice by some. I have done energy arts for a many years now, so I believe I am sensitive enough to notice if I’m damaging myself in any way.

I’m curious to hear if anyone has any experience or advice to share regarding what I’ve written. Perhaps a powerful and effective tan tien activation regime which I can apply with a high likelihood of results, along with relevant safety precautions?

I’m worried that I may be almost completely “chi deaf” after practicing for so long and having such an intermittent awareness of chi (I can often, but not always, feel the “bio-magnetism” between my palms, and I can feel my emotions clearly as physical sensations).

Any input much appreciated.

Robin.

[Anonymous]

Hello Robin, I wish you well in your practice.. I find these arts of great interest myself.. and I have (at times) investigated many methods- seeking to integrate, or at least interpret in terms of each other… Yet one might be cautious in (mis)-interpreting different systems as being talking about the same thing. [ ie many ‘authors’ seems to simplify ‘reverse breathing’ to mean something, largely push out intestinal anterior(front)layer as ex, and pull in as inhale… and they Tummo systems, of which there are a few different emphasis’es…. they may link up, but I don’t think they are all on the same page]

in particular, Bruce has mentioned that “holding the breath” and contracting the anus are both not recommended (the later item: depending up on which pelvic muscles you refer to.. but the fixation contraction of muscles, is different than the Water-Method Neigung..)
fine to mix systems- just like one can Jog/run and/or do push-ups or iron-lifting with NeiGung… all part of one’s practice, but not the same practice (just as we all eat food, and drink water- except the Breatharians – but which foods, as well as “how” eaten doesn’t need to be explicitly a part of one’s chigung.. but it should contra-multually exclusive mode-wise… just as doing an ext’l hardening technique- like extreme-isometrics and inhaling (chi-packing) will then require not only “other chigung” to balance.. but actually to undo (if one seek to re-soften/balance/connect etc.)
…………….
so in particular your last paragraph (copied below here):
“I’m worried that I may be almost completely “chi deaf” after practicing for so long and having such an intermittent awareness of chi (I can often, but not always, feel the “bio-magnetism” between my palms, and I can feel my emotions clearly as physical sensations).”
makes sense to me, but your premise of finding some comments to add it (if the soup of potatoes and leeks and such doesn’t have much flavour- one could add habernero chilies- which would make it more “flavourful” but it changes the flavour and thus changes the soup from a “potato leek soup”.. random ex- but came to me).

[ you might seek to experience- moments of time sitting in the awkward ‘unknowing’ of where you are aware of.. the bio-magnetism between palms (for ex) as well as what awareness there might be that is “in that bio-magnetism”…. the thoughts may only last a moment or a second, then want to clarify and lock it down and explain it… but rather than self-explain, to be aware of this.. using the techniques learned to open& stabilize this developing awareness..
watch the tension- as well as the imposed control of having the “awareness” be ‘as-if’ through the eyes… (and subvocalized tension in throat, as well as in ears/TMJ-jaw area tension as well as eye muscles, all invokes subcon grounding into the model)…

But to add to the safety precautions.. what you describe I’d watch: I recall if you said you’d met (even briefly) with an EnergyArts cert instructor.. who might be able to give fdbk basedupon your phy-constitution (point out the blindspots.. as well as give your physiology a “non-verbal-example” of How it could be)..

Reverse breathing being based upon “regular breathing” (all parts of the lungs- in front of the spine behind all the guts- a subtle movement- not the obvious movement in the front-half of guts- and most of all the top of the lungs-espec beneath the shoulder-blades.. not just a matter of learning what moves- but loosening up to be able to…… as well as a full/balanced and synchronized (simul-reinforcing) Opening-Closing of all parts -once can do both those then…. (just getting the 30sec breath to the 2min breath really pts out things, IF one is going the breath intensive route).

---

What you write he mentions generating Heat in the Lower-DanTien it might be more sensical if it was referred to as “light” and energy-density/stabilized in the lower Dan (which doesn’t mean, to me, look down at intenstines area and able to pt- there is where I feel… as once energy goes there- it sort of opens up a sense of a room, a big space inside)…
Did you experience the first round as well as the second? or just the second? (nor sure I recall from your other comments).. if you have the “round 1” it still is a bit tricky, as that sort of work I’ve found the most interesting to me from prior-Bruce trainings and what was in round 1 was new and a bit of a stretch to get (and I don’t count the time doing “other stuff” prior to Bruce’s stuff as exper, for me, as it was different.. so if new to Bruce’s teachings, let alone that material itself was new).. and yet most of his teachings have a new twist from what came prior, so not as if there are only a few things, if just had that it would all be there. (as a few comments that- comments in Round2 referenced prior material, so we should have that also.. heck Round2 has GodsPlayingInTheClouds neigung… which includes components from all else that he has taught and more… chigung as well as in/via TaiChi/Bagua/CGTuiNa. and Med)..

I don’t know how long you might have been in the “self-study” and “struggle” mode (not a feeling of frustration- but in terms of the nervous system itself figures-out/re-structures when confronted by what doesn’t-make-sense in prior schemas… (“eat bitter” -what “in me” is standing in the way of becoming more fully present, here now? and don’t answer the question- don’t seek to “find” the answer, and don’t allow the question to fade (the feeling- whatever, it is meaningless, etc.. mind will attempt to dismiss, answer or else disregard/contextualize the inquiry to make this ambiguity go away… and yet stay in 70%.. not too tense, not too deep, not too long..
over time, during & in-between seeking-sessions (doing the practices while and to assist this) rewiring occurs.

How long can it take? it takes as long as it takes, and it won’t be like you think it should be (often the stuckness is the parts of personae knowing the “way” the way is… water-course way?)

just a few sense (two cents?) that might help some (not the directed answer you might seek- I hope to answer more than the current question (short and long term, and the underlying assumption itself).. but it is your own seeking that finds what is there.

“When what is false falls-away, we are left only with the real.” (or something like that)

[Anonymous]

Wow, that’s quite an answer! I got the bit about the chillies, still digesting the rest…. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Hi Robin,

I don’t think I can firmly answer your questions, but I can share some of my thoughts.

I think you should be very careful when practicing a hybrid of techniques from various traditions. It’s really hard to know if the items that you are mixing and matching play well together, or if they create some kind of explosive mix.

I only practice Bruce’s material so I’ve never had to worry about the dangers of mixing and matching techniques from different traditions. But I’ve still managed to get myself into trouble a number of times. I thought I’d be sensitive enough to notice when I was hurting myself. But time and time again I couldn’t tell what was going on in my system.

Luckily, I live in the same city as one of my teachers and he’s been able to help me avoid getting into serious trouble. I’ve often been struck by the thought that if he wasn’t here to help me, I could have easily gotten myself into real trouble and not understood what was going on.

I think the most useful thing that I’ve found to help with feeling the lower dantien is outer dissolving. I would outer dissolve the front and sides of the belly and the lower back. Learning how to clearly feel and dissolve the whole dai mai area. Once you can do that well, then I would start to let my awareness sink deeper into the body.

At some point, you should get some vague sense of the lower dantien. Once you have that vague sense, I would place your mind there and just watch the sensations that arise. You’re not going to do anything, you are just going to leave your mind there and observe the sensations in the area. An older student of Bruce’s recounted how in the early days, Bruce would have the class sit and bring their awareness to their lower dantiens and then just leave their awareness there. He would sometimes have the class do this for an hour straight!

Hope this helps,
Janak

[Anonymous]

Hi Janak,

Thanks for your advice and perspective. I understand what you are saying about mixing and matching traditions and the potential dangers.

I have been involved with EA for a very long time now (slightly embarrassing to admit just how long when I can’t even feel my chi properly. I console myself by reflecting that I can feel my emotions very clearly and they have been the main focus of my practice for many years. Also I remember a senior instructor telling me that it took him 18 years to feel his Tan Tien clearly.)

I will definitely try what you have suggested in your reply as a way to develop my awareness and sensitivity.

The bigger picture for me includes the fact that I have no EA teachers in my area, and hence no-one to get direct feedback on my practice from. I think my practice has become very yin over recent years, and my system is craving a bit more “fire.”

I’ve recently discovered Kum Nye Yoga from the Tibetan Tradition and also attended a Kundalini yoga class. I can immediately feel an increased strength of awareness and vitality in my body. I think it may be possible that I need some fire practices to complete or complement my water practices which I’ve diligently done for over two decades.

I’m curious to hear what kinds of trouble you have got into by being “overly-creative” with your practice, and what kinds of remedies were suggested by your teacher. Might benefit anyone reading this to learn from your experience?

Best wishes,

Robin.

[Anonymous]

Hey Robin,

I know what you mean about wanting more fire in your practice. I’ve had the same feeling recently.

Have you ever done a course on Spiraling with Bruce? If so, I’d recommend giving that a shot. Dissolving upwards and working with the rising current of energy gives me a lot of the fire I’d been craving recently. The various standing postures are also really good. Bruce put out a DVD on standing postures that I liked a lot.

In terms of the various way I’ve gotten myself into trouble over the years? It’s a long list

• When doing meditation, sometimes I’d go deep into my heart and experiance blinding panic or violent swings of emotion and massive amount of pain. It would get overwhelming really quickly and I couldn’t continue practicing. I was shown ways of keep my mind stable in the midst of all that pain. I was also shown ways to let that energy circulate out the arms, legs and head. This allowed me to keep practicing when I wouldn’t have otherwise be able to continue
• I would sometimes get lots of energy stuck in my head. I’d get headaches or a stabbing pain in my eye. I was shown how to dissolve that energy out of my head and get it to release or sink it down through my body.
• After really intense meditation sessions I’d sometimes be left feeling really discombobulated. It would be hard to function for the rest of the day. I was shown how to balance and smooth out the energy in my system after intense dissolving work. I also learned the importance of integrating my system after it had gone through a lot of changes.
• When practicing I’d sometimes encounter a large amount of physical pain in my back or feet or knees. Lots of old injuries waking up and causing problems. I was shown ways to work through those issues. Sometimes I’d be given corrections to what appeared to be an unrelated alignment and it would completely change how things were feeling. These were corrections I would have never guessed to make. Even when they were pointed out to me I’d be like “Are you sure? It feels fine to me?” but over time my teacher would often times be proven correct
• I have problems with Chronic Fatigue, so often I’d be feeling exhausted and not want to practice. My teacher would suggest that I force myself to practice in order to get stronger. Other times, I would be forcing myself to practice a lot and my teacher would notice that I was straining and causing myself problems, so he’d recommend I practice less. This is something that has happened a lot over the years. My instincts on when to practice more and when to back off were not that good. Having a teacher there to provide feedback has helped me get a much better sense of how much to practice.

I’d write more, but my back is hurting and I need to lay down

Janak

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Janak,

I forgot to say – thanks for sharing your experiences. Gives me some pointers to look out for.

Good practising!

[Author]

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