Meditation Techniques & Experiences

Opening the Perineum Root Chakra

October 3, 2019 by Dan Ma Leave a Comment

When I was doing the Inner Smile for the first month, I had an incredible experience of feeling strong energy currents in my fore head. I believe my third eye was opening, which I would also say that I don’t know to what degree it has been opened, but it is an energy point that I am able to feel the most energy interaction with. I can pretty much summon the feeling by thought.

I would like to see what happens when I focus on my root chakra, so I am putting in some time to spinning energy in or around my perineum. So far some of my experience is that I can feel a faint feeling of energy bridging to my tail bone then go up my spine, which the feeling seems to end in my sacrum. I suppose this could suggest I need to work on my sacrum next.

In later months I’ve found it helpful to physically locate my perineum, which means touching the “hui yin point”. This helps with focus. While I am spinning the energy in and around the point I can feel the sensation spread most notably on my sacrum and even in my mouth and in my teeth.

Learning the Inner Smile Taoist Qigong Meditation

July 9, 2017 by Dan Ma Leave a Comment

I have been learning and practicing the Inner Smile since January 2017. Below is what I have gathered from Grand Master Chia’s workshop, books by Mantak Chia, and from The Professor who is a senior certified UHT instructor. When I was studying from The Professor, he was kind enough to let me record our sessions. I used those recorded sessions as guided meditations, which were very helpful. I have created my own guided meditations, that are much more concise and tailored for my own learning practices. The Inner Smile is a basic level one meditation / qigong practice in the Universal Healing Tao (UHT) system. When I first started learning the Inner Smile I found it hard to get into it, but one day I noticed something very different. I could very distinctly feel my 3rd eye pulsing, which was something I have never experienced before. I was an eye opener (see what I did there). I think it was that point in which my opinion of this simple meditation grew, and as I took this practice more seriously, I started noticing other sensations in my body that helped confirm to me that this meditation was doing something very positive inside me. This “simple” meditation is in fact very powerful. The theory behind the Inner Smile is that our organs can store our emotions, and the goal of the Inner Smile is to transform any negative emotions into positive emotions. For example the Liver stores the positive emotions of kindness and generosity while on the flip-side, can also store the negative emotions of anger, frustration, jealousy, and envy. By directing your attention to your body you can clean, transform, and energize your organs with positive virtues. It is a great way to start your day. There are three paths or lines in the Inner Smile. The front line (Functional channel) focuses on your organs, the middle line works on your digestive system, and the back line (Governor channel) on your central nervous system. In order to do the Inner Smile Meditation properly, you need to know what and where you are smiling to, which gives an excellent opportunity to test your knowledge on your body and appreciate the hard work that your organs do for you every minute of your life. Once you know what your organs look like and where they are located, it makes it possible to make a connection to them. When you can make a connection to them you can heal them.

Anatomy Refresher

[fruitful_tabs type=”accordion” width=”100%” fit=”false”] [fruitful_tab title=”Third Eye”] I use the third eye interchangeably with the mid-eye. Some say they are the same thing, and some say otherwise. Mantak uses the term mid-eye, which is located between the eyebrows. In this article I use the term third eye, because more people know what the third eye is. Many spiritual practices regard the third eye as the center of inner perception and psychic powers. Taoist believe this center can be used as a means of communication by sending and receiving energy. [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands”]

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located between the larynx and the trachea–just below the larynx, and sitting on top of the trachea. The parathyroid glands are four small glands located on the back of the thyroid gland; two on each lobe. The thyroid gland is responsible for regulating the body’s metabolism. When the thyroid is happy, it gives out the correct amount of hormone that your body needs. If it is unhappy, it might not produce enough, slowing down your bodies functions. If your thyroid is overactive, it could lead to goiters and Graves’ disease. The parathyroid glands regulate the blood calcium levels. Calcium balance is extremely important for the functioning of the heart, nervous system, kidneys, and bones. With thyroid-disrupting endocrine disruptors (environmental estrogens) on the rise, it is important to keep these glands happy. [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Thymus Gland”]

Your thymus is located between the heart and breastbone. The pinkish-gray organ has two thymic lobes. Your thymus develops and trains your T cells, which are white blood cells that defend against deadly pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. When the thymus gland is under stress it can shrink up to 50% within a week, thus decreasing its ability to regulate the immune system. [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Heart”] The heart is about the size of a fist, and behind the breastbone, slightly to the left. The heart pumps blood through the cardiovascular system. Recent scientific discoveries have proven that the heart has its own functional “brain” that it uses to communicate with the brain and most of the body’s major organs. The Chinese have known this for a long time. They regard the heart as the Emperor and houses the mind. The body is like a kingdom and at the center is the heart which rules the other organs, who govern their own territory, and have unique roles in helping maintain the kingdom. [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Lungs”] The lungs are a pair of spongy, air-filled organs located in the chest, which provide the body with vital oxygen while also removing carbon dioxide before it can reach hazardous levels. [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Liver”] The liver is located in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen (under the rib cage), below the diaphragm, and on top of the gallbladder (underneath the right side) and stomach (mostly underneath the left side). The liver weighs about three pounds and is a dark red/brown cone shape. The liver’s primary function is to filter blood from the digestive tract to the read of the body. The liver can regenerate if you treat it well. Some other functions include:

Stops bleeding by blood clot regulation
Produces bile for digesting and detoxification
Converts excess glucose in to glycogen for energy storage

[/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Spleen”] The spleen is located in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen (under the rib cage), and to the left of the stomach. It is purplish in color and is about 5 inches wide and 6 ounces. The spleen’s main role is to filter the blood by recycling damaged and dead cells. The spleen also helps fight bacteria. [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Pancreas”] The pancreas is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and next to the small intestine. It is about six inches long and is connected to the first section of the small intestine called the duodenum. The pancreas is actually two glands that are intimately mixed together into one organ. The pancreas produces hormones (endocrine function) and enzymes (exocrine fuction). The production of hormones (insulin and glucagon) go into the blood stream regulate the blood sugar levels. The production of enzymes, which are really powerful, help with the digestion of food, which makes the pancreas an integral part of the digestive system. [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Adrenal Glands”] The adrenal glands sit on top of each kidney. Their functions are extremely important to our well being as they play a vital role in producing much needed hormones. The adrenal gland has two distinct components, the outer part called the adrenal cortex and the inner part called the adrenal medulla. The adrenal cortex creates three hormones:

Mineralocorticoids: Aldosterone helps maintain the body’s salt & water levels, which in turn, regulates your blood pressure and keeps the kidney hydrated.
Glucocorticoids: Cortisol is known as the stress hormone, because it is released during times of stress (fight or flight). Cortisol helps regulate blood sugar levels, metabolism, and help reduce inflammation.
Adrenal androgens: DHEA and Testosterone are sex hormones. They play a role in early male sex organ development. Women use these hormones predominately during puberty.

The adrenal medulla secretes:

Epinephrine: Adrenaline boosts your strength and performance, as well as gives you heightened awareness. The ability to feel pain is also reduced.
Norepinephrine: Noradrenaline increases alertness, and focuses attention.

[/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Kidneys”] The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs found on the left and right sides of the body at the back of the abdominal cavity, one on each side of the spine. The right kidney is slightly lower and smaller than the left. The kidneys move down upon inhalation. Adult sized kidneys are about four and a half inches in length. Men can feel their kidneys by gently rubbing their testicles. The kidneys collect waste and extra water from the blood that gets flushed out of the body as urine. The kidneys also create hormones that help regulate blood pressure, create red blood cells, and strengthen bones. [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Genitals”] The Sexual Palace is an area that both men and women have. The Sperm Palace for men, is located at the base of the penis, behind and below the pubic bone (approximately 1.5″ inside the body). The Ovarian Palace for women, located above the pubic bone. Women can locate it by placing the tips of their thumbs to together at their navel, then touch their extended index fingers together to form an upside-down triangle with their hands. Where the index fingers join marks the spot. Men’s prostate gland is located just below the bladder and it is about the size of a walnut. The Skene’s gland or female prostate gland is located around the lower end of the urethra. [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Food Pathway”] Food and liquids enter and exit your body in this order. This information is useful for the middle line.

Mouth
Pharynx & Esophagus
Stomach
Small Intestine
1. Duodenum
2. Jejunum
3. Ileum
Large Intestine
1. Cecum
2. Ascending colon
3. Transverse colon
4. descending colon
5. Sigmoid colon
6. Rectum
7. Anus

[/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Thalamus”] [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Hypothalamus”] [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Pineal gland”] [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Cerebellum”] [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Cervicals”] [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Thoracics”] [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Lumbars”] [/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”Sacrum”] [/fruitful_tab] [/fruitful_tabs]

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Qigong For Weight Loss

April 2, 2017 by Dan Ma Leave a Comment

Start: 4/2/2017

Yup this is me, the first day during allergy season.

Like many strong, brave men who hit their 40s, I used to be young, vibrant, and had a decent physique. Along with hitting 40, I have had to give up most of my beloved activities (climbing, kung fu, hiking, cycling, snow camping to name a few) to be a decent father. Now my sedentary lifestyle consists of a full time job in front of two computer screens, and coming home to further support my family. I have started up the Iron Shirt Qigong practice that my dad taught me decades ago to help remedy this. My dad’s version of Iron Shirt Qigong is a little more yang (harder and more external) than Mantak Chia’s version. I plan to practice daily and will be updating my progress every week or every two weeks. Veronica and I have already seen some dramatic results in my mood and energy through out the week. Let’s see if I can drop some weight and see my muscles again.

Update: 4/17/2017

I haven’t seen a good weight difference on the scale that I bought at Goodwill, but I am able to fit into pants better. My weight at night is around 140 lbs, and about 135 lbs in the morning. I have been faithful in practicing Iron Shirt Qigong everyday. I started the Golden Phoenix Washes Its Feathers for 45 counts, but I increased my time in the Golden Turtle / Water Buffalo from 180 to 200 count, which became too difficult, so I stopped doing the Golden Phoenix. I hope to be able to start the Golden Phoenix again next week. Even though I haven’t seen much weightless results, the exercise is maintaining a happy emotional state of mind for me.

Update: 6/2/2017

Today I am happy to report a 5 pound weight change! It took me more than a month to report back, but the change is genuine. My weight at night is around 135 and in the morning it is around 130. I am able to hold the Golden Turtle posture for a count of 105 and the same for the Water Buffalo. Last time I checked in I had stopped the Golden Phoenix, but now I am up to 72 repetitions. I think starting up the Golden Phoenix is the main reason for the weight loss as it is the most physically active exercise of the iron shirt. I am sorry I don’t have any images or videos of the iron shirt to share yet. I am making slow progress in setting up a space to create them. Recently we fulfilled our workshop with Mantak Chia, which had a lot of wonderful insights. One of them was a Taoist chart of when to best eat. I have just started incorporating it into my lifestyle. Basically it recommends to eat heavy in the beginning of the day and less as you bring the day to a close–this is the complete opposite of my previous dietary plan!

The Feeling Prayer

April 1, 2017 by Dan Ma Leave a Comment

Who is this Gregg Braden?

Is Gregg Braden..

A spiritual guru with a silver lion’s mane
A priest
A hipster
A prominent artist from the 80s

Before I give out the answer, let me back up and explain how I first heard of him. Veronica was dissatisfied with Amazon Prime’s video selection, so she got a subscription with Gaia the beginning of this year. Since then we have been enjoying the series, Missing Links with Gregg Braden immensely. Braden is an author, researcher, and speaker who connects cutting edge science with modern spirituality. He has a passion for ancient civilizations, and together with his background in science, he blends them together for a refreshing take on spiritualism for the modern person.

What Is the Feeling Prayer?

In his book, Secrets of the Lost Mode of Prayer: The Hidden Power of Beauty, Blessing, Wisdom, and Hurt, he talks about four broad categories of prayer:

Colloquial
Petitionary
Ritualistic
Meditative

Many use one or a combination of these, but Braden reveals that there is a fifth “lost mode” that is based on feeling the prayer. Braden’s rediscovery comes from his explorations into places like Tibetan monasteries and experiences like witnessing a rain-dance in the high desert of northern New Mexico. He goes on to explain that this Feeling Prayer is the language that the higher power (the Divine Matrix?) can be communicated to. Instead of vocally asking for, say rain, you would instead feel with your body that you had already been given what you asked for; you would feel the rain hit your body, you would smell what it smells like when it rains, and so forth. There is a very simple meditation called the Quick Coherence® Technique that utilizes the Feeling Prayer. You can use this method almost anywhere at any time; though I find the best results happen in a peaceful and safe place. You can also incorporate it into other existing meditations; I like to incorporate it into my Inner Smile practice. Here are the steps for the Quick Coherence:

Focus your attention in the heart area while you breathe slowly and deeply.
Experience or feel in your body a positive feeling, such as re-experiencing the feeling of love for someone or focus on the feeling of peace.

The Heart & the Divine Matrix

One aspect that I really like about Gregg Braden is that he brings interesting scientific studies into his highly engaging and articulate talks. As for the Feeling Prayer, he talks about the discovery and research about the heart’s intricate network of neurons, neurotransmitters, proteins and support cells like those found in the brain. The heart brain can sense, feel, learn, and remember independently! What we understand now, even though it isn’t widely taught, is that the heart brain constantly communicates to the head brain through the nervous system, hormonal system and other pathways. It was previously thought that the communication was more one-sided from the head to the heart, but now we are finding out that it is a dynamic two-way dialogue. The heart is able to influence the brain and major organs in order to carry out its role in mental and emotional experience. According to a study on how the heart affects the DNA in our bodies, some emotions (such as love) relax the coil of the DNA while other emotions (such as anger) contract and tighten the DNA. Furthermore, relaxed DNA has a healthy effect on your body while tight DNA has the opposite. By changing the emotions they felt, test subjects were able to change their bodies. You can see how the heart plays a vital role in the Feeling Prayer as it is the source of where our emotions are translated into feelings, which affects our beliefs and thereby our actions, body language, and how we exist in the world. Braden has another book called The Divine Matrix: Bridging Time, Space, Miracles, and Belief, where he compares widely accepted, outdated scientific beliefs to modern scientific discoveries. It is becoming more and more accepted that the universe isn’t empty, for example, that there is a field that connects matter on a quantum level. This is what Braden describes as the Divine Matrix. The Divine Matrix is another component or aspect of the Feeling Prayer that in theory makes this prayer/meditation work. Max Planck, regarded as the father of quantum theory, said “all matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force…we must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind…This Mind is the Matrix of all matter.” In the Divine Matrix all possibilities already exists–all of the greatest peace and suffering already exists in the quantum possibilities. We can with our minds reach into these possibilities and with our hearts we give that possibility life. Thought happens in the upper chakras (Crown, Third Eye, and Throat) and emotion comes from our creative center (Solar Plexus, Sacral, and Root). Feelings come from our heart chakra. When thought, emotion, and feeling combine, our beliefs translates the quantum possibilities that we imagine into our physical reality. As Braden posits, the Divine Matrix, or the field that holds everything together, is also made up of electrical energy and magnetic energy. Braden also follows up with that the heart creates the strongest electrical and magnetic field in our bodies; this means that the heart is generating waves of energy when we have a feeling. With this understanding our feelings are not only changing our bodies, but also changing the world around us.

The Difference Between the Mind and Heart

Did you ever forget how to smile? I did! I remember going to the mall to get these pictures. This was the first time I had professional pictures done with a professional background and a professional stranger taking our pictures. I felt the pressure to look good for the camera, and I couldn’t remember how to smile. There was no mirror around for me to figure it out, so I took my thumb and index finger and traced my lips to feel if it was making that arc in the shape of a smile. What I got is what you can see in the two pictures. It is pretty funny to me how inauthentic the smile came out. Looking back on it, my smile ultimately failed because I was smiling with my mind and not my heart. Though as I got older, I learned how to fake it long before selfie sensation became a thing. Whether you are smiling from your brain or your heart, smiling is good for you. There are many studies on smiling and its positive effects on your body. Mantak Chia teaches the Taoist meditation called the Inner Smile to generate loving, healing energy in the body, focusing on the major organs and sending loving thoughts to each one. I have been practicing Mantak Chia’s Inner Smile meditation supplemented with the Feeling Prayer and have had very powerful effects. Perhaps the Inner Smile is supposed to be done this way. After understanding the way Braden described the feeling prayer it has given me greater understanding of the Inner Smile. It makes me feel really good and it is how I always practice the Inner Smile meditation now. I’ll go over how I like to practice these techniques in detail in the future.

In Closing

While I cannot say that I have experienced any miracles or witnessed anything that would fall into the paranormal, I can say that these meditations do have positive results. If nothing else the meditation and the information covered here help me feel really good and optimistic about our future. I honestly believe that if more people took the time to meditate on a regular basis there would be more happiness in our world. You don’t have to believe in a higher power and/or the scientific points that Gregg Braden shares. People from all walks of life and belief systems will benefit from it. The only requirements is an open mind, the will, a bit of time and space to practice regularly. Thank you for taking the time and allowing me to share this with you. I wish you the most kindest success!

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Meditation and Its Different Meanings

March 12, 2017 by Dan Ma Leave a Comment

When going back into my past to offer up an ideal of my childhood, I wish I could conjure up images of a secluded Buddhist temple on a high misty mountain, where kung fu training happens, and monks walk around great golden shrines chanting about enlightenment, and that I had been handed down the secrets of immortality by the veneration of the past. -But this was not my story. As a child, meditation was a time when I couldn’t bother my father. It was a small barrier of time when the door was closed. Our secluded temple, I mean our three bedroom ranch in Las Vegas, was home to immigrant parents from Hong Kong and a first generation American toddler (that’s me of course).

My dad was a blackjack dealer and my mother was a cocktail waitress at a casino. So far as I can recall, my memory keeps offering me up images of my father holding postures, partially unclothed, and sweating; they were brief glimpses of a practice that was intended to be behind closed doors. I didn’t know what he was doing in his underwear; I was told by mother that he was exercising and not to bother him. Once I was trying to spy on him through the crack between the door and the carpet; to get a better view I slowly opened the door to a small sliver, yet big enough for an eye to see. I thought I was doing some amazing ninja skills until he said, “No”, to which I responded by an immediate closing of the door. My mother kept a large collection of family photos that she stored in a big plastic bin. I always loved digging through them. There are a number of photos of my dad doing kung fu poses in Hong Kong. Later during my teens I started taking kung fu classes at a community college.

Despite my heart and dedication towards practicing, I felt that my skills were not where they should be. Our instructor was a burly ex-construction worker with a six foot something frame. With his long strong arms, I felt I needed an edge to survive his barrage of punches during sparring time. I remembered those pictures of my dad doing kung fu and asked him if he would teach me the meditation to make me stronger. He said that it would be hard and that I would have to do it everyday for 100 days. He also told me:

No sex
No drugs
No alcohol

This is what kung fu and meditation does to an adolescent

I eventually broke two of the rules. In hindsight, I think the two abuses were a way for me to cope with being unpopular with the girls, or perhaps unpopular in general. I did maintain the great task of doing the meditation everyday for about three years, even when I was living in the dorms with a roommate in college. It must have been weird to open the door to see me standing in my underwear with my hands reaching out like I was hugging an imaginary person. I knew my roommate from high school; he was a good sport about it. Meditation during my formative years was largely about my ego and self esteem. I hoped that meditation practice would make me more confident. My father’s explanation about the meditation wasn’t in depth. I didn’t even know what the name was. He had said it was tai chi, but I took a tai chi class in college, and it had no resemblance to it at all. He taught me the postures and the movements. He told me to put the tip of the tongue on the top of the roof of my mouth behind the teeth. I questioned if I was able to feel chi, but I kept practicing as it was an avenue to feel connected to my father and the exercise made me physically stronger. My father also told me that he paid a lot of money to learn it, so I felt obligated to keep up the practice. -plus it made me feel special. In my 30s I had stopped practicing the meditation. Life got busy and other interests grew. It wasn’t until 2015 when I was YouTubing at work, that I came across a video in where I recognized some of these postures that I had been practicing for so many years. It was an amazing moment for me. Finally, some answers for a mysterious practice that I carried on for years! I learned that this is known to many as Iron Shirt Chi Kung and had eight main postures.

Embracing the Tree
Holding the Golden Urn Yang
Holding the Golden Urn Yin
The Golden Turtle
The Water Buffalo
The Golden Phoenix Washes its Feathers
The Iron Bridge
The Iron Bar

There were some differences, most notably that there was a science to moving energy inside your body. Sadly, I could not share my new found discovery with my father. My father had passed away twelve years ago while I was in my graduate program, which I had to postpone to be with him during his passing. He had Hepatitis B, which gave him liver cancer. He stopped practicing his iron shirt for many decades, which I often wonder how he would have been if he hadn’t stopped. Now with this new information I started practicing Iron Shirt Chi Kung following the online instructions from Mantak Chia. Until this time in my life, I never realized how much Iron Shirt has been in and out of my life. When this meditation came back to me my body, mind, and spirit were not in a good place. Physically, my back was having a lot of issues that needed chiropractic work. My Sacroiliac Joint would get locked up during long hours of sitting or standing in front of a computer screen. My eyes started going near sighted and were often tired. Mentally and emotionally I was prone to being grumpy and tired. This often left me alone in bed all day. Spiritually I felt lost and life had been gradually losing its meaning. Meditation for me today means a source of salvation. This is one of the reasons why I started this website.