5. Silent Sitting Practice
After finishing Step 8, enter the silent state and sit cross legged, slightly close two eyes, hands one on top of the other, thumbs touching – much like the statue one views of Buddha – slowly purge of all stray ideas within the heart, position spine upright, and settle mind-will in lower Dantien area. Relax all parts of the body, let tongue rise up to touch the hard palate, with teeth lightly touching – preparing for the silent sitting exercise. Let virtue begin to grow within, releasing all negative qualities and relaxing the body.
This is the Motionless Posture (posture 1)
It signals the beginning of the Qigong practice.
The first posture for the Silent Sitting Practice, you should perform ten to fifteen minutes – or more. In the first posture, you hold your hand together before the lower abdomen in your lap (two palms facing upward, right on top, left on bottom, thumbs touching), much like the many statues of Buddha.
The tongue touches the upper palate, back straight, and crown stretching up to heaven.
- Mind intention focuses on the lower elixir field.
- Sit in the half lotus posture, or legs crossed, or in a chair with back straight and feet on the ground.
- Please put cushions and a quilt under the hip and legs to be comfortable when sitting on the floor – there is no need to hurt or strain the body.
This is the Motionless Posture (posture 1).
Motionless Posture
Then slowly raise your two arms to the place before your chest palms facing up in a level manner, fingers facing each other (posture 2).
The time for each posture you may change. You have the freedom to decide how much time each posture should use.
- Relax every part of the body.
- Breathe naturally; do not be concerned about the breath.
- Let the natural virtue rise forth internally and blossom like a beautiful lotus flower.
- Let the heart be pure.
- Rest in Tranquility, Clarity and Stillness.
- The first two postures belong to the preparation postures.
Then slowly push forward your two arms in a level manner, palms facing forward, fingers up.This posture is called ‘Push Open the door’ (posture 3).
And keep this posture for the time till you could not bear – your arms will quiver later and become sore.Then slowly draw back your two arms, which is the second posture, repeated again. (posture 2)
Keep this posture for about ten minutes. Then stretch out two arms to the two sides of the body, palms facing up, fingers stretched out. (posture 5)
Yet you can use this posture in combination with posture 3 and posture 4 — both motion postures. And it is your choice to choose any one of them — posture 3, posture 4, and posture 5). Then keep this posture for the time till you could not bear – 10 minutes. – your arms will quiver –
diagram
Stretching the arms up to the heavens with the palms facing the sky and the fingers pointing toward each other consists of posture 4.
Then draw back your two arms, (the second posture) and keep this posture five to ten minutes.
Then slowly place your two arms to the place before your chest palms facing up in a level manner, fingers facing each other (posture 5).
Then chose any one of posture 3, 4, 5 and stretch out two arms again and keep this posture till you could not bear.
Let the form be natural and you may choose the combination that feels natural.
You may change the order as you feel.
Do not be concerned about a proper order of sequence.
Keep the heart calm and tranquil.
Keep the mind and internal vision directed to the lower elixir field – the lower Tan Tien.
Then draw back two arms again to return to posture 2, resting for 5 min time.
Then slowly lower the hands to come back to posture 1, the motionless posture. (Rest ten, fifteen or more minutes in stillness, with no idea of doing anything at all.)
Then when you naturally feel the practice is over, have a slight idea that the darkness in which the universe disappeared in begins to slowly shrink towards your lower elixir field – the lower dantien space.
All things come back into your lower elixir field.
All the Qi and Energy that has circulated in the practice is slowly drawn back to the lower elixir field with a very slight intention – in a very natural way.
Then let all things be natural, rest in silence, and do not think about anything at all
- Relax every part of the body.
- Breathe naturally; do not be concerned about the breath.
- Let the natural virtue rise forth internally and blossom like a beautiful lotus flower.
- Let the heart be pure.
- Rest in Tranquility, Clarity and Stillness.
About fifteen minutes later, your practice is over.
In the beginning you will feel sore with your arms – it is natural. You may feel so bad that you think you will stop the practice. Your diseases or symptoms may get worse, perhaps.
But please have faith and continue the practice with a pure heart.
About 15 or 20 days later you will begin to feel very good, very light, and the limbs and body will vibrate and be full of Qi or Vital Energy.
Persistence in the practice is an essential thing for successful Qigong practice.
With no experience, people will always regard Qigong as a lie, or a dream.
Only through daily practice people can know or understand Qigong theory, through personal experience.
Yet, the practice should be a continuous one.
You are advised to practice two (or three) times every day. Once in the morning, once in the evening, once at midnight, or as your schedule will permit.
Even just one session a day can bring great benefit.
Here is a sample time schedule for you to view for daily practice schedule.
Early morning practice: 5:15 am — 6: 45 am
Noon practice: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Evening practice: 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
We follow such a schedule when we practice intensive Taoist meditation retreats in China. Yet in daily life with work, please make time as you can in a balanced manner.
After midnight you can practice another time if you can wake up, sit quietly and face east at the hour of Tzu – 11:00pm.That is perhaps the best time for practice, as it is a very quiet time and the time when the first ray of Yang begins to appear, facing east as the breath of life shall flow in from the east during the first hour Yang.
Strong will power is needed to gain progress.
No persistence in the practice every day means no real progress.
Before practice please air your room first.
The air in your room should be clear.
Your room should be away from noise.
Lead a quiet and simple life if possible.
During the period of practice do the best to not have too much sex;
be without any sexual relations if possible;
do not read or watch the material and movies concerning sex.
The energy that is consumed during sexual excitement is very important and we must preserve,
use and transform this energy in the first stages