The sexual energy is the most concentrated energy the body is capable of producing. This energy is intended for creating another human being when directed out into the world. When directed upwards through the meridian system it generates higher consciousness and levels of vitality which repair and rejuvenate the glands, the nervous system and the organs.

Since our emotions are intimately connected with the vital organs the recycled sexual energy is capable of multiplying the emotions flowing from the organs. We are capable of multiplying great generosity to the level of infinite care or anger of the most destructive kind.

The recycling of sexual energy requires a sustained regular practice transforming the negative emotions otherwise it becomes a double-edged sword in the hands of the inexperienced beginner.

If the introductory practices have generated a good flow through the meridian system and organs the sexual practices will empower that flow with higher frequencies. The organism will eventually re-structure itself at a higher level of vitality furthering the process of evolution. A product of successfully recycling the sexual energy is a greater sense of energy integrity, personal boundaries and social relationships based on mutual trust and respect.

The Dao of Women’s/Men’s Sexual Energy

The awakening of sexual energy during puberty intensifies the energies of desire, relationship and pleasure seeking. The adolescent personality is reoriented in new directions away from the sheltered childhood environment of nourishment and play. How we are able to handle the tremendous power of awakening sexual energy in puberty, often determines the way we learn to relate to others, to ourselves and ultimately with the creation.

There are numerous problems encountered by women and men as we learn to work with sexual energy in all its facets, from administering the descending direction which generates another human being and intensifies love and relationship, to activating the ascending flow which improves health, well being, and ultimately accelerates spiritual development.

The Daoist energy techniques are structured around the central axis of sexuality and personal evolution which is the Jing essence. It is the transformation and refinement of Jing essence which generates vitality in the form of Qi and spiritual enlightenment in the form of Shen or Spirit. It is through the ascending flow of Jing essence that the three cauldrons are opened. Ignorance about the extraordinary properties of Jing essence is at the root of many of the sexual problems encountered by men and women.

The goal of this level is learning how to use more consciously the extraordinary powers of sexual energy by administering it more responsibly for personal benefit and the benefit of our relations.

Deepening our ability to work creatively with the sexual energy generates a sense of personal integrity, strong sense of destiny, clarity of purpose, fearlessness and the ability to make decisions without hesitation.

The creative alignment of the bone structure begun at the Introductory Level with the Embracing the Tree posture is now expanded and deepened with five other postures. These postures help stretch the connective tissue, a layer of micro-meridians bathing every organ and muscle in a rich ocean of energy. Also stretched are different sets of meridians and tendons running from the toes to the hands.

The tendons not only give elasticity to movement but also function as a separate meridian system. If the tendons are regularly exercised they remain flexible and with a good flow till the end of our lives. If they are neglected we stiffen, lose range of motion and physically become more limited. The stiffening taking place at the physical level is reflected automatically in our mental and emotional outlook. We become emotionally inflexible and limited in our ability to express our deepest feelings or carry out profound changes.

Healthy living organisms are extremely flexible in contrast to dead bodies which are stiff and cold. The Six Postures are givers of life and bringers of warmth. The versatility developed through these postures gives a powerful support to the work with the emotions taking place with Harmonizing the Five Elements 1 and the Six Healing Sounds.

Regrowing the Bone Marrow

At the Introductory Level the Embracing the Tree posture helps us align the bone structure in the most efficient way for increasing earth and heavenly flow. The blending of earth and heavenly energies takes place in the bone marrow. Unfortunately through poor nutrition, too rich in sugar and acidifying foods, we begin to lose bone mass in our youth and by middle age it is noticeable that our level of vitality is not what it used to be. Our level of vitality and sparkle in life depends to a large extent on the health of our bone marrow.

The Bone Marrow Breathing practice is designed to help us regrow the bone marrow and develop a higher level of vitality. Without this step it can be said that accomplishing our goals becomes a lot more difficult because we lack the ability to sustain focus or the vitality to tackle difficulties. One of the outcomes of increased bone mass is a greater sense of creativity and sparkle.

Spine and Brain Nei Kung

Since the decade of the 1980’s there has been a sharp increase in the number of people being diagnosed with memory loss, commonly known as Alzheimer’s. This health crisis is reaching epidemic proportions and yet remains little known by the general public. Modern medicine has no cure for Alzheimer’s and the best remedies available can only delay the progression of the illness but not eradicate it.

It is often assumed that memory loss is a problem of the aged, but recent studies indicate that the symptoms of memory loss begin as early as thirty years before they are undeniably evident. Memory loss may begin as early as when the person is in the early 30’s.

In the ancient Chinese medical system it was established that a great part of the functions associated with memory are under the administration of the kidneys and most specifically the marrow within the spine and the brain. Ultimately the kidneys are under the direction of the heart-mind.

In this level the focus is on strengthening the spinal and brain marrow with a series of exercises utilizing movement, breath, mantra, hand gestures, diet and emotional work clearing obstacles in the ancestral line which are affecting the blood and reducing the potential of the heart-mind.

The outcome of strengthening the marrow generates not only better memory, but is also the foundation for fulfilling our highest goals in this life since the ability to persevere is also administered by the kidneys.

The work with the structure that has been carried out up to this level has been done with static positions, either standing or seated. At this level we learn to put the structure in movement while maintaining the alignment and integrity cultivated in the previous steps.

The blending of earth and heavenly energies taking place through the bone structure is specifically the interacting of the two polarities which make life possible: yin and yang, negative and positive, female and male, flexible and firm.

The interaction of yin and yang results in a third force named ‘The Creative Energy’. All creation takes place through the Creative Energy. All the work with the structure we have carried up to this level has as a deeper purpose the welcoming of The Creative Energy.

Tai Chi consists of a series of slow movements done while maintaining alignment between heaven and earth. The movements increase the flow of Creative Energy. This skill in movement becomes the way we move in ordinary situations in life: aligned, centered, connected, grounded, full of purpose without effort and self-confident.

Tai Chi is the step which brings energy practices into the ordinary situations of our lives by the way we move and flow. Living and practice become one with a minimum of effort and striving.

The flowing movements of Tai Chi mirror the way we flow through situations in life.

At this level further refinements are made in working with the structure. The synthesis of intent, physical body and energy flow becomes more unified.

The yin practice developed in sitting meditation, where the mind remains silent because the consciousness is steadied in the central channel is now put in motion with the Tai Chi sequence.

Inner silence is the expression of spiritual wisdom and spiritual intelligence. The challenge at this stage is to move from the center not only physically but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually as a whole. The energy structure as a whole becomes more cohesive and capable of sustaining effort without the strains of a fragmented personality.

The skills developed at this level provide the base of support for steadiness of mind in the dream practices and at the moment of transcendence.

The I Ching is an ancient classic first set in writing some 2600 years ago. It is the inner guide on how an ordinary person can develop its creative potential to the utmost and open levels of consciousness beyond the ordinary.

The authors of the I Ching determined that human beings go through 64 energy situations as we make our way through the labyrinth of personal transformation. The 64 situations cover every stage of evolution from beginner to higher realization and transcendence.

At this point the study of the I Ching presents us with the complete scheme of personal evolution and what is needed at each step. How to manage creatively the interaction of yin and yang to further the process of transformation. How to act with a minimum of effort and obtain the maximum result. The I Ching is the advisor teaching us how to develop the art of living with harmony and integrity.

The study of the I Ching begins the gradual process of breaking down mental barriers and limited beliefs; the mental speed bumps and barricades which limit evolution. The outcome is an expanded point of view where everything is possible. This outlook combined with the increased flow of Creative Energy being developed lays the foundations for the emerging of a universal consciousness.

Harmonizing means remaining centered, that in turn means being one with the Creative Energy. As the seasons progress there are varying cycles of energy flow facilitating certain practices or making them more difficult. At this level one begins to work more consciously with timing, specially right timing.

Right timing is one of the key elements in energy practices. At the right time action is minimal and results are maximized. At the wrong time we may need to apply a maximum of action in order to obtain barely passable results or no results at all.

Becoming aware of how energy flows in the year cycle makes the sun, the moon, the earth, the planets and the stars partners in our creative efforts. The point of view that we are alone fighting the obstacles thrown at us by the universe crumbles and is replaced by the expanded view of harmonizing instead of struggling.

One of the most often-repeated advices in the Daoist classics is to avoid improvising practice, implying that there is sound advise to be found if we look for it.

The Wheel of the Hexagrams designed by Shao Yong divides the energy year cycle into two halves of 32 hexagrams each, providing practice advice for each day of the year. In this level we focus on the advice for the four seasons.

This level is designed to help us know better how to invest our limited practice time in a more efficient way.

The ancient alchemists, as they worked refining the ingredients, both inner and outer, worked with the clear concept which says that, “within everything created is the seed of its perfection.” The effort in developing our highest spiritual potential is not one of acquiring something that is missing in our lives, but rather of revealing the seed of perfection which has always been there. The energy techniques and all the effort required to develop them are the means through which we remove what is obscuring, what the ancient Daoists called, ‘Original Mind’.

Taking into account that perfection is already within, energy work can then be divided into three broad phases: first removal of obstacles obscuring ‘Original Mind’; second strengthening and improving energy resources which help develop personal potential; and third harmonizing and stabilizing energy flow so that there are no more fluctuations in experiencing directly ‘Original Mind’.

Without the ability to detoxify, living organisms perish. The ability to clear obstacles acquired in this life or inherited, is essential for personal development. Often, for lack of clear directives, practitioners engage in practices for intensifying energy flow without first having cleared obstacles, with the result that the supplementary power magnifies what is already there, usually negative states. When energy flow is intensified and obstacles are present, the places where the energy is going to be felt most is where it encounters resistance to flow, namely, the obstacles. The interaction of increased energy flow and blockages manifests as imbalances at the emotional, mental or physical level.

Obstacles do not manifest without a previous cause; and the causes have to do with some type of action which has generated negative results. The energy principle of action and reaction is at the root of what is known as ‘karma’. The clearing of karmas begins with generating actions which produce positive results, so that, in the words of the I Ching, we “counteract the negative by increasing the positive.”

The way that we can generate positive results is nearly infinite: through kindness; positive thoughts; visualization; mantra; dedication of positive actions and so on.

At this level we become more aware of how important it is to maintain an intense program of purification practices and liberation of obstacles, at the personal level and in our relations with the world.

As a practitioner develops a wide range of abilities in working directly with energy, the way the new energy resources are developed is through clearing increasingly more subtle levels of obstacles. The potential difficulties encountered in energy work are endless, ranging from physical to emotional and mental ones such as pride, inflated ego or intensified self-importance. If not made aware, increasing powers can easily be deviated toward manipulating others and forcing our way through the world. The yogas which are originally intended to clear obstacles and promote union, through misinterpretation, become a means of furthering separation and the negative emotions which arise from duality.

At this level we go over a long list of potential mistakes which practitioners can stray into, in the most innocent manner, once certain powers have begun to manifest through sustained energy work.

Nutrition is defined by the I Ching not only in terms of solid food but also in the quality of thoughts we cultivate in our lives, the emotions we nurture, the company we choose to keep and the ideas we allow to seed in our minds.

The nourishment we take can help or hinder our progress. Our mind is like a mirror reflecting what is taking place in the totality of our organism. The wrong foods can generate states of mind which do not support what we are doing.

At this level we learn to choose properly, in every sense, through cultivating discernment and greater self-love.

One of the teachings concerning nutrition in the I Ching is that we need to be extremely flexible in working with nourishment. This is not a stage where we follow strict rules based solely on information we have heard, as the risk of rigidity and intolerance is very high. The challenge is to develop discernment based on perceiving with Original Mind the qualities of the moment and what is presented.