The human body is endowed with Taoism, and there are secrets to achieve Taoism. To truly cultivate Taoism, one must first open up the orifices. First, one must straighten the body, that is, to adjust the distorted body through cultivation. There are nineteen secrets to straightening the body and adjusting the posture, opening the meridians and opening up the orifices:
1, The head should be lightly raised (this is the secret to opening the orifice, also known as “empty neck and top neck”).
To straighten the body, the head should be straightened first. The head should not be lowered, raised, or tilted. If the head is not straight, it will inevitably affect the disorder and imbalance of the overall mechanism of our body.
The Danjing says: “The head is suspended in the blue sky, and the heart is suspended, and the face and shoulders are relaxed and the qi is natural.” The top of the head refers to the Baihui acupoint, which has the momentum of pushing up the blue sky and the void, and the brain feels like it is suspended in the air. You cannot use force to push up, because if you use force, the qi and blood will rush up. As long as you pay attention to the Baihui acupoint first, gently lift it up, and the qi of the Du channel will rise, creating the momentum of “spiritual qi penetrating the top of the head”. The qi of the Ren channel descends, and the natural “qi sinks into the Dantian” is the natural circulation of qi and blood throughout the body. Baihui is the command point for all meridians. If you do it well and in place, you will feel energetic and comfortable all over.
2, Relax your neck and straighten it. (The secret to opening the jade pillow acupoint)
The neck is the hub connecting the head and the body, and is the channel for nerves, blood vessels, meridians, etc. to run up and down. Usually, the neck is often atrophied and not straight, or bowing your head to read, or looking up to walk, compressing the nerve channel, affecting the normal function, causing scoliosis of the cervical spine, and the function cannot be normal. This is the cause of various meridian, blood vessel, and neurological diseases. The neck should be straight, not stiff, not forceful, empty, straighten the tendons and bones, and relax the muscles.
3, Retract the jaw and press the throat (the secret to opening the Ren meridian)
“Jaw” is the chin, “throat” is the Adam’s apple, and “retracting the jaw” is to “press the throat” (the chin is retracted, pressing the Adam’s apple, the head should be led back, so that the ears are facing the shoulders, the nose tip is facing the navel, and the neck cannot be stiff). Only by pressing the throat can the Qi be solidified, the neck be straightened, the head naturally lifted up, the back of the neck be straightened, the Yuzhen acupoint be opened, and the Ren channel be opened. Pressing the throat can pull apart the cervical vertebrae, and make the head, back of the neck, and back feel “tight”. It can naturally make the Du channel and the central nervous system function vigorously, and can play the role of opening the Yang channel.
The larynx is the second master of the human body and is of vital importance. Pressing the throat is to hide the depression on the Adam’s apple, so that the chest can be relaxed (pressing the throat is also a mantra for opening the middle Dantian), which can collect the mind, make the spirit appear, and make the internal Qi descend, and enhance the function of the Ren channel. The chest and abdomen are yin, which has the effect of replenishing yin. Pressing the throat must retract the jaw (chin). Retracting the jaw can naturally lift the head. Pressing the throat can make the head straight and not tilted, so that the head and the body are consistent, so that the Ren and Du channels are unobstructed, and the Yuzhen acupoint be opened (retracting the jaw is also the secret to opening the Yuzhen acupoint). It is called “Changji Bai Niu Che” in Huineng’s “Yun Zu Tan Jing”.
4, Lowering the eyelids and stretching the eyebrows (the secret to opening the upper Dantian)
“Lowering the eyelids” means that you can neither completely close your eyes nor open them. You need to make your eyelids as relaxed as possible, close your eyes until they are half-closed, with a ray of light still visible. The half-closed state is the best. You need to make your eyes and face naturally relaxed. Lowering the eyelids can relax the facial muscles naturally, and the muscles around the body will also relax. Lowering the eyelids can make your mind focused and your mind calm. Relaxing the eyelids is the key to relaxing the whole body.
To stretch the eyebrows is to stretch the eyebrows. Buddhists call it “stretching the wisdom center”. It is the secret to open the upper Dantian acupoint (slightly stretch the eyebrows to both sides, don’t force it, feel beautiful in your heart, first look at the tip of the nose, then look straight inward with both eyes, and focus your mind on the middle of the two eyes).
5, Concentrate your mind and eyes (the secret to open the Niwan Palace)
The Yin Fu Jing says “the key is in the eyes” and the Huangdi Neijing-Suwen says: “The essence of the human body is all injected into the empty acupoints.” This means that the essence of a person is concentrated in the eyes, which is a key to life. The eyes are the gateway for the spirit to enter and exit, and are the overall embodiment of the body’s activities. All activities of consciousness and internal organs, the rise and fall of qi and blood functions, and pathological changes can be expressed through the eyes. All external situations are reflected to the brain through the eyes, affecting the whole body. To gather the spirit and collect the eyes means to focus the eyes and look straight (also called looking straight and looking inward). To look back, listen and smell inward. This means that when you are meditating and practicing, as long as you smile and look inward, you will naturally gather the spirit and look inward. The true qi will overflow into the five internal organs, limbs and bones, and reach everywhere. If you can “look inward” (looking straight and looking inward), you can be hollow, impartial, and dominate without losing your righteousness. If you can look inward, you can have no intention, but know everything, be flexible and sensitive. “Looking inward” can return to the orifice, which is the key to regulating the spirit and nourishing the qi and balancing the function, so it is said that (the mechanism is in the eyes).
6, Close your mouth gently.
Do not open or close your mouth completely. Opening your mouth will disperse your spirit, while closing your mouth will solidify your spirit. You should close your mouth but not completely (close it lightly) and relax your mouth, so that saliva will come out naturally (body fluid returns to the elixir).
7, Roll the tongue and plug the throat (tongue against the upper palate) (secret to connect the Ren and Du meridians)
Rolling the tongue and plugging the throat is also called building a magpie bridge, which can connect the Ren and Du meridians naturally, balance the yin and yang of the human body, and produce a large amount of saliva (spit) to harmonize the five internal organs of the human body. Rolling the tongue can sink the qi into the dantian, make people feel refreshed and energetic, and can also prevent leakage of semen.
8, Slightly touch the teeth (secret to protect kidney qi)
The upper and lower teeth should touch lightly, as if touching but not touching, with a slight tremor, which can strengthen the teeth and kidneys, increase body fluids, make the internal qi converge into the bones, and have a feeling of full internal qi.
9, Round the shoulders (close the shoulders and open the armpits) (secret to open the Jiaji acupoint).
There must be a posture when practicing. Without posture, there is no strength. Without strength, there is no spirit. To have strength, the shoulders must be slightly forward and close together. If the shoulders are not closed, the shape cannot generate strength. If the armpits are not opened, the breath will be held. If the armpits are not opened, the chest cannot be relaxed. Only when the shoulders are closed can the back be wrapped. Only when the back is wrapped can the strength points be opened, and the outer wrapping, inner support, and body roundness can be achieved.
10, Relax the shoulders to be flat
Lift the shoulders. If the shoulders are raised, the qi will float and the whole body will be weak. If the shoulders are pressed, the strength will retract and cannot reach the fingers. Shoulders should be relaxed, not pressed hard, but should be heavy. Shoulders should be pushed outwards, and if the elbows can be “dropped”, the shoulder joints can be loosened. When relaxing shoulders, do not only pay attention to loosening the joints of the two shoulders, otherwise the two shoulders will collapse and it will be difficult to open them, and the strength of the arms will shrink, and the hands will be weak and empty. Relax shoulders flatly, pay attention to the “Jianjing Point” and “Dazhui Point” being on the same level, and relax flatly downwards at the same time (otherwise the shoulders will collapse). Do not use force, so that not only the armpits are opened, the arms are active, and the strength will penetrate the top of the head, sink to the soles of the feet and reach the palms. Do not lift your shoulders at any time.
11, Relax the chest and abdomen (Hold the chest and relax the mind) (the secret to opening the middle dantian).
The chest cannot be sunken, pulled in, or raised. It should be relaxed and contained. It should be smooth. If the chest and abdomen are straight, you will feel relaxed and relaxed. The abdomen should not be deliberately convex or concave. Only by straightening the waist and tucking the hips, the abdomen will naturally relax. The diaphragm will naturally circulate, and the internal qi will be easily stored in the Dantian. Only by relaxing the chest and abdomen can the upper body be empty and the lower body be solid, and the spirit will be naturally active and the qi will be solid. The body will be light and healthy.
12, Loosen the waist and straighten the spine (the secret to adjusting the spine)
The position of the waist is not at the “Mingmen acupoint”, nor does it refer to the waist circumference, but at the lower Dantian relative to the center of the spine (between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae). If you relax your waist, the Qi will sink into the Dantian, and the power will reach the four extremities. The lower body will be stable and the upper limbs will be flexible. You cannot tighten your waist, bend your waist, or collapse your waist, which will cause the lower body to be heavy and the upper body to be light, and the upper and lower parts cannot be coordinated. Therefore, to relax your waist, you need to straighten your spine. To straighten your spine, you do not straighten the spine, but to lead the Yang orifice on the top of the head, and relax the coccyx orifice (also called the life gate orifice) below, pull the spine apart, make the vertebrae straight up and down, with a slight forward arc, and show a natural state. Do not collapse your waist, the Qi in the Dantian will naturally stick to the back, and the internal strength generated through the waist will penetrate the top of the head and reach the hands and feet, becoming one from top to bottom. The movements of the hands and feet are driven by the waist strength. The waist becomes the axis of the overall activity, so it cannot be stiff or forceful, and the whole body is driven by “using the waist as the axis and the hips as the wheel”. The waist is the first ruler of the human body.
13, Tuck the hips and gather the buttocks (the secret to opening the coccyx)
Tuck the hips refers to the junction of the thigh and abdomen in front of the hip joint. It is strictly forbidden to lift it out (if it is lifted out, the body will be tilted back). It should be tucked in (hidden and not exposed). However, the buttocks should not be protruded in order to tuck the hips. The buttocks should be gathered in without force. Gathering the buttocks can give you a feeling of “spirit and energy penetrating the top of the head” and “force reaching the four extremities”. Only by tucking the hips and gathering the buttocks can you keep the coccyx in the middle, which is the key to “being upright”. Tuck the hips and gather the buttocks, and you can naturally achieve “shrinking the vagina”.
14, The crotch should be round (the secret to opening the vagina).
If the foot is not flat and absorbed, it will be crooked, the lower limbs will not be firm, and the whole body will be scattered. If the foot can absorb flat, the crotch can be rounded and the knees can be closed, so that the two eyes can be connected in a straight line and form a bow shape. Only then can the lower limbs have tension, and the qi can reach the soles of the feet and the fingers. What is an open crotch? Don’t open your legs. The crotch will open by itself, close your knees, and the crotch will be round by itself. Only when the crotch is round can the two legs be combined into a straight line, generating tension. The power of the two feet will sink to the center of the earth, and the lower body can be stable, like a tree taking root. However, the crotch cannot be open. The purpose of opening the crotch is to “absorb the foot flat”.
15, The knees must be straight (the secret of standing squats)
All movements are “power from the feet”, which drives the knees to turn; knee rotation drives the hips to turn, thereby driving the whole body to form movements. The knee is the key to the body movement. In any posture, the knee cannot be straight and stiff when turning. The knee is loose, and it cannot turn without power. It must be closed (the knees have the meaning of fullness). Whether walking, standing, sitting or lying down, you must bend your knees. There is straightness in the bend, and there is firmness in the bend. It is not stiffness, but firmness of mind. The knees must be bent naturally and relaxed, so that the movements can follow each other up and down. “One movement, everything moves.” The knees must be bent, the mind must be firm, and the essence and energy reach the four extremities. Only when the knees are bent naturally can you “feel relaxed and refreshed.”
16, The back should be round (the back should be extended)
The arms should always be in an arc shape to get the energy. The arms cannot be straight, nor can they be bent into an acute angle of 90°, otherwise they will become “pointed”, and “pointed” will “break the body” and become unbalanced. Pulling the back is also called “wrapping the back”. No matter whether the arms are bent or extended, open or closed, the spine must be stretched to the left and right and the two middle fingers must have a round feeling, so that the two arms can be connected in a line, the movements are consistent, and the effect of “roundness, tension and strength” can be exerted.
17, The elbows should be closed
When dropping the elbows, the shoulders will relax naturally, and the energy will reach the hands. Dropping the elbows and extending the wrists are the key to generating internal strength. Do not use force on the elbow tips to avoid shrinking the strength.
18, Lift the ankle
Whether the foot is placed or raised, the ankle should be lifted up to coordinate the upper and lower parts of the body, making the body light and flexible and the movements agile.
19, Lift the wrist to extend
If the wrist is not extended, the force will be retracted. If the wrist is not smooth, the force will be blocked and cannot be passed through the fingers. Use your mind to stretch and loosen the wrist joint. The palm should be in an arc shape. Do not bend the wrist, collapse the wrist, hang the palm, or hook the hand. The thumb and little finger should be slightly raised, and the middle finger should be closed inward to form an arc with the midline of the forearm. Drop the elbow and extend the wrist at the same time.