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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781578630431 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Red Wheel/Weiser |
| Publication date: | 05/01/1998 |
| Pages: | 161 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.41(d) |
Read an Excerpt
Dan-Tienâ?"Your Secret Energy Center
By Christopher Markert
Samuel Weiser, Inc.
Copyright © 1998 Christopher MarkertAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-57863-043-1
CHAPTER 1
Subtle Signals
Good Feelings are Guiding Us
The secret of good health, happiness, and success lies in the Dan-Tien, according to ancient Chinese texts. Dan-Tien is the source of vitality and joy. We all possess this source, but we are seldom aware of it. We all have an inner compass that leads us to the good life and keeps us in tune with the cosmos. When we listen to its subtle signals we can look forward to a life that is rich and rewarding and blessed with loving relationships.
This compass is so simple and foolproof that we tend to ignore it. Most of us have even been taught to ignore it and to rely instead on complex theories, artificial rules, or belief systems. The concept of Dan-Tien reminds us that all great truths are simple and easily practiced in daily life.
East Asians have known for thousands of years that the core of our vitality and unconscious wisdom lies in our very center. In this area we can spontaneously sense whether we are in tune with life at any given moment. When we think or do something that does not agree with our deepest feelings, we immediately get an unpleasant sensation in our center, in the Dan-Tien. This is a signal that tells us that the way we think or act at this time is not quite right. If we fail to listen to the signal, it will become stronger, to the point where we get a "knot" in the stomach. If we habitually ignore the message, we may end up with a stomach ulcer or other psychosomatic complications.
But if we think and act in tune with the Dan-Tien, we notice a pleasant sensation in the belly area. We feel happy and enjoy inner harmony. In time we can learn to cultivate this state, so that it becomes a pleasant habit. Mind and body can thus function optimally and avoid needless stress.
Millions of Happy Minutes
There is a deeper reason why Dan-Tien makes us happy and successful: it connects us with the cosmic life force. When we listen to the signals in our center and act accordingly, we harmonize with the primal force that is called divine. We can find true happiness only when we live in tune with our divine self.
Dan-Tien offers no philosophical systems, moral precepts, psychological analyses, or intellectual explanations. Instead we receive helpful impulses from moment to moment. Just like a child searching for Easter eggs is guided by calls of "warm" or "cold," so we can rely on the hints from our center in our search for happiness and success.
Through Dan-Tien we appreciate and enjoy the "here and now." When we can be happy here and now, when we can enjoy the next minute and the next minute, too, and so on, then we can enjoy the whole day. When we do this all week and through the months, we enjoy millions of happy minutes over the years. It is that simple.
Of course there will be minutes when we notice that something is wrong. Then we feel unhappy until we remember our inner compass and follow its messages. Usually it turns out that we got lost in useless and aimless trains of thought, or perhaps we were doing something that did not fulfill the need of the moment. Instead of living here and now we worried about the past or the future. Instead of sweeping in front of our own door we got involved in other people's problems.
But as soon as we realize that we are on the wrong track, we can change course and restore the good feeling, usually in a matter of seconds or minutes. Our greatest source of happiness is the feeling of being on the right track, here and now. We also feel good when we reach a goal, of course, but we do not reach goals every day.
Divine Impulses
With our inborn Dan-Tien we have a proven system that has been refined over millions of years. It connects us "on-line" with the great cosmic computer. No man-made system can ever match its ingenuity and perfection.
The idea that divine impulses can be relayed through a nerve center in the body does not agree with our Western concepts. We have been taught that the divine can only come from above, through the head, the soul, or the conscience. We have been trained not to trust our "gut feelings" and to suppress our "lower animal instincts." Many people still consider the body below the belt "dirty," unspeakable, or the source of sinful urges.
But in such Western beliefs lies the root of our inability to enjoy day-to-day life. People who reject their body and their emotions are called neurotic. They may get used to their split condition and endure life, but they cannot find real happiness. They can harmonize with themselves and the cosmic whole only occasionally and coincidentally.
They can console themselves with theories or religions that accept suffering as normal, or they can deaden the pain through legal or illegal drugs. They can try to divert themselves with ceaseless activity or noise, but they cannot find access to the secret that their remote ancestors still knew before they were "civilized" through unnatural teachings.
It is possible to drop unnatural habits. We can find our inner center and we can rediscover our ability to enjoy each minute. To do this we need no strenuous exercises or lengthy and costly analyses. All we need to do is trust our inner impulses again and follow them.
In the following chapters we will see how we can practice the secret of Dan-Tien in daily life. But first let us take a look at its ancient origins.
CHAPTER 2The Ancient Origins of Dan-Tien
The Best Place in the Body
The word Dan-Tien means "belly area," and ancient Chinese texts describe it as "the best place in the body." Sometimes it is also called the One-Point. In Japan it is known as Hara, which simply means "belly."
Taoist teachings reaching back four to five thousand years tell in great detail how to be in touch with the center of vitality and joy, and how to use it as a link with the cosmic power Chi. Taoism is the Chinese folk religion that teaches the "right way," the word Tao meaning "way" or "path." This is not a "father religion" in the Western sense, but a practical philosophy of life with religious roots.
The One-Point is said to be located just below the navel and about an inch inside the body. This point also happens to be just above the womb, the warm and protected place where life originates. Here is the best place for the embryo to grow, where it is safely resting in the gravity center of the mother's body. It is also surrounded by vital organs and has a good, dependable blood supply. Even in the male anatomy, in the absence of a womb, this is the central core of vitality. While the head, the sense organs, and other external organs are exposed and vulnerable, the One-Point in the belly is a sanctuary, a safe haven, a place where we can feel good.
Persons whose Chi energy is centered in the One-Point are said to be protected from dangers of all kinds. The Dan-Tien can dissolve or "burn" strains, pains, diseases, and other hostile influences. A scattering or loss of Chi energy therefore opens the door to suffering and misfortune, while gathering the life energy in the Dan-Tien brings happiness and good fortune.
Hara, the Japanese One-Point
Zen, the art of emptying the mind and finding the center within, is an experience that cannot easily be described with words. But if Zen has an essence, it might be Hara, the equivalent of Chinese Dan-Tien.
The concept of Hara is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, religion, and daily life. Most Westerners know the word only in connection with Harakiri, the curious way of Japanese suicide. Samurai warriors resort to this way of taking their life because they believe the life energy Ki resides in the belly, not in the heart or the head.
Even today, the Japanese tend to sit, stand, walk, and move in a quite centered way. When they wait in line, for instance, they usually stand firmly on both legs, with a straight spine and relaxed arms and neck. Westerners in this situation would tend to stand "relaxed" on one leg while resting the other, which creates a curve in the spine and a loss of Hara.
The emphasis on a centered posture and attitude is ingrained in the Japanese national character. Persons who are not firmly settled in the Hara tend to be considered immature, unreliable, or confused. Even school children learn about the importance of being centered in the Hara, the "belly brain," in school as well as in daily life.
Most of the Zen meditations have one aim—to clear the mind of irrelevant chatter and to find the true self in the silent center. In the center we experience bliss, while all suffering is only a sign that we have lost touch with our true nature, with Nature in general, and with the cosmic life force Ki.
Westerners who try the path of Zen tend to find the endless "sitting" (Zazen) so boring and painful that they soon give up. In chapter 6 we will return to this subject and show a form of meditation that you will want to do often because it is so enjoyable.
The Dan-Tien Personality
People who live in tune with their center are said to have a "Dan-Tien personality," and this is considered a great honor. They are recognized by their collected, responsible, helpful, and modest attitude. They are self-confident but do not seek the limelight, and they are not interested in impressing or dominating others. Yet they radiate quiet power and attract admirers and followers.
All aspects of their life harmonize with the Dan-Tien, from the smallest detail to their over-all goals. Their life has direction, and they seem to know the meaning of life. They are not afraid of obstacles, enemies, or death. They know that each obstacle can teach them a valuable lesson, and that each enemy is a teacher who can help them to eliminate their weaknesses. They do not fear illness, infections, or bacteria as long as they live in harmony with the universal life force.
They see the good side in every human being and do not exclude anyone. They know that all people like to harmonize with the life force, but many do not know how. When people do not know the secret of Dan-Tien, they easily become angry, greedy, envious, proud, depressed, perverse, jealous, lazy, or sick in mind and body.
Dan-Tien personalities usually look younger and healthier than their age. They can run without losing their breath. They know which foods are good for them and have no problems with digestion or elimination. They know how to gather their energies by sitting in silence with a straight spine. They breathe through the nose, in a quiet rhythm, slowly emptying the lungs with each outbreath. Their eyes are relaxed but alive and mobile, and their voice resonates from the belly. Their nasal passages are clear because the blood circulates freely through the whole body. The head is cool and the feet are warm.
The body movements originate from the center, not from the head or shoulders. There is no fidgeting or nervous finger drumming. Each breath is a joy as well as each step and each movement. Others sense this, and they enjoy the company of the Dan-Tien personality, although they may not be aware of the deeper reasons.
Dan-Tien and Breathing
Taoist masters say that breathing is the driving force for the circulation of the life energy Chi through the body. They know that superficial (upper chest) breathing is the beginning of most diseases. The entire immune system is weakened by poor breathing habits. An amazing number of illnesses and nervous troubles disappear within weeks of adopting the habit of deep breathing.
In the West we know that breathing is necessary to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. But breathing accomplishes many other things that are vital to our health and well-being. With each breath we also stimulate the nerve center in the belly, the Dan-Tien. We notice this when we take a "sigh of relief." Our digestion is also stimulated when we breathe deeply from the diaphragm. Many people suffer from constipation simply because their intestines are not massaged through rhythmic breathing. Even the blood and lymph circulation in this central part of the body depends on the rhythmic contractions of chest and belly.
While the average person inhales 16 to 18 times per minute, the rate goes down to ten or even six breaths after Chi Kung training. It is said that each person is allotted a certain number of breaths at birth. The slower the breath, the longer will be the life. Deep breathing is accomplished by pushing out the air and emptying the lungs after each breath, until the next inhalation follows spontaneously. Slow breathing creates a collected state of inner rest, which in turn reduces the need for oxygen. This state can be further enhanced through meditation practices.
Healthy breathing rises and falls imperceptibly, effortlessly. Above all it is a joy. Whenever we notice that our breathing has become hectic, irregular, nervous, shallow, or unpleasant, we know that something is wrong with the way we think, feel, and act at the moment. In a matter of minutes or even seconds we can feel better by first exhaling and then letting the air rush in. Suddenly the world around us looks a little better. By making this a habit we can change our life.
Our Center of Gravity
Dan-Tien also happens to lie near our gravity center. When we feel good and centered in the belly, this becomes apparent in our body coordination, body awareness, and body movements. All our movements then originate from the center of gravity in our pelvis just below the navel.
In the Far-Eastern martial arts like Judo, Jiujitsu, Kung Fu, and especially Aikido, this idea of centered balance is considered absolutely basic and essential. In past centuries these methods of self-defense were practiced as a matter of survival, not just as games, sports, hobbies, or fitness exercises. The fighter who did not know this secret and thought from his head (instead of the gravity center) moved clumsily and was easily knocked out and killed.
Far-Eastern medical traditions also emphasize the importance of the center, which is at the same time seen as the seat of Chi or Ki, the vital life energy. A person's individual Chi energy is in turn related to the cosmic life force of the universe. To be in touch with this force is said to assure health, happiness, and a long life.
All this may not at first agree with our idea of being an intelligent person with a good head, or a loving person with a big heart. Nevertheless it is a fact that the movements of well-balanced and happy people originate from the hips. This is especially obvious with most children before school age, when they are still moving naturally and spontaneously. We can easily see this when we watch young children at play. If we then watch the movements of "normal" grown-ups, we can see the difference. The average Western adult moves nervously from the head or shoulders, without grace or spontaneous balance.
According to Chinese folk wisdom, a loss of contact with the center is the root of all human suffering and unhappiness. It is also the main cause of psychosomatic illness and the countless "diseases of civilization" that now make up over 90 percent of all our diseases. Unnatural habits of thinking and living destroy the family and spread through society, bringing decadence, hopelessness, hostility, and violence. Only by being in touch with the cosmic Chi through the Dan-Tien can we turn these negative energies into vitality and joy.
Energy Channels
The life energy Chi is said to be at home in the Dan-Tien. From there it circulates in the body through a complex network of channels or conduits, the so-called meridians. The life energy flows freely when we are in good health and feel good. It supplies all organs, tissues, and cells with cosmic life force. Illness begins when the flow stagnates or when there is an excess of Chi somewhere in the body.
Techniques like acupuncture, acupressure, or foot reflexology can be used to stimulate or equalize the flow. Millions of Chinese are also practicing Tai Chi Chuan (shadow boxing) daily to build up and maintain their energy. The proverbial smile of many East Asians is partly explained by their belief that joy and bliss increase vitality, while bad moods, sadness, or melancholy attitudes decrease it.
The art of channeling the Chi energy is known as Chi Kung. Many Chi Kung masters can project their energy to heal sick people without touching them. Others can move inanimate objects at a distance, split blocks of marble with their fists, bend thick iron bars, smash boulders with their bare hands, let cars run over them, etc. These are not legends, but facts documented by Western doctors and scientists.
While practitioners of western medicine rely almost entirely on technology and the chemicals that they call medicines, healers in the Far East are firmly convinced that health depends on the flow of energy from the Dan-Tien.
We can benefit from this wisdom today. We can keep the energy flowing by loving and appreciating all aspects of our bodily selves. We can resolve tensions by opening blocked energy channels. Whenever we notice that our mind is congested with useless and unpleasant thoughts, we can neutralize them by leading the energy back into the Dan-Tien. Within seconds or minutes we can feel good again and think pleasant, useful thoughts.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Dan-Tienâ?"Your Secret Energy Center by Christopher Markert. Copyright © 1998 Christopher Markert. Excerpted by permission of Samuel Weiser, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
List of Illustrations,
Foreword by Drs. Wolf Van Den Hoek,
Introduction,
1. Subtle Signals,
2. The Ancient Origins of Dan-Tien,
3. Dan-Tien in Daily Life,
4. Diary of a Dan-Tien Student,
5. Taking Care of the Dan-Tien,
6. Fine-Tuning The Dan-Tien,
7. Dan-Tien: A Western Explanation,
8. Yin And Yang, Female and Male,
9. More Notes from a Dan-Tien Student,
10. At Home in the World,
11. Enjoyable Relationships,
12. The Answer is Closer than We Think,
13. Getting into the Dan-Tien Habit,
14. Feeling Good is Good for You,
15. At Home in the Body,
16. The Happy Child Within,
17. Everything Falls into Place,
Bibliography,
Index,
About The Author,