The Do-In Way: Gentle Exercises to Liberate the Body, Mind, and Spirit

by Michio Kushi

Overview

Dō-In is an ancient traditional exercise for the cultivation of physical health, mental serenity, and spirituality. Over the last 5,000 years, it has served as the origin of such well-known disciplines as shiatsu, acupuncture, moxibustion, yogic exercises, and meditation. Literally meaning to pull and stretch, Dō-In originated as a way of achieving longevity and attaining the highest potential of mental and spiritual development.

Dō-In techniques are a series of motions designed to harmonize body systems. The Dō-In Way details the fundamental aspects of this exercise, which involves breathing, posture, and self-massage and manipulation to stimulate body systems. The gentle application of pressure on the body’s meridians corresponds with physical processes, and allows for the conditioning of internal organs. This is a comprehensive handbook to an ancient system of movement designed to enhance physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780757002687
Publisher:	Square One Publishers
Publication date:	02/20/2006
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Michio Kushi came to the United States shortly after World War II upon completing studies at Tokyo University. Since then, he has lectured on macrobiotics; the meeting of East and West; traditional Asian medicine, philosphy, and culture; and the realization of world peace and planetary harmony. Mr. Kushi is the founder and president of the East West Foundation, Kushi Institute, Kushi Foundation, and Macrobiotics International. He is the bestselling author of numerous books, including Your Body Never Lies, The Cancer Prevention Diet, and The Book of Macrobiotics. As the leading voice in macrobiotics, Mr. Kushi spoke throughout the world on this topic.

Table of Contents

Contents

            Acknowledgments      

            About This Book         

            Introduction   

part one

Introduction to Shin-Sen-Do- :

Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Development

.  The Order of the Universe and the Macrobiotic Way of Life        

                        The Creation of the Univers­e             

                        Materialization and Spiritualization    

                        The Eternal Journey of Life      

                        The Way of Eating       

                           Principal Food           

                           Supplemental Food  

                           Beverages     

                        The Principles of Breathing     

                           Speed of Breathing 

                           Depth of Breathing  

                           Length of Breathing              

                        The Daily Way of Life              

.  The Physical and Spiritual Constitution of Man       

                        Stages of Spiritual Transformation      

                           Physicalized Spirit     

                           Vibrational Spirit       

                           Universal Spirit         

                        The Spirallic Constitution of Man        

                           The Environmental Period    

                           The Preconception Period    

                           The Embryonic and Fetal Period      

                           The Period of Infancy            

                           Childhood      

                           The Adult Age           

                           The Age of Maturity             

                           The Post-Human Life Period             

                        The Human Constitution of Ki—Electromagnetic Energy       

                        Treatments      

                           Acupuncture              

                           Moxibustion              

                           Shiatsu or Meridian Massage           

                           Palm Healing            

                           Yoga and Other Physical Exercises  

                        The Chakras and the Spiritual Channel         

                        The Antagonistic, Complemental Structure of Man  

                           The Relationship of Front and Back              

                           The Relationship Between Upper and Lower Areas             

                           The Relationship of Left and Right  

                           The Relationship of Periphery and Center  

                           The Relationship of Organ and Meridian Functions            

                           The Relationship Between the Part and the Whole             

part two

the Exercises of Do- -In

.  Special Exercises (SP)           

            Introduction      

            SP.  () Ten-Dai: Heavenly Foundation              

                           () Sei-Za: Natural Right Sitting Posture        

                           () Chu- -Za: Natural Right Sitting Posture on a Chair         

                           () Ren-Ge-Za: Lotus Flower Posture              

                           () Han-Ren-Ge-Za: Half-Lotus Flower Posture          

                           () Ko-za: Rounded Sitting Posture     

            SP.  () Ai-Wa: Love and Harmony        

            SP.  () Sho- -Ten: Ascending to Heaven            

            SP.  () Rei-No- : Development of Spiritual Power        

            SP.  () Wa-Jun: Development of Gentle           

            SP.  () Nai-Kan: Inner Reflection          

            SP.  () Gai-Kan: Outer Reflection         

            SP.  () Shin-Pai: Spiritual Worship        

            SP.  () Ten-Bu: Heavenly Dance           

            SP.  () Rei-Shi: Spiritual Sight  

            SP.  () Rei-Do- : Spiritual Movement  

            SP.  () Chi-Ko- : Walking on the Ground           

            SP.  () Go- -Ma: Cutting Through Delusions     

            SP.  () Koto-Dama: The Spirit of Words           

.  Daily Spiritual Exercises (DSE)          

            Introduction   

            DSE.  () Sei-Za: Natural Right Posture and Natural Breathing            

            DSE.  () Mei-So- -Ko-Kyu- : Meditation and Breathing            

            DSE.  () Chin-Kon: The Prayer of Oneness       

            DSE.  () Haku-Shu: Purification by Hand Clapping       

            DSE.  () A-Um: Spiritualization by Sound Vibration     

            DSE.  () Ten-Ko: Beating the Heavenly Drum              

            DSE.  () Ten-Ro: Drinking the Heavenly Dew  

            DSE.  () Kan-Ro: Tasting Nectar in Meditation            

            DSE.  () Ten-Gaku: Listening to Heavenly Music         

            DSE.  () Ko- -Myo-  Seeing the Inner Light       

            DSE.  () Wa-On: Sounding Harmonization     

            DSE.  () Hei-Wa: Pacification of the World      

.  Daily Exercises        

            () So- -Cho- -Shu- -Ho- : Morning Exercises     

            () Kin-Sei-Shu- -Ho- : Evening Exercises           

            () Kei-Raku-Cho- -Sei: Meridian Exercises       

            () Fuku-Ki-H¯o: Exercise for Breathing Energy                      

            () An-Min-H¯o: Exercise for Peaceful, Sound Sleep     

.  General Exercises     

            Introduction     

            Preparation: For Pacifying Our Physical and Mental Condition         

            Face, Head, Neck and Shoulder Region           

                           Cheeks           

                           Eyes  

                           Nose              

                           Mouth and Jaw         

                           Ears  

                           Head              

                           Neck              

                           Shoulders      

            Arms and Hands           

            Front, Back and Sides of Torso            

            Waist, Legs, Feet and Toes      

            Completion Steps         

            Additional Exercises for Facial Beauty            

            Some Daily Practices for Health          

                            For Headaches, including Migraine Headaches      

                            For Baldness             

                            For Red and Swollen Face    

                            For the Health of the Eyes  

                            For the Ears              

                            For the Nose             

                            For the Mouth, Teeth, and Gums    

                            For Congestion         

                            For Constipation and Diarrhea        

                            For Leg and Foot Cramps     

                            For Dry Skin              

                            For Freckles              

                            For Moles, Warts, and Beauty Marks          

                            For Cuts and to Stop Bleeding         

                            For Fire Burns          

                            For General Fatigue             

            Appendix

            Major Points for Diagnosis and Treatment

            Used in This Book       

            Index  

Preface

Introduction

During my life, I have experienced and observed the miseries of world war, together with the misery of present-day society—the various diseases and poverty, greed and selfishness, failure and difficulties, anger and hatred, discrimination and prejudice.

In my youth, I was inspired with the dream of realizing world peace through many possible measures, including the establishment of a World Federation. However, through the process of maturing, I have become able to see that world peace can be achieved only through the reconstruction of humanity, or the resurrection of man, from current degenerative trends which have prevailed throughout the world, increasing with the development of modern civilization.

At the same time, I was able to have an enlightening experience during meditation, which revealed universal and eternal life. I have also had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of ancient oriental philosophies and religions, which should be combined together with the modern occidental thought and way of life. In this regard I am grateful for the inspired teaching of George Ohsawa and many other present-day philosophers, as well as ancient spiritual, philosophical and scientific thinkers.

All miseries in human affairs come from our personal incomprehension of the order of the universe, or we may say, our ignorance of ourselves. From this ignorance we misguide our daily way of life in our dietary practice, social relations, and mental attitude as well as spiritual comprehension.

Life is one infinite universe itself, and our way of life should be simple and practical, according to the order of the infinite universe. Realization of health and happiness is the easiest and simplest way. On the basis of this understanding, I have begun to spread the way of life which everyone can practice at any time as the simplest means to achieve health and happiness, freedom and peace—known as the macrobiotic way of life.

Together with the spread of the way of life for humanity for one peaceful world, I have encouraged the adaptation of several traditional ways of physical, mental and spiritual development, namely, oriental medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, shiatsu massage, palm-healing, meditation, and mental and spiritual exercises. In order to reinforce our own development, I also began to introduce an ancient macrobiotic practice, Do- -In, in the United States about thirty years ago. I am grateful to Mr. Jacques DeLangre and Mr. Jean Bernard Rishi for their respective books on Do- -In, which introduced part of these exercises. However, the Do- -In which I introduced was a partial exercise, mainly related to energizing our physical and mental vitality, and did not fully explain other aspects of Do- -In which are more spiritually oriented. I have been obliged for the past several years to introduce the general scale of the entire scope of Do- -In exercises.

It has been necessary to rediscover and reconstitute the Do- -In exercises because these ancient macrobiotic exercises were largely lost in many areas, although some of them have been practiced among a limited society of seekers in the Far East. The entire scale of Do- -In exercise is not limited to the several series of exercises introduced in this book. These ancient macrobiotic exercises were actually the origin of all physical, mental and spiritual exercises which are currently differentiated into various kinds of meditation, chanting, yoga exer­cise, physiopsychological training, the martial arts, as well as other methods of self-development.

The origin of Do- -In exercise is simply our intuitive self-adjustment to maintain and develop ourselves, within the ocean of universal life or the infinite universe. Therefore, the beginning of Do- -In exercise is historically unknown, but it has always existed with human life, throughout all generations of mankind. However, it was over 10,000 years ago when Do- -In exercises were actively adapted in the ancient way of physical, mental and spiri­­­­­­­­­­­­­­tual deve­lopment to produce free man—the Tao of Shin-Sen (), the Way of Spiri­­­­­­­tual Free Man.

The uniqueness of these exercises is that anyone can practice them at any time as dai­­ly exercises under ordinary circumstances, without requiring any partner or special technique. In this sense, all races, all ages, man and woman, can practice them easily for health and hap­piness. Some of the exercises introduced in this book are my own modification in the hope that they may benefit everyone.

I sincerely hope that everyone throughout the world will freely practice these exercises for his or her own physical health, beauty, and spiritual happiness.