Бесплатный фрагмент - Tao Yin Practice

Preface to the 2nd English edition

The author’s translation of the books from Russian into English was made a long time ago in 2007 when I was in India for publication on the American print-to-order service. Then the book appeared on the Amazon world trade network among millions of books on this topic.

The very idea of the book is connected with my research interests as a philosopher and orientalist, which extend to both theoretical and practical aspects of Oriental culture. The paper book was very useful when I was traveling to China (2008) as a business card.

Unsurprisingly, the original Russian edition was much more successful in Russia itself. The very first Russian editions was published in the «Vector» publishing house in Moscow (2006) although I lived and worked abroad, communicating exclusively in English.

Of course, over the years, my English language skills improved, especially since I professionally worked on reverse translations from English into Russian, which was my earnings in those years, and subsequently became the basis for admission to the Russian Translators’ Union.

Preparing the second English edition through the Russian Ridero system, of course, it would be worthwhile to make a new translation of this book. However, due to the lack of time and the large number of new projects, I leave everything as it was, correcting only few obvious mistakes.

I hope that the sophisticated reader will forgive the imperfection of my early translations, paying more attention to the content that concerns eternal questions, and perhaps enjoy the specifics of the Russian mentality when transferring knowledge from East to West.

Maria Nikolaeva

St. Petersburg, 2024

***

The author thanks CHOM (Ben Chelero, Tzse Kun) — the founder of Development Centre at Ancient Cultures INBI, the author on Taoist practices and other ancient cultures — for his review of Russian manuscript and release (2004).

Introduction. Flying or Falling

«The Immortal Sisters appeared in both imperial courtyard and poor villages, and many miracles happened at their participation… But in the most cases Immortal Sisters simply flied away avoiding undesirable contacts… To rise above the ground is the true achievement of her real transformation for a woman, who always was earthly creature and keeper of the low energy’. (CHOM)

«Feminism is a product of mutative or modified consciousness. Being affected by rhythm of social development, feminism exchanges female quality to women quantity… Women are thrown out of aircraft not being instructed to make use of parachute; that’s why they are becoming sappers. They would like to fly! … First, a woman must learn to respect the woman within herself; next, she needs to think how such woman should live in society’. (Ben Chelero)

The question of flying ability is raised far from being rhetorical. Certainly, initially Yin Taoist practices were formed within completely different circumstances; above all, they were intended to absolutely another goal. At ancient times, a happy woman lived naturally and created her transformation up to achievement of «immortality’. At present time, an unhappy woman embarkes her artificial development while she even hardly understands how she is organized and why she needs such changes.

This book will help a woman to establish a primary background for positive perception of herself, that she could merge all over with her intention to fly. Generally, a principally problematic modern woman wishes to restore her balance. Nevertheless, firstly, she can do nothing but merely accept the practice itself as a goal involving herself into continuous transformation. After perceiving the beginning transformative archetype, gradually she can clarify the inner meaning of practice too.

Any practice is a difficult affair; therefore, herein we will be limited by the stage of preparation. Elementary techniques will allow a woman to recover her womanhood, to become more selfconfident, and to maintain deep internal calm. Please, notice that this period is emphasized in Taoist tradition itself, that’s why it is entirely acceptable for beginning. Since a woman could grow her wings easier within tranquil atmosphere, better she would learn to make use of parachute.

Let us denote priority at once. Probably, you know the book on development of female sexual energy by Manivan Chia, however herein the discourse will go to another direction. We follow the practical approach which is represented in books published by Taoist Academy INBI and was taught during seminars navigated by this centre. These books are very complicated for apprehension, and these seminars suppose extremely serious attitude to personal development.

Eventually, such madly occupied women are almost unable to accept Taoist origins themselves. Nevertheless, the basic techniques would help them in particular to preserve harmony, granting them as it were new recomposing body, energy, and consciousness altogether. Henceforth, the shape of wholeness will allow a woman to hold herself in any circumstances. Tracing the simplest expression of womanhood, later she can decide how and why improve her alignment.

Part I. Ordinary Woman’s Problems

Life according to Laws of the Male World

«I rejoice plenty of things… Nature produces trillion of creatures, but a human being is the most valuable out of them. And I have succeeded to become a human being! This is my first joy. Men and women are different; moreover, males are respected while females are neglected, therefore a male has the superior value. And I have succeeded to be born as a male! This is my second joy.» — «Excellent! — Confucius said. — You are able to smoothe yourself very well!» («Le-Tzsy’)

Taoism assumes consideration that a woman represents Yin (calm) embodiment within Yang (moving) environment. A corresponding problem is that our world is situated in motion, and a woman is forced to move instead of staying at rest. Moreover, she has to assume this inverse order positively. Although any woman has more Yin than Yang energy, yet every woman has her unique proportion of Yin and Yang energies. All women differentiate according to degree of their substantiation (Yin) and completeness (Yang). Their personal correlation can be expressed as proportion between permanence and power, or respectively between sensitivity and creativity.

Containment of active Yang energy has become completely indispensable. A modern woman has already accepted absolute quietness as something impossible and even unwished. Anyhow, she exists in a worldly stream of influences which merely compels her action. Yet, mostly she acts disorderly being in conflict with her authentic nature. Surely, some women are endued with Yang energy adequately, so that they would be able to act independently. However, then second female distinction comes into effect, namely her irrational thinking which makes her behavior lacked of any reasonable logic.

Many things depend upon an attitude of woman herself, rather, upon her ability to objectify her personal attitude in existence. Really, a woman needs for her ordinary life not so much Yang nurturance as much Yin regulation and consolidation. The abovementioned two distinctions between woman and man (according to their energy types and thinking processes) preset all other differences. We will examine them one by one, not forgetting that separation itself is artificial.

Step by step, we will try to explain certain problems of female physical body, energy, and consciousness. Nevertheless, even preparation for practice claims attention to all three components at once. That’s why such layer-by-layer review will serve as «preparation to preparation’. At first, we will gradually oversee female existence, not seeking for any intervention. Indeed, you have to understand the whole before correcting some parts.

Body Aspects: Sore Feet and Headache

«Lots of women endeavor to get healthy by love… First, it’s necessary to heal your ill body, to free your breath. Breathing must fill your whole body from your feet till the top of your head. Your heart must recall your female body. It must be self-feeling instead of self-cognition. You know, while your body is ill, your love is ill too…» (CHOM)

All physical problems are caused by three states arousing any malaise. They are sickness, weariness, and physical incoordination. Supposing, first and second problems are comprehensible in straightway, but third one requires some explanation. It is a matter of wrong possession of your personal body which literally «practices what it preaches’. Occasionally, perhaps, your own body becomes an independent personality, and you attempt endlessly to put clear arrangements with your body.

It is not the question of our insufficient flexibility or strength, which leaves much to be desired since they are inappreciable in city circumstances. The point is that chronically your legs are lazy, your head is stupid, your heart is broken, and your stomach is hungry. These spontaneous actions are far from intuitive masterpieces. Mostly, it is just inefficient operation of your personal body. In this chapter we will not touch your excessive worry of how you look. However, we will return to this point later to discuss female beauty.

You will be released from inefficient operation of personal body in the period of preparation for practice. A social active and fatally tired woman needs her own force restoration. At the physical level, this is the matter of healthy food and sufficient sleep which are chosen individually. Sustentation of comfortable conditions includes hygienic procedures starting with everyday shower. It is well-known that water washes away dirtiness but it also cleares temporary energy disturbances and supports bloodstream as a massage.

Indeed, common recommendations concerning food and sleep are the most general.

• Nutrition depends upon individual characteristics and your way of life. Generally, than more complex is your day schedule, than more you need simple food without bread, potatoes and meat. Any diets are not recommended at all. You have to learn feeling of food energy and its actual acceptability. Sensitivity is developing with practice, therefore your requirement for quality and quantity of food is changing by itself. Thus, at regular exercises your ration will twice smaller in comparison with normal one. It is important also to stop eating two hours before practice in order to escape undesirable tension.

• Sleep is needful for energy recharge in your body and preparation to its normal circulation. Therefore, lack sleep can be only compensated by excess sleep! Relative limits are between 5 and 10 hours, but on average 7 hours are enough for a woman.

However, an affecting ailment is the soreness itself. Envisaging the distinctions between male and female body types we must note straightway that it touches on not only genitals and so-called «secondary sex characters’. Your female body reflects the particular energy structure. Even one would think that common physical parts of human body such as heart and other viscera, sinews and bones, etc. are situated in the female body in different correlations with each other.

Importantly, homonymous organs have different qualities and various functions in male and female bodies. For example, the heart is center of spirit (Shen) for a woman while that spirit dwells in brain palace (Nivan-Goon) of a man. It means, male and female heart failures are caused by different existential problems. The same conclusion can be inferred on any other sickness. We will attend to the most important organs and their connections in details.

First of all, let us look at our body in whole and our personal attitude towards it. Human body is a form filled with Yin and Yang energies which direct us from within. Theoretically, they must be perfectly in balance. Hot sicknesses (inflammations) arise at Yang abundance while cold sicknesses (indurations) arise at Yin abundance. It is customary in Chinese medicine to check «emptiness’ and «fullness’ syndromes which mean lack and excess of each energy type.

You could direct energy flows consciously staying in balance. Nothing maintains resistance in completely relaxed body, therefore you have to learn feeling of your own body thoroughly. The first task is listening your body, determining «what’, «where’, and «how’ is existing inside of you, and catching current processes in distinct organs and their connections. Such connections seem strange for western people but this is a matter of your experience.

Obviously, a female body can suffer from inherent Yin predominance not infrequently. Since confined energy flows are subject for compression, a female body is more congregate within itself. However, body loses its wholeness because of this energy condensation. It divides onto some separate parts which are weakly connected. In other words, body keeps certain seeming wholeness only when a woman looks in the mirror, but the body frame is disappearing if she closes her eyes.

Namely this condition deprives woman ability to perceive her wholeness from within. It creates interest to all kinds of magical manipulations with her appearance. As for the body adornment from within, originally it requires certain psychological effort from an ordinary woman. Primarily, she has to understand an interior arrangement of her personal body.

• Head is energetically squeezed part in female body wherefrom everlasting headache originates. Though it is energy problem in the greater measure we can notice the demand on relaxation at the physical level.

• Five Yin organs (heart, liver, lungs, spleen, and kidneys) back up all energy flows. In female body all energy flows by itself towards Yin organs and further towards glands and blood. Supposing, they are all right then woman’s life passes peacefully and happily. But If they are impaired then energy excess causes excessive emotions. At the same time her activity becomes chaotic and her energy is lost through sensory organs. Conscious Yin organs sustentation in proper condition allows her creating facilities for spiritual origination. The initial movements of Tao-Yin complex will allow you developing control of Yin energy.

• Heart is the spiritual tenement for women. Moreover, it rules blood and vessels presetting energy movement rhythm through body. Heart state shows a degree of woman’s development and, in turn, it depends upon condition of other Yin organs. At aging, the cardiac rhythm becomes affected by any influences in greater measure. This stops energy assimilation within the heart and affects thymus and lactiferous glands functioning. It is always better for a woman to avoid immediate reactions on any stimulus which is divertive for her natural heartbeat. It is especially important not to be exposed to excessive excitements during the menstrual period.

• Uterus is the main organ guiding all processes within female body: menstruation, ovulation, pregnancy, and menopause. Theoretically, womb constitutes «single center’ directing work of all five basic organs. Normal womb condition determines ovaries and liver functions. That is to say, whole genitourinary sphere functions as a single organ thanks to womb, and its vitality governs the whole organism. Therefore, the abortion question is out of unambiguous solution since abortion can reduce energy development, otherwise, vice-versa, it can bring purification from uncontrolled energy.

• Ovaries are important body parts where cyst arises frequently. Usually, cyst is a cavity with pathological liquid. The simple cyst is trooped away surgically only, while the acquired cyst is associated with energy process dysfunction, therefore it can be dissolved by means of practice. However, everything depends upon the woman’s individual level. At starting point, it is better not to take risk. The ovaries fibroma develops by inefficient arrangment of sexual energy; as hormonally inactive, it can be deleted by practice.

• Lactiferous glands are the main energy source and provider especially during the menstrual period, therefore their condition determines health of the whole organism. Their malformations originate because of wrong energy distribution during sexual contacts. Practice brings appreciable alleviation irrespectively of its level. At the beginning a woman should develop in group forming strong energy field.

• Thymus is one of the most important glands for women. It promotes body growth till 21 years. After this age it is suppressed and requires some support. A woman should practice above 20 minutes per day in lying position for restoring good thymus functioning. It will allow her to stop early ageing.

• Blood is the basic substance with conjunctive functions fpr all organs, it is supporting specific physical state of female body during menstruation. The positive influence on your blood is rendered by practices associated with womb, liver, and feet (where liver meridian is located). Besides, your heart condition is also important for blood stream.

• Ligaments are the special places accumulating all gross hard energy in female body. Yet the accumulating process as such is associated with suppressed thymus condition. Consequently, sinews start to dry out being balled up after 21 years. A woman should use special practices for their reactivation. Development of sinews themselves is important for male body while junction of muscle and bones is significant for female body. However, a woman takes risk to create another problem reviving sinews before balancing her whole body. In such case, she will suffer from energy wasting because of excessive sinews nourishment.

• Bones are sound threads within female body. An old woman’s body dies away from within when her bones dry out. This is testified by bones rustle. Bone marrow rejuvenation is one of the most complicated parts of Taoist practice which is hardly accomplished.

• Feet are the body support which is responsible for all energy activity in underbelly and legs. If upward energy flow does not arise in woman’s body then her whole energy disperses. Feet serve as specific vessels. Some special walking practices are applied for their filling.

The logical question comes on: «What can we do with physical body simply in order to stop our continuous degradation and to reverse this process?» At the beginning you can use such simple procedures as relaxation and massage which will be described hereafter.

Energy Aspect: «Bitch Syndrome’

«Supposing, bitchiness is Yin quality. Why does it occur often among active and assertive women having Yang nature?» — «Do you know what bitchiness is? This is an element of inner dissatisfaction and discontent which forms aggressive female quality. It happens because women are incapable for correct understanding of their energy processes. It is caused by various circumstances and actions yet it is always associated with the concept of filling. Why there is no filling? There is neither external source nor internal source. Such aggressive atmosphere is resulted namely from undeveloped internal source since female energy is developing by means of accumulation only’. (Ben Chelero)

The most obvious energy problems appear at emotional level and in manners. They determine your physical conditions as well. Primial subtle arrangement of female energy structure is distorted by social life. The question about woman’s existence according to the laws of male world is answered mainly at the energy level. Our human evolution in this Earthly round is determined by Yang energy predominance which is male native habitat. He is the successful back-settler in these surroundings without facing any special counteractions.

Woman is endowed with Yin energy in greater measure, and her healthy growth depends on calm. Evidently, her absolute passivity contradicts to all external necessities. The perfect calm state appears unreal for embodiment during her whole life. Woman keeps merely using that negligible Yang energy quantity which she possesses anyway. Thus, she succeeds adaptation to environmental conditions but she collides with herself. Consequently, woman must solve not one problem but two problems. First, she has to restore wasted and initially poor Yang energy. Second, she has to restorate her broken foundation formed by Yin energy.

Let us look at the present situation more staringly, taking into account the correlation between Yin and Yang energies accordingly in male and female bodies. Since a man is able to develop his own Yang nature in the real world he is also able to create conditions for manifestation of his own Yin constituent. In other words, a strong man can continue leisure time. Everything is all right with a man in both aspects of his existence, namely internal development and external manifestation. He enjoys free choice making his decision and a wide discretion in its objectification.

Yin nature of a female body is dejected. That’s why woman is not realized at all. Furthermore, she blanks her Yang component. However, namely Yang energy is necessary for our mundane existence subordinated to derivative laws in general. Yang suppression deprives female ability to be a woman. That means she cannot actively develop her Yin nature. Being female, a woman cannot get calm. She is totally dependent on both Yang and Yin external influences in her manifestation.

This is a general sketch, because different women are endowed with Yang and Yin energies in different proportions. Additionally, your personal energy balance can shift to one or another side. Is the situation easier in extremis? No, rather it is worse.

Supposing, a woman has more Yang energy than usually and she is apt to worldly life (either social work or group activity). Using the opportunities of her advantage she will achieve great success becoming a president or a saint. Nevertheless, it will be got by cost of her lost womanhood. Most probably, she will have neither husband nor children because she will reject settling down to married life. However, she will also face another danger. Yang excess will cause unduly energy waste due to accomplishing too many unnecessary actions. In other words, she will aspire to burn her energy by work or passion, and so on.

Now, let us discuss the most common case when a mild gentle woman tries to become insulated from Yang influences by submerging into her Yin states. Conditionally, we could divide these states onto «good’ and «bad’ similar to Yang energy manifestations. Good states are modesty, musing, self-renunciation, and unselfish support for beloved man. Bad states are grief, melancholy, fear, anxiety, and suffering.

Inclining to positive Yin states can work in two ways. They are a «monastic path’ or a role of «fireplace keeper’ supported by husband. The last one often produces tendency to seclusion as well. In both versions, Yang feeling is inaccessible for her in the form of joy and life plentitude. More often, a woman sinks into abyss feeling when any suffering causes greater suffering coming up to quite typical masochism. Yin energy is accumulated in Yin organs, therefore suffering is conducive to sickness leading to new sufferings.

Thus, a woman is running within a vicious circle whereof she tries to get out using both Yang and Yin options alternately. In extreme case, this intended script ends tragically in greater or lesser degree as follows. First, a woman tries to engage into external actions since any society requires activity. However, she always lacks Yang energy for achieving headway. Then, a woman starts to expense right and left desperately laying out totally without any rest. Completely enervating herself, she indulges rankling for wasting Yin energy too.

Certainly, this self-abuse leads to absolute stupor and pathological diffidence. In some cases, a woman tries to catch at new undertaking using any source of external Yang energy. But since she is not able to become strong anymore, she suffers from Yang dependence which ends in a similar hangover. In terms of psychiatry, her behavior is called manic-depressive syndrom. Specifically, she alternates overexcitment and absolute indifference, which will be abruptly interrupted by new unrestrained aspiration.

Obviously, states shifting takes place during premenstrual syndrom and menstruation period. Generally, in this period a woman’s energy openness intensifies all her above-mentioned problems. Menstrual circle reconstruction requires complete calm. According to ancient cultures, any society always guaranteed to a woman temporary isolation every month. Nowadays, menstruation is not the reason for retreat, except of few countries in the world. Although actually a woman gets disabled state till some degree, which often is accompanied by plenty of ailments.

A woman herself is forced to let things slide during menstruation. She even sets this period at naught. She accepts the period as a provoking hindrance in her life. But such approach leads her to additional problems. Her female organism needs calm preparing to new stage of energy circulation. Roughly speaking, inquietude is almost equal to sleep loss. However, it is noticeable during whole month instead of next day only. It is very dangerous to lose energy when it must be preserved and increased according to the plan of Nature. In this case, you have to use some psychotechniques or just sedation.

On top of everything else, a woman and this masculine world are not situated face to face. Many different entities dwell at the energy level being engaged into development according to a similar script. Po-ghosts and unformed inorganic energies belong to this energy world. They create considerable mind problems cramping female cerebration and perception. Po-ghosts evoke negative emotions such as fear, melancholy, and even unrestrained merriment. The last one is undesirable too.

In Taoism, seven Po-ghosts personify certain energies which create uncontrolled injudicious states and cause corresponding behavior. All they are shaped at a woman’s birth and laterby inhabiting within her chest. They want to occupy her body and consciousness in whole. If a woman starts using some approaches that regulate her current life process, they are accumulated in lungs assimilating specific energy of thymus and lactiferous glands. Resisting to their expulsion, they can provoke all kinds of experiences and evoke physical sensations increasing hardness in sternum. A woman is not able to get over Po-ghosts while they are not dispersed. However, there are simple exercises for their dispersion by means of chest opening.

You must change two perceptual aspects of your standard behavior before mastering the special techniques. First, learn to hold down emotional energy in your feeling. Second, begin to regulate and strengthen your Yin foundation.

Mind Aspect: Back Side of Foolishness

«How stop to be stupid for men who love us and want us to be foolish?» — «I think, raising this serious question you are not a foolish woman. As for such men who are fond of foolish women they are victims of their own inferiority. Probably, the question is rather about stupidity of men than stupidity of women. Suppose, you understand this matter but still want to be his life partner. So, where is an entanglement? Just imagine, what happen, if he will make sure that you are not stupid… He will get a stress! Accept it forbearingly as a kind of sickness. If you, by all means, prefer to live together with the ill person’. (Ben Chelero).

The main woman problem is situated at the consciousness level. Rational thinking orientation predominates in western society maintaining the male line in its development. Anyway, an irrational world perception is considered to be a sign of inadequacy. Indeed, the female method of world understanding is significantly different from the male method. According to nature, a woman is not able to use lineal reason successfully. It is characteristic for a man only. Nevertheless, she cannot anymore come forward as the holder of an alternative existential principle.

By now, a woman has almost forgotten her perception method because overlong she looked to adapt for the male line in her activity. Hence she holds on unsuccessful efforts to puzzle out a lineal chain of causation, demonstrating her fundamental female stupidity only. Although generally a woman has aptitude to influence activating her cerebral process, this leads merely to random energy movement.

Herein we accentuate the topic of an inorganic energy which is principally different from natural duality of Yin and Yang. Its implantation explains high frequency which is typical for brain function of modern human being. In turn, these events lead to informational revolution and virtual device of our society. The inorganic energy means a certain power which is out of naturally influation by Yin and Yang energies. It serves as special foundation for creating unnatural constructions surrounding us on the Earth.

It is important, that artificial energy uses namely woman for its own unnatural expansion. Since there is the break between Yang and Yin energies, this vacuum is filled out by power alien for human being. Further, inorganic energy influences men through woman. Moreover, she brings to birth children with modified energy type. Thus, woman finds out herself in a vicious circle. She depends upon male activity caused by inorganic energy influence, yet she is the channel for its influence.

Consequently, a woman must change her consciousness learning another way for acquisition and processing of information. This would allow her to hold down her energy. Increasing amount of information requires greater energy storage for its true apprehension. Head force rearrangement is aided by preliminary consciousness relaxation, that does not mean intellectual weakening. Nevertheless, the conceptualization power tends to strengthening of feelings and emotions. Working with her brain, a woman is more vulnerable than a man.

Usually, any attempt for rational conceptualization of external signals is unnatural for woman. It results in acute experiences and following exaggerated reactions against them. All these processes cause extreme energy burning. A woman could escape the stage of agonizing thinking, if she would perceive events by abdomen. Therefore, she must regulate connections in low part of her body, where energy distribution centers are located. Thus, consciousness relaxation requires transposition of perception processes into abdomenal area, that presupposes its strengthening.

Finally, social cycle create confusion in a woman personal rhythm and her path. She loses spirit (Sheng) during her current life. Spiritual energy utilization is needed for survival at the physical level. However, you can produce the backward energy flow by means of practice. Inequality between man and woman comes up to such situation that she loses twice more spiritual energy than he does. Indeed, abovementioned sensual bitchiness and physical ugliness are symptoms of disfunction in the very essence of her existence.

Woman’s ambition to execute social function annihilates her spirituality. Namely, a woman herself is responsible for harm, even though chain of causation twists her consciousness and deprives her liberty. Her social attitude includes whatever encompasses her from celestial manifestations till established relationship. Her personal path is determined by understanding nature of activity. There are some features also: knowing is important for a man while feeling is important for a woman. Since spiritual Sheng energy sets natural current of events, her spiritual development becomes possible after achieved disengagement only.

Female Structural Features

«How correctly define difference between male and female paths of development?» — «If you are not attracted to lifting up barbells then everything is normal. Yet, seriously, this question is very simple… The difference between male and female systems is based upon two concepts, namely rhythm and circulation. Therefore, until you follow your natural rhythm in daily activity, there is no any sense to talk about this matter. Second, until you learn objective self-feeling you have no adequate concentration in order to understand circulation of your personal energy». (Ben Chelero)

Heretofore we described obvious female problems, and now their causes are quite evident. Such notion as «Yin — Yang’ energy division does not require any special proof. It is enough to give attention to their existence. Hereafter the construction of female structure will be idealistic, because now it would be difficult to find such women. They distort their own nature strenuously, sometimes till incredible transformation. Feminists would be insulted by the conclusion that woman has horizontal structure while man has vertical structure, needless to say the confirmation: «Woman mind is located in her womb’. Nevertheless, we are going to proceed from Taoist ideal of the woman.

Two female features have respect to rhythm and circulation. The former is unambiguously attached to natural cycles: menstruation, season changing, and seven-year development cycles. The latter includes two important constituents: orientation and centering. Horizontal orientation of female structure is accounted for predominance Yin energy infusing calm and quiet. It is restored by special practices in the lying position. Integrating whole female structure as single center is located in her womb. It constitutes an energy vessel and possesses characters of filling and preservation.

The emphasized here Yin foundation will be subsequently consolidated for Yang energy increasing. It is necessary for normal existence in modern world and further development.

Rhythm: Natural Periodicity

«I’m interested in the concept of rhythm, its influence and interaction with human being’. — «To be honest, I am interested in this also. Now, let us try to proceed from our interest. What are we doing? First, we conclude that rhythm exists, that is to say we give attention to its existence. Then, we find something what is already constructed according to rhythm laws. What could be done in such manner? Of course, dance… As soon as you question a correspondence between internal and external rhythms, you can objectively feel a connection between organism and universe. You will feel this connection physically, then Earth’s and Moon’s rhythms will be not something abstract for you’. (Ben Chelero)

Woman lives rhythmically and cyclically, while man lives successively and purposefully. General rhythm in female life is predetermined by various outer natural and social closed circles. But the woman’s point is to attune her personal inner rhythm. There are plenty of external influences, which alternatively dominate above each other. The natural cycles are harmoniously attuned, all together they support general sequence of events. Vice versa, the social rhythms are confusing, and they break any current processes. Certainly, the menstrual cycle is primary for a woman. It is subordinate to lunar rhythm, though you should consider some other influences too.

Age-related and seasonal changes are apparent distinctively among permanent natural cycles. Thus, female aging is formed by seven-year periodicity, while male aging is formed by eight-year periodicity. Seasonal changes are also important, because any woman blooms in spring and withers in autumn. We should mention day-night rhythm among short-term cycles. Indeed, any woman comes with moonrise and leaves with sunrise. This continues daily but every time it is anew. Alternating odd and even dates is essential for practice as well. We will examine the most disturbing factors: aging, menstruation, and external environment.

Age-Specific Changes

The seven-year cycle is imperative for each woman. She should maintain its rhythm at her conscious development.

Her childhood passes away almost without any reflection about her existence, because her physical body is still growing. After 14 years her female organism is oriented to energy consumption. The most difficult period starts from 21 till 28 years. It is called the energy tempering. A woman is overfull with her own wishes. She hurries to receive everything at once. During this period it makes sense to work out Yin energy which creates stable foundation.

Toward 28 years, a woman gets satisfaction and proceeds to circumspect actions. If a woman engages into self-development, then she can develop Yang energy. According to Chinese tradition, the boarder at 35 years is considered to start senescence for ordinary woman. On the contrary, a practicing woman reaches the transformation point. She has already prepared her mature energy toward this point.

After about 42 years her natural energy consumption begins to dry out. Nevertheless, a practicing woman is already able to produce energy within her personal body accumulating and preserving it. At this age she can proceed to meditation in lotus posture (the most closed body position) in order to experience transformation. At the same age, an ordinary woman goes through menopause, that breaks balance of all organic functions.

Theoretically, menopause must start from 49 years, whereupon a woman uses her energy accumulated during current life only. When her power is completely finished, she falls into depression. Contrariwise, the famous Taoist woman cognized Tao overstepping this age limit (she lived in XII century). Previously, she learned the plentitude of ordinary activities, such as marriage and maternity, until she became free from all her worldly wishes.

After 56 years an ordinary woman needs some additional attention, since her energy is finishing yet she has accustomed to receive it from outside only. Incidentally, an old-woman’s importunity becomes quite comprehensible from this point of view. Actually, namely in this period a woman could find new life quality on her own account. It is imperative to learn how to decide this task by means of Taoist techniques.

Menstrual Cycle

Seven-year and monthly cycles are concerned with each other directly. In Taoism, menstruation is understood through age changing periodicity. Energy circumrotation is equal to seven years for woman and eight years for man. Any woman has low energy supply, and her energy shortage is supplied by means of natural transformation during menstruation. Thus, this period is predestinated by nature for energy storage in kidneys. But modern woman’s behavior results in heavy toll.

Menstrual periodicity is associated with lunar rhythm. Theoretically, the date of the strongest bleeding must synchronize with fullmoon. Correspondingly, ovulation synchronizes with newmoon. In total cycle, these two halves are predestinated for opposite processes: Yin energy increases from menstruation till ovulation, while Yang energy increases from ovulation till menstruation. Obviously, ovulation is the highest poing of accumulation, aggregation, and holding; menstruation is the excess of expansion, emanation, and output. Each energy quality changing is sufficient perceptible being occurring in the extreme states.

Development process requires Yang quality strengthening. Menstruation looks as a certain break in the process, when Yang energy is disappearing while strengthening Yin qualite. Nevertheless, in the positive sense, it should be understood as an eruption which can become the point of connection with new period. A woman has obvious advantage before a man because his organism has no any evident reorganizing mechanism. A man needs qualitative conversion too, but he is not able simply to find out a chink between two worlds. According to Latin-American tradition, a man must jump into abysm, while a woman can contemplate an alternative world at modified perception during menstruation.

Being orientated to beginning of menstruation, you can attune your natural rhythm. When the rhythm is abviously inadequate, vice versa, you can attempt to attune the rythm by means of tuning menstruation process. Really, your harmonious condition supposes distinct passing through all four phases of menstrual cycle, important for practice forming. Even if female organism has not menstruation (before 14 or after 49) it goes through the same processes. Although they are not obvious, they could be correlated with lunar cycle too.

Social Environment

A social active woman loses her natural rhythm, which is changed by another rhythm dictated from outside. Occasionally, the matter comes to the point that at working in one office several women have menstruation beginning at the same date. Connection to some external rhythm allows cutting down the power loss, but such position is extremely unstable. Any existence condition changing becomes destructive for her. Suppose, a woman engages some practice, but she can merely lose all its results just changing her residence. There are cases when women stop practice after moving to the capital from other small town. They did not rise to higher rhythm of accelerated life in the capital.

Many influences continue to affect a woman at the beginning of her practice. Hence any group activity results in both advantages and failures. The whole group dictates some rhythm different from her individual rhythm. Depending on situation, it helps for different aspect developing. However, better to use available resources from both group activity and individual sessions. Traveling can be useful if a woman is able to maintain her rhythm in personal practice. Otherwise, soon she will become a tourist and lose connection between her own feelings. Eventually, an energy substitution arrives instead of personal development, when one condition should arrange passage to another condition supposed to be more focused and conscious. Such a woman tourist ceases self-feeling and turns into an indicator of new places.

Personal rhythm forming can take many years if a woman continues social activity full of very different tendencies. At the beginning it is advisable to create some simple order which would be easy sustained regardless of any external events. Except of menstrual cycle you can arrange one or another practice and ordinary business according to season, date, and time of day. You can use convenient alternation of odd and even dates without repeating the same actions daily. Monotony dulls sensibility and also causes accumulation of negative effects in the case of incorrect chosen direction.

Positive change of internal state is accompanied with commensuration of wishes and efforts. It will harmonize external circumstances too. Then any feverish attempts to catch everything will be exchanged by progression of consciously arranged actions.

Horizontal Orientation

«Man is more important and higher then woman, is it not?» — «Yes, if they stand, but no, if they lay. Man exists within other perception and rhythm of life. Today this rhythm dominates as natural for a man and unnatural for a woman. He is certainly higher under such conditions. But if woman maintains her own rhythm then they are equal. She is better in calmness understanding, he is better in movement understanding’. (Ben Chelero)

A woman must arrange her feelings in order to understand the meaning of horizontal energy. Let us accept on trust the statement that Yin foundation has horizontal orientation. More specifically, this hypothesis requires verification by Taoist practice itself. Being socialized from the very childhood, a woman is habituated to predominate vertical Yang energy flows. Gradually, she loses inner connection with her personal horizontal foundation. Thus, she loses her external calm too.

Mostly woman body holds male vertical position. This fact oppressively influences female energy structure. This is not just monolithic support but a specific structure since all organs line up also owing to the principle of horizontal orientation. Thus, it works in whole and with regard to each detail too. It is not enough to lay down and take rest for a woman in order to revive her original foundation. She has to engage the special horizontal practices above twenty minutes per day.

The position when abdomen is parallel to the ground is naturally associated with perception of woman’s womb as a single center of her whole body. Male energy moves centrifugal and turns clockwise. Female energy moves centripetal and turns counterclockwise forming spiral. Namely lying position promotes correct tuning of energy movement. Gradually, whole organism purification restores all glands functioning. This allows holding diffused energy and ageing interrupting.

Natural horizontal position is the most preferable pose for preparation to practice. During standing session a woman has to feel concentration of her whole body around its center. During lying session she develops essential integrity involuntary. Originally, in the horizontal position female energy is accumulated in hands and legs. It conduces to sinews aliving and strengthening. We mentioned above the important role of sinews for chaining muscle and bones in female body. Moreover, synchronous movement of arms and legs is accessible in lying position only. It helps to expresses the external rhythm.

Sitting position works as an intermediate stage between horizontal and vertical orientations. Feet, knees, and thighs of your crossed legs altogether create the horizontal foundation. Originally, it supports maintaining of vertical structure unnatural for a woman. Your buttocks must be slightly higher than crossed legs in order to keep your abdomen relaxed. It is inessential, if your legs will be folded in classic lotus or merely in oriental manner like Turkish sitting posture.

Let us note some other female features too. Right leg must be around left leg but not in other way. Perineum must not be clamped otherwise it will block free energy flowing in legs and underbelly. Moreover, horizontal and vertical orientations are preset by unobvious and nonlinear links between different body parts. Energy connection «kidneys — ovarys — liver’ creates horizontal foundation; while energy connection «feet — underbelly — brain’ creates vertical foundation. These connections are deep laid. If you are not able to feel them, at least you can memorize them.

Lying position is simple for mastery while sitting position is allowable as secondary only. Any chosen sitting posture as such works upon predominance either horizontal or vertical energy flow. In crane pose, horizontal foundation is minimized for prevention of cohesion with earthly Yin energy. During menstruation period, it is useful in order to seal body from below. This allows holding down subtle energy replacing gross and unpurified energy.

Lotus posture is associated in greater measure with Yang energy strengthening. Therefore, it is undesirable that a woman would keep this pose long before she becomes 28 years old. Doing nothing but preparation to practice, you can use correct Turkish posture and half-lotus. In this manner you will gradually prepare your body to assuming lotus which will become useful sooner or later.

Womb as Perception Organ

«Supposing, womb is a perception organ. How does this process proceed? What changes happen in female body when womb begins to perceive?» — «In this case, an exponent is very simple, it is connnected with the following fact. If you have learned the art of constant energy holding in your womb, then it will produce stable center feeling which creates other quality of perception’. (Ben Chelero)

Horizontal position helps to energy assimilation and its accumulation in the centre of female body. The single center is located in woman’s womb. According to its construction, her womb is predestinated to serve as energy storage vessel. Namely in lying position her womb does not feel any superfluous tension. Correct body orientation in relation to womb allows energetical filling. After long holding of reached level, a woman transforms temporary energizing into her constant natural state.

Female womb always needs energy inflow by its nature. Energy is preserved and modified inside of the womb. Such energy becomes usable for feeding body and further assimilation by all organs including brain. Exclusively in that case, a woman feels happy and satisfied. Otherwise, she run into condition of womb dependence when her whole body, vice versa, submits to some external energy. Inflowing alien energy into womb arouses many negative emotions. Naturalness means fullness for a woman and movement for a man.

When the single center in woman’s womb is not developed, she loses energy. Her energy is shrinking to five Yin organs, impacting them and nourishing corresponding emotions. Further, either energy is wasted at once through excessive manifestations or it disperses by moving to glands and blood. Moreover, a woman can get even feeling of a false centre. Although correct processes do not proceed in her womb, Yin energy is activated and it impassions her mind. When the single center works really, a woman can send there energy of different kinds and intentionally create different connections. For example, she is able to feel and keep two abovementioned triads for holding horizontal and vertical foundations: «kidneys — ovarys — liver’ and «feet — underbelly — brain’.

There is special sequence (consisting of 24 positions) for development of Yin single center. Really, the basic data are too complicated even before its development. Taoist masters count twelve types of womb vessel: five of them are perfect inherently while the remaining needs some adaptation. Hardly ever a female body is operated by womb in natural way, though it is predestinated for filling. Her whole body (as her womb) has 24 criterions of its transformation. Moreover, subordinating energy in womb spiral forbids assimilating any Yang energy.

Nevertheless, this matter refers to the sphere of serious practice. Before setting any technical acquirement, you have to learn feeling your womb in gathered body position. Now you can postulate and try to fulfill at least this simple task. Describing hereafter one of such techniques, we will reduce it to performance of its exterior form only. However, any inner changes start from mastering of some external movements. We purposely reduce it to the preparation level where we are staying as beginners.

Beauty as Necessity

Criteria for Internal Beauty

«Is it possible to consider that beauty is a sign of life?» — «Yes, inner beauty. Good looks can be a supplement but never vice versa. Appearance is an abstract diagram (yantra) which contains sacral sound (mantra). That is to say, a certain sound creates some combination of both external and internal beauty. Furthermore, any determination of outward good looks is subjective. And this is natural. As for the concept of ugliness, it is concerned primarily with woman’s actions and qualities which certainly reflects their appearance in some measure’. (Ben Chelero)

A woman finds her primordial orientirs in beauty, she aspires to complete her appearence in absolute perfection. Here is a female approach to any kind of transformation. Therefore, Taoist practice for woman is understood as a beauty art. Attention to her personal appearance becomes the way to internal filling, starting with hair dressing or make-up. Thus, woman’s outward artificiality is directly associated with her internal naturalness.

Exclusively starting from her sensuous fullness, a woman is able to transform both her own image and outward world. Woman’s divine body corresponds in substance to man’s divine spirit. Personal body perception and maintenance of plenty feelings have one or another quality always. A character of fulfiling expresses the understanding degree achieved by a woman in her existence. The following four principles stand out some conditions for ideal womanhood achievement.

1. Awareness of personal energy flow enforces existence as such.

2. Filling of personal life with energy makes her existence valuable.

3. Naturalness and life simplicity indicate existential excellence.

4. Beauty as true connection with outer world grants integrity.

Each woman can reach selfrealization variously in four fundamental relationships: perceiving her personality, belonging to society, interacting with man, and nurturing children. Here the man means Yang energy in general, and the society means not people only but whole environment. In other words, womanhood is manifested even in solitude if woman is able to exist at the energy interaction level. Woman’s appearance is found to be a border between Yang environment and Yin filling. At this border Yang and Yin must merge to each other without any collision.

Sensibility allows setting of correct power exchange between outward and inward worlds. Therefore, it is essential to be sensitive when you are tuning the intermediate zone. This appearance reflects internal state and simultaneously it attracts needful influences. Now it is clear why woman regards to her own body so carefully, what is not appropriate to a man. He has no such contrast between internal and external sphere. Obviously, female beauty does not add up to adornment of body surface. Beauty supposes harmony between internal and external life. According to Taoism, true female beauty involves four procedures.

1. Control above Yin energy, inner circulation, and external manifestation.

2. Development of five senses and ability to manage personal inner feelings.

3. Development of volume language for self-expression by way of rituals, theatre or poetry.

4. Personal charm including a woman’s inimitable features.

If a woman wishes to be beautiful rather than merely to seem beautiful, her main task is Yin energy strengthening. Therefore, she must be concentrated into sensuous existential aspect, learning how to distinguish true feelings from transient emotions. This is important since a modern woman inclines to reduce her beauty to appearance. She has habit to be a subject for some outer social attention, and finally she is transformed into consumption object. Due to her need in arousing interest and ambitions, a worldly woman likes to dress, but she negligibly considers her own feelings. The Taoist woman perfectly mastered appearance transformative methods maintaining difference between feeling and emotion.

True Feelings and Emotions

«Recently, often full satisfaction appears so absolutely that I do not care to move, to develop, to think… Everything is completely all right. It causes feeling of suspension. Which practice is required to get out of such condition?» — «Behold, astronaut! You did not write the reason why did it happen! Was it the result of watching congress in TV or drinking vodka? Suppose, you are completely all right, so why do you want to get out hereof? The same here, I am all right, but I never mind to escape it’. (Ben Chelero)

Beauty proceeds from insight, that means, the perfect woman radiates love. The imperfect woman must understand what she radiates and what is love. It is not easy to discriminate characteristics of true and false conditions. However, the main principle: «Always prefer naturalness’. Female character is deep feeling of calmness, permissive to act self-confidently. Calm is the female existential principle and the general Yin energy source. Yin energy improovement creates the foundation for Yang energy strengthening evoking feeling of fulfillment and joyfulness. Being balanced, a woman is able to distinguish her true feelings from transient wasting emotions.

According to Taoism, understanding difference between feelings and emotions is associated with distinction between wishes and intentions in operation and between excitement and desire in sexual sphere. In order to puzzle complicacy of changing conditions, you can draw certain scheme with specification of the most noticeable orienting points. Anyhow, developing her intuition a woman must be based on self-confidence. Supposing, a man is the Homo Sapiens, yet woman is a subtle sensitive being. She needs more adequate tunings than correct explanations.

Naturalness is the basic Taoist concept. According to the ancient treatise «Tao De Tzsing’, we must do the next: «Talk less and follow naturalness! Man follows Earth laws. Earth follows Heavens laws. Heavens follows Tao laws. But Tao follows oneself only’. Taoist practice is seted in this way. It leads human being to naturalness when body, energy, and consciousness are in harmony with each other. Nevertheless, if one has not achieved real harmony, then any attempts to understand and perceive this condition produce nothing but illusions.

In our artificial world, naturalness appears only after correction of deformed structures. «Tao creates inactivity permanently, yet there is nothing that it would not perform’. This mysterious luckiness ideal is realized in complicated mosaic of forming circumstances. Luckiness means getting result without any required activity. This is not personal fancy but following to course of events. Then everything what is requied happens by itself while a human being is doing nothing but witnessing the occurring deeds. Natural state allows viewing our existence objectively.