I Can Hear the Heart's Voice of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Chapter 403 - 167: Cultivating Haoran Vital Energy, Training the Vajra Body (8 Vajra Skills) (Part 3)

Chapter 403: Chapter 167: Cultivating Haoran Vital Energy, Training the Vajra Body (8 Vajra Skills) (Part 3)

At the same time, between each movement, one should form a square fist, i.e., with the thumb opposing the other four fingers, to rest in the middle focus."

"Watch closely now."

As Lu Xuan spoke, he slightly slowed down his movements so that Ji Xiuwen could see more clearly.

After completing the first skill, Lu Xuan did not pause but immediately proceeded to the second skill, fixing the kidney and waist with front and back movements of the hands and feet.

"The kidney is the root of congenital constitution, and also the foundation of the five viscera and six bowels. It governs water, stores essence, receives Qi, and governs the fire of the life gate, which is the source of primordial Yin and Yang in the human body, responsible for bone generation and marrow creation.

One could say the kidney is a vital organ that dominates human reproduction, growth, development, and the balance of metabolism in water; it’s the source of vitality for human life, serving as the material foundation that allows the heart-kidney interaction, water and fire harmony, and spirit-body integration to subsist. This second skill, through the practice of front and back hand-foot movements, bending the waist, knee bending, and kidney-waist massage, aims to regulate the kidney and bladder meridians to strengthen the kidneys and waist."

As he spoke, Lu Xuan had arrived at the third skill: "To regulate the spleen and skin, one must lift singly; the spleen and stomach are the root of acquired constitution. The spleen governs the transportation and transformation of water and grains, distributes essence Qi and body fluids, and is said to be ’the source of Qi and blood transformation.’

The spleen and stomach are interior-exterior related, with the stomach as the ’sea of water and grains,’ mainly responsible for receiving and digesting water and grains, playing a role in digesting food and assimilating the refined micro-nutrients from water and grains for the whole body.

The spleen prefers dryness and dislikes dampness, while the stomach dislikes dryness and prefers moistness. Spleen Qi should ascend while stomach Qi should descend. The two complement each other, maintaining mutual coordination and balance. According to this principle, the third skill uses the motion of lifting and pressing both arms up and down to let Yin descend and Yang rise, continuously regulating the Qi of the spleen and stomach to neutralize them. Moreover, the spleen has a major connection point, located underneath the armpit at six inches, extending to the skin and muscles outside.

This set of exercises uses arm lifting and pressing to open and close, which unblocks the major connection point, regulates the spleen and skin, and removes wind-cold-dampness-dryness, blood stasis, etc."

"The phrase ’left liver and right lung like shooting eagles’ is somewhat more difficult to understand than the previous parts, but this is only true for ordinary people. For us who study traditional Chinese medicine, it isn’t really difficult to comprehend."

"Here, ’left liver and right lung’ refers to the position of the two organs in the five elements and eight trigrams. The liver corresponds to wood, located in the left Zhen trigram; the lungs correspond to metal, located in the right Dui trigram—it is not referring to the actual positions of the liver and lungs within the human viscera.

Of course, if one is not well-versed in the five elements and eight trigrams, there might indeed be some difficulty in understanding; most people practicing the Outer Eight Departments will instinctively think that left liver and right lung refer to the actual liver and lung within our bodies."

Lu Xuan paused with his words, but his hands continued to move, albeit much slower; he continued: "We all know the liver governs storage of blood, governs the soul, dominates strategies. The gallbladder is its exterior. The liver governs free-flow, is responsible for tendons, and opens into the eyes. The liver stores blood and regulates the blood distribution throughout the body.

The Inner Scripture of the Yellow Emperor - Suwen states: ’The essence of a human body is all directed upward to the orifices.’ Also, ’During the day, the Wei Qi resides in the eyes, at night, it stays in the liver. The eyes are for seeing, the liver is for dreaming.’ Suwen’s Five Evolvements and Creations Theory mentions: ’The eyes see when they receive blood, feet walk with blood, hands grip with blood, fingers grasp with blood.’

The lungs govern Qi, are in charge of breathing, responsible for dispersing and descending, connecting with the skin and hair, and managing water pathways. The large intestine is its exterior. The lungs are the site for gas exchange, allowing the body to absorb clean Qi from nature and expel turbid Qi from within, continuously renewing itself.

Thus the Inner Canon states: ’The liver is the chief of the spleen, the lungs the chief of the liver.’ The liver stores blood, the lungs govern Qi. Blood travels with Qi, serving as the material basis for mental activity; hence, there’s a saying, ’The mind is the nature of Qi and blood.’ With abundant Qi and blood, the mind is clear and spirit vigorous.

According to these TCM theories and the thought of ’unity of heaven and man,’ this set of movements employs arm rotations and left-right lifts to regulate the Qi of the liver and lungs to achieve balance and harmony; meanwhile, through the action ’like shooting eagles,’ the eyes focus on aiming at the Laogun point in the palm, imagining arrows shooting through Laogun, striking distant eagles, to promote the circulation of Qi and blood.

Intent leads to Qi, Qi leads to blood, blood leads to strength, allowing the liver to relax and the eyes to brighten, the lungs to expand and the exterior to benefit, ensuring the body’s Qi and blood flow seamlessly."

Lu Xuan’s voice was loud and forceful, and his actions no longer seemed so soft and weak; instead, they carried a strong momentum.

Clench the fist, raise it, shoot eagles left and right, finally draw a circle clockwise with both hands, clench fists back to the chest, while the left foot steps back to its original position.

The fourth skill concludes.

Ji Xiuwen’s face had long lost the previous playful expression; the fact that a set of cultivation techniques could be explained with so much medical theory is enough to showcase the remarkable nature of the Vajra Skill.

How dare he not take it seriously?

Besides, Taoist Zhang managed to maintain his health with the Outer Eight Departments and Inner Eight Departments, living to over a hundred years old before passing away, which already sufficiently proves that these two cultivation techniques truly have the effect of promoting health and longevity.

With this thought in mind, Ji Xiuwen became even more earnest.

At this moment, Lu Xuan began moving again: "Look back to observe the feet to eliminate heart ailments!"

"Guanzi - Xinshi Shang states: ’The heart in the body is the ruler’s position; the nine orifices have their duties, divided as ministers.’

The heart governs the mind, governs blood circulation, with the small intestine as its exterior. When the ruler is clear, then below is calm; when the ruler is not clear, the twelve officials are endangered.

The heart is the grand ruler of the five victories and six bowels, where spirit resides.

When the heart is damaged, the spirit departs, and when the spirit departs, death follows.

Hence, the heart’s position is extremely important in the human body.

If the heart has ailments, it’s also the hardest to treat. Therefore, only after strengthening the three focuses and four viscera can one train this most crucial yet most difficult ruler.

The heart, Qi, and spirit form a unity. Heart ailments often arise from excessive thought and desire; hence, by relinquishing desires, the heart naturally quiets, clearing the spirit by calming the heart. So, the technique to eliminate heart ailments uses the spirit light to look back at the feet.

Spirit light encompasses both spiritual and energy states; now, by making the eyes look back, one can concentrate the heart on a single point, eliminate stray thoughts, calm the heart and pacify the spirit. Furthermore, when the eyes look back, the implied intent helps scan the back and heel kidney points, causing kidney water to rise to the celestial cauldron, resulting in the heart and kidney interacting, nourishing the body and mind, regulating the Yin-Yang balance of mind and body, leading heart ailments to gradually dissipate."