Bruce Kumar Frantzis

from cover

In Opening the Energy Gates of our Body, Bruce Kumar Frantzis introduced a huge audience to a potent method of Chi Gung the ancient Taoist art that has revitalized generations of Chinese and is attracting many practitioners worldwide.

Now, Frantzis gives us, in two accessible volumes, the theory and practice of the Water method of Taoist meditation. Frantzis' tradition was originally passed down from teacher to disciple in an unbroken lineage through the Taoist sage Lui Hung Chieh to the author.

Relaxing Into Your Being explains the Water Method with its complete internal energy system, and teaches how to slow your breath, use more lung capacity, massage your internal organs, and develop meditative awareness. Frantzis provides tools, unique to the Water Method, to reduce stress and help maintain optimal health in today's fast-paced computer age.

'B. K. Frantzis's insight into the heart of these ancient meditation techniques can make the understanding of these precious teachings easily accessible to the mind of the Western seeker.'-Namkhai Norbu, Tibetan Dzogchen Master and retired professor, Oriental Institute of the University of Naples, Italy; author of the Crystal and The Way of Light

'B. K. Frantzis' style of teaching demytifies ancient Chinese Taoist arts that have rarely, if ever, been tought in the West.'-Elizabeth Witney, Yoga Journal

'This is an important work. the author obvioiusly has studied intensely for many years and brings that experience and knowledge to bear on his subject.'-Solala Towler, editor, The Empty Vessel

'The practices in Relaxing Into Your Being and The Great Stillness are offered to us like pearls along a necklace. It's the closest a book can get to the original oral tradition.'-Cindy Banker, Shiatsu therapist, founding president of the American Shiatsu Association.

Contents

Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1. Connecting with Chi
The Taoist Tradition
About the word Chi
Focus on Practice: How to tell teh difference between feeling phsical sensations and feeling chi
What is Taoist meditation?
Focus on Practice: Taoist internal brating Lesson 1: feeling the breath
Who are teh Taoists?
The way of Liu: My teacher, the Master Liu Hung Chieh
Focus on practice: Taoist internal breathing, Lesson 2
Chapter 2. Taoism in Perspective
Taoists of teh Right and Left
The Eight Bodies
Focus on Practice: Taoist internal breating, Lesson 3
Focus on a special topic: The sixteen-part Nei Gung System
The three treasures and emptiness
Focus on a special topic: Jing (Body), Chi (Energy), Shen (Spirit)
Chapter 3. Water and Fire: Two methods of meditation
The water method: an orientation
The dissolving practice: initial descriptions
Two kinds of dissolving
Focus on practice: Taoist internal breathing, Lesson 4
Chapter 3. Water and Fire: Two methods of meditation (continued)
The Fire method: an rientation
The way of Liu: Addiction to psychic power: The traps
The Fire and Water methods compared
Focus on practice: Taoist internal brating, Lesson 5: Breathing techniques to increase conscius awareness
Focus on a special topic: The fiv elements: Reeconnecting with yourself
The way of Liu: teacher of Two traditions
Fire and water cycles over a ifetime
Chapter 4. The Teacher-student relationship in the Fire and Water approaches
Mind-to-mind transmission
The Teacher-student relatinship in the Fire tradition
Focus on a special topic: REcognizing the problems of cults for both teachers and students
The teacher-student relationship in the Water tradition
The way of Liu: The decision to teach
How a student should relate to a tacher/adept in Taoism
The way of Liu: A teacher-student relationship
Dangers inherent i all manipulative cults
How a genuine spiritual teacher helps an aspirinng student
The importance of respect and integrity in the teacher-student relationship
Focus on practice: Taoist internal brathing, Lesson 6
Not all meditation experiences mean that someting is afoot
Correcting bad spiritual habits and instilling good ones
Chapter 5. Taoist meditation: an overview
The way of Liu: Liu explains the process of meditation
Focus on practice: Taoist internal breathing, Lesson 7
Focus on practice: Taoist Internal breathing, Lesson 8
Tha standing mode of Taoist practice
Chapter 5. Taoist meditation: an overview (continued)
Standing meditation exercise
What is in the mindstream
Chapter 6. The Taoist Preparatory Practices: An Overview
A word about Taoist yoga
Focus on practice: Taoist internal breathing, Lesson 9
The way of LIu: The story of Hui Neng
The moving mode of Taoist practice
Moving meditation with feet fixed in place, body moving
Focus on a special topic: from movement comes stillness,and from stilness comes movement: the relatinship between chi and emptiness
Moving, balance, and meditation
How to stay in the mindstream while you are moving
summary
Chapter 7. The intermediate Stage of practice: Meditation and stillness
the road to emotional maturity
Pre-birth consideratins: resolving birth traumas and dissolving blockages from DNA to birth
Focus on a spedial topic:
Can Taoist meditation replace psychotherapy?
Focus on practice: Taoist internal breathing, Lesson 10: Lower back breating
Post-birth considerations: exorcising ghosts
Focus on a special topic: Releasing internal demons: 'my back will never recover'
Focus on practice: Taoist internal breathing Lesson 11: upper back breathing
Emotional maturity from te Taoist view
Being unattached does not mean being incapable of action
Focus on practice: Taoist internal breathing, Lesson 12: breathing energy into the tantien
Chapter 8. The Deeper challenges of Taoist meditation
The center of your awareness: Hsin, or heart-mind
Ru Ding: Rear of teh daeth of the ego
The way of Liu: The horror of theloss of ther ego
The way of Liu: ferocity of the ego
The next level: manifestatin
The way of Liu: The root of the mind
Appendix A: Frequently asked questions about Taoist meditation
Appendix B: Energy anatomy of the human body
The main energy channels and the three tantiens… (meer)

from cover

In Opening the Energy Gates of our Body, Bruce Kumar Frantzis introduced a huge audience to a potent method of Chi Gung the ancient Taoist art that has revitalized generations of Chinese and is attracting many practitioners worldwide.

Now, Frantzis gives us, in two accessible volumes, the theory and practice of the Water method of Taoist meditation. Frantzis' tradition was originally described by Lao Tse in the Tao Te Ching over 2,5000 years ago, and has been passed down form teacher to disciple in an unbroken lineage through the Taoist sage Liu Hung Chieh to teh author.

The Great Stillness builds on the breathing and meditation techniques in Relaxing Into our Being, to teach moving, sitting, and lying down meditation. Frentzis explains how to deepen spiritual awareness using internal energy, sexual Chi Gung, and the Water Method's dissolving process.

'B. K. Frantzis's insight into the heart of these ancient meditation techniques can make the understanding of these precious teachings easily accessible to the mind of the Western seeker.'-Namkhai Norbu, Tibetan Dzogchen Master and retired professor, Oriental Institute of the University of Naples, Italy; author of the Crystal and The Way of Light

'B. K. Frantzis' style of teaching demystifies ancient Chinese Taoist arts that have rarely, if ever, been tought in the West.'-Elizabeth Witney, Yoga Journal

'Frantzis has spent most of his life studying various martial arts, meditation, and traditional eastern healing systems. His fluency in Chinese and Japanese has allowed him to pursue these arts to an unprecedented depth for a Westerner.'-Clarence Lu, contriibuting writer, Inside Kung Fu

'The dissolving process described in this book gives practitioners an immediate tool for altering patterns of being that contribute to their suffering. That is the gift of the Water Method.'-Michael J. Salveson, advanced instructor, past president, Rolf Institute

Contents

Introduction
The Taoist emphasis on health and longevity
Meditation for healers
Meditation for high performance in martial arts and sports
Decision making and intuition
Death and dying
Meditation for realizing universal consciousness
Meditation as experiential knowledge: The cornerstone of inner learning
Chapter 1 Making yur body conscious
Feeling versus visualization
The way of Liu: Reconnectiong with your internal envrionment
Why does Taoism focus so much mre on the human body than many other spiritual traditions?
Focus on a special topic: the Taoist view of reincarnation
the differnece between using the body to leberate consciousness and wantieng to feel good
Making the body conscious as the gateway to universal consciousness
The role of teh central nervous system
Peak experiences, consciousness, and the central nervous system
Focus on practice: Taoist internal breathing
Chapter 2 Moving meditaton praactices
The I Ching's method of moving meditation: Circle walking
Methods of stepping
Walking in a circle
Changing the direction of the circle
Finishing the mediation
Focus on a special topic: Ba Gua spontaneous movement
Chapter 3 Sitting and Lying-down mediation practices
The sitting practices
Body alignments for all Taoist sitting practices
The way of Liu: Thoughts on sitting positions for meditation
Taoist sitting meditation: Using the breath, vibration, and ultimately the mind to awaken internal sensations
The lying-down practices
Chapter 4 The inner dissolving process
The outer dissolving process and the inner dissolving process ocmpared
The relationship between mind and blockage
How to dissolve inwardly
Focus on a special topic: How to dissolve downward
Experiences often encountered while resolving the successive layers of a blockage
What might happen along the way
Outer and inner dissolving compared for ease of practice
The end result of the dissolving process
Whole mind concentration and distraction
Chapter 5 Dissolving blockages in your physical, chi, and emotional bodies
Dissolving blockages in your physical body
Dissolving blockages in your chi body
Dissolving blockages in your emotional body
Three methods for releasing the emotions
The emotional dissolving techniques adn its implications for astrology
Focus on a special topic: Dissolving shock
Emotions and emptiness
Taking personal responsibiity for doing meditation
How to prevent problems arising from meditation
Chapter 6 What is Taoist sexual meditation?
focus on a special topic: How this material was learned
Energetic ntimacy is not based on length of relationship
Why the Taoist practices must be successively learned one by one
Sexual Chi gung
Focus on practice: Finger rolling
Focus on practice: Using tofu to develop heand sensitivity
The nature of yin and yang energy
Focus on practice: Transferring sexual energy around your body
Chaptere 7 Taoist sexual meditation techniques
Shifting the yang fire of the eyes
Physical foreplay
Focus on practice: Tongue strengthening for kissing and oral sex
the problem of sex, nerves, and stess: Taoist remedies
Partner dissolving exercises
Focus on practice: Meditative partner techniques to reawaken tired sexual nerves
Spiritual practice is different from enterteinment
The complete package inclkudes both the wonderful and the frightening
Advanced Taoist sexual meditaton
the way of Liu: The master Liu Hung Chieh and sex
Chapter 8 Internal alchemy
What is alchemy?
Alchemy and emotions
Three tools of internal alchemy: dissoliving, visualization, and souknd work
Internal alchemy and the recognition fo universal consciousness
Stillness and internal alchemy
The way of Liu: My first day of meditation: Does meditation change after you are enlightened?
Epilogue Back to balance
Appendix A Sitting in a chari for meditation
the machanism of the problem
The solution: Lift, stretch and do not close the Kwa
Excercises to stretch the kwa while sitting in a chair
Should one foot be in front of the other?
Appendix B Sitting on the floor for meditation
What causes knee pain during prolonged cross-legged sitting on the floor?
Releasing to stretch a muscle is different from pushing to stretch a muscle
From the Ming Men Point, simultaneously open your body equally up and down to protect your knees, hips, and lower back
Do not force the knees to bend or drop; rather, release from the kwa and hop sockets to protect your knee ligaments
Should the left or tright leg be on top?
Sitting on a cushion on the floor
Appendix C Frequently asked questons about Taoist meditation
Appendix D Energy anatomy of the human body
The main energy channels and the three tantiens… (meer)

What highly accomplished martial artists say about this book

B. K. Frantzis has a depth and breadth of knowledge of the nei jia (internal arts) that few Westerners possess. This volume contains information of great value for the scholar, the fighter, the mediatator, the student of energy, and martial artists of all styles. As one who has 'crossed hands' with Bruce Frantzis, I can attest to the strength, subtlety, and realism of his martial abilities.'-Don Ethan Miller, Four-time national USA tai chi push hands champion. thirty-plus years experience in Asian martial arts.

'This work by b. K. Frantzis on the practical structues and essence of the internal systems is definitive. It will become a classic, and will serve as a catalyst for kindred spirits. A must for all serious students of the martial arts.'-Stan Israel Senior student of Chen Manching. Holder of black belts in judo, karate, and jujitsu. Over forty years experience in the martial arts.

'B. K. Frantzis is one of the few Westerners to comprehend the Taiost internal martial art system. For those seeking to understand energy principles in their own art, Frantzis has now opened the Way.'-Robert Nadeau Sixth-degree black belt, director of City Aikido, San Francisco, California

What you will find in this amazing book

Specific similarities and differences between the internal (ba gua, tai chi, and hsing-i) and external martial arts. How do the internal arts enhance the external martial art, such as tae kwon do, karate, gung fu, etc?

Reflectons on the three approaches to martial arts-animal, human, spiritual. What are the differences between doing marital arts for fighting, for health, and for spiritual growth?

The nature and use of speed in martial arts. What are the four types of speed that can be applied in fighting?

How the internal arts can help reduce stress, heal disease, and balance the emotions. What can you do to use internal power to enhance your own physical health? What is the value of internal power for older martial artists?

Fascinating personal profiles of nine of the great internal martial arts masters with whom the author studied in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China. What were these men like as teachers?

How the all-important internal chi power is created, grown, and used in the body. What practices can you do to realistically develop your own chi energy?

B. K. Frantzis began martial arts in 1961. After advanced black-belt trainng in judo, karate, and aikido in Japan, he went deeper into martial arts and healing techniques full-time for ten years in China. He teaches in North America and Europe.

Contents

Preface
Identification of individuals mentioned in this obok
Schools of the internal martial arts mentioned in the book
Introduction
1 Animal, human, and spiritual
Three approaches to martial arts
The animal approach
The human approach
What is the 'Art' of internal martial arts?
The spiritual approach
Train sensibly
Profile of an internal master Wang Shu Jin-Incredible chi
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-The early emphasis on karate and aikido
2 A Continuum
The external and internal martial arts of China
There are many kinds of martial arts
Bowing, belts, and uniforms
I one martial art 'better' than another?
What are fighting aplications?
The ingenuity of form movements containng fighting applications
Good martial art forms were created by professionals
Living and dead forms-Dead forms and facing reality
The focus of external martial arts
A personal odyssey thought the martial arts-The value of cross-research in martial arts
Power and strength
Speed
Endurance
Reflexes
The external martial arts inside and outside China
External martial arts mixed with some internal work
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-The bridge from the external to the internal
The focus of external and internal marital arts combined
The focus of internal marital arts
Chi and the rality of self-defense
The reason for the emphasis on Ba bua in this book
Iron shirt Chi Gung
Weapons training
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-White crane
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-discovering the inside of my body and chi-learning to stand
Profile of an internal master Cheng Man-Ching-slow motion and fast
3 Similarities and differences
The internal martial arts of Tai Chi, Hsing-I, and Ba Gua
Five characteristics of internal martial arts
Developing martial power with chi
The 16-part Nei Gung internal power system
How internal chi powr in martial arts is created by the 16-part Taoist Nei Gung system
The relationship of Chi Gung to martial arts form training
three basic sugestions for realsticallyobtiaing internal power
the process of learning Nei Gung
Sequential order of teh learning porcess
The Nei Gung process is like a forging a samurai sword
Spotlight on a Nei gung element: the dissolving process
the outer-dossolving process
the inner-dissolving process
Dissolving into inner and outer spaace simultaineously
The stages of feeling: 'I', 'Chi', and 'Hsin'
The nature of the 'I' intention
Level 1: feelng your body and chi
Level 2: transition movements-further developing the 'I'
Level 3: Specific energy channel work
Level 4: 'Hsin' or heart/mind
Direction and indirect movement of te chi
Tai Chi, Hing-I, and Ba Gua-What's the same, what's different?
Philosophical perspectives: hard, soft, and change
The way the three move
The emphasis on footwork, wait, and hands
Common denominators
Weak points
The need to seek and test reality
Going beyond intimidatin and fear
Efficiency and risk-reward ratio
Studying Ba Bua, Tai chi, or Hsing-I for fighting
Health and martial arts competence
Basic power training
The importance of standing practice for the long-term development and internal power
Ba Gua's eight stages of practice for developing fighting skills
Transcendence from form to formlessness: the goal of high-level internal martial arts
Stages I-VIII
Internal fighting techniqes
Hand and palm strikes of the internal martial arts
Types of strikes and hand actions
The piercing strike
Upward-curving strike
Cutting actions
Finger strikes
Knuckle strikes
Grabbing
Slaps
Left-right, forward-back, up-down reversals
Vibrating strikes
Condensation strikes
'Cotton palm' strikes
Wave-energy strikes
Simultaneous projectin of energy in opposite directions
Chin Na
Throws
Kicking techniques
A kick is a step and a step is a kick
Form-derived kicks and knee butts
Downward-kicking or stomping
Lack of matwork
Fighting angles
The meaning of animal forms in the internal martial arts
Sparring practices
Practice with your friends, fight with your enemies
Fa Jin
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-Fighting with balanced emotions
The martial Qualities of small-, medium-, and large-movement methods of Tai Chi, sing-I, and Ba Gua
Physical movement
Energy work
Martial applicatons
Importance of master-student relationships and lineage
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-Wing Chun
Profile of an internal master Morihei Ueshiba-Where did he get is power?
4 Tai Chi
Fighting considerations and applications
Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art
The eight basic martial principles of Tai Chi
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-Tai Chi in Tokyo
One: Ward off (Peng)
Two: Rol lback (Lu)
Three: Press forward (Ji)
Four: Push downward (An)
Ward off, roll back, press forward, and push downward are both obvious and hidden
The overt level
The covert level
The covett energies: embeded ward off, roll back, press forward, and push downward
Five: Pull down (Tsai)
Six: Split (Lieh)
Seven/Eight: Elbow stroke (Jou)/Skhokulder stroke (Kao)
Elbow and shoulder strokes realate directly to teh crane and the snake
Fur progresive stages forlearning Tai Chi as a martial art
Long and short forms
Left and right in form practice
Stage 1: Form work (long or short form)
Stage 2: Push hands
Means to achieve the goals of ush hands
Types of push hands
Fixed and freestyle methods
The four styles of push hands
Stage 3: Baring your martial teeth: transition methods between push hands and sparring
Stage 4: sparring and actual fighting various types of sparring practices
Different kinds of Tai Chi masters or teachers that you are likely to encounter
A wonderful Tai Chi teaching personality: T. T. Liang
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-Standing and basic power training-learning to practice on my own
Profile of an internal master Yang Shao Jung-magnetic hands
5 Hsing-I
fighting considerations and aplications
hsing-I Chuan as a martial art
Hsing-I is an excellent bridge from the external martial arts to teh internal
Historical origin of Hsing-I
three main schools of Hsing-I
The Shanxi School
The Hebei School
The I Chuan School
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-Notrthern Praying Mantis
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-The Hsing-I of Kenichi Sawai called Taiki-Ken
The techniques and training practices of Hsing-I
The five elements
Chopping/splitting fist (Pi Chuan)
Drilling fist (Tsuan Chuan)
Crushing fist (Beng Chuan)
Pounding fist (Pao Chuan)
Crossing fist (Heng Chuan)
San Ti
What San Ti teaches
Breath
Legs and waist
Arms
Unifying your external physical connections
Using your gaze to unify your internal connections
The animal forms
More about the five elements and animal forms
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-Gazing
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-Monkey boxing
Profile of an internal master Hung I Hsiang-amazing subtle body movement
6 Ba Gua
Fighting considerations and applications
Ba Bua Bhang as a martial art
Ba Gua's cloudiy origins
The mysterious Tung Hai Chuan
The unique martial art qualities of Ba Gua
Fighting eight opponents simultaneiously
Pre- and post-birth Chi
Martial training philosophies of Ba Gua's Pre-birth and post-birth methods
Pre-birth training
Post-birth training
Profile of an inrnal master, Bai Hua-Clarity and precision
Ba-Gua training
The stages of circle-walking
Characteristics of circle-walking
The physical qualities of circle-walking
The energetic qualities of circle-walking
The Energies of the I Ching-The beginnng of advanced Ba Gua
The eight mother alms
Shi Liu and the condensed shingle palm change
Spontaneous movement
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-The dragon comes out of its cave
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-Eight drunken immortals
Bien Hua and the I ching's art of change
Changing energies and fighting applications
Changing angles of attack: circles, sirals, trangles, and squares
Ciercles and spirals
Triangles and squares
Sparring practices
Rou Shou or 'soft hands'
Progression training
Profile of an internal master-Liu Hung Chieh-Possibilities of the art realized
7 Speed
The natrue of speed in all styles of martial arts
Achieving the four basic types of speed
Type I: speed from pont a to pont b
Hand and arm speed
Movement of an arm
Moving the arms quickly in all directons
The speed of different hand positions
Leg and foot speed
Kicks
Footwork
Waist and body turnings
Type II: Speed at touch
Speed in the gaps between touching and disengaging
A note about touch and non-touch speed
Type III: speed under differing conditions
Tracking and timing-changing direction in the middle of a motion
Linear and circular techniques
Type IV: Speed in relation to power
Speed with minimal, middling, and maximum power
The fast/slow paradox of the internal martial arts
Qualities in common
Specialized strategies
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-Northern Shaolin
Profiles of internal masters A comparision of five masters-their differing types of speed
8 Using energy to heal
The health aspects of martial arts
The internal martial arts as energy-healing systems
The difference between health and fitness from an internal viewpoint
Personal health: Jack Pao and the nature of limitations
Do you have to learn self-defense to get the health benefits?
Health and fitness in the internal martial arts
How the inernal martial arts and Chi Gung produce health
Repairing agitated Chi
Internal martial arts as a natural toute to becoming a hands-on healer
The connection between internal martial arts and healing work
The value of a personal Chi Gung and internal martial arts
Practice to Westernhealers
Energizing the hands
Burnout prevention and recovery
The value of learning internal styles for older martial artists
Who should practice internal martial arts after the age of thirty?
A personal odyssey through the martial arts-Martial artists and aging
The internal martial arts and mental health
Internal martial arts for teenagers
the mantal health benefits of the internal martal arts
Profile of an internal master Healing others-Huang Hsi I and therapeutic Chi
Appendices
A The different styles of Tai Chi: A brief history
Origins of the different styles of Tai Chi
Original Chen family village Tai Chi
Tai Chi Chuan leaves the Chen village and becomes the Yang and then the Hao style
Chen style begets the Yang style of Tai chi
Yang style plus the Chen small style begets the Hao/Wu style
Old Yang changes to the New Yang style
Old Yang style
New Yang style
The Yang style begets the Wu style
Traditional martial arts thinking
Combination styles
Other Tai Chi styles: family, secret, and lost lineages
What caused new styles to be created?
New and improved vs. watered-down
Causes of variation within the same style
B Background of Ba Gua: A brief history
The foundation of the Ba Gua school in modern times
Tung Hai Chuan's four main students
Yin fu (1942-1911)
Cheng Ting Hua (1848-1900)
Ma Shr Ching aka Ma Gui (1853-1940)
Ma Wei Chi (1851-1880)
No students with Ching Gung in modern times
The spread of Ba Gua outward from Beijing
Ba Gua in Hong Kong
Ba Gua in Taiwan
Ba Gua in mainland China today: Traditional and Wushu
Different Lineages
C Energy anatomy of the human body: The main energy channels and the three tantiens
D Lineages and training chronology: Summary of martial arts experience of B. K. Frantzis
E Chinese terminology: The romanization of Chinese words in this book
Glossary
The B. K. Frantzis energy arts program: Trainings available… (meer)