The Art & Science of Taijiquan Part II
Exercises from the Wuji Posture

By: Jason A. Ward

According to Frank Allen, a senior student of Bruce Kumar Frantzis, the Taoist Water Method of Qigong and Meditation “gently dissolves energetic blockages on all levels of a person’s being”

Research shows that in the meditation methods of the Yijing, there are basically two methods of Qigong and Meditation. These are known as Kan (water) and Li (fire) methods. Fire methods are more known for being forceful, blasting through energetic blockages. While they are known for speedy results, they also can cause damage to inexperienced or weak practitioners. In contrast, the water method is known for relaxed, gentle, and safe practices, which provides layers of physical and mental benefits.

After the practitioner has learned the properties of the wuji posture as outlined in part one of this article series, and has begun to implement silent contemplative standing, focusing on longevity breathing, one will then move on to a series of exercises that will deepen the experience and understanding of the wuji posture.

Yin Vision

The first exercise taught is known as the Yin Vision concept. Here the eyes are relaxed and not strained causing the images to gently enter into the brain, without projecting images out. This exercise relaxes one’s mind, quiets the thoughts, and unites the breath with the vision. This will be beneficial when one begins to learn to dissolve the stress and energetic blockages in the eyes.

Certain eye training drills are also employed where symbols are placed on the floor and the Yin vision gently collects the energetic properties of the symbol, further calming the nervous system and deepens the understanding of applied external energies into internal movements.

What’s Alive / What’s Dead

This is an exercise where one begins to awaken the Energy Bodies, layer by layer, body by body. Beginning with the physical body, one begins at the top of the head, and begins to lower their intent and focus to the point where your intent will awaken those areas. Without visualizing, the student feels their hair, scalp, skull, the plates and sutures of the skull. This awakening process continues downward, to the bottom of ones feet.

Whatever is felt is alive, and awareness can enter at will. Those areas that cannot be felt are therefore dead and must be resurrected. It is important to understand that during this exercises, the student will become aware of areas of tension, contraction, false strength, or they will simply feel as though there is something not right with a particular spot and even though they do not know why or how it got there, they will understand that it is one of the four conditions that point your attention to the fact that there is an energetic blockage there.

Once one becomes familiar with the locations of the four conditions within the body, the student begins to focus more intently on each blockage, outlining the shape and quality of the blockages. Feeling the outline or perimeter of the blockages, will then allow you to begin what is known as the Outer Dissolving Process.

Outer Dissolving Process

It is important to understand that the mantra for the Outer Dissolving Process is simply:

ICE TO WATER – WATER TO GAS

The students mind begins to dissolve the shape of the blockage much like how water can dissolve ice, sugar and also the harder substances such as rock. Some misunderstand and believe that the intention is like a relaxed and gentle fire melting the ice into the next stage which is water. This is not accurate. The mind is relaxed and not at all forceful.
Gradually the ability to melt the ice to water will allow one to continue with the intent until the mind causes the water to evaporate, much like rubbing alcohol, turns to gas and evaporates.

During the Outer Dissolving Process, one will soon find that many of the energetic blockages within the body can be caused by disruptions in the qi flow of the body. Deeper investigation will show that these blockages can be caused by shocks, and manifestations from the emotional, mental, subtle, and causal bodies. During the dissolving of a blockage one will suddenly experience an emotional feeling which must be released and let go. Holding onto it re-creates the blockages. Releasing emotional blockages is not an easy task and may take a long time. It must be stated that many emotional blockages took years to create, and were rooted within you for years afterward. There is no one time cure for these blockages. Only concentrated and regular dissolving sessions will proceed to remove the root of the blockages allowing the blockage/tree to die.