Month 14 Discussion

[Anonymous]

Taoist Meditation Circle Month 14

Main Goal: Get Rear Part of Your Diaphragm moving in a relaxed way so every part of it moves.
Functions of the Rear Diaphragm: Allows the Back of Your Lungs to fill better
Enables movement inside the spine to support the vertebra
Minimum of 20 minutes for your practice sessions this month

1. Instead of focusing on kidneys for 3 sets of 10 breaths like last month, focus on the rear of your diaphragm
— Stay present without becoming distracted or spacing out
— As you inhale get rear of your diaphragm to expand, as you exhale let it return
—The rear part of diaphragm in your back powers the movement of your kidneys
—Steady movement of your diaphragm will make it very easy for your kidneys to move in the way they should
—If the natural internal movement of the kidneys is just fine it aids you in meditation—you will have longer and clear mental stamina
—If movement of the kidneys is compromised during meditation it leads to distraction.

2. Where is your rear diaphragm?—in back of the front of your diaphragm—touch diaphragm in the front, go to the side, and go backwards until you feel something spongy and springy.

3. Exercise #1—lie on the floor, nothing under head, bring feet closer to buttocks, flatten lower back, esp. in the area just below your heart, where the rear of your diaphragm is. Do this until you can feel this spongy area. Put a soft small rolled up towel or a small magazine directly on the rear of your diaphragm. So with each inhale you can feel the entire rear of your diaphragm pushing into this rolled up towel.
—Is your mind remaining present? Start again if you are distracted.

4. Exercise #2—Stand up with your back pressing into the wall, or on a chair, using a rolled up towel.
—If either side of your diaphragm or its center does not feel any pressure being exerted on it with the inhale, adjust your breathing until it does.

5. Exercise #3—Either standing or in a chair, use a gentle rocking motion, bend forward and backwards, with 70% rule, bending from the kwa. Calm with clear attention.

6. Exercise #4—With a straight back, either standing or sitting, bending forward, then holding that forward position and breath into your kidneys once or twice, shift your attention from kidneys to rear of your diaphragm, so it moves your kidneys
— Stay down for this—exhale as you straighten up

7. Coordinate the front and side of your diaphragm, then the side and rear diaphragm, then all three (front, side, and rear diaphragm) moving together.

—Get the stuck parts moving in stages until you create one breath of chi with your lower body breathing.
8. Place a board on a chair, to check whether your rear diaphragm and everything is moving. Notice the way your muscles feel. If there is tension, discomfort, or pain, completely relax everything,
—Use 50% rule, not 70%

9. Possible shortcuts—acupressure points, massage, inner dissolving

10. Moving parts in proportion to each other—awareness is constant throughout this process—front, side, back, belly—entire lower body is moving and breathing together.
—-Diaphragm is the orchestra leader, everything moves to his command

11. Focus on things that come from the kidneys, subliminal fear.
Recognize its opposite–Hope. Don’t go with it. Recognize it. Depression/ action—Hopelessness/Courage

[Anonymous]

Thanks for doing this, Joan. It’s very helpful to have these overviews.

best wishes,
Matthew

[Anonymous]

…………agreeing with Matthew, many thanks for this and the previous summaries – I paste them all into one document and occasionally sit and recap. You must have saved a lot of time for many of us!

thanks again

[Anonymous]

How is everyone doing with back breathing? I’m finding that it is challenging for me to get the breath through to the kidneys. I don’t remember the same difficulty with the liver and spleen but I could be forgetting.

[Anonymous]

I find that once I get the diaphragm going, the back follows fairly easily. I do feel the muscles and tissues stretching in a new way,

[Author]

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