to water. Their corresponding emotions (sympathy, sadness, joy,
anger, fear) blend one harmonious whole, raising the morale and
encouraging kindness, gentleness, rightousness, respectfulness
and humor. The formula of the five elements combined into one
involves the mixing of the Yin and Yang to attain a higher state of
bodily harmony and beauty. The ancient alchemical formula Solve
Et Coagula corresponds to the second stage in the meditational
forms.
In this stage you will realize the great use of the Five Elements
which already exists in your body and which you may have studied
but not understood experientially. The fusion of the elements, will
provide you with such an experience. In this stage a cleansing of
the whole body takes place. There may be much gas and bowel
movements with very black, foul smelling stools.
Another six special routes must be opened, making eight routes
in all. The first two are the Governor and Functional Channels. Next
to be cultivated is the Chung-Ma.
The Chung-Ma, or Thrusting Route, which originates in the lower
abdomen in the Hui-Yin and moves upward along two lines to the
midpoint between the nipples where it spreads out to the shoulders
and then joins at the collar bone. From there, it proceeds up to the
face, crosses at the mouth and moves up to the point between the
eyes and then up to the top of the head.
Another pathway of the Thrusting Route is started at the Yun-
Chuan (the ground to earth), goes up the inside of the leg to the
thigh and joins in the Hui-Yin. Starting at the Hui-Yin and running up
through the center of the body, it passes through the large and
small intestines, kidney, pancreas, liver, stomach, heart, lung,
trachea, and up into the brain (pituitary, pineal and the middle brain
up to the top of the head, Pai-Hui).
The second special route is the Tai-Ma. This energy channel
originates at the ribs and circles the waist in ribbon-like bands. For
this reason it is called the Belt Route. It is considered as a belt
binding up the Yin and the Yang channels. This channel, when
properly open, will spiral around the whole body. Looking down at
the floor, the ribbon, as it were, would be seen to unwind going
counter clockwise or right to left and proceeding up the length of
the entire body, and joining all the body channels together. The
spiraling is in a clockwise direction for women.
Summary of the Seven Stages