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Decoding the DAO: Nine Lessons in Daoist Meditation: A Complete and Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Meditation
A Complete and Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Meditation. At its heart, Daoist meditation is a simple and practical method of establishing unity between our internal environment and the external world so that we can engage with life in a clear and present way.
In Decoding the Nine Lessons in Daoist Meditation , author Tom Bisio introduces the reader to the poetry and pragmatism of Daoist meditation and the practice of Internal Alchemy. The first half this unique book consists of nine progressive lessons that guide the reader step by step through the practice of Daoist meditation, ending with an introduction to Daoist Internal Alchemy.
The nine lessons teach the reader how to observe and transform their own internal landscape, in order to rejuvenate and replenish the body's innate energies, thereby promoting health and nourishing life and spirit. The lessons can be practiced in sequence or individually, providing the reader with a veritable toolbox of meditative practices that can be used flexibly to address different situations and circumstances.
Each lesson contains both practice exercises and discussions of relevant topics to flesh out the reasoning behind the various methods of meditation and help the reader more deeply understand the principles and theories that underlie the practice.
Beyond the nine lessons, additional chapters introduce advanced practices like the Greater Heavenly Orbit Meditation and other traditional Daoist methods of promoting health and longevity.
Decoding the Nine Lessons in Daoist Meditation also includes a unique discussion of Daoist symbolism and imagery and its relationship to meditation and internal alchemy. Daoist symbols and images act as a kind of code that, when decoded and understood, aid the meditator, giving him or her an alternative and imagery-rich language which bypasses habitual mental constructs and perceptual habits, facilitating the perception of subtle movements and changes within the body.
This book "cracks the code," enabling the reader to fully engage with this ancient and powerful tradition of transformation and transcendence.
In Decoding the Nine Lessons in Daoist Meditation , author Tom Bisio introduces the reader to the poetry and pragmatism of Daoist meditation and the practice of Internal Alchemy. The first half this unique book consists of nine progressive lessons that guide the reader step by step through the practice of Daoist meditation, ending with an introduction to Daoist Internal Alchemy.
The nine lessons teach the reader how to observe and transform their own internal landscape, in order to rejuvenate and replenish the body's innate energies, thereby promoting health and nourishing life and spirit. The lessons can be practiced in sequence or individually, providing the reader with a veritable toolbox of meditative practices that can be used flexibly to address different situations and circumstances.
Each lesson contains both practice exercises and discussions of relevant topics to flesh out the reasoning behind the various methods of meditation and help the reader more deeply understand the principles and theories that underlie the practice.
Beyond the nine lessons, additional chapters introduce advanced practices like the Greater Heavenly Orbit Meditation and other traditional Daoist methods of promoting health and longevity.
Decoding the Nine Lessons in Daoist Meditation also includes a unique discussion of Daoist symbolism and imagery and its relationship to meditation and internal alchemy. Daoist symbols and images act as a kind of code that, when decoded and understood, aid the meditator, giving him or her an alternative and imagery-rich language which bypasses habitual mental constructs and perceptual habits, facilitating the perception of subtle movements and changes within the body.
This book "cracks the code," enabling the reader to fully engage with this ancient and powerful tradition of transformation and transcendence.
- GenresTaoismNonfiction
446 pages, Paperback
First published July 29, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 24, 2015
This is a really good guide to Daoist meditation that combines practical and progressive exercises and lessons, along with clear write-ups on the philosophy that underlies Daoist meditation, and extensive bibliographic resources for further study.
Each of the 9 lessons are divided into a theory and practice part. The nine lessons focus on 1) setting proper bodily alignment and developing awareness of breathing, 2) developing abdominal/kidney breathing in the dantien area, 3) quieting the mind through counting the breath and mindfulness of thinking, 4) standing in Wuji posture, 5) Loosening body part by body part in the Wuji posture, 6) Dissolving blockages through qigong and body breathing, 7) connecting heaven-earth, circulating water-fire and connecting heart and kidneys in the triple heater, 8) microcosmic orbit, 9) returning golden fluid to the dantien. Additional practices for macrocosmic orbit and general life-cultivation techniques are given for practice beyond the nine lessons. The theoretical part of the lessons are well-written and makes Daoist philosophy easily understandable; they are also extensively referenced. As for the instructions for the practice sessions, they are simple, clear and effective.
The second part of the book gives very important information that decodes Daoist imagery and language so that one can understand the inner message hidden in the classic texts and instructions on Daoist meditation. Selected chapters of the Dao De Jing are discussed, the Nei Jing Tu (Diagram of Inner Circulation of Qi/Breath) is explained, the meaning of key symbols such as dragon and tiger, immortals, five powers, lead and mercury, etc are given, and numerology, hexagrams and the Gen diagram is discussed. Without wasting words, the author effectively unravels the maze of archaic symbology and language associated with Daoist thought and practice, to reveal the key points of the practice.
Three wonderful appendixes are then provided. Appendix 1 is especially useful, as it covers common reactions to Daoist meditation and how to deal with them. Appendix 2, also very useful, is a summary of the bodily configurations for Daoist meditation with trigrams and mnemonics commonly used for this purpose. Appendix III is an extract from Sun Xi Kun's "Ba-Gua-Quan Zhen Chuan" which is extremely useful for Daoist meditation, and which includes sections specially dedicated for women practitioners. After the appendixes, are chapter notes and an extensive bibliography.
I find this book very impressive. It achieves clarity and simplicity while having at the same time significant depth and insight, and it also provides exemplary referencing for further studies. The lessons are well-taught, the author is skilled and knowledgeable, and the book is well-researched, intelligently structured and user-friendly. Overall, this book was a joy to read, and I would recommend it unhesitatingly to beginners and experienced meditators alike.
Each of the 9 lessons are divided into a theory and practice part. The nine lessons focus on 1) setting proper bodily alignment and developing awareness of breathing, 2) developing abdominal/kidney breathing in the dantien area, 3) quieting the mind through counting the breath and mindfulness of thinking, 4) standing in Wuji posture, 5) Loosening body part by body part in the Wuji posture, 6) Dissolving blockages through qigong and body breathing, 7) connecting heaven-earth, circulating water-fire and connecting heart and kidneys in the triple heater, 8) microcosmic orbit, 9) returning golden fluid to the dantien. Additional practices for macrocosmic orbit and general life-cultivation techniques are given for practice beyond the nine lessons. The theoretical part of the lessons are well-written and makes Daoist philosophy easily understandable; they are also extensively referenced. As for the instructions for the practice sessions, they are simple, clear and effective.
The second part of the book gives very important information that decodes Daoist imagery and language so that one can understand the inner message hidden in the classic texts and instructions on Daoist meditation. Selected chapters of the Dao De Jing are discussed, the Nei Jing Tu (Diagram of Inner Circulation of Qi/Breath) is explained, the meaning of key symbols such as dragon and tiger, immortals, five powers, lead and mercury, etc are given, and numerology, hexagrams and the Gen diagram is discussed. Without wasting words, the author effectively unravels the maze of archaic symbology and language associated with Daoist thought and practice, to reveal the key points of the practice.
Three wonderful appendixes are then provided. Appendix 1 is especially useful, as it covers common reactions to Daoist meditation and how to deal with them. Appendix 2, also very useful, is a summary of the bodily configurations for Daoist meditation with trigrams and mnemonics commonly used for this purpose. Appendix III is an extract from Sun Xi Kun's "Ba-Gua-Quan Zhen Chuan" which is extremely useful for Daoist meditation, and which includes sections specially dedicated for women practitioners. After the appendixes, are chapter notes and an extensive bibliography.
I find this book very impressive. It achieves clarity and simplicity while having at the same time significant depth and insight, and it also provides exemplary referencing for further studies. The lessons are well-taught, the author is skilled and knowledgeable, and the book is well-researched, intelligently structured and user-friendly. Overall, this book was a joy to read, and I would recommend it unhesitatingly to beginners and experienced meditators alike.
October 28, 2015
A great intro. Enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews