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Spinal Fires – Part 1

It is nice to be back in Thailand. I am back in Bangkok where, over the years, I have spentseveral months. Most people who come here see it as a city full of parties and night clubs.Whilst this is true it also has a wealth of culture, some great martial arts within the Chinesecommunity and the most amazing Buddhist temples.

It was Bangkok that I first came to on my first visit to Asia and here that I used as a ‘hub’ fortravel around the rest of Asia. Today I got to wander around some of my favourite places in thecity including a great Buddhist temple which I used to use as a peaceful respite spot topractice Qigong when the activity of the city was getting to me. Today it was nice to visit itonce more and I happened to bump into Eckhart Tolle and his wife who were visiting it as well!

Over the last few weeks I have been using my time to revisit the energetic processes of the spine. This has partly because Ihave been finishing off my next book, the Four Dragons, which discusses the energetics of the spine in detail. When Iregionally wrote the draft for this book it went right through from Qi Gong to alchemy using the Dao Yin exercises as a bridgebetween the two. However, I quickly discovered that the book was becoming too large and that alchemy was beyond thescope of the book which was better off focusing upon the Nei Gong aspects of Dao Yin training. For this reason, I ended upscrapping a large chunk of my draft so I thought I would let people read it here instead..

The Spine and its Spiritual Energies

Understanding the deeper aspects of Daoist internal work can be confusing. Metaphorical language within ancient textscombined with teachings from different lineages being brought together do not help the student who is starting out in theworld of energy work. It can take a number of years to even begin to understand exactly what is supposed to take place withinthe body and this often depends upon having access to the correct teachers and the correct methods with which toexperience these teachings. A large part of my internal development has been working to try and understand exactly whattakes place within the body and how this is achieved. Exploration of the teachings from several different esoteric schoolscombined with my own experiential understanding has brought me to understand a model of the energetic system which isactually quite clear. Once much of the metaphorical language is stripped away you are left with a fairly simple model of thehuman mind/body system which can be systematically worked through using various internal methods. These methods canbe seen within different forms of Qi Gong, Nei Gong and alchemy as well as within some branches of the older internalmartial arts systems. Classical texts and charts such as the ‘Neijing Tu’, the ‘Xiuzhen Tu’ and the ‘Cantong Qi’ elaborate uponthese methods for those who understand the language used within them by the ancient Daoists.

Contained within exercises such as ancient Dao Yin are direct methods for preparing the body for higher level spiritual workproviding the practitioner can understand exactly how to approach the exercises. If used correctly and trained for long enoughmany of the more complex aspects of Daoist internal work can be accessed through exercises such as these which serve toprovide a solid foundation for the more complicated study of Daoist meditation practices often known as either ‘silent sitting’or ‘internal alchemy’ depending upon which school of thought they are taken from.

In understanding the nature of the spine with regards the higher levels of Daoist internal work we must first understand thedifference between the various branches of the meridian system which run through this area of the body:

The first energetic branch of the meridian system which runs through the area of the back is the Du or ‘governing’meridian. This is the most Yang of the congenital meridians which runs up the center of the back from the sacrum. Itcontinues over the top of the head down to beneath the nose. This meridian governs the Yang functions of the body andcirculates Qi into the Yang organ meridians of the body throughout the course of our daily lives. It is paired with the Renor ‘conception’ meridian which continues this circulation of Qi down the front of the body, under the perineum and backinto the Du meridian. The Ren meridian governs the Yin functions of the body and directs Qi into all of the Yin organmeridians of the body. Together they form a loop of circulating energy which help to regulate the entire of the energybody and divide the two poles of Yin and Yang. An important aspect when beginning any form of Daoist internal work issetting up a good circulation through these two channels. This circulation is often known as the ‘small water wheel ofQi’ or the ‘micro-cosmic orbit’. The early stages of many systems of Qi Gong and Nei Gong work towards establishingthis circulation of Qi within the body.

The next energetic branch to be aware of is the central branch of the Chong Mai which was already discussed in theprevious chapter. Once the Qi is effectively circulating within the Du and Ren orbit as described above it is thenpossible for movement to begin taking place along the length of the central branch of the Chong Mai. This movementgenerally goes from the base of the body around the area of the perineum up towards the crown of the head throughthe body’s core. This movement of energy causes Jing to be converted into Qi and then further into Shen as therefining functions of the three Dan Tien are awakened. This helps to nourish the upper Dan Tien and brain with spiritualenergy as well as helping to set up a kind of ‘spiritual antennae’ in the Chong Mai which helps to connect a person todivine information drawn directly from Dao.

The third branch of the energy system directly connected with this area of the body and the spine in particular is thespinal branch of the Chong Mai. It is this channel which we are causing Qi to move strongly through during advancedstages of Nei Gong or Nei Dan training. What is important to understand is that the spinal branch of the Chong Mai andthe Du meridian running up our back are not the same thing. They are different channels with very different functions.This causes a great deal of confusion for many practitioners of the internal arts though understanding the differencebetween the two is quite simple if we look at what exactly moves through each of these channels.

The Du and the Chong Meridians

Opening the ‘small water wheel of Qi’ whichcirculates along the Du and the Renmeridians takes place largely through therotation of the lower Dan Tien. This sets up asmooth flow of Qi throughout the rest of themeridian system as well as helping to dividethe poles of Yin and Yang within the body.For a more detailed discussion of thisprocess please refer to my previous book‘Daoist Nei Gong – Philosophical Art ofChange’.

Movement along the central branch of theChong Mai takes place as Jing converts intoQi and then further into Shen. This beginsthe process of sending extra spiritual energytowards the upper Dan Tien which can bringexperiences of connection with Dao anddivine understanding. These experiences can be brief at first but with practice it is possible to remain for longer periods oftime in a state of union with Dao.

The spiritual nature of work with the spine concerns something known as the seven spinal fires which sit primarily along thelength of the spine itself. These are seven points on the spine which govern the movement from our congenital nature into theacquired. Remnants of these theories can be seen in modern Chinese medical practices as one of the spiritual fires known asMing Men is still included on within the meridian system. Now it is known as the expansion of energy which takes placearound the area of the Kidneys but originally it was seen as one of seven spiritual fires which dictate our acquired connectionto Ming, our predetermined path through life. These seven spiritual fires are often depicted as seven (or sometimes nine indifferent traditions) cauldrons which are placed along the length of the spine. In other traditions they may be shown asdifferent phases of the moon (which has led to the misunderstanding that spinal energy movement relies upon the lunarcalendar) or even as different hexagrams from the Yi Jing (I Ching). They have direct correlations to the Chakra system ofYoga and govern various aspect of our nature.

In order to work with these seven spiritual fires we must first have a strong flow of Qi along the length of the spinal branch ofthe Chong Mai. Once you have done this you have a clear pathway through your spine and it is possible to work with thespinal fires.

Remember that the spinal fires (and thus the Chakra if you also study Yoga) are not the same as the three Dan Tien and quiteseparate from the circulation of Qi taking place within the Du and the Ren. They are different because they exist uponcompletely different frequencies. The Dan Tien and anything related to the flow of Qi through the meridian system exist withinthe realm of the energy body whilst the spinal fires exist within the realm of the spirit/consciousness body. Understanding thishelps us to understand how we progress through our training.

The Three Bodies of Man

Each of these three bodies exist within the same location and whetheror not we can access them depends upon what stage we have reachedin our practice. In the beginning we are generally connected solely tothe physical realm governed by our five senses. As we progress throughan art such as Qi Gong we can begin to ‘tune in’ to the energy body andfeel the flow of Qi through our body and the rotation of the Dan Tien.Only when this has been worked through can we go further and connectwith the spirit body which sits within a much higher frequency range.This is where the connection between us and our true consciousnesssits as we are within the frequency range of the realm of spiritual energyknown as Shen. Reaching this stage requires having refined our internalsensitivity to a fairly high level. Accessing the spirit body relies on beingable to enter periods of profound inner stillness and this is where theenergy of the spine comes in.

According to Daoist thought the extreme emptiness of Wuji is the pointfrom which the beginnings of human consciousness was born. Thisspark of original intention is known as our seed consciousness; it is theaspect of our consciousness which carries the divine information giving us the potential for spiritual liberation within thislifetime. Surrounding this is our congenital nature which is the manifestation of true human consciousness born forth from theseed consciousness. It is this aspect of consciousness which manifests the De, sage-like compassionate qualities which wewould manifest if we were able to free ourselves from the shackles of mind. Moving like waves out of our congenital natureare the constantly shifting emotions which govern the majority of our thoughts, speech and actions. It is these emotions whichprevent us from successfully tapping into our own congenital nature as they distort our every thought. From these emotionalcognitive distortions is born the acquired nature which builds up over the course of our lives, layer after layer. This is theaspect of mind which is governed by logic, bias, prejudice and so on. It is often equated with the ego in many new-age textsand the aspect of human self which we falsely identify with.

The Layers of Human Consciousness

This theory, at its simplest level, states that our consciousness isformed from the middle outwards. Through a spiritual form ofcentrifugal movement the stillness which is our true self expands tocreate first congenital and then acquired nature. It is the layers of theacquired nature which we wish to work with through the deeperaspects of Daoist training. It is our acquired nature which we use toconduct ourselves throughout our lives and it is through the distortedlens of the acquired nature that we view the nature of the world. Theentire of the Daoist tradition was concerned with shedding the layersof the acquired nature in order to convert out identification back to thecongenital aspect of our consciousness. From here we could thenmove into direct contact with the stillness at the heart of everythingand thus go beyond any form of individual identification into directunion with Dao. Everything teaching within the philosophy of Daoismhas a direct, literal counterpart within the microcosm of the humanorganism which we can experience through our practice. The natureof the human mind is no exception to this. If we are able to touchupon the stillness which sits within our core then we are able tounderstand how our own consciousness formed from this point and begin to dissolve the layers of acquired nature which wehave allowed to build up over our lives.

Within the central branch of the Chong Mai we increasingly raise Jing, Qi and Shen through practices such as Qi Gong orinternal alchemy. This gradually enables us to bring the three bodies of man together into one unified whole. The more we areable to do this, the more likely it is that something called the ‘mysterious pass’ can begin to open up for us. As this passopens it gives us a direct connection to Dao which helps to dissolve the layers of the acquired nature which we have built up.Increasingly, the more we practice, the longer we are able to remain within this state and lead our minds towards stillness.The spinal branch of the Chong Mai differs from this slightly. It differs because it contains stillness at its core. The reason forthis is it is the spinal branch of the Chong Mai through which the nature of existence is communicated out into our ownconsciousness, energy system and then finally our physical form. From the spine and the Chong Mai is developed ourconsciousness which is why it is such a powerful aspect of the energy body when we are working on our own internal

development.

Awakening the Spinal Fires

Along the length of the spine are several expanding areas of information which help to ‘step down’ the frequency of Dao intoconsciousness. When you connect with these seven fires it feels as though they are vibrating and spiraling at the same time.They are around a centimeter or so in diameter making them smaller than the three Dan Tien contained within the energybody. Each of these spinal fires is connected to a different aspect of the manner in which our consciousness develops and asthey open up they each cause a major shift in our perception.

The Seven Spinal Fires

As shown in the diagram, each of these fires isdirectly connected to a different layer in our energeticfield which stores information throughout the course ofour lives. As we move deep into our practice andawaken each of the spinal fires the informationassociated with that fire begins to dissolve within thelayers of our energetic field. This loss of built upinformation then enables true consciousness to comeforth from our core into our external being causing themajor shift of perception we are seeking. The morewe are able to create these shifts in perception themore we are able to stabilize our mind. Stabilizing ourmind not only changes the way that we relate to theoutside world but also enables us to more efficientlyrefine our energy into spirit within the central branch ofour Chong Mai.

The more that we are able to open up the energeticpathway within the spine the more we are able to direct spiritual information up through the spiritual fires. At first we will onlybe shifting Qi through our spine resulting in the spontaneous reactions associated with this stage of development but after awhile we will begin to lift a more refined energy from the base of the spine up along its length into the center of the brain at apoint known as the ‘mud pill palace’ within alchemical texts. As this spiritual energy moves up along the spine it begins toawaken each of the spinal fires helping in the dissolving of the acquired nature.

The Thunder Strikes

Many people expect every experience to be had through the internal arts to be pleasant in nature. This is definitely not myexperience! Some of the processes which take place within the body and the mind are very uncomfortable and this is one ofthose stages. As the spiritual energy moves along the length of the spine it feels like a strong electric current passing throughyou. It causes an electrical type of pain which causes your muscles to contact and relax spasmodically as if you were pluggedin to a powerful tens machine. These electrical shocks move quite quickly through the center of the center of the spine up intothe base of your neck around the area of the occiputs. Here they discharge into the base of your skull with a great deal ofpower. The first time I experienced this I actually cried out in pain. Classically this is supposed to happen three times in orderto open up the point at the base of the skull but in my experience it actually took two shocks of this nature. I am guessing thatthe number three was just a guideline and that it can vary from person to person. Within alchemical traditions this process isknown as ‘receiving the three strikes of thunder’ and it is serves to open the strongly blocked point on the base of your skullknown within many traditions as the ‘jade pillow’ or, more appropriately, the ‘thunderstrike centre’. Once the point on the baseof your skull has been opened then the surge up upwards moving spiritual energy can move right up into the center of yourbrain. When it reaches this point the electric shock strikes the ‘mud pill palace instead resulting a strong electrical shock to thecenter of your brain. Even worse then the pain involved in the first part of the process, this shock has caused me to pass outbefore now, rather embarrassingly this first happened when I was meditating with a group of around 25 people!

Danger of this Process

Originally, when I started writing I decided only to include practices which had no danger involved in them. I did not want toput out information which could cause harm to anybody practicing the exercises within my books. Indeed there is often agreat deal of anger around these kinds of practices which results from the fears people within the internal arts world haveconcerning dangerous training. However, after writing my first book I received a great many messages from people aroundthe world who had actually experienced some of these stages on their own. Some of these people had trained in similarsystems whilst many had simply stumbled onto these processes without really knowing what they were doing. The vastmajority of people had simply acknowledged the experience with a degree of curiosity and carried on with their training whilst

a few had suffered quite severe health problems which they could not easily receive help with. The fact is that many internalpractices come with a certain degree of risk if they are not practiced correctly and under the guidance of an experiencedteacher. In the case of simple Qi Gong exercises these risks are almost non-existent but once you start going deeper into theinternal arts world you are essentially beginning to work with the vary elements which make up your being. Since manypeople are moving in to these stages anyway then I may as well include it within my writings so that people are betterinformed.

The above process of awakening the seven spiritual fires is not majorly risky but it can be unpleasant when you firstexperience it. As with anything within the internal arts world, once the body is used to it, it normalizes the experience so thatthe unpleasantness is no longer there. It is almost as if the shock of a new experience causes you pain and discomfort butafter that there is no shock so it feels much easier.

Starting this Process

Firstly, let us be clear on one thing. In order to reach this stage you must have trained for a very long time. This is notsomething will happen to you within the first few years of your training so beginners need not worry. In order for this processto begin the spinal branch of the Chong Mai must be fully open and this is no mean feat. It took me many years to do this and Ihave the luxury of not having any major commitments in my life other than my practice and my school. I have been a full-timepractitioner now for many years and even with the amount of hours I am able to put into my practice it still took a long time toeven begin to touch upon this stage. You must already have a fully awakened energy system including the Dan Tien rotatingsmoothly and have opened the majority of the Qi Men points throughout your body. Those not prepared to put in hours of dailypractice will not likely ever reach this stage but I have included it here for those who do put this amount of time into theirtraining.

In order to start the shift of spiritual energy along the length of the spine you must be able to find it. After being able to fullyopen the Chong Mai for some time you should then drop your awareness down into the base of your spine right where thecoccyx ends. Let your mind hover here and look for a sensation in this area of the body which indicates that your spiritualenergy is ready to rise upwards. If the feeling here is of warmth then it is not time to begin this process. This warmth will makeyou sweat but little more. If, however, the sensation is as if you are sat on a bubbling, warm pool then the spiritual energy isready to rise. It is much like sitting on one of the jet-streams in a Jacuzzi when it is on full power. It can feel a little sharp innature as though the bubbling energy is causing little pins and needles sensations in your sacrum.

If it is ready to rise then simply raise your perineum ever so slightly as you inhale and follow its movement. If it does not riseon the first lift of the perineum then do not bother with continuing. It is not ready to rise yet. If it is ready then it will move veryquickly up along the length of your spine towards the ‘thunder strike centre’ point at the base of your skull. If this happens thesimply relax and allow it to do what it wants. It will begin the first of the three or so shocks to the base of your skull. In my ownpersonal experience these shocks were separated by a couple of years meaning that from my first shock at the base of myskull to it reaching the center of my brain included a space of around five years. Most of the time, this energy did not want torise up. It is curious that if we look at the teachings contained within the Hindu tradition they would call this rising energy theKundalini and it is said to coil like two snakes along the length of the spine. Because of these teachings I actually thought itwould feel more like this coiling energy than an electrical shock but I was mistaken. I wonder if the sensation is different toeach individual or if the Yogic method causes the spiritual energy to rise in a different manner? This is not a question I amable to answer unfortunately since I only have a rudimentary knowledge of higher level Yogic practice. The only thing I knowfor certain is that the slightly unpleasant nature of this spiritual energy rising is also discussed within Yogis teachings.

The Seven Spiritual Fires

As the energy rises along the length of the spine it begins the process of awakening the seven fires. This is a gradual processwhich unfolds over a length of time. Much like flowers blossoming open they gradually begin to dissolve various aspects ofthe acquired mind which causes various shifts in your consciousness. These fires awaken from the base of the spine upwardsalthough the linear fashion in which this takes place seem to only apply 90 percent of the time. Occasionally I get the feel thatdifferent fires are active at different times. Once this process begins its continuation is accumulative and fuelled by yourregular internal practices, especially sitting practice.

End of Part 1…..

Part 2 Coming Soon