Daoist Internal Alchemy for YángQì 陽炁 and Life Energy

Happy DuānWǔ 端午 and XiàZhì夏至!

DuānWǔ, known as the Dragon Boat Festival in the West, is a traditional Chinese festival, originating from Southeast China. It has since been celebrated for thousands of years in various ways. The DuānWǔ Festival represents Universal Yáng energy “up-rising” or ascending. In the area of my hometown (in Southeast China), at the Wǔ 午 hour (noon) of DuānWǔ, we drink liquor mixed with XióngHuáng 雄黃 (realgar, has strong YángQì ); and we make a paste from the XióngHuáng powder that has been soaked in the liquor, and form little balls to then place one in each child’s navel in order to strengthen their YángQì.

XiàZhì is the summer solstice. In the Daoist tradition, summer solstice marks the mid-point of summer, representing ChúnYáng 純陽 , the highest energetic state of immortality and spiritual freedom.

The Dragon Boat Festival and the summer solstice time occurs during the time of year in which our internal YángQì 陽炁, that which keeps us healthy, naturally leaves the deepest level of our energy system, or Dāntián 丹田, the Elixir Field, and expresses itself in the outer layer of your body. We easily become sick if we don’t have enough YángQì in our Dāntián. This is why, during this time of year, we always emphasize the importance of holding as much of our Yang Qi within our Dāntián as possible.

The Daoist tradition also holds that we understand that week before and after summer solstice, creating one of the most powerful times for self healing and inner

transformation in our annual cycle.

This year, DuānWǔ will fall on 19 June and XiàZhì will occur just two days after. In order to strengthen your YángQì and Life Energy, I invite you to practice my Golden Light Internal Alchemy practice:

Figure 1. Golden Light Charm, calligraphy by Master Zhongxian Wu

---

Golden Light Internal Alchemy

For this practice, you can choose to be either standing in horse stance or sitting in your meditation posture.

• Straighten your back and feel that your body is stable like a mountain.

• Make HuǒLéiJúe 火雷訣, the Fire-Thunder Muddra by placing each thumb on the tip of the middle finger and linking them together. Open and relax the rest of your fingers.

• Place the mudra in front of your DanTian/lower belly.

Figure 2. Fire-Thunder Mudra

• Adjust your breathing to be slow, smooth, deep, and even.

• Imagine the Qi like golden light surrounding your body and entering into your navel upon inhale and visualize the golden light moving from your navel into your Dāntián as you exhale.

• Maintain this breathing and visualization technique while holding the mudra as long as you can.

Figure 3. Fire-Thunder Mudra, seated or standing works well!

For those of you would like to learn more about special Daoist summer solstice cultivation practices, I will offer an online Internal Alchemy and Qi-ceremony workshop on the day of summer solstice day, June 21. Please check my website for details.

Auspicious Qi!