Meditation

I am not an expert in meditation! Consult credible sources for the best advice.

Meditation in Taoism is all about aligning the mind with the Tao, the natural flow of the universe. Meditating helps create Qi (energy) which improves your health and gives you longevity. Taoists often achieve meditation with mental imagery and breathwork which helps them achieve a state of total tranquility.

Breathwork (Taixi)

You also have turtle breathing, which are slow, quiet exhales that help build up one's qi. One can practice this by sitting and relaxing their shoulders and face. Next, one should focus their attention on their lower abdomen. Basically, think about it. This is the center of your qi.

Practice

Embyronic breathing can be practiced with the '4-7-8' technique, where inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds and exhale for 8 seconds. Doing this too frequently can result in lightheadedness if you do it too often, practice and patience is key. Keep in mind that the 4-7-8 technique is not classically Taoist, but it does serve equally as well.

Tortoise Breathing

Begin breathing in and out, slowly. Let your abdomen rise and fall on the in- and exhale. Don't force it, think of it as Wu Wei. Don't force breathing, let it come naturally. If done right, one should feel like they're barely breathing, like it's sinking inward. Make sure you're not distracted. Note that this technique should not cost you strain or discomfort.

Visualization

Visualization, or cunxiang, involved closing your eyes and visualizing your organs as deities or cosmic elements (e.g. your kidneys as water or your heart as fire), this rings true as your organs form part of Daojiao's pantheon, each organ having its own deity. (e.g. the Heart God Shénghuáng). These gods are not meant to be taken as literal beings, but more as representations of energy that sit in respective organs.

Microcosmic Orbit

Trying this without proper training can result in headaches. Beginners should start with simple breathwork.

The Microcosmic Obrit (Xia Zhou Tian) moves qi around through two key channels, those being the Governor Vessel (Du Mai), which moves from spine -> crown -> palate (roof of mouth) and the Conception Vessel, the Ren Mai. The Ren Mai moves from tongue -> chest -> abdomen. It serves as the foundation for deeper meditation and helps balance, healing and inner calm.

End Goal

The main goal of meditation is to achieve stillness in your mind, or an empty mind (Xuxin). Xuxin refers to a non-attachment to thoughts, think of your mind being a sky and clouds being thoughts that pass (without stop) through your mind. Meditation lowers stress and helps detach yourself from your ego. It's also part of the broader doctrine called Inner Alchemy, which helps prepare Taoists for the immortal, spiritual body after death.

Three Treasures

The Three Treasures (San Bao) are the main energies and represent the substances that make up your life. The treasures include jing (essence, energy that you're born with), qi (energy, daily operating energy) and shen (spirit, awareness). The ultimate goal of Taoist meditation is to cultivate jing -> qi -> shen -> re-merging with the Tao.

Jing

Jing is the foundation of the energy in your body. It's what you're born with, stored in the kidneys,and can be refined with rest, herbs, and living heathily. Jing can be lost through (excessive) sex, stress or overworking. Jing is finite but can be re-created with enough sleep, herbs and moderation.

Qi

Qi is movement. You feel it as warmth or pressure during practice (of meditation). Qi can be accumulated with Tai Chi and powers everything that happens in your body, from your heartbeat to your thoughts.

Shen

Shen is your spirit and is located in the heart. It governs your emotion and your intuition, so while someone with a nurtured Shen would experience clarity and peace a disturbed Shen would cause anxiety and mental chaos. Shen is nurtured through meditation and inner stillness.