Daoism Series 25: 胎息 Embryonic Breathing (excerpt)

胎息

Embryonic Breathing (excerpt)

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by Li Shi Fu

气蛰脐下，曰胎息。

—大成捷要

When Qi hibernates below the umbilicus,

it is called ‘Embryonic Breathing’.

—Essentials of the Shortcut to the Great Achievement

Embryonic breathing is an internal breathing, in which one does not breathe externally through one’s nose or mouth. This first began in the womb when one’s mother’s breath became one’s own. If one wishes to practise embryonic breathing now, therefore, one needs to find a special connection, a new umbilical cord, as though one were still in the womb. Embryonic breathing is something you will slowly begin to experience during sitting meditation. It is also called ‘Elixir Field Breathing’. Once you have achieved this, you will no longer have any need to be afraid of life and death.

There is a special condition that immediately precedes the stage of embryonic breathing. Just before one reaches that breathing, there is one last single breath that is very light and like a whisper. This is the demarcation line between external and internal breathing, which manifests as a physical feeling and might be very abrupt and abnormal, just like a chain that snaps, which is here the balance or link between Yin and Yang. This is a very cheerful, content and happy stage, as you feel like you could live forever.

Usually, however, it is only a temporary stage that lasts for a certain length of time, which increases with practice. It also corresponds to the revolving of the microcosmic orbit. One needs to let go of one’s feelings to achieve it. That is why it is so difficult and it can take up to fifty years to reach this stage.

Who knows how long a meditator’s breathing stops for?

Who has experienced this?

If you cannot confirm and articulate this phenomenon, you have not been elevated to this point and have not experienced it. It has not been passed on to you by your teachers. A charlatan might pretend to have forgotten this knowledge. But you could not forget it if you wanted to. What happens is crystal clear and it needs to be experienced. It is something quite separate from nasal and mouth breathing. It can last from five to ten minutes, or for one to two months, but at first it happens little by little, occurring briefly to begin with, and then getting longer and longer in duration. After the refinement of the elixir and the cultivation of the Dao, one’s breathing is truly calmed. This cannot be compared to an hour’s sitting meditation in which you struggle to quieten your mind. But when you have stilled the mind, it will be easy to reach the door to embryonic breathing. Then, you will first need to pass through that door. If you try to speak about the door without having experienced it, whatever you say will be false, but if you have arrived there, you should attest to the experience and speak clearly about it. To be ‘far and indistinct’ is the foundation. This is explained in the [Daoist] Morning and Evening Scripture. There needs to be more than just one short moment of it. How long can you remain centred in the ‘far and indistinct’? This is the basis.

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Post-Scriptum: This article will be published in full as part of a book, entitled ‘Arts of Daoism’ about meditation, stillness cultivation, abstention from grains [bi gu 辟谷], sleeping gong [shui gong 睡功], dreams, vegetarianism and diet in Daoism, formulae for fasting and meditation incense, including several chapters from the alchemical classic ‘The Essentials of the Shortcut to the Great Achievement’ [da cheng jie yao 大成捷要]. It will be a mixture of anecdotal and oral transmissions from my teacher Li Shi Fu and translations of a number of chapters from ancient texts from authors such as Ge Hong, Wang Jie, Wang Chang Yue, Zhang Jing Yue, Zhong Li Quan, Bai Yu Chan, Liu Hua Yang, Chen Tuan and so forth. It is set to be released before Christmas 2020, and a first draft is already finalized.