Cold shower, spirituality and meditation

How to control his restless mind is a key issue in a spiritual seeker's training objective. Oftentimes it is "easier said then done". It's like having a good night sleep for the common folk, controlling his erotic impulse for the sexually frustrated middle-aged, or a monk finding his route of enlightenment in the days of the Buddha - the whole issue of Big Vehicle Buddhism as taught in the Diamond Sutra.

A simple way will be like "counting sheep" in bed or chanting mantras in seated meditation (essentially simple vowel with bilabial consonant). The more athletics will likely to have an hour of ball-game or whatever. Some do tai-chi. Alcohol, as a bad substitute, works for some. Well, all of the above might give us a good night sleep or save our marriage.

One method I would recommend is to do cold shower meditation (I discussed some technique issues in previous posts, interested readers can search for "shower" in this blog, more to follow). One major benefit of doing cold shower meditation is that not only it works, it can also jump-start a practitioner's chi-practice (like deep meditation, tai-chi etc), assuming one so desired it in the first place.

In terms of ease of practice, one can adjust the temperature of one's cold shower in a normal bathroom with heated water. And one can start with one's legs first before proceeding to the whole body.

With one's body covered with cold water, one can do meditation. The coldness focuses our mind, with good practice, one can one day do it under running cold showers (or waterfall as is favored by Japanese monks).

I shall discuss more on technique and its ramification on spirituality in some future posts.

Start with your legs

The impatient spiritual seekers

Seekers of spiritual experience needs powerful unblocked energy. Though being spiritual, they should not be impatient, some are! These impatient seekers will more likely be those who are eager to seek " spiritual experience" for some selfish reasons, rather than those who seek "a spiritual foundation for a sound morality system for the benefits of others". In ancient Chinese, these seekers were sometimes labeled as "Non-Tao" (外道), and their practices could be potentially dangerous to the practitioners themselves, both physically and psychologically.

Our modern day secular society, being governed by the rule-of-law rather than religious-cum-morality codes, is a more fertile ground for breeding seekers of "pure spiritual experience" devoid from any moral obligation. Which, by itself, has nothing wrong by modern standards - legally, morally or spiritually. In short, it is right to be selfish!

In ancient China, there had been a period in which many Taoist alchemists seeking to prepare the Immortal elixir (外丹), seeking both physical Immortality and a "mythical experience of being immortal". It was most prevalent in the Tang Dynasty, resulting from the death of many from heavy metal poisoning, including a few Emperors. In modern times, psychotic drugs serve as an equivalent; though "respectable" spiritual seekers experiment with new elixirs, some with heavy metal overtones! A speedy way to "spirituality" with potential lethal effects.

Heightened emotional state can sometimes result in a surge of powerful energy. Both cold weather and powerful emotion can cause goosebumps; the natural follow-up response of both is shivering or shaking. As my previous post mentioned, the condition if properly controlled can lead to energy surge. Tibetan practitioners are fond of using chilling conditions to jump-start one's energy. Some Japanese Zen-practitioners like to meditate under a freezing waterfall. The benefit of cold-practice is that it can train one's mental strength too (every time is like dying and reborn). Needless to say Tibetans and Japanese are tough people! And also needless to say, such practice will not be favored by impatient spiritual seekers.

In ancient times, some Taoist practitioners did either one of these. The most common practice is taking cold showers. For example, the code-of-conduct of the famous Dragon-Gate Taoist group was said to forbid its practitioners to take hot showers (for fear of losing one's vitality - 走丹）. In "spiritual combat or miracle chop" (ShenDa: 神打), a heightened spiritual state, similar to some modern day kundalini practitioners, will be aroused; and through which strange behaviors will result, though the most common "demonstration" is withstanding knife from harming one's body (see my previous post on the practice HERE). It is a legitimate and honorable practice, but need to be done under straight guidance from a respectable teacher - not the cup of tea for the modern day impatient seekers. On the other hand, everybody can take a cold shower with some determination and practice. And I would reckon that most impatient spiritual seekers will not have the patience or courage to take even a cold shower.

In modern days, the arousal of energy through emotional arousal is quite common, for different purposes (including training for insurance salesmen!). There are various kinds of ritual dancing (or whatever movements that the coach can dream of), fire-walking, pouring of cold water upon one's head, laughing, uninhibited emotional outburst, even "controlled" verbal abuse! Some are run by "professional trainers" (with or without proper training in clinical psychology) and some run by self-proclaimed spiritual leaders of whatever orientation. Modern day impatient seekers seem to love these emotion arousal practices.

Last but not least is the use of (erotic) sexual energy. For some impatient seekers this seems to be a one stone-killing-two-birds strategy. These practices had been rather prevalent in ancient China, particular among the rich (and lazy) people. Though, these practices had been condemned by mainstream Taoists as "Non-Tao" (外道), there has been, and still are, impatient seekers using it to generate energy (please refer to my previous post HERE).

Zhan Zhaung, cold shower and goosebumps

According to YiChuan (yi-style: 意拳) Grandmaster Wang XiangZhai (王芗斋), there are two main phenomena or "success-signals" for Zhan Zhuang. The first one is "Muscles-as-one" (肌肉如一), the other is "Hairs-standing-up (i.e. the condition of goosebumps" (毛发如戟 (the other signals of 体整如铸 [body like metal statute] and 身如铅灌 [body like lead-filled] are fundamentally the same as muscles-as-one).

Most seasoned practitioners of zhan zhuang should be able to feel being "muscles-as-one". But, as far as I know, most don't feel hairs-standing-up during their zhan zhuang exercise. Why? And what is the significance of this goosebumps thing?

Anyone who have some familiarization with human physiology understand that goosebumps are caused by exposure to a cold environment or being extremely emotional. Discounting the latter cause, the only cause of goosebumps during zhan zhuang is through exposure to a cold environment.

A second question arises: why did the master ask his students to experience goosebumps? Before we answer this question, one must answer another question: Why most contemporary Yiquan masters don't mention this point (and some have all sorts of fanciful and mythical explanations [like hair-sensitivity training of a cat's whiskers type!]). In order not to arouse too much unnecessary debates here, I shall leave a reader to form his own opinion after reading this post!

Now back to the second question. When exposed to cold environment, our natural response is to have goosebumps (to try to stop heat from leaving our body) and to shiver. Shivering is counter chi-generation. Therefore a practitioner is asked to do zhan zhuang in cold environment, let him have goosebumps, BUT he will be required to focus and relax and to avoid the natural response of shivering.

It is the same theory behind doing cold (shower/waterfall) meditation. Interested readers can refer to my previous posts on the subject, you might like to start with this one).

Hairs-standing-up (goosebumps 毛发如戟)

The importance of mindfulness

What is the healing effect of Zhan Zhuang? The answer is both excellent and minimal. It all depends on how mindful you are and how you proceed from there. Mindfulness is at the heart of all internal disciplines, which include most if not all Eastern spiritual practices, chi-kung, and internal martial arts. They differ according to their respective subject of mindfulness.

I always recommend anyone interested in such practices to start with zhan zhuang (or standing meditation). Through a soundly-coached practice of zhan zhuang, a practitioner can quickly recognize and have an immediate experience of an internal feel - an internal "thing" (物) or an internal chi (气). And only after one can identify this internal feel, one then can mindful cultivate it at whatever location and in whatever way that is required in a particular discipline. Without this internal feel, as the old saying goes, everything will just be academic!

In conclusion, zhan zhuang is one of the doors for one to enter into this arena of internal mindfulness. And I recommend zhan zhuang as the best and easiest door for anyone who is interested to enter the arena.

Another useful tool? As simple as taking a cold shower!

Christmas cold shower

This morning I took my Christmas morning cold shower. The coldest morning in Hong Kong this year, at 11 degree Celsius. Refreshed and relaxed. Expecting an enjoyable evening!

-----------Closing for Christmas--------------

Jump start your practice with cold shower

Zen practitioners in Japan are fond of practicing meditation under water falls (taki-shu-gyou 滝修行). One of greatest MMA fighters Rickson Gracie did dipping under ice-cold stream before some of his important fights (check out his workout video). Winter swimming is good for your health. All pointing to one direction: A feeling of intense cold can stimulate one's chi flow. How should one approach this method?

The best way is through doing cold shower, preferably starting in Summer. The natural bodily response to coldness is shivering, a tightening of one's muscles, so that heat will be generated and the body will be agitated to flight, i.e. move quickly away from the freezing environment. This natural response however cannot induce chi-generation.

To induce chi-generation under a cold shower, one MUST relax one's body (or muscles) and focus one's mind towards one's internal sensitivity. If one is successful, chi will be generated throughout the body to create enough warmth to combat the cold environment.

It is important to note that the speed of chi-generation (needless to say, together with its magnitude) is essential in the training process. Too slow a chi-generation (and too weak a magnitude) will likely result in shivering, a natural response which may lead to "getting a cold". The body needs to be trained in steps. The logic is always: Shower cold at some part of your body - do meditation under this condition - shower cold again (with or without increasing the affected areas) - do meditation again...

Remember: don't push to the state of involuntary shivering, but do push into its limit! Relax, focus and...enjoy!

In search of esoteric practice

For whatever reasons, some people like to search for esoteric practices. Respectable master Nan HuiYin (南懷瑾) being one. Recently I read his lectures on Can Tong Qi (參同契), he mentioned some of his experience in searching for esoteric practices during his more youthful years. By the way, Can tong Qi is almost an incomprehensible text, and Nan did a good job in deciphering some of the chapters.

Back to the subject of esoteric practice, Master Nan said once he visited a Taoist meditation practitioner with his own "college". Nan was surprised to notice that the elderly practitioner had a hunched back. He was surprised because through a proper microcosmic cycle training, one should result in having a straight back, through opening one's three gates (三関) at his back (the subject of front three gates (前三関) and back three gates (后三関) in Taoist meditation shall be discussed in some future post). After befriending the master (which in Chinese culture would probably including some valuable and/or "exotic" gifts plus paying good personal respect), the elderly (and over-weighted) master told Nan the logic of his practice.

According to the elderly master, animals with longevity (including cranes and tortoises) can achieve their longevity through pointing their heads towards their...anus when resting! To achieve longevity, as the logic goes, one should do meditation with one's head dropping down, hunching one's back and trying as much as possible to point one's head towards one's anus.

Master Nan observed the elder's family members doing meditation this way ( each seated "like a meat ball", according to Nan). And before they went out of meditation, they would do a few forward/backward rows on the mat. Kind of good physical finishing sequence to end a deep meditation session, I would thus comment.

The thing is, despite a not very straight back, the elderly master did achieve a good flow of chi! And his family members and students likewise did achieve good chi-flow and good health too (again, except going to have a hunched back when they got older, if not having got it yet).

Lesson for the modern practitioner: Chi-related practices try to "reverse" the natural order of thing (like getting old, getting back-pain, 50s shoulders, shivering doing cold shower, using our sexual energy solely for procreation or pleasure, allow our survival instinct to take its natural "fight or flight" course...). A certain element of "being esoteric" is unavoidable. The question is: Is there a better approach that can achieve the level of well-being of the elderly master without having a hunched back? A question all serious seekers should ask, from time to time.

Good and bad posture

Digital pranayama and the Death instinct

In classical Freudian psychoanalytic theory, the death drive ("Todestrieb") is the drive towards death, self-destruction and the return to the inorganic. In short, Death has its own attraction! Which is quite contrary to what we rationally would believe, doesn't it mean human nature is suicidal by instinct? An assertion which is quite unpalatable to any rational human being. What was Freud talking about in his book "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" published in 1920?

The thing about "discoveries" by psychoanalytic gurus (Freud, Jung and other gurus) is that these were empirical facts. Facts and information they organized and categorized from their patients. Those were the days when there were few psychotic drugs and psychiatrists had to do what they could with language, and to do whatever limited help they could do for their patients, if anything could be done at all. And they got lots of "incidental" empirical data in the process. Some of these data would probably be cross-referenced with data obtained from their own introspection and from doing psychoanalysis on healthy people (which in most cases would be their students and fellow analysts).

Classic Taoist deep meditation (Neidan) texts didn't mention activating one's Death instinct in their techniques. It is however not the case with Indian Yoga, where "holding breath" is a key technique being used. The Taoist's choice is philosophical in nature rather than the issue of a choice of technique. This is an important issue and constituting an important "missing link in Taoist meditative techniques" which I shall discuss using dedicated posts on techniques.

The most important breath control technique with a Death Instinct shadow behind is Digital Pranayama. It is a minute (or digital) control of the breathing mechanism using one's fingers to dynamically obstruct the passage of air through the nostrils. It can be done in may ways, including both sides breathing, single side breathing, alternative nostril breathing and their variations. Psychologically speaking, the fear of death is aroused (similar in nature to a fear towards freezing when doing cold shower), and with the mind being kept relax directed by one's subtle intention (similar to "embrace" the cold water, rather than "run away" from the cold water in doing cold shower), life energy (chi or prana) will be generated. And with the breathing mechanism being prolonged (because of the dynamic constriction), activated chi or prana will "reversely flow" to the inner-most parts of one's body. A good feeling or nice sensation (probably through an increase in endophin secretion） is thereby aroused.

In some future posts, I shall discuss the technique of digital pranayama in the light of a missing link in Taoist deep meditation or Neidan. But mind you, Digital Pranayama is a very powerful exercise that can hurt if practised without good understanding or guidance (and will be completely useless, or silly, if practised without any dynamic constriction).

Taking a cold shower for spirituality?

Meditation under chilling conditions is still practiced in Japan. It is known as taki-shu-gyou 滝修行: meditation under chilling waterfalls. It is not only for experienced meditators, novice adolescents are also encouraged to take part: under "tiny waterfalls" (please check my previous post: Do you shiver?) Advocates are usually Zen-meditators. Tibetan practice of Vajrayāna Buddhism also features practicing under chilling conditions, quite common in Himalayan mountains. The practice of Tom-mo yoga of withstanding chilling conditions has been popularized in the West by famous iceman Wim Hof (who came to Hong Kong to demonstrate his practice some one year ago).

One may wonder why Taoist Neidan literature doesn't have such practices being mentioned. On the other hand, we do read accounts of Taoist Neidan practitioners who could withstand chilling weather and wore scantily during Winters (for example, Taoist Tan Qiao 譚峭 who wrote the famous "Tan's book-of-change 化書" was reported to wear scantily during Winter and wear heavily during Summer). The answer to this "riddle" is simple: Chinese have always been using cold showers during Winters as a way of training for good health and longevity (not to mention the fact that this method can save fuel, talking about Chinese pragmatism!). It simply doesn't need any special mention by spiritual or meditative practitioners to introduce the practice. Even these days, if one goes to the country side in Mainland China, one can still find many people of different age who will proudly tell you that they CAN take shower in Winter with chilling water!

The next question is: How to do training under a cold waterfall or shower? Or better put, the question is like: How NOT to shiver under a cold waterfall or shower?

Shivering is the body's self protecting mechanism of heat generation through involuntary muscle contractions. The gist of the "training secret" is before our muscles turn into full-blown shiver, they will subtly be "directed" by the meditative mind of the practitioner to be synchronized with one's chi-generator, one's lower Dantian (center of one's lower abdomen). The result is that the involuntary muscle contractions will be "sublimed" to drive up one's chi, which in its turn will "heat up" the body evenly. And such heating up can be controlled by one's focused mind.

The secret of all secrets in this practice is: to manage such sublimation at the "right moment". The window-of-opportunity after the body just begins to react with involuntary muscle contractions but before one gets into full-blown shivering. It is similar in concept to sexual sublimation in Neidan practice (check this post: The secret Taoist concept of "the right moment"). Improper sublimation, in the case of shivering, can result in catching a cold! And in the case of sexual sublimation....

Do you shiver?

Japanese kids practicing taki-shu-gyou 滝修行

Japanese meditators are famous for meditating outside during cold weather and/or under cold-running waterfalls - taki-shu-gyou 滝修行. It is a way to still one's restless mind. On the physical side, it is a way to induce one's natural mechanism to generate internal chi. During cold weather, our more natural response is to shiver. Through tightening and contracting one's muscles during shivering, heat will be generated to protect one's important internal organs to counteract the loss of heat through the air. In taki-shu-gyou the force of the waterfall helps one to focus one's mind as well as activate chi to strengthen and connect the "standing-muscles" (the same muscles being trained in zhan zhuang - standing meditation). With a will power of "not-to-shiver", chi will continue to be generated to withstand the cold and keep our vital organs warm.

This kind of cold-induced chi training has often been used by martial artists to strengthen their bodies and calm their mind (in particular before a fight). Famous Brazilian jujitsu master Rickson Gracie demonstrated in a documentary (the Choke) his style of cold-induced chi training (check my previous Martial Art workout post here).

Without going as far as Master Gracie, a veteran meditation practitioner can try practicing half-naked meditation during cold weather, perhaps immediately before taking a warm bath or shower. It is a good way to build a strong body/mind and to prevent common colds. Just remember: Concentrate....and don't shiver!  Can you see which of the Japanese kids is shivering?