Embryonic breathing, General questions

[miliox]

Hello,
I wanted to ask some question about the embryonic breathing practice.

1).- I have ridden the Yang Jwing Ming´s book, but for me is not totally clear, i have seen there are differents steps to the embryonic breathing practice, firstly find your yin yang center located in the upper dantian, later the yin center in the lower dantian...etc..., my question is if you must to complete each step (find the yang center firstly) to continue with the next or you can practice the embrionic breathing trying with the differents steps?.

2).- Is the objetive of embryonic breathing the creation of the spiritual embryon? in this case, it is created in the lower dantian or in the huan ting? is the huan ting a empty cavity or is a space with very high conductivity?
Would be the next step of the embryonic breathing the narrow washing practice?? Include the narrow whasing practice the embryonic breathing?

3).- Its possible practice the embryonic breathing using the normal breathing? i think that the main objetive of embryonic breathing is accumulate the energy in the huan ting for the develop of the spiritual embrion, with normal breathing you can concentrate the energy in the huan ting (or in the lower dantian) too, aren´t you?.

4).- Why is better the reverse breathing for the embrionic breahing? why do you have to find the upper and lower centres to develop the spiritual embryon? only focusing your mind in the lower dantian would be enough you get the objetive: accumulate the energy in the huan ting or in the lower dantian, aren´t you?

Well, these are a lot of question that i would like understand.
Thank you very much, and sorry if some of them make not sense.

Emilio

[joeblast]

All of these questions are answered in the book...
1) you dont explicitly have to, but it following the steps is the most productive method.
2) marrow washing is an entirely different practice.
3) normal breathing isnt as energetically productive.
4) reverse is the most energetic.

[miliox]

Thanks for you answer and for understand my not very good english…

I know that these topics are explained in the book but I find that are contradictories, in the ancients documents translated by Dr. Yang is said that the huan ting is a empty cavity, however Dr. Yang says that is tissue with high conductivity ¿?

Respect to the Marrow washing practice, the first step is convert the essence into qi and store in the lower dantian, this is the one propose of embryonic breathing, isn´t it?
In the marrow washing they don´t speak about embryonic breathing, they explain anothers nei dan methods, but I was thinking that embryonic breathing is one of them. ¿?

The next step in the marrow washing practice is elevate the energy to the upper dantian, I think this step has coincidence with the step in which you elevate the spiritual embryon to the upper dantian in embryonic breathing, the final objective in both is again the same. ¿?

I am beginner, probably I am saying things that make not sense, but I have ridden these books and I find these similarities in both practices, I was thinking that probably are differents ways to obtain the same objective.

Finally I don´t understand why the buddist breathing is not energetly, I think that is less energetly than daoist, but you can increase and store qi in the lower dantien too with the buddist breathing, can´t you?

Many thanks for read my text and answer me.

Emilio

[joeblast]

One important point is understanding that the chinese culture uses a lot of metaphors, so things often arent entirely literal.

If you think of the huang ting as empty in concept, its easier to translate to practice as opposed to the literal context of the intestines.

Embryonic Breathing is a fundamental exercise; marrow washing is not. EB stores qi in the lower dantien, but at its beginning level, it is not 'converting essence'...
Being a fundamental exercise, many others are built upon its concepts.

Buddhist breathing is energetic; it is just not as energetic as daoist. Dr Yang explained that pretty well in the EB DVD (understanding qigong 5) - you are coordinating yin and yang more in bodily motion in daoist breathing.
Spend some time getting use to buddhist, that is easier to do and helps you develop the necessary sensitivity to move on to daoist. In the beginning it feels more natural to do buddhist and you can still make a lot of progress in training with it, but after you have developed proper sensitivity with it and then learn daoist, it is easier to tell the energetic difference.

[miliox]

Ok, then we can say that the fundamental propose of EB is the store of qi in the lower tantien, but in a lot of pages of the book Dr. Yang he speaks about the kan-li interaction in the Huang Ting to create the spiritual embryon, is this step inside of the EB method, it is a step corresponding to the marrow washing or it is a step to continue with the nai dan qigong and anothers more advanced practices??

Many thanks

[joeblast]

If you're just starting out and learning EB, then just know of the kan & li concepts, imho. You can get an idea of how to utilize breathing strategies as you progress in practice. It takes daily practice over a long time to get to the level of 'creating the spiritual embryo' or marrow washing. Steps along the nei dan path.

(I'm no expert)

[angryboy]

this practice to high for me, but me was made accupuncture. During the session i was laying with infrarot lamp beneath the belly. I marked that the breathing with belly become more active if the warmth penetrates the organs in this region! May be it can help to activate belly breathing somebody (sometimes belly is lazy!)! But using of such lamp can not be abused! Only according to subscription of doctor!!!