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3439.
Vertebrae (
, Jia Ji Guan), and the upper gate/Jade Pillow (
Zhen Guan), as shown in Figure 1.
, Yu
Inmypersonalobservation,Ihavefoundthatthelowergate/Coccyxislocated
inthebaseofthelowerparasympatheticnervoussystemdivision;themiddle
gate/NarrowVertebraeislocatedinthebaseofthesympatheticnervous
systemdivision;andtheuppergate/JadePillowislocatedinthebaseofthe
upperparasympatheticnervoussystemdivision,asshowninfigure2. Next,I
wouldliketodescribewhyQigongpracticeaffectsthestatesofthesethree
gates,andwhythestatesofthesethreegates,inturn,affectthefunctionsofthe
sympatheticandparasympatheticnervoussystems.
bone marrow, and keeping the vitality of the reproductive system. For
example, three years ago, a Qigong practitioner said to me Dr. Sun, I am over
50 now, but I am feeling like a teenager again after last quarters Qigong class,
you know what I mean? I told him: Yeah, I know what you mean. In the
ancient Qigong tradition, it means you re-gained your internal youth. He
gave me a very happy smile.
Openingupandactivatingthemiddlegate/NarrowVertebraenotonlyallows
therefinedenergytoriseuptoenergizethesympatheticnervoussystem,but
stimulatesthelifegate(
,MingMen)tobeopenandactivatedaswell. In
myexperientialunderstanding,thelifegateislikethekeythatturnsonthe
internalpowerstation,theinternalelectricitygeneratorthekidneys. Inthe
viewoftraditionalChinesemedicineandTaoistselfcultivation,thekidneys
areconsideredtherootoflife,becausetheoriginalQihasbeen
accumulatedandstoredinthekidneysduringourembryonicdevelopment
stage. TheoriginalQiisconsideredthelifeforceforsupportingthe
activitiesofalloftheinternalorgansandcellsinthebody. Fromthe
perspectiveofhumanphysiology,theprimaryfunctionofthekidneysis
filtering,cleansingandregulatingthefluidenvironmentinthebody. This
functionisaccomplishedthroughtheformationofurine.Duringtheprocessof
urineformation,thekidneysregulatebloodvolumeandpressure,filterand
cleansewasteproductsfromtheblood,regulatetheconcentrationof
electrolytes,andadjustbloodpH,aswellashelpthelivertoremovetoxins.
TolookattheKidneyUreterUrinaryBladderSystemsymbolically,the
UrinaryBladderisalake,andthetwolongducts,theUreters,arelikeamazing
waterfalls,andtheKidneysthemselvesarelikeahydraulicpowerstation,as
showninfigure3. ManyYiRenQigongpractitionershavereportedsensing
anelectricvibrationinitiatedfromthekidneyswhenpracticingtheirmind/life
gateconnectionexercise. Theyalso,duringtheearlystagesofQigong
practice,feltasenseoftinglingandelectricvibrationthattraveledfromthe
spinalcordtoshoulderheight. Mypersonalexperientialunderstanding,and
theexperiencesofotherYiRenQigongpractitionersaswell,suggestthatthe
KidneyUreterUrinaryBladderSystemfunctionsasaninternalpowerstation
inthebodythatisabletoproduceelectricityforsupportingthefunctionsof
theinternalbody.
Figure3.TheInternalPowerStation
Asmentionedabove,openingupandactivatingthemiddlegate/Narrow
Vertebraeallowstherefinedenergytoriseupforenergizingthesympathetic
nervoussystem. Atthispoint,thesympatheticnervoussystemnaturally
increasesinsensitivityandawareness. Before,whenthebodytriedtotellus
something,weprobablycouldnthearitbecausetheSNSwasntsensitive.
Forexample,perhapsthePNShadbeensendingthesignalslowdown
youreexhausted. ButtheSNScouldnthearit,wasntaware,andcouldnt
helpustorelax. Oncethemiddlegate/NarrowVertebraeisactivated,these
twosystemsthePNSandSNShavebettercooperationandcoordination.
Everyonesbodyhasagreatbiofeedbacksystem,informationsystem,and
alarmsystem. However,ingeneral,inoureducationsystem,wehavebeen
trainedintellectuallyratherthanintuitively,soourmindisusedtobeing
outwarddirectedallthetime. Nomatterhowhardourbodymaytrytotell
uswhatiswronginternallyorinouractivities,evenifweareinadangerous
situation,ourmindcannotseeit,cannothearit. Theinternalintelligence
alwaystriestodousagreatservice,butthemindjustdoesntgetit. The
internalintelligence,thebodysinformationsystem,iseitherbeingabusedor
ignoredbythemindallthetime.
Whyisthemindnotabletoreceivethisgreatservicefromthebodysinternal
intelligence?Whyisitbeingignoredbythemind? Inmypersonal
experientialunderstanding,oneofthereasonsisthatthehigherlevelenergetic
communicationfunctionofthesympatheticnervoussystemisnotactivated. I
haveexperiencedagrowingawarenessofinternalandexternal
communicationsattheenergeticlevelthatbeganupontheopeningand
activationofthemiddlegate/NarrowVertebrae,andlifegate. Usually,six
weeksintoaweeklyYiRenQigongLevelIclassorduringthecourseofatwo
dayintensivetraining,mostofthepractitionersareabletoexpresstheirfeeling
andawarenessclearly,withstatementssuchasIcanfeelmyenergyvibrating
inmykidneysorIamawaremyshouldersarenotrelaxed,butInever
noticeditbeforeorMybackpainisgone
The Upper Gate/Jade Pillow and the Upper PNS Division
Opening up and activating the upper gate/Jade Pillow not only allows the
refined energy to rise up for energizing the upper parasympathetic nervous
system division, but also stimulates the brain gate(
, Nao Hu) to be open
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and activated. The upper parasympathetic nervous system division is
responsible for all of the internal organs (except the reproductive organs)
having enough energy to maintain their health and vitality. When the upper
parasympathetic nervous system division is nourished and energized from the
refined energy within, most of the internal organs feel loved and cared for.
During the internal cultivation process, when the upper gate/Jade Pillow is
opened and activated, practitioners experience a greater joy and peace within
because they feel the internal body reaching a new level of balance and
harmony.
Opening and activating the brain gate allows the refined energy to flow into
the brain, supporting and enhancing the brains functions. The brain is made
up of about 100 billion neurons and is one of the largest organs of the body.
Even though the brain comprises only about 2 percent of total body weight, it
needs about 20% percent of the bodys oxygen supply and receives about 20%
of the total blood flow to the body per minute. The brain is one of the most
metabolically and energetically active organs of the body. Human beings are
clearly different from animals in that we have a developed brain. The human
brain has great learning ability, creative power, amazing memory, thinking,
reasoning, decision-making, self-awareness, etc. In general, only a small part
of the brain is being used. However, there are great potentialities in the brain
to explore and develop.
The cerebrum is the part of the brain which is very developed and clearly
different from other animals. The cerebrum can be divided into four areas, or
lobes: first, the frontal lobe is the intellectual area controlling the most abstract
reasoning; second, the parietal lobe is the intuitive and self-awareness area
processing information from the senses; third, the occipital lobe is the vision
area regulating vision; and fourth, the temporal lobe is the memory area
controlling memory, hearing, and language. The frontal lobe is located in
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the front of the brain; the parietal lobe is located in the back of the brain; the
occipital lobe sits at the base of the brain; and the temporal lobe is located on
each side of the brain as shown in Figure 4.
Acknowledgments:
MythankstoJillGonetforherhelpwiththewritingofthisarticle.
Endnotes:
1. From the website of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke:
http://www.neurologychannel.com/sleepdisorders/index.shtml
2. From BBC News, 15 August, 2000:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/881636.stm
3. In the case of women, this is not as true. Perhaps because the coccyx of a
woman is situated differently, or is more flexible, or for some other reason, I
have found that this point is generally more open in women than in men,
though women benefit just as greatly as men do by practicing lower gate
exercises.
4. I would like to stress that opening up and activating the upper gate/Jade
Pillow and activating the brain gate is quite an advanced step in the internal
cultivation process. All of the opening and activating of the energetic gates
should happen naturally, not be pushed or forced.
5. For someone who is or has been dealing with mental illness, before
practicing Qigong and other types of energetic work, I would like to suggest
that they consult with their therapist and doctor first. They should not
practice Qigong and other types of energetic practice without their therapist or
doctors permission and cooperation. It has been my experience that
depression is readily helped by Qigong practice. The effects of energy
grounding from Qigong practice also contribute to a greater sense of wellbeing and improvement in many patients undergoing therapeutic treatment.
But these beneficial responses to the energetic practice do not occur in every
case, and practitioners with a history of mental illness require careful
monitoring.
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