Nourishing oneself by the breath
Fu-ch’i Chin., lit. “nourishing oneself by the breath”; Taoist breathing technique, in which the practitioner focuses his attention on the breath and allows it to penetrate and circulate in the five internal organs (wu-tsang). From there the breath is directed to flow through the feet, heart, neck, joints, and nine bodily orifices. In this way the body is nourished. This technique is a preliminary for embryonic breathing (t’ai-hsi).
A special form of Ju-ch’i consists in absorbing the breaths of the five shoots, or sprouts (wu-ya): the ch’i of the five elements (wu-hsing) is allowed to enter the corresponding internal organs by absorbing the breaths of the five heavenly directions (the fifth being the center). During this exercise the Taoist adept follows the breath with his mind and sees it enter the organs in question, where it mingles with the secretion or essence of that particular organ. In this way the breath is circulated through the body and can release its healing powers. The absorption of the breath of the five shoots results in a strengthening of the five internal organs.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Fu-ch’i documents
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