The Taoist Mysterious "Seeding Yang Method"

"The people of ancient times, those who understood the Way, modeled themselves on Yin and Yang and harmonized themselves with the arts and calculations."— Huangdi Neijing · Suwen · Chapter on the Innate Truth of Ancient Times

The eight health-preserving acupoints mentioned earlier were merely an introduction. Once you understand the underlying principles, when faced with the dense network of meridians and acupoints, you will naturally grasp the broader implications and find the most suitable techniques for preventing and treating illnesses according to your own constitution.

As long as you use them properly, you will naturally feel Yang energy rising and your vitality surging. However, giving a man a fish feeds him for a day; teaching him how to fish feeds him for a lifetime. The true "fishing method" I offer you here is how to firmly store and preserve this life-nourishing Yang energy within the body so it is not lost. This is the Taoist "Seeding Yang Method".

Regarding this method, successive generations of Taoist patriarchs regarded it as an absolute secret. Neither the various alchemical classics nor countless Taoist texts ever revealed it; some even contained intimidating phrases like "Those who lightly reveal it will surely suffer celestial calamity." Yet my teacher, the immortal studies master Mr. Hu Haiya, had no such reservations. He unreservedly presented to everyone the starting method for opening the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

Within the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, there is a unique Taoist cultivation point — the Yin Qiao Acupoint (阴跷穴). Cultivation masters of all generations have treasured this point, and since ancient times, there has been the saying, "The Yin Qiao point: a secret never revealed." Why is this point so important? This goes back to Zhuangzi's phrase: "The True Person breathes through the heels (踵)." As the saying goes, true transmission is just one sentence, but some sentences have been explained by countless people until their meaning became increasingly vague.

"Heel (踵)" literally means the heel. Some say one should breathe through the heels, which, of course, makes no physiological sense. Others say "踵" means "following one after another" (接踵而来), metaphorically describing continuous breathing. Interpreting this profound health-preserving truth through literary embellishment greatly underestimates Zhuangzi.

To prevent further guesswork and delay the opportunity for health preservation, my teacher, building upon the predecessors and combining his own practice, clearly told us: "Heel (踵)" actually refers to the Yin Qiao Acupoint. The starting point of the Yin Qiao Meridian is precisely in our heel area. This is further strongly supported by the ancient alchemical formula: "The mechanism of breathing: welcome it from the Yin Qiao back to the furnace."

The Yin Qiao Acupoint is located at the depression between the front and rear yin (genitals and anus) of the human body, which is [Huiyin Acupoint (会阴穴, Perineum)]. This acupoint lies on a straight line with the Baihui point (百会穴) on the top of the head and serves as a channel for the body's essence, Qi, and spirit (精气神). It governs the proper circulation of true Qi throughout the body, maintains the balance of Yin-Yang, Qi, and blood, and is a vital point for human life activities.

Therefore, when the Yin Qiao Acupoint activates, it affects the Yin Qiao Meridian, and there will definitely be a sensation in the heel. In fact, the sensation isn't limited to the heel; the whole body responds. The phrase "The True Person breathes through the heels" actually uses the heel as a metaphor to secretly refer to the Yin Qiao Acupoint. Some might wonder: if the starting point of the Yin Qiao Meridian is near the heel, why isn't focusing the mind (意守) on the heel effective?

We emphasize that health preservation requires grasping the core. The core of the Yin Qiao Meridian is the Yin Qiao Acupoint itself. Neglecting the root to pursue the branches is certainly wrong. If one merely focuses the mind on the Yin Qiao Meridian in the heel, concentrating on the heel or calf day and night, it will cause physical problems over time.

How to nurture the Yin Qiao Acupoint?
The method to stimulate the Yin Qiao Acupoint's greatest potential lies precisely in stillness sitting (静坐). The posture for stillness sitting is common to all schools – Taoist, Buddhist, they are all the same.

Method for Stillness Sitting:
First, find a relatively quiet room. Sit on the floor or an ordinary chair, placing a cushion beneath you to prevent leaning backward. Ensure the Baihui point, cervical spine, and tailbone form a straight line. Adjust the angle of your head to feel the sensation of the whole body relaxing.

Use an analogy: like an elastic band – not stretched tight, nor loose and slack, but slightly taut. This state of moderate tension is like lifting the whole body slightly upward and then drawing it slightly inward. Once you achieve this posture, you are correctly seated. Sit like this for 15-20 minutes daily. Do not pursue physical reactions; let everything follow its natural course.

After diligent practice over time, when true Qi becomes abundant, you will feel as if a warm water bottle is pressed against your lower back, warm and exceptionally comfortable. At this moment, simply use your intention to send this subtle, barely-there sensation to the Yin Qiao Acupoint. Do not dwell on the "route" from the lower back to the Yin Qiao, nor ponder its width or narrowness. The human body is inherently interconnected everywhere; there is no specific "route."

With just a flash of thought, the warmth from the lower back will reach the Yin Qiao, like shouting in the mountains and hearing echoes everywhere. When true Qi infuses your Yin Qiao Acupoint, you will feel a faint stirring sensation, like grass sprouting – though "stirring" isn't quite accurate. It's more like the quiet, overcast atmosphere during a light rain, a feeling neither moving nor still, existing between movement and stillness.

Once the sensation arises in the Yin Qiao, do not focus on it anymore. Just sit peacefully and steadily. The sensation in the Yin Qiao will naturally reflect throughout the whole body. At this time, the whole body feels blissfully comfortable as if soaking in a bath, and the sensation within the abdomen is like having just drunk wine. This is the essence, Qi, and spirit steaming and mutually transforming. At this point, simply quietly enjoy it. Naturally, an unceasing stream of Yang energy will rise. This is the "Seeding Yang Method" that the ancients did not transmit to a sixth ear (kept utterly secret).

After I taught this set of Seeding Yang secret methods to friends, they all achieved noticeable results after a period of practice. One middle-aged friend told me that during his evening stillness sitting practice, his wife came over. He suddenly felt she was much more beautiful than usual, and thus, quite naturally, he "envied the lovebirds, not the immortals" (prioritized marital intimacy over solitary cultivation). The Yin Qiao Seeding Yang Method is truly unique.

Crucial Warning:
Because the Yin Qiao Acupoint is very close to the area of the body's Kidney Meridian, if we merely massage or rub this acupoint, Kidney Yang will become strong, and sexual desire will follow and intensify. Ordinary people, nine times out of ten, cannot restrain themselves. Thus, the function of Yin Qiao becomes capital for indulgence. Urged by lust, one suffers repeated damage, ultimately harming the body. This is even more damaging than the absurd practice of focusing on the heel!

Therefore, after guiding Yang energy into the Yin Qiao Acupoint, the key is to maintain a calm mind and peaceful spirit, free from lustful thoughts and fantasies. Only then can one avoid the danger of Yang flourishing leading to dissipation, or replenishment immediately followed by leakage. This is also the reason why the ancients kept the Yin Qiao Acupoint secret and never revealed it.