Dealing with the Force

 

 

Jing ranges from very dense to very refined, and cultivation methods vary accordingly: physical exercise, massage, sound, breathing, and meditation (to name a few, very broad, categories).  This essay deals specifically with working the very physical, forceful aspect of jing within the lower torso, pelvic region - from three angles: hips, lower abdomen, lower back.  Exercises for these three angles are detailed separately, then - in conclusion - they're combined into a small, extraordinarily effective, set.

 

Dense, richly complex, difficult to leverage into, pelvic musculature.

 

You might think that general exercise - weight lifting, running, calisthenics - would sufficiently process vitality's strong muscular contracting force, but experience has shown that such a general approach, while helpful, doesn't get deeply enough into the lower torso.

 


 

PHYSICAL EXERCISES FOR THE DEEPLY HIP

Part of the solution is to exercise the hips, at wide angles, with moderate weight.  This opens up blood flow at the hip joint (where each femur meets the pelvis).  Blood is produced in the marrow; the femurs are the major blood factories of the body.  The legs are used as levers into the lower tan tien (and the tan tien expresses power through the legs), processing the bound up force, and restoring rich blood flow.

 

Most common leg exercises, such as running, are only marginally helpful because they don't provide a wide enough range of hip motion to really deeply access the lower tan tien.

 

Squats, and squat variations, are effective.  They employ the physical force of the lower tan tien, at wide femur-to-pelvis angles.  These needn't be done with weights: if certain techniques are used, body weight is sufficient.  Detailed examples are in the squats section.

 

 

  Lateral squats. (Cartoons don't get knee injuries; see the link for cautions.)

 

 


 

 

AND YOU THOUGHT THAT YOU WEREN'T A SWINGER   

A kettlebell is a traditional Russian weight lifting tool that is rapidly gaining wide popularity due to its convenience, versatility, and results.  The first kb exercise taught is the two-handed kettlebell "swing".  Swings are driven by a motion similar to that of the male sexual thrust, with range and weight added.  Done properly, with the pelvis as the main forward engine, and legs to cushion descent, the back receives safe, effective exercise.  Kettlebell swings are very useful for processing muscular force typical of the pelvic region.  They're the fundamental exercise of the larger category of kettlebell "pulls", and lower center power is the crux of all of the pulls.

 

      Kettlebell       Kettlebell Swing 

 

Kettlebell instructional information, products, and discussion site, can be found at RussianKettlebells.com and DragonDoor.com.  Swings alone are well worth the price of a kettlebell and instructional book or dvd.  I suggest starting with one of the very lightest kettlebells; kb exercises are effective with very moderate weight, and keep in mind that kb's are marketed to an extremely athletic crowd.  Kb exercise repetitions are stopped considerably prior to muscle failure.  (General CAUTION to those with back problems.)

 

Kettlebell Notes

          Since kettlebell swings exercise strong contracting force, the routines should be complemented with stretching.

          Do not try any tricky lower tan tien compression breathing while working with kettlebells!  Bad idea: There's way too much force swinging around; something could pop.
            If you want to want to add some special lower tan tien breathing, do it after kb exercises.  There's generally some muscular tension built up, so some version of aware, steady, relaxing breathing would be appropriate - in order to harmonize.

          Less expensive kettlebell alternatives.

 


 

 

ABDOMINAL MUSCLES

The following exercises target the abdominal muscles, using an abdominal wheel in several different ways.  I suggest that the best wheels are the cheaper models (usually less than $10 at your local sporting goods store).  In this case, simple is effective: there's no need for a fancy wheel.  

 

               

 

 

Kneeling Ab-Wheel: Basic Training
If you've never worked with an ab-wheel before, kneeling exercises must be done first in order to get a feel for the exercise - so that you don't hurt yourself in the later methods.  It's really a whole-body exercise; maintaining structural integrity is key.  Especially important: Do not arch your lower back, it's especially dangerous when you're near fully extended with the ab-wheel; keep your lower back flat or somewhat convex.  Also, a garden knee pad, or a folded towel, makes it easier on knees.

 

               

 

 

Standing Ab-Wheel: Very Low Abdomen
Standing ab-wheel targets the muscles of the very low abdomen: from the belly-button down through the attachments into the pelvis.  That's where the sperm palace is.  It's a key place where the residual unprocessed force of sexual arousal binds up the tissues and inhibits circulation.  Targeted muscular exercise helps restore healthy blood flow.


The trick to get focused muscular exercise for these very low abs is to do the ab-wheel from the standing position; regular kneeling ab-wheel doesn't do it.  It's just the way that the angles, weight distribution, and leverage works out.

 

Once you're comfortable with the kneeling ab-wheel, you can try it standing - using a wall to keep the wheel within your comfortable range.  Since standing ab-wheel applies more pressure, there's increased risk to your lower back; it's important to not arch your back - keep it tucked flat or convex, and don't extend further than you feel is safe for you.  If you feel that this exercise is out of your range, don't do it.  Be kind to yourself, respect your limits, avoid injury.

 

                Start and finish position:

               

 

                Roll to the wall, then back to original position:

               


The standing ab-wheel exercise works the force out of the very low abdominal muscles in a way that kneeling simply doesn't.

 

Standing Ab-Wheel: Notes & Tips

      As mentioned before, it's critical to keep your lower back flat or slightly convex.  Do not arch your lower back.  (I know I've mentioned this 3 times, now.  It's deliberate.)

      After some few reps of standing ab-wheel, it's likely that your stomach muscles will "give out" and, without stomach muscle support, your lower back is then more at risk of falling, arching, potential injury.  If you are in mid-exercise when your stomach muscles give out, bend your knees to take the load off and exit the exercise.  It's better yet to stop this exercise prior to muscle failure.

      Very low repetitions of standing ab-wheel are normal, and productive.  If you can only do 1, 2, or 3 reps, that is fine for this exercise.  Once you gain familiarity and strength with the exercise (and if you want to go further with this),  consider doing some number of low rep sets, with some while (from 15 minutes to several hours) between sets.  "Greasing the Groove" (GTG) is what Pavel Tsatsouline terms this "heavy weights ~ low rep sets ~ with more space between" approach.

      The standing ab-wheel, for some people, really opens up the stomach and lower tan tien, after which you'll probably want to take some time away from the ab-wheel in order to harmonize and integrate.  Returning to simple lower tan tien breathing, and any other gentle lower tan tien practices, helps.

 


 

SUMMARY and "Combined in Succession"

Dealing with the Force - processing the very strong physical force within the cumbersome-to-leverage-into, richly complex, musculature of the pelvic area:

 

      Variety of squats, legs leverage deeply into the tan tien, and the tan tien naturally expresses force through the legs.

      Kettlebell swings are weighted pelvic thrusts, with moderate back work.

      Abdominal wheel

                Kneeling - preparatory training.

                Standing Ab Wheel - targets the very low abdomen.

 

These exercises are much much more effective when combined in succession: low front, low back, hips.  Do just a few reps of each, in sequence, as a short warm-up routine.  GTG works well here.

Personally, how I do it:

   hindu squats, to warm up

   1) standing ab-wheel

   2) kb swings

   3) lateral squats 

 

This combined exercise set strongly, repeatedly, contracts all of the major muscle groups of the pelvic region...  What else does that? - Intercourse, orgasm.  After the combined set, what often results is that the lower core starts pulsing, and it feels very cool and nourishing (none of the heat & stagnation issues that accompany aroused jing).  Basically, vitality is activated by, and appropriated into, purely muscular work (sans desire).  It's a very healthy way to take the edge off, for us brutes.

 

Cool, nourishing, pulsing of vitality, sans desire.

 


 

 

For some, shipping costs make kettlebells prohibitively expensive.  There are alternatives.

 

Kettlestack.com makes a kettlebell handle; you supply the weight plates.

 

           

 

Also, a home made version.

 

           

 

 

LATE NOTE:  Some Target stores have started carrying kettlebells!  I'd bet kettlebells will continue to show up more at a variety of local stores.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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