Explore Your Light Body’s Anatomy in this retreat with long standing Universal Healing Tao Instructors 
Jeff Rose and Dirk Al and their special guest: Grand Master Mantak Chia
"Join the integration of Taoist Yogas of Health, Mental, and Spiritual well being with the Yogic techniques of Buddhist Yoga Tantra. Although, over the centuries, the Taoist, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions took different paths, they share common roots, and thus each of these three great Himalayan traditions, has a gem to share with the modern world: Taoism has possibly developed the most comprehensive system of integrative Body, Mind and Spirit realization, while Tantrik Buddhism likely posesses the world's richest system of meditation. The Indian tradition has inspired the others since time immemorable, and in its core are still hidden the secrets of Sound  and Mantra. Transcend the artificial boundaries drawn between the Great Himalayan traditions of Meditation and Inner Alchemy, come join Mr. Jeff Rose, the longtime Martial Arts expert, Mr. Dirk Al,  a Yoga Knower, and their special guest, Grandmaster Mantak Chia, for this weeklong retreat in Tao Garden Health Spa & Resort, Chiang Mai, Thailand. For more information please make use of the links provided.
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Tibetan Yoga Tantra & Inner Light Yoga,
Vase Breathing, Naropa Yoga
Taoist Inner Alchemy: Kan & Li,
 Boddhidharma- The I Jin Ching
Indian Tantrik Yoga & Kashmiri Shaivism,
Vagyoga -the Yoga of the Voice & Mantra

The Channels, Channel Wheels and Mantras
 as employed in the Vajrayogini and
Naropa Practices

Like in the Taoist Practice of Kan & Li, the Water is gathered into the Abdomen, the Tan Tien, and cultivated with the Sexual Energy. It is then compressed into the center of the Central Channel at the level of the navel, using mantras and breathing techniques, called Vase Breathing. The Vase breathing entails bringing also he energy from the Two Side Channels (known as thrusting channels in the Taoist practices), into the Central Channel and fusing them into a 'Drop'. Then, again employing mantra’s, the Solar Plexus and Heart Fire is activated. This Compassion Fire is brought into contact with the ‘Drop’ and melts it.  Great Bliss is felt running up to the crown, then Amrita, Nectar drips back from the Crown and is collected at the navel. As the Taoist practice of Kan & Li is also called Lesser, Greater and Greatest Enlightenment, so the Tantric Yogas of Naropa are referred to as the Short Path to enlightenment in Tibetan tradition.

The Great Bliss is combined with the Wisdom of Emptiness to attain enlightenment, and the combination can bring enlightenment in as little as three years. Without the use of Tantra, the attainment of enlightenment can take three eons of countless lifetimes.  

The mind of the actual Clear Light is the realization of emptiness together with bliss, and the Clear Light Consciousness is the highest state of mind. The Clear Light is cultivated during the waking and dream states in the Six Yogas of Naropa. With this ability, the Yogi is able to produce a conscious death, and the practitioner is liberated from rebirth into cyclic samsara. The highest level of liberation occurs with the rainbow body, where all of the material elements of the body are converted into light as the final transformation. The rainbow body is the highest attainment of The Six Yogas of Naropa.
The Central Channel, the left and right Thrusting Channels and the leg-routes, as used in
Taoist Inner Alchemy.

In the Taoist Practice of Kan & Li, the Alchemical Marriage and Cooking of the Elixir, and the Steaming of the Channels, Glands, Organs and Nervous System is taught. The Elixir of Immortality is prepared by reversing the usual sites of the Water and Fire Element in the Body: normally the Fire in the Body is up, and the Water is down. Following their natural course, the Fire will flare up, and the Water will leak out and dry up. This drying out process is at the root of the aging process. But by placing the Fire under the Water and cooking the Elixir, a powerful ‘steaming’ effect    is established in the Cauldron at the level of the Navel Centre. The steaming is used to cleanse, purify strengthen the channels, organs, nervous system and brain. It nourishes, raises and develops the Immortal Fetus, hence this formula is said to reveal the Secret of the Fountain of Youth.

The relationship between mind, body, and spirit is cultivated to its maximum with the Kan and Li teachings as the strengthened body is able to produce the higher quality immaterial spiritual energy to crystallize the Immortal Fetus.

The techniques for the Taoist process of creating the immaterial energy of the spirit from the material elements of the body are taught. Eventually, the body will reach a higher vibration, so that the material body can be directly absorbed into the spirit body, which is traditionally believed to happen between the ages 130 to 150 years old. The highest manifestation of the union of mind, body, and spirit happens when all the material elements of the body transform into the light of the spirit body.
The Spatial and Elemental Correspondences of the Fourteen Vowels and the Two Stops of the Sanskrit language.

The connection between the Taoist practice of Kan and Li and Indian Yoga, starts from the fact that eventhough both employ different systems of elements, the position of Fire and Water in the body is the same: the Fire resides in the Manipura Chakram and the water is below it in the Svadhisthana Chakram. A parallel Fire-Water polarity we can see in the picture above, where the colored spheres around the head present the Sanskrit vowels, their anatomical origination, direction of movement, and element. The dark blue spheres represent the short and long sound of the letter 'A': it is considered the first sound, because it is produced solely from the throat, and it is very pure. In Sanskrit Vidya the sound 'A' is considered the beginning of speech, the original vowel from which all the other vowels and indeed also consonants, are modifications. The letter 'A' is therefore called 'acyuta', the unchangeable one, which is an epithet of Brahma, or Shiva, as the creator of life.
अ िशव  A Brahma, Shiva, Divine Water
इ शक्ित  I (ee) Shakti, Divine Fire
उ ऊ स्वयंभु U Svayambhu, Divine Air
The sound 'A' is born from the Ether Element (Visuddha Chakram), but he behaves like Water in the presence of Shakti, the Fire of the divine feminine, which manifests itself in the sound 'I' (ee). Shiva, the masculine principle, descends into the body, just like the sound 'A' vibrates down into the chest. Shakti, the feminine priciple, rises up to the crown, just like the sound 'ee'.

But when the Yogi realizes the Union of Shiva and Shakti, usually in the Third Eye or in the Heart, it is said that Shakti, for the occasion of meeting with her Lord, takes up her position under him and thus places the Fire under the Water. From their Alchemical Union is born the gift of Self Existence (Svayam-Bhu), represented by the letter U and the Air Element.
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Khor-Lo-Dem-Chog, in Sanskrit: Chakrasambharam Mandala, 'The Wheel of All Combined'.
This mandala is often used in connection with the practice of Naropa Yoga.

By placing the Fire under the Water and cooking the Elixir, a powerful ‘steaming’ effect is established in the Cauldron at the level of the Navel Centre.
The ground plan of the Chakrasambharam Mandala, the Sarvato Bhadra Chakra, constructed by stringing the Aksharmala into a double spiral.
The Bardos of Dream and the Fourth Occasion (Sexual Bardo) have a central place in The Six Yogas of Naropa. The goal is to try and remain conscious during the sleep stage to gain control over the 9 blendingsthe clear light of bliss. For the Buddhist, this is an invaluable tool on the path to liberation from cyclic existence. For the Taoist, it is a technique to remain in continuous training. A fundamental tenet to promote health in Taoism is happiness. Usually, people wake and start the day with a mental state that started in their dream, but they don’t know why they have these feelings. The Taoist who can control his dreams will awake with a fresh attitude set in an ideal dream world. Further, spiritual work can be continued in the dream state, and some spiritual work is accomplished easier in the dream state.

The Six Yogas of Naropa use the Inner Heat Yoga as the common foundation. While this heat is generated inside the thrusting channels, it does radiate out to other parts of the body. It will radiate into the organs as well as the muscles and blood. This energy must be carefully controlled or you are in essence cooking yourself. Grow the heat for practice or in times of cold temperature, but reduce it after practice or in hot climates. The Inner Heat Yoga is essential to the higher levels of Yoga Tantra.
 The treatment of the energy derived from desire and arousal in Naropa’s Yogas is very similar to the treatment in Taoism, with some notable differences. In Naropa’s Yogas the bliss of sexual energy starts in the crown chakra and descends through the chakras increasing the bliss as it goes until it arrives at the tip of the jewel. Then, the flow is reversed and travels back up the central channel pausing at the chakras to increase the blissful energy. Ultimately, it returns to the crown chakra creating a profound experience.

The Taoist approach, in general, is to bring this aroused energy up the Small Circle of Heaven to the Pai Hui point on the outside of the crown, but Taoism also uses the central channel method. While both methods create an elevated level bliss, the Highest Tantric Training moves this chi through each chakra uniquely. The wrap around effect of the side thrusting channels into the central channels amplifies this blissful energy significantly. It appears to lock the chi in the chakras and thereby it amplifies the sexual essence concentrated in the chakras energy centers with the energy from the side channels. The chi is trapped, concentrated, amplified, and radiated through the chakras. It is truly a great discovery by our Buddhist Meditational colleagues 		In Sanskrit Vidya, the body is seen as a weaving of Sound vibrations. Each sound is like a distinctly colored string in the weaving, and has its own direction of movement, so that together they produce a spacial structure. The 49 'letters, or as they are called in Sanskrit 'A-kshara', un-decaying ones, form a Garland of Sounds, the Akshar-mālā, which when it is counted from the Om in the Crown Chakra down to the Ha in the root chakra, spirals down the body from the crown, exactly filling the petals of the lotuses in each of the chakras.

In the picture above, the 49 Akshara have been strung into a double spiral, in the way used by ancient Indian Vaastushaastra to form the ground structure for constructing mandalas like the Chakrasambharam mandala depicted on the left, but also as the groundplan for temples, shrines and homes. The full form of this mandala has two counts of the Aksharas, 49 in White, for Shiva, and 49 in Red, for Shakti- added to the count for the Divine Pair are the Ten Numbers, yielding 108 Dhatu (elements). Visualizing ourselves inside that great mandala, the Aksharmala chanting starts from Om in the crown and spirals down, effectively forming a double pyramid structure.



The Central Channel, or dbu.ma in Tibetan tradition, with the Side (Thrusting) Channels and the Knots.
The Central Channel in Taoism is
the meeting point of the Heaven and Earth.
In Vagyoga, the yoga of the voice, as well as in
Kashmiri Shaivism,
the Central Channel is like an instrument.
The spiritual essence of the Tantric teachings lies in the theory of the Bardo. Some of the Bardos are: the Bardo of Becoming, the Bardo of Life, The Bardo of Dream, and The Fourth Occasion (verify) or the Sexual Bardo. It is considered that death is very similar to the Bardos of Dream and Sex. So, the process is taught to gain control through the waking bardo during meditation, and apply this meditation to the Bardo of Dream and Sex. Then, having learned how to control the subtle energy of the body during these states, the training is applied at the time of death.

Rarely is a teaching revealed that unites the great qualities of the highest level of two different spiritual teachings. It is surprising that Taoism and The Six Yogas of Naropa were never joined together before, but it is obvious by studying their individual classics that they evolved separately. The method here is to keep the meditative practices of both Taoism and Tibetan Tantra separated into sections, and the integration will naturally occur as the practice and understanding of the individual progresses. It will be obvious to the advanced practitioner when to incorporate the specific teaching as outlined here. It is written to assist both high-level Taoist and Tantric Yogis and yoginis.

The Naropa Yogas are of Tibetan origine, but to properly understand them, we need to study the Indian traditions as well, because the Indian traditions of Tantra invariably require the practice of Mantra. In Tantra, such as Kashmiri Shaivism, there is a common use of mantras, which goes back deeply into Yoga, Meditation and Music. The practice of Vag-yoga, the Yoga of the Voice, brings us right to the roots of this great tradition.
The Integration of
Shao Lin Buddhism and Taoism


Bodhidharma

Bodhidarma is considered to be the founder of Shao Lin Marital Arts, however the Shao Lin Temple was established before the arrival of Bodhidarma. Bodhidarma created the foundation of Shao Lin fighting Arts with the introduction of four primary teachings. Three of the four primary teachings of Bodhidarma are: 1. I Chin Ching (Changing of the Muscle and Tendons), 2. Bone Marrow Breathing,
3. Astral Projection. The connection between the Buddhists teachings of Bodhidarma and Shao Lin Marital Arts can be misunderstood. 
Following one of the most ancient yogatexts, the  Yogacudamanyupanishad, we will explore and practice the Weaving of the Channels by the Goddess Kundalini and her ‘Needle Like body’.
स्वाधिष्ठानाष्रयादस्मान्मेढ्रमेवाभिधीयते ।  तन्तुना मणिवत प्रोतो योऽत्र कन्दः सुषुम्नया ।१२॥
Svādhišṭhānāšrayādasmānmeḍhramevābhidhīyate, tantunā maṇivat proto yo’tra kandaḥ sušumnayā (*verse 12)
Having taken his abode at the Svādhišṭhānā Linga, God is also called ‘the foundation of Self’; at this place a ‘Kanda’ exists, a bulbous root that is woven by the Sušumna thread, shining like a jewel.

The activation and meditative contemplation of this mysterious Kanda, is verily a secret of Tantrik Yoga, which without the correct practice of Mantra is difficult to attain.

तस्मिन् दृष्ठे महायोगे यातायातं न विद्यते । स्वशब्देन भवेत प्राणः स्वाधिष्ठानं तदाष्रयः ।११ ॥
Tasmin dṛšṭhe mahāyoge yātāyātaṃ na vidyate, svāshabdena bhavet prāṇaḥ svādhiṣṭhānaṃ tadāṣrayaḥ (*verse 11)
In seeing the Great Yogi (who is God), the Yogi does not experience the chain of comings and goings, birth and death. Having taken shelter in the Svādhiṣṭhāna Chakra, the divine Self exists as Sva-Shabda, the Sound of Self, which issues forth as prāṇa.

In the workshops we will explore the way the 49 types of wind (prāṇa) are the informative forces of creation by Shakti, the feminine, creative power of Shiva. This will bring us from Vagyoga into the Tantra of Kashmiri Shaivism and the works of Abhinava Gupta. We will then turn back to our practice of Taoist Inner Alchemy, to find out about the points & Meridians of Acupuncture and how they originate from  sound.

The Teaching of the I Chin Ching is a yogic system brought from India by Bodhidarma. The system of Bodhidarma is somewhat different than the other well-known yoga systems with postures from India.

The system of I Chin Ching uses dynamic tension in postures that are more strenuous than better-known systems. The I Chin Ching focuses on strength and flexibility, and this directly contributed to the legendary abilities of the Shao Lin Monks and their students, as we can see from the pictures below in which Jeff Rose demonstrates the abilities he has gained in his practice. .

Mr. Jeff Rose will teach daily classes of the I Chin Ching, but ofcourse students are not expected to equal the poses depicted here: we will start a bit more more simple..

Over the centuries, the Shao Lin Temple became famous for the fighting abilities of the Monks that resided there, and very knowledgeable instructors outside the temple system were invited to teach at the Shao Lin Temple. The Shao Lin Temple was more of a University that categorized and instructed Martial Arts and Chi Kung. While we don’t know exactly when the principles of Taoism began to be integrated into the teachings of Shao Lin, Taoism is very integrated into the Buddhism of Shao Lin. The Shao Lin System of the 8 Drunken Immortals is based on a Taoist legend. The 8 Drunken Immortal System is between 700 and 800 years old. In examining the drunken forms of the 8 Immortals it is apparent that the system uses many of the postures that can be seen in the much older teaching of Bodhidharma’s I Chin Ching. CLICK HERE TO WATCH 8 Drunken Immortals Video
The goal of this Inner Light Yoga/Kan & Li retreat is to outline a clear path towards the highest levels of these meditations, to explore the complimentary nature between the highest levels of Taoist Inner Alchemy, Tantrik Buddhism, and Indian Tantrik Yoga. The compiling of the Kan and Li Taoist practices together with the Highest Tantra Yoga is given in order to help anyone trying to reach enlightenment in order to eliminate the suffering of sentient beings. The complimentary nature of Taoist meditations to The Six Yogas of Naropa can assist the Buddhist practitioner of Highest Tantra Yoga, in the aspect of chi, towards the attainment of enlightenment.
Jeff Rose began studying Traditional Chinese Martial Arts in 1973 under the personal supervision of Shao Lin Grand Master Sin The’. He became Associate Master in 1995, and received the rank of Master 6th degree black belt in 2004. He is a Regional Vice President of the Shao Lin Do Association. Few people realize the ancient Shao Lin teachings always incorporated Taoism and Buddhism, and this has always been a guiding principle for the lineage descendent. In 1991, he began studying the Healing Tao System under Grandmaster Mantak Chia in earnest. He continues to build on the long process of integrating Taoist Eternal Youth and Immortality Training with the Buddhist quest for enlightenment.
Not all Chi Kung can be classified as Taoist or Buddhist, however. Many martial arts systems also incorporate both traditions, and sometimes it is irrelevant to try and classify which lineage the system follows. A partial list of the meditations and internal systems learned are:
•    State of emptiness in 1973 •    Yang Style Tai Chi and classical Pa Kua in 1976 •    Hou Tien Chi Breathing Meditation (breath after birth) in 1976 •    I Chin Ching (changing of the muscle and tendon, Bodhidharma’s Yoga) in 1977 •    Shien Tien Chi Meditation (breath before birth), Hua Tou’s Five Animals and the 8 passages to immortality in 1981 •    The Large Circle of Heaven in 1982 •    Iron Shirt, Bone Marrow Nei Kung, Sexual Chi Kung in 1989-1993 •    Fusion I, II and III 1994-1996 •    Lesser, Greater, and Greatest Kan and Li 1997-2001 •    Tibetan Dream Yoga 1998 •    The Six Yogas of Naropa 2008 •    Liu Hsing, Metor Fist, 2009 •    10,000 Lotus Blooming 2010
This is only a partial list of the internal systems received. For example, many different forms of Tai Chi, Hsing I, and Pa Kua are considered sub-classifications. In addition to the list of Internal Systems, he has been taught over 150 Traditional Chinese empty hand and weapons forms, and attained a knowledge of both internal and external Chinese healing and fighting arts. He has been a first generation recipient in the west for many of these secrets, of which many have been lost in the east.




Mahasiddha Naropa




ॐ
Dirk Al (1959) is a Certified Universal Healing Tao Instructor. He began studying Taoist Meditation under the direct supervision of Taoist Master, Mantak Chia in 1989. At that time he was already a certified Yoga Teacher. After certifying as an Instructor in 1992, he taught Universal Healing Tao workshops in Holland, specializing in Healing Love for Men and Women. Mr. Al studied Western Philosophy and Comparative Linguistics at Leiden University, along with a variety of spiritual disciplines including Hatha & Raja Yoga, Sanskrit-Vidya, Vagyoga and Tibetan Buddhism.

The culmination of his spiritual journey occurred in 2002, when he was initiated by the Thai monks into Vipassana Meditation. They brought him to a cave, where he spent 4 months practicing 'Nang Samadhi', before becoming a monk. Today, Dirk Al lives in Tao Garden Resort in Chiang Mai Thailand, when he is not traveling. He spends his time writing and working with Master Chia's guests, both one on one and in retreat format.

 He is available for University lectures, television and radio interviews. He speaks English, Dutch, German, Hindi, Thai and several other languages.

Currently is he working at a program for Thai schools, called 'Indo-European Language for Thai Students'. This program aims at providing a linguistic bridge for global culture. For students to understand that in fact, there exist no foreign languages. We all come from the same family