Taking Wing with the Phoenix Heart
PragmAlchemy Exercise #2
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�� �� NOTE: If you haven’t already done so, before proceeding with this or any other PragmAlchemy exercise, please read the PragmAlchemy Orientation. Also, be sure to start each session with the 1st exercise, Energy Intake in the Cauldron Position.
ATTENTION!
This exercise can sometimes temporarily elevate blood pressure. Having said this, I wish to point out that Taking Wing with the Phoenix Heart also features a resistance breathing technique similar to one that has been shown to actually decrease high blood pressure. If you suffer from
heart problems or are at risk of brain hemorrhage, please consult with your doctor before proceeding with this particular exercise.
INITIAL POSITIONING
Find a peaceful, comfortable space at home or another location where you can lie down totally outstretched in order to first do the starter PragmAlchemy exercise, Energy Intake in the Cauldron Position. This technique helps create space in and heat up your central power station, making any subsequent exercises considerably more effective.
You’ll follow this with the second technique detailed here for at least 6 minutes. This means that your total workout time will be a minimum of 11 minutes.
You may or may not choose to wear earplugs and/or a sleeping mask to shut out noise and light and potentially let yourself go deeper into your meditative breathing and visualizations. Both of these items are totally optional.
Sometimes you might need or want one or both; other times they simply might not be helpful. Just go with your gut feeling and release any need or desire to transform your PragmAlchemy practice into a mechanical routine.
Note that you can perform Taking Wing with the Phoenix Heart as often as you like. But 11 minutes is probably the upper limit for how long you should do it by itself in a single session.
So if you’re maxing out the first two PragmAlchemy exercises in combination, your maximum workout session length would come to 21 minutes.
It’s easy to underestimate how impactful PragmAlchemy’s simple bodywork, breathwork and mental work can be, so please remember to build up slowly to longer sessions. This suggestion is particularly relevant now that you’re stacking exercises.
Also, if you’re experiencing Potentiation or other Regenetics Method activations, as covered in the PragmAlchemy Orientation, you’ll definitely want to pace yourself to avoid any temporary healing crises that can result from rapidly stimulating detoxification.
After you’ve finished Energy Intake in the Cauldron Position, immediately transition to this second exercise.
Set your timer to the starter time of 3 minutes and place your touchstone either your Ouroboros or a tightly rolled-up hand towel—on the floor, ground or other level surface in front of you. Ideally, as before, the surface will be something along the lines of a rug, carpet or yoga mat without too much padding.
This type of surface will allow you to generate enough pressure down through your connective tissue to undo, or melt, fascial adhesions at the bone level that constrict physical movement; limit blood, lymph and energy flow; and lead to other negative outcomes.
Ideally, you’ll remain on your knees throughout this exercise. How far apart they are is up to you. You can also experiment with how high or low you keep your rear end. Just be sure not to stress your lower back, neck or shoulders too much, and make sure you can breathe comfortably. If lying on top of the Ouroboros or towel on a minimally padded surface generates too much pressure, you can even perform this exercise on a bed or futon. You’ll still receive benefits, including both myofascial release and quite possibly even a certain amount of decompression. At some point you may discover that you’re able to switch to a somewhat firmer surface.
This time instead of flat like a book positioned either horizontally or vertically your Ouroboros should ideally be stood upright on its end like a tower, with either the longer or shorter side (your choice that you can change whenever you like) aligned with your spinal axis at the center of your sternum.
ANOTHER OPTION
YET ANOTHER OPTION
Make sure the touchstone isn’t directly touching any of your ribs but is firmly against the hard plate of your sternum. A lot of fascial adhesions occur here at this centrally located major bone structure, making it a very important area to decompress to allow for greater freedom of movement throughout your torso and even up into your neck and head.
VARIATIONS
If this position creates too much pressure on your chest (or you’re using a rolled-up towel), you have other options.
You can lay your touchstone lengthwise (flat) aligned vertically with your spinal axis (north-south). In the case of the Ouroboros, if you decide to place it horizontally (east-west) instead of vertically, you can also choose between the broad and narrow sides to lie on.
As always, consult the images for positioning if you need help visualizing this exercise.
BREATHING
Starting off, while breathing deeply through your nose from your abdomen, lie, or lean, down with your touchstone pressing against your sternum on top of the heart area. Inhale and exhale diaphragmatically in a relaxed manner as balanced on your knees and, initially, elbows you let your weight descend very, very slowly indeed.
You can remain on your elbows some or all of the time, or incrementally sink until you can go no farther and the majority of your weight is resting on top of your Ouroboros or towel. Whenever you’re on your elbows, be mindful to keep them aligned with your shoulders to avoid undue stress on your upper torso and rotator cuffs.
While balancing on your touchstone, you’re very likely to feel some tightness or discomfort somewhere or even in multiple places at once: sternum, ribs, neck, collarbone, jawbone, even shoulders or shoulder blades.
As always in PragmAlchemy, be a pain searcher as you let your breath direct you while tapping into the transformative pain inside.
Learn to tell the difference between “good” and “bad” pain by making it a point to pay attention to your breathing. Good pain—which can be tolerated even if it’s not exactly enjoyable—indicates adhesions or other restrictions in your fascia.
Fascinatingly, recalling the proverbial relationship between pleasure and pain, this type of pain can become almost pleasant with time as your body begins to associate it with release of restrictions and increased wellbeing overall.
Whenever you feel your breath catching (indicating bad pain), back off the pressure until you can breathe more normally. Think of your breath as your body’s “speed governor” for this process. When the breath is smooth, you’re good to roll. But when it sticks, slow down until you feel more relaxed.
You can also literally smile your way through low levels of pain. If you think I’m joking, try it and see for yourself.
GRIN & BEAR IT
While not always effective, smiling often works wonders. This is because when we contract our “say cheese” muscles, we stimulate the brain to release feel-good hormones, a.k.a. endorphins.
Having identified a good pain point, you’ll likely become aware that the discomfort, while still present, quickly becomes more manageable. When not too acute, this discomfort is a positive sign indicating that your hardened fascia in that area is softening and is about to begin melting. That’s great news!
Throughout this exercise breathe deeply and slowly from your diaphragm through your nose starting in your lower belly and filling your lungs as completely as possible from the bottom up.
Each in-breath and out-breath should last roughly 5-8 seconds. You might inhale longer than you exhale, or vice versa, or you might opt for an even rhythm. That’s your choice and you can change how you’re breathing whenever you like.
A full breathing cycle done this way should fall somewhere between 10-16 seconds. You also have the option as with other PragmAlchemy exercises to pause for a second or two between inhalations and exhalations, which will lengthen your breathing cycle accordingly.
The resistance caused by your touchstone will make deep breathing slightly harder than under normal circumstances, so don’t be concerned if you’re unable to take a complete breath.
One noteworthy aspect of this exercise is that it includes a type of High-Resistance Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training (IMST), or pratiloma in Ayurveda, which strengthens the diaphragm.
This is the case even with your touchstone placed slightly higher up your torso than your diaphragm, since the latter still receives a certain amount of pressure from this placement.
Related types of controlled breathing against resistance have been shown to lower blood pressure, prime the diaphragm as a lymph pump, fortify the lungs and heart, and even lessen heartburn and GERD symptoms. So lean into this pose literally and breathe, breathe, breathe.
Diaphragmatic breathing both its “in” and especially “out” and “pause” phases is key to maximizing fascial decompression and, by melting frozen connective tissue, releasing and removing toxins that have accumulated over time.
TAKING WING
Feel free to initially position yourself on your elbows as described and take as long and as many sessions as you need to feel that you’re ready to transition to this exercise’s second position (including its variations): the Phoenix Pose.
But even if you’re unable to get into this admittedly challenging position, either owing to your body’s preferences or because you lack an Ouroboros as a stable base, you can still use your imagination to visualize holding yourself this way in order to complete the energy refinement and concentration steps that I’ll go over momentarily.
This exercise references another major motif of transmutation that, like the self-devouring serpent, is virtually synonymous with inner alchemy: the immortal mythological bird that cyclically regenerates even as it’s consumed.
In the case of PragmAlchemy, think of the phoenix as that aspect of ourselves that learns to turn the energetic “slings and arrows” of this earthly existence into our own transformational power.
In other words, Taking Wing with the Phoenix Heart is about rising above it all … in a new and improved form.
In the full-fledged Phoenix Pose, you allow all of your weight to rest on your touchstone as you spread out your arms like wings beside you while keeping your chin comfortably up off the floor or ground. Your arms can either rest at ground level or be raised within an agreeable range.
Variations include holding the arms somewhat behind you like a diving bird or in front of you like wings in a forward position like a bird lifting off. As always, check out the reference images if you need visuals.
DIVING BIRD
While the Phoenix Pose is completely optional, it can absolutely help you maximize your energy accumulation by enhancing your ability to embody the visualization that I’m about to describe.
The structural goal here is to create pressure on the sternum and heart area for at least six minutes. Some, all or none of this time can be spent in the Phoenix Pose meaning you can be on your elbows as long and as often as you need to be. You can even move up and down, into and out of the Phoenix Pose (slowly, of course) whenever you like.
Six minutes is more than enough to melt a lot of adhesions in your connective tissue, especially in and around the sternum. This lessens restrictions and creates more space, physically and energetically, for the circulatory system to operate in a healthier fashion.
WORK YOUR MICROCOSMIC ORBIT & PERINEUM
As a reminder, keeping the tongue against the roof of the mouth whenever you’re engaging this and other PragmAlchemy exercises is critically important.
This positioning completes a full-body circuit known as the microcosmic orbit. It also naturally helps support the weight of the head, which by itself can provide tremendous benefits in terms of stress reduction, straighter posture, and better alignment.
You can even practice keeping your tongue in this position, and benefit greatly, while doing other types of exercises, driving your car, working at your computer, and even falling asleep and sleeping. This practice can literally change the shape of your mouth and even, in some cases, straighten teeth!
The precise position of your tongue doesn’t really matter; it should just rest firmly but comfortably against the hard palate. If you’re a little fuzzy as to the layout of your oral anatomy, I do recommend referencing a diagram of the mouth.
By adopting this tongue position, you keep the energy you’re pulling into your system via your breath and attention from thickening and stagnating, which can lead to inflammation, irritation, aches, and even healing crises.
While pressing your tongue and inhaling slowly and deeply through your nose from your diaphragm, also be sure to contract the area between your genitals and anus known as the perineum. Then, while exhaling, relax it.
If you want to have a little fun with this concept, some people find it helpful to imagine that they’re “breathing through their behind,” as one of my qigong teachers loved to say. All humor aside, this will allow you to derive maximum physical and energetic benefit from your breathing cycle.
ENERGY VISUALIZATIONS
Correct breathing and myofascial release and decompression are integral aspects of PragmAlchemy, but so is focusing your attention on specific energetic outcomes.
Taking Wing with the Phoenix Heart invites a creative meditation in which you picture yourself as a young phoenix taking your first flight. Check out the little painting of mine (“First Flight”) I’ve included to help you connect with the energy and excitement of this imaginary scenario.
Perched on your touchstone with (optionally) your arms outstretched like a phoenix and chin comfortably raised without stressing your neck, first picture the space between your shoulder blades as your intake valve where life force naturally enters you with every breath.
Next, observe that in comparison to normal or even deep respiration, the amount of energy you’re able to pull in is greatly increased thanks to the pumping action of your restricted diaphragmatic breathing.
FIRST FLIGHT
Feel the life force literally, almost tangibly being sucked into you not just through your lungs but equally through your hands, legs, feet, back, skin and bones, and even, in this exercise, your phoenix wings.
Next, in your mind’s eye observe all of this powerful energy effortlessly flowing from your intake valve into your stomach, your primary digestive organ whose esoteric function is that of an energy refiner.
With each inhalation visualize your lungs expanding with energized breath; and then, with each exhalation, expelling air whose energy has been filtered out.
See the unrefined energy entering with every breath as a milky cloud absorbed through your intake valve into your stomach as you completely exhale what has now become clear air, emptied of its cloudlike life force.
ENERGY IS EVERYWHERE
For at least 3 minutes, until your timer sounds, breathe slowly and diaphragmatically through your nose visualizing powerful energy accumulating in your stomach. (If you don’t have a timer, just guesstimate.)
Reset your timer to 1 minute or proportionately longer the more time you devote to energy intake. This means that if you choose to spend 6 minutes in the energy accumulation phase, you’ll need to spend 2 minutes in the second alchemical phase: energy refinement.
In the purification stage, the idea is to make all this freshly absorbed power your own and ready for your own use, without any negative influence from its source, by adopting in your mind’s eye a Predatory Stance as you allow yourself to be nourished by your energetic “prey.”
For this window of time only, stop being a young phoenix and pretend you’re an apex predator consuming a fresh kill. Nothing in your habitat would dare to get close until you’re done with your meal. This energy is now yours and nothing can take it from you!
This kind of fierce approach allows you to reimprint negavity with your own positive intent, so by all means don’t be timid here!
OWN YOUR FRESHLY CONSUMED ENERGY
As the energy in your stomach becomes more and more purified, picture it as swirling and absolutely pure liquid gold while setting your timer, once again, for 1 minute.
This is where you move the life force into your Cauldron as you learned to do in Energy Intake in the Cauldron Position. But this time, instead of pushing or pulling the energy directly into your Cauldron, you’re going to first mentally route it through your heart.
Use your breath along with your imaginary energy pumps to push or pull the energy. Inhale the energy out of your stomach, passing it through your heart as you then exhale it into your Cauldron.
Feel your newly purified energy cleansing and fortifying your heart and circulatory system while making your blood cleaner and stronger. Imagine that this gives life to your phoenix wings as, energetically, you sail up, up and away from all cares and stresses, injuries, and ailments.
While doing this, pay attention to your feelings. You may feel trauma or negativity releasing; you may feel emotionally lighter; or you may feel momentarily heavier and then lighter. It’s all good. Just be in the moment and energize positive outcomes through inner knowing that they’re on the way.
When your timer sounds, set it to a final minute (or 2 minutes if you doubled your time spent on energy accumulation).
Imagine and feel your golden energy in your Cauldron, where you begin pushing and/or pulling it with your energy pumps into a compact little sphere. Visualize the sphere glowing more and more intensely red, like fresh lava, as you condense it into your incipient Philosopher’s Stone.
If your timer sounds before you’re finished, just turn it off and take however much time you need to feel closure with this exercise. You can even get off your touchstone at this point, as instructed below, and simply relax until you’ve finished packing your new energy in your Cauldron.
DISMOUNTING YOUR TOUCHSTONE SAFELY
As the saying goes, It ain’t over till it’s over—so be sure that you end this technique with as much attention to detail as you put into the body of the exercise.
To avoid injury while getting off your touchstone, simply inhale deeply from your diaphragm and, at the pause just before exhaling, push yourself up and off as you breathe out.
Congratulations! You’ve just energized your ability to regenerate yourself on spiritual, emotional, mental and even physical levels!
MOVING ON
Whenever you’re comfortable performing this technique, you can move on to PragmAlchemy Exercise #3, Awakening the Alchemical Child.
DISCLAIMER
The information contained in this text is for purely educational purposes and is not meant to provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, promises, or guarantees. See the full disclaimer
Copyright © Sol Luckman. All Rights Reserved.