Rock the Cinnabar

內有丹田，氣之歸宿*

Inside are the Cinnabar Fields, the place vapours return to

勁從足下起，還得丹田足

The strength raises from the feet on the prerequisite the cinnabar field is sufficient enough

掌心力從足心印

The force from the centre of the palms comes from the mark in the centre of the feet

Working on one's vitality flow, as it was explained in the two previous posts, was one of the objectives in the old practices. To do so, apart from mobilising one's organs, one could work on, or enhance, certain parts of the body having an impact on such flow. Of the numerous parts, the most famous are the cinnabar fields, 丹田.
The link between the cinnabar fields and condensation has been already described in Condensation and the Belt, but they also have an effect on the flow. That is why when one refers to emitting strength, 發勁, it is often linked with a capacity coming from the use of, at least, the down cinnabar field in connection with the feet and the legs, or even the four limbs. To understand how the down cinnabar field is supposed to improve one's flow, one has to understand the saying, 丹田鼓蕩, the cinnabar field beats and rocks, and separately determine what is beating and what is rocking.

鼓, Drumming

鼓 is another example of the evolutive meanings some martial arts terms have, taking the opportunity they are polysemous characters. Hence, 鼓 originally was a synonym of 郭, outer wall of a city, and by extension outside protection of the inside "(鼓) 郭也... 凡外障內曰郭". For those doing meditation, in some of the Taoist ones, the cinnabar fields are a mean for self-protection when meditating, hence the taoist saying "抱元守一，存神固气", hold the original and protect the one (unity), retain the spirit and solidify the vapours". Using the oxymoron method, the cinnabar fields are the inner part which allows to solidify the outer wall of one's vitality, which is supposed to be one's spirit. Said in simple and modern terms, to keep oneself in check and not be affected by any encounter while meditating, one shall concentrate himself/herself on one's cinnabar fields. For Martists, such technique was meant to keep oneself from being distracted by anything during fighting, which gave them this apparent calm and emotionless, though smiling, face. It was, of course, a question of having a faster and stronger flow, since spirit materialise in form of vapours according to those practices. Simply said, by their power of condensation, the cinnabar fields were keeping the vapours together and keeping them from dispersing or having one's mind elsewhere as we would say.

One has also to understand another meaning of 鼓, drum, and beating a drum by extension. In this case, and if one refers to the second saying in this post, the drum is the down cinnabar field (Which, then, give the rhythm to the other two), and the legs are the drum sticks. Then, when one emits strength, the feet will give the impulse (not necessarily by pushing) directly to the down cinnabar field which will resonate through the whole body rousing the vapours flow, and 鼓 means also to rouse, linked also to a certain kind of swelling in the area, another meaning of 鼓...

More practically, the most noticeable and known techniques linked to 鼓 in internal practices are 顫 and 抖, ways to make the whole body tremble and quiver while emitting strength, very close to what happens to the membrane of a drum when it is beaten.

The other technique used to enhance the flow of vapours was to make the down cinnabar field swing.

蕩, Swinging

蕩 originally designated a tool used for washing, "(盪) 滌器也". For those knowing that one of the aims of cinnabar fields is to filter vapours in order for them to contain as much vital quintessence (see 气, Where Is My Bowl of Rice for a short introduction) and as few other things as possible, the term 蕩 in its original meaning can make sense.

Still, as a means to generate power, it is its extended meaning, to sway, that has to be considered.

Internal practices are influenced by the theory of the supple and the firm, one of the application of the theory of the Yin and the Yang, 陰陽之理, the theory of the feminine and masculine principles. That is why in 鼓蕩, beating and shaking, 鼓 described earlier represents the firm while 蕩 the supple. Hence, while beating the cinnabar with the legs improves the flow by firmness, one has to improve it too by means of suppleness. To do so, one has to shake/sway the down cinnabar field. The effect of mastering the cinnabar field shaking is quite obvious. Indeed, when swaying it to emit strength, it will make the part from the navel to the perineum shake long after the rest of the body has finished moving/hitting.

It may be interesting to notice also that, apart from being a help to generate power, shaking the part down the navel, which more or less is what is called the sea of vapours, 氣海, is a way to avoid that the vapours one has learned to condensate in the down cinnabar field become too stagnant, like water.

If the down cinnabar field is the most known original means given by internal practices to improve the flow of vapours, it is not the only one. Indeed, the extremities and the centre, the turtle tail and neck, the sword back in its sheath and even the very taoist 罡風, winds in the empyrean, are all riddles to find certain points in one's body that can enhance the flow.

*Internal Strength True Canons, 內勁真經