Before you can really dive into center cultivation or using your energy for martial arts, healing arts or other, usually you want to have a solid physical body and a good flow of blood and energy within you.
In this reading we'll look at energetic anatomy of the body and how to build it up.
The Body
We all live in a human body, unless you're an alien, spirit, robot or an other being. Though even all of these categories of beings have some form of anatomy and can cultivate.
Major systems in the body is the flesh (skin and fat), muscular system, skeletal system, nervous system, lymphatic, circulatory, excretory, organs, glandular and reproductive.
Technically the reproductive and excretory systems are organs but traditionally they are their own category.
The flesh, muscles and veins are somewhat external while the rest are more internal.
This means that physical exercises trains the external parts like weight training aiding the muscles or cardio aiding the circulatory while meditative art trains the internal - nervous system. Though bones are usually trained in an external way.
Our bodies can be internal or externally dominant the same way that it can be front or back dominant, upper or lower, left or right.
Analyze your body and see if your upper body like the chest and arms is stronger and more developed than the legs. See which leg and arm is stronger out of left and right. Also notice whether you are a body or mind dominant person.
Harmony within both sides is good, though there's nothing wrong with being dominant in one side as long as the other is sufficiently strong and functional.
Development of the body happens in cycles. We go from exerting forces to resting and repairing. During the rest period is when growth happens and the active period where our body or mind is stressed and shaped more into what we want it to be.
Usually men and women finish growing around ages 25-35, give or take 7ish years. This can easily be stunted though through poor lifestyle choices which will be covered next, or even enhanced. Though you can always restart the development as its always happening to some degree, even if slow or blocked.
General notes
Our aim here is to fully grow and develop the body so that it does not tax and drain our mental or physical energy during life and cultivation.
If you have a job to do but your left lateral or oblique is draining 20% of your general energy for growth then you wont do a great job.
Similarly when trying to cultivate energy centers your body will usually prioritize natural physical development over the energy center.
Here are some things recommended to be avoided for proper growth and maintainment.
All drugs especially stimulants like caffeine or tobacco, any kind of painkiller.
Excessive work, exercise, stress or other activities that cause bad tension in the body.
Poor posture.
A lack of sleep, food, water and other basic necessities.
Long periods of sexual abstinence or poor sexual habits.
Being around bad locations and areas.
Being around bad people.
Dirty environments without airflow.
Energy blockages, emotional traumas in the body.
Bad thoughts.
Some factors, activities and other things which aid are as follows.
Adequate sleep, naps, stress relief activities.
Good food and a decent amount of protein, Hydration.
The proper use of alchemical substances/supplements.
Healthy sexual habits without shame.
A healthy family, social circles, relationships.
Abundance of resources, money.
Clean and stable housing.
Routine physical exercise.
Routine cultivation meditation.
Good circulation of energy within the body.
Many of these will be situational to your own personal life, different from person to person, so do keep that in mind.
Exercises
Physical
For calisthenics, a basic whole body routine is pushups, pullups, squats and running.
Make sure to do the easier variations of each exercise like wall pushups or pullups to start if you are unable to do a proper pushup/pullup with good form.
Lots of reps is good to build up pure physique, but also test your strength every so often and push that by doing more difficult variations of the exercise than you're used to and less reps.
Basic routine for weight training - Weighted squats and Deadlifts (Use lighter weight if your back is weak or sore, skip if back is injured) for legs and rows for low position upper body, bench press for mid position and over over head press for upper position. Position meaning angle of exercise which relates to which form of power it builds.
Other simpler exercise routines are acceptable if you're a weaker, sicker, older person or just trying to live a more relaxed and simple lifestyle for example. These are lighter forms of taichi and yoga (Taichi and yoga can be very physically demanding in the mid to higher levels though) or basic movements of the arms, legs and torso like spiraling them, moving them up and down in different angles, etc. Walking is also very good.
Meditation
Full body meditations and standing meditations are the main methods for whole body meditating.
Standing meditation is done simply by standing outside or in a nice relaxed environment, keep your posture in a way which aids blood flow. By this I mean to not tense, to keep fairly relaxed but with a bit of structure and holding to your body. Start by breathing and adjusting your body to standing, keep your eyes closed on focused on an object. Then keep the intention in your mind to stand. Just stand, just be.
Slowly the circulation inside of your body will begin to open up and you may feel enlarged blood vessels, warm sensations, vibrations or even blockages in the body. Allow these to be smooth. Sometimes you'll need to move or push a part of your inner body in order to open up a blockage though.
This is a basic standing meditation.
As for seated meditation, we focus more on the torso where our organs are stored, though usually it's good to allow your energy and blood to flow throughout the legs and arms while performing seated meditation.
Start by sitting in any position which is comfortable (Or even laying), allow your body to rest in a position which is not awkward or blocks blood flow. Hold yourself lightly as to not lose good posture. Breathe deeply down into the ground or lowest parts of your body, not stressing or forcing it. Hold your focus lightly throughout the whole body, feeling your limbs, torso, head, etc, not overly focusing on any point but just allowing it to be.
Eventually as your internal energies build up you may feel more blood flow, a glow in or around your body, and other sensations. This may reach blocked areas of the body, aid it by pushing slightly until those areas open, then regain your peaceful posture.
Exit notes
To know at what level you're at or how far your progress is in full body cultivation I recommend you split your body up into 4 sides , the front, back, left and right. Note or feel which parts are always full of energy and blood throughout your day and night, which parts have no blockages and which have good physique or built up muscle.
After enough observation you'll understand which parts are cultivated and which are not. Hence you can think in this model there are 4 levels. The energy flowing to each side means you gain a point or level, having 4 full sides means you're complete.
Having a complete physique grants balanced and good ability in life in all of its skills, this means you wont have trouble in intellectual activities, social, emotional and physical. You should be able to handle most troubles and struggles well. Your health will be good and you should be able to keep good relations, etc.
How is this? The external world or the qualities of reality like the emotional world or states relate to different sides or areas of the physical body. Hence even things like wealth can take place in certain areas of the body, though I'll leave this esoteric knowledge for another post when I talk about occultic analogy.
Anyway, build up a good foundation with this information so that you're able to perform internal cultivation in a healthy and proper manner.
*Disclaimer* This is not medical advice. I am not a medical practitioner.