Fourteen Months of Inner Alchemy Practice

Over many centuries of diligent and focused work, Taoists came to discover a portal to the Universe. They realized that when we consciously open our internal energy, we become able to connect with nature’s energy. To achieve this, they set out to develop series of practices that helped them connect with nature’s energies, and referred to these as Inner Alchemy.

Over centuries, Inner Alchemy practices continued to grow in strength and meaning. Yet, non-Taoists – and particularly Western cultures – considered these practices nonsense. While the health-giving attributes of Inner Alchemy practices have either been ignored or downright rejected, they are slowly regaining scientific attention across the world.

Increasing evidence is emerging that supports ancient Taoist claims that we can connect energetically to our environment; that our feelings and emotions affect our health, and that we are able to convert ‘negative’ biophysical energy into positive currents.

Considered a core practice of the Universal Healing Tao programme, I spent fourteen months practicing the Inner Alchemy instructions – with surprising results.

As human beings we are well acquainted with some degree of negativity. We have our bad days; bad dreams, and not-so-good encounters with others. From time to time, we all experience negative emotions. We become impatient, get angry, and vengeful. We worry. We all know what it is like to be afraid, jealous and upset.

In Taoist Healing, we consider these “negative” feelings and emotions.

When allowed to stay with us, these emotions will obstruct and eventually even block the free flow of biophysical energy we need to stay happy and healty. More recently, centuries after Taoists incepted their Inner Alchemy practices, Western science has come to validate the benefits of these practices, and now continues to advance explorations to understand how our physical and emotional health influence each other.

With what we know today we might perceive the original Taoist thought as somewhat simplistic – almost as a foregone conclusion. Most of us probably acknowledge that our bodies respond to the way we feel, think and act. With that, we confirm the existence of what might perhaps be best described as a Mind-Body Connection.

Anger, as we all know, increases our blood pressure and stresses our heart. Worry affects our digestive system. When we are stressed, anxious, or upset, our bodies react in ways that might tell us that something isn’t quite right.

Although most of us may not exactly understand how negative emotions affect us daily, we certainly know that they differ from positive emotions. We know, through our lived experience, that it is much nicer to feel joyous, happy, caring and loving than to feel sad, anxious or depressed. We might have felt that negative emotions depleted us whereas, on the contrary, positive emotions seemed to have a re-energizing effect.

That positivity seems to nurture us, and that happiness and health go hand-in-hand should hardly come as a surprise. Yet, what to ‘do’ with the negativity we gather each and every day remains, of course, the big unanswered question.

Challenged by that same question, the ancient Taoists also searched for an answer, which they found in yet another surprisingly simple solution. Rather than to use positive energy to expel negative emotions, which only weakens our positive strength, they reasoned it to be smarter convert negativity into positivity, which does exactly the opposite.

Why trying to rid ourselves from energy that, in another way, can be put to good use?

By practicing this over time, we increase our positive ‘strength’ which, in turn, helps us to convert more and more negativity into positivity.

Changing the negative into positive – such as converting resentment into acceptance – is known in Taoism as “Changing Lead into Gold”. As this was exactly what ancient alchemists attempted to achieve, the practice of changing negative into positive emotions has become known as Inner Alchemy.

Still accepted and embraced across Asia as a daily practice that is closely related to Qi Gong and Tai Chi, Inner Alchemy practices are taught in various ways and forms. Yet, most variations share the same ancient foundations and principles, which appear simple in theory but – as I have experienced – can be very challenging to practice.

Life teaches us that even the most plausible theories may not work in practice. Although I am constantly curious I also am perpetually skeptical of anything that comes my way as ‘tried and proven’. Something’s age doesn’t sway me automatically to acceptance, for even our ancestors were not exempt from making mistakes and seeing things incorrectly. I couldn’t help being suspicious of the Inner Alchemy practice when Master Chia introduced me to it in July 2017.

For me, most of these challenges were related to my mindset. I was unable to comprehend – and perhaps even unwilling to accept – the ‘truthfulness’ of the Inner Alchemy practice. It was only until I realized that this wasn’t so much about finding truth but about the exploration of possibility that I was able to move on.

This, then, was my first challenge.

My second and perhaps biggest challenge was the taking of responsibility for my own feelings. Until my introduction to the Inner Alchemy practices I had maintained the fairly simplistic and convenient view that my emotions were just consequences of what happened to me. Things and people made me feel either good or bad, with very little grey in the middle. I realized that with that attitude I had left my outside world in charge over my emotions, leaving me nothing but a mere helpless recipient of whatever feelings this created within me.

My third challenge was to learn how to convert negative energy into positive energy. All physical movements of the Inner Alchemy practices appear deceptively simple. As they are performed slowly, gently and without strain they almost echo the ‘doing without going’ nature of Taoism. As the name suggests, most of the Inner Alchemy practices happen on the inside, through meditation and contemplation, for which special techniques must be learned. Although nothing may seem to happen for days or even weeks at first, things start to shift subtly and unnoticeable on the inside.

Then, without any clear warning, rather suddenly, the Inner Alchemy practices start to kick like an emotional mule, evidenced by a seemingly never-ending series of emotional avalanches, appearing merciless and completely unannounced from nowhere.

Now in my fourteenth month of study I have slowly come to master some of Inner Alchemy’s practices. Although I have come to understand how each affects my emotional and physical being I keep bracing myself for unexpected and ever-deeper effects. And, without fail, these keep coming, often suddenly, unannounced, and regularly when I am not actually practicing at all.

In the earlier stages of my Inner Alchemy practices I experienced undeniably strong waves of energy rise from anywhere within my body, which wouldn’t necessarily feel pleasurable. I have gone through nausea; experienced pounding headaches – which I don’t usually get – and, on occasions, experienced something that can only be described as ‘my intestines falling out’.

Although certainly undesirable, these effects still stand small in the shadow of others, which can only be described as remarkable. If anything, I feel more. My emotions have become ‘purer’ if you like. It is if I have become better able at reading them and know how to connect my emotional and mental selves.

I am feeling calmer; more certain about myself than I have ever felt and have become less fearful in visiting even the murkiest depths of my being. More than ever, I now enjoy drinking tea with my biggest demons in acceptance that some of them will simply stay with me until I die.

As for converting negative into positive energy, I now have learned first hand that this is indeed possible. Inner Alchemy is easy to practice but, at the same time, hard to achieve. It takes considerable amounts of courage, commitment and dedication to do the practices well but I certainly see that my efforts are paying off.

If anything, they have helped me re-appreciate who and what I actually am. Nothing less and certainly nothing more. They helped me clear the windows to my mind and soul, allowing me – sometimes forcefully – to reshape my perspectives on both my life and inevitable mortality.

With the two coveted UHT Inner Alchemy certificates hanging on my study’s wall one would think I couldn’t wait to start to teach Master Chia’s learnings myself. After all, these highly-prized pieces of paper qualify me to do so. And, yes, when I received them from the Master’s hands this was indeed my immediate thought; to return to New Zealand to start teaching straight away.

Those who know me well enough at home know that, clearly, I didn’t.

When I set out to develop Advaya I decided that I wouldn’t practice anything on anyone before practicing it on myself. Although I now have worked with Inner Alchemy practices for all these months I am sensing that I haven’t explored all they have to offer. I grasp that it takes a lifetime to master the many aspects of the Inner Alchemy practices and that I may never come to understand it fully. Yet, I sense I need more time before I become adequately able to pass this ancient healing onto you.

On the other hand, of course, I could also spend the rest of my life preparing for readiness, which I don’t want to do either.

I am sure time will tell when I am ready and, until that time, I will continue to practice the Inner Alchemy just for myself.