The Sea of Chi - Center of being

About three finger widths behind and below the navel (belly button) is called in Chinese the Chi Hai or "Sea of Chi". It is a useful method is to lend special awareness to the breathing process felt as an ethereal ball of energy in the "Sea of Chi". The Chi Hai is a natural balancing point of your consciousness that can be thought of as the center of your being. Subjectively and poetically speaking, the Chi Hai is where man and universe meet. It is the gateway where we merge and become man-universe and universe-man. No one really knows what the Chi Hai actually is, but we can use it to our full advantage. Consciously developing a powerful Chi center is the most important secret to meditation.

When your consciousness is centered in the Chi Hai instead of the head, your thinking process slows down and you can relax in the expanded world of pure being. Trying to stop distracting thoughts through will power alone leads to more thoughts and a self-defeating inner struggle. By transferring your center of awareness to the Chi Hai, thoughts gradually disappear on their own without inner conflict. It is an esoteric message that the Chi Hai is the key to Chi meditation.

Sit quietly and focus on your belly as it moves in and out as you breathe. Over time the Chi Hai will become more noticeable as your meditation grows stronger. Sudden emergencies, such as near collisions on the highway, tend to activate the Chi Hai. We often get a "gut reaction" from sudden danger. You can nourish the feeling of the Chi Hai by simply paying passive attention to it. This relaxed concentration is very close to doing nothing, yet it is still a subtle effort. Drinking herb tea or hot water before meditation sessions relaxes the gut and facilitates awareness of the Chi Hai. Overeating and consuming cold drinks tends to make Chi Hai awareness more difficult.