Taoist Meditation: Living in Harmony with the Tao

The roots of Taoism spread back to the writings of Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu from his famous Tao Te Ching, although scholars disagree on when he lived or if he was even a real person. Yet, this is irrelevant to the influence of the text itself. Even though there is some mention of meditation in this work, the Taoist meditation practice is something that has developed and evolved over time. Nowadays much of the practice seems focused on energy manipulation and can have some connections to new age philosophies.

The fundamental goal of Taoists was to help people understand that life on Earth is actually just a tiny component of the larger natural process. Therefore, individuals should behave in ways that allow for a life in balance with nature and in harmony with Dao, the flow of nature. These human actions are the only ones that ultimately make sense in life.

Taoists teach that there is a return to a state of tranquility where the Tao is clear. It means letting go of our typical responses, such as trying to control circumstances, overprotecting ourselves from possible dangers, or making plans in advance to prevent unforeseen events. Such behaviors tend to keep us mentally busy and emotionally detached from present reality, always preparing for future possibilities rather than living in the now.

Concentration meditation or ding is very similar to the Buddhist practice of samadhi. The idea is to bring the full focus of the mind onto a single thought or object. Although the word cun is often translated as “visualization” the focus is on being present, or rather viewing oneself. By being able to have a clear image of ourselves, we can thus better control our energy. Some Taoist meditation practices will have people focus on the image of god before us. Ultimately, the goal is to bring oneself to a state of just existing. Guan is “observation” or “insight” , sometimes translated as “to scrutinize”, which is to be open and aware of a variety of things, including one’s physical self, energies, or the world.

Like in most forms of meditation, Taoist meditation is usually done while sitting, typically cross-legged with an aligned spine. Make sure that you are not sitting with a forced level of straightness. Try to find balance so that it’s not painful for the duration of the session. Be sure to elongate the neck by lowering the chin slightly. This is said to help the energy flow more freely throughout the body.

Try to take deep breaths, being sure to use your diaphragm. One method to encourage deep breathing is to focus on the lower dantian and visualize the breath entering and leaving the body through the navel cavity. This is sometimes called prenatal breathing.

The different breathing techniques within the Taoist meditation tradition is its own disciple and worth exploring deeper. Among the most famous is Zhuanqi. In general, while meditating, it’s just important that you breathe deeply at a slow, even pace. To help focus the mind, many find benefit by starting your meditation with counting your breaths.

1. Visualization Practice

One common Taoism meditation method is a visualization practice. After you’ve gotten yourself into a proper position and have started breathing, begin at your head and focus on releasing the tension down your body until you reach your feet. Take note of areas that are tight or have pain. It helps to visualize these as dark spots. To bring in energy, imagine that your breath is taking in light that envelops your body, dissolving these dark areas. Then, as you breathe out, let the pain and stress flow out of you as a dark mist.

Others claim that the color of the light can change the focus of the meditation, that certain ailments are best treated by imagining different colors of light. For example, green is said to help with anxiety. When you are finished, it is helpful to imagine your body as cleansed.

Meditators are typically instructed to focus on the lower dantian, although women will sometimes put their focus higher, in the middle dantian, which is located between the breasts. Some people like to visualize a ball of energy at these points, choosing a size that feels right to you. Let this energy ball slowly flow up and down your body, cleansing your body as it moves. When finished, let it rest once again at the starting point and allow the energy to emanate to your heart.

It is usually recommended that people aim for twenty to thirty minute sessions of Taoist meditation. This is usually enough time to get the full benefit before many feel uncomfortable. If you have little experience with meditation or sitting on the floor for an extended amount of time, you can still gain positive effects by beginning with only ten minutes before increasing the length as they become better at it.

When finished with your meditation, it is good to give yourself a few minutes to adjust again to being out of meditation. Otherwise, it might be a bit jarring of a contrast. This can allow you to bring some of that peace with you into your day.

One doesn’t need to practice the Taoist faith to get the full benefit of the meditation practices, though one could argue that the Taoist meditation is a form of practising Taoism. It can be helpful to learn a bit more about Taoism in general or even find a temple where you can learn some of the techniques and ideologies directly from experienced teachers.

It can also help to combine these meditation practices with other styles as well, including tai chi and qigong. The former is a great way to prepare the body for an extended period of sitting, much like people use hatha yoga in other traditions.

Given that there are a wide variety of meditation methods involved with Taoism, there doesn’t seem to be very much focused research on any specific method. The benefits of meditation in general are becoming more accepted by the scientific community, though the quality of many of meditation studies are a bit dubious.

Possibly as a consequence of deep breathing, adopting a regular meditation practice can help people breathe in a more healthy way in general, which can lead to a lessening of stress and anxiety. In general, finding a decrease in cortisol can be beneficial for many, especially because stress has been shown to have a negative effect on the function of the immune system.

Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate. There is some suggestion that it can also aid in promoting attention and cognitive function. Another study has shown that meditation can help increase the density of the brain’s grey matter and improve memory.

Some more mystically-inclined practitioners like to list some tall sounding claims associated with taoist meditation. Much of these are due to the healing powers of qi / chi energy. For example, it is said that it can increase vibrancy, with de-ageing properties. Although proponents of energy healing do not seem dissuaded by the research, there exists very little evidence of vital energy and is generally regarded as pseudoscience.

Still, there exists some evidence that a belief in vital energies can amplify some of the effects. The more meaning we assign to a placebo, the stronger it is, so this could show there is some benefit in visualizing energy in this way.

Updated: August 1, 2024. – This article was originally published on February 5, 2021.