A Vehicle for Consciousness
The energy of the five elements in the body and our consciousness needs a vehicle to contain and focus our energy. In daydreaming or night-dreaming, our energy can scatter and travel in all directions. The further our mind, energy, and consciousness travel, the further they must return so we can apply them consciously in a productive way.
A magnifying glass is a good example of how focusing sunlight can cause dramatic change. The same is true when we focus our energy. Taoist meditations work on crystallizing our energetic essence in a way keeps the energy focused. We identify with our physical body, but it is our energetic essence and consciousness that travels with us through all the changes of our physical body.
One method for crystallizing the energy of the five elements to visualize wrapping silk around each organ. The color of the silk can correspond with the color of each of the five elements (red: heart, white: lungs, green: liver, yellow: spleen, kidneys: blue). Imagine you are wrapping a precious piece of glass to send in the mail. With practice, over time, the energy of that color/element will consolidate. The process is like creating a home for the intelligence of that organ. Although the organ’s consciousness can still travel and daydream, it is more likely to come back ‘home’ to the body quicker.
There are 81 practices for building and strengthening the energy body in The Alchemist’s Tao Te Ching: Transforming Your Lead Into Gold