External and internal alchemy in Taoist Practice

External Alchemy In Taoist Practice
In the practice of external alchemy, a Taoist practitioner creates and ingests herbal formulas or mineral elixirs, as a means of improving physical health and longevity. At certain points in Taoism's history, the quest for Immortality took the form of much experimentation of this kind.

The results were sometimes less than ideal - and death by poisoning not an altogether uncommon outcome.

The form of external alchemy most common today is Chinese herbal medicine. Other examples of modern-day external alchemy -- whose authenticity I can attest to -- include Petri Murien's Tonic Gold and the homeopathic alchemy of Alfons Ven and U Shein Sayagyi's Gold Ash Powder.

While the above can be interesting and perhaps very beneficial to experiment with, the most down-to-earth and readily available form of external alchemy is our daily diet. Being intelligent about the foods we eat is a foundation for all other Taoist practices.

Internal Alchemy In Taoist Practice
The second form of Taoist alchemy is internal alchemy, which involves the cultivation and circulation of the Taoist Three Treasures: Jing (reproductive energy), Qi (life-force energy) and Shen (spiritual energy). In internal alchemy practice, it is the bodymind of the Taoist practitioner that is the laboratory, and the refined energy produced there, the elixir.

The term Qigong is sometimes used interchangeably with Taoist internal alchemy. Some internal alchemy practices include physical activity, while others revolve around visualization and meditation techniques. In all cases, the positive transformations are the result of working with mind, breath and subtle energy.