Pigu Dietary Mode

 

During the darkness retreat we will be studying under Pi gu dietary conditions.

Pi gu is an ancient Taoist/Chinese mode of ‘fasting’ that is used during higher spiritual retreats. It literally means ‘to stop eating grains’ but requires stopping also meats and processed food. The types of food allowed depends on the level of the practices, experienced Taoists may consume only fruit and water during prolonged meditations, lasting months.

During the pi gu state, the need for food decreases but the body’s energy increases. After digestion, food provides us with chi, and so does chi kung. In pi gu we are literally eating chi from our chi kung practices.

The main reason for using a pi gu diet is to keep the body in the state of practicing chi kung; in this state it will automatically balance itself, the mind will be more relaxed and sleep will improve. But energy increases and remains high. Chi can also be transmitted through a chi kung master and this is how Master Chia will help darkroom participants go into a pi gu state.

 

The pi gu state also has healing powers, the state enhances natural healing processes in the body. The pause in normal eating serves to make the cells more sensitive, which is of particular help to people with diets rich in sugars and problems of over production of insulin.

The body meridians stay open, making it easier to attune to meditations and chi kung. The lungs and skin will open to breathe more chi into the body.

The body will continue to eliminate toxins already there and the dietary mode means that very few toxins will be put back in. Cravings for certain foods will disappear; the cravings are memories which can be deleted in this state, with the help of Master Chia’s energy practices.   The stomach will reduce in size and there will be weight loss during the pi gu state. The body will be inducing natural balance in its functions.

The darkroom meditations will be facilitated using the pi gu state which enhances spiritual awareness and will increase mental powers and wisdom.

The many legends of long-living Taoists in ancient China who could refrain from eating and even drinking for months or even years whilst performing very high enlightenment practices describe clearly the pi gu state.

 

 

Tao Gardens

                                                                                 January 2011

 

Dear Darkroom Participant

 

         Important Dietary Information for the darkroom retreat.

 

During the darkness retreat we will be studying under Pi gu dietary conditions.

 

What is Pi gu? It is an ancient Taoist/Chinese way of fasting that is used during higher spiritual retreats. It literally means ‘to stop eating grains’. The need for food decreases but the body’s energy increases. It is more than fasting, though, as it involves chi kung and enables the practices used in the darkroom.

 

The Tao Gardens darkroom retreat will have the following dietary schedule:

 

Breakfast – 1 or 2 elixir pills which are especially made for the Pi gu diet, plus herb juice which is also especially concocted. There will also be some fruit.

Juice: Ginger Tea, Stevia Tea

Fruit: Apple, Pear

Others: White Egg, Steamed Peanut

 

Lunch – There will be sesame and small quantities of other foods.

Juice: Ginger Tea, Chlorophyll, LGND Tea (kidney

           cleansing tea)

Fruit:         Water Melon

Others: Rice porridge with black sesame

 

Evening – 1 or 2 elixir pills (depending on your energy level) plus tea and fruit.

         Juice: Stevia Tea, Nature’s Infusion Tea(Colon Cleansing Tea)

Fruit: Apple, Pear

 

 

 

Important Dietary Preparations for the Darkroom Retreat

 

Start to tell the body to reduce food and stick only to the essentials. (no grains). We need to do chi kung to help swallow and compress chi.

The stomach flattens down but you must swallow your saliva to help it reduce its size and therefore its need of food.

 

During the retreat, Master Chia will help pass energy and information to you which will help reduce the stomach capacity and induce the pi gu state. This will stop the craving for certain foods, which is like a memory that can be deleted. If you swallow saliva and air, you will not have the same sensation of hunger. This pi gu state gives tremendous healing power.

 

If you feel that you want to go back to ‘normal food’, then please ask and it will be organised for you, but you must continue to take the elixir pills during the retreat.

 

Please arrive at Tao Gardens early enough to do some colon cleansing before the retreat starts. This can be in the form of taking laxatives and fibres or even colonic hydrotherapy. If you do this, the cleansing process will continue during the retreat.

 

During the retreat you should experience weight loss, but this is not just as a result of fasting, you will be filling up your stomach with chi and will not be condensing food.

 

 

We are looking forward to darkroom experience with you

 

Grandmaster Mantak Chia and the darkness retreat staff.