Table Of Content“Taoist healing is based on the cosmic and microcosmic flow of qi in the
universe and within the body. David Twicken presents a detailed description
of the energy flows of the divergent channels and how to apply them
in clinical practice. Twicken also presents a comprehensive ancient Taoist
Nei Dan meditation to transform emotions into vitality and rejuvenating
qi. The clinical applications and the Nei Dan practice are essential parts
of Taoist healing. I highly recommend The Divergent Channels—Jing Bie: A
Handbook for Clinical Practice and Five Shen Nei Dan Inner Meditation to healers
of all traditions.”
—Taoist Grandmaster Mantak Chia, Founder of the Universal Healing
Tao and Tao Garden, and author of Healing Light of the Tao,
Taoist Cosmic Healing, Awaken Healing Energy Through the
Tao, and Chi Nei Tsang: Chi Massage for the Vital Organs
“Dr. David Twicken is one of the pre-eminent voices and teachers within
American acupuncture. Part of his gifts lie in providing a clear context
and explanation of classical Chinese medicine while providing practical
clinical application. The results are treatments that are dynamic and flexible
that aid patients in the transformation of their health conditions. I’ve had
the great honor of learning directly under Dr. Twicken and the results
of his treatment approaches, including divergent channel treatments, have
been phenomenal. Patients have not only reported having significant
improvement in chronic symptoms but also profound spiritual experiences
that I haven’t found with other treatment approaches.”
—Stephen Chee, M.D., Board-Certified Family Physician
and Faculty at two Chinese Medicine programs
“The divergent channels have fascinated acupuncturists for generations,
but the medical classics offer little information beyond simple pathway
descriptions and the admonition that they are important to know. In this
text, David Twicken, an experienced practitioner of both Chinese medicine
and Taoist (Daoist) inner alchemy, offers readers both a working clinical
model of divergent channels and a window into his own deep exploration
of these topics. Twicken also uses the clinical information as a jumping off
point to describe the actual process of alchemy. This book challenges us
to consider that there is much more to acupuncture practice than just the
regular channels.”
—Dr. Henry McCann, DAOM, L.Ac., author of Pricking the
Vessels: Bloodletting Therapy in Chinese Medicine
“This is my new favorite of Dr. Twicken’s many books displaying his
masterful grasp of Taoist cycles, I Ching, and Chinese bio-psycho-spiritual
medicine. It’s a brilliant summary of how divergent channels integrate the
14 major treatment strategies and nine needling methods. He deciphers the
complicated Su Wen and Ling Shu classics for us, with practical and elegant
divergent strategies linking eight extra vessels/bone marrow, twelve organ
meridians, muscle/tendon and skin levels. Especially valuable are four
chapters on Nei Dan Five Shen, Cauldron and Orbit meditations that allow
anyone to directly penetrate the psycho-energetic depths of their body’s
qi channels. Dr. Twicken has outdone himself. This fascinating book is
a must-have for both healing professionals and Tao meditators seeking a
lucid map of what’s possible.”
—Michael Winn, co-author of seven books with Mantak Chia, author of ten nei
dan homestudy courses, and Founder of Healing Tao University in North Carolina
THE DIVERGENT CHANNELS
JING BIE
by the same author
Eight Extraordinary Channels—Qi Jing Ba Mai
A Handbook for Clinical Practice and Nei Dan Inner Meditation
ISBN 978 1 84819 148 8
eISBN 978 0 85701 137 4
I Ching Acupuncture—The Balance Method
Clinical Applications of the Ba Gua and I Ching
ISBN 978 1 84819 074 0
eISBN 978 0 85701 064 3
of related interest
Heavenly Streams
Meridian Theory in Nei Gong
Damo Mitchell
Foreword by Rob Aspell
ISBN 978 1 84819 116 7
eISBN 978 0 85701 092 6
The Compleat Acupuncturist
A Guide to Constitutional and Conditional Pulse Diagnosis
Peter Eckman
Foreword by William Morris
ISBN 978 1 84819 198 3
eISBN 978 0 85701 152 7
Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches—TianGan DiZhi
The Heart of Chinese Wisdom Traditions
Master Zhongxian Wu and Dr. Karin Taylor Wu
Foreword by Fei BingXun
ISBN 978 1 84819 151 8
eISBN 978 0 85701 158 9
THE DIVERGENT
CHANNELS
JING BIE
A Handbook for Clinical Practice and
Five Shen Nei Dan Inner Meditation
DR. DAVID TWICKEN, DOM, L.AC.
LONDON AND PHILADELPHIA
The figures in Chapters 1 and 4 are reprinted from Ni 1996 with kind permission from Yitian Ni and
Complementary Medicine Press.
Figure 13.1 is reprinted with kind permission from Jerry Alan Johnson.
Figure 13.2 is reprinted with kind permission from Mantak Chia.
First published in 2014
by Singing Dragon
an imprint of Jessica Kingsley Publishers
73 Collier Street
London N1 9BE, UK
and
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
www.singingdragon.com
Copyright © Dr. David Twicken, DOM, L.Ac. 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including
photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or
incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright
owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or
under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10
Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to
reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher.
Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil
claim for damages and criminal prosecution.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Twicken, David, author.
The divergent channels - jing bie : a handbook for clinical practice and five shen nei dan inner
meditation / Dr. David Twicken.
p. ; cm.
Jing bie
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-84819-189-1 (alk. paper)
I. Title. II. Title: Jing bie.
[DNLM: 1. Acupuncture Therapy--methods. 2. Medicine, Chinese Traditional--methods. 3.
Meditation--methods. WB 369]
RM184
615.8’92--dc23
2014004227
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 84819 189 1
eISBN 978 0 85701 150 3
Printed and bound in Great Britain
CONTENTS
Disclaimer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Author Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Chinese Dynasties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
PART I BACKGROUND
1 The Divergent Channels Pathways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2 Working It Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
3 Divergent Channels Sequencing Theories. . . . . . . . . . . 47
4 The Divergent Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
PART II WORKING IT OUT
5 The Major and Connecting Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
6 Cycles of Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
7 The Five Shen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
8 The Nine Needles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
9 Guiding Theories and Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
PART III CLINICAL APPLICATIONS
10 The Clinical Applications of Divergent Channels Theory . . 155
PART IV NEI DAN INNER MEDITATION
11 Introduction to Nei Dan Inner Meditation . . . . . . . . . . 173
12 The Cauldron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
13 The Small Heavenly Orbit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
14 Five Shen Nei Dan Inner Meditation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
