Perineum press using the heel

Take hold of your inner right thigh with the right hand just above the knee and drag the right foot in, keeping the right leg completely soft and passive and letting the arm do all the work.

Take hold of the right ankle and draw the right heel into the right groin.  At the same time, roll the ankle out to turn the top of the foot and shin down to the floor.

Now take hold of the inner left thigh above the knee and draw the leg in, keeping it flexible and relaxed.  Take hold of the ankle and bring the left heel under your body so that it presses on the perineum.  Again this is absolutely key – you are using your heel to press the perineum.

You can do it the other way round if it is easier and it makes not a jot of difference whether it is your right or left heel in reality, so if you want to you can press the perineum with the right heel.

It helps a great deal to be sitting on a very large softish [say a foam] cushion when you do this, because although the pressure on the perineum is key, you can get cramp and create pain by sitting on your heel on a hard floor – you will also find you fall over unless you are properly balanced using a cushion.  The cushion can go under the buttocks.  You can lean against a wall if it helps.

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• Taoism - Embryonic breathing