Mantra SHAO T’AI

The Chinese mantra SHAO T’AI (汰捎) consists of the words SHAO (捎; pronounced shāo), which in Qigong means “to bring” or “to lead” something (the word literally means !to take along something for someone else, to bring, or to deliver on the side«), and T’AI (汰; pronounced tài), which in Qigong means “to get rid of” or “to eliminate” something (the word literally means »to discard, eliminate, wash out, or weed out«).

In Qigong, the mantra SHAO T’AI, or the individual words SHAO and T’AI, can be used to regulate the so-called Microcosmic Orbit (Xiao Zhou Tian). The sound SHAO directs the movement of qi, or vital energy, down the front midline of the body and up the back midline. This circulation strengthens the body’s energy, its jing essence, and the subtle energy or qi. Excessive practice of this circulation, however, may lead to spiritual stagnation. The sound T’AI directs qi upward along the front midline and downward along the back midline, thereby reversing the direction of the energy circuit. This reversed circulation strengthens the spiritual energy or shen/ shen qi but tends to weaken ordinary qi, the jing essence, and the physical body. When SHAO and T’AI are practiced separately, the ratio of practice should be at least 2:1, favoring the bodily circulation over the spiritual one.

The sounds T’AI and SHAO represent a more radical approach to breath regulation. A more commonly used breathing mantra is the Indian mantra SO HAM, which is an example of onomatopoeia—a word or expression that imitates the natural sound it describes. In this case, it imitates the sound of breathing. SO (Soh) imitates the barely perceptible sound of inhalation, while HAM imitates the barely perceptible sound of exhalation. The Chinese equivalent of this mantra is HONG SAU (Chinese: 洪蘇), where HONG most likely derives from the Indian AHAM, and SAU from the Indian SO in SO HAM.

The Chinese also developed a similar form of onomatopoeia by imitating the sounds produced when breathing through a partially obstructed airway. In this case, SHAO imitates the sound of inhaling through a congested nose, while T’AI imitates the sound of exhaling through the mouth, with the force of the exhalation causing the mouth to open. In this way, SHAO and T’AI function as breathing mantras that are coarser but energetically more powerful than SO and HAM. SO HAM (or SO HENG) is particularly suitable for silent practice, whereas SHAO T’AI may be used in either vocal or silent practice. During vocal practice, the sound SHAO is also pronounced during exhalation. During silent practice, however, SHAO is used during inhalation.

Some practitioners also combine the sounds SHAO and T’AI with the specific tones/sounds associated with the five principal organs and, correspondingly, the Five Elements: GONG and the spleen, SHANG and the lungs, JUE and the kidneys, ZHI and the liver, and YU and the heart. For example: we can use mantra T’AI SHANG and then SHAO SHANG. This is one method used in healing Qigong. In another system, different organ correspondences are assigned to some of these sounds: JUE corresponds to the liver, ZHI to the heart, and YU to the kidneys.