MICROCOSMIC ORBIT MEDITATION

This is the classic Taoist meditation method for refining, raising, and circulating internal energy via the 'orbit' formed by the 'Governing Channel' from perineum up to head and the Functioning/Conception Channel from head back down to perineum. Activating the Microcosmic Orbit is a key step that leads to more advanced practices. Taoists believe that microcosmic orbit meditation fills the reservoirs of the Governing and Conception channels with energy, which is then distributed to all the major organ-energy meridians, thereby energizing the internal organs. It draws abundant energy up from the sacrum into the brain, thereby enhancing cerebral circulation of blood and stimulating secretions of vital neurochemicals. It is also the first stage for cultivating the 'spiritual embryo' or 'golden elixir' of immortality, a process that begins in the lower abdomen and culminates in the mid-brain. This is probably the best of all Taoist methods for cultivating health and longevity while also 'opening the three passes' to higher spiritual awareness.

Taoists often refer things in symbolic languages. (See the section on Human anatomy from the Taoist perspective for a description of the symbolism used in referring to the human anatomy.) 'Opening the Three Passes' is another name for this meditation method and refers to the three critical junctions which pave the way for energy to travel up from the sacrum through the Governing Channel along the spine into the head.

Method:

The first step is to still the body, calm the mind, and regulate the breath. With this settled mind, sit alone in a quiet room, senses shut and eyelids lowered. Turn your attention within, and inwardly visualize a pocket of energy in the umbilical region; within it is a point of golden light, clear and bright, immaculately pure. Focus attention on the navel until you feel the 'pocket of energy' glowing in the umbilical region. The breath through your nose will naturally become light and subtle, going out and in evenly and finely, continuously and quietly, gradually becoming slighter and subtler. When the feeling is stable and the energy there is full, use your mind to guide energy down to the perineum and back up through the aperture in the coccyx.
Steadily visualize this true energy as being like a small snake gradually passing through the nine apertures of the coccyx. When you feel the energy has gone through this pass, visualize this true energy rising up to where the ribs meet the spine, then going through this pass and right on up to the Jade Pillow, the back of the brain.

Then imagine your true spirit in the Nirvana Chamber in the center of the brain, taking in the energy. When this true energy goes through the Jade Pillow, press the tongue against the palate. The head should move forward and tilt slightly upwards to help it. When you feel this true energy penetrating the Nirvana Chamber, this may feel hot or swollen. This means the pass has been cleared and the energy has reached the Nirvana Center.

Next, focus attention on the Celestial Eye between the eyebrows and draw energy forwards from the midbrain and out through the point between the brows. This may cause a tingling or throbbing sensation there. Then the center of the brows will throb - this means the Celestial Eye is about to open. Then move the spirit into the center of the brows and draw the true energy through the Celestial Eye. If you see the eighteen thousand pores and three hundred and sixty joints of the whole body explode open all at once, each joint parting three-tenths of an inch, this is evidence of the opening of the Celestial Eye.
This is what is meant when it is said that when one pass opens all the passes open, and when one opening is cleared all the openings are cleared.

You may wish to stay and work with this point for a few minutes, before letting energy sink down through the palate and tongue into the throat to the heart. This may feel as though there is cool water going down the Multistoried Tower of the windpipe. Do not swallow; let it go down by itself, bathing the bronchial tubes.

Then the vital energy will bathe the internal organs and then return to the genitals. This is what is called return to the root.

From the heart, draw it down through the Middle Elixir Field in the solar plexus, past the navel, and down into the Ocean of Energy reservoir in the Lower Elixir Field, where energy gathers, mixes, and is reserved for internal circulation. Then begin another cycle up through the coccyx to the mid-spine behind the heart and up past the Jade Pillow into the brain.

Breathe naturally with your abdomen, and don't worry whether energy moves up or down on inhalation or exhalation; coordinate the flow of breath and energy in whatever manner suits you best. However, if you reach the stage where you can complete a full Microcosmic Orbit in a single breath, it's best to raise energy up from coccyx to head on exhalation and draw it down from Upper to Lower Elixir Field on inhalation.
If you practice this way for a long time, eventually you can complete a whole cycle of ascent and descent in one visualization. If you can quietly practice this inner work continuously, whether walking, standing still, sitting, or lying down, then the vital energy will circulate within, and there will naturally be no problem of leakage. Chronic physical ailments, Taoists believe, will naturally disappear.

Also, once the inner energy is circulating, the breath will naturally become fine, and the true positive energy of heaven and earth will be inhaled by way of the breath and go down to join your own generative energy. The two energies will mix together, both to be circulated by you together, descending and ascending over and over, circulating up and down to replenish the depleted true energy in your body.

This true energy harmonizes and reforms, so that the vital fluids produced by the energy of daily life again produce true vitality. When true vitality is fully developed, it naturally produces true energy, and when true energy is fully developed it naturally produces our true spirit.

If you have any physical problems or discomforts in a particular section of your body, focus your energy at the pass closest to the discomfort and let it throb there for a while. This will help heal and rejuvenate the injured tissues. For example, if you have pelvic problems, focus energy on the coccyx pass; for lower-back pain focus on the lowest lumbar vertebra just above the sacrum; for upper-back and shoulder pain focus on the fifth thoracic vertebra, and so forth.

This meditation may also cause the head to rock or the body to tremble, which, Taoists believe, are signs of progress.

Very similar to an article I wrote several years ago. Here it is just to suppliment the previous one.

The Microsmic Orbit


The microcosmic orbit is a basic qigong practice that can be of great benefit to anyone. For any serious student of qigong, it is an basic skill. Even those who aren’t qigong students, but work with other energy based disciplines like reiki, yoga, etc., should learn it, as they will find that the microcosmic orbit can be adapted for use in their own discipline. It can be done anywhere anytime. It can be done while sitting at a desk, out walking, while dusting or vacuuming. Anytime. It doesn’t require any special shoes, clothing or equipment. All that is required is a mind, a body and the desire to learn.
The microcosmic orbit consists of consciously circulating qi up the governor channel and down the conception channel. The governor channel is a large meridian (or jingluo as the chinese would call it) that runs from the base chakra, up the spine to the crown chakra. The conception channel or meridian/jingluo runs from the crown chakra down the front of the body to the base chakra. They are the largest two meridians in the body. In plain words, you are pulling energy (qi, ki, prana) up the spine and down the front of the body in a circle. This is done repeatedly as you breath.
How you do it is you pull qi/energy up the spine to the crown of your head by using your in breath as a focusing device. On your out breath, you push the energy down the front of the body from the crown. As my teacher always said, “energy follows intent.” What he meant was that the mind leads the qi/energy. The energy will go where your mind sends it. The breath is merely as focus or a device to aid the student. You could, if you wished, mentally send the energy around in this circle or circuit without using the breath. Its just easier to use the breath, especially for beginners.
To begin with, just sit in a comfortable position and become conscious of your body. Run your consciousness through your body. Feel its contours. Feel your muscles, bones. skin. Become conscious of your body inside and out. We live in our bodies every day but often ignore them. When we work or have discomfort it may be necessary to ignore it. But on this occasion, become extra aware of our body. Your body has a particular shape and size. It may be skinny or fat, muscular or flabby, but it is yours. You live inside it. We all have a sense of where our arms and legs are even if our eyes are closed. It is called the proximity sense. We also have other internal senses. We know if our belly is full or empty. We know if we are out of breath. If we quieten ourselves enough we can feel our hearts beating or our blood flowing. Now, sit and become quiet so that you can become more aware of your internal senses.
At first when you begin to learn the microcosmic orbit, it is necessary to use meditation. Meditation is simply learning to focus on one thing rather than allowing your mind to wander or your thoughts to be scattered. Meditation is not complicated. It is just focussing on one thing. It could be a focus on knitting, or whittling, or any mundane repetitive task. But here the breath will be the focus. It is a good way to quieten the mind down . Your breath is always with you. It is simple. You already know how to breathe. It is an autonomic process (done involuntarily) but also under voluntary control. It is the one activity that has dual controls you could say. As such it is a key to access control over your body. You can eventually use your breath to control your body’s autonomic functions. But that is for another time. Here we will use the breath to create a connection between to mind and the spirit.

Now I want you to realize that you are more than your body. You are more than your mind. You are a spirit made up of energy. The essential part of all of us is this spiritual body which is made of energy. Qi is essentially spiritual energy. Some people call this prana, qi, ki, or other things depending on the culture. This energy flows and circulates through our body just as blood does. But as blood flows through arteries and veins, qi flows through meridians such as are mentioned in acupuncture theory. In Aruvedic medicine, they are called nadis. The two largest meridians/nadis are called the conception channel and the governor meridian. Qi also radiates out from our bodies in layers. Sometimes this is called the aura. The aura or energy body may extend out from the body two feet or more. There are also energy centres in the body called chakras. There are seven major chakras arranged along the midline of the body between left and right. Five of them open on the front and back sides of the body. The other two are at the bottom of the torso and crown of the head, The governor and conception channels are located along these chakras, running between them.
One of the first difficulties or obstacles in learning the microcosmic orbit is getting so that you feel the energy. If you can’t feel it how do you know that you are doing it correctly? The answer is that if you follow the instructions and extend your awareness, you will feel a sensation running up the spine and down the front of the body. But it takes practice. Often this takes the form of heat or prickling sensation. especially at first. The sensation of energy circulation may change over time. With me, it feels like a sheet of warm water, but in the beginning it felt like heat going up my spine. You will tend to find that you can feel it more easily going up the spine than down the front. You will also likely find that it is easier to pull the energy up the spine than push it down from the crown chakra. Sometimes people will feel headachey or congested after practice until they develop enough profiiency. One thing you should always do during practice is touch your tongue to the roof of the mouth. This makes a stronger connection for the energy’s pathway in that area.
Once you have developed proficiency in doing the microcosmic orbit, your breath will flow smoothly. The expansion and contraction of the body parts during the breath will be co-ordinated and the movement of energy effortless. The energy will move in waves or pulsations around the body. You may have a sensation of movement even though your body is still. To me it sometimes feels as though I am swinging on a playground swing. It feels somewhat as you are going back and forth, although actually, your energy body/aura is expanding and contracting.
To begin the process, I want you to quiet your mind and move into a meditative state. Make sure to sit in a comfortable upright position in which you can breathe easily. . You should not feel that your abdomen in constricted. You should be able to expand your belly easily. Don’t force your breath. Breathe from the belly, but do not feel that you have to move the energy through muscular effort, and don’t hyperventilate. While we do energy work, we always keep your tongue touching the roof of your mouth. This means’ of course, that breathing through your nose is easier than breathing through your mouth. Focus your mind on your breathing for a few minutes. Allow yourself to relax and your mind to rid itself of extranious thoughts. Feel your breath. Become your breath, until nothing else exists in the world except for the activity of breathing. If your mind wanders, do not beat yourrself over the head. No recriminations, just bring your awareness back to your breath. It happens sometimes to us all . Feel your lungs expanding and contracting. Feel your diaphragm move up and down, expanding and contracting the lungs like bellows. Feel your stomach and chest expand and contract. Feel your ribcage open up, raise and expand even in your back. Feel the breath come in your mouth and nose, and down your throat. It becomes a sensory experience. The rest of the world goes away for a time and only your body has reality. Your mind will quieten and you will relax. Thoughts about daily concerns will become less frequent after a few minutes. With practice, your mind will quieten more quickly.

When your mind’s focus is concentrated or narrowed, become aware of the pathways through which you will move the energy. Start from the second chakra, a spot two inches under your navel. From there, visualize pulling the energy down between your legs and up the spine to the crown of the head. This is done as you inhale. Visualization, or the use of the imagination is a useful tool for the beginner. Visualize your breath pulling the energy from the navel chakra, down between the legs, and up the spine But the energy is not imaginary. Eventually, you will know that it is real, not just imagination. Visualization is simply a good tool for beginners.
Sending the qi down the conception channel, the front of the body, works the same way. Use your exhalation breath as a focus. Visualize the path which the energy will follow and imagine yourself breathing the energy down to the point two inches below the belly button. Repeat and practice until you develop the sensitivity to actually feel the energy circulation rather than just visualizing it.
As mentioned, the microcosmic orbit is a first step. Once it is mastered, the macrocosmic orbit can be learned. (Notice the difference micro vs. macro). The macrocosmic orbit consists of circulating qi from the crown of the head to the feet. Once this is mastered, you can learn how to send energy to any part of the body. You can even learn to send energy to others.
The microcosmic orbit is more than just a useless intellectual exercise. It is a spiritual discipline
with both health and spiritual benefits. By learning to circulate energy voluntarily, in an organized way, the meridians are cleared and enlarged. Just as atherosclerosis, narrowing of the arteries, creates health hazards, so do blockages of the meridians. Blockages within the energy system cause physical, mental and spiritual illnesses. Circulating qi in the microcosmic orbit helps clean out those blockages, thus healing physical illnesse. Acupuncture, for instance, is largely concerned with removing blockages to energy flow. Acupuncture has been proven to have measureable effects on illness. Not only does the microcosmic orbit help clear energy blockages leading to illness of mind, body and spirit, but also it enlarges the meridians allowing for other benefits. It can allow for not just the absence of sickness, but wellness and vibrant health. In yoga there is a the same exercise under a different name which is said the to aid in spiritual evolution. According to ancient Hindu texts, it is said to cause the spirit to evolve 10,000 years for each completed circuit. Perhaps this particular number is hyperbole, but it does definitely cause increased evolution of spirit.
With practice, the student will develop sensitivity to qi. You will get so that you can feel qi within the meridians, and your hands generally begin to feel the aura around you and the shape of the chakras. You may develop the ability to feel the quality as well as shape or density of your energy as well as of others. When you begin to feel other people’s energy, then you know that it is not your imagination. Some people begin to see auras or other natural, but ‘more-than-normal’ abilities. Reiki and yoga students would be well advised to adopt this as a daily practice, as well as those who are ill, and those who aspire to perfect health.
This essay may or may not be enough to teach you how to do the microcosmic orbit. For some people this advice is enough that they could learn on their own. It would be easier if you have have the pertinent background. However, it is recommended that you seek a qualified teacher who can supervise, make suggestions and be available to answer questions and concerns that may come up.

Further readings: most books by Man Tak Chia, Yang Jwing Ming., and Master Jou Tsung Hwa.

Please note that the term microcosmic orbit was coined by Man Tak Chia, and most others will use other terms to refer to the microcosmic orbit.


Jan. 04 2004.