This technique that you see me doing here is known as the microcosmic orbit activation.
It warms the spine,
Softens the jaw,
Steadies the brain.
And when you do this daily,
You will notice that returning to your center becomes easier and easier.
It works with the two channels,
Meridians,
That hold the midline of the body,
Central up the front,
Governing up the spine.
And they are the first to form in us at conception.
Before the organs,
Before the first breath and before any other meridian draws from them.
The action of this technique is tracing up the midline,
Front and back.
So let's start step by step,
Working with one section at a time and then we'll put it together.
Place one hand over the lower abdomen and then trace up the midline of the body,
Ending with two fingers on the chin below the bottom lip.
Take the tongue and place it on the top palate behind the top teeth and then repeat that up flow with the other hand.
Just ensure that when the hands leave the body,
They come out to the side and they don't trace down that midline.
And as you keep repeating one hand after another,
You can simply keep your tongue in position on the top palette.
And now we're going to do its partner running up the spine.
Starting with a hand at the base of the spine,
Take your hand as far as you can up your spine,
Then move your hand up behind the head,
Reaching for the spine and traveling up the midline of the skull,
Down the midline of the face,
Ending with two fingers above the top lip,
Tongue on the top palate.
Repeat with the other hand and continue repeating one hand after the other.
Slow as you need to.
And now let's put it together.
One hand over the lower belly,
One hand at the base of the spine.
Trace your hands up the midline,
Front and back.
And your front hand ends below the bottom lip.
The hand that came over the spine ends above the top lip.
Your tongue remains in position,
Top palate behind the top teeth.
Now you can swap your hands around so that the hand that was at the back comes to the front and vice versa.
And you trace up the midline again.
Release the hands to the side.
Rotate the hands again,
The other hand in front and so on.
Keep repeating this.
In Daist practice,
The circuit is called the small heavenly circle and practitioners have opened their day with it.
For well over a thousand years,
Using it every morning for a rotation of 36 times,
Which takes approximately 2 minutes.
Once you are in the flow with it.
The number 36 stems from classical Taoism.
But feel free to start with the number of repetitions that feels good for you.
Once complete,
Sit quietly for a few moments.
In presence.
Honoring the body.
And then Please hydrate.
In closing.
A beautiful quote from the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh who said,
Waking up in the morning,
I smile.
24 brand new hours are before me.
