Welcome.
Today we enter one of the foundational practices of Taoist internal alchemy,
The microcosmic orbit.
This method is described in Ming Dynasty writings,
Such as pointers on spiritual nature and bodily life,
And has been transmitted in its modern form through living lineage,
Including Master Mantak Chie.
It is traditionally regarded as a gateway method of internal circulation,
Guiding awareness and chi up the spine and down the front of the body to form a continuous inner loop.
Because this session is audio only,
I will describe the method carefully.
We will use gentle hand postures to guide attention along traditional energetic pathways,
Together with a subtle suction form of breath,
Perhaps akin to what Taoist training label as the water deer method,
Where awareness quietly accompanies sensation.
This practice is traditionally associated with increased bodily ease,
Steadiness of posture and calming of the breath,
Not as promises or guarantees,
But as commonly observed effects of sustained body awareness and attention.
Before we begin,
An important note.
These contemplative and breath-based practices may at times evoke emotional or psychological responses and are not suitable during pregnancy or during periods of significant emotional or psychological vulnerability.
If you have a history of significant trauma,
A psychiatric condition,
Substance use or concerns,
Or if you feel unsure about your stability at this time,
Please seek appropriate professional guidance before engaging.
This session is educational and spiritual in nature and does not constitute medical advice,
Diagnosis or therapy.
Any descriptions of posture,
Breath,
Energy or sensation reflect traditional Taoist practice and personal experience and should not be read as medical or health claims.
Due to insurance and regulatory restrictions,
This content is not available to residents of the USA or Canada.
Now we begin by gently awakening the lower Dantian and allowing the breath to settle in its own rhythm.
Nothing is forced.
Nothing is pursued.
The orbit forms in its own time,
Like a river discovering its course.
Sitting comfortably,
Either cross-legged on your mat or seated on a stool or chair away from the back support,
Feet are parallel and knees at roughly 90 degrees.
Tongue is placed at the roof of the mouth and breathe gently through the nose.
It goes without saying but please do not practice while driving or operating machinery and allow the spine to lengthen gently,
Not rigid,
Not slumped,
Just upright and easy.
Today we'll explore the traditional Taoist meditation called the microcosmic orbit,
Where the governing vessel rises up from the perineum up the spine over the crown to the upper lip and the conception vessel descends down the front of the body back to the perineum.
Together they form the traditional microcosmic orbit.
As always,
Work at about 60-70% effort.
Nothing is forced.
If at any point you feel strangeness or discomfort,
Simply return to natural breathing and soften.
Sensations vary widely.
Feeling little or nothing is completely normal.
This practice unfolds gradually over time.
Intensity is not required.
Practice gently and progressively.
To begin we visit the major energetic centres,
Sometimes compared to chakras,
Resting attention lightly at each point before we trace a pathway of awareness between them.
So,
With your left palm face it towards the earth at the level of the hips and with your right hand make small circular movements in front of the pubic bone,
The lower abdominal area and place your attention there,
Rest your attention there and see what sensations arise,
And if no sensations arise that's absolutely fine.
From a traditional Taoist meditation point of view,
They might sense a silky,
Smooth,
Watery sensation and they would call that jing qi.
Now take a breath in and just a soft breath out,
Not forced.
Bring the backs of your palms together,
Make your arms long.
Now bend at the elbows and point the fingers now towards the perineum.
Make small circular movements of the fingers and again become aware of sensations in the perineum,
Between the fingers and the perineum.
Notice what sensations arise,
Or none at all,
Both are equally fine.
In traditional Taoist alchemy this would be called like weaving the silk or making a silk cocoon.
Point the fingers now towards the inside of the sacrum.
Gently make circular movements with the fingers,
Observing any sensations that arise.
Some may notice movements of the perineum or pelvic floor or tucking in of the coccyx.
Others may notice no change at all,
That's absolutely fine.
There are no prizes for people that feel sensations and no prizes for people that notice no change.
All are equally valid.
Pointing the fingers now towards the lumbar area.
Make small circular movements of the hands and again resting your awareness or your attention between the fingertips and the flesh and bones of the second and third lumbar region,
Commonly known as the Ming Men,
The door of life.
Now through the solar plexus,
Point your fingers towards thoracic 11,
T11.
Make small circular gentle movements with the hands,
Noticing any changes in sensation.
Some may notice that there is a pathway or a continuity of sensations coming up from the sexual center through the perineum,
Through the sacrum,
Lumbar to thoracic 11.
Others may not and that's absolutely fine and okay.
Now bring your fingers up a little bit higher.
Focus your fingers through the sternum to T5,
Midway between the shoulder blades.
Circular movements of the hands and fingers once more.
And again,
Focus your attention on thoracic 5 area and become aware of changes in sensation or no changes in sensation at all.
Now to C7,
Cervical 7.
Rotating the fingers.
Awareness of sensations in this area between the fingers and C7 and in the C7 area.
Some practitioners may notice a loosening,
A lengthening,
A softening.
Others notice no changes at all and each are just as equal and important in the path.
And now to the base of skull,
First cervical vertebra.
Rotate the hands.
Awareness focused at that space between cervical 1 and base of skull.
Noticing any change or absence of change.
Now hands above the crown towards what we call GV or Governing Vessel 20.
The Ba Hui point which goes from the top of the ears,
The highest point of the ears to the highest point of the back of the skull,
The crown.
Rotate the hands and observe sensations there.
To the third eye,
Between the eyebrows,
This is known as Yin Tang.
Rotate the palms.
Observing for changes in sensation that include perception of light.
Trace a continuous pathway down to the throat,
Just beneath the Adam's apple,
The throat.
Focus your awareness between the fingertips and throat.
Observe sensations there.
Now bring attention between the sternum,
Mid-sternal area.
Rotate the fingers,
Noticing any changes or none at all.
Remember,
No prizes for no sensations,
No prizes for lots of sensations.
Solar plexus.
Rotate the hands.
Observing changes in posture,
Sensations.
Some may feel a slight indrawing of the solar plexus or epigastric area,
Others not.
Navel,
Same,
Same attention,
Same observation,
Same non-judgment of sensations that arise or don't arise.
Sexual centre,
Just above the pubic bone.
Now,
We have completed all the points in the major points of the microcosmic orbit.
And now what we're going to do is move the palms.
So the palms start face down,
And as the arms come upwards,
Behind the body,
Up the back,
They face backwards.
As they come up near the neck,
They face the sky,
And as they come down,
They face the earth once more.
Once they get to the perineum,
They face back,
And they make like a circle or two wheels on either side of the body.
Going up and down,
Palms changing direction.
Now the aim here,
The aim here is to assist tracing the continuity of your attention up the back and down the front,
And observing if there's any continuity between the various points,
Up the back and down the front.
Up the back and down the front.
The aim is to not concentrate on the palms.
The aim is to focus your attention to the points of the microcosmic orbit and the spaces in between,
Up the back and down the front.
Continue in your own time for several more times.
Now,
If you can,
Focus your attention to the soles of your feet.
Observe any sensations there.
This point between the two balls of the feet is known as the bubbling springs point or kidney one point.
Observe sensations there or absence of sensation there.
In traditional Taoist alchemy meditation,
This is often a site where they would sense wet sand,
Wet mud,
Or get a tonal vibration there.
They would call this the earth chi,
Perception of earth chi.
Make a connection up the legs.
Just tracing a continuous pathway of attention up the legs.
Again,
Tracing the points and the spaces between the points,
Up the back,
And then all the way up to the crown.
Pause there with your attention for the moment.
Notice or observe any sensations above the crown or absence of sensations above the crown.
You might lightly imagine as symbols or in a contemplative way,
Moonbeams or stardust.
From a traditional Taoist perspective,
Any sensations that arise from this area represent heavenly chi.
Moving our awareness,
Our concentration down the front again.
Moving your awareness,
Your attention up the back.
Focusing on the points and the spaces between the points.
You may be able to trace some sort of continuous pathway between them.
Up the back and down the front.
Involving the arms,
Involving the legs.
Connecting to the floor,
Connecting to the spaces above or feeling the spaces above.
Just noticing changes in sensation.
And now,
Sitting with that for a moment or two.
Just sitting and observing and noticing.
Noticing,
Perhaps observing the whole body this time.
And now bring your awareness back,
Back,
Back to that point midway between the navel and the back.
So we call in the traditional Taoist approach,
This is called the lower dantien or the lower elixir field.
But for us right now,
Just focus your attention midway between the navel and the back.
And we're going to take a little breath without any force,
Just make a small sound.
Take a breath in and then make a small sound.
And see if that helps your awareness of that point midway between the navel and the back.
Again,
From a traditional Taoist alchemical point of view,
Inner alchemy.
They might sense a flame,
A vibration,
A sense of spinning,
A sense of warmth or light in this point midway between the navel and the back.
If you can now,
Focus 90% of your attention midway between the navel and the back.
And just with the edges of your awareness,
The other 10%,
Focus on the points that we've outlined up the back and down the front.
The points of the microcosmic orbit.
Any sense of continuity between these points.
Awareness to the feet and the floor beneath.
Awareness to the crown and the spaces above.
Remember what you perceive is what you perceive.
And any sensations that you perceive are correct for you at this moment in time.
No forcing,
No pushing,
No intensity.
Just calm,
Gentle observation.
Bring your awareness now back to the lower Dantian or that point midway between the navel and the back.
And with your palms facing the navel.
And in that plane between the front half and the back half of the body,
Start to spiral your awareness and move it outwardly to the pubic bone and diaphragm.
That is,
The circle's getting bigger and bigger.
And once that circle reaches the pubic bone and diaphragm,
Stop and change direction.
And now start getting smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller.
Until again your awareness focuses on one point between the navel and the back.
Now rest your attention there.
And stay with this for a moment or two.
This aspect of focusing on one point at the end is there to help you make the transition back to the awake world.
So now to also assist that we're going to do some Qi self-massage.
So rub your palms together.
And place the heels of the palms over the eyes.
Not too hard,
Just nice and gentle.
And observe changes in sensation.
You may see changes in the perception of light.
Rub your palms together.
Massage the face.
The forehead,
The eyebrows,
The cheekbones,
The nose.
The gums,
The teeth,
The jawbone,
The ears.
The back of the neck,
The front of the neck.
Massage your palms.
The upper arm on one side,
The forearm,
Front and back.
And the hand,
The other side.
Upper arm,
Forearm,
Hand and fingers.
The chest,
Massage the chest.
The abdomen.
The lower back.
Pelvis,
Thighs.
Knees.
Legs.
And don't forget the feet and toes.
And if you like you can shake out a little.
Go for a walk around the room.
And return to your everyday world.
As you return to your everyday world,
Allow what has been practised here to settle naturally.
Thank you for practising.
May this sense of continuity remain gentle and at ease.
