And so for today's practice,
I would like to work with two of the primary energetic channels in Taoism and Chinese medicine.
The Governing Vessel,
Or Dumai,
That runs up through the center of the spine over the top of the head,
And the Conception Vessel that runs on the anterior midline.
This is known as the Microcosmic Orbit,
As the Governing Vessel is referred to as the Sea of Yang,
And the Conception Vessel the Sea of Yin.
And these two form the primary polarity of Yin and Yang within the body.
And so when we work with moving energy through these channels,
Through opening and clearing any blockages,
It inherently balances all Yin and Yang aspects within ourselves,
Front and back,
Side to side,
Above and below,
And body and spirit.
This is why it is considered one of the foundational meditation practices in Taoism.
You'll want to make sure that the tongue is touching the upper palate and the roof of the mouth.
As this connects the end of the Governing Vessel,
That ends on the upper gums,
With the Conception Vessel.
So if you will,
Please find a comfortable and stable posture for meditation.
Ensure that your knees are lower than your hips,
So that the hip flexors can relax and open,
Allowing circulation between the legs and the lower abdomen.
From this stable base,
Allow the spine to rise with its natural curves up towards heaven.
Allow the shoulders to relax back and down,
Softening and opening the front of the chest.
Allow the chin to tilt slightly down,
And then pull back just a little bit,
For most of us,
To bring the head over the shoulders,
In line with the spine.
Begin abdominal breathing,
With every inhalation allowing the abdomen to gently expand.
With every exhalation,
Allowing it to gently contract.
Allowing the shoulders and chest to remain relaxed and still.
As you continue abdominal breathing,
Focus your awareness on the lower dantian,
The energetic center,
Two to three inches below the umbilicus,
In the center of the lower abdomen.
You can imagine it as a ball of light.
Now,
Imagine this ball of light descending to the perineum,
And then moving posteriorly to enter the tip of the coccyx,
The tailbone.
And you can imagine it moving up through the tailbone,
The sacrum,
Into the lumbar vertebrae,
Into the thoracic vertebrae.
You can imagine it moving up through the thoracic spine,
Into the cervical spine,
Up to the crown of the head,
Forward to the top of the forehead.
Begins descending,
Passing the third eye,
The bridge of the nose,
The tip of the nose,
Reaching the philtrum,
Entering through the philtrum,
To the tongue that is touching the roof of the mouth,
From the tongue down to the front of the throat,
Onto the sternum,
Down,
Moving onto the abdomen,
The center midline,
Passing the umbilicus,
Passing the front of the lower dantian,
Down to the pubic symphysis,
And returning to the perineum.
It returns to the perineum,
And it begins the cycle again,
Entering the tip of the coccyx,
Moving up through the spine,
Continue visualizing the movement of this ball of energy,
Up through the governing vessel in the spine,
Over the top of the head,
Then down the conception vessel on the anterior midline.
If it helps,
You can imagine the energy moving up the back on the inhalation,
And down the front on the exhalation.
Continue following this cycle,
And when you next arrive at the perineum,
Allow the energy to ascend to the lower dantian,
And rest with your awareness concentrated at the lower dantian.
Now,
Allow the energy to move up and down through the central channel that runs between the governing and the conception vessels,
Through the center of the body,
On the midline,
Front and back,
And side to side.
Feel the ball of energy move up from the lower dantian towards the level of the navel,
Up to the level of the heart,
To the throat,
To the center of the brain,
And then it descends,
Passing the throat,
The heart,
The level of the navel,
Down to the lower dantian.
Continue moving it up and down through the central channel,
As though energetically flossing this channel,
Clearing out any obstructions.
If it is helpful,
You can imagine the ball of energy rising on the exhalation as we breathe out,
And descending with the inhalation as we breathe in.
Now,
The next time the ball of energy reaches the center of the brain,
Allow it to remain there.
Imagine the crown of the head energetically opening,
And this ball of energy ascends to connect with the Tao,
The undifferentiated unity of consciousness.
Rest in this connection to that undifferentiated unity,
The divine unity.
Realize that this is your true nature.
You are unlimited consciousness that simply experiences through these limited vehicles of the body and mind.
Now,
Bring the awareness back to the center of the brain.
Allow the crown to energetically close,
Returning to the state of individuated being.
Allow the ball of energy to descend through the central channel,
Energy pouring like a waterfall down past the throat,
The heart,
All the way down to the lower dantian,
Collecting in the lower dantian like the pool at the base of a waterfall.
Become aware of the felt sense of the body as a whole.
Feel this vehicle of the physical body.
Allow your consciousness to permeate it,
Knowing that you are not it,
But it is a vehicle for you to use,
To experience.
Become aware of the solidity beneath you,
Supporting you and holding you up.
And the air around you,
In which you are immersed like a fish in water.
When you are ready,
Begin to slowly open your eyes,
Perceiving through the vehicle of your mind and the vehicle of your body,
All that surrounds you.
When we begin to realize that the physical body and the mind are vehicles for consciousness to experience through,
And that we are not those vehicles,
But something much greater,
It provides a degree of freedom.
It allows us to take things a little less personally,
And it opens the door for us to choose to cultivate the vehicles of the body and the mind in ways that allow consciousness to experience more clearly ourselves as we are,
And reality as it is.
Thank you all for joining me today.
