From: edramirez@... <edramirez@...>
Subject: [taichi_phil] Re: The Microcosmic Orbit
To: taichi_phil@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, September 5, 2009, 6:20 PM

 

Microcosmic Orbit meditation is very good. But it's not Taoist and not
natural.

In a purely Taoist practice, we allow the Chi to run its course. And guess
what - the natural motion of the Chi in the body passes up the spine to
the brain and down to the front of the body. If the Chi stops doing this,
you will die instantly. For most people who want to do deep Taichi, doing
microcosmic orbit meditation is not necessary because the body does it
automatically anyway. If your heart pumps blood to the entire body, is
there still a need to visualize the heart sending clean blood to every
organ, every limb, every part?

Now if you are an initiate of some esoteric meditation that does
microcosmic orbit, then its purpose is different from just circulating the
chi. The purpose is spiritual. But for those who want to improve their
health or develop internal martial arts power, the practice is really
unnecessary.

The Taoist way to control Chi is not to mentally control it but to allow
it to move the way the universe wants it to move at a given moment in
time. So our job is to help the body allow the movement and not to
restrict the movement. By using your mind to force the Chi to move in a
certain direction goes against Tao or the natural way. That's the
difference between Yoga/Buddhism/ etc with Taoism.

So, how do you help the Chi to move in an efficient way in the body so
that it gives you good health and good martial arts power? The answer is
to do standing meditation. There are a lot of books on standing
meditation. One of the ways I recommend is standing while embracing an
imaginary ball. Just standing still in a relaxed fashion is work without
movement. Doing work causes your body to compensate by increasing the flow
of Chi in its own way and method (without you having to meddle with the
flow). In other words, you do your work, nature will do its work in your
body.

If you are spiritual, just offer the stillness/work to God and allow God
to work health and healing wonders (and also martial arts wonders) in your
body by letting nature do its work through your body. Remember Chi is the
domain of nature so pure Taoists believe that you shouldn't meddle in
nature but to be in harmony with it.

Now let me share with you a secret... No amount of microcosmic meditation
will improve your martial arts power, not even an iota. But a lot of
standing meditation will improve your power a hundred-fold. If you do one
hour of standing practice everyday for a year in the way I mentioned, you
will be able to swat flies and mosquitoes with a barbecue stick with
amazing accuracy - just for starters. Think about how this ability can
cause you to take out all your opponents vital points swiftly and end
fights decisively.

For me, I consider microcosmic meditation for health and/or martial arts
as hard work that yields some results. But stance training is easy work
that lets nature transform your body without you having to do anything
other than just staying in one position motionlessly.

Ed

-----

> The Microcosmic Orbit
> by Jeffrey Smoley
>  
> This is a classic Taoist Qigong Meditation method, with it's roots in
> India, for circulating and refining Qi via the circuit formed by the
> 'Governing Channel' from perineum up to head and the Conception Channel
> from head back down to perineum.
>
> Practicing the Microcosmic Orbit is a key step that enables more advanced
> practices.
>
> The Practice of the Microcosmic Orbit.
>
> 1. The first steps are to still the body, calm the mind, and regulate the
> breath. Sit, stand in Zhan Zhuang (Post Standing) or lay on your back, in
> a quiet place, eyes closed lightly. If you are sitting, you should be
> upright, with your feet flat on the floor, sitting forward enough so your
> genitals are off the chair. Advanced practitioners can use many of the
> different Zhan Zhuang postures.
>
> 2. Focus your attention on your Dantien (just below your navel and above
> the Du Qi), and visualize a small ball of energy, a ball of golden or
> white light, bright and pure. Maintain the attention on your Dantien until
> you feel the energy of the ball. This could be heat, vibration, warmth or
> just a sensation of its presence.
>
> 3. Begin abdominal breathing. This breathing method starts when you inhale
> through your nose and your abdomen expands, not your chest. It is the way
> babies breathe. Exhale through your slightly opened mouth, keeping your
> tongue lightly touching your palate just behind your upper front teeth.
> When you exhale your abdominal muscles contract lightly to help expel air.
>
> 4. Inhale and visualize or imagine this small ball of Qi passing down from
> the Dantien, past the Hui Yin (between anus & genitals), up through the
> coccyx. Then visualize or imagine the Qi ball rising up to the Mingmen
> (Life gate point between the kidneys) and then to where the ribs meet the
> spine, then going through this area and right on up to the back of the
> head, where it joins the neck.
>
> 5. Then visualize or imagine this Qi ball in the center of your brain,
> taking in healing energy through the Baihui point on the top of your head.
>
> 6. Next, focus your attention on the Yintang point between and just above
> the eyebrows and draw energy into the ball of Qi from this point as the
> ball passes and goes to the roof of your mouth. This may cause a tingling
> or throbbing sensation there. This ends your inhalation.
>
> 7. You may wish to stay and work with this Qi for a few minutes, before
> letting Qi sink down through the palate and tongue (which you still have
> lightly pressed onto your palate), into the throat to the heart (Shanzhong
> point). Taking a breath or two while the Qi is in your mouth can help you
> focus on the ball. This is OK for beginners.
>
> 8. Exhale and send the Qi down to your heart (Shanzhong Point). From the
> heart, draw it down through the middle Dantien at your solar plexus, past
> your navel, and down into the lower Dantien, where energy gathers, mixes,
> and is reserved for internal circulation. Then begin another cycle.
>
> Once the Qi is circulating, your breath will naturally become fine. This
> means it is smooth, not ragged or irregular. You can do this meditation
> from one to dozens of times.
>
> Qi circulation harmonizes and reforms, so that the vital fluids produced
> by daily life can produce true vitality.
>
> If you have any physical problems or discomforts in a particular section
> of your body, while doing the orbit, hold the circulation and focus your
> Qi at the discomforting point and let it pulse there for a while. Let the
> area relax. This will help heal and rejuvenate and improve the Qi flow.
>
> This meditation may also cause the head to rock or the body to tremble,
> which, some believe, are signs of progress.
>
> If you have high blood pressure and want to use this meditation as part of
> your treatment, reverse the flow of the orbit, so that your Qi goes up
> during the inhale and back and down on the exhale.
>
> The Microcosmic Orbit is a good practice for all Qigong students, and can
> be used before other meditations. You can use a few orbits in both
> directions during the day, to reduce stress. You can also do this lying
> down before sleep. Don’t do this while driving or operating machinery!
>
> If you have trouble visualizing or imagining the flow, you can think of a
> golf ball or ping-pong ball. You can even use one hand to trace the flow
> when you are sitting or standing.
>
> For more Qigong information, please visit my sites:
> Http://www.JadePowe rQigong.com
> Http://www.YuLiQigo ng.com
>
>
> Author's Bio
> 1960-1962 Kodokan Judo/Korean Yudo, gokyu; w/ Sensei Kim Young Chol
> (Queens, NY)
> 1962-1973 Furuya Ryu Kobujitsu (Jujitsu), nidan; w/ Sensei Kenichi Furuya
> & Sensei
> Kenjiro Furuya (Queens, NY), with a gap from 1968 to 1971 due to service
> in the US Army.
> 1964-1973 Jujitsu & Shorinji Kempo, sandan in Jujutsu; w/ Sensei Arai,
> Long Island Jujutsu Academy (Queens, NY), with a gap from 1968 to 1971 due
> to service in the US Army.
> 1973-1982 Jujitsu & Hop Gar Gongfu & Qigong, yondan in Jujutsu; w/ Sensei
> Andy Garcia (Miami Beach, Fl.)
> 1993-1994 Jujitsu & Aikido, w/ Sensei Leoni Velasquez. (Hollywood, Fl.)
> 1996-1999 Chen Taijiquan; w/ Yan GaoFei under Chen QuanZhong. (Hollywood,
> Fl.), on and off due to work.
>
> 1999-2008 Qigong with Dr. Zhou Peigen
> Additional Qigong training with GM Chen Quanzhong, GM Chen Zhenglei, Sifu
> Andy Garcia, Dr. Glenn Morris and Laosi Paul Chen.
>  
> source of article:
> http://www.selfgrow th.com/articles/ The_Microcosmic_ Orbit.html
>
>
>