from Chapter 7

Earth Energy and the Microcosmic Orbit

Chi is like electricity. In fact, recent Western research suggests chi may actually be the bioelectric force governing all life and movement in the body. As one begins to practice redirecting the chi by means of the mind/eyes/heart, yoga, Chi Kung postures, or special movements, the chi current can become very powerful. The mind/eyes/heart can gather and focus the chi just as a magnifying glass can gather and focus the rays of the sun, making the energy more concentrated and intense. If you “wire” the energy of the body, the need for grounding arises, otherwise serious problems may occur. Drawing in the earth’s energy is stabilizing and yin. We can send excess yang and sick energy into the earth. We can also absorb cool yin healing earth energy directly into the body.

GROUNDING AND THE MICROCOSMIC ORBIT MEDITATION

In the Universal Tao System, we begin to learn how to connect with earth energy in the Microcosmic Orbit meditation. The first stage in opening the Microcosmic Orbit is to open the basic loop of the Governor Channel and Functional Channel. In all subsequent practices, we bring more chi into the Microcosmic Orbit by means of either the Inner Elixir or the Outer Elixir. For all the reasons previously mentioned, it is extremely important that the first connection made is the one to Mother Earth. You should avoid opening your connections to Heavenly Energy until after you have mastered grounding.

In the Microcosmic Orbit practice, we always meditate sitting in chairs with the soles of our feet solidly touching the ground. The legs and feet are the best ground wires to connect us to earth energy. We learn to sense the cool, blue, soft, yin, gentle, kind sensation of Mother Earth’s energy in a passive way as it percolates up through the feet and legs and enters the Microcosmic Orbit at the perineum.

Microcosmic Orbit: Feeling Mother Earth’s Energy

Feel the Force of Mother Earth Flow Through You

1. Massage the center of your palms , soles of your feet, perineum, and coccyx. Place the hands at the sides with the palms facing toward the earth, and place the soles of the feet flat against the floor. You can also put a marble or a small steel ball under each sole at the Bubbling Spring (Kidney 1) point to stimulate it.

Be aware of the Bubbling Spring point on the two soles. Picture two small pipes extended up to the Hui Yin point at the perineum, up to the kidneys and the Original Force (fig. 7.10).

Picture a pipe extending from the Lao Gong point on each palm to the heart center and down to the navel. The perineum, openings of the sexual center, anus, palms, and soles are gateways through which the nourishing energy of Mother Earth can flow into you.

2. After a short time, you will begin to feel the palms and soles breathing by themselves. At the same time, you will feel the vagina and the perineum (Hui Yin) point start to naturally pull up and release in a pumping action, creating suction in time with your breathing and/or the pulsing. You can also lightly contract and relax your eyes and pull up on the two gates of the sexual organs--the perineum and the anus--to help activate the pumping action. Do this 18 to 36 times, then exhale and rest.

3. Now focus your mind/eyes/heart about 95 percent on the Original Energy behind the navel, and about 5 percent on Earth Gates (perineum, sexual and anal openings, palms, and soles). Feel yourself grounded; feel connected to the earth. Relax. Feel your sitz bones connect to the earth. As you feel yourself sinking into the earth, you will also feel pulsing again. Water is the dominant energy of the planet, so you may sense Mother Earth’s energy as a gentle blue force. The color blue is particularly healing to the bones and joints. Just relax and let it come in and up, feel the suction; feel the gentle blue earth energy pulsing into the navel, breathing in through the Five Earth Gates and pulsing and breathing into the tan tien (“stove”)

4. Mother Earth’s energy strengthens the stove and enhances the Original Energy there. Feel the energy ball at the tan tien becoming more crystallized, more real. Your navel is connected to the earth now; your body feels connected to the body of Mother Earth.

5. Feel the chi ball growing and expanding, filling the whole region between the navel, kidneys, and sexual center.

6. Finally, let the Original Energy radiate from the navel area and flow wherever it wants to go. As before, it may follow the path of the Microcosmic Orbit automatically, or it may flow in its own way. Just relax, and let it take its own course.

7. When you are ready to end your session, let the energy settle at the navel. Then finish and collect energy by spiraling at the navel.