Encephalon

I don't hear much about Dan Reid in TTB. I think he's up there with a handful of western students who took Asian philosophy seriously enough to study it in college, learn the language and live in Asia. I can understand the argument about being careful who to listen to, but the westerners who've done their homework seem to be a valuable resource for other western students. Here's his website if anyone's interested. http://www.danreid.org/default.asp "anyone who has the time to research and write books of this nature can't have enough time to put in the hours necessary to really achieve what they're writing about." Does this include all the Chinese masters who also happen to be prolific authors, such as Deng Ming-Dao, Jwing-Ming, Waysun Liao, C.K. Chu? What seems rather remarkable to me is the predictability, consistency and inevitability of results if due diligence is practiced as instructed. This is powerful and incontrovertible evidence of the efficacy of energy work. I was attempting to introduce a fine and experienced writer to the forum. If this post receives invariably negative feedback, I'll be happy to eliminate it.

Geeez - I'm entirely ignorant of these matters - to whack or not to whack - but I do know this; I was completely abstinate for ten days preceding my first Micorcosmic orbit, and I cannot help but draw a causal connection. And, for what it's worth, it gets easier to go without as you get older, but I would not want to have to endure my twenties again

My experience with MCO reversal was one of intrigue - "Oh my! It's backwards!" But it proved to be very positive and pleasant. The energy stopped in my heart center and throbbed for about 20-30 seconds and then moved up to my throat, where I have experienced a good deal of throat center pulsation over the last ten days. I interpret this subjectively as a healing pattern in response to a throat chakra that has been blocked for several decades. I realize I am mixing chakra work and MCO models. This could be problematic at some point, or a sensible synthesis, but I'm not advanced enough to know.

Well said. I have been worshipping at the Bart Simpson Alter of Underachievement for over 35 years, probably longer. I had a deeply entrenched script that said I was either temperamentally or congenitally unfit to learn anything to do with advanced bodymind disciplines. And guess, what? It remained a truism until I turned 47. Then, after trying several other psycho-technologies involving body and mind, I gave energy work a try. I honestly feel I now have the means of healing and redeeming my deepest wounds. If it works for someone with as much psycho-baggage as I have, then it's probably available to any sincere seeker. "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right!"

Whoah, Serene. Is it your understanding that the Monkey Mind must be completely silent before the Little Orbit starts up? If that is true, then it surprises me, because my initial lower dantien Little orbit work had to be at least 80% somatic and 20% mental, in the form of visualization. There may not be a need to be so hard on oneself. I'll have to wait for the words of someone farther along to address this. Also, regarding the two year mark - I did not pursue nei kung practice two years ago for the specific purpose of attaining the MCO because I didn't even realize what an MCO was. Based on what I've learned in my very short two years, I'd say the nei kung really prepped the field. But it wasn't until I started seated meditation about three months ago, with the specific goal of MCO that it finally kicked in for me, on Sept. 25.

A solid microcosmic orbit would make me happy. Proficiency in medical qigong and some solid longevity practice would probably give me a chance to redeem my negative karma (I have boatloads, how about you?) I hope to spend the last 20 years of my life in the Canadian Rockies or Coast Range, quietly practicing and playing guitar and piano. I believe I have 20 years to prepare for that. Life without music would be a mistake. F. Nietzsche

I've been doing Zhan Zhuang, or what was defined for me as Embracing the Horse, for two years at 15-45 minutes per day, followed by the nine form nei kung practice. about four months ago I started holding my hands on my dantien and it really started to spin. I also got overheated and had to cool the whole thing down with an herbal prep. My face and soles of my feet start to dry out. I got sebhoria for the first time in my life. But that was when I first started to consciously direct energy at will into my limbs and fingers. After taking Trunk's advice and concentrating on the Little Orbit for about two months, the energy started climbing up the back channel, about three weeks ago. Many people in here much farther along have counseled me on the advisability of sticking to the Little Orbit, so I have done so, but when it starts climbing by itself and does a bank shot off the inside of the top of my cranium and heads for my nose, where it throbs, I just make sure I keep my tongue on the palate so the energy does not stagnate there. An acupuncturist told me that many can get it up; getting it back down is the tricky part. And I believe Eternal Student said that it's best to keep the energy low to give it time to heal the emotional body before you get to Heaven with a boatload of psychological baggage. I want to make sure that I am not erroneously referreing to Zhan Zhuang as something it is not, but it does seem to be Embrace Tree, or Horse, does it not?

Honestly, I can't speak for the text. It was page 306 in the 1994 copy.

I'm going to just come out and confess right now. I only have a few PT gigs a week, so I have had the enormous good fortune of practicing 3-5 hours a day for three months. But I still question the validity of my senses at times and will most likely wake up one day and find myself surrounded by giants. But I'm going to have to credit Master Chu and his "Embrace Horse" prescription, and his nei kung, and Trunk's advice on first establishing the Little Orbit.

Those are good points. It took me two years doing nei kung to get it. And this article doesn't delve as deeply into the mechanics of breathing like you might expect, although Reid covers it elsewhere. I guess I was targeting those who have a consistent standing meditiation practice and who can summon the chi ball in the lower dantien in a matter of moments, who are then ready for the roadmap. Thanks for keeping me on my toes.

Good answer. Less typing.

I had no idea what Zhan Zhuang was until I actually looked into it and realized I had been practicing it as taught by Master Chu at www.chutaichi.com and www.neikungla.com Is this right? Here Emracing the Horse is similar to Embracing the Tree, Nei Kung 1.Embracing the Horse 2.Riding the Wild Horse 3.Playing the P'i' P'a' 4.Compass 5.Double Dragons Leap from the Sea 6.Rhinoceros Gazes at the Moon 7.Ride the Tiger 8.Phoenix Spread Wings 9.Hitting the Tiger 10.Owl Turns Head It took me two years of Embracing Horse for 15-45 minutes a day, before anything really started to happen. But then the MCO opened up rather ubruptly.

This is my working hypothesis. I think it's true. Could I please have some corroborating stories? I'm trying to convince my girlfriend that she won't have to spend the rest of her life at the gym if she practices energy work. My MCO is up there with quitting drinking and going to college, but if she hears me mention the subject one more time, she'll have me shipped to China in a rubber dinghy.

Thanks for posting these vidlinks!

Thanks again for all the feedback. My sloppy writing - i.e., lack of specificity - has introduced some confusion. By "gym time," I was speaking metaphorically, trying to express time spent exercising, not specifically at the gym and I certainly didn't mean to imply time spent with traditional "fitness center" exercise machines or isolation weight-training routines. Almost every routine I compose for myself or my clients is based on compound lifts and kettlebell routines, with lots of flexibility exercises thrown in. Kettlebells are wonderful for that. I subscribe to the theory that strength is the godfather of all other fitness criteria. Regardless of your own particular goals - wt loss, cardio, strength, size, stamina - the sooner you get strong, the sooner the rest of it falls into place. This goes for mind/muscle connection too, which, in my opinion and personal experience, can support internal energy awareness. I really dig the comments about the balance between inner and outer exercise. I hope we can pay attention and contribute to this specific topic of post-MCO exercise, cuz I'm a trainer and I need lab rats! I think this could really accelerate my PT business.

I just got off the phone with a MMQ, master medical qigong/tai chi guy, who practices out here in LA. When I told him that I don't get sore after ambitious workouts he said he had the same experience. This is what happens when the chi and the jing fuse, he says. Sounds good to me. Time to go the lumber yard and buy some boards. Hi-yaahh. Can anyone recommend an iron shirt dvd?

This is baffling to me. Everyone's posts made perfect sense, but I have just one recent experience that causes me to reflect on it further. I worked out like a madman for almost three years, the luxury of working at a gym. Then I took three months off to finish a college project, and just wasn't into working out that much. All I did was energy work and nei kung. Then I started back into working out with my private clients - some ambitious kettlebell routines. But I haven't gotten sore. No post-workout soreness at all, and I can't explain it. Furthermore, except for a slight decline in cardio, my stamina didn't go down. So, erroneously or not, I inferred that my energy work was keeping the physical fire lit. Honest conclusion? I have to agree, the exercise switch is definitely on now; I feel extremely motivated for the hard stuff again. The notion that people get addicted to exercise has been taken to a completely different level now. what are the advantages of rebounding?

What has not been mentioned yet in this thread is the compound L-Theanine derived from green tea. It's an amino acid that has a very pleasant and effective anti-anxiety response that does not make you sleepy. Here's an article on the subject. http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/articl..._anxiety_relief We buy our theanine from The Vitamin Shoppe. Source Naturals seems to be the best deal. http://www.sourcenaturals.com/products/GP1686/

I practiced Embrace Tree consistently for two years, for 15-45 minutes, followed by the nine Nei Kung movements. About 16 months into it, I went to see a TCM physician for a shoulder problem, and after I showed him my Embrace Tree posture, he admonished me to lower my hands and clasp them on my tan tien, left on right, thumbs interlocked. Like a dumbass, I ignored him, up until about two months ago, and then started practicing as he instructed. The turbine just blasted into operation. At first, it was going backwards, but I was instructed, properly I believe, to not concern myself too much with that. At this point I can generate heat and rotation at will, although I can really crank it up when I assume the posture described above. For what it's worth (and I know this will sound like prepubescent bravado) I had the benefit of being a personal trainer here in LA and enjoyed the priviledge of getting into freakishly good shape; I was very strong, pound for pound, but also the most flexible trainer on the staff. I honestly believe that mind/muscle connection is not only the key to somatic/kinesthetic awareness, but key to being able to relax soooo much that you become much more sensitive to your internal environment. I'm also a textbook case of lefthandedness/right hemisphere-dominance, a real artsy-fartsy kind of guy with an abundance of imagination, which really helps. I've never had to use physical palpations to trigger sensory awareness, although standing in view of large anatomy posters helps with visualization. I was also a trumpet player for years, and brought a lot of breathing awareness to my practice. Brass players have got the diaphragm down. Check out the 3D video here. http://www.swamij.com/diaphragmatic-breathing.htm I'm so reluctant to even post this, since I'm so new to the practice. But my MCO feels pretty darn good.

I too have experienced a reversed current. It was spontaneous but even more remarkable was how it caused my throat chakra to pulsate for about three minutes, as if it were simply healing a blockage. The cranial pressure that used to acculumate never came back after that, although I have since taken the post-MCO advice of practicing exercises that clear out stagnant chi from the head. I have qigong for Health and Martial Arts (jwing-Ming) Scholar/Warrior by Deng MIng-Dao Awaken Healing Light by Chia The complete book of chinese Health and Healing by Daniel Reid (Really good) The essence of Tai chi by Waysun Liao I also have Clyman dvds. As far as I can tell, there is far more uniformity than deviation, but I would really encourage you to crank up the Little Orbit first. I overheated myself but was able to secure the info I needed to cool off. I forgot who it was who suggested bending your head forward as the pulsing leaves the base of your skull and heads toward your nose. It really helped me open that part of the path up.

The best advice I got on the MCO came from Trunk @ http://www.precisiondocs.com/~altaoism/ Running the Little Orbit first (restricting your circulation to the tan tien) enabled me to build up a strong, turbine-like circulation, and once it got fired up enough it spontaneously spilled up my spine. You are going to get a lot of info from this thread. Thanx to Scotty for the book link.