Opening the front channel

[Benji]

Hey there,

 

I'm new to Taoist practice, having been somewhat experienced in kriya yoga and hindu tantra. I have become more interested in Taoism as I have come to the realization that I must get grounded in the lower tan tien and heal the energetic and emotional stuckness that has clogged my lower centers.

 

I have been working the first few postures of a Nei Kung sequence each morning after doing the 5 Tibetans. I find it great for my back and feeling physically rooted, but I find it quite difficult to work with the microcosmic orbit, specifically the front channel. My front channel seems to want to run in reverse, with a particular tightness around the solar plexus that makes me gag whenever it loosens.

 

Does anyone have any tips on how to loosen the belly and get the channel to flow downwards? So far I have started to rest my awareness in the lower tan tien but I can be quite scattered with my focus sometimes, trying to do too much in the mere 10 minutes I am holding horse stance. Any tips would be much apprecaited.

 

Ben

[Encephalon]

Hey there,

 

I'm new to Taoist practice, having been somewhat experienced in kriya yoga and hindu tantra. I have become more interested in Taoism as I have come to the realization that I must get grounded in the lower tan tien and heal the energetic and emotional stuckness that has clogged my lower centers.

 

I have been working the first few postures of a Nei Kung sequence each morning after doing the 5 Tibetans. I find it great for my back and feeling physically rooted, but I find it quite difficult to work with the microcosmic orbit, specifically the front channel. My front channel seems to want to run in reverse, with a particular tightness around the solar plexus that makes me gag whenever it loosens.

 

Does anyone have any tips on how to loosen the belly and get the channel to flow downwards? So far I have started to rest my awareness in the lower tan tien but I can be quite scattered with my focus sometimes, trying to do too much in the mere 10 minutes I am holding horse stance. Any tips would be much apprecaited.

 

Ben

 

 

I'd be tickled pink to know what your nei kung sequence is because this is Exactly what I do following the same 5 Tibetan Rites routine. My MCO also first presented itself in the reverse direction. Astonishing parallels; are you as handsome, intelligent, witty, and modest as I am? Catch you tomorrow; gotta go. There's a ton of stuff in here to answer the very question you pose.

 

Check out http://www.alchemicaltaoism.com/

[Gerard]

Can you practice circle walking? This would open the front channel (and all of them for that matter).

 

Note: not necessarily Baguazhang related; more the Taoist meditative method.

[markern]

Unwinding the belly is a poppular book for loosening up the stomach and the breath. There are also stomach massages given, usualy by chineese massage therapists I think, at least where I live. CHi Nei Tsang is a subperb version of stomach massage. Very therapeutic.

 

I love the 5 tibetans too by the way.

 

Having the orbit run in the other direction some of the time is not necesarily bad. I belive they do it a bit in KAP to smooth out issues from running it up back down front (is this correct?). my own teacher also does this and says as a general rule that if it wants to flow in a direction then let it because your body is wiser then your intellect.

 

Aparently Chunyi Lins CD about opening the orbit (small heavenly cycle) i srather poppular.

 

There are acupressure point on the inside of the wrist and on the ancle that makes the orbit run, especially the front channel. THey work well for me. There is no way I will be able to describe them exactly and I don't know the names so hopefully someone else does. Or you could go to an acupuncturist and ask or you can look up points online, post the links and I will tell you if you have found the right points.

 

Someone recomende med to run the orbit up front back down the other day because I was a fire person. Not sure if that is good advice but it feels like there is something to it when I try. It might explain why your orbit wants to go that way because if you have excess heat from yoga stuff this might then be a way to balance. Someone else will have to confirm this though as my orbit only runs a bit now and then and I don"t really work on it much or have much knowledge of it.

 

You should search for the secret smile on this forum. There is a thread here with instructions for it. It is very, very, very good at smoothing things out. Partially by feeling you with good emotions and balancing you which makes everything a lot safer, partialy by opening channels really well and partially by acustomating your meridians to receive powerfull energy like kundlaini because strong emotions and bblissfull energy is gushed through the meridians in the secret smile at the end. There is also a Cd of it by Dr Glenn Morris and you can find it in his book Path Notes. It is used as a safety mechanism in several traditions.

 

Michael winn ahs a cd about opening the orbit safely through a 10 min qigong sequence. It starts with up the back though and I belive starting down the front is much safer and more balancing. Trunk argues the case for that on alchemicaltaoism.com and I think he makes a good point. All ways will work though.

 

I think you should really consider longevity breathing by Bruce Kumar Frantzis. Perfecting breathing deep in the belly makes energy go were it is suposed to and grounds you. You might have gotten that down through your yoga, but check if you can breathe REALLY well and deep into your lower belly and if it makes energy settle down there otherwise this could well be a good area to work on a bit.

[fiveelementtao]

MCO in reverse is also an accepted direction. Don't force it... let it go in whatever direction it needs to...

Edited December 7, 2009 by fiveelementtao

[Riyue]

 

 

Ben

Let Qi circle through all channels

-

onl by opening all channels you will not hurt you.

[de_paradise]

Can you practice circle walking? This would open the front channel (and all of them for that matter).

 

Note: not necessarily Baguazhang related; more the Taoist meditative method.

 

 

How are you circle walking? Are you mud stepping with holding arms out as in a ba gua posture?How is the not necessarily ba gua but Taoist meditation method done?

 

Thanks

[Gerard]

As I said circle walking, like this:

 

Starting with the right foot forward, walk counterclockwise around the circle. Face the center of the Ba Gua circle. Turn right and begin walking in a counterclockwise direction, keeping the body weight low into the legs and the back rounded and relaxed. The simultaneous spreading of the fingers emphasizes, via posture and mind direction, concentrating Qi into the lower tan tien. There should be a slight curving of the elbows, the shoulders should be stretched yet relaxed, and the chest should have a slight rounding. The positioning of the feet and curving (rounding) the body conform to the Ba Gua circle. The mind is calmed. The eyes are focused ahead and the head is level.

 

 

This video shows how to walk even though the practitioner is performing one of the Bagua palms:

 

 

But there is no need to go that low.

 

Hands down by your sides.