moving energy from the lower abdomen up the spine

[Non]

I have a lot of dense energy in my lower abdomen and below. I find it hard to get all of that energy to go up my spine. I can run the microcosmic orbit but to get some of that energy up my spine is harder. It may also have to do something with my scoliosis condition?

 

I do the microcosmic orbit using insights I learned from New Energy Ways by Robert Bruce.. which is to run awareness and feeling sensations with imagination of it going up and down the back and front channels. It's harder to get that denser bunch of energy below the belt though.. the feeling is just stuck there. When I do microcosmic orbiting I'm also more inclined to draw the energy up the left side since my upper back curves to the right, concave side on the left, leaving the right side of my back all tangled up in knots, with lots of blockages, and harder to move or even get awareness in that side without the feeling of heavy denseness and inability to get past certain areas... unless I focus real hard and be relaxed as possible.

 

It's probably easier for me to get the dense energy below the belt to go up the front channel since it doesn't have to go down to go up the spine, it just goes up the same channel it's already in. Can one do the MCO backwards, or in reverse and still be successful in refining the energy?

[Aetherous]

You're not supposed to be moving your dense energy around. That's a really risky thing to try and do! The "yi" (mind) is supposed to lead the "qi" (sensation)...what that means is you should just move your awareness around and the energy will eventually follow. Never push your physical sensations around!!

 

Don't stray from the center just because the physical body is curved. If you curve your energy it will only make your posture worse. If you imagine and feel as if it's straight, it will help your body to become straight.

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

eehhh...... pushing physical sensations around is closer to t'ai chi actually. opening your body to the flow of energy so that it is less obstructed.

 

 

You can, yes, hurt yourslf if you arent careful, but that is the key: caution.

 

Keep a level of caution about and recognize what you are doing to help and to hinder your progress.

Moving your physical sensations around is more for physical building, synapses and osmosis. Moving your consiousness aroudn to guide your energy is vital to avoiding physical damage while practicing physical movements.

 

 

Really, in a way, you're doing it backwards, but that isnt necessarily wrong either.

[gendao]

Can one do the MCO backwards, or in reverse and still be successful in refining the energy?

In The Root of Chinese Chi Kung (p 80-84), Yang Jwing-Ming talks about 3 main alchemical pathways:

 

Fire Path - the microcosmic orbit running normally up the back and down the front

Wind Path - the microcosmic orbit running backwards up the front and down the back

Water Path - the "kundalini" path running up the chong mai into the brain and down the front

 

According to him, the Wind Path is generally only rarely used "therapeutically" to cool the Fire Path down when its somehow gotten too hot (Yang)..

 

 

BTW IMO, the safer way of opening the microcosmic orbit is to just keep filling your dantian until it overflows and starts opening up the orbit at its own pace - mostly passively guided by your posture rather than active intent. For example, I believe full-lotus may be the most efficient neidan posture because it impedes qi circulation down your legs while opening your difficult weilu (tailbone) pass up your spine. Thus, it helps to passively concentrate and guide your qi exactly where it should be going. This reduces the amount of mental effort needed (as well as mistakes) - allowing you to properly disengage your mind more and cultivate more safely.

Edited July 3, 2010 by vortex

[BigCojones]

I think you shouldn't be moving anything at all at this point.

 

Your focus should be on dissolving the stuck energy within you.

 

Once you get that going the MCO will be a lot easier to do.

 

Keep your awareness focused on the dense energy and gently try to soften it up with your Yi.

 

This can take a lot of time. You may have to spend months on it.

 

Try to get the whole body of dense energy "wrapped" by your awareness. Eventually it should soften and dissolve.

 

Can't remember the exact quantum physics quote, but it's something like "When an object is being observed, it will change because of being observed (the observing awareness" or something like that. If someone has the quote, please correct this.

 

Ice to water, water to gas.

Edited July 4, 2010 by BigCojones