Closing practices, spirals, principles

[Manaus]

Hello,

about the closing practices, generally I see there is a 'return to lower dantian', either by spiralling or by overlapping hands, or other means.

 

Since I believe that, spiritually speaking, real things are something already hidden within us, I'm wondering what is the principle underlying spiralling clockwise and counterclockwise when closing the MCO. At least to me it's not natural, looks like a device to fix the attention on the lower dantian. And maybe all artificial things should be dropped.

 

Is this spiralling practice falling in place somehow for someone? What is the sensation telling the closing is complete and done right? Can you really put qi 'in' the lower tantien?

 

Thanks

[Miffymog]

I can see where you're coming from as when I started the MCO, the awarenss/chi naturally went around the functional and governor channels. As suggested I did end with the spiralling and, like you, it did not feel as natural as the MCO, which almost does itself. But now, with development over time, this spiralling is quite natural for me. I can quite happily sit and watch tv or sit at a computer doing this spiralling with little or no effort. It's actually quite pleasant and centring. Depending on the time of the day, seems to effect which way is more natural.

 

So, I think, in time, you might find the same, that it is a natural and normal thing.

[voidisyinyang]

The qi mainly returns to the lower tan tien via the "ambrosia" or nectar - there is a long alchemy discussion of this - I posted several citations. That is called "restoring the yuan jing" - which is really empowered from the yuan qi.

 

Essentially the pineal gland is the source of the Yuan Qi - emanating out of the right side of the heart to the pineal gland.  The yuan shen emanates out of the left side of the heart to the front of the brain and out of the eyes.

 

When the jing is sublimated via the cerebrospinal fluid as the MCO practice it increases the qi of the pineal gland which then increases the yuan shen and this creates the "ambrosia" - the qi-infused cerebrospinal fluid which then, from the increased pressure, flows out of the sinus cavity. So then the tongue against the roof of the mouth activates the vagus nerve - as this causes increased salvia flow (now the cerebrospinal fluid of the sinus cavity infused with qi). So that is swallowed and the qi is then absorbed from this ambrosia which is why you're not supposed to eat or drink a half hour after practice as that heat in the lower tan tien is the qi being absorbed through the stomach.

 

As for the spiraling - the left hand is yuan shen and the right hand is yuan qi so - this is for males - you put the yuan qi over the yuan shen because the yuan qi is what guides the yuan shen and gives the yuan shen force and "packs" it into the lower tan tien.  So the spiraling is that process of the yuan qi (yang) and yuan shen (yin) getting concentrated - as the meditation deepens then you go into a deep serenity of a deeper cell of the lower tan tien - this is detailed in the Taoist Yoga: Alchemy and Immortality book.

[dwai]

Hello,

about the closing practices, generally I see there is a 'return to lower dantian', either by spiralling or by overlapping hands, or other means.

 

Since I believe that, spiritually speaking, real things are something already hidden within us, I'm wondering what is the principle underlying spiralling clockwise and counterclockwise when closing the MCO. At least to me it's not natural, looks like a device to fix the attention on the lower dantian. And maybe all artificial things should be dropped.

 

Is this spiralling practice falling in place somehow for someone? What is the sensation telling the closing is complete and done right? Can you really put qi 'in' the lower tantien?

 

Thanks

Yes you can. My teacher says it like this -- The lower dan tien is a copy of the universe and anything you put into it is going to stay for a long time. The LDT is like a golf ball and there's a very thin hole in it. Most people don't know this. So when they send their qi back into the LDT, it just washes off the surface. The way to "put qi back into the dan tien" is a delicate and gentle process. We have to let it take its time. As we practice more, it will get better.

 

When the qi goes in properly, the sensations in our hands (palms especially) will subside. There is the concept of "touch but don't touch" (so you don't touch your body physically...as close to the body as we can get without physically touching. We have to feel the connection of the centers of the palm (lao gongs) to the the LDT. As we gather around and form a taiji ball (energetic) we compress it and gently start pushing it into the lower dan tien. Then we just keep the intention and let it fall inward into our inner space (inside the Lower Dan Tien).

 

Like this --