Microcosmic orbit meditation level 2: Connecting the microcosm with the macrocosm.

This is the second in a series of articles on the meditation on the microcosmic orbit that provides the basis of so much of meditation practice in Qi Gong. If you are coming to this article without having read the previous article on Toby's creativeqigong blog, then you can find the “Introduction the the microcosmic orbit meditation” HERE. This will give you the background knowledge that you need to follow the below meditation technique easily and successfully.

The second level of the microcosmic orbit meditation that I am going to explain involves connecting the central energy circuit of our body, the microcosmic orbit, with the energy of the Macrocosm, or the energy and qi that flows between the Earth beneath us and the sky and stars in the heavens above us. The method dramatically increases the flow of energy and qi through our own body, as well as helping to encourage the flow of Qi in our immediate environment. For long term practitioners of Qi Gong and the microcosmic orbit meditation, the power and energy flow that we generate from our meditations will start to have a genuine, positive and regenerative effect upon our environment and the land around where we live. Initially most people come to Qi Gong as a way of working on and improving their own health, but in the longer term we realize that the most meaning from our practice comes when we are able to start to give back healing energy and life to the Earth and land her/itself.

Microcosmic orbit meditation level 2:
Begin by sitting comfortably in your meditation standing or sitting posture. Over the course of five minutes or so follow the stages of the microcosmic orbit meditation level 1, up to and including visualizing the microcosmic orbit in your body, and feeling the flow of energy circulating up the back of the body and down the front.

Connecting to Earth Qi:
Now become aware of the Earth beneath you, send your energy down into the Planetary Being, all the way to the core/center. Imagine that within the body of the Earth there is a huge lake of Qi, its surface a few meters below the ground under your feet. It is made of beautiful golden liquid light. Imagine that your feet are like magnets, gradually they start to magnetize the liquid light up from the Earth. The Earth light is drawn up in two streams to the sole of each foot. The Earth light then rises up the BACK of the legs from the heels, connecting to your microcosmic orbit in the perineum and the base of the spine. From there it circulates up the back of the spine, neck and head to the crown, and down the front of the body, following the course of the microcosmic orbit.
When the light reaches the sexual organs and the perineum, some of the light flows down the FRONT of the legs and feet, then out from the front pads of our soles and toes, back down into the Lake of golden Earth Qi below. Spend a few minutes circulating the golden Earth Qi through your microcosmic orbit and legs for a while.

Connecting to Universal/Stellar Qi:
Now become aware of the sky and stars above and around you. Imagine that there is a vast ocean of Universal Qi above your head in the sky, extending across the Universe. The quality of this Qi is different from the Earth Qi. It is lighter and more expansive, and seems to have the nature of white star-light. Feel it above your head for a while.
Now imagine that you have an energy center at the topmost point of your microcosmic orbit, at the crown of your head. It is made of light and about the size of a golf ball. This energy center in your crown now starts to magnetize the Universal Qi down from the sky. The magnetic pull from your crown attracts a stream of energy down from the Universal Qi above into the energy center at the crown of your head. As the white star-Qi enters the crown of your head it immediately enters the microcosmic orbit and flows down the front of the body. At the perineum some of it flows down the front of your legs into the Earth, whilst some of it stays in the microcosmic orbit, flowing back up the spine toward the crown of the head.

You now have a complete circuit of energy running from the Earth beneath you, up your legs into the microcosmic orbit to the crown of your head, which then connects to Universal Qi above you. The main part of your meditation should be simply to hold this visualization, and allow your body to mediate the energies up Earth and Heaven up and down its length, and in particular around your microcosmic orbit. If you like you can gently use the techniques for enhancing the energy found in the level 1 microcosmic orbit meditation, but you will also find that with repeated practice the movement of energy will have its own natural momentum, sometimes flowing slowly and gently, at other times with greater force and energy.

Concluding the meditation:
As with level 1, I recommend that you finish the meditation with just a few minutes of silence and pure relaxation, just to allow the energies in your body and in the microcosmic orbit to settle down and find their natural point of balance.

The true meaning of being human.
So, I have now explained the second level of the microcosmic orbit meditation. Just as a final chaser I thought it worth adding that in many of the primal, nature-based traditions of spirituality, the Chinese versions of which underlie Qi Gong practice, the true meaning of being human is articulated as being a mediating force between the energies of Heaven or the Universe above, and the Earth below. Our human consciousness and vertical physical posture, rightly used facilitates a communication and communion between the Earth and Heaven, catalyzing the evolution of them both. This second level of the microcosmic orbit meditation enables us to connect to the experience of being a human mediator between the energies of Heaven and Earth in a tangible way on a daily basis.

© Toby Ouvry 2010 please do not reproduce without permission.