Collect the Energy when finished

No matter where you end your practice, if you only concentrate on

the navel, if you get as far as the Ming Men, or if you complete the

route, at the conclusion of your practice you must always bring the

energy back to your navel and collect it. Collecting the energy gathers

up the excess chi in the body and stores it in the navel. It protects

your body organs from accumulating too much energy.

To do this, concentrate on your navel as you place your right fist there. Then rotate your fist thirty-six times clockwise, allowing the

circle to grow larger until it is no more than six inches in diameter

(not higher than the heart nor lower than the pelvis). Then reverse

the direction of rotation and rotate twenty-four times in a counterclockwise

direction, gradually shrinking the circle until it returns to

the navel. A woman reverses the order of rotation, first rotating

counterclockwise thirty-six times and reversing the direction and

shrinking the circle while rotating clockwise twenty-four times back

to the navel. To determine direction imagine a clock at your navel.

Eventually you will learn to direct the chi with your mind and will

not need your fist to help you guide it.

Also, if you are short on time you can collect the energy three or

nine times, reversing it the same number of times.