End by Collecting the Energy at the Navel.

With practice the entire smiling meditation can be done in just minutes,

although at first it may take you longer to really feel the smile.

When you end the meditation you do not want to have energy circulating

around in the higher centers such as the head or the heart.

The best place for energy storage in the body is the area of the

navel, since it can easily handle the increased body heat. Most ill

side effects of meditation are caused by excess energy in the head,

but this is easily avoidable. (See Chapter on Preventing Side Effects.)

To collect the energy simply concentrate your mind on your navel

and imagine your energy spinning like a slow top inside, spiralling

outward movement, inside your navel about one and a half

inches deep, and 24 times back in to the navel. Men spiral first

clockwise; women spiral counter clockwise. (put a watch at your

navel to determine direction.) Then reverse and circulate the energy

in the opposite direction.

Important Note: You do NOT collect the energy at the navel after

“smiling down” if you intend to immediately circulate chi in the microcosmic

orbit as taught in the following chapter. You would circulate

the orbit and then close by collecting the energy at the navel.