Proper Practice will prevent Side Effects

In awakening the life force energy of Taoist Esoteric practice each

person is required in the first stage to open the Microcosmic Orbit.

The Governor Channel corresponds to the route that is followed by

awakened sperm energy rising from the coccyx to the crown of

the head. The Tao System differs from the Indian in that a return

route is provided for: from the palate to the tongue to the throat, to

the navel and back to the coccyx to begin a new circuit. In this way,

power is evenly distributed throughout the seven glands. There is

far less pain in the head than one would have in Kundalini practice

because a safety valve is afforded as a provision for distributing

the pressure.

The seven glands act like a series of containers, within each of

which the same level of fluid must be maintained. When this is

done, all of the seven will function properly with none of them being

stimulated more than it should be. This is exquisitely accomplished

in the completion of the Microcosmic Orbit. With only one direction

of flow through the containers, the lower or the upper one can be

over expanded, which can result in malfunction and damage. With

a return set of connections running to each container, however,

the overflow can be taken up by the circuit and the other glands

that it is connected to, resulting in reduced stress and a return to

balance.

At higher levels of Taoist Chi circulation more routes are opened

allowing more energy to flow but also creeating additional “safety

valves”. After the Microcosmic Orbit is completed an additional 30 routes in the whole body must be opened. When they have all been

opened, the life force energy chi can freely flow through the organism,

eliminating the side effects which might otherwise be caused

by the over-stimulation of one gland or another. For example, if the

adrenals are overstimulated you cannot sleep, because your pulse

rate is alarmingly increased and you feel anxious and alert. If the

power flows into the heart energy center and there is no means for

it to flow out, the heart rate goes up drastically. The pericardium is

supposed to function as a cooling system but is unable to do so

under such circumstances. Something akin to this can also occur

if the energy is not properly guided down along the front portion of

the Microcosmic Orbit.

Finally, prevention is the safest approach to avoid ill side effects.

As mentioned elsewhere, the singlemost important safeguard

is to end your chi circulation practice at the navel point where it is

circled in both directions from 3 to 36 times. In the beginning you

should try to circle it the full 36 times; eventually you will discover

the energy spins more quickly and this “closing off” will take only

seconds.