Working From The Centre (Part 3)

James Drewe
Jul 1
5 min read

... Continuing from Working from the Centre (Parts 1 & 2)...

Using the Dantian (下丹田 Xià Dāntián) and Building Your Battery

This blog is about building your energy, and increasing the number of 'bars' in your personal battery.

Energy Circulation

There is an esoteric side to focusing on using the centre; this is to do with something called the 'Microcosmic' and 'Macrocosmic' 'Orbits'.

One of the reasons that so much importance is placed on the Dantian is because, in Chinese thinking, it is considered to be the energy storehouse.

The Chinese sometimes liken this area to a 'cauldron', and in some images you can see it depicted as a shallow witch's cauldron which steams.

Experiencing the Energy

By practising gently contracting the Dantian regularly, a number of things start to happen in the area of the perineum. Not in any particular order:

Warmth/Heat
Bubbling & A Sense of movement
Tingling or Fizzing
Expansion and Swelling
Calmness and stability
Release of Stress & Tension
An awakening of sexual energy

Stoking the Fire in the Centre

This is the 'fire' under the cauldron (to continue the metaphor). We don't want to focus on it too much, but rather to continue to focus on the Dantian itself; the 'heat' needs to rise without being forced. Any 'forcing' is not a good idea because it can create energetic problems later.

There are plenty of books about this, and this blog is a brief indication as to the benefits of following this practice.

The Orbits

The names that I have given (1) & (2) are only descriptive names that I personally use; they are not 'official' names as such! The picture above is a detail from the Nei Jing Tu - a chart of the 'Body's Inner Landscape'. The picture to the right is the complete chart of the Nei Jing Tu.

1. A 'Micro-micro-micro' Orbit: A smaller abdominal circuit that runs up the Du Channel (Governing Vessel) (but see below) on the back, from the perineum to approximately the height of the diaphragm, and back down the Ren Channel (Conception Vessel) on the front of the body. In some people, when first practising, it more 'naturally' runs the other way - this applies to all the descriptions below.

2. A 'Micro-micro' Orbit: Slightly longer, it runs up the spine to the base of the neck, crosses to the front, and runs down the front line.

3. The Microcosmic Orbit: This runs up the spine, over the head, down the face, and then down the front line of the body, as before.

4. The Macrocosmic Orbit: This not only follows the circuit of the Microcosmic Orbit, but also includes all acupuncture channels in the body, including those to hands and feet.

Building Your Battery

Whichever of the orbits you use, you need plenty of charge in your personal battery. Most people run their lives on very little charge.

A lack of exercise, bad eating habits, excess alcohol, too sedentary a life, excess sexual activity, too much stress etc. take their toll on the battery potential; it's a little like living your life permanently with only 1 out of 5 bars of energy in the battery. But it's possible to boost your battery through various breathing exercises, and through focusing on the 'cauldron'/centre/Dantian, etc.

What you are aiming to do is to generate enough energy in the centre so that, in effect, the cauldron overflows by itself. This overflow is what is used when circulating the energy in the body; without the overflow, it becomes a forced mental exercise.

The 'Overflow' or 'Run-Off'

When this overflow happens, the energy in your body wants to move, and its immediate pathway is via the Du channel (Governing Vessel) on your back, although, as mentioned previously, it can be up the front channel.

When this happens, it is an extremely energising moment as the whole body has now accessed a storehouse of potential energy.

As previously mentioned, there are many books about this, and in my opinion is something worth investigating if you are interested in healing your own body and helping it to work with maximum efficiency.

Sexual Energy

A brief note on a potential side effect ...When starting to engage in the practise of energy circulation, the sensation of the energy starting to build and move can sometimes be confused with an increase of sexual energy.

There's nothing wrong with this, you can either use it as sexual energy, or you can choose to bypass this sensation and move beyond it.

The 'Gates' or 'Blocks'

end gain

Like any plumbing system that hasn't been used very much, you may find blocks where it doesn't work quite as efficiently.

This is the equivalent of having a furred up pipe, of something blocking a pipe where the pipe runs around a corner.

It reminds me of seeing a team curling, where some of the team are preparing the ground as the curler throws.

This is similar when preparing for the movement of energy in the body; there are exercises to help unblock certain points in the back, neck, and chest, and it's well worth being familiar with them.

Mind Over Body - FORCING IT!!

Arrows in target representing 'end gaining'

There is a danger, for some who are impatient, to aim for the result rather than the process in getting there. In Alexander Technique, this is called 'end gaining'.

When you try to force the energy up the spine with your mind, intellect, or intention, rather than feeling or observing where it has got to on its own, you can end up causing a physical problem in the body.

It's rather like trying to squeeze too much into a pipe, or like trying to get the cauldron to overflow before it's ready to; it's a case of running before you can walk.

Doing this can produce problems, for example, pain in the spine, headaches, tension, and even heart palpitations and shortness of breath.

Self-Repairing Mechanism

The body IS a self-repairing mechanism already, but we do have the ability to enhance its repairing potential through building up our personal battery. This gives us:

Enhanced Vitality: Increases energy levels and promotes a sense of well-being.
Emotional Balance: Helps in managing emotional and physical tensions.
Health Maintenance: Supports the nervous and circulatory systems, redistributing energy to areas in need, because, in exactly the same way that any water system behaves, energy wants to balance itself and find its own level equally throughout the entire system so that all parts share the energy.

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James Drewe teaches Tai Chi and Qigong in both London and in Kent and online.

Details of weekly classes both live and online can be found on the website, and there are classes for 2-person Tai Chi on one Saturday a month.