Circulating the Energy

The microcosmic orbit is a foundational Daoist energy-cultivation practice in which the adept guides the vital energy, qi, in a continuous circuit up the back and down the front of the body. The circuit runs along two of the principal channels of Chinese medicine and Daoist physiology: the "governing vessel" ascending the spine from the base of the trunk over the crown of the head, and the "conception vessel" descending the front from the face down to the base again. By joining these two channels into a single loop, classically by touching the tongue to the palate to bridge the gap at the mouth, and circulating the energy around it with the aid of breath, relaxed attention and gentle intention, the practitioner is said to open blockages, harmonise the body's energies and lay the ground for the deeper stages of internal alchemy.

The practice belongs to the broader Daoist disciplines of qigong and neidan, internal alchemy, in which it typically serves as a preparatory circulation before more advanced refinement. It illustrates the Daoist conception of the body as a landscape of channels and energy-centres, a subtle anatomy that invites comparison with the channels and chakras of the Indian yogic traditions while resting on its own distinct medical and cosmological foundations.