I just posted a new visualisation on my YouTube channel. I already have a visualisation for the Microcosmic Orbit, which is my most watched video with 129k views. If you haven’t already watched that one, this new one builds on that so you might want to watch the older one first.
Since making that one, 9 months ago, I have been pondering how much the Microcosmic Orbit is essentially the Inner Family of the Extraordinary Vessels: Governing (Du), Conception (Ren), Girdle (Dai) and Penetrating (Chong) and the core four organs of all the Vessels while the Macrocosmic Orbit is the movement of Girdle and Penetrating expanding out into the Outer Family of the Yin and Yang Stepping (Qiao) and the Yin and Yang Linking (Wei). I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and of course how you find the visualisation.
The Macrocosmic Orbit is an ancient Daoist practice designed to enhance the flow of energy (Qi) throughout your entire body and deepen your connection to the supportive forces of Earth and Heaven. This practice helps ground us through the energy pathways in our legs and feet while extending our connection outward through our arms and hands to the space around us.
The energy in the Macrocosmic Orbit circulates:
- Downward from the pelvis into the legs and feet, connecting with the Earth.
- Upward back to the pelvis.
- Outward from the heart through the arms and hands, connecting with the surrounding space or Heaven, and back to the heart.
This energy flow begins with the Microcosmic Orbit, which represents the midline of the body—our first physical structure to form in the womb. The Microcosmic Orbit supports our core energy system and sets the foundation for the Macrocosmic Orbit.
At their core, these energies are governed by the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, which involve our most vital organs: the Brain, Heart, Kidneys, and Reproductive Palaces. For more details on these vessels, you can explore my written descriptions or watch my videos.
In this visualisation, we’ll start by breathing into our core organs and activating the Microcosmic Orbit. Once that foundation is established, we’ll expand outward into the Macrocosmic Orbit, integrating the flow of Qi throughout the body and connecting with the world around us.
The Microcosmic Orbit, or Small Heavenly Circuit:
is often described simply as a line flowing from the perineum, up the back midline and over the top of the head to the upper gum (Governing Vessel -Du Mai), continuing down through the front midline (Conception Vessel -Ren Mai) back to the perineum. I find this rather simplistic and so I have created a visualisation of the Microcosmic Orbit which includes the midline energies flowing between the core four organs of the Extraordinary Vessels – our Brain, Heart, Kidneys and Palaces (reproductive organs) and begins to include Penetrating and Girdle Vessel.. It is both a broader and more spiralling movement. It also flows inside the body to spiral through the Core Four Organs of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, which are the Brain, Heart, Kidneys and Palaces (Reproductive Organs). It includes not only the Conception and Governing Vessels but the other two Vessels of what I call the Inner Family: Penetrating (Chong Mai) and Girdle (Dai Mai). They all flow through our vertical midline, emerging from the point between our second and third lumbar vertebrae – Governing Vessel 4 Ming Men – also known as the Gate of Origin or Life. Interestingly this point is more or less where our early kidneys started forming in utero. TCM considers this the origin of our Kidneys which contain our ancestral energy. The Microcosmic Orbit includes most of our endocrine glands, our central nervous system, our spine and digestive system, and the origins of our energies and structures. I will soon be added the next stage of the microcosmic orbit which includes more of the Penetrating and Girdle Vessel.
The Macrocosmic Orbit, or Great Heavenly Circuit:
expresses how the inner movement of the Microcosmic Orbit, moves out into our limbs and the world outside us. This “outer” or “macro” movement is essentially a movement of the Outer Family of the Extraordinary Vessels – the Yin and Yang Stepping Vessels (Qiao Mai) and the Yin and Yang Linking Vessels (Wei Mai). They emerge out of the Inner Family as our limb buds start to develop from 4 weeks after conception. While we are in the womb, they are not as active as the Inner Four. They take on their role more after birth as we start to stretch out our limbs and explore the outer world. They bring energy from the outer world back into the Inner Family and are the mediator between the Extraordinary Vessels and the 12 meridians. The Yin and Yang Linking Vessels, flow more through our arms and our upper body, from our heart through to our shoulders, arms and hands, like our wings. Our wrists and hands have important points which connect to our Heart – HP6 and 8. The Yin and Yang Stepping Vessels flow more through our leg and feet . Your ankles, heel and soles of your feet have important water acupressure points including Kidney 6, Kidney 1, Bladder 60 which also connect to your Palaces.
