and touch her palate, at which time a shock would run through it.
This greatly frightened her. During the workshop she learned that
the tongue acts as a bridge that connects the two channels com-
pleting the Microcosmic Orbit. That night she practiced again and
felt so full of energy that she continued to practice without getting
any sleep and yet felt very energetic throughout the next day.
During three workshops, four participants successfully com-
pleted the Microcosmic Orbit and many others indicated the po-
tential to do so in the near future. One physician had practiced T.M.
for about ten years and had already begun to experience heat and
light in his head during his T.M. meditations. By learning how the
energy flows and placing his tongue to his palate during this train-
ing period in La Crosse, he completed the orbit. By concentrating
on his navel he experienced the light flowing in his Microcosmic
Orbit.
At the end of the seminar a number of physicians were of the
opinion that the concept of the Microcosmic Orbit as being a con-
tinuous circuit of energy is more reasonable than one in which the
energy is allowed to flow only up to the head or be given no direc-
tion at all as in certain yoga practices,
The following are taped recorded excerpts from workshops on
the Microcosmic Orbit held in New York City, Boston, Boulder, San
Francisco, Los Angeles and Tampa. Participants (identified here
as “students”) were asked to describe their experience with the
Microcosmic Orbit. Responding are Mantak Chia and instructor
Gunther Weil.
Student: I practice the Microcosmic Orbit every morning. The
total time that I spend each day is one hour. I feel sensations of
heat flowing through my body. Sometimes there are sensations of
a cool kind of energy. Sometimes I feel as though my abdomen is
filled with energy. I have spontaneous movements when I practice.
When they first occurred I wasn’t sure as to just what was happen-
ing and I found that I could stop them. When I relaxed, however, it
started again, and I decided that it was generated from my body
rather than by any choice of mine.
Master Chia: This sort of thing is not unique to this system.
Practitioners of yoga and zen and T.M. have all had similar experi-
ences. The specific gyrations are unique unto the individual and to
a particular time and place. However they are indentically producedChapter XII