Building on earlier experiments, this post recounts how the classical Microcosmic Orbit became a structured tool for refining internal energy—revealing new centers and teaching that precision is essential to avoid blind spots
From Channels to Orbit
My discovery of the Du Mai and Ren Mai—the two channels running along the spine and the front of the torso and head—led me to the practice known as the Microcosmic Orbit (MCO). This is a key technique for refining internal energy: strengthening its flow and improving its smoothness.
Although once a closely guarded secret, the method is now widely discussed in books and online forums about energy work. The practice involves moving energy upward through the Du Mai and downward through the Ren Mai, focusing on specific points along the way. Of course, to do this one must first be able to feel the energy—something I had already learned to do—and I knew that to move the energy, I simply had to move my attention to the desired spot.
Many diagrams of the MCO exist, from classical scrolls to modern interpretations. However, I chose a different approach for my own practice. Rather than cross-referencing the often-inconsistent point locations shown on various charts, I applied the method that had served me well so far: focusing on the areas where the chakras are traditionally placed, but exploring both the spinal and frontal aspects.
The Detected Spots
This revealed an unexpected pattern. Instead of the seven chakras found in most New Age diagrams, I identified ten pairs of perceptible spots across the torso and head. The three lowest ones—already detected through tantric practice (front) and spontaneous kundalini activity (back)—corresponded closely with the first three chakras: Muladhara, Swadhisthana, and Manipura.
However, an additional pair appeared between Manipura and Anahata, roughly aligned with the diaphragm — a kind of “Manipura 2.” Upon checking the sources, I noticed that some systems place Manipura either at the navel or the diaphragm, yet these sensations clearly belonged to distinct locations.
Continuing upward, the next pairs aligned with Anahata and Vishuddha, and the two uppermost with Ajna and Sahasrara. Later, though, two previously uncharted chakras emerged. One connected the base of the nose (front) with the junction of the skull and first vertebra (back). The other linked the tip of the chin with the second or third cervical vertebra.
I had overlooked these at first because my attention habitually jumped directly from Vishuddha to Ajna, leaving the intermediate nodes underdeveloped. When I came across the Neijing Tu (內經圖)—an ancient Daoist diagram depicting the energy body as an inner landscape—I noticed that it features a twelve-storied pagoda in precisely this region. The symbolism felt accurate: the passage from Vishuddha to Ajna is not a single leap but a gradual ascent, requiring steady refinement at each level.
The Buildup of Energy and its Risks
The goal of the Microcosmic Orbit is not merely to detect energy and consider the task complete. It is to circulate the orbit repeatedly—like training on a treadmill. This repetition is what refines the flow, making it stronger and more coherent. In my view, this is analogous to training the neural circuits that generate the sensation, progressively engaging new neurons and creating new synapses.
I committed to this practice, and the result was what Daoist texts describe as a “buildup of energy.” The metaphor fits well: once there is enough pressure, the energy begins to move on its own, like a gas expanding to fill all available space. This was almost certainly what happened when the sensation spontaneously rose up my spine after three years of unintentional training during Tantric sex.
However, this self-propelling quality can also be risky. The energy flows easily through well-conditioned pathways but meets resistance in less-developed areas. The result is a feeling of pressure that, depending on intensity and the “conductivity” of the tissue, can become painful—or even harmful. This was precisely how the two uncharted spots first revealed themselves to me. I’m still working to make those areas as smooth as the rest. The lesson was clear: skipping regions in attentional training creates energetic blind spots. By consistently refining internal energy through the orbit, the pathways become smooth and conductive across the whole circuit.
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