This energy practice glossary clarifies terms from Daoist, Buddhist, and Tantric traditions as I use them throughout this blog — which often differs from their classical or popular meanings.
Energy and Sensation
Term
Classical definition
In this context
Qi (氣)
Vital force or life energy in Chinese philosophy; the animating principle flowing through all living things.
A specific bodily sensation — often pleasurable, sometimes intense — that can be detected, moved, and refined through attention. Not an abstract force; a perceptible phenomenon.
Prana (प्राण)
In yogic traditions, the vital breath or life force that sustains the body and mind.
Used interchangeably with Qi. Same sensation, different cultural label.
Jing (精)
Essence; in Daoist alchemy, the densest form of vital energy, often associated with reproductive fluids.
A concept I find less useful. The classical correlation between Jing and semen reflects observation, not causation. In practice, what matters is the sensation (Qi), not the fluid.
Shen (神)
Spirit or consciousness; the most refined of the Three Treasures in Daoist alchemy.
Awareness itself — the observing presence that notices sensation, thought, and perception.
Anatomy and Cartography
Term
Classical definition
In this context
Dantian (丹田)
In Daoist systems, “elixir field” — three energy centers: lower (belly), middle (chest), upper (head).
Functional regions in belly, chest and head, where sensation concentrates and where distinct perceptual shifts occur (sexuality, love, joy).
Chakra (चक्र)
In yogic systems, wheels or centers of energy along the spine, usually numbered as seven.
I found more than seven, arranged not as single points but as rings of multiple nodes. The classical model is symbolic, not anatomical.
Du Mai (督脈)
The Governing Vessel; a channel running up the spine from perineum to head.
The posterior pathway I used for the Microcosmic Orbit. Functionally accurate as a line of detectable sensation.
Ren Mai (任脈)
The Conception Vessel; a channel running down the front of the body.
The anterior pathway completing the Microcosmic Orbit loop.
Chong Mai (衝脈)
The Thrusting Channel; a central vertical pathway.
Emerges experientially when Du Mai and Ren Mai are activated simultaneously. Not a starting point; a result.
Sushumna / Ida / Pingala
In yogic anatomy, the central channel (Sushumna) flanked by two lateral channels that crisscross at each chakra.
The crisscrossing appears to be functional instruction, not anatomical description: activate opposite lateral nodes to awaken the center.
Practices
Term
Classical definition
In this context
Neidan (內丹)
Internal alchemy; Daoist practices for refining essence into energy into spirit.
The broad tradition my practice accidentally entered. I use its maps selectively, not its metaphysics.
Embryonic Breathing (胎息)
Breathing Qi as an embryo breathes in the womb; subtle internal respiration.
The rhythm of absorption (yin) and radiation (yang) that underlies ordinary breath. Not pulmonary; energetic.
Microcosmic Orbit (MCO)
A Daoist circulation practice moving Qi up the spine and down the front.
The foundational technique I used to build sufficient sensation before full-body expansion.
Macrocosmic Orbit
Extension of circulation to include arms, legs, and the entire body.
What happened when the MCO reached critical mass and energy began moving on its own.
Dual Cultivation
The term has two distinct meanings: (1) Body-mind cultivation — working with both physical energy and awareness, as opposed to purely mental meditation. (2) Partner practice — energetic or sexual practice with another person, as opposed to solo work. The “non-dual” of Zen refers to something else entirely: the collapse of subject-object distinction.
I use “dual cultivation” primarily in the first sense: the integration of somatic sensation and meditative awareness. When referring to partner vs. solo practice, I say so explicitly.
Tantric Sex
In popular culture: an elaborate ritual involving candles, eye gazing, synchronized breathing, special positions, and hours-long sessions aimed at spiritual union or transcendent orgasms. In traditional tantra: one element of a broader spiritual path involving deity visualization, mantra, and energy work. Online: a confusing mix of neo-tantra workshops, dubious gurus, and promises of “soul-shattering” experiences.
Something far simpler: ordinary sex in which both partners learn to sustain the orgasmic wave without releasing it. No rituals, no candles, no special positions required. The key is edging — staying at the threshold — while remaining aware of the sensation. What makes it “tantric” is not the setting but the skill: surfing the wave instead of crashing on it. Everything else is optional.
Solo Cultivation
Practice without a partner, relying on visualization, breath, or internal sensation alone.
The phase I entered after partner practice ended — using memory and imagery as scaffolds.
Non-dual (不二 / Advaita)
In Zen and Advaita Vedanta, the recognition that subject and object, self and world, are not fundamentally separate.
A term I avoid because it carries heavy doctrinal baggage. I describe perceptual shifts without claiming they reveal ultimate reality.
Polarities
Term
Classical definition
In this context
Yin (陰)
The receptive, absorbing, feminine principle.
The felt quality of drawing inward — like inhaling, but with sensation rather than air.
Yang (陽)
The active, radiating, masculine principle.
The felt quality of expanding outward — like exhaling sensation.
Yin-Yang Fusion
The union of opposites into undifferentiated wholeness.
Simultaneous absorption and radiation — counterintuitive but technically achievable.
States and Stages
Term
Classical definition
In this context
Kundalini (कुण्डलिनी)
In yogic traditions, dormant energy coiled at the base of the spine that rises through the chakras toward enlightenment.
What I felt spontaneously after years of tantric practice — sensation rising along the spine. I make no claims about “awakening.”
Wu Wei (無為)
Non-action; effortless action aligned with the natural flow.
The phase where forcing intention becomes counterproductive and allowing replaces doing.
Martial Fire / Civil Fire
Stages in Daoist alchemy: forceful intention (martial) versus gentle awareness (civil).
Useful distinction. Early practice requires effort; later practice requires yielding.
Samadhi / Dhyana
Meditative absorption; states of concentrated awareness.
Terms I avoid because they carry doctrinal weight. I describe what happened, not what tradition says should happen.
Figures and Frameworks
Term
Classical definition
In this context
Yidam
In Tibetan Buddhism, a meditation deity used as a focus for visualization and identification.
A visualization technique I used — not as devotion, but as scaffold for integrating overwhelming energetic states.
Dakini
A female embodiment of enlightened energy in Tantric Buddhism.
The imaginal figure that emerged in my practice — based on memory of my first tantric partner, not on iconography.
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