The Small Heavenly Orbit might not be what you think...

The Small Heavenly Orbit might not be what you think it is:

Pictured: This fancy image from Xing Ming Gui Zhi shows two carts, one driven by a deer (or maybe it is a Qilin?) which transports refined Qi along the thoracic spine aspect of the Du Meridian, and an Ox which transports a mysterious vapor through the Jade Pillow Occipital Bone into the Brain. The Mysterious Material is highly refined Qi which will gradually begin being refined into Shen. Omitted from this picture is a Goat who transports coal in the Wei Lu Gate at the tail bone. The Coal is a metaphor for relatively unrefined Qi being created from Pre Heaven Jing. Without clearly understanding the process of conversion it is difficult to master Neidan and perhaps impossible to attain the true Small Heavenly Orbit, much less the Large Orbit and advanced stages of practice. Past generations of teachers in the Western World have gotten this practice wrong and now it is time to set the record straight as the true nature of the Small Orbit. Interested? Read on…

The Small Heavenly Orbit is a great trope of Internal Alchemy and Qigong alike, but have you ever stopped to consider what it really is?

Experts tell us that it is the cycle of Qi running up the spine and down the front of the body via the Ren and Du Meridians, which is a reasonable explanation of this phenomenon from the perspective of Qigong and the Martial Arts, but in Neidan this is only a fraction of what this concept entails.

In Neidan the term 小周天 Xiao Zhou Tian is only one of several terms to define the Small Orbit and in fact it can have multiple different names relative to what a commentator is trying to describe.

Before we go into these, let's have a quick look at what the concept of Xiao Zhou Tian Means:

The Xiao Zhou Tian, or Small Heavenly Orbit is one of two Orbits of energy in Neidan practice which in total consist of:

• 小周天/子午周天 Xiao Zhou Tian/Zi Wu Zhou Tian: The Small Heavenly Orbit, also known as the Zi Wu Orbit makes up the movement around the exterior aspect of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians around the periphery of the body and includes the Du Meridian of the Spine, the Ren Meridian of the front torso, and the Yin and Yang Qiao meridians which run the full length of the body from head to foot and foot to head. The concept of Zi and Wu invoke the idea of midnight and noon which represent the Hui Yin Cavity and Bai Hui respectively. Zi is the time of utmost Yin around midnight while Wu represents the time of utmost Yang at Noon. This is because the Lower Dan Tian is a Yin field while the Upper Dan Tian is a Yang field, we'll get back to this shortly. Zi and Wu also represent the exchange of Water and Fire in Neidan.

• 卯酉周天 Mao You Zhou Tian: the Mao You Zhou Tian represents the diagonal orbit running from head peak to lower abdomen which forms two diagonal circles on left and right. Mao and You represent 5- 7 AM and 5-7 PM respectively and are associated with Wood and Metal. This orbit usually opens after the Zi Wu Orbit is mature and represents the end stage of the Small Orbit Phase of Neidan practice before the Middle Channel begins to open.

• 大周天 Da Zhou Tian: The Da Zhou Tian or Large Orbit is the time of the opening of the Central Chong Meridian when the Yang Energy can freely run up and down the body and begins to become more conspicuously effected by environmental factors such as the change of time and seasons.

Another set of names often used to describe the Orbit practices is:

• 小河车：Small River Wheel:

• 大河车：Large River Wheel:

• 紫河车：Purple River Wheel:

The Small and Large River Wheel are exactly the same as the Small and Large Orbits, but the Purple River Wheel refers to the movement of Yang Energy outside the body during the advanced stages of Neidan practice. It is also only spoken about in a few texts such as the Zhong Lv Chuan Dao Ji which we have been reading together on Tuesdays here. Zi He Che should not be confused with the herb that goes by this name, it is describing a completely different energetic phenomenon and has nothing to do with the placenta of pregnant women.

These nomenclature were originally specific to Neidan and have particular meanings which the majority of practitioners and even teachers do not understand so let's take up a few points in order to better clarify their meaning relative to the Small Orbit.

Using the times of Midnight and Noon to orient ourselves we can see that the Orbit of Qi ascending from the Hui Yin to the Bai Hui has an inference of dark and light, this is no mistake since our focus on the Lower Dan Tian is meant to be protected within darkness and depth which imitates the state of sleep.

Although we should avoid going to sleep during Neidan practice it is important not to try to move Qi in the Lower Dantian during the early stages of practice because from the Neidan perspective it has not yet been made mature through the gradual tempering of the Original Essence.

The Original Essence is considered to be the Yang line in the center of the Kan Trigram, in other words it is the active component hidden within the Yin of deep water.

This is why the matter of building Qi in the Du Meridian is often referred to as 北方河车 “The Northern River Wheel” with North being the domain of darkness and water.

The idea of the Small Orbit is to use deep meditation in darkness and tranquility to extract the Yang Essence from within the Lower Abdomen, also known as the 海低 Hai Di, or Sea Bottom.

This process happens on a subconscious and subtle level and is what causes Yang Energy to rise in the body.

This Yang Energy cannot be intended into existence, it is a product of Alchemical transformation of the utmost of Yin to the birth of Yang which is represented in the Kun and Fu Hexagrams of the Zhou Yi (Six Yin lines and Five Yin with one bottom Yang respectively).

Thus the Tail Bone 尾闾关 Wei Lu Gate represents the Fu Hexagram while the base of the Lower Dantian represents Kun Earth.

Fu is one Yang returning and marks the beginning of the road of the ascent of Yang Energy to the head and brain.

As a standard practice in Neidan it is typically the case that the Yang Energy of the body is not strong enough at first to break through to the inner skull chamber and “Mud Ball,” but only makes it a little way up the spine before becoming Post Heaven and returning back to the regular field of mental perception.

At this time Neidan practitioners who have received the real transmission tend to return their focus to the Sea Bottom and maintain a state of calm observation there until the energy becomes stable and deep meditation is achieved.

After many sessions like this eventually the energy is strong enough to shoot up the spine and directly entering the brain via the 玉枕 Yu Zhen/Jade Pillow.

When this happens there is usually a flash of light and a very comfortable feeling left over which causes a sensation of melting in the Upper Dan Tian.

This is the real sign that the Northern Water River Cart has been achieved.