Three positions of a tongue on the roof of mouth

In the last post I have written about the necessity of having a tip of a tongue on a palate of your mouth. In this post I will further discuss the topic, but I will focus on a deeper level and understanding of microcosmic orbit and different kinds and qualities of energy that flow through it.

As you know we have Yin and Yang energies which are predominantly, in our case, stored or flowing in Ren Mai and Du Mai extraordinary meridians. But what often happens to be left out from our education about the energy is its manifestation on elemental levels.

Elemental energies and microcosmic orbit

What is usually described in Qigong and acupuncture literature regarding microcosmic orbit (or Small circulation) is the path of Fire element. This path goes around you as is described in all the books that you have seen, read or heard of. This is the path of Ren Mai in front of your body and Du Mai on the back side and your head. What you probably don’t know is that there are also two other paths, that are deeply connected with this Fire path. Those two are Wind path and Water path. These three paths balance each other, whether you know it or not. They are natural paths for energy flow and our stream of life.

What is the connection between having a tip of the tongue on a roof of your mouth and different kinds of microcosmic orbit?

When you put your tongue on the most sensitive spot in your mouth you connect your microcosmic orbit and put in gear Fire path. Fire is usually the most sensible, nerves are more sensitive because of Fire and Fire makes your skin tickling. This is why this spot is so sensitive.

Water path

If you want to change your gear into a more relaxed, healing and cooling sound of Water path you will put a tip of your tongue further back to soft palate, almost to the uvula. Now your tongue will remain there for the whole session of healing, your Qigong practice and even inner martial arts practice. In martial arts this path is usually not used since it has really deep calming and cooling effect on a body. But might be used in some really rare practices such as developing Yin energy ball to neutralize Yang attacking force.

It can also be used for cooling down Fire Qi, if your practice was too hard or too demanding, but for this purpose is better the Third path.

Water path is really good for calming your mind and for meditation.  When you are overwhelmed by daily tasks, problems and just need some rest and quiet time alone. Any time when there is a need for healing yourself or others this is the path to use. But be careful, the tasks can drain you if you don’t know when to stop or you don’t do Qigong regularly. Water is giving and nurturing, but has no end. It just flows. Water is selfless, on the contrary Fire knows what is Ego, as it motivates it. When there’s only Water left and no Fire, there’s no life in physical sense, you pass. Water is Yin and when you are extremely Yin you pass. Water is a cleanser but also a medium with other realms. Communication with your inner guidance and intuition is accelerated when you work with this path. Water likes silence and natural sounds. It heals with acceptance, wisdom and unity.

Flow of energy in Water path

Flow of energy in Water path is interesting and deep. It is mysterious. It goes deeper into our spine.  Connecting the branch of Chong Mai extraordinary meridian, that goes through our spine up into our head. There this path goes in between our two lobes of Brain, or through »Spiritual valley«,  directly towards the third eye position or frontal cortex and frontal bone. There it goes through opening our third eye, making our frontal cortex sensitive for phenomena that we didn’t even imagine can be real and opening our doors of perception. Part of the energy goes into Ren Mai and part ends up in a field that surrounds us, Wei Qi field.

Working with Water path was the deepest experience I had in Qigong practice, in healing sessions that I’ve performed and in meditation.

I will again state a word of attention with Water path. You might experience some drastic changes in your thinking and beliefs. You might change as a person and might become »weird« for your surrounding… Water path cleans and takes away all that is not necessary. You might become poor. Since your attachments to material and unnecessary will start to dissolve. Do you now know why hermits were »poor«? This theme is worth a whole new article, that’s why I will finish it here and go to the next path.

Wind path or third path

Wind path is the Dragon dance of our Energy system. You truly can uplift your spirit and be like phoenix, dragon or crane.

If you are overwhelmed by balancing Yin and Yang, and Fire and Water, and your temperance you will use Wind path. This is done simply by putting a tip of the tongue on the roof in your mouth just behind the teeth.

It’s simple and effective. Wind will balance both, Water and Fire element, Yin and Yang, and establish equilibrium.

This path is good for martial artists for cooling down the fire Qi. For healers to establish smooth flow of fresh energy. For Qigong practitioners to know how to quickly change the flow of energy if necessary. Wind is quick and efficient.

The flow of energy in Wind path

The flow of energy in Wind path is the same as in Fire path with the only difference that it goes the other way around. Meaning, that it goes reverse of the Fire path.

In this case the energy flows up through Ren Mai towards your head and down the spine towards your sacrum and coccyx to the end or beginning of Du Mai. Everything turns upside down.

Three paths and three positions of the tongue. (Once I was sincerely thinking of becoming a painter 🙂)

I have experimented quite a while with the use of different paths. I had different results each time in doing the same thing, for example same Qigong set done on Fire, Water and Wind path. If you are ready to experiment please do it, don’t hesitate, try one position and use it for some time, months, years… I have done it. I can’t express in words, how deep can such dedication bring you and what you can discover. It’s not a million dollar treasure that you will find, or you might. But then again we are not here for the money, aren’t we?

Hope this article will inspire you to try something new and explore some new horizons in this beautiful universe.

May the Qi be with you!

Petar

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