Benebell Wen on the Microcosmic Orbit

[forestofclarity]

My initial impression is that she seems to be coming from a Western Magical Tradition POV (which is confirmed by her background), but I found this to be an interesting presentation. Curious about other's thoughts if anyone has familiarity. 

 

 

[SodaChanh]

Good method for yin yang harmonization and releasing the grasping of the body periphery. 

[Sahaja]

While I am a relative beginner at this, in my understanding the MCO is not a breath exercise. It’s moving actual substances through the du and the ren with internal pressure  to stimulate the  brain to replenish and change the body. To do this you need to have accumulated a sufficient supply of these substances, built the mechanism to move them and opened the transport network enough to carry them.  I didn’t hear any reference to this foundational work. 

[ChiDragon]

Just now, Sahaja said:

While I am a relative beginner at this, in my understanding the MCO is not a breath exercise. It’s moving actual substances through the du and the ren with internal pressure  to stimulate the  brain to replenish and change the body. To do this you need to have accumulated a sufficient supply of these substances, built the mechanism to move them and opened the transport network enough to carry them.  I didn’t hear any reference to this foundational work. 

MCO stands for Microcosmic orbit and Macrocosmic orbit. If it is not a breathing exercise, then, there would be no such thing as MCO. It would be a myth to think that moving substances through the Du and the Ren meridians. However, the old concept of MCO was only a legendary concept was passed down from century to century. The same old story was always repeated with no proof. 

There are no living reference. It was only told by the word of mouth. The story comes out differently each time depends on who told it. I had challenged these ideas about MCO on a Chinese Qigong site. So far, no one has taken the challenge with contradiction but just took it silently. I will go find my post and place it here with translation. 

Edited 13 hours ago by ChiDragon

[Sanity Check]

I think some athletes develop MCO naturally without any meditation or training.

 

MCO is naturally the most efficient way to move energy through the body.

 

And so developing a decent amount of athleticism will naturally translate to developing MCO in some cases.

[ChiDragon]

I can't find my post on the other site. 
Let me try to explain it here. BTW The Microcosmic orbit must be practiced before the Macrocosmic orbit. Here is how I would like to believe it. Please keep in mind the phrase of "chi sinken to the dantian(氣沈丹田).

We all knew that the Ren(任)meridian is in front of the body and the Du(督) meridian is in the back of the body. The Ren meridian runs through the LDT and connect to the Ren meridian. However,  if one cannot breathe deep down to the LDT, then, let's assume that there is a gap between the two meridians. The idea of connecting the two meridians was to sink chi to the LDT. To close the gap is by practice breathing until the gap was closed. The gap was considered to be closed is when 氣, chi(breath), was sunk deep into the dantian. A soon chi hits the bottom of the LDT, it was said that the realm of Microcosmic orbit has been accomplished. The blockage of the two meridians has been cleared and connected. Hereinafter, continuing with the deep breathing, the chi will be able to flow through both meridians. At this stage, it was said that the Macrocosmic orbit has been accomplished. 

This is the only logical explanation that I can come up with to satisfy my curiosity.  Otherwise, unless, someone else could come up with something to convince everybody.

Edited 12 hours ago by ChiDragon

[forestofclarity]

5 hours ago, Sahaja said:

in my understanding the MCO is not a breath exercise.

 

There are a lot of views, that's for sure. I've learned a number of MCO methods from different schools. Some say their method/teachings/results is the one true method, some don't. I've never found such views convincing personally, but that's just my opinion. I ran into the same thing with Christian churches and Buddhist schools--- it just seems like propaganda to me. 

 

Benebell has cited her sources about halfway through here, some of which are inaccessible to me because they are in Chinese. One of her sources, Huang Yuanji uses the terms differently for different levels IIRC. I find her version interesting because, like the Ge Guolong book translated by Mathias Daly (also a Huang Yuanji teaching), she picks up on certain things that many Daoists have not that correlate to Buddhist Tantra. 

 

https://benebellwen.com/2025/09/07/a-taoist-secret-to-cultivating-personal-power/

[SodaChanh]

9 hours ago, forestofclarity said:

 

There are a lot of views, that's for sure. I've learned a number of MCO methods from different schools. Some say their method/teachings/results is the one true method, some don't. I've never found such views convincing personally, but that's just my opinion. I ran into the same thing with Christian churches and Buddhist schools--- it just seems like propaganda to me. 

 

Agree. 

 

Rob Coons mentions 3 different MCOs here 

 

https://immortalitystudy.gumroad.com/l/bzsdpm?layout=profile

 

(not endorsing paid stuff but just for the sake of discussion). 

[Sanity Check]

13 hours ago, ChiDragon said:

 

However, the old concept of MCO was only a legendary concept was passed down from century to century. The same old story was always repeated with no proof. 
 

 

 

I think MCO is actually a real thing.

 

If you see someone with an unusually high amount of energy.

 

In some cases, it is MCO.

[forestofclarity]

41 minutes ago, SodaChanh said:

 

Agree. 

 

Rob Coons mentions 3 different MCOs here 

 

https://immortalitystudy.gumroad.com/l/bzsdpm?layout=profile

 

(not endorsing paid stuff but just for the sake of discussion). 

 

This is interesting, and not the first time I've heard this either: 

 

Rob Coons wrote: 

Quote

Let me be a little blunt, most people who claim to understand the Small Heavenly Orbit are only partly informed about its nature and many people think it is just about circulating the mind around the body which is a mistake which medieval Daoists called 空转何车 Kong Zhuan He Che/The False Circulation of the River Wheel since there is no Qi in the area, only mental intention which leads to the burning of the track and makes it harder to progress in the future.

 

Which would back up Sahaja's point.