The exercise itself usually begins with preparation designed to relax the physical body and develop

the ability to concentrate. Students may indeed be encouraged to practice Taoist Yoga exercises or
T'ai chi ch'uan as a way of building enough energy to begin performing the Microcosmic orbit
exercise as it can induce a strain on the nervous system and cause energy depletion if practiced
without adequate preparation.[5]
To begin with the student is encouraged to develop deep abdominal breathing into the
primary Dantian or Taoist energy centre to develop heat and pressure in the lower abdomen or
"Golden Stove". A preparatory exercise known by some as the Lesser Heavenly circulation [6]involves
moving energy between two areas known as the seat of fire near the heart or the solar plexus where
a psychic centre symbolised by the trigram Li from the I Ching is located, and the seat of water in the
area of the kidneys where a psychic centre symbolised by the trigram kan is located.
Normally essence or Jing can flow either way through the eight extra meridians or energy pathways
in the body, but in the microcosmic orbit meditation exercise Jing is encouraged to flow upwards
along the Governor vessel during inhalation and then downwards along the conception vessel
returning to the Dantian on the exhalation.[7] This means that energy flows from the Dantian
downwards to the base of the spine then up the back along the centre line of the body to the crown
of the head, then over the head and down the front centre line of the body and back to the starting
point again making a full circle or orbit.[8] This prevents the body's natural essences from becoming
depleted as they normally flow downwards from the brain or 'sea of marrow' and are lost during
ejaculation or menstruation during the reproductive processes. It is this Jing or essence which is
responsible for the reproductive processes in the body which allow the body to rejuvenate itself as
well as for the reproductive processes which give rise to offspring, essence is also an important
component in the manufacture of qi which can be translated into English as vitality or energy, the
primary motive force which is life itself. This raising and lowering Jing through the Microcosmic orbit
and returning it to the Dantian purifies the essence and transforms it into Qi or vitality.
As well as the lower dantian or cauldron there are other important points along the circuit of energy
flow which include the 'three gates' which are areas where it is considered that energy may stagnate,
these are the Wei-lu or Tailbone gate, the Dorsal gate on the back roughly level with the heart, and
the Jade pillow on the back of the head.[9] Other important areas include the Ming Men or gate of fire
on the back about level with the kidneys and the Baihui or Niwan which is directly on top of the head.
[10]

The microcosmic orbit should be viewed in the context of a variety of Taoist exercises and
techniques designed to purify the body physically, mentally and spiritually, improve health and
longevity, and prepare the way for meditation, and also including other techniques such as the
Macrocosmic orbit which means circulating energy into the other psychic energy meridians which
flow around the torso and out into the arms and legs. These types of exercises are best practiced
under the guidance of suitably qualified teachers who can help the beginner avoid any pitfalls and
misunderstandings along the way rather than copied from books, especially if the subject may have
a history of mental illness or emotional imbalance. For example, according to Lu Kuan Yu:
It is harmful to pinpoint places in the body, the very idea of which should be relinquished since it
hinders the course of the inner fire and of vital.