This is Part I of a two-part video lecture that introduces a Taoist secret breathwork practice known as the Lesser Mandala of Heaven, or Xiao Zhou Tian 小周天.

Rooted in classic Taoist inner alchemy (內丹, neidan), it teaches you to unlock a hidden energy circuit that runs through your body, up the spinal Du 督 meridian and down the frontal Ren 任 meridian, forming a continuous loop of vitality.

By circulating the triple treasures along this hidden energy path, you harmonize the body’s three dantian 丹田, or energy centers, with the three realms and cycles of the universe. Taoist masters believe this alignment refines your essence, restores internal balance, and elevates your personal power.

To round out the discussions, we’ll be covering:

• Guarding the Center 守中 baseline Taoist practices and their textual/historical origins
• The Guarding of the One 守一冥想 guided meditation
• Principle of Union of Heaven and Humanity (Tian Ren He Yi, 天人合一)
• Ethical foundations (de, 德) and the Three Virtues as the basis of cultivation
• Lifestyle precepts
• The Du 督 and Ren 任 meridians
• Jing, Qi, Shen 精氣神: The Triple Treasure
• About Your Dantian (Three Internal Fields)
• The Internal Body Clock & Wu Xing
• Personal ritual space mirroring Taoist cosmology and numerology
• The Six Omens of spiritual awakening, confirming readiness for Greater Mandala of Heaven work
• Study of the translations and annotations of the Fundamentals of Taoist Alchemy 道門語要 (1271 – 1325) source text

The video is timestamped, and you’ll find a step-by-step guided practice on how to direct breath up and down this internal orbit, transforming your body into a living mandala and tuning it to the rhythmic cycles of nature.

This practice is more typically transmitted from teacher to disciple, but here, let’s see if we can offer a more direct and more easily accessible method.

Whether your goal is improved health, increasing your energy reservoir so you can get more done in a day, or to unlock your mystical potential, this is a cultivation technique worth your while to learn.

Continue reading “A Taoist Secret to Cultivating Personal Power” →