Question Re: Kriya Yoga vs Taoist Yoga Nadis/circuits

[the_watcher]

Namaste fellow Sadhaks.

I have recently been thinking of practicing microcosmic orbit (aka small heavenly circuit in some chi kung school) as per Taoist Yoga practices which seek to circulate Chi from the Tan Tien (Manipura) down to Mooladhara, round and up the back to ajna/sahasrara and back down the front to the Manipurak.

I thought practicing the Microcosmic orbit would be a useful tool to help circulate energy at the end of a yoga practice to ensure it doesn't get stuck too high up at the higher chakras but instead circulates throughout and then returns to Manipura or anahata.

The only problem I have is that whereas Taoist Yogis have perceived that Chi (Prana? Shakti?) circulates DOWNWARDS when following a channel on the FRONT of the body and UPWARDS through a channel running up the BACK of the body, Kriya Yoga (as per Bihar School of Yog) teaches that energy runs via two Nadis - Arohan and Awarohan. Here the first runs upwards and the latter runs downwards.

However, it is OPPOSITE to the Taoist viewpoint where they advise focusing the mind of perceiving the energy flowing UPWARDS along the front of the body and DOWNWARDS along the back of the body.


Anyone have any experience with either method and know which is correct? I don't want to cause damage by doing the opposite to what is the natural flow, but I find it hard to believe that this most fundamental Taoist/Qigong method could be incorrect (we learnt it in our first qigong class) but I also find it hard that Bihar School of Yoga could be off too (or Kriya yog in general if this is the accepted view).

Many thanks

The Watcher