28/06/2025
What exactly happens in the body when you press your tongue against your palate, as advised in Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Taoist literature?
In Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Taoist practices, pressing the tongue against the palate, specifically the area behind the upper front teeth, is believed to close a circuit, connecting the Conception and Governing Vessels (Ren and Du Channels) and facilitating the flow of Qi (vital energy). This action is thought to initiate a specific energy flow, potentially leading to a sensation of energy, tranquility, and even a connection between earth and heavenly energies.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Closing an Energy Circuit:
The tongue acts as a switch, connecting the Ren and Du channels, which are considered part of the body's meridian system. This connection is believed to be crucial for the Micro-Cosmic Orbit (also known as the Small Universe) to function correctly.
Qi Flow and Sensation:
By completing this circuit, the practice is thought to allow Qi to flow more smoothly and powerfully, potentially resulting in feelings of energy, relaxation, and a sense of connection.
Subtle Energy Flow:
Some interpretations suggest that this tongue position can redirect subtle energy upwards, potentially promoting higher consciousness, aiding concentration, and stimulating intuition.
Practical Applications:
Beyond the perceived energetic benefits, some practitioners believe this tongue position can also improve focus and breath control during practices like meditation and Tai Chi.
Potential Physiological Benefits:
Some proponents also link this practice to potential physical benefits like increased tongue strength and improved facial muscle tone.
Here some the Answers and explanations:
1. This is pretty high end stuff…when you press the tongue to the roof of your palate, twist/tighten your a**l sphincter and gently roll out your lower back (ming men) you are connecting governing(back) and conception(front) channels of your energetic body.
This is a secret that is only orally shared with senior students after many years of dedicated training.
Sssshh….
Energetically and Spiritually you are connecting the grounded energy of the earth (below)to the heavenly energy of the cosmos (above you) within your body.
For practical purposes, this produces the much desired result of silencing our constantly chattering “monkey-mind”. Try it and experience the calm void left behind when the primative mind is silenced.
Obviously, this is benefical to any student of meditation.
2. This closes a meridian so Qi can flow in a particular circuit. Much like a light switch touches metal together, and closes a circuit so electrical current can flow.
In Chinese medicine (Qigong practice being a part of) there is a meridian or conceptual energy pathway in the body often seen on diagrams or posters on acupuncture points. This major pathway forms a virtical circle along the front and back of the torso, split into the governing channel and the conception channel respectively. These two channels have a “jump point” between the palate and the tongue.
By placing the tip of the tongue gently and precisely where the tongue touches the palate if one says “t”, effectively closes the circle, as in an electrical circuit.
In the beggining of my Qigong training (spanning 6 years now) I was not sceptical about it’s effectiveness, but I was in doubt of the precise theory of the different maridians and also of the nature and meaning of Qi. Nontheless, I carried on with my training because it worked pragmatically, and at this moment closing the circle, though I did not understand at the time, now produces an incredible sensation of energy, Qi flow and tranquility, along with a warmth in my Dan Tien, among other things. Turned out, it’s not bu****it. It is just the nature of fundamentals that they deepen over time and require a little faith, and a little doubt.
Though you may be practicing something that does not produce results immediately, if you hold on to a scientific, curious and open mind you will eventually discover the secrets within your body, the feelings and gifts of sensation that Qigong attempts to develop in each individual and eventually, also, perceptual insight toward enlightenment.
3. I prefer to describe these things as I’ve experienced them first hand, over time, without resorting to foreign (…to English speakers) words or concepts. The TCM concepts are very precise and pragmatic, but the issue here is that ‘we’ have a reflexive tendency to question/doubt foreign words just because they sound weird. This mental reflex makes it harder to grasp the actual point, which has nothing to do with words at all.
You may have noticed that our physical structure is more or less ‘bilaterally symmetrical’ (i.e., left and right sides ‘mirror’ each other in major respects, even though several internal organs don’t). Check out the ‘early pre-natal development’ drawings in an anatomy/physiology book, it’s cool how symmetrical and orderly things are from the outset, starting with the very first cells.
This symmetry means there is clearly a center-line, i.e., the plane that defines/separates the two sides. It is common sense to realize that this particular dimension is important/meaningful to our structural well-being, right? Stab yourself in the arm - ouch. Stab yourself in the center line - uh-oh….
We are physical structures that depend on movement, on muscles, on an incredibly complex web of fascia/muscles/bones/ligaments that can pull and twist us in an infinite variety of ways, ways that are often barely perceptible to our own consciousness (until you’ve worked on it for a long time as a ‘practice’). These distortions accumulate with the traumas of life, that’s just the way it is.
When the physical integrity/vitality of our center-line is being overburdened or underused somehow, then our whole system suffers, at least a little bit, often a lot. We’re less efficient in our movements, both internal (digestion/breathing/etc.) and external (shaking our b***y, walking, flipping people off, etc.).
We ‘think’ and ‘look’ too much, as modern beings, thanks to our screens and our incessant chattering. This tends to f**k up the natural/optimal connection of our center-line in the head/neck/upper chest region in particular. We tend to ‘gawk’ and jut our heads forward a bit, which creates extra tension in our necks (holding up our head as it sticks forward).
The front side of this neck tension is the ‘gap’/deadspot in the front of our head/throat/chest. We’re still talking about muscles and fascia here, simple and obvious. The tongue, it turns out, can be a big player in this part of the body, as a powerful muscle ‘in your head’ that connects right down into the front of your throat.
You can use your tongue intentionally to help ‘reconnect’ the front of your center-line and promote better structural balance. Press the tip of your tongue lightly against your palate, and keep it there as you do stuff (shuts you up for a minute, too) - that’s all it takes. You won’t see fireworks or anything - think of it as one of many subtle but intentional ‘patches’ to help piece together a more efficient structural form, whether in motion or at rest.
4. Pressing the tongue against one of the points on the roof of the mouth connects the ren and du meridians. For people who do not practice qigong, they probably won’t notice anything. There will probably be a very slight and completely unnoticable increase in flow between the two.
For people who practice qigong, they may feel the movement of energy between the palate and the tongue. If their goal is to drain energy from the head, or to circulate energy, they may feel that energy move.
5. Pressing the tongue against the palate, a practice often recommended in QiGong and Taoist traditions, is believed to have several physiological and energetic effects on the body. Here’s a breakdown of what happens:
Physiological Effects
Activation of the Tongue Meridian: In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the tongue is considered a vital organ that connects to various meridians. Pressing the tongue against the palate may help activate the tongue meridian, promoting energy flow (Qi) throughout the body.
Stimulation of Saliva Production: This action can stimulate the salivary glands, increasing saliva production. Saliva plays a critical role in digestion and maintaining oral health, and it is believed to help in the absorption of Qi.
Nervous System Response: The tongue is rich in nerve endings, and pressing it against the palate can stimulate the vagus nerve. This can promote relaxation and a sense of calm, potentially reducing stress and anxiety.
Facilitating the 'Microcosmic Orbit': In QiGong practices, pressing the tongue to the palate is often part of a technique called the Microcosmic Orbit meditation. This involves circulating energy through the Governing Vessel and Conception Vessel, which are two key energy channels in TCM.
Energetic Effects
Balancing Yin and Yang: The practice is thought to help balance the body's Yin (passive, receptive) and Yang (active, creative) energies, fostering overall harmony and well-being.
Enhancing Meditation and Focus: By creating a physical connection between the tongue and palate, practitioners may find it easier to enter a meditative state, as this action can help ground and center the mind.
Connection to the Body's Energy Centers: In TCM, the mouth and tongue are seen as gateways to the body’s energy centers (Chakras). Pressing the tongue against the palate may help align and harmonize these centers.
Conclusion:
Overall, pressing the tongue against the palate is believed to facilitate energy flow, promote relaxation, and enhance meditative practices. While these effects are rooted in traditional beliefs, many practitioners report subjective benefits, such as increased focus and a greater sense of calm.
