Question regarding the secondary circuit
Hi Jesse,
I’ve read the relevant section of *Astral Dynamics* (revised edition) and watched the live streams, but I still find this point a bit unclear. In the earlier version of *Astral Dynamics,* Bruce discussed how clearing the secondary energy circuits supports the primary chakras by clearing pathways, stabilizing energy flow, and enabling the energy body to handle higher energetic demands. He also wrote: “Before primary centers are worked on to any great extent, the support structure needs developing.” This suggests practitioners can work on these centers from the beginning. However, I have two questions:
1. What are the signs that indicate the secondary circuits are properly cleared?
2. On average, how long does it take to clear the secondary circuits? Is it a matter of weeks, months, or longer?
To answer your first question, there are many stages of cultivation when it comes to clearing out the chi channels (secondary circuit), any tingling you feel in your energy body is friction from narrow/blocked energy pathways. as you cultivate over time, the channels will clear out/awaken and energy can flow more freely, and in higher amounts, so you will feel less friction.
it takes a long time to fully clear out all of the chi channels in the body, but the first signpost will be the unblocking of the channels on the outermost layers of the skin.
it will feel like your body is "sealed" in a warm, viscous liquid. this is when you have awakened your "guardian chi", or the energy that protects your organs from "wind invasions" according to taoist texts. the heat disappears after some time since you get used to it and you dont notice it anymore.
you will find your breathing to slow down drastically, and even stop periodically. it feels scary at first because its like you're "forgetting to breathe", but you won't feel oxygen deprived at all, its more like you literally dont feel the need to breathe as often as you used to. the clearing of the chi channels will produce a mental silence also, but its not the genuine silence that comes with actually clearing your thoughts with meditation
this happens because when your body is filled to the brim with chi(energy), you won't need as much external sustenance as before. the energy and the mind are linked, so when the energy is flowing freely, the mind calms down.
as for your second question, there's no exact amount of time it takes to fully clear your secondary circuits, as everyone has different aptitude, but to get to the first stage of initial "energy baptism", it took me several months of consistent work, at least 1 hour a day of filling the lower dantian (lower energy storage) for me. spiritual work is like going to the gym, dont expect any significant gains until several months of consistent work has been put in. if you see barely any progress at all, then your practice is simply insufficient. the more hours you put in, the faster you will progress.