Thanks for this clear explanation, describing aspects of doing/not-doing can feel obfuscating more often than not but you've done a great job of being direct here.

Nathan, I just saw the video of your presentation at the conference about time in Taoism and in Wang Li Ping system. I missed it only by 4 days. I wrote the comment around August 14/2019. i was able to post only 8/27/2019. Your talk gives new to me insights into difficult topics surrounding the idea of TIME. You said “stillness is pre-celestial”. I think it means in part that creation happens in stillness. In 2016 I was sitting in full lotus. Stillness began very soon after assuming full lotus and observing breathing sensation in the nostrils for a few moments. It was a long sitting, more than 3 hours. I was in pain. My mind was no longer still. But I suddenly realized my microcosmic orbit moves up the spine. It was generating sounds while passing through T-11 and other points on the back. Somewhere during that sitting microcosmic started long time ago during the sitting and before I became aware of microcosmic circulation. I just did not sense it. I’ve not spotted other Qi movements except pain caused by Qi stagnation my left leg pressing down on the right leg. Both below the knee. I asked you about this phenomenon at the time. You explained it was a common phenomenon among Wang Li Ping students. It was not abnormal. I could continue doing it. So I did. 2 days ago I was sitting in full lotus in my basement. Stillness was again obtained in the same way very early in this sitting. Microcosmic followed. I was still. Suddenly I became aware that a flood of Qi moves from the area of the anus into the top of my head. It was a vertical flow. I’ve not experienced such fullness in the Qi flow, while standing still absorbing earth qi in embracing the tree postures or similar standing postures. What was happening in my basement sitting? Central channel opened and strongly flowed. I suddenly became aware that central channel flows near the regions of pain in the full lotus. Could Central channel lift the stagnated Qi of pain and let the microcosmic orbit drop down the stagnated Qi into lower tan-tien removing all pain? I was doing pain removal by means of entirely different circulation. Can central channel be used to remove pain, Nathan? I am not sure how soon I can get the answer by myself. I may need many other instances of stillness to sense the answer. Thank you for your perspective on time and stillness.

speaking of Time, I was wondering about how it's possible to going through the process of neidan in like 9 or 10 years. is that possible or am I mistaken and misread it?