Developing the Lower Dan Tian
For those embarking on a journey through the alchemical side of Qi Gong, there is a lot of talk around the lower Dan Tian (LDT). In our linage it is the frame and foundation from which we understand and cultivate our internal energy system. Many students have heard me harping on the inward gaze and the mind quality that must be reached in order to begin awakening the LDT, and naturally questions pop up in great numbers. “What are we listening for?” “How big is it?” “Where is it again?”
Let’s review location; the lower energy center or the lower Dan Tian is located in the low abdomen, at about two finger widths below the navel. Its precise location will vary from person to person for different reasons, but most often the variation is due to body type and/ or age. In the beginning stages we are largely concerned with the rotation and organization or refinement of this region in order to increase the amount and quality of Qi circulation.
Next question, “What size is the LDT?”. When we are children, the LDT is quite consolidated into a spherical-(ish) shape that takes up the space between the four points: the spine, the abdominal wall, the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. As you can image the shape naturally varies with the size of our bodies as we grow and mature. And as we become adults the LDT becomes far more dispersed and resembles something like a cloud, it’ll even stretch beyond the confines of your physical body. An undeveloped field of energetic information in this region is properly termed as the lower Jao. As students of the alchemical variety of Qi Gong, you can consider all our practice as an endeavor to return the LDT to the child-like quality we once had. This is sometimes referred to as “reversing the stream” or “returning to the source”. We are attempting to go back in time.
In medical Qi Gong or Qi Gong that is biased towards health, the emphasis will be more on improving the quality and efficient circulation of Qi which will overlap more with traditional Chinese medicine. Both practices will innately improve health and wellbeing, however they diverge in their aim as the student becomes more adept. The LDT is of particular interest in both as it comprises of both energetic or Yin and Yang Qi, and physical matter such as the soft tissues. This energy center has to be cultivated first and then the physical cultivation of the LDT arises as a result of proper energetic work.
This is where Huang becomes vital to the discussion. Huang can be considered as the membranous spaces between soft tissues and encapsulate the viscera, much like fascia (also referred to as sinews in the Sinew-Changing Classic or Yi Jin Jing). However Huang is also the foundation of the channel system and is considered second in the sequence of internal development. Qi consolidation must occur in order for Huang to form in the correct way/ shape, which will in turn develop the tendons of the body. Once the Huang engages, then the Qi will mobilize and further strengthen the Huang and tendons, and at last the channels will open and Qi can reach every part of the body.
When we awaken the LDT the potential for Qi movement becomes greatly enhanced (so long as there is sufficient Qi to mobilize) and a series or reactions will occur. There are three key phases:
Movement of Qi
Purging the body of pathogenic Qi and clearing channels of blockages
Begin to influence Huang (via stress) and engage the Qi
So the Qi within the Lower Dan Tian is a field of energetic information that moves through the Jao and eventually circulates Qi throughout the channel system of the body and organs over the course of a day. Our Qi is in part fed by renewable sources such as food and the air we breathe, but there is also the Qi that is derived from Jing, the finite essence from which our energetic and physical bodies are formed. It is the lowest vibrational frequency within the human body; it sits on the threshold of Qi and Physical matter and it is in limited supply. Jing is considered one of the San Bao or “three treasures” of the human body, Qi being the second and Shen being the third. You can understand the three treasures and how they influence one another by viewing Jing, Qi and Shen as ice, water and steam respectively. One gives rise to the other in both quantity and quality; and the utilization of one directly impacts that of the other.
This relationship is also evident in the three energy centers of the body. The lower Dan Tian is associated with Jing conversion to Qi. The middle Dan Tian is in the region of the chest; it is most closely connected to our emotional mind and is where Qi is converted to Shen (our higher consciousness), which is the spiritual energy that governs all aspects of the mind. The upper Dan Tian is located at the center of the head and is the point at which Shen converts into emptiness (an alchemical process). Hopefully by outlining these points one can easily understand the importance of having a strong foundation in the LDT in order to naturally develop each of the higher energy centers.
Jing lies within the perineum and is often reduced to simply “sexual fluids” as a translation of sorts. (This doesn’t do Jing justice and there is more to say on the role of this energy source, but much will be beyond the scope of this blog article.) As we are grown in our mother’s womb we are forming as a direct infusion of energy into our LDT, but as we grow to become adults we are nourished from external sources. This is one of the many reasons our LDT becomes thin and cloud-like as we age, and it’s totally normal. If we are nourished with good quality air, water, food, activity etc. then we stand a better chance at having better quality Qi and will draw less from our finite stores of Jing and save our Kidneys from depletion.
In order to progress through Qi Gong (healthful flow of Qi), to Nei Gong (efficient processing of Jing) and ultimately Nei Dan or Internal Alchemy (meditation that leads to connect with congenital forms of Jing, reprogram it and then develop an alchemical pill), we will need to understand and harness Jing. To do this we must look closely at our lives. Our Zhi or “will” (as a loose translation), is the driving force for our consciousness which is housed in the Kidneys and plays the part in our psyche that ultimately determines how well we contact aspects of our Ming or “destiny”. Much of the habits we acquire as we mature prove to be obstacles to our Zhi. Oftentimes we perceive the development of will power to be a exercise in adding in gumption etc. This can have the desired effect and stimulate our Zhi, but the forcefulness actually harms it as mental effort uses Qi, this in turn will deplete Jing and therefore the Kidneys which is where Zhi originates. So instead of “adding” will power, we take away habitual mental patterns and the Zhi has room to shine through.
The quality of our mind or consciousness is largely determined by our habitual behaviors and thoughts. Habitual or automatic patterns and addictions are considered “base desires” and in part comprise “the acquired nature”; they are the enemy of Zhi. Even innocuous or helpful patterns like taking a walk along the beach each day at a specific time add layers of acquired self and can mute our Zhi. These habits will need to be challenged at some point, especially if the very thought of disrupting them trigger an emotional response in you. Doaists embrace spontaneity! In order to deepen our work, we have to let go of habitual patterns and strengthen our Jing. To do this we need to examine the following:
Work to rest ratio.
Sexuality and how it drives your life.
Health and regularity of menstrual cycle.
Quality of awareness. Persistent or present? Cutting or suffuse? Hard or soft?
Willingness for self-examination and transformation.
Once we’ve really taken inventory of our lives and habits, we’ll need to seek better harmony with ourselves by “taking away” the most salient obstacles. We can then "still the Jing” by absorbing our awareness into the breath and the lower Jao. This is a very deep and sinking quality that must saturate the entire region in order to anchor our awareness. If we place the mind in the lower Jao or Dan Tian, we are making a clear action or “doing” something and then we diverge from the Daoist principle of “non-doing” or allowing something to naturally unfold or let go of action.
As we become better at sinking the awareness through the LDT we have to remain there and observe or as I like to think of it, we are “listening” with the mind, (Xin Ting). The manner in which we listen is very casual; we do not try to hear. This begins to merge the awareness with the body as a subject without an external sense function being involved. Too much focus will influence the LDT and quite likely distract you from the task of stilling the Jing. The point of this is to organize and consolidate Jing. Very distinct sensations of heat will accumulate in the abdomen (much like a warm liquid that moves) at first. Once the Jing is further developed, this heat will travel to the lower back, hips and groin. At a very high level, the heat will localize in the perineum and reach well beyond the category of heat, to alarmingly hot. If you are interested in health-focused Qi Gong, this is as far as you need to develop your LDT.
For the rest of us, we will have to be certain that we have the foundations of stilling Jing:
Correct body alignments in wuji.
Successfully developed a refined quality of breathing that causes release of physical tissues with breath alone.
A high level and quality of awareness to connect and regulate the body, breath and mind. Three ingredients are needed:
Stable Tranquility - Your mind must be at ease.
Suffuse into Huang - Your mind must spread through the body slowly and gradually.
Cotton Soft Attention - Your mind must be all-encompassing and fully absorbed into the body, like a fine mist.
Once our awareness is absorbed into the LDT, we will find that our bodies will begin to tune into the frequency of Qi. This is translated by our LDT as a sensation we can actually understand as movement or tactile experiences. It’s common for one to clearly feel the channels and the energetic information surrounding us at this stage. It is also just as common not to, and that doesn’t indicate that nothing is “happening”. Progression will take place regardless of how sensitive an individual is to Qi and there are other clear signs of advancement to be had.
Qi of the channel system can be broadly considered Yang Qi and conducts itself in a largely linear fashion along the Huang and sinew channels depending on where in the body it’s traveling. Yang Qi is vital, feels like an electric current and contains conscious information. For those that do not as easily perceive Qi in its naked form, there are bodily reactions to Qi, (but not quite Qi itself) called Ba Chu or “eight experiences”:
Shaking / Diao - soft tissues trembling as they unwind
Excitement / Yi - Qi moving at an increased rate
Cold / Leng - Body processing deficiency or pathogen exiting the channel system
Heat / Re - Increased blood flow and resistance met along the channels as Qi travels
Lightness / Fu - Body experiencing Yin Qi and is processed as a floating sensation
Sunkenness / Chen - Yin Qi being processed as being drawn down to the ground
Tightness / Jian - Tightening of the channel(s) as Qi moves through
Softness / Ruan - Channels opening and lengthening as a result of engaging Qi
These are technically distortions of Qi as it has been filtered through the mind, but picking up on these sensations still requires a calm and present type of inward attention. The greater our skill grows in practice, the better we will become at experiencing events as they truly unfold. Remember that we are “listening” with the mind, (Xin Ting); we do not try to hear. Our awareness will then begin to merge with the body as a subject without one of the five sense or “thieves” getting involved. However there is a common pitfall in this meditative process since we have removed external stimulation, and that is the engagement of the contemplation process. As soon as contemplation arises, this engages the mind in a way that draws focus away. Powerful and profound realizations have famously occurred in this contemplation process, and in other meditation practices it can be very useful. But this process is not our aim, we are instead looking to connect and “listen with our Qi” or Qi Ting:
Don’t think
Don’t imagine
Don’t examine
Don’t Govern
Reset your mind
A fully relaxed mind will merge profoundly with tissues and Huang of the entire body, and in turn your mind will take the shape of your form like a sponge takes on water. This doesn’t mean however that you should resist the contemplation process entirely, as that act it will pull you back to the chaos of random thoughts that your acquired mind has pre-loaded for you. Once we realize we’re contemplating our listening is compromised, so it’s best just to relax the mind further and go back to allowing your mind to absorb into all the nooks and crannies of your body.
Ok, so why? Isn’t it enough that I can get to place where I can serenely contemplate the cosmos, or the purpose of my life? I say, “No. You can go deeper.” And it’s because we are developing the skill or Gong to begin a specific reaction when we use the three ingredients of Shen, Qi and Huang which generate Yang Qi. As we become more adept at Ting we enable or Shen to merge with the Qi itself and the two react with one another in a cyclical fashion. The greater the mind is absorbed into the natural movement of Qi, the more still the mind becomes and begins to shed the acquired layers or lenses. In turn the Shen begins to shine through, and more Shen yields yet more stillness. This is the process of Ting and Shen Qi Xiang He. It is the gateway to a meditative mind.
Huang then plays the role of conductor; and so the mind is then drawn through the body as Qi both in channels and ultimately through the Huang. This stage will be clear as your mind becomes so stable that it will be able to hold the shape of your body and anchor itself. Your Huang will then start to produce Yang Qi.
When Yang Qi is produced within the Huang as a result of training in this fashion it will have a very clear quality to it. The vibration is internal, highly refined, lively and felt throughout the body almost as “life force” itself. (However distorted as it is still subject to the nature of the acquired mind. There are practices to purify Yang Qi that only take place in Nei Dan.) Some areas of the body will produce more than others, but on the whole our Huang is everywhere and it is producing Yang Qi at this stage. This sensation will begin to feel very subtly electric, fluid and strong all at once after a certain amount (usually weeks), of practice. Regular practice will result in the movement of this vibration to concentrate towards the core of your body. It is at this stage that training will need to shift towards drawing Yang Qi down to fill the LDT.
And THAT bring us back to the most fundamental topic of developing and nourishing the LDT. It is fundamental in that it is required to advance to higher levels of attainment within the internal arts. An energetically and physically formed LDT will in turn nourish our Yuan Shen (primordial spirit), converge the five elements and so much more. There’s a great deal more to cover; I have yet to fully explain so many topics I touched on here. But I hope this article brought about more answers than questions, although with a subject like self-cultivation, how could it? Until next time, remember that this is only the beginning.
