The 3 Dantians

According to ancient Taoist energy anatomy and physiology, human beings have three important energy centers that store and emit energy in a similar way to how a battery stores and emits energy.

These three centers are called the Three Dantians.

The Three Dantians are strategically positioned along the Taiji Pole to facilitate maximum energy transfer.

Although the chakra systems are more significant in the Buddhist and yoga traditions, both spiritual disciplines generally refer to the Three Dantian areas in their energetic practice.
According to ancient Buddhist and yogic traditions, these three areas contain the three psychic nodes or “Granthi”, where an individual’s energy and spiritual consciousness interact and manifest in particular ways.

OUTER AND INNER ALCHEMY

Taoist alchemy, like Western alchemy, was practiced in two ways: external alchemy (Wai Dan) and internal alchemy (Nei Dan).

External alchemy was the ancestor of modern chemistry.

External alchemists set up laboratories and experimented with many substances of mineral, animal and plant origin with the aim of discovering how to turn base metals into gold.

Secretly, they also sought to discover an elixir that would confer immortality or at least greater longevity.
In the process of these external alchemical experiments, the ancient Chinese discovered many exceptionally potent herbal medicines, as well as other chemical formulas, such as the formula for gunpowder.

Inner alchemy, on the other hand, was concerned with purifying human nature and transforming the spirit into its purest and most radiant potential without the use of external agents.

Qigong exercises and meditations were developed to circulate and gather the “internal elixirs” of Jing (sexual energy), Qi and Shen (consciousness) in various places in the body.

These internal alchemists saw the Three Dantians as internal cauldrons and employed them in the role of gathering and transforming vital substances, energies and various aspects of consciousness.

All the methods and formulas of internal alchemy involve specific combinations of the body’s Jing, Qi and Shen.

The internal alchemists kept their work hidden by using secret mineral code words like “gold” and “lead” to describe the movements and transformations of energetic and spiritual substances within the body.

The ultimate goal of internal alchemy is immortality, a complete transformation of the body’s Jing, Qi and Shen.
Jing, Qi and Shen are the three fundamental energies necessary for human life and are collectively referred to as the “Three Treasures of Man”.

To carry out this transformation, the alchemists first gather and transform Jing into Qi in the Lower Dantian.
They then gather and transform Qi into Shen in the Middle Dantian.

Next, they transform Shen into Wuji (the absolute opening of infinite space) in the Upper Dantian.
Finally, they fuse Wuji into Dao (divine energy).

These transformations can be compared to the changing consistency of water, which, when heated, can change from solid ice, to liquid, to steam.
These progressive transformations are an example of the use of the Three Dantians as internal cauldrons in the process of internal alchemy.

Through extensive experimentation in the inner laboratory of the physical, energetic and spiritual body, Taoist alchemists were able to become powerful sorcerers and healers.

The Three Treasures are also connected to the Three External Forces or Powers known as Heaven, Earth and Man.

Jing (reproductive essence) is the most substantial and therefore the most Yin of the three, and is closely linked to the Qi of the Earth.
In the practice of Qigong and in Taoist internal alchemy, the energy of the Earth is gathered in the lower Dantian and associated with heat.
Qi is closely linked to atmospheric energy (a mixture of the energies of Heaven and Earth), is gathered in the Middle Dantian and is associated with vibration.
Shen (Spirit) is the most insubstantial and therefore the most Yang of the three.
It corresponds to the Qi of Heaven, is gathered in the Upper Dantian and is associated with light.

The Three Dantians are connected to each other through the Taiji Pole.
The Taiji Pole acts as a passageway for communication between the Three Dantians and as a highway for the movement of the various life force energies.

The Soul is drawn to the body at conception through the Taiji Pole and leaves through the Taiji Pole at death.

Qigong sees the Three Dantians as vital centers for the cultivation of energy.
They are important areas for diagnosis and self-healing, as well as for the therapeutic projection of Qi.
The

Three Dantians have specific relationships with the Three Treasures of Jing, Qi and Shen.

THE LOWER FIELD: XIA DANTIAN

The Lower Dantian is the Dantian most familiar to martial artists and meditators, as it is the first place where they are trained to focus concentration.
It is considered the center of physical strength and the source of endurance.
Called “hara” in Japanese, it is located in the lower abdomen, in the center of the triangle formed by drawing a line between the navel, Mingmen (lower back) and perineum.
These three points form a pyramid facing downwards.
This configuration allows the Lower Dantian to gather the energy of the Earth.

The Lower Dantian is the main storage area for the various types of Kidney energy (i.e. Qi from the ovaries and testicles).
The energies of the Kidney, in turn, are closely linked to the prenatal energies and provide the basis for all the other types of energy in the body.

The Lower Dantian is connected to the first level of Wei Qi.
This level of protective Qi circulates outside the body, extending about an inch beyond the body’s tissues.
As the Lower Dantian fills with Qi, the Wei Qi field naturally becomes thicker.

THE LOWER DANTIAN AND JING

The Lower Dantian collects the energy of the Earth and is associated with the Jing and the energy of the physical body.

The energy of the Earth that is transformed in the Lower Dantian is a full and dense energy.
In the above analogy of water transformations, the energy in the Lower Dantian relates to ice, the densest state of water.

The Lower Dantian is closely linked to the Jing Gong (Essence Palace), which is located in the perineum and serves as a reservoir of Jing.

Our Prenatal Essence determines our constitutional strengths and vitality and is stored in the Lower Dantian.
It interacts with the energies of the Kidney to form the Kidney Jing.

The Lower Dantian acts as a reservoir of heat and energy and is associated with the Kidneys.

The Kidneys control the Water element in the body and, in alchemical terms, Jing is considered analogous to water in a cauldron.
Through focused concentration and meditation, the Jing (essence) in the Lower Dantian is refined and transformed to produce Qi (energy).

When enough heat is generated in the Lower Dantian as a result of mixing Heart Fire and Mingmen with Kidney Water, the alchemical transformation of Jing in the Lower Dantian area causes the Jing water to turn into Qi vapor.

This alchemical transformation is known as the “transformation of Jing (essence) into Qi (energy)” and takes place within the Lower Dantian.

The energies of the Kidney are closely intertwined: Kidney Jing, Kidney Qi, Kidney Yin, Kidney Yang and Kidney Mingmen Fire.
Mingmen Fire, also called Kidney Yang, helps transform Jing into steam (Kidney Qi).

The Kidney Jing circulates throughout the body via the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, in particular the Governing Vessel, the Conception Vessel and the Propelling Vessels, all of which originate in the Lower Dantian.

The Kidney Jing controls the body’s reproductive energies and life cycles.
Some of the ancient alchemical texts describe the Lower Dantian in women as being located in the “Bao” or Uterus, illustrating the important role of the Uterus in relation to the Jing function in a woman’s body.

In men, the reproductive essence is located in the prostate and seminal vesicles, also known as the Jing Gong (Palace of Essence) in Taoist alchemy.

The exact location of the Jing Gong differs in men and women due to the anatomical locations of the male and female reproductive organs.
In men, this area is located in the center of the body, at the level of the upper edge of the pubic bone, posterior to the Qugu CV-2 point (crooked bone).

The Jing Gong area in women is located higher up, centered on the uterus, about an inch above the upper edge of the pubic bone, posterior to the Zhongji CV-3 point (Maximum Center).

This difference in location affects the production and storage of Jing.
The testicles in men cause the transformation of energy to take place lower down in the body than in women.
In women, this transformation takes place a little higher up due to the location of the woman’s ovaries.

Jing is the most physical and material form of energy within the body and therefore corresponds to Yin and Earth energy.
The Lower Dantian is the place where the Earth’s Qi is drawn into the body and transformed by heat.

LOWER DANTIAN AND QI

The Lower Dantian is often called the Sea of Flexible Qi.It is the place where Qi is housed, Ming-men Fire is awakened, Kidney Yin and Yang Qi are gathered and Yuan Qi is stored. Also called Qi Source or Original QiYuan Qi is the basis of all the other types of Qi in the body.
Yuan Qi is closely linked to the Prenatal Essence (Yuan Jing).

Together, Yuan Qi and Yuan Jing determine general health, vitality, endurance and longevity.

Yuan Qi is the force behind the activity of all the body’s organs and energies.
It is closely related to the Mingmen and works to provide body heat.
The body’s Yuan Qi is the catalyzing agent for transforming the food we eat and the air we breathe into post-natal Qi.
It also facilitates the production of Blood.

Yuan Qi is housed in the Lower Dantian and flows to all the internal organs and channels via the Triple Heaters.
Yuan Qi is said to enter the twelve Primary Channels (the twelve main energy pathways of the body) through the Yuan points (sometimes called Source points) in acupuncture theory.

Of the Three Dantians, the Lower Dantian is the closest to the Earth and is the most Yin; it is therefore the natural center for gathering and storing the Earth’s Qi inside the body.
In Qigong, once students have learned to conserve and circulate their own Qi, they can increase it by connecting to the unlimited reservoirs of Qi in the natural environment.

Being the densest and easiest to feel, Earth energy is the first form of external Qi that the Qigong practitioner connects with.
This energetic connection with the Earth is important for two main reasons, described below:

1. Qigong practitioners need the Yin rooting power of Earth Qi to counterbalance the more active Yang energy cultivated during Qigong exercises.
   Without rooting in Earth Qi, many Qigong practitioners develop Qi deviations in the form of excess heat.

2. Each person’s Qi supply is limited.
   When Qigong practitioners extend their Qi to heal others, they can deplete their own Qi, unless they are able to simultaneously replenish their supply from external sources.

Even people who don’t practice Qigong naturally draw Earth Qi into their Lower Dantians as an unconscious action of survival and environmental adjustment.

By practicing Qigong and directing conscious intention, the amount of Earth Qi absorbed by the body can be greatly increased.

LOWER DANTIAN AND SHEN

Given its Yin nature and proximity to the Earth, the Lower Dantian itself is considered a center of consciousness.
This consciousness is more physical and kinesthetic than the consciousness of the Middle or Upper Dantian.

As the Lower Dantian is the energetic home of both the lower Po and the lower Hun, it is subject to specific patterns of influence, described below:

• Influence of the Corporeal Soul (Po): The body’s Jing is connected to the Seven Corporeal Souls, which are collectively known as the Po.
  The Po control our instinct for survival and the subconscious physical reflexes associated with survival.
  For this reason, martial artists spend many hours cultivating their Lower Dantians to create the integration of Jing, Qi and Shen necessary for the split-second clarity of focus required in life-or-death struggles.

• Influence of the Ethereal Soul (Hun): The Lower Dantian is the residence of the Lower Hun, called Yu Jing, or Hidden Essence.
  This Hun is associated with the Earth, producing our desire to enjoy life and comfort, as well as our ability to fully experience life’s pure passions.

THE LOWER DANTIAN AND KINESTHETIC AWARENESS

As well as being the center of physical strength and the source of vigor, the Lower Dantian is also considered the “home” of physical (kinesthetic) feeling, communication and consciousness.

Kinesthetic communication is the level of consciousness referred to as “the intuition of the physical body” and is stimulated by particular aspects of the subconscious.

The subconscious mind picks up many signals from the environment that are not processed by the logical mind.
The subconscious mind can react to these signals with spontaneous body movements or subtle but powerful emotional responses, sometimes called “gut feelings”.

Kinesthesia is defined as “the sensory experiences mediated by nerve elements within the muscles, tendons and joints, and stimulated by body movements and tensions characterized by movement”.

It is this kinetic state of consciousness that allows the Qigong practitioner to naturally sense the patient’s internal resonant vibrations.
When the practitioner’s body suddenly becomes hot or cold, begins to tremble or shake, this can indicate that the subconscious mind is trying to communicate and resonate with the location and condition of the diseased areas within the patient’s tissues.

Often, the feelings experienced in the Lower Dantian are very subtle.
For this reason, Qigong practitioners are trained to establish a high degree of awareness of their own body and are therefore able to pick up on subtle variations and energetic changes within themselves and others.
When doctors collect energy in the Lower Dantian, greater awareness and sensitivity naturally occur.
Cultivating this ability requires the practice of paying attention to the physical body (training kinesthetic awareness).
A high level of awareness of the physical body, the surrounding environment and the relationship between the two is necessary to maximize kinaesthetic communication.

When physical awareness increases, the body’s kinesthetic sensations and movements occur naturally.
These subtle senses allow Qigong practitioners to feel, smell or hear energetic phenomena as they are released from the patient’s diseased tissues.

THE LOWER DANTIAN AND SCIENCE

The “Brain” of the Lower Dantian is known in Western terms as the enteric (intestinal) nervous system.

The Lower Dantian sends and receives impulses, registers experiences and responds to emotions.

Your nerve cells are bathed in and influenced by the same type of neurotransmitters that exist in the brain.

The entire nervous system mirrors the central nervous system and is a network of 100 million neurons (more neurons than the spinal cord), neurotransmitters and proteins that can act independently of the body’s brain and can send messages, learn, remember and produce feelings.

The main neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, glutamine, norepinephrine, nitric oxide, enkephalins (a type of natural opiate) and benzodiazepines (psychoactive substances that relieve anxiety) are active within the neural system in the lower abdominal region.
The lower abdomen also has two dozen small brain proteins called neuropeptides.
The research provides modern scientific verification of what Eastern wisdom has taught for millennia; that the centers of consciousness exist in places in the body separate from the Brain organ.

The Lower Dantian is one of these main centers of consciousness.

ANATOMICAL LOCATION OF THE LOWER DANTIAN

The Lower Dantian is centered below the navel and inside the lower abdomen, forming a triangle pointing downwards.
Its boundaries are defined by the three lower chakra portals, described as follows:

1. Huiyin (Meeting of the Yin): The lowest point of the Lower Dantian extends to the Huiyin CV-l point in the perineum.
   This point is located halfway between the genitals (anterior Yin or Qianyin) and the anus (posterior Yin or Houyin), traditionally known as “Huiyin”.
   The name “Huiyin” refers to the area of the body responsible for gathering and absorbing the Earth’s energy.
   This area is responsible for gathering Yin energy in the body and in the Lower Dantian area through the three Yin leg channels (Liver, Spleen and Kidney), and is the intersection point of the Governing Vessel, Conception Vessel and Propulsion Vessels.
   This area is sometimes known as the lower gate of the Taiji Pole, or the lower gate of the Lower Chakra.

2. Shen Que (Watchtower of the Spirit): The frontal area of the Lower Dantian is located posterior to the Shenque point CV-8 at the navel.
   The name refers to the place where the mother’s Qi and Shen enter the embryo during fetal development.
   After the umbilical cord is cut, the cord extending out of the navel resembles a tower over the newborn’s abdomen, hence its name “Spiritual Tower”.
   This area is sometimes known as the front gate of the Second Chakra.

In Chinese cosmology, Yin and Yang and the three worlds of spirit, energy and matter polarize from the undifferentiated energy center of Wuji.
As this energy center begins to polarize, a spinning vortex is created, establishing the pattern that forms the energetic template for all things.
In ancient Taoism, this energetic interaction laid the foundations for the creation of the prenatal and postnatal Bagua, the original formations of the Eight Trigrams of the Yi-Jing.

Because of this internal connection, the navel area is considered to be the lair of Qi and Shen, because energetically both Qi and Shen continuously revolve and manifest from the navel area in the same way that the stars and constellations revolve around the North Star.

The ancient Taoists considered the umbilical area to be the “root of the preservation of life”, because the energetic treasure of its Qi and Shen flowed outwards to connect with all the internal organs.
An ancient Chinese saying states: “When the navel opens, the internal organs of the body can interact with the womb of Heaven and Earth”.

According to ancient Taoist philosophy, once the umbilical cord is cut, Heaven and Earth separate; and the Yin (Earth: Water Qi) and Yang (Heaven: Fire Qi) polarities of the fetus split.
The Yang Shen rises to the chest and the Middle Dantian area and becomes the Fire of the Heart; the Yin Jing descends to the lower abdomen and lower Dantian area and becomes the Water of the Kidneys.

3. Mingmen (Gate of Destiny): The posterior area of the Lower Dantian is located at the Mingmen GV-4 point in the lower back, inferior to the second lumbar vertebra.
   The Mingmen (Gate of Life) is located between the Kidneys and, in ancient times, was also called the “Gate of Destiny”, the “Mysterious Passage” and the “Gate of all Hidden Mysteries”.

It was believed that all creation passed through this portal as it emerged from the eternal Tao to form the individual’s Taiji Pole after conception.
Physiologically, the ancient Taoists also believed that the spiritual function of the Mingmen empowers the individual with the capacity for energetic interpenetration.
This ability allows the individual to move within the energetic forms of Yin and Yang, Jing and Shen, as well as the energetic forms of the inner aspects of the early and later Heaven.

In ancient China, the concept of an individual’s Virtue (De) and their Destiny (Ming) were closely linked.
Fate (associated with Yuan Jing, Qi and Shen) was given by Heaven at birth and stored in the individual’s Mingmen area between the Kidneys.
The individual’s Ming becomes the spark of life and the dynamic potential behind their thoughts and actions.

Although the subtle impulses emanating from the individual’s Ming are usually hidden from the conscious mind through attention on the mingmen, a deeper area of understanding can be discovered and accessed intuitively.

It is up to the individual to act consistently in accordance with their Ming throughout their life.
This action is based on the individual’s conscious use of their Intention (Yi).
The intention to remain congruent with the “Will and Intention of Heaven” (Zhi Yi Tian) is what gives the individual Virtue (De).
It is through the development of their Virtue that the individual establishes a healthy relationship with the Tao, Heaven and the spiritual world.

The Mingmen is the root of Yuan Qi and therefore determines life and death.
The Mingmen supplies one third of the body’s “True Fire”, provides the heat for the Triple Heaters and is responsible for stabilizing the Kidneys and the Lower Dantian.
This anatomical area is sometimes known as the rear gate of the Second Chakra.

4. Center of the Lower Dantian: The center or middle of the Dantian refers to its position located between the navel and Mingmen areas.
   Qigong medical schools in China differ in their opinions about the location of the center of the Lower Dantian.
   Some schools teach that the center of the Lower Dantian is affected by the different anatomical locations of the male and female reproductive organs.
   In these particular schools, students learn that, in men, the center of the Lower Dantian is located posterior to the Guanyuan CV-4 point (Gate of Original Qi).
   The center of the Dantian area in a woman is said to be located higher up, posterior to the Qihai CV-6 (Sea of Qi) point, located in the center of the Bao or Uterus (see Chapter 7).

LOWER DANTIAN TRAINING

All Qigong training begins with a focus on the Lower Dantian.

In the early stages of Qigong training, the teacher will encourage students to focus their mind and breathing on the Lower Dantian.

The purpose of this training is to gather the body’s Yuan Qi in the Lower Dantian (called “returning to the source”) to strengthen the fundamental root of the body’s energy.

Qigong practitioners strive to bring together and balance the Yin and Yang energy within the Lower Dantian.

In ancient China, the union of Yin and Yang energies within the Lower Dantian was called the “Dragon and Tiger swirling in the winding river”.
Ancient Taoist shamans believed that the “spirit of vital essence” always appears in the form of a bright white light energy within the Lower Dantian.