Activating the Dantian

Tips and Tricks for Dantian Activation

Here is a list of tips and tricks for activating the lower dantian (xiatian). The xiatian is where the alchemical action takes place. But how do we find the xiatian and get the darn thing working?

First of all, we need methods. But what if, after we apply the methods, nothing happens? Below is a list of additional stuff we can do to facilitate the process. This list is by no means complete, just some of the things that helped me.

Properly locate it. Ask a teacher or read a book for the exact location. Play around with the location as well. The spot where you think it is might be off. It’s easy to get disoriented inside the body. Try using external references, like the navel, to stay oriented inside.

Figure out the knack (qiao) ourselves. Activating the xiatian requires a special feeling inside the body. It’s up to us to figure out that feeling. Getting the xiatian going takes the right kind of focus in the right area; then you just softly allow it to warm up and start moving. Like blowing on the ember of a fire to get a flame.

Use lower space. The xiatian is right smack dab in the middle of this spherical space. If you know how, you can compress the lower space to find the xiatian quite easily. Working with the lower space is a great way to activate the xiatian as well.

Figure out size. The xiatian will be a different size for everyone. In the beginning there might not be much going on there; it might just be a space.

Use awareness and shen properly. Get awareness and shen into the location. This takes focus and might be tiring. But don’t use too much focus either. Find a balance. Move your awareness around the inside of the lower abdomen until you feel something. The feeling can be quite subtle at first, maybe just a tugging or a slight tremor.

Use inner vision and inner hearing. Inner vision and inner hearing help to focus the shen and the awareness in the body. I first stumbled upon my xiatian playing around with inner hearing, but everyone is different.

Replenish Jing and Qi. If your jing and qi are not full enough, you won’t find the xiatian. Foundation practices can help replenish these substances in the body. Internal martial arts, daoyin, and qigong are useful for this, but not essential. Again, everyone is different.

Practice late at night and early in the morning (between 11:00pm and 5:00am). For me, 4:00ish in the morning is a fantastic time for practicing alchemy. In the early morning the world is still, and stillness is essential for finding the xiatian.

Fasting. I first heard my xiatian after not eating for a while. Take a couple of days off eating and you will find that the lower abdomen empties, making it much easier to work inside the body. It’s also easier to tune into the subtle body after fasting for a bit.

Practice with a full bladder. If we practice in the morning, Wang Liping recommends not relieving ourselves first. I’m not sure why, but perhaps it increases the internal pressure of the lower abdominal cavity.

Retreat. Withdrawing from the noise and bustle of our world also works wonders for neidan practice. The xiatian is a quiet, subtle, and delicate thing; it is easily missed when our minds and bodies are caught up in the rush of modern life.

Simplify life. I once asked a Tibetan Buddhist monk how to enter deeper states of stillness. He said two things to me: “First, you have to want to, and second, simplify your life.” The same applies to finding the xiatian. If our life is too busy and hectic, our shen energy scatters and it is harder to gather it inside the body.

Relax and empty body. First relax, then empty the body, especially the inside of the torso.

Transmission. Practicing with a teacher who is regulating the energy field you are sitting in, and directing your shen while you work through the methods, is also very helpful. Some say it is necessary.

Regular practice. It doesn’t need to be practiced every day, but generally the more the better. Overdoing it won’t help either.

Youwei and wuwei. Find a balance between youwei and wuwei in your practice. Too much doing and it won’t work. I find it best to err on the side of wuwei, so lots of silent meditation, both within the sessions and as whole sessions of silent sitting.

Seal off 3 lower yin gates properly. The three lower gates are the genitals, huiyin, and anus. Follow the methods to seal them up.

Seal off human universe (including seven upper openings) properly. It is easier to gather the shen and focus inside the torso when the body is energetically sealed up. I find pore breathing best for this. The Taoists call sealing up the seven upper openings (our sense organs) “putting the lid on the pot.” Once the cauldron is set up, we need to put the lid on to get things cooking.