Writing, glossary
The dantian丹田
What the dantian is, and where the three fields are.
Draft, under review by Nathan. The wording may change.
One of a few longer entries. The full glossary has the rest of the terms.
Dantian 丹田 means elixir field: a place where the substances of the practice are gathered and cultivated, as grain is grown in a field. In the lineage we usually say field (tian).
The three fields
- Lower Field (xiatian 下田), in the lower abdomen, inside the body. The main focus of early practice.
- Middle Field (zhongtian 中田), in the middle of the chest, level with the heart.
- Upper Field (shangtian 上田), in the middle of the head, level with the eyebrows, behind the temples.
They are regions, not points.
Why the lower field comes first
The early work gathers and settles jing and qi in the lower field. Everything later rests on it. Activating the Dantian has practical tips.