When me and Smiljana teach Qigong, one of the first things that we repeat continually during practice, is to pay attention on a Lower Dan Tian. With attention on a Lower Dan Tian you start your practice and you finish it.
What is actually lower Dan Tian?
Lower Dan Tian is an energy center which resides in the lower abdomen below the navel. This is a center which is at the same time physical center for building stability and balance. In Qigong practice and internal martial arts this center is used for transforming, building and storing energy Qi. Because it’s connected with physical organs and tissues, which are located in this area (intestines, bladder, nerves in sacro-lumbal area), this tissues respond to the energy level of Dan Tian.
How do we feel it?
Usually we feel Dan Tian as condensation of energy field in the region of its residence. Of course for this you need to be in the state of perceiving, because it is all about feeling and sensing the energy (read previous blogs about energy), negative rejection and scepticism only close any possibility of grasping the flow of energy or energy field. You know already that Qigong is working with energy, not working with fears, prejudices and superstitions, which sceptics always carry with them in their heavy, very heavy suitcase. Open yourself! Free your mind.
Experience counts
It’s all about experience, we try to say to our students while we are explaining about the lower Dan Tian and other specialties of Qigong. Of course it’s something you’ve heard of for the first time, that’s why we are here to tell you and continue to repeat it, so it can sit down into your consciousness, and your subconsciousness, and it can become your habit. Habit, that every time you need to relax you mind and emotions you put your hands and your attention on your lower Dan Tian and breathe with lower Dan Tian, breathe with your abdomen and let the energy flow. You can sit or lay down on your back, whichever you choose. Above all it’s important that you are in the most relaxed position. Just breathe.
Every day
We give our student practitioners a homework, that they should try to practice breathing with lower Dan Tian at home whenever they can, maybe while watching TV, during the conversation with somebody not really interesting. Or before going to sleep, as it will relax them rapidly and they’ll fall to sleep very fast.
Roots
Breathing with lower Dan Tian presents connection with our roots. Inner roots. Roots of our inner tree. And deep-rootedness to this world. With life and our purpose.
Higher attention and stronger intention
My teacher Milan Vidmar once told me: »See: you are in the lower Dan Tian and you have intention to do something, carry out something, you have an aim and if you stay there, at lower Dan Tian, then you will achieve it.« He meant to say, that will, purpose and focus are much stronger and condensed if you cultivate and use this energetic center. But before you can use it you need to acknowledge it and cultivate it, and above all start preserving energy in it.
Changes in functioning
When we practice Qigong, we generate energy and we accelerate Qi flow. During exercises we attain state of deeper relaxation, lowering our brain waves, balancing of left and right brain hemisphere and all of this accelerates and increases our sensitivity for Qi.
At the end of Qigong
At the end of training, when we finish and gather the energy, we put our hands on lower Dan Tian and sit down. We keep our hands on abdomen below navel. We concentrate on inwardness. We close our eyes. We just breath. Inside we imagine white ball of energy. Slowly after a few breaths we start to rotate this ball in one direction for 36 times, and then in another for 24 times. After we’ve finished this cycle we are complete. We open our eyes and that’s the end of a training.
Women rotate 36 times to the right (following the direction of the right hand) and 24 times to the left. Men do it just the opposite.
May the Qi be with you!
Petar
Photo: Pixabay, PetarSmiljana Qigong
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Video course Qigong While Travelling: https://petarsmi.com/en/qigong-while-travelling/
Hello, Petar and Smiljana:
I saw you were stepping back from frequent blogging and vlogging for the time being (though the videos have been great, of the island and river). You’re right, there is a lot of great previous content here. This series for example, on working with the lower dan tien is just terrific! 🙂
Maybe, if you feel like it, you could periodically post a cluster of previous articles on facebook that you are really happy with, and your readers will have an easy chance to revisit them. I know I like coming back here because I usually see it through new eyes on the revisit.
Take care!
Hello Blake,
thank you for your comment and useful suggestions. 🙂 Yea, we have vanished a little bit from social media in the last time… But we are currently involved in other projects and more Qigong practice… but we promise we will return soon with new posts and videos.
Sincerely,
Smiljana and Petar
Hello Petar and Smiljana, do you have a course about Dan Tian?, I want everything to know about it.
I’m Doing Zhang Zhuang 5 standing postures from Youtube Channel La kam Chuen but he didn’t speak about Lower Dan Tian anything, I would love to learn how to breathe from Lower Dantian.
Hi,
I would reccomand you to find first some book about the Qigong basics so that you can become familiar with the concept of three Dantians and their functions. In Qigong you begin by learning the process through which you start feeling the location of your lower Dantian… Sorry, this is a process that can’t be explained in few sentences. To start learn/use the normal abdominal breathing, so that you become more connected with your lower abdominal area (see our articles about breathing). Nice day, Smiljana