My business name is Dantian Health, hence I am often asked about the dantian. What is it? Why is it important? How can we strengthen it?
What is the dantian?
The dantian, often translated as elixir or cinnabar field, is a core energy centre of our body. A dantian is different from a chakra as it is a storehouse of energy, whereas a chakra is a gateway.
In Chinese medicine, we view three dantian within the body.
The three dantian
The three dantian can be related to three of the five elements which represent heaven (Fire), earth (Water) and man (Earth) in between.
Lower dantian
The lower dantian is in the area a few fingers below your navel, and in Japanese traditions is the area of the Hara. It houses your vital energy, power and essence.
The lower dantian holds primary importance as it nourishes the other two. It is a central area of focus in meditation practices, martial arts and Oriental medicine.
In this dantian is our reserves of Qi (energy), our prenatal Qi, which we inherited from our parents. It is the energetic and structural centre of the body.
What is the Ming Men?
In the lower dantian, the Ming Men is found. The Ming Men, also known as the Gate of Life, houses both our primal Yin and Yang energies.
Our Jing, or Essence, is stored here, our most Yin and precious substance that carries the seed of our potential.
From this area also stems our Yuan Qi, the primal vitality which infuses the channels to stimulate the function of the internal organs. This primal, Imperial Fire is the source of warmth and vitality.
The Ming Men is so important the DU4 acupuncture point is named after it!
Middle dantian
The middle dantian around your solar plexus. It relates to your breath, mind, love and inner organs. It is where we maintain a connection to ourselves and others
The middle dantian is vital for the creation of postnatal Qi. This is the renewable energy we draw from our diet and breath throughout our lives. This nourishes our body and sustains our activities.
Upper dantian
The upper dantian is in the forehead between your eyebrows or around your brain. It relates to your Shen (spirit), intuition and spiritual life. This is where we create our worlds around us.
Weakness of the dantian
Lower dantian
When our energy is not focused and centred in our lower dantian, it can float upwards. This disturbs our upper dantians, affecting mental and emotional well-being. This creates distress and disease. Smaller afflictions and nuisances in life cause more irritation than usual. We lose sight of our essence and purpose, no longer living with true intent.
When this is functioning sub-optimally, we must draw on our deeper reserves of energy (prenatal Qi) day by day. This is not a sustainable practice as these reserves are finite. It is akin to utilising renewable energy sources such as wind and solar vs coal and gas.
Middle dantian
When this area is not held and open, we also have trouble connecting to our heart. Our ability to experience, receive and express love becomes reduced. Finding inspiration becomes difficult as we lack a sense of connection.
Upper dantian
When our upper dantian is struggling, we have trouble creating our vision forward. Our expression of vitality becomes dulled, often seen in the (lack of) sparkle in our eyes.
This is often the area from which we lead our lives. It is a top-heavy approach, prone to toppling over. If actions come from the upper dantian alone, there is a disconnect from our hearts and essence. This leads to a life not congruent with our values and mission.
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How to strengthen the dantian
Strengthening and grounding oneself in the lower dantian will benefit the other dantian. There is of course further work that can be done to maintain health in these areas.
Practice lower dantian breathing during an acupuncture treatment to help your body relax deeper. This allows the body to listen clearly, deepening the therapeutic result.
Lower dantian breathing exercise
We can strengthen our lower dantian to build and hold our Qi. Lower dantian breathing benefits us by helping us feel healthier, less stressed and happier.
Having a stronger core means that you are less vulnerable to falling off balance. This means we can be physically, emotionally and mentally more stable.
A simple meditative practice can be practised as follows:
- Hold a still and erect posture.
- Feet shoulder-width apart
- Knees are slightly bent so they are not locked
- The pelvic floor pulled forward
- Spine straight
- Neck pulled back
- Head straight
- Imagine a string passing from the crown of your head, through your spine to the ground between your feet.
- Draw the breath deep down and to the lower dantian
- Expand the lower abdomen on inhalation as the diaphragm expands.
- Allow the focus of the mind to rest in this lower dantian.
- Observe the Qi as warmth fills up in this vital centre with each breath.
To assist your focus remaining in this area you can place your hands, one on top of the other, over the lower dantian. For males, the left hand should be underneath, for females, the right.
This can be practised daily for 10-15 minutes, or longer if desired.
Mindful movement
In martial arts such as Tai Chi or Aikido, the lower dantian is of primary focus. By keeping attention at the core it becomes easier to move. When physical movements come from this centre they are stronger, more purposeful and softer.
Action needs less energy as it comes from the centre of your essence. By focusing on the lower dantian you also become more stable and grounded. This is applicable for both physical movements as well as movement in our life.
Mastering the art of movement from your dantian takes time and practice. It is best learnt from a teacher who can correct your posture and guide you through this process.
Why Dantian Health?
The reasoning behind my business name is that I view the dantian as a central core to health and vitality. The aim is to have the heart open, vision clear and actions that are grounded in the essence of our lower dantian. This allows a healthier, more purposeful existence filled. It brings us a life filled with joy and vitality.
It is my desire to see this authentic, healthy life available to everyone.
What else would you like to know?
Thanks for reading this far. Have I missed your question? Was something unclear? Let me know in the comments below, I read and respond to everyone!
Thank you! Wish u were over here.
From California
I’m glad you found this useful.
Thankfully there are some amazing practitioners on your neck of the woods!
Thank you for the article. This is all new so I have been reading various articles and thought the middle Dan Tien was the heart area. ??
It is all quite confusing as there seem to be differing opinions about where our power comes from – e.g. the heart – but the breathing exercise you provided here seems quite promising and it was helpful to sense/visualise the breath moving into an area there. It seems very peaceful rather than dynamic, but perhaps our power comes from that peaceful power?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Catherine,
I’m glad you took something from my article. That is a great question!
Yes it is confusing that some place the middle dantian over the chest where we typically locate the heart, and others place it over the solar plexus which is known in Chinese Medicine as the ‘area under the heart’. I have also noted that some authors will place the upper dantian in the chest with the middle dantian at the solar plexus, holding the view that all 3 dantian are contained within the torso.
For me, the solar plexus being the area most related to digestion and the Earth element, holds the most relevance for the centre and middle ground. When we look at the ancient five element model (prior to the pentagram arrangement), Earth holds the centre and in my lineage of acupuncture practice is the primary area for treatment. Based on this importance of this area as the middle, this is how I view and share my understanding of the location of the middle dantian.
The theory of Chinese Medicine has arisen from the observation of natural phenomenon. That is how we truly get to know the nature of something is by experiencing, observing and reflecting.
I will encourage you to take the time to breathe into the solar plexus on some days following lower dantian breathing, and on other days breathe into the chest. Take note of the differences you experience as this may help guide you into which place sits most correctly for you.
And of course let me know what you discover!
Thank you for taking the time to answer and explain, and I’m writing in some amazement at your encouragement to explore for myself! Thank you for making it ok to do this rather than claim that there is only one right way. That is true teaching from a true teacher, methinks. I am also intrigued by your comment about the ancient way of looking at things, before the pentagram. Thanks again and I will get back to you in time ?
Hi Catherine,
I most definitely have no authority to claim anything as the ‘one right way’! I’m glad you are open to self exploratory learning – that is the sign of someone truly ready to learn.
If you are interested in the ancient/cosmological sequence of the five elements then I suggest having a read of this series of articles. It is admittedly a little dense and directed at practitioners, but is very thorough.
https://giovanni-maciocia.com/the-five-elements-clinical-application_10/
All the best with your exploration, I look forward to hearing about your discoveries.
I learned more of how to properly breathe and more on how important breathing really is.
Thank you!
Glad to hear it John, breathing certainly is important!
I also find it fascinating how mindfully controlling the speed of breath can influence mood and the nervous system, helps a lot at bed time.
Have you observed any health changes as you start to pay more attention to your breath?
I am new to the dantiens but I’ve been strengthening my chakras and my third eye is buzzing between my eyebrows constantly. What can I do to stop the buzzing as its blurring my vision?
Hi Troy. Thanks for joining the conversation.
From a dantian perspective it sounds like there may be too much focus in the upper dantian and not enough in the lower. I would suggest practicing lower dantian breathing if you are finding the buzzing to be too intense.
Grounding your feet (ideally barefoot on soil) and sensing the depth of the earth underneath your feet supporting you whilst you slow you breathing may also be of help to you.
Let me know how that works out for you!
Storing energy at the end of the practice in Lower Dan Tian.
I want to thank the author for the article. And I would like to ask you a question.
What happens to the energy stored in the lower Dan tian?
As we ‘store’ energy in our lower Dantian we can then draw on this reserve to fuel our activities, reducing the need to draw on our more precious reserves of Jing-Essence which is a non-replenishable resource. This allows us to maintain our health, vigour and vitality for longer.
Is the lower Dan tian located berween the bellybutton and the groin?
Yes the lower Dantian is in the area between the belly button and pubic symphysis (groin). It is often thought to be centred around one third of the way done from the umbilicus.
This lower area is also referred to as the Hara in Japanese medicine.
Hi there, so I’ve recently been tuning in and becoming so much more aware of our energy, universe, chakras etc… it’s very much of interest and I stumbled upon “Dan-tien” in a health forum I had found while looking up a symptom of something unexplainable I’ve been having…. Regardless wether or not this is related I’m glad I found this because I definitely will be doing more research and learning on this, sounds very powerful and important!
But I do have a question that I am really hoping you can answer!
I’ve just within the last few days started experiencing this odd sensation in my lower abdomen, not at all painful but just weird and sometimes a little too much and distracting.
It’s a feeling as if someone pointed a blow dryer on that area for a few seconds it will heat up, stay warm for a while then cool off to normal. Usually only in evenings/late late nights too.
A little recent history I’m going through, a very hard relationship breakup that is just heart wrenching to say the least and seemingly impossible to get over… I’m currently looking into is this person possibly my twin flame? I have a lot of symptoms pointing to this maybe being the case.
Also I did just dis over yesterday I’m just a couple weeks pregnant… I have two other children tho, never experienced this before that I can remember.
The forum I was on had all fhese different women ranging from 16 all the way to 60s that say they started experiencing this and some say for years. To me I see no clear cut answer or update from ANYONE that has 100% been able to get to the bottom of it no many how many doctors they saw
Then the one comment that struck my interest to google this dantien was a girl saying that she for sure felt it’s ur dantien and u are producing too much yang…
Thanks for listening!! CAnt wait for your reply…
Hi Alexis, first of all congratulations! I hope your pregnancy is progressing smoothly. Apologies for the slow response! The heating up sounds like the gathering of Yang Qi as your little one grows. As this is happening more in the evenings, this is the time when our Yang energies are internalising as our bodies move into a state of rest and our Shen (consciousness) finds an internal home to sleep. This movement internally must be meeting with your growing one creating these local flushes of heat. If it is persistent it may be worth visiting an acupuncturists to ensure that your Qi and Blood are circulating smoothly and nourishing you well. It is also worth noting that during pregnancy the aspect of your mind which we call the Po is shared with you and your growing one. The Po is that aspect of our consciousness that is responsible for bodily awareness, and this sharing of your Po’s presence may be contributing to a hyperawareness of sensations in that area. I’m also very curious if this more Yang, warming sensation you are feeling could be related to the gender (the masculine energy is generally classified as more Yang). Sorry if I just have lots of ideas but no clear answers!
Thank you for all of this wonderful information. I see an amazing intuitive acupuncturist and she recently recommended that I practice this exact breathing method. Good to know that my right hand should be placed under the left one when doing this breathing into the lower dantian. Once I am better at that, I will also practice breathing into the solar plexus and chest area as well. Thank you for including other comments, questions and answers, which have also been helpful.
Hi Laura, you are welcome. It sounds like your acupuncturist is guiding you in the right direction! Remember to breathe in through your nose and work towards a slower exhalation to further engage your para-sympathetic nervous system and bring your body into a deeper state of relaxation and centredness
Thank you, Jason, for the education on Dan-tien, the exercise to increase energy and your insightful replies below. Also, thank you for the free e-book on foods. I recently located Qigong practices for health and balance and am seeing some improvement. I think I need time and patience to recover from 2 total knee surgeries and restabilization of 4 cervical vertebrae from a college gymnastics accident nearly 50 years ago. It is all cartilage and bone related. I am finding it a slow process to return to my previous vitality and strength. I didn’t expect this slow recovery; but, I am trying to allow my inner wisdom guide me and patience lead the way.
Hi Patricia, I am glad you have found these resources useful. Qigong practices can definitely be a useful part of a recovery program to re-establish healthy circulation and alignment. Having patience and trust in your body will guide you back to health at the pace that is right for you. I hope your recovery continues smoothly
Hi, a few days ago I was casualy sitting. My body suddenly started getting hotter. I realised that something is happening so I didn’t try to move, I tought I am about to pass out or something. In this time my senses got rly sharp. I had this feeling for s few seconds, in this time I kept getting hotter. After a few seconds I was back to normal. It never got to the point where it would hurt. This happend in my houl body. I did some Wim Hof breathing before, like 10 sessions 2 months ago. Any thoughts on this?
That sounds like quite an intense experience!
For some, when they enter a state of centredness and connection with their dantian they feel warmth as their Qi moves through their body. Perhaps this is something like what you found, though it is interesting that you mention just casually sitting and not being consciously in a meditative state or anything.
Have you experienced anything like this since?
Thank you for providing a well-written article. I was searching for some clarity regarding dantian in regards to my tai chi class. You have done that. Looking forward to reading more. I live in the USA so will not be able to make an appointment. Again, thank you.
I’m glad that you found it helpful. All the best on your Tai Chi journey
Thank you for your post. I am interested in qigong and have been looking for information. This helps enormously on explaining the dantians
This is merely my view on it. I would love to hear of other perspectives that you have encountered in your journey
First and foremost, thank you for your work! I am encouraged to consider the correlation between QI and Kundalini. Until recently I have thought of QI as the energy essence of my body, strictly from a biological perspective, similar to Kundalini. Of course as a Westerner I think in my native language English, which is reductionist and renders the contents of my thoughts fragmented, not whole. I now include “Urges” “Inclinations” and otherwise creative energy as the Chi or Kundalini attempting to flow from the source through me into the world around me. From this perspective I can see how self-concept can either restrict or facilitate the flow.
All emotions, thoughts, feelings, physical sensations are simply an expression and movement (or constraint) of Qi. When we decouple ourselves from the concept that Qi is this tangible, definable, graspable thing then we allow the space to observe the many manifestations of its existence.
Exactly as you said, it is is an expression of resonance with the movements that surround us, be they from other people, climate, ‘source’ etc
Have you identified any major distinctions between Qi and Kundalini?
Greetings. I wonder if you could decribe how the feeling of opening a chakra gate is different from the feeling of storing qi in the lower dantian. I seem to be having trouble keeping it stored and my only guess is to constantly place awareness there while keeping it open as a gate.
Thanks for your question.
I don’t believe I have the right experience to comment on what the opening of a chakra gate feels like.
I can state that for me, the sensation of storage and connection with the lower dantian resembles a filling, a warmth, a contentedness. I feel a sense of power, centeredness and being grounded.
If feeling trouble a sense of trouble storing then one may look at how one is consuming/draining it that leads to this. Attention and work at the perineum region (acupuncture point Ren 1) which is like the lower plug hole in the bath to hold and solidify can help. Some acupuncturists needle this point to assist in the ‘replacing the plug to fill the bath’.
Hopefully that helps you a little
As one breathes into the lower dantian, I would like to know more about the lengths of the breaths. Do you recommend breathing in for a count of, say 6, out for 7 or 8? What about pausing to hold the in-breath for a moment, then letting it out? Maybe even pausing a moment before the next breath…
Are we aiming here for simply extending the length of the breaths to as long as they are comfortable? Thanks for your page, btw
Hi Helen,
Using a longer exhale than inhale (eg in 4, hold 2, out 6) activates the parasympathetic nervous system (calms the sympathetic nervous system) which can bring our body into a better state of relaxation and balance. So absolutely I recommend exploring the length of breath. Creating a good rhythm of breath during these exercise is a further tool to encourage self regulation so I suggest that whatever breathing pattern you choose to work with, maintain it during the sessions
Thought that was a gifted insightful explanation. Kinda just what I was looking for. And want to say THANK YOU
I am teaching a group of friends chikung. They are all perimenopausal and I read that lower dantien breathing was very beneficial. Your article was really clear and well written. Thank you so much.
Is the lower dantien the same as the sacral chakra?
Meditation or more accurately contemplation
I think the article is well written,easy to read,and accurate from your point of view, a traditional one. Thank you for sharing your expertise without remuneration.
I hope you found it useful!
I have been experiencing some tightness and loss of energy for some time. I wonder if this is because my lower dantain needed some clearing. this is a most interesting revelation!!
I’m sure that bringing some warmth and awareness to the area would benefit you, has anything shifted for you?
thank you for the clear explanation of dantien . i’ve only just heard about it this morning reading a Reiki article. i did my full reiki courses and surprisingly never heard of Dantien and now i want to explore more .
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for your contribution.
There is a lot of common ground with Reiki and Chinese Medicine and you will find added depth to your knowledge in exploring the Dantian. Are there any particular correspondences or conflicts that have stood out to you in this discovery path so far?
How do I uplift the vertex to foster spirit
Hello Ronald,
Thank you for your question.
I am uncertain exactly what you mean by uplift the vertex?
In the exercise suggested it helps to ground you in your body which has the effect of bringing your Shen (consciousness) into your body This helps with bodily awareness, which is essential to having a healthy Shen (spirit).
I encourage you to read more about the Shen (spirit/consciousness)
I would like to clarify, is it necessary to squeeze/clench the perineum while inhaling during the lower dantian breathing exercises?
Hello Gunawan,
Thank you for your question.
Clenching the perineum, which is the location of the emergence of our extraordinary channels of the Conception, Governing and Chong Mai, can help to provide a secure base to breath into. This also helps in drawing your attention (Shen) to the lower dantian to draw the Qi of your breath deeper.
I wouldn’t say that it is necessary as in essential, but it can most certainly help.
give this a try right hand to third eye left hand to navel allow to flow in blis
Great place