Beyond the 7 Chakras: Activating the 3 Dantian Energy Centers for Inner Alchemy

It’s time to get familiar with your 3 divine energetic storehouses – your 3 dantian energy centers. If you don’t know what a dantain is, check out this post where I deep dive into the lower dantian, or the most commonly referred to energy storehouse. The lower dantian is the original source of energy in the body. Working with your lower dantian allows you to cultivate the energy to continue working with your upper 2 dantians.

The lower dantain is the foundation from which energy work stems, and understanding these energies illuminates your awareness of your ability to influence your own energy, vitality, and power.

So let’s start with a brief overview of the 3 dantians so you can get a better picture of what we’re working with.

The 3 Dantians

You have 3 dantian energy reservoirs in your body. Each dantian is associated with a type of energy in the body.

The Lower Dantian

• Location: The lower dantian is located about 2-3 finger-widths below the navel.
• Energy Signature: Jing – vital essence, seed.
• Function: The lower dantian is the original source of energy. It is the center of gravity in the body, both bio energetically and biomechanically. It is also the center of instinct and intuition.

The Middle Dantian

• Location: The middle dantian is located in the heart center area in the center of the body at that height.
• Energy Signature: Qi – vitality, subtle breath
• Function: Associated with respiration and the health of the inner organs, physically manifesting as proper circulation of oxygen and blood, helping to oxygenate and detoxify the body. In Daoist inner alchemy, it is referred to as the area where qi is refined to shen energy. It is also the center of emotion.

The Upper Dantian

• Location: – The upper dantian is located in the forehead area and the middle of the head at that height.
• Energy Signature: Shen – spirit, soul, mind, supernatural being
• Function: Energy of mind and spirit. Energy of intention, and mental abilities. This datian is also referred to as the third eye, which provides wisdom and clarity. It is also known as the area that transmutes shen energy into “wu wei”, the energy of spontaneity, emptiness, or pure potentiality.

The 3 Treasures (San Bao)

In traditional Chinese medicine, the 3 dantians are referred to as the 3 Treasures or San Bao. Note, the concept of the 3 Treasures varies across spiritual practices such as Buddhism, Taoism, Jainism, Traditional Chinese Medicine and more.

In this article, we are referring to the 3 Treasures as understood in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In TCM, the 3 treasures are the 3 essential energies sustaining human life. They are Jing, Qi and Shen.

• Shen – Spirit, soul, mind, supernatural being. Has a fiery quality and associated with consciousness. Stored in the upper dantain.
• Qi – Vitality, subtle breath. It is both matter and energy and keeps them together. Has a neutral quality and associated with feeling “alive”. Stored in the middle dantain.
• Jing – Vital essence, seed. Has an earthy quality and associated with sexual energy. Stored in the lower dantian.

BONUS: There is another energy that emanates from Source

• Wu Wei or Wuji – Primordial universe energy. It is infinite, limitless and ultimate. It has an emptiness or nothingness quality and infinite potential.

The 3 Dantains and the Practice of Energy work

Your 3 dantians are essential for various practices such as Qi Gong, dance, martial arts, and healing arts.

San Bao (3 Treasures) in Neidan (Daoist Alchemy)

In Neidan (Daoist inner alchemy), the 3 dantians are known as the 3 Treasures. They are cultivated to improve physical, emotional and mental health, and increase vitality and longevity. And in some cases to achieve immortality itself.

There are many practices in Neidan, but the simple, natural process of inner transmutation of energy is

Wuji (from source) > transmutes into Shen in the upper dantian >
Shen flows down to the middle dantian and transmutes into Qi>
Qi flows down to the lower dantian and transmutes into Jing.

Traning in Neidan allows one to transmute up from the lower dantain. Jing > Qi > Shen – or from lower to higher energies – in addition to the natural downward flow from higher to lower energies.

How Do The 3 Dantaians Comparare to the 7 Chakras?

The study of the chakras comes from the Ancient Hindu science of life, Ayurveda. Buddhists also follow the chakra system. Both Hindu and Buddhist sacred texts refer to the 3 dantains as the Granthi.

“The Granthi are 3 energetic or psychic knots that need to be untied, unwound and unbound before awakening can occur.”

– Darren Orr

The chakras and dantians are individual systems within the energetic matrix of the body.

Both the chakras and the dantians emanate from the TaiJi pole, or the core energetic structure in the body.

“To use a metaphor, the chakras are like geysers that connect the external Earth to the internal, the dantiens are the deep internal reservoirs or aquifers and the Tai ji pole is the emanating source.”

– Darren Orr

The chakras, dantians, and general energetic matrix are designed to work harmoniously – interwoven, interdependent and complementary.

How Do The 3 Dantians Comparare to the Body Meridians?

The body’s energy flows through specific channels that have been studied and recorded in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The meridians function like rivers of energy while the dantians are the reservoirs of energy.

Activating the 3 Dantians

There are many practices to activate the 3 dantians and they are include various techniques of breathing, intention, movement and posture. The correct posture involves forming a straight line from the upper, middle and lower dantians. Remember: energy follows intention.

Dantian Breathing Exercise

This is a fundamental dantain breathing practice used to cultivate energy into your dantians.

1. You can start seated or standing. Keep your back straight and imagine a straight line coming down from your upper dantian to your middle dantian, all the way down to your lower dantian.
2. Place your hands on your lower abdomen where your lower dantian is located.
3. Breathe in and imagine drawing pure, bright, clean energy into your lower dantian. Feel your lower belly expand.
4. Breathe out and imagine sending the energy out into the universe, but keep some of the energy that you have drawn circling in your lower dantain.
5. Repeat at least 3 times for your lower dantain.
6. Repeat this process for your middle dantian at least 3 times and for your upper dantian at least 3 times.
7. Notice the energy cultivating and circulating in each dantian and the energetic flow connecting the three and flowing throughout your body.

Transmuting Energy from Your Lower Dantian to the Middle and Upper

When your working with your dantian energy, start with your lower dantian and once it is full of energy, you can direct the overflow of this energy upwards towards your middle dantian.

Breathe from your middle dantain and imagine both reservoirs of energy, connected and filling up with energy. Then you can continue to direct the energy upward into your upper daintain. Imagine it filling up with energy

Just learning about your dantians, their funcion and their potential is empowering. I invite you to incorporate them into your spiritual practice or your can take it one step further by continuing to study Neidan (Taoist Alchemy).

Would love to hear about your experience with the dantain energy centers.

Here’s to your energy, vitality and your immortality.

Resources:

https://taiji-forum.com/glossary/dantian/
https://www.calmwithyoga.com/how-to-increase-inner-calm-and-digestive-intelligence-by-activating-your-lower-dantian/
https://www.risingmoontaichi.net/the-dantians
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Treasures_(Taoism)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Treasures
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Treasures_(traditional_Chinese_medicine)
https://taichibasics.com/three-dantians/
https://www.taoistsanctuary.org/three-dantian-meditation
http://www.skeegoedhart.com/the-three-dantians
https://www.amcollege.edu/blog/five-vital-substances-in-tcm
https://taiji-forum.com/glossary/san-bao/
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http://www.mindbodyspiritodyssey.com/2013/03/the-3-dantiens-and-chakra-system.html
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