II. Waking up Dantian is a shortcut.

Only after waking up Dantian can an exerciser improve from growing qi in Dantian to unify qi around the whole body, feel the broadness, depth, density, strength and speed of qi movements, feel the genuine qi traveling in the body and infiltrate all parts, better manage the energy of genuine qi, and enter the realm of modulating heart, qi and essence. In short, waking up Dantian is a basic step of Health Qigong practicing which cannot be skipped, and the shortcut to progress in Qigong skills.

1. Dantian is needed to stretch joints and show openings.

The inner power is the power pushing the qi movements which feel the genuine qi. The inner power generates from Dantian. Stretching joints and showing openings can be done by using inner strength. Its main pattern of manifestation is regular qi movements. This is the result of affluent genuine qi arriving at the proper points, making these points open by qi movements. Stretching joints and showing openings can dredge the body more. Those who cannot feel the genuine qi in Dantian are unable to create regular qi movements

Only after waking up Dantian can the process of stretching joints and showing openings be done, which is the sign of mediating Body, Breath and the Heart. In this process, all body movements are led by genuine qi in Dantian, unifying the qi movements and the body movements, and showing the unity that a slight move in one part can affect the body as a whole.

2. Dantian is needed when meditating.

The spirit can get relaxed after qi flows smoothly. The true relaxation of the body can be realized only by sending genuine qi through the skin, the muscles, the tendons and the bones. The real meditating can be done only after the body is fully relaxed. The basic condition of relaxed and calm status is a dredged body, which can be achieved through the moving of genuine qi. Genuine qi can only be produced in Dantian, like an exclusive product of a factory. This can be felt after the person receives Qigong training. Without feeling the process of genuine qi in Dantian going through the body, one can never truly relax and calm down.

Waking up Dantian is a quick way to relax. “Relaxation can be gained through Qigong training.” (quoted from Yang Bailong, Health Qigong Ba Duan Jin and the Main Ideas of Mediating Body, Breath and the Heart) Then how can it be gained through training? The method is to wake up Dantian, gather enough genuine qi, and use qi movements in Dantian to dredge the whole body. For example, if you want to do a longer meditation, you should wake up Dantian first, and then use the genuine qi in it to make your hip joint relaxed, making your meditation more effective. This method is called relaxing through inner power, that is, the expanding power of genuine qi in Dantian. This relaxing method is simple and effective. The stubborn way to stretch the body by pulling and towing takes time and effort but does not function well. Only paying attention to relaxing and meditating and ignoring the waking up of Dantian is contrary to the gradual training principle and key points of Health Qigong, causing the body sore and painful, and even making all the exerciser's previous efforts wasted.

Waking up Dantian is a quick way to meditate. After that, the mind which carries all other ideas is related to the opening and closing of the qi movements of Dantian. This is the appearance of Shen and Xi getting connected. During this process, the course of “gathering Shen into qi points” and “the return of Shen bringing back the qi together” can be felt stronger and stronger. The combination of mind and genuine qi gets tighter and tighter, all parts of the body become more and more relaxed, distracting thoughts gradually decreases, and the meditate becomes more and more profound.

3. Dantian is needed in persistent practice.

Dantian is needed in persistent practice. Persistent practice is actually training the inner power. When the exerciser feels pleasant and energetic, and finds it enjoyable after training, he gets the right method. If he is tired, the reason is that he hasn’t woken up his Dantian, thus failing to get support from the energy of genuine qi. Waking up Dantian can provide limitless energy for Qigong practice.

(By Ding Qiubo)