This practice refines Shen by focusing awareness on a subtle point of light in the Upper Dantian allowing the spirit to stabilize, brighten, and return to its original clarity.
With time, this leads to:
• Clear seeing (明见 míng jiàn)
• Inner peace
• The beginning of returning to Tai Yi 太一 or even Wuji 无极.
In Daoism:
• Shen is the spiritual awareness, the divine mind, the inner brightness.
• It resides in the Upper Dantian, but becomes scattered by emotion, thought, and distraction.
• This practice gathers Shen, stabilizes it, and allows it to return to unity.
Preparation (3–5 minutes)
• Sit comfortably with your spine upright, shoulders relaxed, and eyes softly closed.
• Breathe naturally through the nose.
• Bring your awareness inside—into the body.
• Allow your breath and mind to settle like water returning to stillness.
Discovering the Light (5 -10 minutes)
“In the stillness of spirit, a single point of clarity arises.”
• After several minutes of stillness, shift your attention. Gently focus on the center of the Upper Dantian, a space in the center of the head.
• Begin to sense a tiny, subtle light at the center of the mind— like a small pearl, a silver star, or a warm firefly glow.
• Do not force it. Let the light appear, even if only as sensation, space, or clarity.
• You might sense it:
o As brightness in the dark
o As a gentle pressure or warmth
o As a silent presence
Concentrating the Shen (5–10 minutes)
“The spirit gathers like dew in the morning light.”
• Now let your breath rise into the light on each inhale.
• On each exhale, let the breath bathe the point of light, nourishing it.
With each breath, the dot of light becomes:
o Softer, rounder, and clearer
o More stable, like the moon reflected on still water
If the mind wanders, gently return to the light in the center.
Do not chase thoughts. Let them pass like clouds.
Expanding the Spirit (Optional 5–10 minutes)
“The small light becomes the Great Light.”
• Allow the dot of light to gently expand, filling the Upper Dantian, then the whole head, and even the space above you.
• The light is not blinding—it is pure, clear, calm.
• Sit in this awareness—not thinking, not striving—just being.
You may sense:
• A deep stillness or inner silence
• A subtle joy, not emotional but luminous
• A feeling of being rooted in clarity
Closing (2–3 minutes)
• Slowly let the light contract back to the original dot.
• Thank the light. Thank your Shen for returning to its home.
• Visualize the dot sealing itself, like a pearl placed gently in a box.
• Root and stabilize by gently guide all energy not needed in the head to the Lower Dantian unless menstruating or pregnant in which case root the energy into the heart center of the Middle Dantian.
• Rub your hands together and brush down the face, head, and body. Open your eyes gently.
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