Part 1 – The Lower Tantien

The 20th century Zen master Shunryu Suzuki said:

“Buddha was not interested in metaphysical theories of existence. He was more concerned about how he himself existed in this moment. . . . How we become enlightened was his main interest. . . . In order to find out how dough became perfect bread, he made it over and over again, until he became quite successful. . . ..”

This guide is similar – more concerned with the ‘How’ than the ‘What’.

For those of you interested in a further study of Taoism, this video, these definitions and this book are both useful resources.

I speak primarily from direct experience, inspired and supported by the recordings of those sages who went before. Where I describe some phenomena or idea which I have not personally verified, I will indicate it as such.

These words are intended to codify, express and assist; therefore, take what is useful, leaving the non-resonant for another day.

The Lower Tantien

“All right action arises from the Lower Tantien”

-Unknown

The Lower Tantien (known in the Zen tradition as the hara; in yoga as the sacral chakra) is located roughly three finger widths below the navel, in the centre of the body. It is the core of health, strength and creative power.

I usually perceive it to be a sphere 2-5cm (1-2″) in diameter.

If I ask you to feel around for this spot, where is the one who feels located?

For most ‘western’ people, the experience is of ‘me’ – the one who directs feeling, action and consciousness – residing behind the eyes, at the front of the brain.

I would suggest that a major benefit of exploring the Lower Tantien is the projection of consciousness – of mind, of feeling – into areas of the body which rarely receive illumination.

“Building a bridge” (as the poet William Stafford has called it) from the ‘I’ in the head to the rest of the body – in particular, the heart and Lower Tantien – is, to my perception, of fundamental importance.

In 2016, it is the ground of my self-love.

For me, feeling is pretty close to loving. How can I love fully without fully feeling – and feeling with – the body?

From the Tao Te Ching:

“Who values the body even more than the empire,

Can be trusted with the empire.

Who loves the body even more than the empire,

Can be a custodian of the empire”

 

For where does intuition arise if not in the body? With what do I love? How else can I feel bliss – or for that matter, grief, shame and despair, if not in and with the body?

Without an attuned and integrated physiology, such emotional energies are likely to remain conceptual and unmetabolized.

This takes us to a crucial ‘purpose’ of the Lower Tantien – grounding. To feel downwards, to live as the earth, is to be available for pleasure. To feel upwards towards ‘heaven’ can unlock perception of higher dimensions and the invisible world.

Many eastern spiritual practices adopted by western seekers drive energy upwards – despite the average westerner being more mental/cognition oriented than body/feeling. Taoists would not consider beginning work on the higher bodies or psychic and karmic levels of existence without first establishing health and grounding!

This is a crucial point and one I see being gradually addressed in the tools and culture offered young seekers across europe, North America and Australia – grounding before elevation, or at the very least, in tandem with.

When people (particularly those with more air or water in their natural constitution) work with the higher before stabilizing the lower, the result can often be absent-gazed, ‘spaced-out’ seekers, spouting talk of love and bliss but deeply unbalanced and shadowy in large swathes of life, such as health, sexuality or money.

When the great indian mystic Osho perceived such behaviour among his ashram residents, he gave them a choice: 3 months of daily tai chi practice, or leave!

The body’s internal circuitry (in particular the nervous system; but extending to all other anatomical and energetic channels) can be understood as an adaptable electrical conductor. Too little charge, and potential is wasted. Too much, and the system is damaged.

In human terms: too little charge manifests as sluggishness and lethargy. Too much equals nervous burnout and anxiety. Both can lead to ill health.

When conducted intelligently, gently and with correct guidance, Lower Tantien oriented practices (such as Qi Gong, Tai Chi, strength-training and physical labour) can gradually increase the amount of charge the body’s internal circuitry can handle. In our human, this means increased energy, vitality and creative power – while staying grounded in the real.

Many people choose to stop here; for example, the vast majority of people who begin practicing Tai Chi in China do so for health reasons. Yet this grounding and integrated enlargement of internal power capacity also provides a solid foundation for exploring the higher realms of meditation, essence and the universal intelligence without sacrificing happiness and health in daily life.

In Yogic science, all 72,000 of the body’s nadis (energy channels) emanate from the sacral/navel point. Certainly, something happens when I allow myself to be moved from there – that is, I delegate control of my body and initiation of movement to that point. Once it happens, you’ll know – the sense of the body being moved from and by this core, with the mind a simple witness, is quite unmistakeable.

 I would say that moving like this – from what Alexander Lowen calls “self-possession” – is in fact the origin of grace, of beautiful, iridescent movement arising from the unique composition of this moment. Thus, true grace cannot be learned or aped, only allowed to radiate from the Lower Tantien, from a full inhabitation of one’s body and an intelligence far beyond mental puppetry.

To develop greater awareness of the Lower Tantien, I suggest three introductory avenues:

Breathwork

Use breathing techniques which centre upon your core/Lower Tantien. This could be pranayama, vipassana or any system which works for you. I like Taoist Longevity Breathing.

Dissolving
Learn the Taoist Dissolving style of meditation/energy release. For me, this practice has reaped have major benefits in physical, emotional and spiritual vitality. You might find some good information online; I learned from Bruce Frantzis’ book Opening the Energy Gates.

Movement
Move from your centre. If you find that difficult at first, begin by moving not from you centre; ie from the left side only, from the head or left arm. Let yourself be led by the non-centre, then try to move/be moved from the centre!

I like to practice this during tai chi, dance, walking and animal locomotion (eg moving like a lizard or ape).

 

This concludes the Human Nourishment Guide to the Lower Tantien. Chapters on the Middle (Heart) and Upper (Brain Centre) will soon follow – though feel free to explore them in whichever order you desire through other resources and your own play/practice.

And I do urge you to get practicing, feeling, exploring and developing this point – its gifts will spill out into all areas of life (at least, they do in mine!).

As the Zen adage goes:  Painted cakes do not satisfy hunger

Happy Grounding!