Common signs of Dan Tian development in Nei Gong as the outer shell of the Dan Tian is formed and Yang Qi begins to move into this region of the body. Note that these signs are quite different from some of the markers in Nei Dan, alchemical training.
Heat
The first sign of any energetic change within your abdominal space is likely to be an increase in the temperature of the abdominal region. This will initially be on the surface of the skin as there is increased blood flow but then, later, there will be a feeling of a warm area building inside of the abdominal cavity. This is due to more energy moving toward the abdomen where is meets a kind of resistance much like an excess of energy moving into an electrical device. Your body is largely a big conductor of energy and it is designed to naturally conduct a certain amount. If this amount is increased then the resulting ‘burn off’ of extra energy due to the resistance it meets gives the sensation of warmth or heat. This is why Qi Gong and Nei Gong schools always talked of heat or ‘fire’ in the region of the abdomen being a sign of Qi building. Curiously, what often happens is that the body adapts and becomes more conductive; this reduces the localized resistance and so the heat will often then fade. Students often then panic and think that they have lost all of their accumulated Qi but, in actual fact, it is a positive sign as the body is adapting well. Then, with continued practice, the amount of energy increases and so the warmth returns. In this way, you get peaks and troughs of warmth.
Bubbling
It is not uncommon for people to experience a kind of bubbling taking place within the abdominal region or sometimes lower towards the perineum region. The bubbling is quite clear and feels like there is thick liquid within the abdominal region that is bubbling as though somebody is blowing air into the liquid through a straw. Some people have described it as if there is warm soup that is cooking and bubbling with the abdomen. Funnily enough, this isn’t actually a sign that is either required or directly connected to Dan Tian practice in Nei Gong but I have included it here as it common for people to experience it anyway. It takes place as a result of the Jing (lead) starting to move into the abdominal region as a by-product of the Jing being strong and the Kidneys healthy. It is a sign more closely associated with Nei Dan but, as I said, some people with strong essence are likely to have this experience anyway.
The Sphere
The Dan Tian field, as stated above, is a kind of organizing and storing structure that we consolidate over time. As the field builds it guides the Yang Qi into it and then, as there is a greater power differential built over time, the Yang Qi is gradually pushed into the center of the field. This is especially common during practice but often changes as we go about our daily lives as the lack of focus on the Dan Tian at this time enables the Yang Qi to circulate within the Yin field instead.
The Dan Tian field is still not ‘full’ here as there is space between Yin and Yang. This is the space where the Yang Qi will ‘escape’ and circulate between practice sessions which is why the change in sensation. When compressed, it will feel as if there is a warm and somewhat solid ball about the size of a ping-pong ball sat within the lower abdomen. It can often feel quite pressurized though it is rarely uncomfortable.
The Tens Machine Effect
This is often one of the most surprising effects for new students to Nei Gong. Those who are not used to the process of building the Dan Tian can often be caught off-guard by this particular stage of practice. What takes place here, is that the field becomes so strong, and the electrical energy of Yang Qi so abundant, that the body actually starts to react as if it is receiving multiple small shocks from a tens machine. So, just how a tens machine will give a charge into the muscles of the body that causes them to contract against your will, so will the Yin field do the same to your abdominal cavity.
Heat
The first sign of any energetic change within your abdominal space is likely to be an increase in the temperature of the abdominal region. This will initially be on the surface of the skin as there is increased blood flow but then, later, there will be a feeling of a warm area building inside of the abdominal cavity. This is due to more energy moving toward the abdomen where is meets a kind of resistance much like an excess of energy moving into an electrical device. Your body is largely a big conductor of energy and it is designed to naturally conduct a certain amount. If this amount is increased then the resulting ‘burn off’ of extra energy due to the resistance it meets gives the sensation of warmth or heat. This is why Qi Gong and Nei Gong schools always talked of heat or ‘fire’ in the region of the abdomen being a sign of Qi building. Curiously, what often happens is that the body adapts and becomes more conductive; this reduces the localized resistance and so the heat will often then fade. Students often then panic and think that they have lost all of their accumulated Qi but, in actual fact, it is a positive sign as the body is adapting well. Then, with continued practice, the amount of energy increases and so the warmth returns. In this way, you get peaks and troughs of warmth.
Bubbling
It is not uncommon for people to experience a kind of bubbling taking place within the abdominal region or sometimes lower towards the perineum region. The bubbling is quite clear and feels like there is thick liquid within the abdominal region that is bubbling as though somebody is blowing air into the liquid through a straw. Some people have described it as if there is warm soup that is cooking and bubbling with the abdomen. Funnily enough, this isn’t actually a sign that is either required or directly connected to Dan Tian practice in Nei Gong but I have included it here as it common for people to experience it anyway. It takes place as a result of the Jing (lead) starting to move into the abdominal region as a by-product of the Jing being strong and the Kidneys healthy. It is a sign more closely associated with Nei Dan but, as I said, some people with strong essence are likely to have this experience anyway.
The Sphere
The Dan Tian field, as stated above, is a kind of organizing and storing structure that we consolidate over time. As the field builds it guides the Yang Qi into it and then, as there is a greater power differential built over time, the Yang Qi is gradually pushed into the center of the field. This is especially common during practice but often changes as we go about our daily lives as the lack of focus on the Dan Tian at this time enables the Yang Qi to circulate within the Yin field instead.
The Dan Tian field is still not ‘full’ here as there is space between Yin and Yang. This is the space where the Yang Qi will ‘escape’ and circulate between practice sessions which is why the change in sensation. When compressed, it will feel as if there is a warm and somewhat solid ball about the size of a ping-pong ball sat within the lower abdomen. It can often feel quite pressurized though it is rarely uncomfortable.
The Tens Machine Effect
This is often one of the most surprising effects for new students to Nei Gong. Those who are not used to the process of building the Dan Tian can often be caught off-guard by this particular stage of practice. What takes place here, is that the field becomes so strong, and the electrical energy of Yang Qi so abundant, that the body actually starts to react as if it is receiving multiple small shocks from a tens machine. So, just how a tens machine will give a charge into the muscles of the body that causes them to contract against your will, so will the Yin field do the same to your abdominal cavity.