Yīn & Yáng, Hand Placement, and the Dāntiáns
A grounded guide from Medical Qìgōng
~ Resource Center ~
In Medical Qìgōng, the body is understood as a living balance of Yīn and Yáng. This isn’t about gender—it’s about how energy moves.
Yīn is inward, nourishing, and stabilizing.
Yáng is active, warming, and expressive.
We need both. Health comes from how well they work together.
Left and Right in the Body
Traditionally, the left side of the body is considered Yīn and the right side Yáng. This helps us understand patterns of tension, fatigue, or excess—and gives us simple ways to restore balance through practice.
Why Hand Placement Matters
One of the easiest ways to support balance is how you place your hands over the Lower Dāntián.
The Dāntián isn’t a single point—it’s an energy field. Think of it as your internal battery. Just as the heart circulates blood, the Dāntián supports how Qì is gathered and distributed through the body.
Traditional hand placement during practice:
☯ Women place the right hand (Yáng) closest to the body, with the left hand (Yīn) on top.
Drawing Yáng inward supports warmth, circulation, and containment.
This isn’t about identity—it’s about bringing the complementary energy inward so the system can settle.
Traditional hand placement during practice:
☯ Men place the left hand (Yīn) closest to the body, with the right hand (Yáng) on top.
Drawing Yīn inward supports grounding, receptivity, and regulation.
This isn’t about identity—it’s about bringing the complementary energy inward so the system can settle.
Foundation is key.
The Three Dāntiáns: Start at the Root
The word Dāntián (丹田) is both practical and symbolic.
Dān (丹) means cinnabar or red elixir, traditionally associated with refinement and inner transformation.
Tián (田) means field or cultivated land. Together, they describe a “cinnabar field”—a place within the body where Qì (氣) is cultivated over time.
Just as farmland must be prepared, planted, and tended, our practice requires consistency and care. Through posture, breath, and intention, energy gradually accumulates and strengthens within these fields, supporting the balance of Yīn and Yáng throughout the body.
In Medical Qìgōng, energy cultivation always begins from the bottom up.
The three Dāntiáns are energetic spheres with distinct roles, serving as primary focal points of cultivation within the body.
☯ The Lower Dāntián is where Jīng (精) is stored. Located within the lower abdomen—behind the navel (near the Qì Hǎi point) and in front of the lower spine—it forms your energetic foundation. It supports vitality, resilience, and nervous system regulation through your ability to cultivate and store energy.
☯ The Middle Dāntián is where Qì (氣) is refined. Located in the center of the chest, it transforms and circulates energy between the foundation below and the clarity above. This is the center where emotional and mental energy meet and influence one another.
☯ The Upper Dāntián is associated with Shén (神). Located in the center of the head and traditionally connected to the pineal region, it supports perception, clarity, and intuition—but functions best when the lower body is cultivated and stable.
Clarity and intuition grow best when the body feels supported—because when energy is built from the foundation, insight becomes calm, sustainable, and embodied.
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Continue exploring the resource center
🌱 Why Medical Qìgōng energy cultivation begin at the root—and how building energy from the ground up supports clarity, resilience, and long-term vitality. → Continue learning
🌱 Most people are surprised by how much strength and vitality they access once they know how to move their own energy → Medical Qigong
🌱 In this section, you’ll learn how intuitive cues show up in the body, why sensitive people can feel overwhelmed, and how grounding and Qì regulation help you listen without absorbing. → Intuition & Inner Clarity
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