Jing Qi Shen Applications Across Lineages and Schools
Daoist inner alchemy and qigong. Neidan structures practice as a tight sequence: first conserve and consolidate jing, then refine qi, then store/collect shen. The initial stage (foundation building) curbs sexual and other leakages to preserve kidney essence and, through breath regulation and intent resting at the lower dantian, sinks and stores vitality so acquired jing transforms into true qi. The middle stage uses small-circulation (microcosmic orbit) and daoyin to accumulate qi, open channels, and refine qi into shen—full qi rises to nourish brain-spirit (hence metaphors like “returning jing to supplement the brain”). The advanced aim is refining shen to return to the Void, where deep stillness condenses awareness and unites with Dao. Many lineages train the microcosmic orbit—intending qi to circulate along Ren and Du—linking the three dantian (lower stores jing, middle refines qi, upper gathers shen) toward “three flowers gather at the crown; five qi return to the origin.” Throughout, yi is critical—classics urge “preserving and guarding the One.” Qigong includes still methods (sitting, inner guarding) and moving sets like Five-Animal Frolics, Baduanjin, Six-Syllable Formula, marrying breath and intent for motion within stillness; when intent moves, qi follows. Still work especially emphasizes “intent at the lower dantian”: eyes lightly closed, attention resting below the navel, breath fine and long, gradually entering quiet so qi sinks to dantian and original vitality returns to root.
Internal skill in traditional martial arts. Internal schools (Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Baguazhang) embody training of yi, qi, jing (shen). In Taijiquan, “use intent, not brute force.” “Let the heart move qi, making it sink; let qi move the body, making it smooth”—mind guides qi, qi carries the body. Practice harmonizes shen–yi–qi–xing: spirit as commander, intent linked to qi, body relaxed. The art is “calm mind, relaxed body”: quiet mind concentrates intent; whole-body release lets qi sink to the dantian, generating internal power (jin)—“where intent arrives, qi arrives; where qi arrives, power arrives.” Standing post and slow forms ask one to observe sinking–opening throughout; many feel a mild warmth where attention rests—taken as qi activation. Xingyiquan (form-mind boxing) reveals its doctrine in its name: “use intent to lead power,” with the three internal unions: heart with intent, intent with qi, qi with force, unifying will, internal energy, and outward strength. Training emphasizes San-ti standing and dantian intent to cultivate internal power, then “one thought activates, a single integrated force issues.” Shaolin blends movement and stillness: alongside hard external work are inner traditions like Yijinjing (Sinew-Changing) and Xisui-jing (Marrow-Washing)—with breath regulation and intent guiding qi-blood through the sinews to strengthen them; lore about reversing essence to nourish the brain reflects refining jing→qi and qi→shen. Wudang arts, steeped in Daoist theory, privilege intent both for combat and health—“govern the opponent with intent; urge force with qi.” Masters warn: “If you train forms but not inner work, you end empty at old age”—that inner work is precisely the training of yi and qi. In short: yi is the commander, qi the engine, jing the root; long-term practice that leads with intent, stores with qi, and consolidates jing produces both martial efficiency and a vibrant jing–qi–shen.
Terminological emphases and lineage differences. In practice, “Yi–Qi–Jing” often foregrounds psychological/intent training—using attention to mobilize energy and thereby fortify essence—whereas “Jing–Qi–Shen” stresses whole-system balance, cultivating jing (material base), qi (functional energy), and shen (spiritual quality) together. They are complementary, not opposed: both concern accumulation and transformation. Meditation-heavy lines favor the “three treasures” sequence; combat/qigong systems often stress “using intent to harness qi.” This maps to still vs. moving work: stillness preserves and nourishes (consolidate jing, raise shen); movement regulates and circulates (lead qi through the form, refining jing into qi to strengthen power). Wudang fuses daoyin with neidan; Quanzhen often “cultivates nature (shen) before life (jing-qi)”; Chan marries meditation and skill—Chan and martial as one—lifting spirit while strengthening the body.
Methods and Stages of Practice: A Practical View of Yi, Qi, Jing, and Shen
Traditional training features the Three Regulations (body, breath, mind) and graded stages.
Regulating the body (posture & structure). Whether sitting or standing/moving, first align and relax. For sitting: “seven alignments”—neck lifted, back extended; shoulders sunk, elbows dropped; chest hollowed, abdomen full; stable cross-legged base—promotes free channels and smooth breathing. Standing postures require relaxed whole-body alignment, “upright central axis, suspended crown, sinking tail,” helping qi sink to the dantian: relaxed shoulder girdle and natural diaphragm motion allow deep abdominal breathing so true qi stores below rather than stagnating in the chest. Proper structure reduces wasteful muscular demand and eases entry into inner refinement.
Regulating the breath (respiration & qi dynamics). Breath bridges jing and shen; regulating it trains qi. Classical work favors abdominal and sometimes reverse abdominal breathing (abdomen expands on inhalation, contracts on exhalation) to mobilize the diaphragm, massage viscera, and improve circulation. Some methods use pauses or insist on fine, long, even breathing. The Six-Syllable Formula vents and tonifies zang qi; daoyin often prescribes “inhale through nose, exhale through mouth—slow, deep, gentle,” paired with movement to guide qi. In microcosmic orbit practice, breath and intent pair: inhale while imagining qi rising up the Du channel; exhale while it descends along Ren—continuous exchange that circulates qi. As depth increases, rate drops and breath becomes subtle—seen as “breath returning to the root.” Advanced work may add “swallowing saliva/fluids” with breath to nourish essence and link inside/out.
Regulating the mind (intent & spirit). Higher stages revolve around yi and shen. One must enter stillness—abandoning distractions to rest attention lightly yet steadily. “In tranquility and emptiness, true qi follows; when spirit is guarded within, whence can illness arise?” Techniques include intent-resting (yi-shou) and guided imagery. Yi-shou selects an inner point (lower dantian, mingmen, baihui, etc.) and rests attention there—neither straining nor lax. The most common is lower-dantian intent; practiced over time, it returns original qi to the root, harmonizes heart and kidneys, and consolidates vitality. Experiments report local skin temperature rises and microcirculation improves at the attended site—mirroring “where intent arrives, qi arrives; where qi arrives, blood circulates.” Guided imagery shapes energy balance (cool imagery to vent excess heat; warm imagery to assist deficiency). Many add autosuggestion (quiet phrases of ease/relaxation). Long-term work enhances attentional control, memory, and emotional stability, reflecting the classics’ “from deep stillness, wisdom arises; gather spirit to nourish nature.”
Stagewise progression. Training is not instantaneous but phased: begin with nourishing and storing jing (sleep, diet, stopping leakages), then refining jing→qi to fill the dantian, then refining qi→shen, seen as robust vigor—jing full, qi ample, shen flourishing—and finally refining shen→the Void (deep nondual absorption). While ancient goals speak of transcendence, modern aims can follow the same logic: first the body (store jing), then the breath/channels (circulate qi), then the mind (stabilize shen). Many curricula therefore specify beginner (relaxation & foundation), intermediate (microcosmic orbit & internal strengthening), and advanced (insight & great circulation) stages. Patience and correct method—long accumulation, sudden transformation—remain the watchwords.