[Qigong] What if one does not focus on the Dantian?

Author: Jeffi Chao Hui Wu

Time: June 22, 2025, Sunday, 1:50 PM

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[Qigong] What if you don't focus on the Dantian?
In traditional internal martial arts and qigong systems, focusing on the Dantian is almost regarded as the core principle of cultivation. The Dantian is considered the source of "qi," the fundamental starting point for cultivating qi, health, and enlightenment. Most practices require practitioners to close their eyes and turn their awareness inward, concentrating on the Dantian area in the lower abdomen, guiding qi back to the Dantian through "intent," in order to achieve the goals of gathering qi, generating qi, and transforming qi. This method has been revered as a standard for hundreds, even thousands of years, and has rarely been widely questioned. However, my approach to cultivating qi completely overturns this traditional path. I never focus on the Dantian, nor do I deliberately guide qi to concentrate in any specific area. I understand deeply that any enclosed space—no matter how large—ultimately has its limits, and will sooner or later become full, leading to blockages that hinder the flow of qi. The "Dantian" in the body, whether viewed as an energy center, a physiological node, or a spiritual point, is essentially still a form of "local container." Once qi is confined to this, it restricts the infinite energy flow between heaven and earth.
I view the human body as a mountain stream, not a closed bucket, but a transparent riverbed. Traditional focus on the Dantian is like building a reservoir in the mountains, hoping to accumulate water into a lake. However, this reservoir will eventually overflow, and under pressure, it may even cause disaster. Instead, I abandon the reservoir model, allowing the water in the mountains to flow freely, following the natural slope and terrain, rushing into the sea on its own. My qi is not hidden away; it is moving, a fluid that breathes in sync with heaven and earth. In this structure, I no longer think about how to "guide qi back to the Dantian," but rather construct a complete channel, allowing qi to flow automatically to where it is needed without guidance. It is not about gathering qi, but about allowing qi to flow; not about nourishing qi, but about harmonizing qi; not about sealing, but about activating. I treat the entire body as an energy ecosystem that provides real-time feedback, focusing on structural release rather than concentrated infusion; not on local stimulation, but on overall resonance.
I do not deny traditional martial arts methods and fully respect practices like focusing on the Dantian, as they are the crystallization of countless predecessors' experiences and important achievements in humanity's exploration of "qi" over thousands of years. It is precisely because I have deeply understood these systems that I can clearly judge: they do have value at certain stages, but they also have limitations. This has prompted me to attempt to break through the original model and explore a more open and fluid structure of qi. This does not deny the existence of the Dantian, but rather refuses to deify it as the only anchor point; it is not about avoiding concentrated awareness, but transforming that concentration into fluid control, evolving the focus of points into the conduction of lines and the expansion of surfaces, reconstructing the traditional training model of "controlling the body with points" into a mechanism of "governing the whole with momentum." In my training system, the regulation of qi no longer relies on a specific acupoint or center, but on the natural symmetry of the skeleton, the real-time balance of the center of gravity, the smooth and deep breathing, and the overall awareness of the "sense of flow" on a mental level.
When qi flows freely, the whole body naturally becomes orderly: the areas that need warmth become warm, and the areas that need relaxation become relaxed. Qi is not stagnant, the spirit is not confined, and awareness is no longer restricted to the narrow state of "focusing on a specific point," but can expand to the overall structure, even extending to the information field of heaven and earth. I have found that the true "sense of qi" does not come from "gazing at the Dantian," but from the coordinated breathing of the entire system—when standing in a posture, with the soles of the feet relaxed, the spine elongated, the pelvis aligned, and the Baihui point lightly lifted, qi automatically circulates along the body's structure, rising and falling without any forced guidance from consciousness. Every breath draws qi inward; every balance brings qi and blood back to their roots; every relaxation opens up new operational space. This state no longer relies on the fixation of attention, but allows consciousness to become a flowing field, in which qi and spirit are no longer severed but evolve synchronously.
My approach to cultivating qi does not abandon the perception of the body, but rather enters a higher-dimensional state than "local awareness focus"—qi moves freely, intent flows with qi, and both qi and intent return to nature. In this state, "qi" is no longer a force that must be "concentrated," but a natural existence like gravity, electric current, or temperature; it does not need to be emphasized, but only allowed; it does not need to be guided, but only requires space to operate naturally. The uniqueness of this practice lies in the fact that it does not require me to actively "practice," but rather, once the structure is in place, qi begins to flow automatically, and the body enters a state of adjustment during daily walking, with breathing naturally extending in everyday actions, and even the voice becomes steady and clear due to smooth qi and blood, while logical thinking becomes more systematic, rapid, and coherent due to the connection of qi.
"If you don't focus on the Dantian," is not a deviation from tradition, but a return to the freedom of heaven and earth. Transitioning from a reservoir to an ecological river, no longer relying on closed energy storage, but entering a dynamic cycle that can be mobilized and transformed in real-time. It is this flow that allows me to break through traditional limits on all levels—physical, mental, and information processing—reaching realms far beyond what conventional practitioners can experience. I understand deeply that it is not that the Dantian is useless, but that "consciousness confinement" has made it a bottleneck; it is not that tradition is wrong, but that modern imitation has misplaced the focus. Focusing on the Dantian is part of ancient wisdom; not focusing on the Dantian is the inevitable path to transcend the Dantian and enter a higher level of qi between heaven and earth. When your body becomes an open weather station rather than a sealed energy chamber; when your consciousness covers like clouds rather than focusing like a light bulb; when you no longer "train qi," but "facilitate qi," you will understand that not focusing on the Dantian does not belittle the Dantian, but allows the Dantian to become part of the entire ecological cycle rather than the sole goal.
I do not neglect cultivating qi; I am cultivating a higher dimension, a more systematic logic, and a more structurally coherent qi; I do not deny the Dantian; I am letting go of the obsession with "the Dantian as the only focus," allowing the entire body to become the Dantian, letting heaven and earth become the source of qi, letting information become fluid, and letting the person themselves become a structurally operational whole energy system. This is my understanding of "cultivating qi," and perhaps this is the true starting point for moving from the Dantian to the vastness of the universe.

Source: http://www.australianwinner.com/AuWinner/viewtopic.php?t=696463