This is an adaptation of the second part of Chapter 1 of The Dynamics of Standing Still. Please click here for the previous section.
Imagine an earthworm with only three compartments. Rotate the whole 90 degrees, add limbs, and voilà, the energetic functionality of a human body in a reduced form. Three fundamental cavities are separated from each other and connected by intermediate areas with a regulating sluice function. The top of the structure is formed by the fontanelle, the bottom by the perineum.
Between the chest and abdominal cavities lies the respiratory diaphragm, which ensures dynamic physical interaction between the two. The diaphragm is a closing muscle plate that is primarily responsible for breathing through rhythmic alternation of contraction and relaxation. At the same time, its constant movement provides an essential stimulus to the functioning of the abdominal organs. Two of the most important blood vessels – the aorta and vena cava – and the oesophagus pass through the diaphragm.
There is no single structure comparable to the diaphragm between the head and chest cavities. When we refer to a ‘throat diaphragm’, we are referring to the body parts related to the complexity of the swallowing function: the upper oesophageal sphincter, tongue, palate and epiglottis, as well as the jaw and jaw muscles. The body parts involved in speech also belong to this diaphragm-like structure.
Chinese medical and martial traditions recognise a functional centre in each of the three cavities, called 'dan tian', 丹田. Just below the centre of the abdominal cavity lies the 'lower dan tian', xia dan tian, 下丹田. In the centre of the chest cavity is the 'middle dan tian', zhong dan tian, 中丹田. And just above the centre of the head cavity is the 'upper dan tian', shang dan tian, 上丹田.
In most chi kung traditions, in Eastern internal martial arts, as well as in Buddhist meditation techniques, the lower dan tian plays a crucial role. Beginners are advised to anchor a large part of their attention in that area – in posture and movement, in success and failure, during training and in everyday life. Advanced practitioners are advised to return to the instructions for beginners time and again.
The pelvic diaphragm, of which the perineum is the superficial part, closes off the bottom of the abdominal cavity. The top of the cranial cavity is formed by the fontanelle, which is still open and soft in newborn babies.
The three dan tian are located on the central axis of the body. This is the imaginary line connecting the fontanel to the perineum, just in front of the spine. It connects seven points that are essential for chi kung practice. From bottom to top: the centre of the perineum, the lower dan tian, the centre of the diaphragm, the middle dan tian, the centre of the 'throat diaphragm', the upper dan tian and the centre of the fontanelle. The central axis is called chong mai in traditional Chinese medicine. We will return to this later in this chapter.
To be continued …