Can you feel your Dahn jon by Ilchi Lee

By admin | September 15, 2007

Ilchi Lee

From your first day at the Dahn Center, you probably heard the phrase on the tip of every master’s tongue: “Focus on your Dahn-jon,” delivered in different tones. Gentle and warm when you are new and cannot seem to move your intestines right away: “Can you feel your Dahn-jon?” Stern and sharp when you are caught doing Sleeping Tiger with scattered thoughts: “Dahn-jon!” Teasing and encouraging just as you leave the center: “Remember to stay in your Dahn-jon.”

The experience of feeling one’s Dahn-jon is diverse, and the first time you feel it can be very special. Michelle Vinson of the Avon Center in Avon, Conn., says of his first experience, “It was after Sleeping Tiger when I was laid out flat on the floor. There was no chatter or thoughts or distractions in my head. It was then I felt not only the beating of my heart, but a strong beat, a pulse, in my abdomen. It was my Dahn-jon beat. My Dahn-jon. I felt my Dahn-jon!” There is no “right” way to feel your Dahn-jon. However, once you are able to feel it, its effect will make clear why the Dahn-jon is emphasized in your practice.

Dahn Yoga – Ilchi Lee

Defining Dahn-jon Since “Dahn” means energy and “jon” means field, “Dahn-jon” means “field of energy.” And it is literally a field, an open area of earth where one plants crops and where wild flowers and tall grass grow. It is a field where energy is synthesized and stored.
In Dahn there are seven Dahn-jons that exist in the body on an energetic level. Located in areas where several acupressure points are in close proximity to one another, they form a cooperative system that controls bodily functions by accumulating and synthesizing energy. Yet unlike acupressure points, Dahn-jons are not specific, fixed points. The only way to discover the exact location of a Dahn-jon is to feel it directly through training. Practitioners experience their Dahn-jons differently, according to their sensitivity to energy and the degree of activation of their energy channels. Some practitioners envision the Dahn-jon as a miniature sun, some as an egg or a ball. As energy accumulates through training the conscious mind, the Dahn-jon can grow from the size of a ping-pong ball to larger than a basketball. There are three internal Dahn-jons and four external ones. The Dahn-jon in the lower abdomen, the “lower Dahn-jon,” is the one referred to most of the time with the term “Dahn-jon.” It is responsible for collecting life energy and circulating it . The Dahn-jon in the chest area is called the “middle Dahn-jon,” and the one in the head is called the “upper Dahn-jon.” The two external Dahn-jons in the center of the palms are called “Jang-shim,” and the ones on the soles of your feet are called “Yong-chon.” Activation of the Dahn-jon system allows energy to flow and improves health.

Helpful Hints

Opening Your Chest
It is not easy to feel your Dahn-jon when you first start training. Opening your energy channels and stimulating areas that are directly connected to your Dahn-jon will help. Most beginners have many blockages in the chest area. This makes it difficult for Fire energy to flow down to the abdomen, which in turn makes it difficult to feel any heat in the lower abdomen. Stimulating and clearing the middle Dahn-jon will bring your energy down.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Relax your shoulders. Curl your fingers slightly and bring them to your chest. Use your fingertips to gently tap your chest while making an “ahhh” sound. Keep going until you feel the release of tired, groggy, heavy and emotional energy from your chest. The cloudy energy from your brain and chest will flow downward to your lower Dahn-jon, allowing you to feel it better when you do clapping and intestinal exercises.

Topics: Dahn Yoga, Ilchi Lee, Yoga Practicing | 1 Comment »

One Response to “Can you feel your Dahn jon by Ilchi Lee”


  1. brightorange Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 6:34 pm

    I remember it was the COOLEST feeling when I first felt my dahn jon…it was like something had spiralled into the center of my lower abdomen and then sprang back on itself once it had reached its maximum tension point. I don’t know how to describe it any better…but the Dahn jon is definitely a cool thing. LOL

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