Writing, glossary
What is internal alchemy (neidan)?內丹
What Taoist internal alchemy is, in brief.
Draft, under review by Nathan. The wording may change.
One of a few longer entries. The full glossary has the rest of the terms.
Internal alchemy, neidan 內丹, literally “internal cinnabar.” It takes the language of the old laboratory alchemy (furnace, cauldron, fire, elixir) and turns it inward. The body is the furnace. The substances refined are our own jing, qi and shen.
What the practice is
It is done seated and still, but it is active work. We regulate the body, the breath and attention, and follow a definite sequence: refining jing into qi, qi into shen, and shen back to emptiness. Each stage has its own methods and its own signs.
That sequence is what separates it from meditation in general. Stillness is the ground, not the goal.
Where it comes from
Internal alchemy is a core practice of Quanzhen Taoism. The Dragon Gate (Longmen) lineage is a branch of Quanzhen. What I teach comes from that lineage, as passed on by Wang Liping. The curriculum sets out his system.
Where to begin
The free Start Here course, or Volume One of the books.