What's in A Name? Yin Tang
- Sifu Molly Kubinski
- Jul 14
- 3 min read
Welcome to the second in an occasional series of blog posts where we will talk about the meaning behind Chinese names of certain acupuncture points and how they are intertwined with our Qigong practice. The first in our series was all about the Bai Hui, a point which you’ve heard mentioned numerous times if you’ve ever taken one of mine or another Shaolin Wahnam course. The Bai Hui plays a central role in advanced Qigong techniques like Cosmic Shower, Bone Marrow Cleansing, and the Small and Big Universe.
Another point/area in Chinese medicine and Qigong theory also plays an important role in our training as it relates to our intuition, our ability to see ourselves with dispassion, and, as we further advance in our practice, our ability to perceive deeper into cosmic reality. This point is called Yín Táng (印堂). Located at the midpoint between both eyebrows on our forehead. Yin Tang literally translates from Chinese to English as ‘Hall of Impression’. While there are many acupuncture point names that are poetic descriptors of all of its uses and benefits, Yin Tang falls into the category of point names that paint a picture of their bodily location: as you run your finger horizontally between both eyebrows it will naturally fall into the depression at that midpoint, or the ‘impression’.
In all styles of Qigong and Qigong theory, Yin Tang represents our upper dantian, to be distinguished from our abdominal dantian, or Dantian writ large as it is the one that usually receives all the attention. If you remember from a previous post discussing this energy center, we actually have three dantians. It is our upper dantian that allows us to see inside of ourselves and begin to distinguish between the phenomenal realm, which is all of the things and people surrounding us every day, and the transcendental realm, which is the deeper reality that none of the aforementioned things actually exist and are all just energy making up the phenomena, or true enlightenment.
Yin Tang exists in Tantric tradition as well, where it is known worldwide as our Third Eye Chakra. Many of us are well familiar with the role that the third eye chakra plays in the development of higher consciousness, self-knowledge, and psychic abilities to name a few. Even in western science, we know this associated area of the brain, the pre-frontal cortex, to be the seat of higher reasoning and self-control. While I certainly can’t blame anyone for thinking any alternative practices as whacky at first blush, when so many traditions have concepts that overlap at the same place, it’s time to pay attention and let go of judgements.
Have you ever been deep in your Qigong practice only to feel a vaguely uncomfortable sensation at this point? Pulsing? Pushing? Aching? This is your Qi working on removing any blockages at this point, or ‘opening your third eye’. This is actually an excellent sign that you are practicing properly. Of course, like all sensations we may feel when practicing, it is important not to chase after it. Simply observe it and leave it be. From an extremely practical standpoint in the acupuncture clinic, I use Yin Tang all the time for headaches, nasal congestion, and allergies. It’s also a deeply calming point, which I suppose should be no shock by now.
Are you looking to learn more about how to cultivate your Qi and your energy centers so you have a wellspring of joy and vigor? Then you’re in luck because I’ve just opened up registration to Qigong for Health and Vitality, my final in-person class of the year. With so many of us looking for emotional strength and resilience this year this class provides an excellent framework to create your own Qigong practice plus material you can deepen for years. Head to the link below for more details.
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