Pleasant stomach burning?

[papasaturn]

Months ago I had a great Zhan Zhuang session where I feel like I unblocked something deep in my lower stomach. At first it felt like it was deflating then it felt like burning warmth deeper than I’ve ever felt (like where one might feel hunger when fasting for a day or two). I remember being quite warm afterwards despite the weather being cooler as well as a deep connection to my past (had many insights into my early upbringing/traumas etc.) I was also crazy hungry that night.

I haven’t been able to reproduce that experience but sometimes I’ll randomly feel that burning in my stomach again when I am very relaxed lying down when (I assume) some kind of stagnation is being removed (food, emotions, etc). There is always the theme of burning/warmth and a deep hollowness. Like a spiritual fire burning through something.

 

Could someone help me understand what’s happening here from a qigong perspective?

[Blissdao9]

On 3/20/2023 at 12:33 AM, papasaturn said:

Months ago I had a great Zhan Zhuang session where I feel like I unblocked something deep in my lower stomach. At first it felt like it was deflating then it felt like burning warmth deeper than I’ve ever felt (like where one might feel hunger when fasting for a day or two). I remember being quite warm afterwards despite the weather being cooler as well as a deep connection to my past (had many insights into my early upbringing/traumas etc.) I was also crazy hungry that night.

I haven’t been able to reproduce that experience but sometimes I’ll randomly feel that burning in my stomach again when I am very relaxed lying down when (I assume) some kind of stagnation is being removed (food, emotions, etc). There is always the theme of burning/warmth and a deep hollowness. Like a spiritual fire burning through something.

 

Could someone help me understand what’s happening here from a qigong perspective?

Emptiness or warmth in the abdominal area as a result of energy practice can be a symptom of the (partial) activation of the Dantian. When there is enough intensity or development in the energy center, it may become more active than in normal states. Hence, cultivating the Dantian is essentially increasing the energy intensity there. 

After the energy in the Dantian rises above its normal intensity, the potential energy capacity has essentially risen, thereby improving vital functions such as digestion. Also, as the capacity increases, there will be more "space" to fill with energy, which creates an "empty" feeling. It will naturally seek more energy, like a pothole on a rainy day, so energies will gather there creating a warm feeling.