Neidan on Clubhouse

Description

Nèidān (内丹) is usually translated as ‘internal alchemy’ and refers to the Doaist art of internal energetic cultivation.

Neidan is an advanced progressive process with diverse and intensive practices. The desired outcomes range from significantly increasing personal levels of Qi to the Daoist concept of immortality.

Neidan (pronounce: Neigh-Don) is comprised of the two characters nèi 内, meaning ‘inner’ and dān 丹, which translates as ‘cinnabar.’ The latter references a mineral substance of great cultural significance and was utilized in schools of metallurgical alchemy.

The esoteric practices of Neidan cultivation were often encoded in the language of Wàidān 外丹 (external alchemy). The usage of the character dān 丹 alludes to this process, suggesting a method of refinement through cultivation.