The Basics of Shen

Shen is the energy that is used to remember and understand the physical experiences of chi. Shen is a 'silent' energy different from chi and cannot be gathered or spent. Shen is best described as a 'field' of your awareness, compared to the experience of chakras which could be described as 'points' of energy. Shen is the ability to pay attention to both the physical sensations in your body and the story your mind is telling that allows for a deeper understanding and use of shen energy. The more shen is used, the more heat one's internal awareness will generate, allowing for more flexibility and plasticity in changing their internal universe.

Shen represents the Need of Consciousness – to Become.

Now that we have an essential experience of chi, we can move into the 'shen' layer of energy.

Take a moment to review what you recorded from the chi exercise, specifically any memories or daydreams that came up for you. If you can recall that memory now; settle into it like you would a dream. This memory is your unconscious mind, telling you the story of when it observed your energy changing.

This act of remembering through feeling is accomplished through shen energy. It is a 'silent' energy that is completely different in sensation from chi. You can neither spend nor gather more shen, but the more that shen is used, the hotter your internal awareness will feel. Allowing these daydreams to 'heat up' your inner universe creates a kind of flexibility, a plasticity, that we will use to change the constellations of our horizons.

The key to understanding shen is that energy comes from your ability to pay attention to two things simultaneously: the story your mind is telling you and the physical sensations in your body as the story progresses. You may find that your body is holding the energy in many different configurations, and the story is the map to how, when, and why that configuration changes.