Hara (meditation) - Definition and Overview

Tanden (Japanese; 丹田; Chinese: Dāntián), which literally means "red field", refers to the centre of gravity, located in the abdomen just below and behind the navel. This area corresponds to the Svadhisthana Chakra of Vedic Kundalini and Yoga systems.

The term is widely used in the Japanese meditation and martial arts theory. It is often used interchangeably with the Japanese word hara (肚; Chinese: Dù), which literally means simply "belly". In Chinese and Japanese tradition, the hara is considered the seat of one's spiritual energy (qi). A master of calligraphy, swordsmanship, tea ceremony, martial arts or the like is said to be "acting from the hara". Zen teachers often instruct their students to center their mind in their hara to anchor oneself, aiding the control of thoughts and emotions. Acting from the hara is related to the state of samadhi.

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