Neidan

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Neidan
Seal script for nèidān 内丹
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	內丹
Simplified Chinese	内丹
Literal meaning	inside cinnabar
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin nèidān Bopomofo ㄋㄟˋㄉㄢ Gwoyeu Romatzyh neydan Wade–Giles nei-tan IPA neitan Yue: Cantonese Jyutping noi6daan6 Southern Min Hokkien POJ lǎitan Middle Chinese Middle Chinese nuʌiHtɑn Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) nˤ[u]p-s/tˤan
Korean name
Hangul	내단
Hanja	内丹
Transcriptions Revised Romanization naedan McCune–Reischauer naedan
Japanese name
Kanji	内丹
Hiragana	ないたん
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn naitan

Neidan, or internal alchemy (traditional Chinese: 內丹術; simplified Chinese: 內丹术; pinyin: nèidān shù), is an array of esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices that Taoist initiates use to prolong life and create an immortal spiritual body that would survive after death.^[1] Also known as Jindan (金丹 "golden elixir"), inner alchemy combines theories derived from external alchemy (waidan 外丹), correlative cosmology (including the Five Phases), the emblems of the Yijing, and medical theory, with techniques of Taoist meditation, daoyin gymnastics, and sexual hygiene.^[2]

In neidan, the human body becomes a cauldron (or "ding") in which the Three Treasures of Jing ("Essence"), Qi ("Breath") and Shen ("Spirit") are cultivated for the purpose of improving physical, emotional and mental health, and ultimately returning to the primordial unity of the Tao, i.e., attaining Taoist Immortality. It is believed the Xiuzhen Tu is such a cultivation map. In China, it is an important form of practice for most schools of Taoism.