This is what Most Westerners Miss in spiritual practice

Spirituality

Feb 22

The whole “mind-body-spirit” thing has been around awhile now. I think most of us are on board with the idea that all parts of ourselves are important to care for, and that this approach can provide a general framework:

Mind: Read interesting things, go to therapy, detox your media
Body: Move it or lose it, eat well
Spirit: Meditate, pull Tarot, practice devotion

This is an awesome starting place…

But y’all. That version of “spirit” falls wayyyy short of what our souls need.

I’ve found that by reframing this as a three-energy system—Jing, Chi, and Shen — we can access a path into deeper integration between the many realms of self, and go deeper into soulful nourishment.

We find physical wellness in our bodies, energetic flow in our vital force, psychological meaning as we navigate a world of duality, and soul-level resonance with the nondual spaciousness at the heart of all existence.

A note on terminology: In traditional Chinese medicine and Daoist practice, Jing-Chi-Shen are known as the “Three Treasures.” If you asked someone who has trained for decades in Classical Chinese Medicine to define these terms, you’d probably get quite different language than what I use here. I’m a philosopher who studies many pathways. What I share is a synthesis that attempts to honor my sources while offering my own inspirations—particularly around the nature of Shen. I’ve found this framework supports a depth of soul-level wellness that the simpler mind-body-spirit model can miss. It’s what makes sense to me, and I hope it offers you support for your own journeys.

The Corn Snake (Coluber fulvius?) published 1731-1743 Mark Catesby

Jing: The Life Force Energy In Your DNA

To nourish our Jing is to nourish our physical wellbeing. Jing is the energy that makes us who we are. In classical Chinese medicine, Jing is considered our deepest reservoir of essence—inherited from our parents and slowly depleted through life. It governs our vitality, reproductive capacity, and aging process. It is the energetic patterns and inherited vitality expressed through our DNA, and we feel its presence in our physicality and constitution.

So yes, Jing is the “body” of mind-body-spirit — but it’s more, too. Healthy Jing allows us to fully experience what we are here to experience. To enjoy the sensual pleasures of life, to have the energy we need to travel, create, love, and learn.

Chi: The Vital Energy That Animates Everything

In traditional frameworks, Chi (or Qi) is the life force that flows through the meridians of your body. It powers all movement, breath, circulation, and bodily functions. Chi is the bridge between Jing and Shen—it’s refined from your essence and in turn nourishes your consciousness.

When your Chi flows freely, you feel energized, your immune system works well, you digest food properly, and your body functions in harmony. When Chi is blocked or depleted, you experience pain, fatigue, illness, or emotional stagnation.

This is the realm of breathwork, movement practices like qigong or tai chi, and the energy body itself—your meridians, chakras, and the subtle currents that keep you alive and functioning.

Shen (or is it Chi?): The Realm of Consciousness & Soul

Here’s where things get interesting—and where even traditional practitioners disagree.

There are two fundamentally different levels of consciousness and spiritual practice, and confusing them can keep you stuck in mental loops when your soul craves something deeper.

All traditions agree on this distinction. Where they differ is in how to categorize it.

My trainings in Daoism have given me a somewhat conflicted understanding of how consciousness explorations are held within the Chi and Shen fields.

There are two fundamentally different levels of consciousness and spiritual practice, and confusing them can keep you stuck in mental loops when your soul craves something deeper.

Two Interpretations:

Interpretation 1: Mental Work (Even if Spiritually-Flavored) = Chi

In my closer mentorships, we treat active consciousness—imaginal practice, reading spiritual texts, working with archetypes and myths, shadow work—as part of the Chi field.

Why? Because these mental constructs live in the energy body. They are stories and ideas that influence the flow of our Chi for better or worse. It’s essentially dualistic in nature—there is a self and a world, even if that world is largely internalized.

In this framework, Shen is reserved for the deeper nondual awareness, spaciousness, and vastness that arises when our egoic explorations find stillness.

Interpretation 2: All Consciousness = Shen

The more common interpretation in traditional Chinese medicine is that Shen encompasses ALL consciousness—from everyday thoughts to mystical awareness, from clarity and focus to wisdom and spiritual insight, from mental/imaginal work to void states.

From this perspective, we can place our two levels of spiritual practice—active/mental and stillness/spaciousness—both within the broader realm of Shen.

Which Framework to Use?

I went back and forth with how to organize this article. In the end, I’m presenting it using the more common interpretation (both levels within Shen) so those familiar with traditional TCM will recognize the framework. But I wanted to acknowledge the alternative view, because perhaps the mind is messy enough that both systems have truth.

The important piece is that the two levels of consciousness and spiritual practice are named, understood, and tended intentionally and separately—regardless of whether you call the mental/imaginal work “Chi” or “Shen Level 1.”

For clarity in this article, I’ll refer to them as Shen Level 1 (mental/imaginal) and Shen Level 2 (nondual/spacious).

Shen Level 1: The Mind of Duality

This is where most “spiritual” practice actually happens in the West.

A lot of spiritual seekers think that guided meditations, shamanic journeys, and other imaginal practices — as well as reading spiritual texts and taking spiritual classes — are what is needed for deep spiritual work. And they are! But they’re not the whole picture.

In reality, anything involving mental imagery, myth, archetypes, and processing is firmly rooted in Shen Level 1—the realm of consciousness that still operates in duality. This is important soul-level tending — I mean, our world is dual and we need to understand what this means — but this is psychological and mythic work. It aligns with the mental/imaginal territory of the mind.

When we’re engaged with Shen Level 1 practices, there can be encounters with spirits, allies, curses, ghosts, remedies, symbols, and all sorts of wonders. All of this is valuable consciousness work—but it’s still happening in the realm of images, concepts, and the separate self.

When we end up with a spiritual practice that stays in this realm, we fall pray to a few pitfalls:

One, our spirituality becomes psychologized. Healing is the goal, so we get stuck in mental loops that perpetuate endless healing journeys.

Two, we get stuck in our identities. The more you attach to your visions, insights, and even spirit guides, the more you become attached to your identity and your story. Becoming more fixed is never good for becoming more free.

And freedom, deeper connection with the source of soul — this is what most people are actually trying to get to through all the mental “spiritual” work.

Shen Level 2: Enter The Void

The truly deep, meaningful, and expansive spiritual experiences our souls crave happen at what we’ll call Shen Level 2.

This is where we move beyond duality entirely. We enter the void. The mystery. Spaciousness. True surrender. The nondual foundation of all reality.

Shen Level 2 is about touching this nondual reality—what mystics call the numinous—and it actually lies at the heart of any true mystical tradition.

From the Eleusinian Rites, to whirling dervishes, to Bacchanalian festivals, to ayahuasca ceremonies, humans have sought to go beyond the bounds of ordinary consciousness to experience the oneness that transcends life and death. Plain old meditation can get you there, too.

In a way, Shen Level 2 is beyond language because it’s beyond what we have access to in our ordinary lives. Yet touching upon this realm, and remembering that it exists, is the foundation to spiritual soul-level wellness.

Diving Shen into two “levels” is about the most Western-consciousness, dualistic thing I could do, lol. But it’s necessary for making a really important point:

Most Western spiritual seekers never make it past Shen Level 1. We spend years in guided meditations thinking we’re doing “deep spiritual work,” when really we’re engaged in psychological processing—valuable, necessary even, but not the same as touching the void.

Without intentionally caring for both the imaginal and emptiness, full soul restoration falls short.

El Rio de Luz (The River of Light) 1877 Frederic Edwin Church

Tending the Three Fields (or four, if we’re being honest)

There are many pathways and practices to nourish each of these energy fields. So many, that you can probably see how entire industries have arisen to meet the needs of each one.

Our biohacking, peak experience, capitalist culture creates a lot of artificial obstacles to wellness in the form of solutions — this pill or peptide, this manifestation retreat, this live your best life workshop…Few actually address void consciousness. That’s less monetizable ;)

So let’s go through some basics as a starting point. You can pick and choose what works for you. Remember, all of us have our unique blueprints for this life — our own unique patterning and needs when it comes to holistic wellness.

JING CARE

I am going to quote one of my mentors, Jamie Wheal, here and recommend that you “Do the Obvious”.

This isn’t meant to be snarky — more a reminder that you really don’t need a five-hour morning routine or $500 supplement budget to take care of yourself. There are plenty of free, doable shifts that seem small but add up over time.

A few of my favorites?

Sun and moon gazing. Syncing with natural cycles and celestial rhythms does more for your health than so many of the expensive hacks out there.

Move. Walk outside when possible. Do some basic stretches. I’ve had a lot of injuries in my life, and several debilitating ones just in the past few years. I need to go slow in my body now, so I’m back to basics. Some squats, some pushups, some abs. The daily practice feels so minor, but the effects over time are significant.

Eat vibrantly. Any attempt at dietary recommendations here would be a landmine. You know what your body needs. When in doubt, listen to Michael Pollen: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Notice how all this is basically free or at least low cost? No fancy equipment needed. Just look at the sky. Get outside. Move. Eat.

You know how to take care of yourself. Don’t let some ideal from a podcast stop you from taking care of the basics. Your Jing will thank you.

CHI CARE

Chi care is all about getting energy moving and flowing freely through your system.

Breathe. When I was so burned out I could barely move, it was morning breathwork that made the biggest impact on my recovery. I did a lot of alternate nostril breathing, but start with a simple box breath and you’ll notice a difference.

Move your energy. If you have access to qigong or tai chi classes, these are specifically designed to cultivate and move Chi. But even simple stretching with attention to the flow of energy through your body works. The key is mindful movement, not just exercise. YouTube is filled with free videos if you need help getting started. (Have any favorites? Drop them in the comments so we can all benefit!)

Be in nature. Spending time outside allows you to absorb environmental Chi. Stand barefoot on the earth. Sit near water. Go forest bathing. Let the natural world replenish your energy.

Rest. Your Chi needs restoration. Quality sleep, rest, and proper digestion all support post-natal Chi—the vital energy you cultivate daily. I know getting good sleep is easier said than done for a lot of us. But a few basic sleep hygiene tweaks might make a difference: No tech an hour before sleeping. Read a real story in bed. Eat earlier if you can. Have a relaxing cup of tea in the evening. Get blackout curtains (that one does cost money, but not much and totally worth the investment!). Bonus: The sun and moon gazing help sleep cycles ;)

SHEN CARE - LEVEL 1: Tending the Mental/Imaginal Realm

Astrologically, I’m almost all air, so of course I love tending my mind and all the deep thoughts, lol. This area is probably also my realm of expertise. I’ve been guiding soulful humans through imaginal practice and spiritual explorations for decades. Here are practices that nourish Shen Level 1:

Read. Read something inspirational in the morning — spirituality or science are welcome (just hold off on politics and murder mysteries). Do this before you check your phone. Have a good book at the ready. Or draw an oracle card and read the message. The goal is to get out of your daily mental patterns and reconnect with magic and meaning at the start of your day.

Journal. I also like to commit at least 15 minutes (often more) to freewriting in my journal each morning. I keep one journal for tracking dreams, and another for brain dumping all my musings. And they are literal musings — this space is where I channel inspiration from the Muses for all my creative projects.

Engage with mythic consciousness. Hypnosis, guided meditation, shamanic journeys, traversing Jung’s imaginal territory — all of these are ways to use your mind and imagination to access spiritual wisdom and to learn about yourself. Work with archetypes, symbols, and the rich territory of the psyche.

Shadow work and therapy. Processing your psychological patterns, understanding your wounds, integrating your shadow—this is all Shen Level 1 work. Essential, transformative, and deeply valuable.

Study. Learn new things. Keep inspiration flowing. Push the boundaries of your consciousness and try on new ideas, find the philosophical underpinnings of previously unquestioned beliefs, take classes in areas of interest. Feed your mind.

Tending our Shen Level 1 involves following whispers of inspiration, trusting desires, and even exploring unconscious territory. It is an illuminating path that is key in coming into soul coherence.

SHEN CARE - LEVEL 2: Touching the Void

Your Jing, Chi, and Shen Level 1 activities will keep you full. Shen Level 2 is a return to emptiness.

All you need to do is create space for the kind of meditation that gets you here. Silent, focused zen-style meditation is great. Yoga nidra or NSDR works well for me. Accessing vast realms through the body and somatic meditation can also work when these practices dissolve the separate self rather than just relaxing it.

On occasion, working with a ritual or plant medicine to support this state can be helpful as well. Though it should be said this is not a guarantee of oneness experiences. Often plant medicines bring us to the edges of Shen Level 1 again and again until a breakthrough, or perhaps just a gift, of oneness arises.

Anointing is one of my favorite ways to support Shen Level 2 care. Actually, anointing your energy matrix with select essential oils can tend all three realms and both levels of Shen. Yet it’s especially helpful for shen: while the mind can’t force its way to spaciousness, the plants can open doors on your behalf.

The trick here is that you can’t make yourself feel spaciousness with willpower. It’s a surrendering process. It’s practicing with intention again and again, knowing that this alone is tending your spirit. Then, when Shen Level 2 happens, enjoy the gift.

All Are Needed for True Soul-Level Restoration and Coherence

If you look at the above, you’ll probably notice that most wellness and spiritual practices end up lopsided:

We might obsessively optimize our physical health (Jing) while our Chi stagnates and our Shen—both levels—remains completely untended.

We might train our bodies intensely (Jing) and even do breathwork for Chi, but never engage with the psychological/mythic territory of Shen Level 1, leaving us disconnected from meaning and archetypal wisdom.

We might spend endless hours in guided journeys and shamanic work (Shen Level 1), feeling very spiritually engaged, but never touch actual non-dual spaciousness (Shen Level 2)—and we don’t even realize there’s a difference.

We might become addicted to void states (Shen Level 2), bypassing the very human psychological work (Shen Level 1) we need to do, or ignoring our bodies (Jing) and energy (Chi) entirely.

All of these aspects must be tended together with intention. This is how our souls find true wellness in our lifetime.

When you look at these fields of energy, where do you sense you need more care? What kind of support or structural shifts might support your journey?

If you’re feeling called to this integrated approach to soul care, I have something that might interest you.

Starting in April, I’ll be taking a small cohort through a 10-month training that’s rooted in all of these areas. You will have support, community, frameworks, and structures so you can create a soul care rhythm that works for you.

Think group meditations for spaciousness. Accountability for daily wellness practices. Guided practices to explore the imaginal.

Think 10 months of soul restoration.

Also, think knowing how to share what you learn in ways that aren’t preachy, don’t overstep boundaries, and actually help others find the soul healing they crave.

Here’s a bit more about the program. Get on the waitlist if you’re interested, as I’ll be sharing some free calls and more info as April approaches.

This isn’t a big online course or program with 50+ people. This will be a small, intimate group where we can really get to know each other. And it’s spacious enough that you can be both in community and as introverted as you like. It’s a deeply personal container.

Feel free to ask questions about this between now and April – I’m happy to answer and am putting together a FAQ based on your real questions right now :)

Juniper Stokes is a botanical perfumer, soul alchemist, intuitive astrologer, and rewilding guide through mythic landscapes of the nature, spirit, and the cosmos. For over 25 years, she has been guiding soulful humans back to the heart of who they are and why they’re here.

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