The Hun: Spirit of the Liver
Imagination & Vision
The Hun is the spirit of the Liver. It gives rise to imagination, vision, and our capacity to dream beyond what is. The Hun helps us plan and move toward what we sense is possible. Its virtue is hope — the subtle confidence that growth and renewal are always available. When the Hun is strong, we can envision, initiate, and act with purpose, guided by a sense of becoming.
The Green Dragon
The Hun belongs to the Wood Element and is symbolized by the Green Dragon — a benevolent force of growth. The dragon pushes life upward and outward, breaking through what confines it. It embodies vitality, direction, and the courage to move toward our dreams. When the Hun flows freely, we experience both flexibility and determination — the ability to grow without rigidity or collapse.
Pushing down the dragon
When the Hun becomes disturbed, it’s often because we don’t know how to relate to our feelings. Repressing, overexpressing, or overindulging in emotion stagnates Liver Qi and clouds the Hun. It’s like trapping the dragon underground — the spirit of growth held back from its natural movement. This can lead to depression and hopelessness — a Yin imbalance — or, in the other direction, to constant irritability, anger, and too many ideas without clear direction — a Yang imbalance.
Compassion & Growth
A balanced Hun encourages us to dream, plan, and act with the intention of growing into our full potential. It moves with imagination, pulled by the colours of our dreams and guided by the rhythm of our heart. The Hun also acts as our guiding conscience, giving us the capacity to imagine what it’s like to be another — to walk in their shoes — and urging us to act from the knowing that we are all made of the same essence.
Practices to Support the Hun
Avoid alcohol and intoxicants — they cloud the Hun and blur vision (this includes cannabis)
Feel your feelings — avoiding or dramatizing emotion both stagnate Liver Qi. Let emotion move through with your breath.
Move your body — walking, stretching, and Qigong support the Liver’s free flow of Qi and help the Hun stay connected to purpose.
Enjoy natural beauty — the Hun responds to what is pleasing to the eye, especially the greens and expansiveness found in nature.
Name your dreams — write them, speak them, or bring them into creative form. Giving voice to vision roots it in the world.
Interested in learning more?
Join our Five Spirits Qigong Training
In this online immersion, we’ll take a deep dive into Elements and Spirits, exploring how to embody them through Qigong movement and meridian stretching.
This training is designed for movement teachers, bodyworkers, and dedicated practitioners ready to bring energetic wisdom into their work.
