The Yi: Spirit of the Spleen
The producer of thought…
The Yi is the spirit of the Spleen and Stomach, related to the Earth element. It lives at your center—the solar plexus, or Manipura chakra—the place of digestion and transformation.
The Yi is what thinks and shapes intention. It helps you digest and make meaning from what you take in—information, emotion, and nourishment—transforming experience into clear understanding and purposeful action.
The phoenix
The Feng Huang (Chinese phoenix) is the mythical animal associated with the Spleen. Its five virtues—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness—are written across its body and feathers. It teaches that intention is not merely conceived in the mind, but embodied through action.
Like the phoenix, the Yi leads with virtue, turning raw thoughts into refined purpose that is guided by the heart’s deeper truths.
Going around in circles
When the Yi is disturbed, the mind becomes cluttered and heavy. Instead of moving forward with clear intention, the phoenix turns in circles — the energy congeals and knots up.
You might:
• Overthink/ spiral
• Worry instead of act
• Say you’ll do something but not do it
• Lose clarity or motivation when things get hard
• Stay busy “doing,” but your actions are mechanical, repetitive, and drained of intention/meaning
Thinking isn’t bad
Thinking isn’t inherently bad. Thoughts are the scaffolding for actions aligned with the heart’s deeper truths.
When the Yi is in harmony, thought and action move together as one. There is clarity, steadiness, and the capacity to follow through on intention.
Patience, organization, and reliability arise more naturally. Effort becomes nourishing, supported by the grounded rhythm of daily tending.
Practices to Support the Yi
• Make a small, doable list and follow through one task at a time
• Take breaks from information — let your mind digest
• Cook, garden, tidy, or walk — bring thought into body
• If you’re worrying, ask what’s real and act on what you can
• Pause to take in what you’ve completed before moving onto the next thing.
The Yi strengthens through steadiness, the quiet practice of showing up again and again until something takes root.
Trust the weight of your steps.
Ready to learn more?
If you like these explorations and are looking for support in developing or continuing a qi gong practice, please check out the Nosco Learning Library.
We also dive deeper into these topics in our Five Spirits Qi Gong Practitioner Training. Our next cohort begins November 21. Spots are filling fast! Please register soon if you are serious in joining us 🙂
Yin Rising Retreat: A Women’s Health Qigong retreat in Uvita, Costa Rica, March 5–10. Registration is open!
