Literally “God”, divinity, spirit, expression, air, energy
Shén is the seat of thought and speech (both linked to the heart). “It is from the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks”.
It also relates to our spiritual awareness, and to our relationships with others. People we love are said to be “in our heart”, just as a heartache will “break our heart”.
Shén, more than spirit, is the vital force that animates body and mind. When we point to ourselves, we place our finger on our chest.
Chinese medicine has always attached great importance to the Heart’s function of housing the Shén.
According to the “Yellow Emperor’s Treatise on Internal Medicine”, one of the founding texts of TCM, the state of the Shen determines the overall state of health: “If the Shen is strong, the body will be strong; if we lose the Shen, the body will perish”.