Tai Chi and Chi Gung Breathing

"Take a deep breath" a common solution for calming down and it is good advice too because doing so not only floods the body with fresh oxygen, it also supplies it with chi. Sadly though, many people do not know how to breathe; that is, they do not know that they breathe incorrectly.

Many people who first experience tai chi, yoga or other arts that emphasize correct breathing often come away from their first class feeling great simply because they relearned to breathe.

In general, all breathing in tai chi and chi gung should be done through the nose; both inhalation and exhalation, unless using vocalizaton, using cleansing breath or another specific purpose. The reason for nostril breathing is two-fold; the nose is designed to cleanse the air of minute particles before reaching the lungs and tiny receptors that capture chi are also located in the nose.

Infant Breath

Watch an infant or even a dog breathe and you will see that their abdomen rises and falls; not their chest. The diaphragm muscle that controls breathing lies beneath the lungs and it contacts and relaxes up and down or upward towards the throat and downward towards the feet. Perhaps due to stress or laziness or both, adults tend to take very shallow breaths; robbing themselves of providing adequate oxygen and chi. This is not the case with primitive peoples of Africa, Borneo, or Australia, etc, which is why native people can be seen with what appears to be a "beer gut". In essence, their abdominal wall is both relaxed and natural (like a baby's!).

Belly Breathing

Practicing correct breathing can and should be done anywhere and at anytime. It should not be over emphasized during qigong or tai chi practice however; because chi follows the breath and placing too much attention on the abdomen can cause chi to stagnate there. Instead, practice belly breathing either as a separate exercise before qigong, while sitting idly at home or work, or before falling asleep at night. It will not take very long before breathing correctly becomes the norm and it will be done unconsciously.

Cover you lower dan tien (the energy center 2 ½ finger widths below the navel and roughly centered within the body) with both palms. Practice drawing in long, slow, deep breaths (I like to think of "thin" breaths) and consciously draw the air down to your hands, allowing your belly to rise and fall naturally.

Reverse Abdominal Breathing

Reverse breathing is an advanced breathing method created by the Taoists to increase the use and development of chi. During reverse breathing, the breath is still drawn deep into the abdomen but instead of the abdomen rising with the inhalation it contracts and expands during exhalation. When done correctly, the abdomen can be seen or felt as "rolling". Coupled with the three locks and used in conjunction with the heng hah sounds, the benefits of reverse breathing can be immense. It is advisable that belly breathing be practiced for extended periods before attempting reverse abdominal breathing.