| "I don't have the time to exercise!" | | | | martial arts shifu, Qigong master, Yoga guru or |
| "I am busy! How can I spend 10 or 15 minutes to just sit | | | | meditation masters. From my experience in energy |
| there, closing my eyes and meditate?" | | | | healing - my master emphasizes on abdominal |
| "I don't have the room to do this!" | | | | breathing during healing session and energy meditation! |
| "I can't stretch like that!" | | | | Unfortunately, some people took abdominal breathing |
| "At that specific time, I'm not available!" | | | | lightly. Sad to say, some don't even bother to learn and |
| Do all the above sound familiar to most people who | | | | practice. Understandably, they have been breathing |
| want to stay healthier but could not do so due to a | | | | using the chest over the past... what, 10 years, 20 |
| number of reasons? The list can go on endless... | | | | years 30 years? It has become their habit. So, if you |
| "How nice if I can get to do something easily - at | | | | want to change your breathing pattern overnight and |
| anytime and anywhere, and stay healthy!" | | | | make it a habit, you need to put in the effort to do so. |
| Yes - now you can! | | | | This comes to the second reason as to why people |
| Huh? How? | | | | do not breathe correctly despite of knowing the |
| By just changing the way you breathe, that's all! | | | | technique. |
| "Kidding me???" | | | | First of all, I came to know that most instructor tell their |
| No, I'm serious! | | | | students about abdominal breathing. Some showed |
| Most of us, in fact 98% of North Americans do not | | | | them how to do it. But the students have to |
| breathe correctly. Friends, co-workers, students, clients | | | | consciously doing it, and in the same time focus on the |
| and vendors I came to know around me do not | | | | movements, motions, postures, steps etc and etc and |
| breathe correctly. Some of my friends I keep contact | | | | soon before that, their forgot about their abdominal |
| with through the Internet know how to breathe | | | | breathing! |
| correctly but do not do so. | | | | Most of them focus on the form, not on the essence! I |
| There are two reasons why they do not do so. First, | | | | have a Tai Chi friend from New Zealand who shared |
| they do not know the correct breathing methods. | | | | with me that his friends do Tai Chi, but do not feel Tai |
| Secondly, they know but do not know how to learn | | | | Chi. Breathing forms the essential parts of the practice |
| and practice so that it becomes a habit. I would like to | | | | and for you to understand and 'feel' the flow of Tai |
| share in this article on how to solve these two reasons | | | | Chi. |
| so that you too can breathe your way to healthier life | | | | Secondly, I came to know friends who tried to practice |
| and well-being, easily at anytime and anywhere. | | | | abdominal breathing, and they got confused and |
| First of all, let me explain what are not the correct | | | | breathless - don't know which is which: the chest or |
| breathing methods then only move on to the correct | | | | the abdomen! They gave up instantly. |
| method. Most people breathe using the chest or the | | | | Thirdly, I myself took almost 2 years of conscious and |
| upper diaphragm. Worst still if they breathe through the | | | | constant practice to make it a habit! Now, I'm doing it |
| mouth. Breathing in this way will result in shorter, | | | | unconsciously - as a habit! Thus, to consciously doing it |
| shallower and coarser breath. | | | | is easy. To make it a habit takes time and effort. |
| Shorter, shallower and coarser breath does not allow | | | | That's why most give up after that! |
| the air to go in deep enough to oxidize the cells in the | | | | So, how to make it a habit? |
| lungs. This of course results in lesser oxygen intake | | | | Based on Tai Chi Chuan's healing and breathing |
| into the blood systems. Breathing through the mouth | | | | system, plus my 23 years of experience in various |
| will let unwanted elements in the air to go into our | | | | meditation forms, martial arts and Tai Chi Chuan, I |
| blood systems. Mouth breathing is one of the reasons | | | | derived a 5-Step Systems which I call as Tai Chi |
| that cause you to snore in your sleep. | | | | Breathing to help my friends to 'habitualize' abdominal |
| Even if you are tired or gasping for air after strenuous | | | | breathing. The 5-Steps are: |
| sports or activities, try to breathe through the nose, | | | | - Step 1: Connect the channels with the tongue |
| except when you are swimming. | | | | touching the upper palate. |
| The correct breathing pattern is long, deep and in | | | | - Step 2: Abdominal breathing by using the lower |
| smaller flows. Long breath allows more time for the | | | | abdomen. |
| lung cells to be oxidize and send more oxygen into the | | | | - Step 3: Use the nose to breathe, with the mouth |
| blood system. This increase the metabolism rate, and | | | | tightly closed |
| increase blood circulation throughout your mind and | | | | - Step 4: Breathe deeply, with long, slow and with tiny |
| body. | | | | flows of inhaling and exhaling. |
| I believe most of you know what deep breathing is | | | | - Step 5: Maintain the slow and constant breathing |
| about, and I'm sure some of you have done this. Felt | | | | rhythm. |
| better each time you did deep breathing? Of course, | | | | These 5 steps each consists its background and |
| you did. I will explain this from the Chinese point of | | | | reasons, and I designed many exercises and practices |
| view why deep breathing is good. | | | | for each of the steps specifically for you to master |
| In meditation practice, martial arts or qigong practice, | | | | each of the steps, towards making it your breathing |
| one of the requirements to make these practices | | | | habit. |
| effective is to "Sink the Qi into the Dantian". Qi here | | | | These steps look easy, but they require exercises and |
| means vital energy, and in the same time - air. Dantian | | | | constant practice in order to make it a habit. I have |
| is the acupuncture point (acu-point) at 1-2 inches below | | | | friends e-mailing to me saying that how these steps |
| the navel which gathers the vital energy Qi for our | | | | helped them to keep focus and conscious effort to |
| body. | | | | make abdominal breathing a habit in their life. One of |
| Sinking the Qi into the Dantian - can be achieved | | | | them told me that he stopped smoking because of |
| through long and deep breathing. With more vital | | | | this! |
| energy coming into your body, your energy level will | | | | Where can you get these exercises and practices. Go |
| increase, and you will have a healthier and clearer | | | | to my website under my name or author profile to find |
| energy body. | | | | out more. |
| Breathing should be done in smaller flows. This will | | | | Till then, I wish you with great health, great joy and |
| result in a calm and relaxed disposition and composure. | | | | happiness. And may you breathe your way to a better |
| How to achieve all this? | | | | life! |
| The secret to long and deep breathing, with smaller | | | | May the Energy of Tai Chi be with you! :) |
| flows is to breath with your abdomen or lower | | | | ***** Copyright (C), 2005 C. Guan Soo ***** |
| diaphragm. This is called Abdominal Breathing. | | | | You are free to distribute or publish this article provided |
| Abdominal Breathing is the key areas taught by most | | | | you do not change any of the content, and/or delete |
| instructors, whether they are Tai Chi Chuan instructors, | | | | my name and URL from the article. Thank you! |