BREATHING
By Josephine Holistic
Health Consultant©2014
"You can live two months without food and two weeks without water but you can live only a few minutes without air" ~ Master Hung Yi-hsiang
Breathing is based on the balance of Yin and Yang and the harmony of the Three Treasures.
Just as correct diet enhances the body's store of nutritional essence, so correct breathing enhances the body's supply of vital energy. Since breath and energy form a bridge between body and mind, breathing may be controlled either mentally or physically and is the only vital function that straddles the border of voluntary and involuntary control. Left unattended, breathing occurs as spontaneously and naturally as heartbeat; when controlled by mind, breathing becomes as deliberate as walking and can be made to regulate all other functions.
There are actually hundreds of benefits to deep breathing. Here are some of the main ones:
Breathing is based on the balance of Yin and Yang and the harmony of the Three Treasures.
Just as correct diet enhances the body's store of nutritional essence, so correct breathing enhances the body's supply of vital energy. Since breath and energy form a bridge between body and mind, breathing may be controlled either mentally or physically and is the only vital function that straddles the border of voluntary and involuntary control. Left unattended, breathing occurs as spontaneously and naturally as heartbeat; when controlled by mind, breathing becomes as deliberate as walking and can be made to regulate all other functions.
There are actually hundreds of benefits to deep breathing. Here are some of the main ones:
Benefits of Deep Breathing
1. Deep massage of all the organs of the body.
2. Greatly increased oxygenation and circulation of the blood.
3. Relaxation of the sympathetic nervous system, which is partly controlled automatically but also able to be controlled through the breath.
4. Movement of energy through the body.
5. Centering and grounding.
6. A positive and delightful way to tune in.
7. Expand lung capacity and will often clear mucus and other nasal and bronchial obstructions.
8. Warms the body in a gentle, safe way.
9. Releases tension all over the body, particularly in the spine, and abdomen.
10. Reduces the buildup of carbon dioxide in the body and helps eliminate other toxins as well.
11. It helps alkalinize the body in a powerful way.
12. Helps to decongest all the internal organs and move the blood through them more vigorously.
13. Can assist posture.
14. Increased oxygen often helps clear the mind and allows better thinking.
15. By relaxing the body, deep breathing can help one fall asleep faster at night if you do it just at bedtime or a short time before.
16. Often it is very helpful for enhancing digestion of food and elimination of wastes and to help end constipation.
17. Often helps clear infections, asthma, colds.
18. Helps with blood pressure.
19. hormone secretion and many other illness conditions.
Owing to its pivotal role between body and mind, breathing comprises one of the most important element not only in Taoist health but as well as on the Nutritional Balancing Program. Cultivating breath control is an effective means of promoting health and prolonging life.
2. Greatly increased oxygenation and circulation of the blood.
3. Relaxation of the sympathetic nervous system, which is partly controlled automatically but also able to be controlled through the breath.
4. Movement of energy through the body.
5. Centering and grounding.
6. A positive and delightful way to tune in.
7. Expand lung capacity and will often clear mucus and other nasal and bronchial obstructions.
8. Warms the body in a gentle, safe way.
9. Releases tension all over the body, particularly in the spine, and abdomen.
10. Reduces the buildup of carbon dioxide in the body and helps eliminate other toxins as well.
11. It helps alkalinize the body in a powerful way.
12. Helps to decongest all the internal organs and move the blood through them more vigorously.
13. Can assist posture.
14. Increased oxygen often helps clear the mind and allows better thinking.
15. By relaxing the body, deep breathing can help one fall asleep faster at night if you do it just at bedtime or a short time before.
16. Often it is very helpful for enhancing digestion of food and elimination of wastes and to help end constipation.
17. Often helps clear infections, asthma, colds.
18. Helps with blood pressure.
19. hormone secretion and many other illness conditions.
Owing to its pivotal role between body and mind, breathing comprises one of the most important element not only in Taoist health but as well as on the Nutritional Balancing Program. Cultivating breath control is an effective means of promoting health and prolonging life.
How to Breathe Properly
Breathing Exercise
The key to proper breathing is to breathe deeply, mainly, including breathing into your abdomen as well as your chest. Most people breathe in a shallow way, only filling the chest.
Before using the methods below, change your manner of dressing so that you can move your chest and belly freely. Do not be embarrassed if you move your stomach in out with each breath. Realize that deep breathing will not give you a large belly. The following are ways to breathe deeply and correctly.
The three-part breath consists of:
1. Breathe into your abdomen. As you do this, your abdomen should move outward.
2. Then breathe into your mid-chest. As you do this, your ribs should move outward to the sides, making your chest area wider.
3. Finally, breathe into your upper chest. As you do this, the upper chest area should rise a little bit, all the way up to the collarbones.
When you exhale, you may do it in the same order, beginning with pushing your abdomen inward, followed by making your chest more narrow, and finally by releasing the air in your upper chest so the chest falls a little.
Learn to do this to the count of 10 or 12. Keep doing it until you develop a slow, deep, gentle routine. Practice every day while you lie in bed, or are sitting quietly, or even walking slowly on a quiet street. Over time, it will become your new habit, and a very healthful one.
TOE BREATHING
This is an extension of the above exercise, and much more powerful. To do this properly, first focus your attention on your toes or beneath the feet. You must keep your attention here and nowhere else all during this type of breathing, which can be done all day long.
As you inhale, imagine pulling air into yourself, upwards from the floor. Let it fill your legs, and then fill up your entire body. As you inhale from the toes or bottom of the feet, separate and open each part of the body such as the toes, the feet, the ankles, each vertebrae in the back, the hip joints, the ribs, and so on.
As you inhale in the chest area, move the shoulders downward and move the chest downward and inward. The same applies to the back, sort of flattening them. This is helpful.
Now, as you exhale, push the air down the body, from the head into the chest, into the abdomen, and finally down the legs and back into the toes. Keep doing this until you establish a gentle, deep rhythmic breathing pattern. This breath can also be done as you count up to 8 or 12, for example. You can practice both while lying in bed, sitting comfortably or while walking slowly. Practice this every day until it becomes your normal way of breathing.
This exercise move energy through and down the body in a special way. For more on this, read Downward Energy And Healing.
Before using the methods below, change your manner of dressing so that you can move your chest and belly freely. Do not be embarrassed if you move your stomach in out with each breath. Realize that deep breathing will not give you a large belly. The following are ways to breathe deeply and correctly.
The three-part breath consists of:
1. Breathe into your abdomen. As you do this, your abdomen should move outward.
2. Then breathe into your mid-chest. As you do this, your ribs should move outward to the sides, making your chest area wider.
3. Finally, breathe into your upper chest. As you do this, the upper chest area should rise a little bit, all the way up to the collarbones.
When you exhale, you may do it in the same order, beginning with pushing your abdomen inward, followed by making your chest more narrow, and finally by releasing the air in your upper chest so the chest falls a little.
Learn to do this to the count of 10 or 12. Keep doing it until you develop a slow, deep, gentle routine. Practice every day while you lie in bed, or are sitting quietly, or even walking slowly on a quiet street. Over time, it will become your new habit, and a very healthful one.
TOE BREATHING
This is an extension of the above exercise, and much more powerful. To do this properly, first focus your attention on your toes or beneath the feet. You must keep your attention here and nowhere else all during this type of breathing, which can be done all day long.
As you inhale, imagine pulling air into yourself, upwards from the floor. Let it fill your legs, and then fill up your entire body. As you inhale from the toes or bottom of the feet, separate and open each part of the body such as the toes, the feet, the ankles, each vertebrae in the back, the hip joints, the ribs, and so on.
As you inhale in the chest area, move the shoulders downward and move the chest downward and inward. The same applies to the back, sort of flattening them. This is helpful.
Now, as you exhale, push the air down the body, from the head into the chest, into the abdomen, and finally down the legs and back into the toes. Keep doing this until you establish a gentle, deep rhythmic breathing pattern. This breath can also be done as you count up to 8 or 12, for example. You can practice both while lying in bed, sitting comfortably or while walking slowly. Practice this every day until it becomes your normal way of breathing.
This exercise move energy through and down the body in a special way. For more on this, read Downward Energy And Healing.
Common Causes for Shallow Breathing
1. Nervousness, stress, or mental or physical tension in the body.
2. Lack of exercise.
3. Bad posture.
4. Rarely, deformity of the chest cavity due to asthma, birth defects or other causes.
5. Lung and/or bronchial infections.
6. Simple fatigue, in some cases.
7. Wearing tight clothing or a tight belt. Suspenders are superior to belts for this reason.
Other causes that occur mainly in women. For these reasons, shallow breathing is found more commonly in women:
1. Wearing very tight blouses, tight corsets or bras, tight slacks or tight dresses that do not permit proper movement of the chest.
2. Hiding the breasts, usually when the breasts are large. Breathing deeply and filling the chest with air tends to expose the breasts more.
3. Wearing high-heeled shoes. This can alter posture and makes deep breathing less comfortable in some cases.
4. Not wanting to move the belly in and out for fear of the belly sticking out.
Remember that you already know how to breathe naturally, because you beautifully did so as a child and somehow life got hectic and you forgot to breathe. Include deep breathing in your daily life and see how better you will feel and more grounded you will be.
2. Lack of exercise.
3. Bad posture.
4. Rarely, deformity of the chest cavity due to asthma, birth defects or other causes.
5. Lung and/or bronchial infections.
6. Simple fatigue, in some cases.
7. Wearing tight clothing or a tight belt. Suspenders are superior to belts for this reason.
Other causes that occur mainly in women. For these reasons, shallow breathing is found more commonly in women:
1. Wearing very tight blouses, tight corsets or bras, tight slacks or tight dresses that do not permit proper movement of the chest.
2. Hiding the breasts, usually when the breasts are large. Breathing deeply and filling the chest with air tends to expose the breasts more.
3. Wearing high-heeled shoes. This can alter posture and makes deep breathing less comfortable in some cases.
4. Not wanting to move the belly in and out for fear of the belly sticking out.
Remember that you already know how to breathe naturally, because you beautifully did so as a child and somehow life got hectic and you forgot to breathe. Include deep breathing in your daily life and see how better you will feel and more grounded you will be.
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