The Fourth Secret of Qigong… Breath
Breathing is one of those normal, everyday activities most of us take for granted, which is odd considering how important it is.
If anyone doubts how important breathing is, note this fact: a person can live for weeks without food, days without water, but only minutes without breathing.
And in qigong practice, breathing is crucial. It’s so crucial in fact, that it’s the fourth of the 4 “secrets” of qigong.
How You Breathe Changes Everything
In qigong, the most important part of breathing is remembering to use your diaphragm. In case you’re unfamiliar with it, your diaphragm is a large, somewhat bell-shaped muscle inside your abdomen. When it contracts, it moves downward, increasing the oxygen coming into your lungs.
For reference, here’s an illustration showing where your diaphragm is located:
Although it doesn’t show in this simple drawing, the ends of this muscle attach all the way down to your pelvic bones at the waist. The arrows show the direction it moves as you inhale.
Why This Matters
If you watch how an infant breathes, you’ll notice their chest doesn’t expand and contract so much as their belly moves in and out. This is because it’s a natural instinct to breathe using the diaphragm. This type of breathing increases your ability to relax and focus. It also takes pressure from your heart, while gently massaging the organs in your abdomen.
In addition, it activates the energy point below the navel called qi hai, which means “Sea of Vitality.”
The classical Taoist (Daoist) text, the Tao Te Ching (dao te jing) says this about breathing:
“An infant can cry all day without becoming hoarse. This is the hallmark of harmonious living.”
This is a reference to the fact that abdominal breathing also keeps us more grounded and centered as we move through our day as well as giving us tireless energy.
The beauty of practicing this type of breathing while doing your qigong exercises is that over time it will become second nature to you. It’s like you ‘remember’ what it was like to breath like you did as an infant.
One More Secret…
Although my teacher emphasized that there were 4 secrets to mastering qigong, over the years I’ve felt the need to add a fifth secret based on my experiences with how qigong affects the mind and body. For now, let’s call it the “Fifth Secret.” I’ll be sharing that one in my next post…
Be well,
Dr. Bruce
