breathing
Breathing is of course fundamental to life. We all breath, or we
quickly die. However very few people breath optimally. Breathing
generates Qi. It brings us into a harmonious relationship with
the energies of heaven and earth. It is incredibly important for
one’s health, on every level, that the breath be trained. In
Daoism, it is emphasized that one should breathe with the whole
body. It is often said that in proper breathing, one breathes
through their feet. This whole body breathing is called Natural
Breathing, and this is, like the superior herbs, another of the
primary tools for attaining radiant health.
Natural breathing fully utilizes the diaphragm. With a little
practice, diaphragmatic natural breathing becomes quite
spontaneous. When one observes a cat or dog at rest, it is
possible to notice the ease of their breathing and how it is
accomplished by the easy use of the diaphragm and abdominal
muscles, not the strained use of the upper chest muscles. This
is natural breathing.
In Chinese philosophy, breathing is controlled by the lungs. In
turn, the lungs control Qi. By increasing and decreasing the
rate and depth of respiration, one can control one’s energy.
If the Lungs are weak, breathing is shallow, constricted or
otherwise weak and deficient. If the Lungs are strong and vital,
breathing is long, quiet and deep, and the body fills with
energy. The development of respiratory power and control is
fundamental to radiant health. Regardless of the amount or
quality of the food we consume, it will not energize the body if
breathing is insufficient, just as a candle will not burn if
there is no air available. Oriental masters insist that all
sickness is connected in one way or another to insufficient
breathing.
Through breathing we can master the emotions
There is a deep connection between breathing and one's emotional
state. The masters of every tradition in the Orient have always
taught that through breath control we can master our emotions,
the mastery of which is basic to our health and happiness.
However, if we have not developed the power to control our
breathing, we will remain at the mercy of our lower selves.
When we are under stress or when immediate problems arise, our
emotions instantly influence how we breathe. For example,
· When we are angry, our breathing becomes rough.
· When we are worried or depressed, our breathing becomes
shallow.
· When we are fearful, our breath becomes frozen.
· When we are in disagreement, we take short breaths.
· When we are frightened or surprised the power of the breath
goes into our inhalation.
Indeed, the emotions and breathing are one. The art of
maintaining one's composure under stress, then, is accomplished
through the practice of controlled deep breathing. Even when we
become overwhelmed by anger or fear, or become depressed and
sad, if the breathing is kept calm and long, then even the most
powerful emotion will quickly subside.
It is for this reason that the meditative and yogic techniques
of the East all train the student of life the art of deep
breathing. By practicing proper breathing, habits are formed
which will be retained in emergencies, the emotions can be
controlled and the higher self, Shen, will be in charge. All
forms of Zen breathing, Daoist breathing, etc. are methods of
training the breath so that the practicer can maintain their
tranquillity even under great adversity, as well as through the
routine difficulties of daily life.
By training our breathing we can master our inner organs
By training our breathing, we not only learn to control our
emotions, but it is also possible to control the inner organs.
It is not possible to consciously control our inner organs
because they are not under the control of the conscious part of
our nervous system. However, nature has provided a loophole for
Man that has directly led to his elevation out of the realm of
the lower animals and into the elevated being which we call
human. The loophole is based on the nature of the human nervous
system.
The nervous system can be divided into two subsystems: the
conscious nerves and the unconscious nerves. The conscious
nerves are those that allow us to do things consciously, such as
sitting, talking, drawing, typing, hitting a baseball, etc.
These functions are controlled primarily in the central nervous
system. However, there are many functions that take place
without conscious intervention, such as the beating of our
heart, digestion, intestinal peristalsis, immune system
activities, blood production and purification, hormonal
activities, etc. This automatic activity is controlled by the
autonomic nervous system . The autonomic nervous system is in
charge of the functions of all of the internal organs, and is
also in charge of integrating their many functions. The main
control center of the autonomic nervous system is in the
mid-brain. In the midbrain, all of the functions of the internal
organs are integrated. If any of the internal organs are in
trouble or mis-function, all of the other internal organs will
try to compensate in their own particular way. On the other
hand, if any of the internal organs finds itself in particularly
good shape, this will benefit the entire internal organ system.
Like all of the internal organs, the lungs are primarily
controlled by the autonomic nervous system. We breathe
automatically, without thinking, twenty four hours a day.
However, the lungs differ from all of the other internal organs
in that a human being has the capacity to consciously regulate
breathing, making it faster or slower, deeper or more shallow,
or even suspending breathing altogether for a short while. Only
the lungs are under both autonomic and, at will, conscious
control. The lungs therefore are the great link in a human being
between the unconscious functioning of the organs and conscious
control. And since the lungs are linked to each of the other
internal organs by the autonomic nervous system, each of the
other internal organs can be controlled through conscious
breathing. This is the great secret of the yogic masters of the
East.
Daoist Yoga, for example is a system in which a student learns
many different specific breathing techniques so that any
specific organ or function can be vitalized, harmonized and
benefited. Ron Teeguarden’s teacher, Daoist Master Sung Jin
Park, used to do a demonstration of how breathing could
influence another organ system. He would have us take his blood
pressure. By concentration and by breathing as though he were
angry, he could raise his blood pressure very significantly
within just a few moments. Then by calming his breath, he would
just as easily and quickly lower it to a level even below the
baseline at which he started. Yogic mastery of the organs is all
done through willful control of the breath. It would be
sufficient if the average person simply realized that by
breathing deeply and calmly, many of their vital functions would
be much improved.
The Lungs control the diaphragm
The diaphragm is a muscle that separates the chest cavity from
the abdominal cavity. It lies directly below the lungs and heart
and just above the liver, stomach, pancreas, spleen and
transverse colon. Many people consider the heart to be the
primary "pump" of the body, but in reality the
diaphragm is the great pump of the body since through its action
the organs and rhythmically are physically pumped twenty-four
hours a day.
As the diaphragm moves up and down, the lungs inhale and exhale
bringing oxygen and other gases and molecules into the lungs and
eliminating gaseous by-products of the respiratory process and a
significant amount of water and dissolved materials. But what is
often not noticed about the action of the diaphragm is that its
movement has a tremendous influence on the circulation and other
functions of all of the organs of the body.
Deep breathing in which the diaphragm is free and active,
results in a continuous pumping of all of the abdominal and
pelvic organs. This action is essential to maintain free
movement of blood and to prevent Qi stasis or blood stasis,
which are the causes of most disorders and diseases in the human
body. Poor breathing, in which the diaphragm is not allowed to
move freely, invariably results in both Qi and blood stasis.
Constipation, for example is attributed to many causes. But the
most prominent cause, in reality, is the end result of stress
which causes a person to hold their diaphragm tight. The
rhythmic undulations of the diaphragm continually massage the
large intestine, as do the abdominal muscles which move
automatically when the diaphragm moves. This constant pushing
and pulling, squeezing and expanding greatly aids the
eliminative process and takes a great deal of burden off of the
colon musculature itself. If the colon is forced to do all of
the moving of material through its canal, it will eventually
fatigue and the colon will become chronically or acutely
sluggish. This can only be rectified by increasing the Qi of the
large intestine, which in reality can only be accomplished by
motivating and relaxing the diaphragm so that its movement is
strengthened.
The same is true of the liver, which relies upon the diaphragm
for its pumping action. Blood circulation is not sufficient over
a lifetime to keep the liver clean. The gentle, continuous
massaging of the liver by the diaphragm is necessary for the
liver to remain open. Toxicity of the liver is caused by
stagnation of blood in the liver, which can be freed by deep
diaphragmatic breathing along with proper work directly upon the
liver itself.
The spleen, pancreas, kidneys, uterus and other organs of the
abdominal and pelvic cavities likewise rely upon diaphragmatic
breathing to continue functioning smoothly over a long period of
time. After an emergency, it natural to breath deeply, not just
to bring in more oxygen and rid the body of carbon dioxide, but
to pump all of the organs to help cleanse them and to bring new
blood, rich in appropriate nutrients and energy sources to them.
Therefore, it is essential that a practitioner of the Oriental
healing arts recognizes the fact that diaphragmatic breathing is
an absolutely integral driving force for all the functions of
the body, and not just an isolated function of gaseous exchange.
Diaphragmatic breathing is a function that directly influences
every function in the body at every moment of our lives by
simple virtue of rhythmic movement.
The Lungs and the Heart are intimately connected.
There is a great concept in the Oriental healing arts that
"Qi leads blood." This means that wherever Qi flows in
the body, blood will soon follow. This is very important to
healing. If through visualization, yoga, breathing, exercise or
acupressure, or by the use of herbs, we can direct the Qi to a
blocked or otherwise imbalanced area of the body, blood
circulation to that area will soon follow. The blood contains
nutrients and oxygen which can heal or improve the condition of
the area. Habitual deep breathing, acupressure and exercise will
assure excellent circulation which will benefit the health if
the blood is strong and healthy as a result of a clean, healthy
diet and the intake of herbal tonics.
Furthermore, the heart is said to be the seat of Shen and if
breathing can control the emotions, this allows Shen to reign.
When Shen reigns, the heart will be healthy, nervous anxiety
will not be a problem and the practicer will experience life to
the fullest. On a more purely physiological level, the lungs and
heart are often deficient together so that a person may
experience dyspnoea (difficult breathing) and heart palpitations
upon slight exertion. This is the basis of the modern
cardio-respiratory therapy and aerobic training.
The Lungs are the Seat of Wisdom
Wisdom is said to derive from the Lungs. Cosmologically the
Lungs are associated with the Metal element. The Metal element
is associated with the ability to let go of the old while
learning the lessons, or, in other words, extracting the essence
contained within experiences. Throughout life we are required to
face a never-ending set of circumstances from which we can learn
the lessons of life. But many people become stuck in the emotion
of the actual experience and instead of learning the lessons,
become locked in the past. As emotions become habitual, they
begin to rule our lives and Shen loses its power. In effect, we
become addicted to certain emotional responses and respond
throughout our lives like a broken record.
Deep breathing is the tool of the masters for letting go of old
attachments and old emotions, and for extracting the wisdom
hidden within the experiences of life. In learning these
lessons, we grow and evolve. Eventually, those who have learned
the art of letting go and extracting the wisdom hidden within
each experience will become profoundly wise. Thus the Lungs are
said to be the seat of wisdom.
The Lungs control the skin
The skin has important respiratory functions in humans, just as
it does in other animals. If there is an abundance of free
flowing Qi, the skin opens and closes appropriately to adapt to
changes in the weather.
Cosmetically, our breathing has a profound influence over the
skin. Any skin disorder, including blemishes and dry skin are
aided by improving breathing and balancing the Lung function.
Lung tonic herbs are beneficial to the skin.
The Lungs and skin have a thermoregulatory function.
The skin is responsible in a human being for approximately 87%
of all heat irradiation, while the lungs are responsible for
about 7-8% through expired air. The rest of the bodily heat loss
takes place via the urine. This role of the skin and lungs is
fundamental to general adaptability to atmospheric changes and
can be important when treating febrile diseases.
The Lungs produce the defensive energy, Wei Qi
The defensive energy, or Wei Qi, produced by the Lungs is of
critical importance to one's health. This energy is Yang because
it circulates at the surface of the body and supplies the skin
with the energy to defend the body against climatic and
pathogenic forces that otherwise could penetrate the body and
cause damage to the internal organs. Thus the Lungs play a major
role in the defense energy of the system. Chinese tonic herbs
which are said to be Lung tonics play a major role in tonifying
this Wei Qi.
The Lungs affect the upper respiratory tract and voice.
The functioning of the nose and sinuses is an important
reflection of the health of the Lungs and directly affect our
breathing. In turn, they are affected by our breathing. If the
Lung energy is flowing freely through the nose, the sinuses are
clear, the nose is open, and the sense of smell is acute. Also,
our immune system will be stronger and it is less likely that we
will catch colds or influenza, or be affected by allergens in
the air.
The voice reflects the state of the Lung energy. If the Lung
energy is full and vital, the voice will be likewise strong,
full and clear. If the Lung energy is full, the speech will be
easy and will not tire easily. If, on the other hand, the voice
is weak and lacks any force, it is likely that the Lung energy
is deficient. This can be radically improved, often quite
quickly, by consuming herbs that tonify the Lungs, and thus
improve our breathing. By combining these tonic herbs with
regular breathing exercises using full body natural breathing
(breathing from the heals), one can vastly improve the condition
of the upper respiratory tract and free up the voice.
Breathing and Spiritual Development
Breathing techniques such as those used by Daoists when they
perform Qi Gung exercises and meditate, will have a direct
influence on one’s spiritual development.
Breath is a manifestation of the spirit (Shen), and the spirit (Shen)
in a living being is a manifestation of breathing.
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