The Tao of Natural Breathing (20 page)

The six sounds are related to the major organ systems of the body, and their associated energy channels. The first sound, “ssssss,” the sound of hissing, acts on the lungs and colon, and is related to the nose. The sound is said to be useful for physical problems such as colds, coughs, and congestion and for emotional problems such as grief and sadness. The second sound, “whooo,” the sound you make when you blow out a candle, acts on the kidneys and bladder, and is associated with the ears. This sound is said to be useful for increasing your overall vital energy, and for problems such as cold feet, dizziness, and lack of sexual energy, as well as for emotional problems such as fear. The third sound, “shhhh,” the sound that you use when you want someone to be quiet, acts on the liver and gall bladder, and is associated with the eyes. This sound is said to be useful for eye problems, anorexia, and vertigo, and for helping to transform the emotions of anger and jealousy. The fourth sound, “haaa,” acts on the heart and small intestine, and is associated with the tongue. It is said to be useful for heart disease, insomnia, ulcerations of the tongue, and night sweats, and for transforming emotions such as hatred, arrogance, and impatience. The fifth sound, “whoo” (guttural, in the back of the throat), acts on the spleen and stomach and is associated with the mouth. It is said to be useful for digestive problems, mouth ulcerations, muscle atrophy, and menstrual disorders, and for transforming worry and anxiety. The last sound, “heee” (hissed through the teeth), acts on the triple warmer (the three breathing spaces). It is used to help harmonize the overall energy flow of the body, and is said to be effective for sore throats, abdominal distention, and insomnia.

PRACTICE

To ensure the overall health of all the organs and the harmonious movement of energy throughout the body, the six healing exhalations or sounds should be practiced daily in the order given above. Each sound should each be done at least three times. If you have a particular problem associated with a specific organ or emotion, you can spend more time with the associated sound, repeating it as many times as you like. The practice itself is extremely simple. You can undertake it in any posture. Whichever organ you are working with, sense that you are inhaling energy directly into that organ. As you exhale using the associated sound, simultaneously sense any toxins or excess heat in the organ being carried out of your body with your exhalation. In addition to exhaling audibly, you can also experiment with exhaling inaudibly, concentrating the vibration of the sound inside the organ. The sounds can be practiced safely at any time.

HEAD BREATHING

Head breathing is a little-known technique that can be used to help get rid of headaches or to clear your mind of nervous energy. This practice depends on being able to experience the upper energy centers of the microcosmic orbit—especially the mid-eyebrow point, the crown point, and the jade pillow at the base of the skull—and to sense energy moving through the pathway that connects these centers.

PRACTICE

Figure 36

Sit or stand comfortably. Bring your attention to the mid-eyebrow point. As you breathe in through your nostrils, sense your breath moving your chi from this point up through your forehead and around to the crown point at the top of your head and then down the back of the head to the jade pillow at the base of the skull. As you exhale through your nose, sense your breath moving your chi in the reverse direction—from the base of the skull over the top of the head and back to the mid-eyebrow point (
Figure 36
). Breathe in this way from three to six times, sensing that each inhalation and exhalation is helping your chi clear the pathway of any stagnation or nervous energy. If you have trouble experiencing your energy moving through this pathway, use your fingers to trace the pathway and to massage these points, and then try again. If you can work in this way without tensing the muscles of your face and head, you will soon experience definite results.

DIGESTIVE BREATHING

Digestive breathing is a simple but effective practice that can help promote digestion. It is based on using your hands to stimulate energy points related to the spleen and stomach meridians, while you simultaneously breathe deep into your belly.

PRACTICE

Figure 37

Sit on a firm chair with your spine erect, yet relaxed, and your feet flat on the floor in front of you. Place your hands on your knees with the heel of your hands above your knee caps and your fingers pointed downward (
Figure 37
). Use your fingers, especially your index finger, middle finger, and ring finger, to find three indentations in your knee where the fingers can comfortably fit. Your middle finger will be over the center of the knee cap. Now simply keep your hands there, using just a slight pressure to stimulate the meridians running through the knee area. Sense the warmth going into your knees from your hands. As you inhale, sense that you are breathing energy gently into your expanding belly. As you exhale, sense your belly naturally contracting. Do not use force. Work in this way for at least five minutes after each meal, or any time you have digestive problems.

THE TAN TIEN CLEANSING BREATH

The tan tien cleansing breath is a powerful practice for both health preservation and self-healing, as well as for increasing your inner, vital energy. Based on natural, abdominal breathing, it involves directing the breath through the nose and trachea into the lower tan tien, the area just beneath the navel, and exhaling waste products up and out through the nose or mouth while simultaneously condensing the breath energy into the cells of the lower abdomen. The tan tien cleansing breath requires a long, slow exhalation. By intentionally prolonging the exhalation, we not only promote the removal of toxins from the body, but we also help turn on the parasympathetic nervous system, thus furthering deep inner relaxation and healing.

PRACTICE

We have already learned both the theory and practice of abdominal breathing. The key to using tan tien breathing to help heal yourself is to inhale gently all the way down into the tan tien area, an inch or two below your navel. As you inhale, put your attention on the lower tan tien and sense your breath energy filling your lower abdomen. Feel how your abdomen naturally expands. As you exhale, sense any tensions and toxins going out with the breath as your abdomen naturally contracts, but do not, as Mantak Chia warns, “throw out the baby with the bath water.” Learn to be attentive to the vital warmth or vibration of the breath energy remaining in your abdomen as you exhale. Guard it with your awareness. Feel it being absorbed deep into your cells as you exhale waste products out through your nose or mouth.

Tan tien breathing is the essence of natural breathing, so be patient and gentle as you undertake this practice. The key is to work with your full attention, without any feeling of willfulness, and to sense the energy in your abdomen. If you can work in this way, the tan tien cleansing breath will quickly become a regular and natural part of your life.

BELLOWS BREATHING

Bellows breathing involves the rapid contraction and relaxation of the abdominal wall to effect exhalation and inhalation, and is a fundamental practice found not only in Taoism, but also in Hinduism, Buddhism, and many other traditions. The practice is designed primarily to help remove various toxins and waste products from the lungs and blood stream. But the practice has many other benefits as well. It helps open and clear the various air passages in the head and throat. It helps pump lymph through the lymphatic system, thus supporting the body’s ability to ward off disease. It provides a powerful internal massage of the abdominal area, stimulating the digestive system and oxygenating and energizing all the internal tissues and organs. It strengthens the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, eventually helping them to function more efficiently. And it even helps massage the brain, through respiratory waves transmitted via the circulatory system, specifically through the carotid arteries. And it does all of this without causing us to hyperventilate
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