Taoism is sometimes termed a religion, but it's actually a philosophical way of living. Part of Taoist practices include breathing exercises, many of which focus on raising energy. These exercises collectively are called Qigong, which is the practice of moving chi, or life, energy throughout the body. Breathing exercises should never be forced, as tension inhibits chi flow.
Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing
Deep breathing with your diaphragm is accomplished in four stages. There are the inhalation, retention, exhalation and pause. To perform deep diaphragmatic, sit up straight in a comfortable cross-legged position or in a chair. Breathe in through your nose and draw the air into your stomach. Allow air to fill your lower lungs and then your chest, which will cause your lungs to expand. Then, drop the air into your stomach.
Your stomach will expand gently if your diaphragm is moving down as it should during this exercise. This is the first stage. Stage two is simply holding your breath for three to 10 seconds. Next, breathe out through your nose or mouth by first pulling your stomach in to force the air out from there and then expelling the air from your lungs. Pause for a moment and relax your stomach.
Applying the Three Locks
Once you are familiar with the four stages of diaphragmatic breathing, you should learn to apply what are called the "Three Locks." These are three areas of your body from which energy can escape or leak out while you are retaining your breath. They include the anal, abdominal and neck locks.
To breathe and apply the locks, first inhale into your abdomen. Then, hold your breath and apply the anal lock by squeezing your pelvic floor muscles. Do this as if trying to stop the flow of urine in the front and attempting to squeeze around your anus to prevent passing wind. Apply the abdominal lock next by slightly pulling your abs in after your stomach expands outward from the inhalation. Tuck your chin into your chest to apply the neck lock.
Reversed Breathing
Reversed breathing is a Taoist practice that stimulates chi or life energy to circulate through your body. It also increases your ability to control the muscles you use for breathing. To practice reversed breathing, sit up tall and relax.
First, inhale through your nose and tighten your abs instead of allowing your stomach to expand. Do not squeeze your abs so tightly that the diaphragm cannot drop down into your stomach. Instead, think of firming your abdominal wall. The chest expands slightly. Exhale through your nose and let your stomach expand.
The chest will lower as you exhale. Imagine that you are pulling chi into your stomach as you inhale and are locking it in by firming your stomach. Imagine also that you release and disperse the chi outwards to your limbs or around your body as you exhale.
References
- "The Tao of Detox"; Daniel Reid; 2006
- "The Way of Qigong"; Kenneth S. Cohen; 1997
