Breathing Life into the Breath

by Hoa Newens

 
Proper breathing can significantly improve physical health as well as performance in sports and martial arts. Within the martial arts that encompass spiritual paths such as Aikido and Tai Chi, breathing takes on a special role which goes beyond the health aspect and deeper into the energetic and psychic realms. In these arts, breathing is an exchange of both information and energy between an organism and its environment which allows them to communicate with, and support, each other, thrive and co-exist harmoniously. With this context in mind, we explain below the relevant principles for breathing that help us achieve this symbiotic harmony and offer a simple yet effective breath practice.
 
Principle No. 1 - The breath connects consciousness with energy, and energy with the body.
This is a fundamental principle of energy (qi) work: the intent (i.e., focused consciousness) directs the qi and the qi moves the body. There is no need to understand the concept of qi in order to apply this principle, since our daily life and vernacular are replete with reference to the connection between breath and energy. Everyone understands the meaning of “breathe new life into a project” or “she lives and breathes Aikido”.  The breath is one way for us to affect our energy, therefore, let’s take every opportunity to strengthen this connection so that we can have some degree of control over our energy. For this purpose, it is helpful to practice extending qi out on the exhale and drawing qi in on the inhale when you train in Aikido or Tai Chi.
 
This connection works in the opposite direction as well: we can use the body to effect a particular breath that in turn engages and affects consciousness. For example, when our mind is overwhelmed by stimuli, such as after a long day of meetings at work, we can practice a rhythmic movement (or just walk) slowly while keeping the breath even and smooth in order to calm the mind.
 
Similarly, in many qigong exercises, we use the breath to guide the qi flow, e.g., draw qi in as we breathe in and extend qi out as we breathe out. In Budo as well as in qigong, qi and breath are often intertwined, such as in the concept of Kokyū (呼吸, breath). In Aikido we use Kokyū to move the qi and generate power for such techniques as Kokyūnage. With regular practice over time, we will be able to drop the mediation of the breath and move the qi directly at will.
 
Principle No. 2 – The breath is delicate: we should breathe naturally and practice softly.
By natural, we mean compatible with normal daily life, as well as in accordance with the laws of Nature. The breath is our continuous partner for the duration of our human life; it should be in harmony with our activities. In other words, we need to breathe the way we want to live. If my regular job requires frequent aerobic activities, I need to be able to change breathing pace quickly. If I spend a lot of time under water, I need the ability to hold my breath for long duration. A particular body physique is compatible with a particular way of breathing; if your body can take only shallow breaths, do no force deep breath.
 
However, if we need to change the way we breathe, we’ll have to “practice” breathing, which means consciously change our breath, then it is no longer natural for the duration of the practice. The breath is a very delicate and crucial physiological function which affects body metabolism, among other things. Together with an organ known as the Triple Warmer in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the breath affects internal pressure and maintains a subtle equilibrium in the body, known as homeostasis. Therefore, any breath practice should be done gingerly.
 
The breath is second only to the mind, in terms of our ability (or difficulty) to control it and produce desired outcomes. We have to handle it as a delicate and complex being, in a gentle manner, if we are going to achieve long term benefits. If we try to take frequent deep and forceful breaths to increase lung capacity for example, we may not achieve the desired results due to the change in balance of gas composition. In this case, we may unintentionally reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the breath, which in turn results in lesser level of oxygen being released to the cells, thus garnering the opposite of what was intended.
 
Therefore, we must practice softly, cajoling the breath gently and aiming for incremental changes. In the lingo of qi gong, we must use the water method, rather than the fire method. The fire method must only be undertaken under the tutelage of an expert teacher.
 
Principle No. 3 – The entire being should be breathing, deeply and quietly.
As pointed out above, breath is a natural phenomenon of life. All sentient beings breathe to live, including the largest one in our world, our planet Earth. If as human beings, we are to live in harmony with other sentient beings, our breath must be symbiotically synchronized to that of the mother being, planet Earth.

At the individual level, the movement of the mind, heart, body, and breath should occur together in sync. With respect to the body, the act of breathing is a series of compression and expansion that are accomplished best by the synergistic coordination of body, mind, and spirit. The body should be relaxed and remain elastic to allow optimal participation by all body parts that can move. As soon as we shine our consciousness on specific parts of the body, they are energized and become alive, or they wake up if they have been dormant. Thanks to the interconnection provided by the fascial matrix, the body fluids, as well as the crisscrossing qi meridians, these awakened parts join the symphony of the breath that started in the abdomen.
 
Breathing from the abdomen is commonly known as deep breathing. However, the deep breathing that we need goes beyond the walls of the abdomen into the fascial tissues and the cellular environment. The rhythm of opening and closing should penetrate the deepest nooks and crannies of the physical body: this is how the breath frees up the tissue layers and unifies the body, keeping the whole and the parts alive and healthy.
 
In addition, the mind and the heart should be quiet so that not to interfere with the rhythm; a thought or an emotion is a wave that may disturb the rhythm of the breath unless it is intentionally synchronized with the breath to achieve a specific objective. In this regard, the best way to re-train our breath is during a meditative state, when the mental and emotional variables are under control.
 
When the breath has penetrated deeply in the innermost cavities of the body, it will become smooth and quiet, and barely perceptible. From this point on, the yogic and Taoist traditions teach that the breath begins to merge with the qi and the adept lives in a superconscious state independent of physical ties to the world. No alarm needed; we are still quite a way.
 
Principle No. 4 – Breath is life: keep it continuous, smooth, and slow.
During our lifetime, the breath never stops; when it does, life stops. Breath is a sign of life because it signifies movement of energy. It is a rhythmic movement that creates the basic rhythm of life. When it stops, movement ceases, energy freezes and life is on hold. So, unless we want to stop living, we should not stop breathing. Occasionally we may need to recalibrate our life rhythm, then stopping the breath momentarily to engage in a new rhythm may be warranted (just like changing driving gear by passing through neutral), such as taking a deep breath, then pausing a few seconds to focus the mind before launching into a downhill slope.
 
In certain advanced breath practices, such as in the yogic or qigong traditions, the breath may need to be suspended at certain intervals to achieve specific physiological or mental changes for purposes of correcting an existing imbalance. However, the practice of holding the breath should be undertaken only under expert supervision since it carries high risk of unintended consequences.
 
Principle No. 5 – As we listen to the breath, we understand life.
When we shine our consciousness onto the breath, one cycle after another, over a long time, we gradually become tuned in with its rhythm, the rhythm of our life: the rise and fall; the in and out; the ebb and flow; the opening and closing. Then, as we go through life experience with our awareness turned on, a spontaneous phenomenon occurs: our consciousness discerns a rhythm in life events which is not unlike that of our breath. Then suddenly, one perceives the circularity of life as illustrated by the Tai Chi symbol of the intertwining Yin and Yang elements. This wisdom takes place without us trying to learn or understand anything, merely being the result of pairing consciousness with the breath. Thus, in the awareness of breath, we understand life.
 
A Simple Breathing Practice
A “practice” is not natural, because it needs a goal, it requires managing time, and it needs to be sustained. We noted that, when we have an imbalance, we have to “practice” or “train” to restore balance. For purpose of training a delicate creature such as the breath, we need to modify our training approach by allowing spontaneity and playfulness; the Taoists would call this the non-doing of breath training. Below, we describe such a modified approach to breath training that leads to a desirable state of balance.
 
This is a simple and safe breathing practice:

• Sit or stand still.
• Do nothing, think nothing.
• Feel the breath in the belly.

​That’s all that’s needed. In the beginning you may need to restructure your life and commit to a disciplined schedule of practice. With time, ease off the schedule. When you remember, drop the breath in the lower abdomen and become aware of the movement of the breath. Feel the breath in the front and the back, below and above, and on the sides of the abdomen.
 
A complementary practice is a regular stretching routine that engages the total body. Refer to the ten guiding principles of stretching for further details (https://aikidodavis.com/blog/stretching-for-health-and-beyond). As the body softens up because of the gentle stretching, you will feel that more parts of the body around the abdomen are participating in the breath movement, and that the breath is spreading slowly to a larger area of the torso, noticeably upward. Throughout this activity, stay relaxed, enjoy each moment, and feel what goes on.
 
Over time, depending on your nature, you will feel the urge to be with your breath more often. When it happens, do spend more time with it until you feel your entire body breathing, including the extremities, palms of hands and soles of feet.
 
From here on, take clues from your breath and it will take you on a journey of profound internal change toward harmony, while at the same time making you feel more alive.