Breathing is more important than eating and drinking. That’s obvious, isn’t it?

We view eating and drinking as important and essential, and that’s because we can buy them with money. By contrast, the air is available everywhere. It’s unlimited.  It’s free of charge. 

That’s why air is not regarded as being precious. 

Food and drink preserve life. They also enhance it. We get pleasure from food and drink.  We understand that when food and drink are lacking, life can be uncomfortable. When there is no food and drink, death occurs from a lack of nutrients in your body. If you stop eating, you can live at least several days. 

If you stop breathing, you will die almost instantly. Breathing for this reason is more important than eating and drinking.

Improve Your Mental, Physical And Spiritual Well-Being

Breathing is the function of life which is most significant for having a good quality of life. 

What can we do with our breath to not only preserve life, but also enhance it? 

It’s simple. Find the time to make your breath slow, steady, and deep. Bring your breath gently down to reach your lower belly. That’s it. When you breathe into your lower belly, you stabilize the center of gravity of your body, and you achieve physical balance. 

This is also possible by concentrating your mind on the lower belly. Remove all thoughts of your mind. By doing so, you will settle down all by yourself. When you have achieved a slow, continuous, and fine breath, then your lungs seem to disappear and be useless. 

You feel as if the breath comes in and out of your body, through the pores all over your body. I believe this is the highest achievement in the art of breathing. When all your organs and your entire body move in rhythm, and they move in rhythm with your breath, then you feel connected with the universe. 

Breathwork Is A Tool For Transformation And Healing

What is the best way to achieve this rhythm of breath with your organs?

• When Tai Chi movements are performed correctly;
• When the mind directs the Chi to the abdomen;
• When your organs expand and contract with your breath;
• When you inhale the fresh air, exhale stale air.

When you do Tai Chi, you clean the body and send the blood and Chi to your vibrating organs. 

Doing Tai Chi coordinates your mind’s concentration and breathing in the abdomen, creating enough warmth in your body. 

The heat produced by the Chi in your Dantien is what the Taoists call Fire. The fire is a collection of generative and vital forces.  These forces serve to invigorate the body when it has been weakened or drained.

To make the fire intense in your belly, use breathing as the wind of a bellows, and the mind can make heat in your body during Tai Chi practice.  Breathing slowly and deeply kindles the psychic fire in the lower abdomen.  Your body warms up and your spirit rises.

Work Your Breath to Bypass the Mind

Let’s make some heat right now with a simple Tai Chi exercise. 

1. Stand with your feet, shoulder width apart. 
2. Exhale, relax into your feet. 
3. Energize the fingers up.
4. Exhale, relax back down.
5. Energize the fingers.
6. Exhale, relax back down. Exhale all the way. 
7. Repeat.
   

While you do this, feel the expansion in the belly and then exhale, sink down, let go and feel energized. Feel the expansion in your belly and then relax back down. When you do this enough, you’re going to feel the warmth. Not necessarily in your belly, maybe there is warmth developing in other parts of your body. 

For me, I find that my fingers become warm. For you, it may be that your chest is becoming warm. Your solar plexus may be becoming warm. 

Usually, when you breathe, your breath does not expand and contract your lungs to their full capacity. Only your upper body moves, whereas the lower parts of your body remain intact, during normal breathing. Since a full supply of oxygen cannot be breathed in, nor all the carbon dioxide breathed out, the blood cannot be completely purified. 

All kinds of illnesses can follow by not getting the completely purified breath. 

Controlled Breathing Boosts Your Immune System

When you breathe abdominally, it reaches the lower belly during inhalation and starts from the lower belly during exhalation. Therefore, the expansion and contraction of the lungs harmonize with the movements of the belly and diaphragm. This ensures the free circulation of blood in your body.  Being in rhythm with your breath follows the Law of Nature. 

What if this breathing method can be always followed while you’re walking, sitting, standing, or reclining?

Now that you know the breathing and the mind can make heat in your body during Tai Chi practice, it is appropriate for you to sweat or perspire. What are some ways to give yourself a good workout and perspire while doing the Tai Chi form? Follow me on YouTube to find out. Go to my page and subscribe to be notified when there’s new videos.