Self-taught Qigong breathing method

Qigong is a very mysterious part of Chinese Kung Fu, and there is indeed such a thing as Qigong. Many people even choose to learn it by themselves. What are some introductory breathing methods for self-study Qigong? You can learn about it through some videos or books. The first thing to do is breathing method, which is also the most basic method of Qigong practice. Of course, it is best to seek guidance from a professional qigong master when learning qigong to avoid harming your body.

1. The key points of reverse abdominal breathing

The most commonly used breathing methods in Health Qigong are natural breathing and abdominal breathing. The abdominal breathing is further divided into forward abdominal breathing and reverse abdominal breathing. The breathing method of the Six-Character Formula of Health Qigong requires that beginners use natural breathing, and then adopt reverse abdominal breathing after becoming proficient in the movements.

The basic principles of reverse abdominal breathing: inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. When you inhale through the nose, the chest cavity rises and expands outwards, while the abdomen retracts inwards. The feeling of inhaling "air" goes directly to the lower abdomen (Dantian). At the same time, the tongue is pressed against the upper palate, the mind is focused on the Mingmen, and the anus is slightly retracted and lifted. When you exhale through the mouth, the opposite is true. The chest cavity descends and retracts inwards, while the abdomen expands outwards. At the same time, the anus is relaxed and the tongue is flattened.

2. The effect of reverse abdominal breathing

1. Inhale more oxygen

Reverse abdominal breathing focuses on diaphragm activity, while natural breathing focuses on chest muscle activity. The active area of ​​the diaphragm is much larger than that of the chest muscles. Therefore, the oxygen inhaled by reverse abdominal breathing is three to four times that of natural breathing. When the human body inhales more oxygen, it can be beneficial to metabolism; secondly, it can improve the internal oxygen environment in the blood and enhance immunity. Therefore, scientific research has shown that people with large lung capacity tend to live longer.

2. It can enhance the body’s true Qi

When practicing reverse abdominal breathing, you can clearly feel the opening and closing of the lower abdomen (Dantian), which is the place where the human body's true qi is formed according to traditional Chinese medicine theory. True Qi is formed by the combination of oxygen inhaled by the human lungs, the essence of water and grain produced by the spleen and stomach, and the innate essence of the kidneys. It is stored in the waist and kidneys and distributed throughout the body. It is the source of respiratory movement. Therefore, the lower abdomen (Dantian) is also called the "gate of breathing", "sea of ​​vitality" and "root of the twelve meridians". Therefore, we should strengthen the practice of reverse abdominal breathing to enhance the body's true qi.

3. It can enhance the kidney's gasification and fixation functions

The human kidneys are located in the lower abdomen and are called the "innate foundation". They have the physiological functions of storing essence, controlling water, controlling bone marrow production, and absorbing air. The Mingmen point between the second and third lumbar vertebrae in the human waist is where the kidney's innate qi is stored. Because the kidneys open up to the two yin organs, the kidney's innate qi has a strengthening effect on the two yin organs (urethra and anus) of the human body. The reverse abdominal breathing method of the Six-Character Formula of Health Qigong inhales air directly into the lower abdomen (Dantian), and is intended to focus on the gate of life and the anus, thus enhancing the gasification function of the kidneys and the fixing effect on the anus, and has a good effect on the prevention and recovery of hemorrhoids.

4. It can enhance the circulation of Qi and blood in the Ren and Du meridians

The Ren and Du meridians of the human body both start at the perineum point between the two vulvae. The Ren meridian runs along the center of the abdomen and chest through the neck to the Yinjiao point on the lower lip of the mouth; the Du meridian runs along the midline of the waist, back, neck and head through the forehead and nose to the Chengjiang point on the upper lip of the mouth. The Ren meridian governs all the Yin meridians of the human body (referring to the three Yin meridians of the hand and the three Yin meridians of the foot), and is called the "sea of ​​Yin meridians". It has the function of regulating the Yin meridians and Qi of the whole body; the Du meridian governs all the Yang meridians of the human body (referring to the three Yang meridians of the hand and the three Yang meridians of the foot), and is called the "sea of ​​Yang meridians". It has the function of regulating the Yang meridians and Qi of the whole body. When inhaling through the reverse abdominal breathing method, the tongue presses against the upper palate, connecting the terminal acupoint of the Ren meridian, Chengjiang point, with the terminal acupoint of the Du meridian, Yinjiao point, thus communicating the Ren and Du meridians. In addition, the inhaled air directly reaches the lower abdomen (Dantian), strengthening the True Qi. Therefore, it can enhance the circulation of Qi and blood in the Ren and Du meridians, thereby also enhancing the circulation of Qi and blood in the twelve meridians.

5. Can exercise and strengthen the functions of the internal organs

When practicing the Health Qigong Six-Character Formula Reverse Abdominal Breathing Method, you should focus your mind on the corresponding organs of each character when you exhale. This focus has the effect of "where the mind goes, the qi goes", and can strengthen the sense of qi in the organs when you exhale the Six-Character Formula, as well as the sense of oscillation in the organ resonance zone formed by each character when you exhale and make a sound. Therefore, it strengthens the circulation of qi and blood in the five internal organs and six bowels.

Editor's conclusion: The reverse abdominal breathing method in the Six-Character Formula of Health Qigong can better reflect the traditional characteristics and connotations of the Six-Character Formula, which is mainly based on breathing. Reverse abdominal breathing, combined with exhalation sound, five sounds, five elements, five internal organs and body movements, is effective in preventing diseases.