Tao In You

Free video tutorial:

How to do Abdomen Breathing

 Abdomen breathing is used in Taoist exercises like Tai Chi and Qigong. 

Even if you do not practice Taoist exercises, it is good to know how the breathing is done.   

Most of us breathe in a way which is shallow and short, because we inhale the air to only the chest. Abdomen breathing, in contrast, inhales the air all the way to the belly.  It is a better way to breathe, as it allows more oxygen to work in our body.

To understand how breathing is conducted, lie down on your back at somewhere comfortable — in your bed or on the floor: 

1. Put your hands on your sides;
2. Breathe gently: 
3. Focus your attention on how the air move in your body.   Ask yourself, “where does the air go to?”
4. Let the air go to your belly, rather than your chest, when you inhale!
5. Feel the natural rise and fall of your belly.
6. Your belly expands when you inhale, and contracts when you exhale.

Congratulations!  You are doing the abdomen breathing!

When you are doing Taoist exercises, you could do your abdomen breathing in this way, or the reverse way.  When you are reversing the breathing, feel the belly contract when you inhale, and expand when you exhale.

Find out how this is done in the free video tutorial:

How to do Abdomen Breathing

A secret for good health is to breathe like a baby.

Known as natural breathing, it is the way we breathed when we were born.  Observe how an infant breathes, and you will understand what I mean.  The basic principle is to breathe with your belly, rather than your lungs.

If you are not breathing this way, try the following exercise.

Lie on your back at somewhere comfortable — in your bed or on the floor.  Put your hands on your sides.  Breathe gently.  Focus your attention on how the air move in your body.  Ask yourself, “where does the air go to?”   You will notice that the air goes to you belly, rather than your lungs, when you inhale!  Feel the natural rise and fall of your belly.

Congratulations!  You are doing the natural breathing!

Your belly expands when you inhale, and contracts when you exhale.

It is so simple, because this is the way we should all have been breathing anyway.  Many of us have lost the habit as we grow older because of problems like stress.

It is a better way to breathe, and vital to our health.  As you inhale the air to the belly that has a bigger capacity than the lungs, you take in more oxygen with every breath.  Since we breathe every second, the increased amount of air from every breath will affect your health eventually.

Don’t lose this precious habit endowed by the Mother Nature!  It is so simple.

If a baby can do it, so can you!