Hara breathing - increasing energy
- Subject: Hara breathing - increasing energy
- Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 06:40:35 -0800
- Yahoo! Message Number: 175
- Onibasu Link: http://onibasu.com/archives/ch/175.html
Most people in the West don't breathe correctly. They let their chests do all the work instead of breathing from the belly. As a result, energy does not flow correctly and may even become blocked.
There is an acupuncture/ acupressure point called the Sea of Energy. This is Conception Vessel 6 (CV). The Conception Vessel is one of the Strange Flow meridians. It runs up the front of the body on the midline.
CV6 is located about 2 to 3 fingers below the navel on the midline of the front of the body. You're going to want to direct your attention to this area to this area as you breathe.
Hara breathing can be done standing, sitting, or lying down. The important thing is that the spine be straight. When lying down you will want to cover this area and your navel with your hands.
Breathe in through your nose. While you're breathing in through your nose, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth behind the front teeth. This is important as you're connecting the Yin Conception Vessel (runs up the middle of the front of the body) to the Yang Governor vessel (which runs up the middle of the back of the body, over the head, and terminates just above the upper lip).
As you exhale, remove your tongue from the roof of your mouth and exhale through your mouth. As you inhale through your nose, have the tongue touching the roof of the mouth. As you exhale through your mouth, remove the tongue from the roof of your mouth.
Practice inhaling and exhaling a few times. Now you're ready to start breathing from your belly. When you breathe from your belly, the muscles of the abdomen should be doing part of the work of breathing. You'll be able to feel your abdomen expand and contract while breathing just like you can feel your chest expand and contract while breathing. Practice breathing from your belly for a while. While you're doing this, air in getting into all of your lungs. When you breathe just from the chest, air does not always reach all places in your lungs.
More important, when you're breathing from your belly, it encourages Qi to flow smoothly through all parts of your body.
Breathe through your belly, inhaling through your nose while the tongue is touching the roof of the mouth, exhaling through your mouth with the tongue not touching the roof. Practice for a while.
Now you're ready for Hara breathing. You've already located the CV6 2 to 3 fingers below your navel. Don't worry about not knowing exactly where this point is located, just so you know the general location. As you breathe from your belly, as you inhale with tongue touching roof of mouth, visualize a stream of golden particles entering through your nose and being sucked down to the area of the Hara. As you hold your breath, visualize the flow of golden particles circulating through your body, bringing energy and and health to all parts of it. Now exhale. As you exhale you can visualize the breath taking black particles (toxins, bad Qi, etc.) out of your body. Now breathe in more healing, golden particles, circulate, and breathe out the negative. This is a Hara breathing exercise.
Do the breathing excercise a few times. You may want to start out with 5 breaths.
Some people find it easier to breathe from their bellys while lying down or standing than while sitting. Do which one works for you. Just remember to cover the hara and navel areas with your hands if you're lying down.
Hara breathing will strengthen the Jing (Essence). It also improves energy. Massaging or holding the CV6 (Sea of Energy)point or doing Hara breathing is something that is recommended for people who are tired and fatigued. It will boost energy. This point is especially recommended for people with CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome).
There are some other acupressure points that will improve energy levels. Four of these are on the back, just below the waist and make up the Sea of Vitality (the two Bladder 23 and the two B47 points). Another is the third eye point (GV 24.5). Another is the Three Mile Point (Stomach 36) which is located about 4 fingers below the kneecap, one finger on the outside of the shin bone. If you have the right spot, you will be able to feel a leg muscle flex beneath your finger as you move your foot up and down.
Victoria
--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Onibasu Link: http://onibasu.com/archives/ch/175.html