The Daoist Approach to a Healthy Mind and Body

A regular Qigong practice can prevent and treat illness, reduce stress and establish balance. Qigong is a self-healing art that combines movement and meditation. There are so many Qigong forms; Moving forms, still forms, lying, sitting, or standing forms.

I am a student of the Zhang Sanfeng sect in China.

Zhang Sanfeng was an ancient Daoist priest said to have brought Tai Chi Quan to the Wudang mountains.

It is believed that Zhang Sanfeng said:

“...locate the true divine self through natural breathing.”

Deep long relaxing breathes connect to the 12 channels. Channels are also known as meridians. The face is connected to the nasal cavity and the brain. The brain is connected to the Governor meridian which is the main channel that moves along the spine and feeds out to all the smaller channels that run through the body, like a network of highways.

Embryonic breathing

The fetus “breathes” through the umbilical cord and only begins to breathe through the lungs after birth. The umbilical cord is connected to your belly. It isn’t a coincidence that this is where the Dan Tien is located. The Dan Tien is considered your second brain in Traditional Daoist practice.

As we age, and get caught up in the stress of our society we breath more with our lungs. We lose the memory of belly breathing. As first you  will have to focus on breathing with your belly but the more you practice meditative Qigong the more you relax your face and the system naturally starts to remember embryonic breathing.

The universe is a sea of energy where the body and mind float during meditation and a natural breath starts to come from the lower abdomen (Dan Tien). In time, you learn to draw the Chi life-force energy directly from the universe and not from the lungs.

Embryonic breathing is not something we can force. It happens through daily practice. When the conditions are right, your physical breathing stops  for a period and is there is a quiet, subtle transition to Chi breathing in the Dan Tien which is functioning as a Chi lung while connected to the cosmic Chi. This is called inner chi breathing, embryonic breathing.

Integrate mind body spirit and bring peace to your life.