Eating Air - April 24, 2011

The ancient Taoists regarded deep breathing as a form of nourishment. During deep breathing, you not only fill the body with purifying oxygen, but also guide universal energy (Pre-Natal Qi or Chi) in and out of the body as well. This nourishes the Post-Natal Qi that you were born with but deplete as you age, greatly rejuvenating your body. The fact is, the full amount of oxygen that the body requires is MORE than what regular everyday breathing can provide. The deep breathing that results from strenuous activity is required by the body, as our ancient ancestors did while hunting and farming, in order to force you to inhale more air. 

 

According to Qigong master Bruce Frantzis, "Unfortunately, most people have poor breathing habits. They take shallow breaths, only use a portion of their lungs, even when they believe they are taking deep breaths, and hold their breath--especially when they become nervous or tense. . .  Breathing with the whole body has been used for millennia to enhance the ability to dissolve and release energy blockages in the mind/body, enhancing well-being and spiritual awareness. . . Studying your breathing patterns can make you aware of the ways your moods and emotions change. For example, fear tends to produce erratic, strained or weak breathing patterns. Holding the breath is often a preceded by violent, angry explosions. Likewise, holding the breath without realizing it is part of a reaction to stress and tends to increase its severity. Shallow breathing makes people prone to lung weaknesses in the face of environmental problems, such as polluted air, and can also lead to depression."

 

While hard physical activity can be exhausting, the act of deep breathing itself is not. The practice of Qigong (breathing or energy movements) brings large amounts of oxygen into the body with barely any energy cost to it. In fact, slow deep breathing burns fat, which gives us much more energy than the burning of carbs do when performing physical exercises like body building and aerobics in the gym. The saying is "Where intention goes, Qi follows. Where Qi goes, the blood follows". Fully oxygenated and energized (Qi filled) blood kills organisms that cause disease, eliminates infections, and clears meridian blockages, altogether resulting in healing!

 

Qigong deep breathing techniques, says Bruce, "get everything inside your body moving and in synch with the rhythm of your breathing. It wakes up the inside of your body and makes it incredibly healthy. The methodology cultivates your ability to relax at any time and concentrate for long periods. . . (It):

• Facilitates oxygen intake and the balances the oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange in the body
• Fully expels carbon dioxide
• Retrains your nervous system to relax
• Improves the functioning of your internal organs
• Increases Qi reserves in the body. " 

According to Yan Gaofei, "Chinese Medicine teaches that tension (stress) will block the continuous smooth flow of chi. Because chi is the “leader” of the blood, poor chi circulation will negatively influence the blood circulation causing the body to grow improperly. Without the nourishment provided by a strong chi/blood movement, our body becomes “dry” and stiff, unable to optimize organic performance. Good chi and blood flow enable the body’s systems to be “fluid” and soft in order to be successfully functional. Without good chi/blood circulation the total body, its organs, and its systems (nervous, circulatory, digestive, etc.), falls out of natural harmony resulting in sickness, weakness, systemic breakdowns, stress related illnesses and disorders. Chi flow stimulates blood flow and together they are vital for a good interchange of the internal energy necessary for good health. When you develop the ability to relax completely and go into a deep “quiet,” in time, you will reduce and eventually reverse the damage produced by pressure and emotional or physical strain. Initially it may appear that nothing has changed outwardly but, in fact, much has changed internally."


The Jindao Life Transforming program's natural energetic transformational exercises are based on ancient Qigong and Neigong movements that help balance the body from the inside out, producing three major changes in the body:

1. Helps to rid the body of stagnant energy that is not moving freely. Stagnant energy is located where there are physical, emotional, mental, and psychic blockages.
2. Raises the body's energy levels so that its own natural healing capacities are stimulated and become strongly elevated.
3. Helps to balance the body's energy flow through the meridians and deeper energy channels and vessels.

The famous Dr. Oz, Oprah's medical guru, on his television program, also espoused Qigong as a way to “add years to your life”, to reduce stress, promote longevity, cardiovascular care, and help alleviate chronic pain and fatigue symptoms. Qigong makes your body pulse with energy. Only Qigong deals with the actual energy itself to such a degree that it causes our body to regenerate. 
 

Thus, the practice of "eating air", which is Qigong, greatly revitalizes the body in every way. After learning the proper breathing methods and physical movements, Qigong practice on a much deeper level includes visualization, intent, and deep concentration with subtle changes in energy development. Cultivating relaxation and looseness through both meditation and physical activity helps Qi flow through the body with unimpeded circulation, channeling Qi where it is most necessary. Qigong allows you to manipulate Qi for many purposes, including: pain relief and self healing, organ and neuro-lymphatic health, self-defense, and psychic and personal development. Regardless, since it is a form of nourishment, Qigong is something that must be practiced regularly, with the commitment to incorporate it long term in one's lifestyle. Without this commitment, Qigong's amazing benefits are temporary. With everyday practice (even for 15 minutes a day), Qigong brings long years of healthy physical, emotional, and spiritual purifying, healing, and nourishment.

Sal Canzonieri - Jindao Life Transforming Qigong
http://www.jindaolife.com