☯Regulating breathing is the basic practice of Taoist health preservation. As the name suggests, "regulating breathing" refers to adjusting one's breath. Originally, "breathing" is a natural phenomenon—humans, like other mammals, must exchange gases with the outside world through breathing, and the rhythm of this breathing occurs naturally. However, humans can also consciously adjust to change their breathing rhythm.
☯Taoist inner alchemy practitioners fully recognized the role of breathing rhythm in shaping one's thoughts during inner alchemy cultivation. Taoism holds that people's thoughts are numerous, repetitive, and wandering. Without control, this not only prevents the successful practice of inner alchemy but even harms physical and mental health. To control scattered thoughts, Taoists inherited the practice of regulating breathing from pre-Qin Taoists, aiming to unify the mind with breath, thereby concentrating the spirit and stabilizing resolve.
☯Taoism identified several states of breathing:
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- First, breathing with sound. If one focuses their attention on this "wind-like" sound, the mind will become scattered and unanchored.
- Second, silent breathing but with nasal congestion, forming "panting." Practicing with such panting will eventually lead to qi stagnation over time.
- Third, silent and unobstructed breathing, but with visible body movements due to the flow of breath—this is called "visible breathing." Fixating on such breathing will cause fatigue.
- Fourth, silent, unobstructed breathing with a gentle, subtle flow, as if breathing yet not breathing. At this state, the spirit and qi are not separated, which is the true "state of breath." This breathing method allows breath and consciousness to coordinate, facilitating the circulation of genuine qi, and is essential for inner alchemy practice.
☯Here are brief introductions to several common Taoist breathing methods for health preservation:
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Mindful Breathing
Mindful breathing involves focusing one's attention on the breath and using the mind to guide the inhalation and exhalation, achieving a state where a single thought replaces countless distractions.
In various Taoist practices and breathing methods, the use of intention is always integral. In fact, posture, breathing, and intention are closely connected, with intention and breathing being particularly intertwined. The principles of using intention are similar to those of breathing methods. Mindful breathing is often used in actual cultivation or treatment—for example, patients with hypertension can focus on the Yongquan acupoint (on the sole), while those with insomnia can focus on the line connecting the Mingmen acupoint (on the lower back) and Yongquan.
Key points for practicing mindful breathing: Unify intention and qi. During practice, combine training the mind (controlling intention) with training qi (adjusting breathing). The mind should lead the qi—focus thoughts on the breath, use intention to regulate the rhythm, length, depth, speed, and flow of breathing. The skill of training the mind lies in "stillness," while training qi lies in seven qualities: "subtle, deep, long, slow, steady, relaxed, and even." Generally, Qiangzhuang Gong (Strength-Building Exercise) and Fangsong Gong (Relaxation Exercise) emphasize training the mind, while Neishan Gong (Inner Cultivation Exercise) emphasizes training qi. Despite their different focuses, all these methods stress the integration of intention and breath.
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Abdominal Breathing
Taoism believes that good breathing must not only be "slow" but also "deep." Thus, abdominal breathing is highly valued in Taoist health preservation.
Abdominal breathing refers to a method where the abdomen expands during inhalation and contracts during exhalation. The correct way to practice it is:
- When starting to inhale, exert force throughout the body. At this point, the lungs and abdomen will fill with air and expand, but do not stop—continue to inhale with maximum effort.
- Then hold the breath for 4 seconds, during which the body will feel tense.
- Next, exhale slowly over 8 seconds, ensuring the exhalation is long, slow, and uninterrupted.
After repeating these steps several times, one will not feel discomfort but instead experience a sense of comfort and refreshment.
