Taoist Breathing for Tai Chi and Meditation - 05/14: Breathing Along the Central Channel

Lesson 4.

Breathing along the central channel of your body.

The central channel of energy is responsible for all the energetic functions in our body.

Just as the lower dandian is responsible with all the energetic functions of our physical body,

Our central channel governs all the energetic functions of our mind.

The central channel runs down the center of the body between the perineum and the crown of the head,

Directly in the center of the body,

Neither in the front nor in the back where the spine is,

But in the middle.

As you breathe now,

When you breathe,

Breathe from your nose into the central channel,

Which is just behind your nostrils,

Down the center of your throat where the central channel is,

And continue to breathe down the central channel to the bottom of your lungs and your solar plexus.

So breathe in from your nostrils,

Down the center of your throat,

To the middle of your chest,

And exhale from the center of your chest,

Up to your throat,

Through the center of your throat and out your nose,

Making your breath very quiet and being very conscious of what you're doing with your breath.

Feel each sensation that you feel in your body down your chest,

Down your throat,

And now breathe all the way down from your nostrils to your throat,

Down your chest to your solar plexus,

And exhale up from your solar plexus.

What sort of thoughts,

What sort of tensions,

What sort of deep,

Hidden things inside you do you feel when you go through your throat,

When you go through your lungs?

When you inhale,

Are the sensations different than when you exhale?

What do they feel like?

How do you know they are happening?

Without becoming distracted,

Let your mind focus on these sensations,

Breathing easily and comfortably,

Remembering not to hold your breath or to strain your breath.