Taoist Breathing for Tai Chi and Meditation - 10/14: Simultaneously Breathing From the Front and Sides

Lesson 9,

Simultaneously breathing from the front and sides of your body.

The bells in lessons 9 through 12 will mark a 10 second breath.

5 seconds on the inhale,

5 seconds on the exhale.

Now allow the front of your belly to expand and the sides of your belly to expand simultaneously as you inhale.

Front and side returning to their original place as you exhale.

Put your hands on the side of your body so you can feel the whole area of your body.

The whole area between your hip bone and your ribs and your upper ribs and your belly and feel if they all are moving now at once.

Is everything moving evenly?

Is one part of your body not moving while the others are?

Do you have some small little square,

Some little circle where everything is dead?

If so,

Get your breath to enter that place and notice the emotions that you feel.

Notice the underlying tensions that you feel.

But first,

Make every place in the front and side of your body come alive with no place going to sleep or no place being numb.

As you inhale,

Front and sides expand.

As you exhale,

They come back to their original position.

Next,

Take your hands off of your body if you can and when you can.

And now with your mind alone,

Feel if the front and the sides of your body are expanding and coming back to their original position with each inhale and exhale.

It's important not to contract your muscles just as it is important not to contract your mind.

Let both be relaxed and open,

Letting the blood flow everywhere it needs to go and letting your thoughts become comfortable and at ease with themselves.

Inhaling down the center and expanding your front and sides.

Exhaling up the center as you simultaneously let your front and sides return to their original position.