​These past few months, I was travelling a few times with family and also alone for continuing education. I spent moments observing and learning things about myself but also of people around me. Travelling is one of those moments in life that challenges us to come out of our comfort zone; as we make our way to a place, which we may or may not know, we encounter new people and situations, requiring us to react and be flexible to changes that may occur to our plans, in order that we get to our destination. I find this exhilarating and insightful.
 
As I waited to pick up my suitcase at the baggage carousel, I felt myself hopeful, that my suitcase would be on that carousel and maybe one of the first bags out so I could get on my way to where I needed to go to. Yet there is that other side, of the unknown; what if they misplaced my suitcase, put it on another flight and is on another conveyor belt in another airport? This is one of those moments where observation of self teaches us who we really are inside. Am I going to be impatient and fearful, not trusting that the airline baggage staff were able to put the right suitcase in the right place? Or am I going to be patient, knowing that my suitcase will arrive when it arrives, and I will get on the right transport, at the right moment and arrive where I need to get at the right time? The funny thing is that we have a choice in this moment, even if many of us don't realize it or want to realize it. We could choose to be stressed and create worse-case-scenarios in our minds or we could trust that things will turn out the way they should. 
 
I choose the latter; I choose to trust the people at luggage handling to do their jobs, which they often do well, and receive my suitcase in the right moment when I am supposed to receive it, even if it means I may have to wait a moment. This is a great time to practice standing meditation and breathing techniques, practices we do in Tai Ji Quan/ Qi Gong. In fact, it is marvelous to observe the flow of the conveyor-belt, as it meanders through the space of the hall like a dragon with scales, often times black with a shiny metal frame. Then as the bags mysteriously appear through the slot and roll onto the dragon's scales, they land ever so playfully before they find stillness on the dragon's scales, just rotating around on the dragon's back. Around me, I often sense a feeling of relief, "Ah, the luggage is here," or irritation, I imagine due to the stress of travel, "Finally! I need to get going!" 
 
Can you imagine what the vibe in this hall would be like, if we all started to practice breathing deeply and being grateful? 
 
*Inhale, exhale connecting with the energy of Heaven and Earth - 100 times or until your suitcase(s) arrives in front of you. Receive your suitcase saying: 
"Oh, there you are, my suitcase. Thank you for coming back to me at this precise moment. I am grateful to all the beings and the instruments that have brought you back to me. Now I may continue on my journey." 
*Inhale and exhale      
 
I have a feeling it would make us all less stressed and we would have a more relaxing time travelling through the airport, a place of transition. We might even enjoy travelling and notice something/ someone pleasant in the airport. As we approach summer, holidays for many, try this method for your travels. Look with playfulness for the "dragons" transporting your luggage to you, find gratitude, deep breaths and delight on your journey towards your summer vacation. Happy Trails!
 




 
Photo by Markus Winkler on pexels.com

The scene is set. Two Tai Ji Quan players are about to engage in a fight. They stand facing each other, neither begins, neither moves. They wait for the other to begin the attack. They are standing still, yet nothing is static. Qi is flowing, they are both sensing the subtle changes of the other and the environment. Through sensing, comes awareness. A Tai Ji Quan player will have an edge over the other, if her/his ability to sense is more acute. The moment one begins an attack, s/he has begun a forward, outward motion of energy, transmitting her/his information of her/his energetic distribution to the opponent, who will then utilize this energy to a counterattack. As such, no Tai Ji Quan player would make the first move, unless s/he is sure that her/his Qi is stronger than the other. Check out this clip from the movie "Hero," from many years back. It is not of Tai Ji Quan but demonstrates what I am trying to describe very well.   
 
Tài Jí Qúan太極拳, sometimes written as Tai Chi Chuan (Wade-Giles romanization), translates as "Supreme Ultimate Fist." As you may have read in a previous post, Tai Ji Quan is a martial art with Chinese roots. It is estimated that 300 million people from at least 57 different countries practice Tai Ji Quan, making it one of the most practiced martial arts in the world. However, many have no idea that it a martial art, even those who practice it, as it has been transformed into a method of maintaining health or a form of dance. And why should it not be so? If something has the ability to adapt better in a changing environment over a period of time, then this adaptation will ensure its survival. This is something that has helped Tai Ji Quan to persist and thrive in the world, as people of all ages, children, adult and elderly practice this art with different emphasis and intentions set by its practitioner. Maybe it is even this skill to adapt to change, which is in itself a flexibility in being, that the Tai Ji Quan practitioner acquires through the practice of this art. One image my Tai Ji Quan teacher, Donald Rubbo, used to present was of bamboo. He described how bamboo is flexible and bends with the wind without breaking, as compared to rigid trees that may be strong but break due to the lack of flexibility under the strain of strong winds.  
 
Tai Ji Quan is considered an internal martial art, meaning that the energetic work is done inside the body, versus an external focus where emphasis is placed on external strength. It is based on Daoist philosophy and the principles of Yīn-Yáng, which many of us know as the diagram with the black and white 'fish;' white fish with black eye and black fish with white eye. Master Huang, master of Tai Ji Quan, calligraphy and dance, describes the philosophy of Tai Ji and Yin-Yang very well through movement as well as intellectually. One of the Daoist ideas that is key to Tai Ji Quan and Chinese Medicine is the principle that we, all living beings living in this world, are connections between Heaven and Earth; the sacred trinity. If we learn to be and stay connected constantly to this Heaven-Earth power, we are always filled with Qi; thus, we are able to conserve our own personal Qi and Jing (life Essence) to maintain life in our bodies. A manifestation of Yin-Yang is in the form of the elements Fire and Water: 
 
"Fire rises and water flows down. Water can put fire out when placed on top. This is reversing. It is a natural law that never changes. However, when the water flows down and you put your pot under it to stop it from reaching its extreme limit, the result is the boiling of water. This is called Yin-Yang reversal theory that allows one to make use of the natural laws. The T'ai Chi boxing system is based on this reversal theory, which is used in every aspect of the skill." (Kuo, Guttman, 1994, p.1)
 
Tai Ji Quan applies these philosophical principles into movement and through practicing these movements regularly, we begin to embody these principles in living our daily lives.
 
Going back to that first scene in which I described the two players; my teacher used to emphasize to us to 'play' Tai Ji Quan when we got too serious thinking and trying to make the correct form or application. We learned to move slowly but also quickly, when it was needed. In moving slow, one becomes aware of the subtle changes in weight distribution on the different aspects of the feet; thus aiding in balance training. Also, the awareness of the space around oneself, the elements in the environment and that a gentle flick of the finger, when one is connected to her/his Dān Tían, can move boulders. One aspect of Tai Ji Quan is form training, Tào Lù, where one performs the empty-hand or weapon form without contact, and if so it is choreographed. This is how many people practice Tai Ji Quan, especially if it is for health and it works on the basic form. Tùi Shǒu is Pushing Hands; this is the application of the form with contact to another practitioner but only to push the hand to uproot her/his stance, not to strike, punch or hurt. Another two aspects are the Nèi Gōng and Qī Gōng, which translate as "internal work" and "Qi work" respectively. These refer to breathing techniques, meditation, awareness training, meridian stretching as well as stillness practice. For me these are the most important aspects of the practice because they work on the unseen, deeper connections of the individual to Heaven-Earth and the clarity of mind to dis/engage in a confrontation. With stillness in body, the mind learns to become still but the Qi flows relentlessly.
 
 
 
Reference
Kuo Lien-Ying/ translated by Guttmann (1994): The T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle. Berkeley, CA, USA: North Atlantic Books 
 
 
 
 
Image by Ron on Pixabay

As we go through the seasons of the year and I observe the changes of the climate, it reminds me of the Wu Xing or 5-Elements or 5-Phases. This philosophy is not just a Chinese medical theory but one that was/ is observed in all areas of life, as with the Yin-Yang philosophy. The 5-Element philosophy is very old. Historical records display writings and observances of it since the start of the Han Dynasty in 206 BCE, but the ideas of this philosophy are much older.
 
I am impressed by how so many, if not all areas of our lives are influenced by the 5-Elements; whether it be seasons of the year, cooking food, making medicine, breathing techniques or making day-to-day objects/ crafts that we use in our lives. There are traditions all around East-Asia (i.e. China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea) where the 5-Element philosophy is part of normal, daily life. As I contemplate the element that we are experiencing at the moment, the Metal element, I can't help being reminded of the skilled Bladesmith, one who works with Metal to create tools/ weapons. The Japanese are famous for making the best knives and swords in the world. The Katana, the Japanese long sword, is most celebrated for its artistry as well as its sharpness and ferocity. It is a blade so fine and flexible but so resilient, in the hands of a skilled swordsman (or woman), you would be unaware of its cut until it is done. You can tell how many martial arts movies I have watched growing up in Asia. What fascinates me most is not the end product, the sword, itself but the process in which it is made; how the 5-Elements are present in the process to transform raw Metal into a tool, an art form. The Metal is put into Fire to be smelted, then comes the process of the forging, which involves more Fire, Water, Earth and of course to begin with there was Wood for Fire. In the process to create this tool, the 5 Elements were going through the generating and controlling cycles, all in movement towards a creation and transformation guided by the human hand/ mind.
 
I feel this often when I practice Qi Gong, Tai Ji Quan or Yoga. I sense the Elements in me, helping me transform my body, my mind, my being to connect/reconnect within and without. What then manifests outwardly is simply a product of the process, there is no product without the process. So if I perform a headstand, it is a coming together of the elements within and around me to find an inward balance, which then manifest as me balancing on my head in the physical realm. 
 
Another of the Breath practice that I have gathered on my journey is the 5-Element Breath Sounds. It is a practice that involves the exhalation as a sound. Many of us make sounds quite instinctively, in the form of a sigh or a groan. This practice is a conscious manifestation of Breath to balance the organs and elements. Practice the sounds like it is listed from above to below, as this is the generation cycle. You may notice that the Fire element comes twice. There are reasons for this that I won't get into in this post. Do try the breath sounds and sense how they affect you! 
 
 
 
 

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5-Element Breath Sounds

Element   WOOD 
Organ       Liver
Sound       Sheeee 
Element    FIRE                        
Organ       Heart                     
Sound       Haaaa                               
Element   EARTH
​Organ       Spleen
Sound       Hoooo
Element   METAL
​Organ       Lung
Sound       Tssss 
Element    WATER
​Organ        Kidneys
Sound        Huuuu
Element     FIRE
​Organ        Triple Burner
Sound        Heeee


Image Smith by Dirk Hoenes from Pixabay
Image 5-Element Sheng Cycle by Elaine

​When you look at a baby calmly sleeping, you will observe how her/his breath is deep and concentrated in the belly. When we come into the world, we are physically connected to our mothers through the umbilical cord at our navels on our abdomen. About 5 weeks after conception, the umbilical cord begins forming and connects the embryo to the placenta and its mother, to received nutrients, water and oxygen, as well as to excrete waste. This continues on until that moment the cord is cut after birth. At this point in time, the child becomes its own being in itself and must begin its own respiration. When a child is calm, we will see that it breaths deep into the abdomen. However, life happens; stressors occur throughout our childhood into adulthood and we begin to forget that place in the abdomen where we were/are connected to life, if we are unaware. Then, we begin to breathe more superficially, moving the chest in order to receive more air but this does not nourish us in the long-term. In fact, it creates tight muscles and can trigger the sympathetic nervous system into the "fight-or-flight" stress mode. 
 
Many traditions of the world have specific methods of breathing in order to support health or even to attain deep connection to the divine. One of these methods I have found to be very helpful and is almost universal to many traditions is "Diaphragmatic Breathing," "Abdominal Breathing" or as we in the Chinese medical tradition call "Natural Breathing." In the Chinese Qi Gong tradition, the main focus of this breath is the Lower Dan Tian (lower energy centre) in the area below the navel. We breathe deeply into the lower abdomen, allowing it to expand and contract freely as inhalation and exhalation occurs. This increases oxygen intake, increases circulation in the abdominal muscles, provides a massage for the internal organs and calms the entire body-mind, activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

Can you imagine how life would be if we were in a continuous state of calm? How would we make decisions? How would we interact or react to one another? How would we live life? Obviously, it is unrealistic to expect that we can always be in this state, as we do need a certain amount of "stress" to grow and develop physically, mentally and spiritually. But the longer we can stay in this state, the healthier it is for our minds and bodies, as well as for the people/environment around us. The aim of Natural Breathing is for us to return to what we once knew but perhaps forgot. It is innate to us and it just takes practice to remind our bodies-minds of something it already knows. If you keep a practice of 5-minutes daily for a year, your body will remember it for the rest of your life.
 
Personally, I practice this breathing technique almost all the time now for more than 20 years. It did not feel natural at first but with constant practice and patience it has become intuitive. When I am relaxed or stressed, I instinctively practice Natural Breathing. I consciously breathe this way when I get my blood pressure measured (which most times has a normal reading) or when I go to the dentist or when I have to do a test. I practice this way of breathing almost every night before I go to sleep, placing my hands on my abdomen, just focusing on the rising and falling of my breath as well as my abdomen till I fall asleep.  
 
Below is a step-by-step guide to Natural Breath. Happy Breathing! :-)



  Natural Breathing

1. Find a comfortable position in lying, sitting or standing. Place both hands on your lower abdomen by your navel (like in diagram below).
2. Begin by inhaling and exhaling into your abdomen. Observe if the abdomen rises and falls with the breath. If it does not, begin to sink the breath into the abdomen.
3. Imagine your abdomen as a balloon, when you inhale, you are blowing air into the balloon enlarging it, and when you exhale the balloon is shrinking. In the beginning, this may feel forced or unnatural. Be patient and keep practicing, it will become natural when you practice it regularly for some time.
4. Inhale and exhale only through the nostrils, expanding and contracting your abdomen respectively.
5. Begin to slow down the breath, keeping a regular and an equal rhythm of inhalation and exhalation.
6. If you have never done this before, begin by performing 10 breaths at least once a day. After a week of regular practice, begin extending it by increments of 5 and stay with this for another week before increasing the increments.
7. You may practice this as often as you like in a day and even at night.
8. Side-effects include digestive rumblings in the abdomen (stimulation of your natural digestive functions), calmness, relaxation, feeling well and healthy.

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​​Image Baby from esudroff on Pixabay
Image Abdomen from Eduardo RS from Pixabay

Continuing on my last post, we are now in the time of the Lung. What the Lung does for us physiologically is respiration; the gas exchange of the whole body. This is what we call Breath.
 
As a teenager, I was a rhythmic gymnast and ballet dancer. I often noticed that I was out of breath after a strenuous ballet combination and my gymnastic routines, which lasted an intense 90-seconds. None of my teachers or coaches ever mentioned anything to me until I was about 19, after I had retired from competitive gymnastics. My modern contemporary dance teacher, who was also trained in classical Chinese dance, Ballet, Pilates and Alexander Technique, mentioned that I wasn't breathing while dancing. A light went on in me, I told her that I was aware that I was out of breath after exercises but I never knew why. I then asked her, "Can you teach me how to breathe?" I heard myself then and thought how absurd that sounded to me, something supposedly so natural as breathing and I needed to learn how to do it. Since then, it has become one of my life's exploration - to breathe consciously.
 
When a baby first comes into the world, it is what we look for as a sign of life, the Breath. Only when the child achieves her/his first cry, do we then relax. Even in the Bible, it states:
 
"And the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis, 2:7 King James Version)
 
Many cultures and spiritual faiths around the world believe that the Breath is not just what keeps us alive; it is our connection to the Divine. We are alive because there is a higher connection or purpose that flows through us. Yet no one ever teaches us to breathe in school or at home, which is maybe changing as I am writing since more are becoming conscious of their Breath and are beginning practices, like meditation, QiGong and Yoga, which emphasize Breath.
 
In Chinese Medicine, not only is Breath, what we in the modern world imagine as oxygen and carbon dioxide, what we take into our lungs and expel out through our nose/mouth; it is also that which surrounds us, is within us and creates the entire universe.
 
"But even before speaking of forms xing 形 , we must introduce the form-without-specific-form, that which bends itself to become all forms: the Breaths Qi  氣 ."  
(Larre, Rochat:1995, 21)
 
Qi, sometimes spelled Chi, is one of those words that cannot or has not really been translated into Western language. If you read an English or German Chinese medical text book, you will see that Qi is simply written as Qi. But the sinologists and Chinese medical scholars, Larre and Rochat, translate Qi as Breaths; Breaths that encompasses all. Sometimes Qi is translated as Vital Energy or Life Force. Some concepts are very cultural yet we know that there is a force that flows within all living beings on earth and beyond. Even Hindu philosophy speaks of Prana, the Sanskrit word for Breath or Life Force, which seems to correlate with the Chinese.

In order to understand the character Qi  氣 , one has to look at the pictograph in 2 parts. When we take this part of the pictograph  气 ,it means air, gas or vapour. The second part mi 米 is rice. Together they make Qi, referring to "the grain of rice that bursts with cooking or digestion releases a vapor that rises up and accumulates 气  ." (Larre, Rochat, 1995: 168) So Qi is therefore more substantial than air. It is the essence of life. It is that which moves us, gives life to us humans and all living beings around us. If Qi were just to be air, then an expanded balloon would be alive, but it is not. As such, Qi is something more tangible than air but still is elusive to our material-focused mind. 

As you may have observed, my little journey in search of Breath has taken me much further than breathing in and out; it has opened a doorway to a whole new world, rich in meaning, understanding and awareness. As we have entered the season of the Lung, I would like to share a few of the breathing practices I have learned over the years in the next few posts. 


Reference

• Bible, King James Version. www.kingjamesbibleonline.org
• Larre, Claude/ Rochat de la Vallée, Elisabeth (1995) : Rooted in Spirit. New York: Station Hill Press.

​Image Ki Hanja from Wikimedia Commons