Deep Breathing

Breath is life, according to my teacher. Deep breathing even more so.

We sleep every day, we eat two or three times a day, but we breathe every second of the day. Get the breathing right, and you get a lot more right (see the second video on the left for a really good summary of all the things deep breathing affects).

Breathing deeply into the tan tien (or Lower Cauldron) takes a bit of practice. Start by relaxing your shoulders and stomch muscles, and then breathe in, allowing the breath to sink down towards your stomach. The more you practice, the lower you will feel the breath go, until it reaches the tan tien, where it activates your main energy centre. Don't rush this part, it doesn't happen overnight. But the more you learn to relax, the sooner you'll be able to feel the energy starting to go.

Joining a class at this point is a great diea. A good t'ai chi class will usually teach you a number of techniques to short-cut the process a little and activate the energy more quickly, so it's worth finding a good class.