The “Life Breath”

Just as human respiration is a double process – the inhalation (YANG) of new breath and exhalation (YIN) of old breath – so the circulation of the breath of the world is also considered a double process involving the life breath and death breath.

The life breath is YANG (positive, corresponding to day, sun and life), the death breath is YIN (negative, corresponding to night, cold and death).

"While you should absorb the life breath, you should not absorb the death breath”.

There are two particularly favourable times of the day to absorb the life breath:

·                                                       As dawn is breaking, when the air begins to warm up just before sunrise, this is the life breath rising: everything in Creation is peaceful and life is about to reawaken over the world;

·                                                       In the evening, at sunset, when the air is growing cool and the day is drawing to a close, this is a time of profound calm when everything in nature relaxes… this is the life breath descending.

     

 These are the best times to practise absorbing the life breath:

·          Face the rising sun (or setting sun in the evening).

·          Do this before eating (morning), or 3 hours after your last meal (evening).

·          Sit on the ground or on a cushion; ensure that your spine is straight; your upper torso, neck and head should be in a straight line and your chin tucked in; your hands should be resting flat upon  your upper thighs and your legs tucked under your body.

·          Grind your teeth twenty-one times (three series of seven times),"to drive away bad influences and gather the spirits”, i.e. focus the attention.

·          Then, before you start, breath out deeply in three stages, gradually lowering your head each time, hollowing (retracting) the abdomen to expel the air; finish each exhalation with a hollow abdomen, and your chin on your chest.

·          Then breathe in deeply inhaling the air through your nostrils. Then think of your body, that it is healthy and vigorous, it is your best instrument. Think of it as being as solid and pure as diamond, think that with the help of this body you are going to cross the ocean of life. You feel that your body is vigorous, your mind strong and you have unlimited faith and hope in yourself.

With each inhalation, feel the life force of the energy-generating "chi” penetrating each muscle, each nerve, each cell. Feel this energy flowing through your whole body, area by area, increasing in strength with each breath. Visualise this life force as it gradually circulates through your body, stimulating and recharging each nerve centre as it flows from your head to your feet.

Continue the exercise for 10 to 15minutes. If you can’t do it in the open air, do it in a well-ventilated room with the window open.

During this meditation, breathing should be calm, steady and regular. Breathe in through your nostrils, gently and deeply, and out through your mouth, forming it into an “O” as if you were trying to make the flame of a nearby candle flicker.

·          Eat your breakfast joyfully.

The quality of the "chi” that you absorb in in this way is excellent and entirely egenerating.

There is an alternative form of this breathing exercise, which is also very powerful:

- Place your left hand on your navel for 5 seconds;

- Breathe in, then hold your breath for 5 seconds;

- Breathe out for 5 seconds. Imagine your abdomen like a luminous sphere being recharged with "chi” at each breathe.

- Do this for 10 to 15 minutes.