This Qi Gong breathing technique is a variation on the basic core body breathing form that I posted in my previous article on the Creative Qi Gong blog. The difference with this breathing form is that, rather than taking our body in general as the object we take the cells of our body and cellular structure as the specific object of our focus. This is a breathing form that I have developed myself, but it is very much in line with many of the other Qi Gong breathing techniques that you might be taught in a class or read in a good Qi gong book.
Description:
Either seated or in the Qi Gong standing posture (Wu Qi posture) spend a few moments relaxing your mind and body, breathing naturally. Now tune into the cellular structure of your body, from the crown of your head down to the tips of your toes, try and intuitively see or feel all of the individual cells within your minds eye. Within the center each of each cell there is a tiny point of light and energy, which is the energetic core of the cell. Breathe light and energy in and out of the core of each cell as you breathe in and out.
As with core body breathing, there are two ways of practicing this breathing form, natural and reversed:
Natural
To practice the natural form, as you breathe in imagine light and energy expanding from the core of the cells of your body, lighting up the whole cell like a light bulb. Then, as you breathe in, feel light and energy moving from the edge of the cells back into the core or central point of each cell. Practice for say 2-5 minutes.
Reversed
To practice the reversed form, as you breathe in feel light and energy moving into the core or central point of each of the cells of your body. As you breathe out, feel light and energy expanding from the core of the cells out toward the edges of the cell, lighting each cell up like a light bulb. Practice for 2-5 mins.
I find that some people seem to feel more comfortable practicing the natural form of core body/cellular breathing, whereas others prefer the reversed form. This is more a matter of preference than anything else, but I would recommend that you develop the ability to be comfortable with both as they are complementary to each other, and doing one will enhance the effect of the other and vice versa.
© Toby Ouvry Jan 2010, please do not reproduce without permission.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Core Body Breathing: Natural and Reverse Forms.
This is an update of the original core body breathing article that you can find HERE
Core body breathing is a form of breathing that I find particularly useful when practicing Qi Gong as a method for developing a sense of mind-body synchronization. It is also an excellent way of developing a general awareness of Qi or energy within our body, facilitating the gradual opening and unblocking of our subtle bodies' energy channels and meridians.
It promotes an overall sense of balance and well being within our physical and psychological self. It works very well to dissipate stress and tension that has built up within our mind and body over time.
Like the other forms of Qi Gong breathing, it can be practiced on its own as a meditation form in its own right.
What do we mean by the ‘core’ of the body?
In this context, the ‘core’ of the body means the energetic center-point of any given area of the body.
With regard to the head, neck and torso, you could say that there is a core, a center-line of balance that runs from the crown of our head, down through the center of our brain, neck, chest and abdomen to the perineum (the mid point between the sexual organs and the anus).
With regard to the arms and hands, their core can be visualized and felt as a line of energy that runs down from the shoulders, through the center point of the upper arms, elbow joints and forearms. After passing through the wrists, it then splits into five lines of energy that flow down through the hands into the fingers and thumb.
In a similar way with regard to the legs and feet, their core can be seen and felt as two lines flowing down the center of the legs from the hips, each line splitting into five lines within the feet which pass down though the center point of each of the toes.
Your bodies core can be visualized as a line of light running through out the center of your head, torso and limbs as described above.
Practicing core body breathing
Core body breathing can be practiced in two styles, normal and reverse.
''Normal'' core body breathing.
This exercise can be done seated or by adopting the foundational Qi Gong standing posture. Allow yourself a short while to get comfortable, and then become aware of your body's core as described above. Focus particularly on the core of your body from the sacral area up to the mid-higher chest area. As you breathe in, feel your body's Qi in the form of light and energy expanding outwards from your body's core, moving out to the surface of your body and into your energy field, so that by the time you reach the top of your inhalation you feel as if your body is surrounded by a field of energy and light, forming a sphere or egg shape around the body, and extending perhaps 30cms from the surface of the skin.
As you breathe out, feel the light and energy contracting back towards your core, so that by the time you reach the bottom of your inhalation you feel as if your Qi has become condensed and focused within the ore of your body.
Repeat for 2-5 mins.
''Reverse'' core body breathing.
As you breathe out, feel light and energy moving from the core of your body our toward the surface of your skin, and then beyond it about 30cms so that by the time you finish your exhalation you feel as if your body is surrounded by a sphere or egg of energy and light. As you breathe in, feel that light and energy moving in toward your bodies core, so that by the time you have finished breathing in you feel as if all your Qi has become condensed and focused within the core of your body.
Repeat for 2-5 minutes.
© Toby Ouvry 2010, please do not reproduce without permission.
Core body breathing is a form of breathing that I find particularly useful when practicing Qi Gong as a method for developing a sense of mind-body synchronization. It is also an excellent way of developing a general awareness of Qi or energy within our body, facilitating the gradual opening and unblocking of our subtle bodies' energy channels and meridians.
It promotes an overall sense of balance and well being within our physical and psychological self. It works very well to dissipate stress and tension that has built up within our mind and body over time.
Like the other forms of Qi Gong breathing, it can be practiced on its own as a meditation form in its own right.
What do we mean by the ‘core’ of the body?
In this context, the ‘core’ of the body means the energetic center-point of any given area of the body.
With regard to the head, neck and torso, you could say that there is a core, a center-line of balance that runs from the crown of our head, down through the center of our brain, neck, chest and abdomen to the perineum (the mid point between the sexual organs and the anus).
With regard to the arms and hands, their core can be visualized and felt as a line of energy that runs down from the shoulders, through the center point of the upper arms, elbow joints and forearms. After passing through the wrists, it then splits into five lines of energy that flow down through the hands into the fingers and thumb.
In a similar way with regard to the legs and feet, their core can be seen and felt as two lines flowing down the center of the legs from the hips, each line splitting into five lines within the feet which pass down though the center point of each of the toes.
Your bodies core can be visualized as a line of light running through out the center of your head, torso and limbs as described above.
Practicing core body breathing
Core body breathing can be practiced in two styles, normal and reverse.
''Normal'' core body breathing.
This exercise can be done seated or by adopting the foundational Qi Gong standing posture. Allow yourself a short while to get comfortable, and then become aware of your body's core as described above. Focus particularly on the core of your body from the sacral area up to the mid-higher chest area. As you breathe in, feel your body's Qi in the form of light and energy expanding outwards from your body's core, moving out to the surface of your body and into your energy field, so that by the time you reach the top of your inhalation you feel as if your body is surrounded by a field of energy and light, forming a sphere or egg shape around the body, and extending perhaps 30cms from the surface of the skin.
As you breathe out, feel the light and energy contracting back towards your core, so that by the time you reach the bottom of your inhalation you feel as if your Qi has become condensed and focused within the ore of your body.
Repeat for 2-5 mins.
''Reverse'' core body breathing.
As you breathe out, feel light and energy moving from the core of your body our toward the surface of your skin, and then beyond it about 30cms so that by the time you finish your exhalation you feel as if your body is surrounded by a sphere or egg of energy and light. As you breathe in, feel that light and energy moving in toward your bodies core, so that by the time you have finished breathing in you feel as if all your Qi has become condensed and focused within the core of your body.
Repeat for 2-5 minutes.
© Toby Ouvry 2010, please do not reproduce without permission.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Smiling to the Inner Organs Meditation
This is a fifteen minute recording of a meditation that we have been doing quite a lot recently in the Qi Gong classes. It is a fundamental Qi Gong meditation form for clearing the internal organs of negative or congested Qi within the bodily organs, and helping them to become positively charged and healthy. People at the clases have been mentioning how helpful they found it, so here it is for you to listen to at leasure! (click on link below)
Smiling to the Inner Organs Meditation
Smiling to the Inner Organs Meditation
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Incremental Breathing
Incremental breathing is a way of using the breath to both energize and or relax our mind and body. Taking a few of these breaths at regular times during our day can really make a difference to the quality of our life, as well as making us more aware and empowered with regard to how we can influence the energies of our mind, body and nervous system for the better using such an easy technique. Incremental breathing can be practiced on the inhalation when we want to energize our body, and on the exhalation when we want to calm and relax our body and nervous system.
Practicing either of these two forms of breathing will be enhanced if we are first bringing our center of gravity down low into the belly, and breathing with the whole lung, as explained in the basic Qi Gong breathing article published earlier.
Incremental breathing on the inhalation.
As you breathe in divide your inhalation into three even lengths or 'sips' as follows:
Breathe into about 25% lung capacity, pause*, breathe in to about 50% of lung capacity, pause, breathe into about 75% of lung capacity, pause. By this time your lungs are comfortably full. Then, breathe a long, slow exhalation. Repeat 3-9 times.
(*the pause here should be short, a half second or one second max).
Once you have become used to the above technique, as you are inhaling incrementally, feel all the cells of your body becoming more and more energized as you inhale, so by the time you reach the top of your inbreath, your whole body feels full of Qi /energy.
Incremental breathing on the exhalation.
First take a long, measured inbreath to about 75% of your lung capacity, so that your lungs are comfortably full. Then, as you breathe out, divide your outbreath into three even lengths:
Breathe out to about 50% of lung capacity, pause, breathe out to about 25% of lung capacity, pause, empty remaining air from lungs, pause. Repeat 3-9 times.
Once you have become used to the basic process of incremental breathing on the outbreath, as you breathe out incrementally, feel your whole body becoming progressively more and more relaxed.
Once you have practised them individually, you can combine these two techniques together, so that you are breathing in incrementally to energize your body and mind, and then breathing out incrementally to relax your body and mind. The result is a very pleasant combined experience of energy and relaxation that we can take into and use in our life.
For the insomniacs among you, this type of breathing can be good to combine with the ''Hands on the belly to relax the brain'' technique in the article preceding this one on the creative Qi Gong blog.
© Toby Ouvry 2009 please do not reproduce without permission.
Practicing either of these two forms of breathing will be enhanced if we are first bringing our center of gravity down low into the belly, and breathing with the whole lung, as explained in the basic Qi Gong breathing article published earlier.
Incremental breathing on the inhalation.
As you breathe in divide your inhalation into three even lengths or 'sips' as follows:
Breathe into about 25% lung capacity, pause*, breathe in to about 50% of lung capacity, pause, breathe into about 75% of lung capacity, pause. By this time your lungs are comfortably full. Then, breathe a long, slow exhalation. Repeat 3-9 times.
(*the pause here should be short, a half second or one second max).
Once you have become used to the above technique, as you are inhaling incrementally, feel all the cells of your body becoming more and more energized as you inhale, so by the time you reach the top of your inbreath, your whole body feels full of Qi /energy.
Incremental breathing on the exhalation.
First take a long, measured inbreath to about 75% of your lung capacity, so that your lungs are comfortably full. Then, as you breathe out, divide your outbreath into three even lengths:
Breathe out to about 50% of lung capacity, pause, breathe out to about 25% of lung capacity, pause, empty remaining air from lungs, pause. Repeat 3-9 times.
Once you have become used to the basic process of incremental breathing on the outbreath, as you breathe out incrementally, feel your whole body becoming progressively more and more relaxed.
Once you have practised them individually, you can combine these two techniques together, so that you are breathing in incrementally to energize your body and mind, and then breathing out incrementally to relax your body and mind. The result is a very pleasant combined experience of energy and relaxation that we can take into and use in our life.
For the insomniacs among you, this type of breathing can be good to combine with the ''Hands on the belly to relax the brain'' technique in the article preceding this one on the creative Qi Gong blog.
© Toby Ouvry 2009 please do not reproduce without permission.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Hands on the Belly to Relax the Brain.
This is another very simple technique that I use often in order to calm and reduce conceptual activity and center myself fully in my body. I use it most frequently when my mind is whizzing when I lie down to go to sleep at night, or if I want to take a quick nap during the day and want to move into a state of relaxed non-conceptuality relatively fast. It can be done sitting, standing or lying down:
Simply place your hands one on top of the other on your belly, just beneath your belly button. Close your eyes, relax the brain and simply focus on the feeling of warmth that the resting hands create on the lower belly. If you like you can imagine that the lower belly area is like a magnet, and that energy from the brain is gently being attracted down into the torso by the pull of this magnet. However, to be honest I find that this is not necessary, the natural sensation of the hand on the belly does the work for you, without you having to do a lot else!
© Toby Ouvry 2009 please do not reproduce without permission.
Simply place your hands one on top of the other on your belly, just beneath your belly button. Close your eyes, relax the brain and simply focus on the feeling of warmth that the resting hands create on the lower belly. If you like you can imagine that the lower belly area is like a magnet, and that energy from the brain is gently being attracted down into the torso by the pull of this magnet. However, to be honest I find that this is not necessary, the natural sensation of the hand on the belly does the work for you, without you having to do a lot else!
© Toby Ouvry 2009 please do not reproduce without permission.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Free Form Breathing - Allowing your Body Conscousness to Decide
One very simple technique that can be used in order both to prepare for Qi Gong exercise and also as a general calming and grounding meditation exercise is as follows:
Simply ask your body how it wants to breathe in order to find its point of balance, relaxation and calm. Then simply allow your bodies consciousness to guide the pace, depth and manner of your breathing for a few minutes.
In this exercise rather than imposing a technique or form upon our breathing and body, we allow our body consciousness to guide us in the breathing pattern IT needs to do most in order to find centered-ness, relaxation and calm. It may decide that we need to breathe in short bursts with an emphasis on the outbreath, it may guide us toward long, evenly spaced breathing or whatever (you may be a little surprised!). The point is that we are allowing our body consciousness to do it, rather than dictating to our body what the rhythm should be.
Once we have done this for a short while you will find that your mind and body are calm and centered, and you can go onto engage in whatever activity you then wish with a much greater sense of poise and presence of mind.
© Toby Ouvry 2009 please do not reproduce without permission.
Simply ask your body how it wants to breathe in order to find its point of balance, relaxation and calm. Then simply allow your bodies consciousness to guide the pace, depth and manner of your breathing for a few minutes.
In this exercise rather than imposing a technique or form upon our breathing and body, we allow our body consciousness to guide us in the breathing pattern IT needs to do most in order to find centered-ness, relaxation and calm. It may decide that we need to breathe in short bursts with an emphasis on the outbreath, it may guide us toward long, evenly spaced breathing or whatever (you may be a little surprised!). The point is that we are allowing our body consciousness to do it, rather than dictating to our body what the rhythm should be.
Once we have done this for a short while you will find that your mind and body are calm and centered, and you can go onto engage in whatever activity you then wish with a much greater sense of poise and presence of mind.
© Toby Ouvry 2009 please do not reproduce without permission.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Solar Qi Gong Meditation
This is a meditation that is designed to connect to and move energy from three solar sources through our body and energy system, and in particular though our middle, upper and lower dan tiens. The three solar sources are the sun that is the center of our solar system, the molten solar core of the earth and our own solar center located in the center of the chest (middle dan tien).
Once you are familiar with it you will find that solar energy is a particularly powerful form of Qi which can be used to great healing, clearing and regenerating effect within our physical, energetic, soul and spiritual bodies.
Begin by sitting in a comfortable meditation posture in a chair with your feet comfortably on the floor, or standing in the Qi Gong standing posture. Settle your mind and body with a few relaxed deep breaths.
Be aware of the Sun that is the center of our solar system, see it as being directly above your head in the sky.
Now send your awareness down into the center of the earth, feel the sun within the center of the earth.
Now feel into the center of your chest, somewhere between the level of your heart and the level of your solar plexus (it varies slightly for different people, go with what you feel regarding precise location), see a beautiful ball of solar light/fire there, the sun within the center of your being.
Focusing on the sun above you in the sky. See a line of light now descending to the point above the crown of your head. See being formed there a powerful and bright miniature sun.
Now see a line of light from the sun within the earth extending up to the point immediately beneath your feet. See a bright and powerful miniature sun
being formed immediately beneath the soles of your feet.
Now see the miniature sun above the crown of your head descend and locate itself in the center of your brain and head area (upper dan tien), so that it is almost like a halo surrounding your head and neck.
Focusing on the miniature sun beneath the soles of your feet, see it rising up your legs and locating itself in the center of your sacral area, just above the hips (lower dan tien).
You now have three suns locates in your lower abdomen, heart and head respectively.
See the lower sun in your abdomen rising and merging with the sun at your heart. Now see the sun in your head descending and merging with the sun at your heart.
See the lower sun continuing to rise from the heart and coming to rest in the head. See the upper sun continuing down from the heart into the lower abdomen.
Now the ''sun in the lower abdomen'' and the ''sun in the head'' have exchanged places.
After holding this visualization for a while, see the both suns gradually descending and/or ascending from where they now are back to their original positions in the head and the lower abdomen, so that the three suns are now back in their original positions.
Now see the three suns merging and forming a unified column of light from your pelvis all the way up to the crown of your head. Hold this visualization for a short while, then see the light expanding out into your whole body and energy field, until eventually you feel as if you have a very bright sun surrounding and interpenetrating your entire body and being, the center of which is in the middle of your chest. You can either hold this visualization for a while, or if you like direct the solar energy/light to any areas of your body that may need it for healing purposes. You can also send it to people or places that you may want to assist in any kind of healing process.
Finnish in your own time, ensuring that you have connected and grounded yourself fully back in your physical body before getting up and moving on.
© Text Toby Ouvry 2009, please do not reproduce without permission.
Once you are familiar with it you will find that solar energy is a particularly powerful form of Qi which can be used to great healing, clearing and regenerating effect within our physical, energetic, soul and spiritual bodies.
Begin by sitting in a comfortable meditation posture in a chair with your feet comfortably on the floor, or standing in the Qi Gong standing posture. Settle your mind and body with a few relaxed deep breaths.
Be aware of the Sun that is the center of our solar system, see it as being directly above your head in the sky.
Now send your awareness down into the center of the earth, feel the sun within the center of the earth.
Now feel into the center of your chest, somewhere between the level of your heart and the level of your solar plexus (it varies slightly for different people, go with what you feel regarding precise location), see a beautiful ball of solar light/fire there, the sun within the center of your being.
Focusing on the sun above you in the sky. See a line of light now descending to the point above the crown of your head. See being formed there a powerful and bright miniature sun.
Now see a line of light from the sun within the earth extending up to the point immediately beneath your feet. See a bright and powerful miniature sun
being formed immediately beneath the soles of your feet.
Now see the miniature sun above the crown of your head descend and locate itself in the center of your brain and head area (upper dan tien), so that it is almost like a halo surrounding your head and neck.
Focusing on the miniature sun beneath the soles of your feet, see it rising up your legs and locating itself in the center of your sacral area, just above the hips (lower dan tien).
You now have three suns locates in your lower abdomen, heart and head respectively.
See the lower sun in your abdomen rising and merging with the sun at your heart. Now see the sun in your head descending and merging with the sun at your heart.
See the lower sun continuing to rise from the heart and coming to rest in the head. See the upper sun continuing down from the heart into the lower abdomen.
Now the ''sun in the lower abdomen'' and the ''sun in the head'' have exchanged places.
After holding this visualization for a while, see the both suns gradually descending and/or ascending from where they now are back to their original positions in the head and the lower abdomen, so that the three suns are now back in their original positions.
Now see the three suns merging and forming a unified column of light from your pelvis all the way up to the crown of your head. Hold this visualization for a short while, then see the light expanding out into your whole body and energy field, until eventually you feel as if you have a very bright sun surrounding and interpenetrating your entire body and being, the center of which is in the middle of your chest. You can either hold this visualization for a while, or if you like direct the solar energy/light to any areas of your body that may need it for healing purposes. You can also send it to people or places that you may want to assist in any kind of healing process.
Finnish in your own time, ensuring that you have connected and grounded yourself fully back in your physical body before getting up and moving on.
© Text Toby Ouvry 2009, please do not reproduce without permission.
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