Feet and Crown Breathing

In qi gong the soles of our feet are the main interface or energy gateway between our bodies and the qi of the earth. Conversely, the crowns of our heads are seen as a major gateway between ourselves and the energy of the sky and stars, or ‘heaven’.
In order to encourage the flow and exchange of qi between ourself and the earth we can practice ‘breathing’ through the soles of our feet. In order to do this, simply focus your attention on the soles of your feet. As you inhale, imagine yourself breathing in qi from the earth, like a tree drawing energy up through its roots. As you exhale, imagine and feel yourself breathing energy down into the earth.
In order to encourage the flow of energy between ourself and the sky, visualize a small golf-ball sized ball of light at the crown of your head. As you breathe in, feel yourself inhaling qi and energy from the sky down into your body. As you breathe out, feel energy flowing out of your crown and connecting with the sky.
Once you have a feeling for the flow of qi flowing through the soles of your feet and the crown of your head, you can then go onto practice ‘core body breathing’, or what I call ‘full body breathing’. Whilst practicing these either of these two types of breathing, retain a particular awareness of the energy gateways at the crown of your head and the soles of your feet.
To practice ‘full body breathing’ simply means to feel that, as you breathe in every cell of your body is breathing in and taking in new qi and energy. As you breathe out, every cell of your body is releasing old or stagnant qi, and allowing new qi to flow and expand through itself and our whole body. So, with full body breathing we are breathing with our whole body, and not just with our nose, mouth and lungs!