Which breathing method to use with different arts

[Anonymous]

I do the Taoist Med Circle and Tao te Ching meditations daily. I am also in the Hsing i and tai chi mastery pgms both. I do the breathing exercises on both CDs but am not sure which breathing to use with which art…and when to use it. Any advice much appreciated.
For ex: I do santishih. which breathing would work with that to enhance it.
I walk the circle doing single palm. which breathing(s) would go with that?
Is it possible BKF could answer this on one of the forums?
Thanks, Ron

[Anonymous]

hello there- just a quick thought, it seems you have a bunch of info- aspects of Bruce’s teachings, the trick is how to integrate them, and appropriate combinations for practice.

Some systems seem to mentally-coordinate, this with that, and certain “Diagnozed” combinations (specific chigung for a certain person- that custom tweaks their system) vs a general development… and they use a “plan” to integrate. [which is more what could be called the intellectual “first method” neo-tao, vs a system from the “water method” old-school-tao, tapping a deeper resonance.] I find rather than using a Plan to integrate, another way is to use the body- the physical practice to integrate everything.

In short- separate first and then combine- or doing a base “container” say “rough circle walking” (as before it is refined, and always refines abit futher, it is rough.. always look back and think- gee I thought I understood that, now looking back, I see so much more)…

so “rough” circle walk, and choose a certain component.. keep the rest not-falling apart and not diffusing (your alignments so you aren’t hurting your knees, but you aren’t focusing upon alignments.. just enought that they work) – in this case the chosen component: breathing. (which have a separate practice of being still- stand, not “standing practice” but stand as in stand-in line, or just there- and breath, or sit.. ie where you aren’t doing anything else
so you can just focus on “breathing” then once you can “Walk” and “Chew gum” at the same time… you can focus upon Walking to refine the walking as you walk… or Let the Walking happen sort of on-auto, while you focus upon breathing….. (and contrast that with while sitting, and thirdly with Walking- not worrying about breathing… switch back and forth: focusing/developing)

So if doing Longevity breathing, key being more stuff moving (ala TaiChi Classic- “one part moves, all parts move; any part stops, all parts stop.” -ie not force intestines to protrude, as interp of breathing with belly, but the movement in front of spine from diaphram flows through the flesh.. it needs time to soften, release and fluidify)… so doing where more of your flesh is moved and involved by breathing (both breathing “moves” fluids in your flesh & moving the tissues and fluids in your flesh assists and drives “opens up” the breathing)… thus your walking changes. A step is no longer swinging your leg from the hip (fold/unfold) but there is a noticable change in shape (bend/strecth) with a slight buoyant elasticness, which the breathing supports, and that sort of stepping supports the breath deepening..
(all this can/does open up capillary circ, as well as CTS (connective tissue structural) connection- which can be tingley, awkward, even uncomfortable as more releases/strains (even uncon- suppressed tension released- floods up?) .. if this is even, it works out.. for me, it is always stuck and then “weakest link” releases in one part.. while stuck in the rest, so uneven opening contorts out of balance.. so readjust.. etc. Part of int’l training..

—I write all that, as many breathing systems seem to imply it is just a matter of learning a rote-coordination.. If could do the in here, and then out there- could at once be doing a practice, vs I’ve learned the Taoist practices actually require (and produce) a physical change over time (in the same way that “explaining” all the details of how a marathon runner moves, one can’t go and do- there is training that Changes to the body- espec feet and cardio-vascular system… like wise Heavy-weightlifting… tendon/lig development…). So breathing (which feeds into and is in turn driven by the other neigung systems- like KaiHe, or Twisting/turning, or sinking/let-go

I find the TaoTeChing Principles could be read as think-feel imagery or concept.. but take me to understandings that zap me each time.. I find I can relate them to some standing, but more so in sitting (and “CouchPotato chigung” ie getting all neigung active, with least ‘movement of limbs”).. and it definitely shows up indirectly in other practices (the development is there), vs directly do while working Splitting fist (for me)….
but my recent understanding of say “feeling/contacting” the CentralChannel is so much more than it was when I first learned of it . [it isn’t a line, even as a concrete sensation that, I’d call, “Centerline corespondence in the physical” .. while the CL channel (or even side channels R&L) are 6th&7th ebodies..) so in short, how get a sense of that, and “Breathe in relation to that”.. let alone move around and “move-from” those lines? -which really impact, say CloudHands.. wire it in there (and seeing from-through- by the LowerDantien, in standing) and then it starts to “show up” in SanTi as well as in walking.. or say in G.Playing

I hope some of that might help, of if you are looking for a specific result/application for your sit, that you might find someone that can help guide you. luck in your practice

[Anonymous]

to answer your Q simply – Reverse Breathing.
But, the fact is, the topic of breathing is a continuum from normal belly to belly and back to belly/back/sides and on and on until you get to where you can do reverse breathing. so, work the stage of breath control that you are at, but ultimately you’ll want to work the reverse breath.
Steve

[Anonymous]

I appreciate the input guys. Am I getting it mostly correct when I say “do the level of breathing you are at (I use Longevity DVD) and as you progress with the breathing, then that method is the one to apply to the qigong, Hsing i, Bagua and tai Chi movements…up to the point where you can do reverse breathing with these different arts?
So I am currently doing the breathing with the sides on the DVD. Then would I, after working on the breathing 15 minutes, stand up and if I’m working on Hsing i that day…do my hsing i using the side breathing I practiced earlier?

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