Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Tai Chi Tuesday: Bone Marrow Breathing


Many of my clients and friends do not get enough sleep. Adults need seven to eight hours of  sleep a night. Sleep deprivation is a huge cause of weight gain, not to mention lack of mental focus. However, when you need a quick pick-up, consider bone marrow breathing.

Make no mistake: what I am proposing is not a substitute for sleep. But if you get a bit run-down during the day, put aside 15 minutes to try this breathing method.

You may have heard your tai chi, qi gong and yoga instructors teach abdominal breathing. This is different.

Bone marrow breathing is reverse abdominal breathing, and it works like this: 
As you inhale, gently pull your stomach in and up. 
On the exhale, gently press your stomach downward, compressing the diaphragm. 

The breaths should be smooth — and not forced. The body needs to be relaxed.

Inhaling for more time than the exhale is a great way to pull energy into the body.
Conversely. exhaling a bit longer than the inhale produces greater chi outward and can be converted to jin (power).

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