Optimize your breathing for improved energy, calmness and relaxation!

Breathing is an important means to keep your energy stores well topped up and in good condition.

Optimizing your breathing also has a calming and relaxing effect. It is highly effective in bringing you in the present moment and calming down your mind. Therefore, it is helpful to improve sleep and settle down fear, anxiety and stress. It is also powerful in relieving pain.


WHAT HAPPENS WITH YOUR ENERGY AS YOU BREATHE?

When you optimize your breathing, more oxygen reaches your cells. Apart from that, your life force energy improves and gets replenished as well. In Yuan Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine we call life force energy Qi.

  • When you breathe in, your life force energy, or Qi, comes into your body.
  • As you breathe out, Qi flows out of your body.

Just as with air. The difference is that air comes in through your lungs only. Qi however comes in through your lungs as well as through the pores of your skin.


A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE BREATHING EXERCISE

I like to share a breathing exercise with you that helps to top up your energy stores.

When you make this exercise a habit you will be able to replenish your energy or Qi stores at any time!

To be able to do this exercise you need to know where the most important energy storage place is in your body.

This place is called Lower Dantian, which is the Chinese word for ‘energy centre’ or ‘sea of Qi’.

Lower Dantian sits in the centre of your abdomen, is two fists big and the highest point of its upper border is level with the belly button.


DANTIAN BREATHING

Sit down in a comfortable position and relax your whole body. With your eyes closed go through your whole body, each part and consciously relax it. Then imagine that your energy is like an energy bubble that can stretch as wide and far as the universe. Imagine it gets bigger and bigger, as if it is a huge beach ball. When it reaches far into the sky or between the stars imagine your energy and the energy of the universe are merging. As they merge you bring your focus back into your abdomen. While the whole energy bubble sinks into your abdomen (the whole big ball becoming a small ball now) the energy from the universe fills your whole body.

Now keep breathing naturally, do not change the rhythm of your breath, but with your awareness follow your breath. When you breathe in, your focus is in the centre of your abdomen and when you breathe out, the energy bubble stretches out into the universe. If it is difficult you can visualize reaching into the blue sky, the space between the stars or above the mountains.

After practicing this for a while you might start to feel the energy flowing in and out.


MAKE IT A HEALTHY HABIT!

When you have done this a few times and have become familiar with it, you can do this way of breathing everywhere you are, but now with eyes open. Do it when you do the dishes, are driving the car, watching television, before you go to sleep, when you do your shopping, etc. Then it will become automatic.

This way of breathing gives a lot of energy! It is a very efficient way to replenish your energy stores while you do other things at the same time. It also brings you to a calmer state and relaxes your body and your mind at the same time. By becoming more present, clarity of your mind improves.

Learn more at my next Yuan Qigong Introduction Workshop

If you want to practice Dantian Breathing together and learn more, come to my next online Introduction Workshop, in which you will learn how to create a calm and relaxed state for daily life. You will ‘go home’ with effective and practical tools to re-balance yourself wherever you are. For more information see workshops and classes.


I LIKE TO ASK YOU A FAVOUR

Now I am curious to hear from how this resonates with you. Are you recognizing that your breathing is less than optimal? Do you feel inspired to improve it? How does this way of breathing feel for you? Do leave your reply in the comment box below, so we can all learn from your experience. Thank you so much!

Also, I like to ask you a favour. I like this blog to be interactive; a place where we can share experiences, learn from each other, and support each other.

To be able to do that I would love to hear from you what you need help with.

What do you want to know about building your energy levels and strengthening your self-healing abilities? And about overcoming anxiety, overwhelm and chronic pain? What are the problems you are struggling with? What keeps you from being truly healthy, happy and content? What are your biggest hurdles in life, your biggest fears? What do you need to know more of?

Your questions will be highly valuable for me, as they allow me to make the content of this blog highly worthwhile for you!

If you don’t want to put your questions in the comment box below, you can also email them to me here.

I am looking forward to your reply!

With love and gratitude,

Aiyanna Sophie

P.S. Would your friends benefit from my blog too? Do share it with them! Thanks so much!!

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