Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong breathing technique

I read the manual first then viewed the video. Thought there was a misprint until I saw the tape. He describes a breathing technique where you contract the lower abdomen while inhaling & relax it during exhale. Somehow I can't get it. I know how to do abdominal breathing. When I've tried this, I end up doing intercostal breathing (upper lung only; expanding & contracting the ribs). Has anybody figured out how to do this and can provide a better description?

It took me a very long time to figure this breathing technique out. Just read it over & over & watch the video.

It's a slight pull in & then breathe so that your lower belly expands. Then w/ the exhale & at the end relax that top part that was pulled in.

Yes, i really can do it so that it's natural. I am telling the truth.

Do a search for QiGong using Pete's id. He discussed it a long time ago.

I found 5 postings from Pete (Bissonnette) and none addressed the breathing technique. Can you be more specific?

Have watched the section on the video several times and I cannot tell what he's doing. Frustrated.

I'll try. The part in the video where he slightly pulls in & tightens. Put your hand on that spot & tighten there a little so that you can feel it w/ your hand.

Then do a belly breath--at the same time--keeping that part where your hand is tight.

So the lower abdomen expands BUT that one spot stays contracted.

When you exhale, release that spot under your hand last.

[This message has been edited by Margaret (edited October 25, 2001).]

I still felt QiGong was successful w/o that special breath. I wish i knew how important it was to the overall practice.

Obviously, it is worthwhile, but just how worthwhile for beginners. I was not able to breathe like this & did not feel i should put pressure on myself to do so.

I only <<< use this breath for the moving of Yin/Yang. It's too much for me to do it w/ the other exercises at this time.

I don't have any problems with the breathing but I have done Pilates before and it is somewhat similar. It makes a lot of sense to me because your lungs are in your back and it is the area that is most responsible for the breath. When you inhale and pull in your stomach you automatically pull the breath into the back lungs. This will really strength the lungs and your overall engery levels. It helps if you stand in front of a mirror and watch your back expand instead of your chest.

What?! My back is supposed to expand? I don't think my back is expanding. Am i doing this correctly?

Claire, please write some more on this.

I would suggest to follow the advice of holding the right hand on the lower abdomin and feel it pull in *slightly*, filling up the rest of the abdomin and the rest of the upper torso. Then naturally release the breath from upper torso down and finally release the slight hold on the lower abdomin. Before I "got it", I would end up getting all tense in my breath while focusing on it. What I did was feel it as above for the first three breaths of the exercise/meditation, then let it go and was just with the breathing through all the pores of my body. This relaxed me, gave my body a model with out pressure or stress. Later that week I noticed that I was doing it naturally throughout my meditations/exercises w/o thingking. (p.s. the same thing happened with the "holding of the tounge at the roof of my mouth"). Show kindness to yourself. -Shawn

Shawn, it was not my understanding that the lower abdomen is contracted. It appears that the upper abdomen is contracted & the lower expanded. That's what i saw on the video.

margaret,
I may be totally wrong but when doing Pilates you breath into your upper back and keep your chest still. Now, this immediately made sense to me as I can tell you than when an asmatic has an attack (me) you feel it in your back, mostly. It is where your lungs hurt. So, I understood when we were told that is the location of the lungs and this would make them stronger. From doing Pilates (and looking in a mirror) I can now breath that way. (But you only do it doing the exercises). So when I learned QiGong, it just seemed to me that when pulling in the abdomen, you were breathing into your back. Try it, I don't see how the chest can rise when you do it. So, this is my interpretation which may be wrong. Maybe Pete will explain--