Master Tse’s Qigong Dao #17

Normal and Reverse Breathing順呼吸，逆呼吸

As I have talked about before, the Dantian 丹田 is the centre of the body and it is not just a point. It is like a ball inside the body and the more we use it the fuller, firmer and stronger it becomes. It is not like a muscle as it is the Qi that makes it firm and strong, but the most important thing is that we use it. When we are standing straight, the Dantian connects with the top of our head and the feet and when we move, the arms and legs must also connect with the Dantian. Then in the long term, the Dantian will become stronger.

We must also breathe with the Dantian, this means the Dantian will move when we breathe in and out. Sometime when we breathe in the Dantian will expand out and sometimes it will contract in. Sometimes when we breathe out it will expand out and sometimes it will contract in. These all connect with the Dantian.

When we breathing normally the Dantian will expand out when we inhale and when we exhale it will go in. We call this Normal Breathing順呼吸. But in certain movement and when doing some special breathing techniques, it will go the opposite way. So the Dantian will go in when we inhale and go out when we exhale. We call this Reverse Breathing逆呼吸. Normal and Reverse Breathing are used a lot in Qigong.

Michael Tse