Breathing

Breath (Nafas or Qi) is a metaphor for self (Nafs or Shen) in healing and spiritual world.

Breathwork in TICM is not just about oxygenation of our vital energy, Blood and body tissues. It is well beyond that one of the principal means of self-regulation and self-cultivation. The more depth and breadth to your breath, the greater presence one gains to their bodily sensations and emotions, and greater the sense of self accessed.

Let us take time in our day to connect to our breathing. It will ground us and it will open the doors to our Heart.

For my TICM colleagues, those of us who practice Qi Gong, now is a critical time for us to practice Qi Gong for each and every one of our body organs to strengthen us.

For everyone else and patients who do not practice Qi Gong, below are some breathing techniques:

1) Gently place one hand over your forehead and the other at the base of your skull keeping your eyes closed and focus on your breath.

2) Keeping your eyes closed, move your hands to rest gently over your throat. Use this as a remedy to sooth from within.

3) Place your hands over your Heart space and take a moment to focus on your breathing into the palms of your hands. Right hand over the left.

4) Move one hand down to your lower abdomen below the umbilical (Dan Tian). Keep your focus as you continue to breathe while connected to your chest and lower abdomen (Dan Tian).

5) Now move both hands to rest n your lower abdomen. Pay attention to the way your belly enlarges as you breathe in and retracts when you breathe out. Inhale. Exhale.

6) Create a fist, relax your index and middle finger over your third eye (Yin Tang), in between your eye brows. Release your baby finger and thumb covering your right nostril in and out. Next cover your left nostril in and out. Next cover your left nostril with your baby finger releasing your thumb and then breathe in and out through your right nostril. Repeat this few times.

Note: For Muslims, I have an amazing book by Asif Baba called The Quran and Meditation. Asif is UK based and you will have to contact him direct for the book.