Welcome to the practice of Dantian breathing.
This practice is drawn from the Qigong tradition and it invites the body to remember its natural breathing pattern that we all knew as children.
Dantian breathing can be practiced in any position,
Standing,
Seated,
Lying down,
Even as you're gently walking.
If you're familiar with the practice,
You are welcome to assume any position.
If you are new to the practice of Dantian breathing,
My suggestion is to come to a lying down position on your back so as to create maximum ease in your body.
If you're choosing to lie down,
Consider placing a pillow or a bolster under your knees and make sure that you are warm.
Wherever you are,
Invite the energy now to turn inwards,
Perhaps closing the eyes if it's appropriate for your environment.
We'll begin with a gentle breath awareness,
So noticing where in your body you feel the breath.
Can you release any judgment or any thoughts about how you think the breath should be,
Whether it's right or wrong?
Can you simply observe the way the breath is received and released by the body?
No need to change anything.
Notice if the breath is fast or slow today,
Smooth or choppy.
Does it feel complete at each part of the cycle or does it feel hurried from one inhalation to the exhalation to the next inhalation?
Let's allow our awareness now to migrate to the area that we call in Qigong the Dantian or the lower Dantian.
It is located in the lower belly,
Just below the navel,
Halfway between the front and the back body.
If you'd like,
You can take your hands now and place them on your lower belly,
Or if you are seated or standing,
Might consider placing one hand on the abdomen and the other on your lower back,
Cradling the Dantian if you wish between your hands.
The intention of Dantian breathing is to allow the breath to be born out of the Dantian,
To arise from the center of the Dantian,
And then to return back to the Dantian.
So as if we are not breathing through our nose,
Through our lungs,
But we are breathing directly in and out of the center of the Dantian,
This powerful energetic center of our body.
The energy chi that comes in with the breath is being drawn directly into our reservoir of chi in the Dantian.
Without forcing the breath in any way,
Introduce this visualization of the breath arising with inhalation from the center of the Dantian,
Expanding to all sides,
And as you exhale the breath returns,
Folds in on itself,
And condenses back towards the center of the Dantian.
If your hands are on your belly,
You might begin to feel that as you inhale the belly gently expands outwardly,
And as you exhale the belly gently retracts.
If you have one hand on the belly,
One hand on the back,
You might begin to sense that as you inhale both belly and back expand outwardly,
And as you exhale both belly and back retract towards the center.
There's nothing to be forcing here.
We are simply allowing the body to remember this natural way of breathing and allowing the expansion of the belly and the back and the contraction of the belly and the back to occur naturally.
If you don't feel the expansion and the contraction today,
Don't worry about it.
Just continue to visualize that it is happening.
You may also wish to visualize the breath as a ball of light in the center of the Dantian,
And as you inhale this ball of light grows and expands in all directions,
And as you exhale the ball of light returns to the center of the Dantian,
Becomes smaller,
Folds on itself until the next inhalation comes in and the light expands again,
And with exhalation it contracts once more,
Creating this pulsation of light and breath originating from and returning to the center of the Dantian.
If the visualization is supportive for you,
You might imagine that the ball of light with each inhalation grows a little bit bigger and then returns fully with each exhalation to the Dantian and grows a little bit bigger still on the next inhalation such that your whole body begins to be immersed in the ball of light when you are full of breath,
Full of air at the top of your inhalation before releasing fully and returning back to the source at the center of the Dantian.
And with the next inhalation your whole body,
Each cell fully illuminated by this light once more.
I will offer you now a few minutes in silence experiencing this natural Dantian breath.
You are welcome to remain within the space of this practice for as long as is supportive for you.
If you would like to close the practice together now,
Let your awareness gather once more in the center of the Dantian,
Releasing any of the visualizations that you are exploring,
Just feeling the breath in your belly and become aware of the skin of your body,
The physical boundary between yourself and the space around you.
Beginning to gently introduce movement maybe to your fingers or toes,
Your eyes can remain closed.
Let the movement slowly grow bigger,
Maybe taking a stretch with the arms overhead,
Maybe taking a yawn.
If you're lying down,
Gently make your way over to one side,
Pausing there.
If you're standing,
Maybe bringing your arms behind you,
Holding one wrist with the other hand,
Taking a few gentle small circles with your hips,
Feeling the feet on the earth,
Massaging the soles of your feet,
Changing directions.
From the floor,
Lying down,
Pressing both palms into the earth,
Making your way gently up to seated position.
Taking your palms together and rubbing them,
Creating a little bit of heat,
Placing the palms over your closed eyes,
If your eyes are still closed,
And opening your eyes ever so slowly within your cupped palms,
And sensing the light behind your palms coming into your eyes,
And then slowly taking the hands away,
Allowing the outer world to return to your awareness.
Allowing yourself a look around your space to ground yourself in the place where you are,
Taking the time before moving back out into the world.
Thank you for your practice.
Namaste.
