Qigong Practice Diary 59
Four Key Points for Beginners Practicing ‘Heaven and Earth Natural Health Qigong’ (Part 2 of 1)
Discovering the reverse abdominal breathing method is the correct breathing technique for practicing ‘Heaven and Earth Natural Health Qigong’. Mastering the reverse abdominal breathing method is the essential path to mastering ‘Heaven and Earth Natural Health Qigong’. This has been a profound realization in my practice of Qigong. It can be said that recognizing and understanding the decisive significance of the reverse abdominal breathing method for practicing ‘Heaven and Earth Natural Health Qigong’ means I have reached the starting point of learning this practice. Engaging in reverse abdominal breathing requires enhancing the body’s upward force to contract the abdomen and expand the chest to inhale fresh air. Along with the exertion of this upward force, a natural stretching force is generated from outside the body to inside, from the outside to the inside. This stretching force is key to achieving the absorption of the life energy of nature through the skin and is the core of practicing ‘Heaven and Earth Natural Health Qigong’.
Coordinating the actions of reverse abdominal breathing is the first key point in practicing ‘Heaven and Earth Natural Health Qigong’. The breathing method of reverse abdominal breathing requires, during inhalation, to forcefully contract the abdomen and push up the diaphragm, thereby promoting the expansion of the chest to inhale fresh air. The three key points for inhalation in reverse abdominal breathing are contracting the abdomen, expanding the chest, and lifting the diaphragm. During exhalation, relax the abdomen to return to its original position, relax the chest to release the expanded state, and allow the diaphragm to relax and descend back to its original position while exhaling waste gases from the body. The three key points for exhalation in reverse abdominal breathing are naturally relaxing the abdomen, the thoracic cavity, and lowering the diaphragm back to its original position. Only by coordinating the three key actions during inhalation and the three actions during exhalation can one smoothly complete the entire process of reverse abdominal breathing. This requires time and diligent practice; for example, contracting the abdomen and expanding the chest are completely opposite movements. Only by repeatedly practicing and understanding the key points can one achieve mutual coordination and fully master the reverse abdominal breathing method.
Consciously enhancing the stretching force to assist in achieving meridian breathing is the second key point in practicing ‘Heaven and Earth Natural Health Qigong’. Practicing reverse abdominal breathing must focus on enhancing the upward force of the body. The purpose of practicing reverse abdominal breathing is to cultivate the upward lifting force of the body, but increasing this lifting force is not the end goal; it is merely a means to enhance the stretching force. The stretching force is the direct driving force for achieving meridian breathing; without the stretching force, meridian breathing is impossible, and one cannot absorb the life energy of nature. Practicing reverse abdominal breathing and enhancing the upward lifting force is the goal, and the stronger the lifting force, the stronger the resulting stretching force. The stronger the stretching force, the more likely it is to effectively assist meridian breathing to become a reality, and in the ongoing practice of ‘Heaven and Earth Natural Health Qigong’, one will increasingly absorb the life energy of nature. Cultivating a powerful stretching force is key to achieving ‘Heaven and Earth Natural Health Qigong’.
This article introduces the first two of the four key points for beginners practicing reverse abdominal breathing in ‘Heaven and Earth Natural Health Qigong’. The next article will introduce the remaining two key points. (Log in to WeChat public account QGAIJ20230301 to read all of the author’s works) 2025/3/3 (Month)