Leading with the Energy!
I am going to share a very helpful Qigong breathing technique during my next Five Element Sync. This breathing method helps relieve anxiety and opens the heart to establish an energetic connection between the mind and body. This gives me the perfect opportunity to highlight a crucial principle in Qigong that I call, leading with the energy, which you can read about below.
Join me in the Sync
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Qigong Principle, Energy Breathing
The principle is very simple, and it’s based on the idea, where your attention goes, energy flows. To expand on this principle I encourage you to practice leading with the energy.
If I ask you to breathe into your abdomen, or breathe into your chest, you’ll probably just try to inflate that area of your body. This is how we typically breathe and is what I call, leading with the physical.
Leading with the physical isn’t wrong, or bad in any way. However, when I ask you to lead with the energy, this means to not concern yourself with your physical body, at first. Instead, if I ask you to breathe into your lower abdomen, focus your attention deep in the center of your lower dan-tien (an energy center in your lower abodomen) – wherever you feel is your “true center,” which you can only find intuitively. Or if I ask you to breathe into your chest, don’t take a breath right away. Instead, focus on the very center of your middle dan-tien, deep in the center of your chest. In this way you are focusing on your energy body.
Now, all you need to do is keep your attention on your center, whether you’re focusing on your abdomen or your chest, or any other location you’re intending to send energy to. Don’t worry about your breath, just let it come naturally. Keep focusing on the center, and imagine a point of light there. Focus on the energy!
As you practice this, the energy is going to accumulate wherever you’re focusing. Be patient and let the energy build. Soon enough, your breath is going to follow the energy. The energy is going to build, and it’s going to lead your physical body to breathe into that location. This is leading with the energy, and it will greatly enhance the efficacy of your breathing and the healing power it brings to your body and mind.
There’s a very helpful affirmation you can utilize to help you with this kind of breathing, and it helps you keep your attention on the center. It goes like this (just repeat the affirmation in your mind, you don’t need to say it out loud):
Affirmation
Breathing in, I feel my chest
Breathing out, I hold onto my center
Or, if you focusing on your lower abdomen:
Breathing in, I feel my lower dan-tien
Breathing out, I hold onto my center
This affirmation helps you keep your attention on your center both on your inhale and your exhale, so that you’re center receives a continuous charge of energy. As that charge builds, your breathing is going to flow more and more naturally to that location, and you won’t even have to do the breathing “on purpose,” the energy makes it happen.
Benefits
Leading with the energy has two benefits you’ll notice right away.
- First, focusing your attention on the energy centers and dan-tien of your body helps you to find these locations and experience them energetically, as opposed to just having an understanding based on a diagram you see in a book or an image you see online.
- Second, it allows you to experience the power of your mind and energy. When you lead with the energy the breath is much more natural, healing, and expansive. Eventually, by adding an intention to your breath, your breathing can be not only physical and energetic, but also spiritual in nature.
Let’s Practice!
I hope you can join me in my next Five Element Sync and apply this principle through practice! When you subscribe to my email list you can join the Sync for free, or receive a free download of the recording if you’re not able to attend live.
Enjoy your Practice!
