The Tao of Natural Breathing (26 page)

going beyond the

See also
self-sensing

self-sensing

as acceptance of what is

actions and senses and

attention and

body as microcosm of universe

and

defined

effects of

effortless effort and

emotions and

of energy

energy centers and

exercises for

following the breath

health and

immune system and

importance to breathwork

inhalation and exhalation and

inner and outer breath and

levels of

listening to the body

microcosmic orbit centers and

nervous system and

new impressions and

organs and

perceptual freedom and

perceptual reeducation and

quality of breathing and

self-knowledge and

self-transformation and

smiling breath and

spaciousness and

spiritual growth and

tension and

three kinds of breath and

whole-body breath and

wholeness and

will vs.

self-transformation, self-sensing and

Selver, Charlotte

sensing oneself.
See
self-sensing

sensory awareness.
See
awareness, sensory/organic; self-sensing

sensory cortex

septum

serotonin, negative ions and

sexual activity

energy centers and

as stimulation

sexual center, of microcosmic orbit

sexual disorders

sexual essence

sexual organs, smiling into

shallow breathing

shen

sighing

silence.

See also
quieting; stillness

sinus congestion

sitting position

six healing exhalations

size of breath

skeletal structure.
See also
spine

sleep disorders

bad breathing habits and

emotions and

six healing exhalations and

stress and

small brain center.
See
jade pillow

small intestine

location of

peristalsis of

sensing the

See also
irritable bowel syndrome

small orbit.
See
microcosmic orbit

smiling

chemistry of

healing and

inner smile

voluntary vs. involuntary

smiling breath

smoking

sneezing

Sobel, David

solar plexus

abdominal breathing and

energy center in

microcosmic orbit and

opening the

somatic amnesia

sore throat

sound, breathing exercise using

spaces, breathing

spacious breath inner smile and

spaciousness

speech.
See
talking

spine

diaphragm and

lengthening

parasympathetic nervous system

and

releasing tension in

sensing breath of

smiling into

spirit

breath as

energy of (shen)

spiritual growth

breath and

health and

microcosmic orbit and

nature and

negative emotions and

self-sensing and

shen and

spaciousness and

yin and yang and

See also
awareness

spiritual muscle.
See
diaphragm

spleen

digestive breathing and

location of

sensing the

six healing exhalations and

smiling into

solar plexus center and

Taoism and

squatting

standing position

stars

energy of

shen and

sternum

stillness.
See also
quieting; silence

stimulation

excessive or inadequate

need for new

stomach

digestive breathing and

location of

sensing the

six healing exhalations and

solar plexus center and

stress

abdominal muscles and

attention and

attitudes and

chronic illness and

coping does not solve

diaphragm and

emotions and

energy centers and

expansion of awareness and

health and

natural breathing and

organs and

pH of blood and

rate of breathing and

spacious breathing under

See also
tension

struggle.
See
will

stubbornness

suffocation, feeling a sense of

superficial breathing.
See
shallow breathing

suppressed emotions

sympathetic nervous system

adrenal glands and

diaphragm and

emotions and

hyperventilation and

T

tai chi

talking.

See also
communication

tan tien cleansing breath

tan tiens

Tao

defined

natural breathing and

See also
Healing Tao

Taoism

bellows breathing and

breath and energy and

chi and

energy channels/meridians and

five elements of

inner alchemy and

law of least effort

longevity and

macrocosmic orbit and

microcosmic orbit and

natural breathing and

negative emotions and

negative ions and

opening body areas and

organs and

polarity of heaven and earth and

saliva and

sensory awareness and

six healing exhalations and

smiling and

spaciousness and

tan tiens and

three treasures of

vital breath movement and

Taoist abdominal (reverse) breathing

T-cells

television

tension

in abdominal muscles

attention and

brain and

breathing exercises and

cleansing breath and

clearing from energy channels

diaphragm and

effort and

emotions and

energy centers and

energy wasted by

expansion of awareness and

health and

hyperventilation and

microcosmic orbit and

organic awareness and

in organs

pH of blood and

quality of breathing and

rate of breathing and

relaxation and

releasing deep

self-sensing and

smiling breath and

tan tien cleansing breath and

toxins and

Westerners and

See also
stress

thalamus

third eye.
See
pituitary center

thoracic cage

thoracic phase of breathing

thoughts.
See
mind

throat

opening and clearing passages in

sore

throat center, of microcosmic orbit

thymus gland

heart center and

smiling into

thyroid gland

Tibetan Buddhism

tissues.
See
organs/tissues

tobacco

tongue

six healing exhalations and

touching to roof of mouth

tonsils

toxins

bad breathing habits and

bellows breathing and

cleansing breath and

clearing from energy channels

six healing exhalations and

smiling breath and

tan tien cleansing breath and

tension and

whole-body breath and

trachea

transformation.
See
alchemy; self-transformation

triple warmer

trust

U

ulcers

ultradian rhythm

universal force

unknown, embracing the

upper breathing space

upward pull

See also
will

uterus, referral of pain in

V

vagus nerve

vena cava

vertigo

victim, feeling of being a

vigilant relaxation

viruses

visualization, neuropeptides and

vital breath, circulating the

vitality

adrenal center and

artificially induced

attitudes and

breathing and

chi as

diaphragm and

kidney center and

negative emotions and

self-sensing and new impressions and

sexual essence and

six healing exhalations and

spaciousness and

tan tien cleansing breath and

See also
chi; energy

volume of breath

W

warnings, about breathing exercises

weather, emotions and

Weber-Fechner psychophysical law

well-being.
See
health

Westerners

energy and

will and relaxation and

wheel of life.
See
microcosmic orbit

whole-body breath

wholeness

all-inclusive

breathing and

healing and

health and

perceptual reeducation and

self sense and

going beyond the self sense

self-sensing and

spaciousness and

will

effortless effort vs.

negative effects of

self-sensing vs.

Westerners and

wisdom of body

wonder

worry

wu chi

XYZ

yang channel.
See
governor channel

yang and yin
. See
yin and yang

yawning

yin channel.
See
functional channel

yin and yang

breathing and

defined

energy of life itself and

health and

infinite space between

inhalation and exhalation and

natural breathing and

original chi and

polarity of heaven and earth and

self sense and

spiritual growth and

vital breath and

yogic breathing techniques

yogic complete breath

Zen Buddhism

The Tao of Natural Breathing: For Health, Well-Being, and Inner Growth
,

copyright © 1997 and © 2006 by Dennis Lewis. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from Rodmell Press, 2147 Blake St., Berkeley, CA 94704-2715; (510) 841-3123, (510) 841-3191 (fax),
www.rodmellpress.com
.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
Permissions are on page 187.

eISBN : 978-1-930-48577-8

A WORD OF CAUTION

The practices in this book are not intended to replace the services of your physician, or to provide an alternative to professional medical treatment. This book offers no diagnosis of or treatment for any specific medical problem that you may have. Where it suggests the possible usefulness of certain practices in relation to certain illnesses or symptoms, it does so solely for educational purposes—either to explore the possible relationship of natural breathing to health, or to expose the reader to alternative healing approaches from other traditions, especially the Taoist tradition of China. The breathing practices outlined in this book are extremely gentle, and should—if carried out as described—be beneficial to your overall physical and psychological health. If you have any serious medical or psychological problem, however—such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, mental illness, or recent abdominal or chest surgery—you should consult your physician before undertaking any of these practices.

Text set in New Baskerville 9.5/14

Distributed by Publishers Group West