Out through nose or out through mouth

[IronFist]

When you guys breathe, do you breathe out the nose or mouth. If the answer is "sometimes one way, sometimes another way," please elaborate as to which method is for which kind of practice.

Cuz I've heard knowledgable people say each way is correct, even for something like standing post qigong or hugging the tree or whatever you call it.

Thanks,

IronFist

[Repulsive Monkey]

ideally to breathe in and out through the nose is correct. The other way isn't as such incorrect but can have a slightly different function. Its like if you'red tired or out of breath people tend to gulp in through the mouth c'os its the quickest way to compensate for the oxygen debt the y have built up over sudden strenuous action. To create internal stillness one doesnt really want to create too much of an adrelin-ready state so a constant longth breath is required and is tapered through both breathes being limited through the nose which has more of a controlling factor on the rate and efficieny of respiration than to the mouth.

[dwid]

" Cuz I've heard knowledgable people say each way is correct, even for something like standing post qigong or hugging the tree or whatever you call it."

I think this hits the nail on the head. Find what's comfortable for you. As long as you're breathing abdominally, I don't really think it matters much. In standing post/hugging the tree, I was taught to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. It's comfortable to me. When you exhale through the nose, sometimes something can dislodge and you end up with an unwanted hitchhiker on your arm or something. :D

[dezhen2001]

for soft Qigong, our breathing is natural in and out through the nose... also when doing Siu Lim Tao too...

for hard qigong, we swallow air through the mouth down to the stomach and then breathe out thru the nose... it has a very different function on the body.

both are for different things specifically... do u have a qigong sifu? I'm guessing not if ur asking this question?

good luck :)
dawood

[woliveri]

I believe each type of exhale has a purpose. For breathing in, unless your nose is clogged, you should always use the nose. This brings qi to the brain better than through the mouth. I have qi Gong exercises which employ exhaling both through the nose and through the mouth. To exhale through the mouth, it is my opinion, the purpose is either to release excess heat and/or release bad qi. Otherwise, exhaling through the nose will be fine.

[IronFist]

To create internal stillness one doesnt really want to create too much of an adrelin-ready state so a constant longth breath is required and is tapered through both breathes being limited through the nose which has more of a controlling factor on the rate and efficieny of respiration than to the mouth.

Oi, that was a long sentence :eek:

In standing post/hugging the tree, I was taught to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

Isn't it awkward to exhale through the mouth with the toungue touching the upper ridge thingie (I forgot the name... the place where you put it in qigong)?

for hard qigong, we swallow air through the mouth down to the stomach and then breathe out thru the nose... it has a very different function on the body.

I assume you don't mean literally swallowing air, cuz that makes me burp! Haha, I think I know what you mean, tho. I believe "swallowing the air" is the phrasing Wing Lam uses too. I could be thinking of something else tho.

both are for different things specifically... do u have a qigong sifu? I'm guessing not if ur asking this question?

You are guessing correctly!

IronFist

[GLW]

One major method of breathing for Qi Gong is to breathe in through the nose. While inhaling, the tongue touches the roof of the mouth.

When you breathe out, you exhale through the mouth and nose while the tongue drops breaking the connection to the roof of the mouth.

There are other ways to breathe.

The real thing is that at some point in the process the tongue MUST touch the roof of the mouth.

The other must is that it MUST be natural and not forced.

There are Qi Gong methods that force air in or out and do packing. However, these methods are the ones that tend to have the highest incidence of side effects.

[dezhen2001]

Ironfist & GLW: interesting information!

iron: Actually it is literally sucking and swallowing as much air as you can... sometimes it makes me burp too, but not if i do it properly ;)

GLW: i understand what you are saying... the breathing is specific for gathering a lot of Qi to the dantian and using it for developing power. it creates a lot of heat in the body because of the breathing mainly and also the physical training. thats why meditaiton is very important and a major part of my hard qigong training.

Also when breathing out thru the nose (depending on the method of breathing out - we have 3), it is generally very explosive and helps us develop the explosive connection of the body we need for hard qigong and health. But when doing that, the tongue does touch the roof of the mouth... interesting :)

Agreed about side effects for this, as the breahting method is VERY powerful. Because there is a lot of heat created and it brings up your energy, it can be hard to get 'grounded' so to speak again, which is why we do Shou Gong and meditation after each practise for as long as we can. i have heard of some people training iron shirt and hard qigong before who didn't and became irritable, angry and damaged themselves. Again for this a Sifu is most important :)

thanks,

dawood