Breathing from the Dan Tien

[mkriii]

Got a question. What is the correct way to breath from the dan tien? I heard a few different ways, just trying to see what most people here do. I've heard that you are supposed to extend it out or expand it when breathing in and bring it in when exhaling. Or is it the opposite?

[sanjuro_ronin]

It would depend on what you are trying to do.

[Lucas]

depends on your dicipline.

[mkriii]

It would depend on what you are trying to do.

for chi gong, specifically standing chi gong

[Lucas]

this could depend on whether the qigong is coming from classical taoist or buddhis methods.

but per your original question, both ways are used redily by many people. and both ways are correct.

from what I understand, I am certainly not an expert on the subject.

If you get by a bookstore yang jwing ming has a couple good books that describe the differneces in detail.

The Roots of Chinese Qigong is a good place to start for information.

http://www.amazon.com/Root-Chinese-Kung-Secrets-Ymaa/dp/0940871076

[sanjuro_ronin]

for chi gong, specifically standing chi gong

Too add to what Lucas said, it still depends.
Reverse breathing tends to "heat things up" and if that is the goal of your standing Qi Gong, then fine.
If the goal is chi circulation, that is somethign else.
If your goal is chi cultivation, something else.
Etc, etc.
Visualization is crucial.

[mawali]

Got a question. What is the correct way to breath from the dan tien? I heard a few different ways, just trying to see what most people here do. I've heard that you are supposed to extend it out or expand it when breathing in and bring it in when exhaling. Or is it the opposite?

I think alot of people confuse the mysticism of kungfu breathing (whatever that means) with the reality of health and fitness. The common sense reality is that chest breathing is shallow. We can get away with it when we are young but as we age, we need to be more efficient breathers as breathing from the lower belly (diaphragm) and a good reference point is lower dantian (qihai), an area as opposed to just a point.

Look at the longest lived people in the world. They do not worry about how to breath or how they should breath because do breath naturally. They are active, they do stuff and they live life as a new day every day.

[mkriii]

I think alot of people confuse the mysticism of kungfu breathing (whatever that means) with the reality of health and fitness. The common sense reality is that chest breathing is shallow. We can get away with it when we are young but as we age, we need to be more efficient breathers as breathing from the lower belly (diaphragm) and a good reference point is lower dantian (qihai), an area as opposed to just a point.

Look at the longest lived people in the world. They do not worry about how to breath or how they should breath because do breath naturally. They are active, they do stuff and they live life as a new day every day.

How about when doing Ba Qua (Monkey BaQua)? Is there a certain way in which you should breath when doing this? This particular type of BaQua is linear not circular although we still paractice walking the circle