Extracted from Part Four of The Art of Breathing book

By giving your serious consideration to the 50 questions and answers in Part Four, you will share an understanding of problems that others have experienced in their breathing practice. As a student or future teacher or healer, this sharing will give you added insight into helping yourself as well as others. The list that follows identifies each question/answer by its number and its page number(s) in the book and with a brief description of its content.

1.     Principles of chi yi - see page 163 
Chi Yi is a term I coined. Translated literally, it mean breath art or the art of breathing. Anything taht we learn to do well can become an art. My message is very basic: Breathe well, and other skills and benefits will follow. Without this basic skill, there can be no great performance nor can there be great health. read more .... in the book...

2.     What is chi? - see page 164
In chi kung preactice, the word chi represents the very basic vital energy of mankin and the universe. Chi kung teaches a healthy lifestyle, meditation, and body movements to acqure dan tien breathing, or breathing to and from the cradle of the core. more.....

3.      Chi and religion - see page 165
Chi is and invisible element like the wind, the chill, or the heat. An abundance of chi circulating within the human body represents health, and the shortage or stagnation of it brings on sickness. The condition of our chi represents the condition of our internal atmosphere. more....

4.     Is breathing a natural instinct? - see page 166
Breathing is a natural instinct, but that does not mean that we naturally do it as well as we can. There is always room for improvement. Humans have learned to improve on many instinctive activities. We have learned to run faster, jump higher, sing better, and even chew more efficiently. more ...      

5.     A common mistake in breathing? (shallow) - see page 167
One of the most common mistakes people make is breathing shallowly. Humas are born to breathe deeply, a process sometimes referred to as abdominal breathing. If you watch a sleeping baby, you will notice that its stomach rises and falls with each breath. more ...

6.      Signs of a shallow breather ( shallow breathing ) - see page 168, also 13, 171, 174, 182, 219
The three most obvious signs of a shallow breather are: -Erroneously expanding the abdomen when exhaling and pulling in the stomach when inhaling. To breathe deeply, imagine the abdomen as a balloon. when you breathe in air, the ballon inflates, and it deflates when you blow out air. Don't worry about the fact that air never really enters the stomach. For a factual explanation, refer to the Accordion Imagery Drill on page 13. more ...

7.      Are there breaks between breaths? - see page 169
It depends on what you consider a break to be. A breath consists of one inhalation and one exhalation, or one exhalation and on inhalation. Either definition is correct as the two lead into one another. Breathinng can be pictured as a continuous loop of open circles, one leading into the other. They are not individual circles. You may take you tie as you change from breathing up the loop to breathing down, but I would not necessarily call those transitions breaks more....

8.      Explaining correct deep breathing ( abdominal ) - see page 170, also 13
It is important to undertand the function of the abdominal musles in the act of breathing. Lets take a look at Figure 1 on page 11. Locate the diaphragm, which is the strip of mucle that separates the lung cavity from the stomach cavity. the diaphragm is the floor on wich the lungs sit. The diapragm is also the abdominal dome. this dome is manipulated by the abdominal walls, or abdominal muscles. more...

9.      Explaining incorrect shoulder breathing ( shallow ) - see page 171, also 13, 14
Throughout life, especially during childhood, we unconsciously imitate those around us-our peers, parents, teachers, and others. For many good reasons, people routinely recommend taking a big breath and then demonstrate this visually--by lifting their shoulders.  Since breathing is mostly an internal act, it is difficult to act out. Shoulder-lifting, misguiding as it is, seems to be the only available gesture to suggest breathing. more ....

10.  Breathing through the nose or mouth - see page 172, also 15
Most of the time we tend to breathe in and out through the nose. After all, the nose is the main entrance for breath. I generally recommend breathing through the nose--whenever it is practical and do-able--for everyday breathing. more ...

11.  Air pollution - see page 172, 174
Breathing involves both inhalation and exhalation. Think of the process as exhale and inhale. Compare it to emptying a container before refilling it. If you do not exhale thoroughly, you wont be capable of inhaling completely. more ...

12.  Tongue tension blocks airflow - see page 174
I frequently refer to the tongue as the meter that measures the tension in a persons body. Take a moment to check the condition of your tongue. Is you tongue pulled back, away from your front teeth, tensed, and in a lup? If that is the case, you are not relaxed right now although you may think that you are. more...

13.  Dealing with gum sensitivity ( healing ) - see page 175

14.  Jaw and neck tension - see page 176, 177

15.  Clearing nasal congestion ( healing ) - see page 178

16.  Physical discomforts and aging - see page 179, 180

17.  Lower back pain - see page 182, also 141

18.  In a wheelchair ( physical handicap / disability ) - see page 183

19.  Emphysema - see page 185, 186 also 36, 38

20.  Asthma - see page 186, 187

21.  A smoker ( smoking ) - see page 189

22.  Parenting and chi ( parental / child guidance ) - see page 189

23.  A child holds her breath ( holding breath )- see page 190

24.  The hearing impaired ( deafness ) - see page 191

25.  Occupational hazards - see page 192, 193, also 77-90

26.  A raspy voice ( singer / speaker / actor ) - see page 194, also 174

27.  Body language ( poise ) - see page 195, also 123, 146

28.  Body tension ( relaxation ) - see page 196, 197, also 56, 83

29.  Body workers ( therapist) - see page 198

30.  Breath interruptions ( gasping ) - see page 200

31.  Out of Breath ( shortness of breath ) - see page 201, 202

32.  Enhancing sports ( athletics - tennis / golf / martial arts / dancers / actors) - see page 203

33.  Traffic jam anxiety ( tensions ) - see page 204, 205

34.  Cleansing the lungs - see page 205, 206, also 152, 153

35.  Insomnia - see page 208, 209, also 147

36.  Convalescence ( healing ) - see page 210

37.  Fragrance and inhalation ( Aroma Therapy ) - see page 211, 212

38.  Exercising and breathing - see page 212

39.  Centering ( poise ) - see page 214

40.  Voice volume (soft / loudness )- see page 215, also 50

41.  Shyness ( confidence ) - see page 216

42.  Speech and aging - see page 217, 218

43.  Gasping for breath - see page 219, also 44, 194

44.  Posture - see page 220

45.  Big and small deep breaths - see page 222, also 3

46.  A singer and stage fright ( nervous ) - see page 222

47.  A trumpet player ( wind instrument) - see page 224

48.  Laughter ( through exhalation ) - see page 225

49.  An expedient pick-me-up ( energy booster ) - see page 226

50.  A question for the author - see page 228