Serenity Tai Chi and Fitness

In my Tai Chi classes this week, we focused on breathing, specifically Dan Tian breathing. One of the most important lesson was… Don’t stop breathing. Breath is life.

Learning Dan Tian breathing can be challenging as it can be quite different to how you normally breathe as you will use muscles not usually thought of as being involved in breathing.

In his video, Dr. Paul Lam explains the beneficial effects Dan Tian breathing has on body, mind and spirit.

Start with a few breaths first, even just one is enough, then build up to say a set of 3 times 3 Dan Tian breaths, taking a few normal breaths between each set. Take note of how your core and pelvic floor muscles work, how your lower (floating) ribs expand.

The Dan Tian is essentially our centre of gravity, but also our storehouse of energy. In Tai Chi all movement goes through and is directed by the Dan Tian. It is where the power and energy of our movements comes from. 

I practice Dan Tian breathing daily, a few breaths here and there, standing, sitting or lying. It doesn’t really matter. You can practice it anywhere. Although I wouldn’t recommend doing it when driving, maybe before you start your engine is okay.

I also like to use Dan Tian breathing to settle my nervous system, to calm mind chatter and to help me relax. How do you feel when you practice Dan Tian breathing? I’d love to find out.

If you would like to find out more about the Dan Tien and the philosophy behind it, check out this video 🙂