Tune Your Mind and Body
Learn the Ancient Art of Natural Breathing
Tuning your mind and body opens up your vision, sharpens your ability to think, and awakens the vital energy within you. Once you have established a constant rhythm that's with you all the time, any little devils you have built in the past will no longer be able to take control of your mind and body to produce fear, anger, or frustration.
Why Breathing Matters
The Breath as Life Force
Within your chest reside two lungs—the vessels through which vital energy enters your being. Each breath draws in the force that sustains every cell, every thought, every action.
Ancient wisdom: The ancient masters understood that mastering the breath brings clarity to the mind and vitality to the body.
Three Regions of the Lungs
- Lower region - Fills as the abdomen expands outward
- Middle region - Fills as the ribs widen
- Upper region - Fills as the chest rises
Most people breathe only into the upper region. True breath engages all three in harmony.
Getting Ready: Your Posture
The Foundation of Practice
Proper posture is the foundation upon which breath work is built. Standing tall allows the body to align naturally for energy to flow freely.
Posture Essentials:
Principle: When standing with proper alignment, breath flows unobstructed from the ground through your entire body, carrying vital energy throughout the system.
The Complete Natural Breath
Emptying the Lungs: The Abdominal Contraction
Engage the muscles along the sides of your abdomen to expel stale air.
(Cross-section view - looking down at your belly)
The Continuous Breath Rhythm
The Complete Breath
The ancient masters developed the Complete Breath—a method that fills the lungs entirely, from the lowest region to the highest, awakening the full capacity of your respiratory system.
The Complete Breath Process:
Before filling, one must empty. Exhale slowly through the nose, drawing the abdomen inward toward the spine, releasing all stale air. Complete emptying is the foundation of complete filling.
Place your hand on the abdomen. As you inhale through the nose, allow the abdomen to expand outward. The diaphragm descends, creating space for air to enter the lower lungs.
Continue the inhalation. Feel the ribs spread laterally as the middle region of the lungs fills with air.
Finally, allow the breath to rise and fill the upper region. The chest lifts slightly. The lungs are now fully charged with vital air.
Let the air flow out in reverse order—chest lowers, ribs contract, and finally the abdomen draws inward to expel the remaining air. This complete release prepares the way for the next full breath.
Key insight: The secret of the complete breath lies in the exhale. By fully emptying the lungs, you create the capacity for a truly full inhalation. Most never empty completely—and thus never fill completely.
The complete breath engages the full capacity of the lungs. Most people use only a fraction of their respiratory potential. This practice restores what has been lost.
The Power of Rhythm
Understanding Rhythmic Breathing
All of nature moves in rhythm—the tides of the ocean, the pulse of the heart, the cycle of day and night.
Rhythmic breathing aligns your breath with this natural order. When breath flows in measured rhythm, the mind settles and the body finds balance.
The Natural Pattern
the Science of Breath taught that breath should flow in waves. Counting maintains the steady rhythm:
The breath becomes a rhythm: Inhale for four counts, retain for two, exhale for four, rest for two. Then begin again.
Guided Practice
Watch a Real Practice
Adjust Your Rhythm:
Key Points:
- Breathe through the nose only
- Keep the shoulders released
- Empty completely first—draw the abdomen inward to expel all stale air
- Fill from bottom to top: abdomen, ribs, chest
- When exhaling, collapse fully by drawing the abdomen toward the spine
- If dizziness occurs, return to natural breathing
Benefits of the Practice
Mental Clarity
The mind becomes still, undisturbed by outer circumstances
Vital Energy
Awakens the body's natural reserves of strength and vitality
Sharpened Focus
Increased oxygen to the brain enhances concentration and learning
Physical Resilience
Deep breathing strengthens the body's natural defenses
Restful Sleep
Practice before rest to quiet the mind and deepen sleep
Inner Equilibrium
Rhythmic breathing cultivates a steady sense of well-being
"He who has perfect breathing has perfect control of the body."
When to Practice
The Path Forward
Foundation Complete
You have learned the fundamental principles of Natural Rhythmic Breathing.
Daily Practice
Mastery comes through consistent practice. A simple daily routine:
Sit in a quiet place with the spine erect
Empty fully (abdomen in), then fill: abdomen, ribs, chest. Exhale completely.
Inhale for 4, retain for 2, exhale for 4, rest for 2
Observe the calm that has settled within
Guiding Principles
- Begin with a few minutes each day
- Never strain or force the breath
- Patience is essential—progress comes gradually
- Fresh air enhances the practice—an open window is beneficial
- Always breathe through the nose