Taoist and Yoga Breathing Exercises

Many kinds of breathing exercises and practices are being offered today through books, CDs, videos, DVDs, magazines, newsletters, teachers, therapists, and so on for health, healing, and self-transformation. Many of these exercises and practices, which involve some kind of breath control, have been taken from ancient traditions such as Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, and so on. Yet they are often presented as though they can safely stand on their own. While some of them can, many traditional yoga breathing and Taoist breathing exercises have specific purposes that can only come to fruition in the context of the traditional teachings and perspectives of which they were a part.

Many people ask, "Is there one approach that is better than another? Should I study Taoist breathing or should I study pranayama (yoga breathing)? What approach should I take?" My answer to such questions is "it all depends." As I have clearly stated in my books, CDs, and other writings, the first step is to learn to breathe in a free, healthy, and natural way. Depending on what your specific breathing problems are and the approach and goals of your teacher or therapist, studying yoga breathing or Taoist breathing may or not not be of much help in learning natural breathing, and in some cases, can even exacerbate your problem.

Rediscovering your own natural, authentic breath is not just a matter of reading a book or taking a weekend workshop or going to yoga or qigong classes. What's more, even if you learn the principles of natural healthy breathing through a book or workshop or classes, it can take many months of practice and help from others before you are able to integrate these practices into your daily life. And until you can breathe spontaneously and freely in a natural way, there is little point in learning advanced Taoist or yoga breathing exercises such as "reverse breathing" and so on. In fact, learning the advanced breathing exercises of yoga breathing or Taoist breathing before you can breathe in a natural, harmonious way can sometimes even harm your breathing for the long term.

In my work, I don't teach yoga breathing or Taoist breathing, though I have studied both, but rather I explore some of the main principles of natural, authentic breathing. Putting these principles fully into action, however, takes far more than just working with appropriate breathing exercises. It also takes time, awareness, sensitivity, and perseverance. It may also need the help of someone who can do hands-on work to help you open up the various breathing spaces of your body and find a more harmonious coordination between your various breathing muscles.

There are some safe, simple breathing exercises, however, that can not only support that work in the long term, but can also immediately help with problems of stress and anxiety that many of us face in today's fast-paced world. You can find such exercises in the books listed below in this lens, as well as on the website Authentic Breathing Resources. The important thing, however, is to keep it simple. Advanced or complicated Taoist or yoga breathing schemes, including reverse breathing, breath holding, fast breathing through alternate nostrils, and so on can be immensely useful for someone who breathes naturally and freely and is practicing these exercises as part of larger psycho-spiritual perspective. But these same exercises undertaken by people who are not ready for them (and many people aren't) can cause serious problems, and can even undermine your health.

See the module below for a very basic breathing exercise with which to begin, one that can be found in many traditions and which, over time, can help you experience the full breath of the breath of life in your own daily activities. This practice will support not only your overall health, but also your quest for self-transformation and Self realization.

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Dennis Lewis, a longtime student of the Gurdjieff Work, Taoism, and Advaita, teaches the transformative power of presence through breathing, qigong, meditation, and self-inquiry. He is the author of The Breath of Presence: Awakening to Who You Really Are, Free Your Breath, Free Your Life, The Tao of Natural Breathing, and the three-CD audio program Natural Breathing.