The Tao of Natural Breathing Part 4

The discovery of "new dimensions of s.p.a.ce within our immediate experiences" lies at the foundation of health and inner growth. Because our most immediate experience is the sensation of our own body, it is here that we can most effectively begin this discovery. The sensation of the body can be experienced at many different levels, and it is just this organic experience of various levels, of various densities of sensation, that begins to give us a taste of internal s.p.a.ciousness. These levels include the sensation of superficial aches and pains; the compact sensation of the weight and form of the body; the more subtle sensation of temperature, movement, and touch; the tingling sensation of the totality of the skin; the living, breathing sensation of the inner structure of the fascia, the muscles, the organs, the fluids, and the bones; and the integrative, vibratory sensation of the body's energy centers and pathways.

But there is one more level of sensation that we are given as our birthright. This is the all-encompa.s.sing sensation of openness that lies at the heart of being. As our sensation begins to open up, as we sense a broader frequency of vibration in our experience of ourselves (a vibration that includes instead of excluding), we come into touch with the sensation of the energy of life itself-before it is conditioned by the rigid mental, emotional, and physical forms of the society in which we live, and, even more importantly, by our own self-image. As we learn more and more about how to allow this direct sensation of life into our experience of ourselves, we feel a growing s.p.a.ciousness, a sense of wonder in which the restrictions of our self-image can begin to dissolve. It is the organic experience of this essential s.p.a.ciousness that embraces the various polarities and contradictions of our lives, the various manifestations of yin and yang, and allows them to exist side by side in our being without reaction. This inner, organic embrace, this sensory acceptance of everything that we are, frees not only our body but also our mind and feelings, bringing us a new sense of vitality and wholeness.

THE THREE BREATHING s.p.a.cES.

To experience this inner, organic embrace, however, requires that we begin to open up the various chambers of our being, allowing them to return to their original "large and roomy" condition. The most direct way to begin this process is to learn how to experience the essential s.p.a.ciousness of our breath and to guide this s.p.a.ciousness consciously into ourselves-into what Ilse Middendorf calls our "three breathing s.p.a.ces." These s.p.a.ces are the lower breathing s.p.a.ce, from the navel downward; the middle s.p.a.ce from the navel to the diaphragm; and the upper s.p.a.ce from the diaphragm up through the head (Figure 28). By learning how to breathe into and experience these s.p.a.ces, we begin to open to ourselves in new ways. We learn how to relax all unnecessary tension and to find dynamic relaxation, the ideal balance between tension and relaxation, in our own tissues-in the various boundaries of these s.p.a.ces. And this work, in itself, can bring about many important changes both in our perception of ourselves and in our health.

Figure 28 The idea of the three breathing s.p.a.ces coincides from an anatomical standpoint almost exactly with the concept of the "triple burner," or "triple warmer," in Chinese medicine. The triple burner is one of the basic systems of the body, a system with a name and a function but no specific form. It consists of an upper, middle, and lower energetic s.p.a.ce, each of which contains within it various organs. From the standpoint of Chinese medicine, the triple burner integrates, harmonizes, and regulates the metabolic and physiologic processes of the primary organ networks. It is a.s.sociated with the overall movement of chi and is also responsible for communication among the various organs of the body. It is my experience that consciously bringing the breath into each breathing s.p.a.ce, into each burner, and sensing the s.p.a.cious movement of the breath up and down through the s.p.a.ces and the organs within these s.p.a.ces, has a powerful balancing effect on my physical and psychological energies. If I work with this practice before I go to bed at night, it calms me and helps me sleep better; if I work with it during the day, it brings me a sense of greater relaxed vitality.

This work with the breathing s.p.a.ces of the body is extremely powerful. In writing about the results of her approach to the breath through working with the various breathing s.p.a.ces of the body, for example, Middendorf points out that "Through practicing and working on the breath we constantly create and experience new breathing s.p.a.ces. This enables the body to free itself from its dullness and lack of liveliness, so that it feels easy and light through the continuing breathing movement and filled with new power, it feels good and more capable. This dynamic way of breathing can lead to great achievement and success in every expression of life. With its healing power it also reaches symptoms, states of exhaustion, depressions. An increasing ability to breathe will prevent these states from occurring anymore."42 Whatever theoretical framework we may choose for understanding our work with breath, each breath we take is filled not only with the nutrients and energies we need for life, but also with the expansive, open quality of s.p.a.ce. It is this quality of s.p.a.ciousness, if we allow it to enter us, that can help us open to deeper levels of our own being and to our own inner powers of healing. In spite of its simplicity, however, s.p.a.cious breathing is not an easy practice to learn. Years of conditioning and "ignor-ance" have left us not only with many bad breathing habits, but, perhaps even more importantly, with little kinesthetic awareness of our own physical structure, and with how this structure hinders or supports our breathing. Without this inner sensation of our structure, any attempt to impose a new way of breathing-whether yogic, Taoist, or any other form-on our organism can only lead to confusion, and, potentially, further problems.

PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSTACLES TO AUTHENTIC BREATHING.

Once we begin to get in touch with the sensation of this structure, however, we will begin to become aware of the mental and emotional forces acting on our breath, on our own particular rhythms of inhalation and exhalation. This is a crucial aspect of any serious work with breathing, since it will show us the psychological obstacles to discovering our own authentic breath.

Our Inability to Exhale Fully According to Magda Proskauer, a psychiatrist and pioneer in breath therapy, one of the main obstacles "to discovering one's genuine breathing pattern" is the inability that many of us have to exhale fully. Whereas inhalation requires a certain amount of tension, exhalation requires letting go of this tension. Full inhalation without full exhalation is impossible. It is important, therefore, to see what stands in the way of full exhalation. For many of us, what stands in the way is often what is no longer necessary in our lives. Proskauer points out that "Our incapacity to exhale naturally seems to parallel the psychological condition in which we are often filled with old concepts and long-since-consumed ideas, which, just like the air in our lungs, are stale and no longer of any use."43,44 She makes it clear that in order to exhale fully we need to learn how to let go "of our burdens, of our cross which we carry on our shoulders." By letting go of this unnecessary weight, we allow our shoulders and ribs to relax, to sink downward into their natural position instead of tensing upward. Full exhalation follows quite naturally.

Our Inability to Inhale Fully Those of us who are unable to exhale fully in the normal circ.u.mstances of our lives are obviously unable to inhale fully as well. In full inhalation, which originates in the lower breathing s.p.a.ce and moves gradually upward through the other s.p.a.ces, one's abdomen, lower back, and rib cage must all expand. This, as we have seen in earlier chapters, helps the diaphragm, which is attached all around the bottom of the rib cage and anch.o.r.ed to the spine in the lumbar area, to achieve its full range of movement downward. For this to happen, the muscles and organs involved in breathing must be in a state of dynamic harmony, free from unnecessary tension. But this expansion is not just a physical phenomenon, it is also a psychological one. It depends on both the wish and the ability to engage fully with our lives, to take in new impressions of ourselves and the world.

Freedom To Embrace the Unknown Full exhalation and inhalation are thus most possible when we are free enough to let go of the known and embrace the unknown. In full exhalation, we empty ourselves-not just of carbon dioxide, but also of old tensions, concepts, and feelings. In full inhalation, we renew ourselves-not just with new oxygen, but also with new impressions of everything in and around us. Both movements of our breath depend on the "unoccupied, empty s.p.a.ce" that lies at the center of our being. It is the sensation of this inner s.p.a.ce (and silence)-which we can sometimes experience in the natural pause between exhalation and inhalation-that is our path into the unknown. It is the sensation of this s.p.a.ce that can enliven us and make us whole.

PRACTICE.

To prepare for this practice, sit or stand quietly with your eyes open and experience the coming and going of your breath. Get in touch with the three tan tiens-just below the navel, in the solar plexus, and between the eyebrows. Sense the different qualities of vibration in these areas. As you breathe, sense your outer and inner breath-the various upward and downward movements of both tissue and energy. Clearly note any areas that seem to be tense or closed to your breath. Spend at least 10 minutes on this stage of the practice.

1 Opening your breathing s.p.a.ces During exhalation, use two or three fingers to press gently into your lower abdomen, between your pubic bone and your navel. During inhalation, gradually release the pressure. Sense how your abdomen responds to this pressure. Take several breaths this way. Now put your hands over your navel, and work in the same way-pressing as you exhale, and gradually releasing the pressure as you inhale. Notice how your lower breathing s.p.a.ce begins to open.

Next, put your hands over your lower ribs on both sides of your trunk. As you exhale, gently press your ribs inward with your hands. As you inhale, gradually release the pressure from your hands and sense your ribs expanding outward. It is helpful to realize that the lower ribs, also called the "floating ribs," can expand quite freely since they are not attached to your sternum. In fact, the expansion of the floating ribs helps create more s.p.a.ce for the lungs to expand at their widest point.

Now, apply light pressure to your solar plexus as you exhale. Again, watch for several minutes as your upper abdomen begins to relax and open. Next, as you exhale, press lightly on the bottom of your sternum. Taking several breaths in each position, gradually work your way up toward the top of the sternum. If you take your time and work gently, you will find your various breathing s.p.a.ces beginning to become more elastic and s.p.a.cious. Now try this same approach with any areas of your abdomen, rib cage (both on and between your ribs), shoulders, and so on that seem overly tight or constricted. Take your time. It is actually better to do this work for 15 or 20 minutes each day over a period of a week or so than to try to do it all in one session.

2 A simple technique for opening the three breathing s.p.a.ces There is another, simple technique that you can experiment with to help open the three breathing s.p.a.ces. This technique, which I learned several years ago from Ilse Middendorf, involves pressing the appropriate finger pads of one hand against those of the other. To help open the lower s.p.a.ce, press the pads of the little fingers and the pads of the ring fingers together firmly but without force. For the middle s.p.a.ce, press the pads of the middle fingers together. For the upper s.p.a.ce, press the pads of the thumbs and index fingers together. To help open all the s.p.a.ces simultaneously, press the pads of all five fingers together (Figure 29). When you first begin this practice do not take more than take eight breaths while pressing your finger pads together.

Figure 29 3 Movement of s.p.a.ciousness Once you feel more of the whole of yourself involved in breathing, put most of your attention on the movement of air through your nose during inhalation. Take several long, slow breaths. Feel the empty, expansive, s.p.a.cious quality of the air as it moves down through your trachea and into your lungs. But don't stop there. As you continue your inhalation, sense this s.p.a.ciousness moving downward through all the tissues and organs of your abdomen and filling your entire lower breathing s.p.a.ce. Allow this feeling of s.p.a.ce to release any tensions and absorb any stagnant energies residing below your navel. As you exhale slowly, use your attention to direct these tensions and energies out with your breath. Then work in the same way with the middle breathing s.p.a.ce (from the navel to the diaphragm) and with the upper breathing s.p.a.ce (from the diaphragm to the top of the head), sensing the various tissues and organs inside these s.p.a.ces. When you have worked with all three breathing s.p.a.ces, stop working intentionally with the feeling of s.p.a.ce and simply follow your breathing.

4 Sensing the breath of the spine Now that you have some direct awareness of the three major breathing s.p.a.ces, especially in relation to the front of the body, we're going to work with the inner s.p.a.ce of the spine, the very core of our body, which connects the three breathing s.p.a.ces in the back. In particular, we're going to sense the craniosacral rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid as it pulses through the central ca.n.a.l of the spine, moving from the brain down to the sacrum. The cerebrospinal fluid-a clear fluid produced from red blood flowing through a rich supply of blood vessels deep within the brain-not only provides nutrients for the brain and spine, but also removes the toxic products of metabolism and functions as a shock absorber. The pressure of this fluid has an influence on nerve flow and affects the ability of the senses and brain to take in new impressions.

Lie down on your back with your legs stretched out and your arms at your side. Sense again the expansion and contraction of your breath as it moves through the three breathing s.p.a.ces, the three burners. See if you can include your heartbeat in your sensation. After several minutes, put your fingers on your temples above your ears (you can rest your elbows on the ground) and sense the pulse of your heartbeat in your temples. Sense the way your head expands on inhalation and contracts on exhalation. You may also begin to feel the way your whole body takes part in this ongoing rhythm of expansion and contraction.

After two or three minutes working in this way, hold your breath intentionally after inhaling. See if you can sense an inner expansion and contraction radiating from the area of the head and spine. Make sure that you don't hold your breath for any longer than is comfortable. After taking several more spontaneous breaths, again hold your breath and touch the tip of your tongue to the center of the roof of your mouth. Later in the book we will go into the significance of this in completing the circuit of energy flow called the microcosmic orbit, but for now just see if you can sense the roof of your mouth expanding and contracting in rhythm with your head and spine. If so, what you are sensing is the pulsation of your cerebrospinal fluid. An entire cycle of expansion and contraction can take from five to eight seconds.

5 Sense your spine and breathing s.p.a.ces at the same time Now without losing touch with the "breathing" of your spine, include the three breathing s.p.a.ces in your sensation of yourself. As you sense the pulsation of your spine, also sense the three breathing s.p.a.ces as they empty and fill. As you exhale, the s.p.a.ces contract from top to bottom. As you inhale, the s.p.a.ces expand from bottom to top. Don't force anything. Just let yourself experience the process of natural breathing-a process in which the various s.p.a.ces of your body all partic.i.p.ate. Feel how with each breath the s.p.a.ces are becoming "large and roomy." Let your awareness enter these s.p.a.ces and enjoy the comfort of this natural process of expansion and contraction. After several minutes, get up and either sit cross-legged or on a chair. Continue to work with s.p.a.cious breathing for several more minutes, noticing any changes brought about by your new posture.

6 The pause of s.p.a.ciousness Now simply follow your breathing. Notice the two pauses in your breathing cycle: one after inhalation and one after exhalation. Pay particular attention to the pause after exhalation. The great mystical traditions have spoken of this pause between exhalation and inhalation as a timeless moment-an infinite s.p.a.ce-between yin and yang, nonaction and action, in which we can go beyond our self-image and experience our own unconditioned nature. See if you can at least sense this pause as an entranceway into yourself-into the healing s.p.a.ciousness of your own deepest sensation of yourself. Don't try to force anything. Just watch and sense. Work like this for at least 10 minutes.

7 s.p.a.cious breathing under stress It is relatively easy to have the sense of s.p.a.ciousness when we are in quiet, undemanding circ.u.mstances. And it is important, especially at the beginning, to practice this kind of breathing in such circ.u.mstances. Eventually, however, you will want to begin to try s.p.a.cious breathing, especially into your navel area, in the often stress-filled circ.u.mstances of your everyday life. For it is here that you will, with practice, have the largest impact on your overall well-being and health, and it is here that you will gain important new insights into your own nature. What's more, it is here that you will have an opportunity to discover a deep inner sensation of yourself that is somehow "separate" from the automatic reactions of your sympathetic nervous system (your "fight or flight" reflex), an overall sensation of yourself that will, if you can stay in touch with it, dissolve any unnecessary tension and bring about the appropriate degree of relaxation to meet the real demands of the moment.

To help prepare for working in such conditions, try the following practice. Stand with your weight balanced equally on both feet and your knees slightly bent. Sense the whole of yourself standing there, breathing. Let the sensation of yourself go deeper and deeper with each breath. Without losing this overall sensation of yourself, let your weight shift to your right foot. Bring your left foot up along the inner side of your right leg all the way up to your groin. Use your hands to help you position the heel of your foot in the area of your groin with your toes pointed upward if possible. Now raise your arms up from your sides (palms facing up) until your palms meet over your head (Figure 30). If this posture is too easy for you, if it does not arouse any stress, you might try closing your eyes and moving your arms up and down as you stand on one leg. If your health will not permit you to stand on one leg or to raise your arms above your head, then be inventive-find other ways to make the posture challenging for yourself.

Now, staying in this posture, let your chest and belly relax, and then begin to breathe into your lower abdomen. As you inhale, sense the s.p.a.ciousness filling your lower abdomen; as you exhale, sense all your tensions going out with your breath. Breathe in this way for two or three minutes; then put your tongue to the roof of your mouth and see if you can also sense the pulsation of the cerebrospinal fluid. When you finish, slowly return your arms to your sides with your palms facing down and return to the original standing position with both feet on the ground. Sense your whole body breathing. Can you notice any differences between the left and right sides? Reverse your legs and repeat the entire process.

Figure 30 Because it is relatively difficult, this is an excellent exercise to prepare you to practice s.p.a.cious breathing in the midst of tension and stress. The key is to learn how to relax inside this difficult posture. If you find that your belly and chest stay tense, put your attention on your face, ears, and tongue, and just let them relax. Because your face most directly reflects the tensions of your self-image, it is by learning how to relax your face that you can begin to relax the rest of your body. Try breathing directly into your entire face, especially in the area of the upper tan tien. Let s.p.a.ce permeate your nose, eyes, ears, and so on. Then return to breathing in your lower abdomen.

If you begin to lose your balance at any time during this exercise, don't resist, don't try to compete with gravity. Whatever happens, stay in touch with the whole sensation of yourself, including your awkwardness (your body knows how to take care of itself without the help of your self-image). If you do fall, simply try again from the beginning. As you continue working in this way-not letting yourself react in the usual way to the difficulty of the posture or to your own awkwardness-you will begin to understand that this inner sensation of yourself is intimately related to a new, more inclusive level of awareness, a level of awareness that can transform your life.

8 s.p.a.cious breathing in the ordinary conditions of life Once you are able to keep your belly, chest, and face relaxed during the previous practice, you are ready to try s.p.a.cious breathing in the ordinary conditions of your life. Whatever you do, don't choose situations, especially at the beginning, that are so stressful that you will be doomed to failure. Start, rather, with ordinary situations-walking down the street, talking to a friend, and so on. Then, as you get a better feel of the practice in these conditions, you can move on to those that are more difficult. Eventually you will want to try s.p.a.cious breathing when you are tense or emotional. Try it, for example, when you are in the middle of an argument with someone, or when you are lost in self-pity, anger, worry, impatience, and so on. If you are able to remember to practice in these more difficult conditions, you will experience firsthand how s.p.a.cious breathing can help transform the stress and negativity that is bound up with your self-image into the energy you need for your own vitality and well-being.

As you undertake these practices, try them in a light, playful, and experimental way-from the standpoint of learning firsthand about yourself. As you continue this "playful" work with s.p.a.cious breathing over many weeks and months, you will notice various tensions beginning to dissolve as if on their own. You will also notice your breath occupying more of each breathing s.p.a.ce. These changes will make it possible for you to observe deep-rooted patterns of tension in the various postures and movements of your organism, patterns that inhibit the sensation of energy and movement and stand in the way of your becoming more available to the whole of yourself. You will also begin to sense that these patterns are related to, or even fueled by, various old att.i.tudes and ideas, as well as chronic negative emotions, that create and maintain your self-image and leave little s.p.a.ce for new experiences and perceptions. You may also observe that it is just these att.i.tudes, ideas, and emotions that are the main obstacles to natural breathing and thus to your health and well-being.

6.

THE SMILING BREATH.

The "smiling breath" is for me a

fundamental practice of both self-awareness

and self-healing. The sensitive, relaxing energy field

that it produces helps me observe by contrast

the unhealthy tensions, att.i.tudes,

and habits that undermine my health and vitality.

What's more, the practice helps to detoxify,

energize, and regulate the various organs

and tissues of my body, and thus helps

not only to strengthen my immune system but also

to transform the very way I sense and feel myself.

Much has been written in recent years about the power of laughter to support the healing process. The story of how Norman Cousins, former editor of The Sat.u.r.day Review, used laughter (and Vitamin C) to help recover from an incurable disease was first published in his book Anatomy of an Illness in 1979, and is widely known today.45,45 In 1994, the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, believing "that laughter is the best medicine," added a Humor in Medicine project to its Program in Medicine and Philosophy. According to the program's brochure, Ways of the Healer, "The physiological and psychological benefits of laughter have been well doc.u.mented. This program addresses how to stimulate and apply healing laughter most effectively in a hospital setting."

THE CHEMISTRY OF A SMILE.

Those of us who have experienced in our own lives how laughter can alter our emotions and support our well-being, may also have observed how a genuine smile from a friend-or even from a stranger on the street-is infectious and has the power to lift our spirits and release us, at least temporarily, from the restrictions of our stress and negativity. Such a smile can transform our physiological and emotional chemistry. It can bring new energy and a fresh perspective into our lives. It can help us "re-member" and accept who we really are. Yet, strangely, very little has been written about the chemistry of the smile and its relationship to healing.

The "Inner Smile"

Given the empirical evidence we have of the extraordinary power of a smile to bring about such changes, it is astonishing that so few of us intentionally smile on our own behalf. Taoist masters have long recognized the power of the smile to help transform our att.i.tudes and energies. And this observation led them to begin to practice what Mantak Chia calls the "inner smile." In this practice we learn how to smile directly into our organs, tissues, and glands. "Taoist sages say that when you smile, your organs release a honey-like secretion which nourishes the whole body. When you are angry, fearful, or under stress, they produce a poisonous secretion which blocks up the energy channels, settling in the organs and causing loss of appet.i.te, indigestion, increased blood pressure, faster heartbeat, insomnia, and negative emotions. Smiling into your organs also causes them to expand, become softer and moister and, therefore, more efficient."46 One finds the inner smile used in a variety of Taoist meditations and other practices, including tai chi. One also finds versions of the inner smile in Buddhist literature (for example, in books by Thich Nhat Hanh), and artistic representations of it in the budding, self-aware smile of the Buddha or the Mona Lisa.

Voluntary Smiling Can Alter Our Emotional State It doesn't take much observation or common sense to realize that intentionally "putting on a smile" can help change our emotional state. In his book The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin observed that the free expression of an emotion by outward signs serves to intensify the emotion. Writing in the late nineteenth century, the great psychologist William James laid the foundation for a more complete understanding of this subject when he pointed out that emotions are dependent on "the feeling of a bodily state."47 Change the bodily state or expression, and the emotions will change. More recently, Moshe Feldenkrais, one of the pioneers in physical rehabilitation and body awareness, has written that "all emotions are connected with excitations arising from the vegetative or autonomic nervous system or arising from the organs, muscles, etc. that it innervates. The arrival of such impulses to the higher centers of the central nervous system is sensed as emotion." 48 By changing the excitations coming from these parts of ourselves through a conscious change in our movements and postures we actually change our emotions, especially those emotions that support our self-image.

One could say, and quite reasonably, that there is a big difference between "spontaneous smiling" and "voluntarily smiling." In a recent scientific study on the effects of different kinds of smiles on regional brain activity, however, two researchers found that voluntary smiling actually changes regional brain activity in much the same way that spontaneous smiling does. In a discussion of their findings, the authors conclude: "While emotions are generally experienced as happening to the individual, our results suggest it may be possible for an individual to choose some of the physiological changes that occur during a spontaneous emotion-by simply making a facial expression."49 Relaxing Our Self-image and Regulating Our Organs From the Taoist perspective, calling up a pleasant image that will bring about a smile-or even just putting a smile on one's face regardless of how sick or negative one may feel-has an almost immediate influence on the entire organism. It opens and relaxes one's face, which promotes openness and relaxation throughout the body. It also relaxes one's self-image and all the emotions and att.i.tudes that support it. This deep relaxation helps to promote the appropriate movement of blood and energy in the organism for healing, and allows the brain and nervous system to better coordinate with and regulate the viscera.

Based on my own personal experiences, I believe that a sustained smile, especially a smile directed toward one's own organs and tissues, triggers the release of beneficial chemical substances from the remarkable pharmacopoeia that is the human brain-chemicals that can have an immediate healthful impact on the body. When I described the process of the inner smile to neuroscientist Candace Pert, and asked her if she believed that it could produce substances beneficial to the body, she replied "Absolutely." In going further into the question, she pointed out that peptides "modulate feeling," and she suggested that as we are "feeling," as we are "focussing on" an organ, as we are "paying attention to the autonomic circuitry" involved with it (curcuitry which is composed mainly of peptides), "we have the potential to regulate the organ."50 COMBINING THE INNER SMILE WITH s.p.a.cIOUS BREATHING.

When the inner smile is combined with deep, s.p.a.cious breathing to create what I call the "smiling breath," the effect can be even more powerful, since breathing can also influence the production of beneficial chemical substances in the organism. In the same conversation referenced above, Pert told me that one possible mechanism for the power that breathing has to alter our emotions and chemistry may be through the production of neuropeptides. She pointed out that the center that controls breathing is located at the fourth ventricle of the floor of the brain-the same location that also secretes many neuropeptides. And she suggested that by consciously altering our breath we may be able to influence which neuropeptides are released.

However one explains its power, the inward-directed smile is, experientially, like a beam of energy, of sensing and feeling, that guides the s.p.a.cious breath deeper into the organism; and the s.p.a.cious breath is like a carrier wave that transports the energy of the smile into all the organs. The "smiling breath" is for me a fundamental practice of both self-awareness and self-healing. The sensitive, relaxing energy field that it produces helps me observe by contrast the unhealthy tensions, att.i.tudes, and habits that undermine my health and vitality. What's more, the practice helps to detoxify, energize, and regulate the various organs and tissues of my body, and thus helps not only to strengthen my immune system but also to transform the very way I sense and feel myself. The following smiling breath practice is based on my own experiments with combining certain elements of Mantak Chia's inner smile practice with what I call the s.p.a.cious breath.

PRACTICE.

To prepare for this practice, sit quietly for several minutes with your eyes closed. Sense your whole body simultaneously, including any tensions and emotions. Let these tensions and emotions begin to settle, like impurities in a gla.s.s of water. Don't stir them up by thinking about them. Include your breathing in your sensation of yourself. Then open up each of the three main breathing s.p.a.ces through s.p.a.cious breathing. Sense your whole body breathing.

1 Sensing and relaxing your eyes Sense your eyes. Gently rotate, or spiral, them several times in each direction. Then stop and let them relax back into their sockets. As Mantak Chia points out, "The practice of the Inner Smile begins in the eyes. They are linked to the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the action of the organs and glands. The eyes are the first to receive emotional signals and cause the organs and glands to accelerate at times of stress or danger (the "fight or flight" reaction) and to slow down when a crisis has pa.s.sed. Ideally, the eyes maintain a calm and balanced level of response. Therefore, by simply relaxing your eyes, you can relax your whole body and thus free your energy for the activity at hand."51 2 Let the sensation of relaxation turn into a smile Figure 31 Once you feel that your eyes are relaxed, let the sensation of this relaxation spread through your whole face, even into your tongue and into the bones of your skull and jaw. Now visualize someone you care about smiling at you. Let their smile enter you, and smile back at them (Figure 31). Sense how your eyes and face relax even more. If you are unable to conjure up an image that makes you smile, then simply smile intentionally. Just turn up the corners of your mouth, raise your cheeks, and do the best you can. If you can maintain this effort for several minutes, you will soon find yourself smiling quite naturally.

3 Sense your face breathing through your smile Now include your s.p.a.cious breath in your awareness. Each time you inhale, sense the air entering not only through your nose, but also through your face and eyes. Sense your breath being touched by the smile on your face. Watch how the smile transforms your breathing. It's as though the smile makes your breath even more vibrant and expansive. As you continue to breathe in this way you may notice an increase in your saliva. This is a good sign. Don't swallow yet. Just keep breathing, collecting more and more saliva. Science has shown that saliva contains a wide variety of proteins, including hormones and other substances, that have digestive, antibacterial, mineral-building, and other health functions. The Taoists believe that in addition to these functions, the saliva-which they sometimes refer to as "the golden elixir"-can also readily absorb chi from our breath and help deliver this energy into the organism.52 From the Taoist perspective, the increased production of saliva can, if utilized properly, be a great aid to our overall health.

4 Smile into your organs Now you're going to guide your smiling breath into all your organs (Figure 32). Let your smile flow downward, like water, through your jaw and neck and into your thymus gland behind the upper half of your sternum. Sense the thymus gland opening and closing with each inhalation and exhalation. Then let the smiling breath go down into your heart. See if you can sense your heart relaxing as you smile and breathe into it. Then let the smiling breath expand into your lungs on each side of your heart. Can you sense your lungs expanding and contracting inside your chest? From your lungs, direct the smiling breath to your liver on the right side of your rib cage. Smile and breathe into this area. Sense the area around the liver expanding and contracting gently, and releasing any unnecessary tension. Now let the smiling breath include your pancreas and spleen on the left side of your rib cage, working in the same way that you did with the liver. Then include your kidneys, in the lower and middle back area. See if you can feel your back and kidneys expanding and contracting with each breath. Now let your smiling breath reach your bladder and s.e.xual organs. As you breathe into this area, you may sense your whole lower abdomen opening and filling with energy.

Figure 32 5 Swallow the saliva and follow your energy downward After completing this process, you will probably find your mouth secreting more saliva than usual. Let the saliva collect in your mouth. After collecting a sufficient amount, swish it around in your mouth several times and then swallow it at the very same moment that you straighten your neck slightly by tucking in your chin. As you swallow the saliva, you will sense a kind of warmth, a feeling of energy, leading your smiling breath downward into your body. Sense this sensation flowing slowly downward through your neck into your esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and r.e.c.t.u.m-right down to your a.n.u.s. Sense your smiling breath going through your entire digestive tract.

6 Bring the smiling breath into your brain and spine Return to s.p.a.cious breathing and check again to be sure you have a smile on your face. Sense your eyes and let them relax back into their sockets. Feel as though your smiling breath is entering your body through your eyes and face and going back toward your pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and other parts of your brain (Figure 33). As you breathe in this way, you may feel that you are somehow becoming more conscious of your brain and its processes. Let your smiling breath go all the way to the back of your brain, in the area of the cerebellum. Sense that your whole head is beginning to expand and contract with your breath. Then let your smiling breath flow slowly down your spine, vertebra by vertebra, to your tailbone.

7 Collect and absorb the energy Now, as you inhale, sense your abdomen expanding with the s.p.a.ciousness of your smiling breath. Sense the warmth and energy in your abdomen. As you exhale, do so gently through your mouth. Keep most of your attention in your abdomen and allow the comfortable, s.p.a.cious sensation that you have there to spread simultaneously into all your organs, tissues, and bones. Once you feel that your awareness of this process is strong enough, you can add one more element to this practice. As you exhale, you can not only sense the "smiling energy" being absorbed into your organs, but you can also sense any inner tensions or toxins going out with the exhalation. As you gain proficiency in this practice, you will discover that it has enormous power to energize you and support your well-being.

Figure 33 As you practice the smiling breath, it is important to remember that its purpose is not to turn you into a smiling automaton. Its purpose is twofold: first, to help you make conscious contact with your own physical and emotional being, and second, to help free up your energies from unnecessary tension and negativity, from any area in yourself where you are "stuck." As you undertake the practice, check frequently to be sure that you still have a smile on your face. Eventually, after several months of practice, you will be able to bring about some of the same results with just the slightest sensation of an inner smile. This will allow you to practice the smiling breath in the midst of the stresses and conflicts of your daily life.

7.

CIRCULATING THE VITAL BREATH.

Where our breath goes, our attention can also go.

By learning how to breathe naturally-

that is, by learning how to breathe vitality