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The Tao of Natural Breathing: For Health, Well-Being and Inner Growth
Discusses the mechanics of breathing and the different types of breathing exercises which can be used to improve health and increase energy
207 pages, Paperback
First published March 2, 1996
28 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 1, 2013
Am currently expanding my overall awareness around health, wellbeing & inner growth .. and this is one of the classic books on breathing. It's pretty deep in places but is also an easy read and includes some practical breathing exercises.
Breathing interests me because it's the fastest way to change your state (or mood) and balance the stress response with the relaxation response (eg keep your body and hormones in balance).
Here are some of my big takeaways:
Think from the perspective and sensation of wholeness (versus a narrow sense of self)
To heal is related to the verb "to make whole"
Breathing is essentially letting go of the old and being open to the new (in/out)
- a process of integrating mental clarity with sensory & emotional awareness
Breathing can help balance our emotions. We are able to transform our stress & negativity into energy we can use for self-healing & self-development.
Superficial breathing ensures a superficial experience of ourselves. Poor breathing habits arise out of an unconscious need for a buffering mechanism to keep us from sensing and feeling the reality of our own deeprooted contradictions.
Natural breathing involves the whole body. To inhale fully is to fill ourselves with the energies of life - to be inspired - from the health of our tissues, organs, bones, muscles, hormones & blood (wellbeing) to the quality and breadth of our thoughts, attitudes, emotions & consciousness (personal development)
When we slow down and stop the unnecessary mental & emotional chatter (inner talk, daydreaming, emotional-loops, obession-with-self etc) that fills most of our day, the cells and tissues of the brain & body begin to rest & recuperate - spending less energy and storing more eg take mini-regeneration breaks at frequent intervals!
The key is attention - to zone into ourselves the parts that are not in the grip of the negative emotion. You simply enjoy it & allow it to deepen and spread throughout your body (= relaxation response)
To be able to perceive in new ways means that our energies are not locked into old patterns
To be free (sensitive) to respond to the actual needs and possibilities of the moment
The botom line: Want to improve your personal wellbeing - pay attention to how deeply you are currently breathing!
Breathing interests me because it's the fastest way to change your state (or mood) and balance the stress response with the relaxation response (eg keep your body and hormones in balance).
Here are some of my big takeaways:
Think from the perspective and sensation of wholeness (versus a narrow sense of self)
To heal is related to the verb "to make whole"
Breathing is essentially letting go of the old and being open to the new (in/out)
- a process of integrating mental clarity with sensory & emotional awareness
Breathing can help balance our emotions. We are able to transform our stress & negativity into energy we can use for self-healing & self-development.
Superficial breathing ensures a superficial experience of ourselves. Poor breathing habits arise out of an unconscious need for a buffering mechanism to keep us from sensing and feeling the reality of our own deeprooted contradictions.
Natural breathing involves the whole body. To inhale fully is to fill ourselves with the energies of life - to be inspired - from the health of our tissues, organs, bones, muscles, hormones & blood (wellbeing) to the quality and breadth of our thoughts, attitudes, emotions & consciousness (personal development)
When we slow down and stop the unnecessary mental & emotional chatter (inner talk, daydreaming, emotional-loops, obession-with-self etc) that fills most of our day, the cells and tissues of the brain & body begin to rest & recuperate - spending less energy and storing more eg take mini-regeneration breaks at frequent intervals!
The key is attention - to zone into ourselves the parts that are not in the grip of the negative emotion. You simply enjoy it & allow it to deepen and spread throughout your body (= relaxation response)
To be able to perceive in new ways means that our energies are not locked into old patterns
To be free (sensitive) to respond to the actual needs and possibilities of the moment
The botom line: Want to improve your personal wellbeing - pay attention to how deeply you are currently breathing!
September 28, 2009
This book is a must for Reiki masters and a great asset for anyone who wants to empower their breathing for revitalization. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. The knowledge contained in this book is so important and conveyed with ease in understanding by the author.
April 8, 2013
I gave up on this book half way through. Vaguely interesting, but too full of pseudo scientific mumbo jumbo to be of any real use. Clearly breathing for meditation or any other purpose is so natural and obvious that attempting to delve deeper into its activity results in a text of useless blather such as this pointless book.
Avoid, unless you truly have no clue about breathing - i.e. you are a fish or perhaps some sort of invertebrate.
Avoid, unless you truly have no clue about breathing - i.e. you are a fish or perhaps some sort of invertebrate.
August 7, 2023
great read
This is particularly great read for someone who wants to deepen their breathwork practice and become more intimately acquainted with the subtle awareness one cultivates with attention to the breath. This wisdom and awareness is necessary for more advanced qigong and alchemical practices.
This is particularly great read for someone who wants to deepen their breathwork practice and become more intimately acquainted with the subtle awareness one cultivates with attention to the breath. This wisdom and awareness is necessary for more advanced qigong and alchemical practices.
June 22, 2020
I really liked the book ! Want to read more about Tao.
August 15, 2020
Een interessant boek in deze coronatijden. De oefeningen gaan mij te ver (iets met geduld). De theorie over de diverse ademhalingstechnieken is mooi. En voor een deel helpend.
Ademhaling, goed ademhalen, is zo ontzettend belangrijk. Voor de geest. En voor het lichaam. In onze huidige jachtige leven, is er weinig tijd voor een goede levensgevende ademhaling. Dit komt via diverse welvaartsziekten tot uiting. Bewust ademhalen maakt gezond.
Mooi vind ik het hoofdstuk over glimlachend ademhalen. Iets wat ik, op mijn eigen manier, zeker ga toepassen in mijn leven. Niet alleen een (glim)lach op mijn gezicht. Ook vele glimlachjes binnen in mijn lichaam.
Ademhaling, goed ademhalen, is zo ontzettend belangrijk. Voor de geest. En voor het lichaam. In onze huidige jachtige leven, is er weinig tijd voor een goede levensgevende ademhaling. Dit komt via diverse welvaartsziekten tot uiting. Bewust ademhalen maakt gezond.
Mooi vind ik het hoofdstuk over glimlachend ademhalen. Iets wat ik, op mijn eigen manier, zeker ga toepassen in mijn leven. Niet alleen een (glim)lach op mijn gezicht. Ook vele glimlachjes binnen in mijn lichaam.
February 5, 2022
Better breathing has many benefits, including better posture. Even practicing just one or two of the exercises will make a positive change to your mental and health.
October 24, 2012
Never thought I will read a book about breathing one day, but after reading a little about awareness, I got interested in the field. That is apart from being a daily breather myself obviously.
This is an easy read, written almost as a manual. After explaining different kinds of breathing, gives clear guidelines for short self practice sessions. I found it quite interesting and tried a few of the techniques. To get better probably requires contact with an experienced teacher, but overall is a good start for people who are curious like myself.
This is an easy read, written almost as a manual. After explaining different kinds of breathing, gives clear guidelines for short self practice sessions. I found it quite interesting and tried a few of the techniques. To get better probably requires contact with an experienced teacher, but overall is a good start for people who are curious like myself.
May 4, 2011
This was a very interesting read!
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December 30, 2015Excellent
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews