Breathing

Centered breathing "Chu-shin Kokyu"

Centered breathing is the basic therapeutic breathing method. By being conscious of your center, you will align yourself properly, which is good for your body and your spirit.
Western medicine says that this breathing method is a kind of abdominal breathing, and an exercise for your diaphragm in which it is raised and lowered. When you inhale, your diaphragm, as well as your ribcage and lungs, goes down. And when you exhale, your diaphragm, rib cage, and lungs, rise. This causes a number of things to happen inside of your body:

• Metabolism improves as your blood circulation becomes smoother.
• Your blood is thoroughly purified when the action of your breathing is complete and deep, and the stagnant, toxin-carrying blood can be washed out of your extremities where it tends to remain. - By using the motion of your diaphragm, you can cause many of your internal organs, that do not otherwise move, to do so, thererby exercising them, which improves their overall health, and can also alleviate some problems you may experience with them.
• The typical breath is cut short by the presence of the ribcage, outside of which the lungs cannot expand; however, if you use your diaphragm and inhale down and not out, there is no obstruction to the taking of an honest lungful of fresh air. When it comes to exhalation, using just about every muscle around your midsection, the stomache along with the lower back, there is no reason why you cannot expell every bit of carbon dioxide which usually lurks in the unused corners of your lungs.
• Even the exertions of the heart muscle can be made easier.
• By breathing you can move inside and middle layer muscles, which you cannot do by stretching.
• You can align your posture if you know your center line.

You can create your center by waking your tanden up and being strong. Your tanden is your center point and it is also the focus of your centered breathing. If your center is strong, your mind and body will not go astray. Therefore, we heartily recommend practicing centered breathing every day.