Bongwoo Tao Breathing 16 Steps-Step 4

While practicing this breathing softly and evenly, you are encouraged to gently push the energy to the lower abdomen. Be gentle and do not force or push down the energy. You can reduce the length of your breath so that as you are breathing naturally and softly, you allow the energy from the remaining breath to accumulate within danjeon, which is a point located 3 finger length below your navel.

In the fourth step, you will deepen into the practice of Restoring Breath. You are encouraged to practice Bongwoo Tao Breathing according to your own breathing capacity. The length of each inbreath and outbreath is the same and over time your breath becomes longer and longer. Breathe in deeply until your chest is full and then you can try to move the breath down to the lower abdomen.  This way, you will find that the length of your breath has gradually increased.  At this time, you are discouraged from forcefully pushing or holding back your energy from going down to the lower abdomen.  You are strongly encouraged to leave behind a piece of energy when you are inhaling and exhaling. This is the Restoring Breath. For example, if you are doing 20 seconds of Bongwoo Tao Breathing, you should inhale for 10 seconds and exhale for 10 seconds. From chest and abdominal breathing, put your heart and mind on danjeon and consciously reduce the breathing time to the ratio of 7 seconds of inhalation and 7 seconds of exhalation, so that your breathing is smooth, relaxed and easy. The key aspect of the Restoring Breath is to reduce the length of your breath so that it is comfortable and to accumulate the energy of the remaining breath in your danjeon.  When you are breathing in this manner, the energy in your body moves from the upper body to the lower abdomen and gathers around the danjeon.  In addition, your breathing time will increase faster when you are using less than your full capacity of breathing with 10 seconds of inbreath and 10 seconds of outbreath.  If you practice restoring breath for 4 hours a day for a month, you will reach around 20 seconds per breath. As you become established in your breath and your mind becomes more stable, you will be able to experience mental pleasure without realizing it.

Again, I would like to emphasize that if you force longer breath or breathe forcefully or apply unnecessary strain, then you may apply unnecessary pressure on your lower abdomen, which can cause indigestion, acidity or excessive gas, etc. and will make you feel uncomfortable. Therefore, your breathing should be done lightly and softly, as if you were releasing your lower abdomen when urinating.  It is important for people with weak bodies to be especially careful. If a person with a weak condition is breathing with care, then the effectiveness of an hour of breathing on their health will be more than a hundred tonics.   

When the energy begins to go down to the danjeon, you may feel a thundering sound in your abdomen.  When the energy starts to gather in the danjeon, you may feel a stabbing pain in your intestines. These symptoms are all healing signs of the progress of your breathing practice, so don’t be discouraged by these signs.  On the other hand, if you do not see any healing sign of the energy coming down to the danjeon, but rather feel pain at the end of the solar plexus, stiffness in the upper abdomen, and other random symptoms, it usually means that you are practicing incorrect breathing technique, so I recommend that you should immediately stop your  breathing practice and seek guidance from a trusted person.  I recommend that you visit an experienced practitioner and share your progress in detail, and continue your training only after you have received sufficient guidance.

<The Secret of Tao> written by Master Bongwoo Taehoon Kwon>