Breathing exercises

Three Breaths

Feet together, eyes closed, hands on dantien (just below belly button) x 3 breaths

Open eyes, feet slightly apart, arms down, hands open, fingers pointing down, x 3 breaths

Scooping up breath, using hands palm up to scoop up and then palms down breathing out x 3

Horse riding stance

Stand feet together, make gentle fist (holding bird’s egg), bring fists back in line with hip bones, keep shoulders down, spine straight. Heels out, toes out, heels out, toes out, etc – toes in line with heels, feet facing forward. Relax...push knees out as if you are going to sit. Knees should not go beyond toes. Keep spine straight. Shoulders relaxed. Push out knees. Breath. Eyes gazing slightly down.

Five Elements

Element	Yin	Yang	Season	House	Emotion
Fire	heart	small int	summer	spirit	love, joy, hatred, rage
Water	kidney	bladder	winter	wisdom	contentment, fear of loss
Metal	lungs	large int	autumn	psyche	broadminded, sensitivity to self
Wood	liver	gall bladder	spring	soul	assertiveness, awareness, judgement, anger
Earth	spleen	stomach	equinox, sol	ego	sympathy, compassion, self pity, resentment

Fire:

Feet close together, hands by side, palms facing behind, bend knees, lean forward, swoop down – as if going skiing – straighten knees, (you should be standing straight now with hand at right angles, palms down)

Bring arms back in to you, elbows bent, push out again, bring arms in again, then bring arms down to side, pushing down.

Water:

Feet close together, hands by side, palms facing behind, straighten arms up in front of you (palms will now be facing down), , bring arms back elbows bent, push arms out in front – palms forward (as if you are pushing open a door) and then bring arms back and then down by your side

Metal:

Feet close together, bring arms up in front, open out to the side – (should feel a stretch down your arms and chest – so arms now should be out to your side as if you were going to hug lots of people) bring arms back in front of you, palms together, then bring arms back elbows bent, push arms out in front – palms forward (as if you are pushing open a door) and then bring arms back and then down by your side.

Wood:

Feet close together, scooping breath, as if taking water from a well, gather energy, scoop up with palms facing up, breath out with palms facing down.

Earth:

Feet close together, hands by side, bring right arm up in front of you in front of your face, gazing at palm, as if looking in a mirror. Bring arm around to right hand side, always looking at palm, bring palm back down in front of your face and in the meantime, left arm is coming up to cross over right arm – so now you are gazing at left palm and your head will be facing over your left shoulder.

Counting the breath

Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight.

Breathing gently, silken and smooth, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths in and out.

As you inhale, mentally count one, hold, and slowly exhale counting one.

Inhale again, counting to one, two, and slowly exhale, counting two, one.

Repeat this rhythm, one, two, three, and exhale three, two, one.

Take the number as far as you wish, but no longer than to nine and back.