“There is only one area of control that is in your hands, and that is what you are carrying inside of you. This is something about you that nobody in this world can access. Self-mastery is about exploring, observing and learning about exactly this. And once you have that understanding, you can make better decisions and respond to life, and to others, with more clarity and understanding. You can find stillness in an unstable world.” -Master Shi Heng Yi
Many of you know my by the name Andre and others by the name Hikaru. I have been Jedi for over a decade and was trained and Knighted by Otori Mikko. Although I no longer follow most Jedi related groups or pages since I am not a fan of how and what the community has evolved into over the years, my love for the martial arts and energy work has opened up brand new roads for me to traverse and pathways to explore in Taoism, Shaolin Buddhism and Bushido. While I do consider myself a Warrior, I consider myself to be a Warrior of Light on my own unique path. Today I am offering a meditation and breathing technique that has been tested, tried and true. This is known as Chi Breathing and I will show it to you as it was once shown to me.
No matter which kind of martial art a person may practice, they all contain exercises which require deep, abdominal breathing with a slow, controlled exhalation. This type of breathing is used to circulate chi energy throughout the body. Chi is meant to flow in a circular manner from the top of the head down to the soles of the feet, and then back to the head. It is said that excess chi is stored below the navel in the belly and this Chi Breathing Meditation technique is used to not only circulate, but also become aware of the levels of Chi within the body.
To start, I usually will sit in Seiza which is the formal way of sitting for most practitioners of the arts. Kneeling in the Seiza is done by folding both the left and right knees on the floor and sitting with a straight back. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and the chest is out. The left hand should be resting on the left thigh and the right one on the right thigh, while the fingers point inward. Again, this is my preferred method but sitting cross legged also works.
To begin inhale over 4 counts (seconds, heartbeats or whatever method you prefer), hold for 3 and release over 6 counts. Focus on nothing other than your breathing. Let your mind be free of worry, concern, pain or any other outside stimuli. Just breathe. After the first few inhales, I usually envision a colored ball of energy moving from my throat into my diaphragm in a figure 8 motion. This energy ball shrinks in size with each inhale and should slowly expand with each exhale. Focus on 1 color at 1st but as time progresses feel free to experiment with it. (If forming this ball is too difficult just keep practicing your breathing). Make the ball of energy pulsate and allow the energy to be redirected to specific points in the body. You may begin to notice a tingle in your extremities such as your hands and fingers, feet and toes. These areas are tied to your 4 inner gates.
I won’t go into too much detail here, but the Four Gates are comprised of two acupuncture points, one on the hand and one on the foot. Since the points are stimulated on both the left and the right, there are four locations in total, making up the 4 Gates. For now just practice your breathing atleast 15 minutes a day, twice a day (or whenever you need to center). Finally I would suggest keeping a journal for your meditations and energy work as each one is different and will offer you something unique each time. Once you get into a regular practice, you’ll be able to find calmness no matter what situations or circumstances may arise.