Seven Stars · Breath
When you reclaim your own breath,
the world turns gentle once more.
Breath is the unseen dialogue between you and the world. Through the exhale, settle the space around you and reclaim the tempo of your own life.
When we are anxious, we unconsciously hold our breath.
Insight
The character for "breath" (息) is written as "one's own heart."
Through the body — that aligned vessel — we let breath flow as the rhythm of life. Breath is the second of the Three Regulations, stacked upon the Body.
A disordered breath is a disordered heart itself. To steady the breath is to return the heart to its original place of safety.
Yield to the exhale rather than the inhale.
Priority
Empty yourself, and it flows in.
It begins with the exhale and settles with the exhale — this is the YiShuiKong breath. When you let out all that is within, fresh air flows in on its own.
Shallow breath stiffens the body
When breathing stays shallow, needless tension persists and drains your energy.
A deep exhale shifts you into rest
Simply exhaling deeply moves the autonomic nervous system into rest mode. A supple diaphragm massages the organs, and circulation returns.
- The autonomic nervous system settles
- The diaphragm loosens the organs
- Blood circulates
- Body temperature rises
- The whole system recovers
Workflow
As breath deepens, the inner self quietly begins to move.
A deep breath reaches from the surface inward, becoming the power that restores the body's whole system.
Muscle & flexibility
Needless tension releases, and suppleness returns.
Organs & digestion
The diaphragm massages the organs and aids circulation.
Whole body & circulation
Blood circulates, body temperature rises, and the whole body turns toward recovery.
The momentary stillness born after the exhale — that is what deepens the next breath.
Root
Your breath changes the very air around you.
Near someone who exhales slowly, others somehow grow calm. Quiet breath becomes an unseen influence that softens the whole space. Everything in nature carries its own unhurried breath.
Rhythm
Reclaim your own tempo.
Space
Exhaling fully makes space within.
Dialogue
Breath is the unseen dialogue between you and the world.
Influence
Quiet breath softens the surrounding air.
Resonance
Resonate with the great rhythm of nature.
First, slowly exhale all the way to the very end.
Seven Stars
The quality of your breath decides the quality of your life.
When the tempo of breath settles, life continues more supple and lasting. Move on to each of the Seven Stars — Body, Heart, Depth, Breadth, Beauty, Practice — and deepen your training.
