Qigong Breathing

One thing every energy practice in this world has in common. Not the posture. Not the visualisation. Not even the intention. The breath. In Qigong it is called Qi 氣 — life-breath, life force. In the Japanese tradition Ki 氣 — same character, same root. And Reiki carries this Ki in its very name: Rei-Ki 靈氣, spiritual life force. Whoever understands the breath understands the core.

In the Western world, breathing is often seen as a relaxation technique. Breathe in deeply, exhale slowly, reduce stress. Not wrong — but only the surface. In the East Asian traditions, breathing is not a calming technique. It is the primary tool to move, gather and direct Ki. It is the key to the connection between Qigong and Reiki.

Belly breathing — the foundation 腹式呼吸

In Japan, natural belly breathing is called Fukushiki Kokyū 腹式呼吸 — literally: "belly-style breathing." It is the breathing pattern every person is born with. Watch a sleeping child: the belly rises and falls, the chest stays calm. The diaphragm works freely. Air streams deep into the lower lungs. That is belly breathing.

Over the course of life, most people unlearn this natural way of breathing. Stress, tension, too much sitting — the breath migrates into the chest, becomes shallow, becomes narrow. The return to belly breathing is therefore the first step in any serious energy practice. In Qigong. In Reiki. In meditation. It is no advanced secret. It is the foundation everything else rests on.

How it works: when you inhale through the nose, the lower belly expands gently outward. The diaphragm sinks, the lungs fill from below. When you exhale, the belly draws back together, the diaphragm rises, the air streams out. The chest barely moves. The shoulders stay still. The focus rests in the belly — in the Hara 腹.

In the Japanese Reiki tradition, this belly breathing is the foundation of Jōshin Kokyū Hō — the breath practice that strengthens the mind. In Qigong too, every standing meditation, every movement form begins with exactly this breathing pattern. There are advanced variants — for instance reverse belly breathing, where the belly contracts on the inhale and expands on the exhale. This technique belongs in the direct guidance of an experienced practitioner and is mentioned here only, not instructed.

Hara and Tanden — the seat of life force 丹田

Where exactly do you breathe when you breathe "into the belly"? The Japanese and Chinese traditions give a very precise answer: into the Tanden 丹田. Literally: "elixir field." It is an area roughly three finger-widths below the navel, deep inside the body. In the Chinese tradition the same point is called Dantian — the writing is identical, the pronunciation different.

The Tanden is not an anatomical organ. It is an energetic centre — the place where Ki is gathered and condensed. In Japan one says: whoever has a strong Hara stands firmly in life. Hara ga suwatte iru 腹が据わっている — "his belly sits firmly" — means: this person is grounded, centred, resilient. It is no coincidence that the martial arts, the tea ceremony, calligraphy and meditation in Japan all proceed from the Hara. Everything begins there.

In Shingon Reiki the Tanden is the anchor of every breath practice. When you place your hands during a Reiki session, Ki gathers in the Tanden before flowing through the hands. When you meditate, you direct attention to this point. It is the centre of gravity — not only of physical balance, but of all energetic practice. In the right meditation posture you sit so that the Tanden can breathe freely.

Nasal breathing and the 108 Breath Meditation 數息觀

A question often arising in practice: do you breathe through the nose or the mouth? The answer depends on the tradition. In Qigong there are exercises that exhale through the mouth — for instance when releasing certain healing sounds. In the Japanese Zen and Shingon tradition, breathing is mostly through the nose, both in and out. Nasal breathing filters, warms and humidifies the air. It naturally slows the breathing rhythm. And it supports a quieter, deeper attention.

In Sūsokukan 數息觀 — the meditation of breath counting — exactly this calm nasal breathing becomes the foundation of a deep practice. You sit. You breathe. You count. From one to one hundred and eight, without losing the thread. It sounds simple. It is one of the most demanding things you can do with your mind. This 108 Breath Meditation is one of the oldest breath practices in the Buddhist tradition — and it is alive in Shingon Reiki.

The number 108 is no coincidence. It appears throughout the Buddhist tradition: 108 beads on the prayer chain (Juzu 数珠), 108 Bonnō (delusions), 108 bell strikes on New Year's Eve in Japanese temples. In breath counting, attention on the breath joins symbolic purification — each counted breath releases a layer.

Standing meditation — breathing on your feet 站椿功

Qigong holds a practice that at first glance looks like nothing: the standing meditation, in Chinese Zhan Zhuang 站椿功. You stand. Knees softly bent. About seventy percent of the weight on the heels. The arms hang loose or are held in front of the body as if cradling an invisible ball. And then — you breathe. For minutes. Sometimes half an hour. Sometimes longer.

What happens is invisible from outside and immense from inside. The slightly bent knees open the lower back. The weight on the heels anchors the body. Belly breathing deepens, because the upright posture gives the diaphragm space. And Ki begins to flow — through the legs into the earth, through the crown upward, in an endless loop that, according to Chinese tradition, activates the Microcosmic Orbit.

This practice exists in the Japanese tradition as well, under different names and in a different context. In Chanmi Qigong — a form rooted in Chinese esoteric Buddhism — the standing meditation is combined with spinal movements. In Shingon Reiki we use elements of standing practice as preparation for energy work: the feet rooted, the Hara activated, the breath deep and even.

What is special about standing meditation is the union of body structure and breath. While sitting, the breath can be deep, but the connection to the earth is missing. While standing — with the right posture — the breath flows not only into the belly, but through the entire body. The soles of the feet become breath points. The knees become gateways. The crown becomes an antenna. The whole body breathes.

The connection of Qigong breathing and Reiki is no theoretical construct. It is a practical reality. Both traditions work with the same force — Ki respectively Qi. Both use the breath as the primary tool. Both know the Tanden as centre. And both know: the breath is not preparation. It is the practice itself. Whoever breathes deeply is already in energy work — even before the hands move. If you want to deepen this path, everything begins with the first step on your path.