Bindi Posted January 8, 2017 “Breathing through the heels” is first mentioned in the Zhuangzi 6, which states that “the Real Man (zhēnrén 真人) breathes through the heels whereas the ordinary man breathes through the throat”. A study by Ishida Hidemi (1988) shows that zhongxi designated in antiquity one of four kinds of breathing: through the skin, through the nose and mouth, through the throat (to absorb the celestial breath), and through the heels (to absorb the earthly breath).” From the Song period (960-1270), under the influence of neidan, zhongxi also refers to the circulation of the inner energies that descend to the heels and then rise from the yŏngquán 湧泉 point, located in the middle of the sole of the foot, to the top of the head. - Catherine Despeux Energy needs to circulate down to the feet and then up to the top of the head? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aurum Posted January 8, 2017 No wonder that Einstein walked barefoot. He detested socks.... 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff Posted January 8, 2017 Energy needs to circulate down to the feet and then up to the top of the head? Yes. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
idquest Posted January 8, 2017 Did you master breathing through the throat? Some time ago I realized that my throat was so tense that what I thought was abdominal breathing was not even close to it... Still working on it... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
awaken Posted January 8, 2017 I can breath from head and kidney. From head will open the head top. From kidney will lead Mco. But most of time, the breathe disappear soon and get into 玄關 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aurum Posted January 8, 2017 IMO breathing from heels (and actually every part of the body - head, skin...etc) resembles how the chicken breathes inside the egg. The vital energy passes through every pore. At least that is how I imagine it - I have never attained it. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted January 8, 2017 There are other animals on the planet that do that their entire life. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SeekerOfHealing Posted January 8, 2017 There is no such thing as breathing for the heels. Most Taoist things are created by liar like western alchemy texts. Person need to be very skeptical about taoist teachings in general. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aetherous Posted January 8, 2017 Did you master breathing through the throat? Some time ago I realized that my throat was so tense that what I thought was abdominal breathing was not even close to it... Still working on it... The best thing for that is relaxation, and not paying attention to how the throat feels. Feeling it causes a stagnation there. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted January 8, 2017 There is no such thing as breathing for the heels. Most Taoist things are created by liar like western alchemy texts. Person need to be very skeptical about taoist teachings in general. But then I doubt that this was meant to be taken literally but rather figuratively. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff Posted January 8, 2017 But then I doubt that this was meant to be taken literally but rather figuratively. Breathing through heels is about taking in and sending out energy through your feet into the earth. It is about connecting and grounding off an extended base. Such things become very helpful when one has high energy flows. 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SeekerOfHealing Posted January 8, 2017 rather figuratively Which mean you can put any meaning you want to it - which means you do not know really what is true and what is not in relation to the breathing of heels. Taoism teachings are more confused ones in general. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted January 8, 2017 Breathing through heels is about taking in and sending out energy through your feet into the earth. It is about connecting and grounding off an extended base. Such things become very helpful when one has high energy flows. You know I do not allow myself to talk about practices. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff Posted January 8, 2017 You know I do not allow myself to talk about practices. Yes, but I felt there was some value putting a little literal context to your figurative response... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted January 8, 2017 Which mean you can put any meaning you want to it - which means you do not know really what is true and what is not in relation to the breathing of heels. Taoism teachings are more confused ones in general. Not really. But it does take time to grasp what is being talked about. Remember, Chuang Tzu wrote many things that need to be understood figuratively and not literally. I can't go any further than this because what I stated just above. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bindi Posted January 9, 2017 Which mean you can put any meaning you want to it - which means you do not know really what is true and what is not in relation to the breathing of heels. Taoism teachings are more confused ones in general. If there was an important channel running from the feet/heels and up the leg/s, then the breathing through the heels could refer to incorporating this channel energetically, I was hoping someone might know definitively though. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
awaken Posted January 9, 2017 I can't breath from the heel. But I often feel some chi under the heel. Feeling like Beat, a little electricity 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted January 9, 2017 ... I was hoping someone might know definitively though. Don't look forward to any definites from me. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dawei Posted January 9, 2017 If there was an important channel running from the feet/heels and up the leg/s, then the breathing through the heels could refer to incorporating this channel energetically, I was hoping someone might know definitively though. Within the 8 Extraordinary Vessels, is the Yin Heel and Yang Heel channels. The eight extraordinary vessels are (奇經八脈; qí jīng bā mài) Conception Vessel (Ren Mai) - 任脈 [rèn mài] Governing Vessel (Du Mai) - 督脈 [dū mài] Penetrating Vessel (Chong Mai) - 衝脈 [chōng mài] Girdle Vessel (Dai Mai) - 帶脈 [dài mài] Yin linking vessel (Yin Wei Mai) - 陰維脈 [yīn wéi mài] Yang linking vessel (Yang Wei Mai) - 陽維脈 [yáng wéi mài] Yin Heel Vessel (Yin Qiao Mai) - 陰蹻脈 [yīn qiāo mài] Yang Heel Vessel (Yang Qiao Mai) - 陽蹻脈 [yáng qiāo mài] I didn't realize that they paired with the Ren and Du channels respectively... making an influence or gateway to the MCO (?) See Here --- My personal experience is that when I did Taiji, we did lots of meridian stretching (ie opening) exercises... and one of the goals was to get an 'open' feeling between the right foot KD1 and left hand PC8.... then same with left foot and right hand... we did several movements to encourage that. I'll add that at the time I was also doing Medical Qigong studies and we did lots of breathing through all the gateways... so that double duty of exercises seemed to eventually open my KD1. After that, I had a different feeling for what it meant to 'breath through the heels', particular given practices where we would breath through the Taiji Pole (or Zhong Mai , central channel mentioned in other threads). I'm can't say if my experience aligns to the heel vessel info mentioned as I was not studying that nor have since, till you mentioned it. 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cheya Posted January 9, 2017 The "breathing from the heels" thing has fascinated me forever. Quoting from a previous thread, I wrote: In Chace and Shima's book on the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, in the short chapter on spiritual practice, Chace talks about "the Great Thoroughfare" apparently arising from yin qiao mai on the inside of the ankle. (Maybe it was just that the "Great Thoroughfare" was most easily accessible via the yin qiao...)� He speaks of it as a primitive path�or may-be just an alternative path�to spiritual development, a path that does not start with the microcosmic orbit. In the footnotes, Chace relates the Great Thoroughfare path from the heels to Chaung Tzu's quote about breathing from the heels. I wrote more about my experiences breathing from the heels at that thread, but the bit above was the most pertinent. http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/18710-tai-chi-ruler-activates-the-8-extraordinary-channels/ 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cheya Posted January 9, 2017 Those interested in this conversation might also appreciate snowmonki's extensive posts in this thread: http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/25088-taiji-polechong-mai/ Starting at post #7 and continuing. Very helpful in sorting this stuff out. Well, at least for me... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rainbowvein Posted January 9, 2017 The higher your refined energy rises in the head, the lower body gradually opens as well. The legs are the last to open. "Breathing from the heels" is a term that signifies a verification of the later stages of a bottom-up approach. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cheya Posted January 9, 2017 Hey, RV Legs and feet seemed to open first for me. Just now getting to the head... But maybe we're not talking about the same thing... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rainbowvein Posted January 9, 2017 Hey, RV Legs and feet seemed to open first for me. Just now getting to the head... But maybe we're not talking about the same thing... Hi cheya, Thanks for mentioning your experience. Yes! I first felt qi in my little toes after my first qigong class. I totally know what you mean. Are you familiar with different gradations of chi? Earth chi belongs in the lower torso and legs. That's what I felt that day. (And continued to feel). In actuality, I learned that my legs weren't opening. I just was collecting earth chi at that time. And I felt it palpably! Over time, with a good bottom-up approach, your energy will refine until the chi is feather-light (also known as shen). That is the chi that is opening your channels in the later stages. Very, very fine. Unlike any kundallini (or yang chi rising) experience I have experienced. It is relatively easy to feel earth chi, and to circulate it. But when your spirit energy is nurtured virtuously (the Te stage), over time you will enter the shen refinement stage. This is when you can truthfully "breathe from the heels". Best -- 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KuroShiro Posted January 9, 2017 Breathing through heels is about taking in and sending out energy through your feet into the earth. It is about connecting and grounding off an extended base. Such things become very helpful when one has high energy flows. Can you control the taking in and sending out at will? Can you tell us what does it feel like? Something like the quote below? I can't breath from the heel. But I often feel some chi under the heel. Feeling like Beat, a little electricity The higher your refined energy rises in the head, the lower body gradually opens as well. The legs are the last to open. "Breathing from the heels" is a term that signifies a verification of the later stages of a bottom-up approach. How do you know when the lower body and legs have opened? Hey, RV Legs and feet seemed to open first for me. Just now getting to the head... But maybe we're not talking about the same thing... Can you tell us what you felt in the legs and feet? Can we compare the feet with the head? In the feet we have acupuncture points, meridians. In the head we also have upper Tan Tien (Crown Chakra and Third Eye Chakra), right? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
