Breathing Percentages

[Sulo Eno]

Hello,

I am just beginning the first DVD of the Flying Phoenix series. I am wondering how close to the inhalation-exhalation percentages one has to be for it to be effective (or how far off one has to be to have negative effects). I am likely over-analyzing, but it seems I can't be certain as to what 40% is.

 

Also, assuming one practices the first series (1st DVD), how long before one practices the second? Third? Does one practice Everything in one day (1st DVD, 2nd DVD, etc.)?

 

Thanks much.

[senseless virtue]

Hello.

 

Don't worry about the accuracy. The more you do it, the more familiar you will become with your own body and its breathing capacity.

 

Sifu Terry has provided some scheduling suggestion for beginners. You can follow that or move forward on your own when you feel good.

 

Flying Phoenix practice has cumulative benefits: the more you do in one session, the better. Separating exercises throughout the day lessens this cumulative effect a bit, but it shouldn't matter. Enjoy! Doing the entire 1st DVD in one go would be superb. Doing three different Monk Serves Wine meditations in one sitting would be another great idea.

 

Please enjoy your practice.

[Aeran]

I wouldn't stress about it too much at this stage. If you had to get the breathing exactly right from the very beginning, nobody would ever be able to do it. Just do your best, stop and restart if it feels off or you do something obviously way off the mark (skip/repeat a breath, forget a number, accidentally go for a different %, etc). 

 

A few things I've found that have helped a lot: sit and allow your breathing to steady for a minute or two before initiating the opening 3 breaths, try and keep your breathing stable (mine always wants to deepen as I move further into the breath sequence, which can get confusing), and most importantly, I find it much easier to measure the breath by taking into account the movement of my abdomen in and out instead of relying purely on timing it or measuring the flow of air in/out of my nostrils.

 

Good luck.