ChiDragon wrote: There are few conditions existed in our breathing habits as follows:
1. One could breathe less than normal
2. One could breathe normally
3. One could breathe more than normal
4. One could breathe much more than normal
These breathing habits will determine how effective that we are using the respiratory system. In other words, are we utilizing the volume of the lung to its full capacity? BTW Breathing Normally simply means, during inhalation, the lung was only filled 50% of its volume with air. Breathing less than normal is 25%; more than normal is 75% and much more than normal is 100%.
One who only filled up the lung with 25% of air, on each breath, is definitely has a breathing problem. This person is almost suffocated for oxygen. The vital organs would function improperly. It is because all the cells of those organs are fighting for oxygen to manufacture ATP energy to perform their functions. Especially, the brain uses 20% of the total oxygen of the body. The person would not act normal if the brain is not functioning properly. The body will have chronic disease due to hypoxia. If the lung is weak, it will not breathe enough oxygen for the heart to beat strongly. The function of the heart is to pump blood into the lung to collect oxygen and delivered to the cells. A weak heart will cause poor blood circulation in the body plus a lack of oxygen in the lung. Hence, the cells do not have enough oxygen to produce the ATP to provide each organ to function normally.
To correct the breathing problem is to practice Tai Chi everyday. Eventually, the breathing of the practitioner will breathe deeper and deeper until the breath was felt underneath the navel. At this point, it was considered that the chi has been sunken to the dan tian
(氣沈丹田). Each time when the breath was deeper simply means the volume of lung was filled with more air. Thus the oxygen level had been increased. As result, the energy level was increased also. In the past, the body was not able to provide that much energy because of the lack of oxygen. Now, more oxygen intake will give the cells to produce more ATP than before. That's is why a Tai chi practitioner was able to feel the difference in the energy level change.
After the Tai Chi practice, diligently, the lung will be filled up 100% with air. The body has fine tuned to have all the organs to carry all the functions normally and properly. Best of all, the body is much healthier and the chronic diseases are gone. The energy level are much higher than before the Tai Chi practice. FYI For all this to happen, the breathing must have been improved. Otherwise, the goal of Tai Chi has not been accomplished.
The physical strength of the body is li
(力) when the lung has the capability to fill 25 to 50% with air. It becomes jin
(勁) when the lung has the capability to fill 75 to 100% with air. It is because of the constant exercise of the muscles, the number of mitochondria has been increased tremendously. Therefore, the physical strength is multiplied by the number of mitochondria. BTW If you still don't believe me, then, you go try to do push-hands with a real Tai Chi master.
A deep discussion requires explicit details for a good comprehension of a complex subject.
