Breathing.

Zen breathing plays an important part in meditation and in all the actions of everyday life. Above all it aims to establish a slow, natural and powerful rhythm. This kind of breathing is essentially based on a long and deep exhalation.

As we said before, at the beginning of Zazen you should breathe in several times through the nose and out through the mouth. From that moment on breathing should become completely silent and nasal. Many beginners ask me:

"Should I control or force my breathing?" My answer is always: "Only that which is deeply understood can be controlled".

The first thing beginners should do is observe their breathing carefully and deepen their understanding of it. The most important areas which directly affect breathing are: the thorax, the dorsal muscles, the pectoral muscles, the diaphragm, the rib muscles and the abdominal muscles.

Depending on the level of performance of these areas we can say that there exist three essential kinds of breathing:

a) Thoraxic. This is the most superficial of all three. The inhalation prevails over the exhalation. It is a kind of breathing common to excited and excitable people. The thorax, the pectoral muscles and very slightly the diaphragm intervene in this form of breathing .

b) Diaphragmatic. The breathing out becomes deeper due to the pressure which the rib muscles exert on the thorax, emptying it a little more. This kind of breathing implies a flexible diaphragm, which requires a certain relaxation of the dorsal muscles. My experience in the Dojo has demonstrated to me that, in the modern era of big city life, most people arrive here with a rigid diaphragm which impedes a long deep exhalation. So the first step consists in relaxing the diaphragm.

c) Abdominal. In abdominal breathing the muscular swell provoked by the pressure the thorax exerts on the diaphragm carries on into the abdominal muscles. This kind of breathing implies emptying the lungs almost completely and thus breathing in a larger amount of fresh air. In this breathing the exhalation is longer and deeper than the inhalation. The muscular swell can reach down into the lower abdomen, till it reaches the so-called HARA or KIKAITANDEM (ocean of energy) in Japanese.

This is the most appropriate breathing in Zazen, and it is what we should aim for. But we must be careful. Many practitioners are mistaken on this point, and try to force a long powerful exhalation without understanding the complete breathing mechanism. If for example the diaphragm is contracted and we try to exert pressure on the abdominals, this will provoke a great internal conflict in our body and consciousness, as the muscular swell will have been obstructed by the diaphragm whilst pressure is nevertheless exerted on the abdominals. It is better to follow the passage of this swell closely, neither obstructing it nor trying to go quicker than what your natural rhythm permits.Whatever the case may be, breathing is a delicate matter that requires direct advice from a Zen master.

Generally speaking, inhalation follows naturally on from exhalation. With practice we can concentrate on generating a deeper and longer inhalation. This breathing in develops considerable energy in the waist, kidneys and hips.All martial arts were traditionally based on this kind inhale.

The air contains the energy of the cosmos. We absorb this energy through our lungs and each one of our cells. So knowing how to breathe is very important. Normally we breathe 15 to 20 times per minute, in a way that is superficial as we only use part of our pulmonary capacity. As we have seen, deep and complete breathing takes place not only at the level of the thorax, but should also rely on the abdomen.

Thanks to the practice of Zazen in a correct physical posture, we gradually become accustomed to this kind of breathing not only in our everyday lives but also whilst asleep.This Zen breathing increases our vital energy.