There is a growing interest today in the relationship of
breathing to health and spiritual development. Unfortunately, few
people who experiment with their breath understand the importance
of "natural breathing." This is the kind of
spontaneous, whole-body breathing that one can observe in an
infant or a young child. Instead of trying to learn to breathe
naturally, many people impose complicated breathing techniques on
top of their already bad breathing habits. These habits are not
in harmony with the psychological and physiological laws of the
mind and body. They are not in harmony with the Tao.
Natural breathing is an integral part of the Tao. For thousands
of years Taoist masters have taught natural breathing to their
students through chi kung, tai chi, and various other meditative
and healing arts and sciences. Through natural breathing we are
able to support our overall health. We are able to improve the
functioning and efficiency of our heart, lungs, and other
internal organs and systems. We are able to help balance our
emotions. We are able to transform our stress and negativity into
the energy that we can use for self-healing and self-development.
And we are better able to extract and absorb the energy we need
for spiritual growth and independence.
Many books on breathing have been published over the past several
years. None of them, however, has gone as deeply into the
meaning, practice, and benefits of natural breathing as this
important new work by Dennis Lewis. Based on his own long study
and research in various traditions and disciplines, including the
Healing Tao, Lewis brings together in one book the psychosomatic
vision, the scientific knowledge, and the vital practices that
can help us discover the power of natural breathing to rejuvenate
and transform our lives.
The Tao of Natural Breathing makes a big contribution to our
understanding of how the way we breathe influences our lives.
Whatever their level of experience, readers will gain new
insights into their own specific breathing habits and how these
habits often undermine their health and well-being. They will
understand that natural, authentic breathing depends less on
learning new breathing techniques than it does on what Lewis
calls the "reeducation" of our inner perception. This
reeducation, which involves learning how to sense the inner
structures and energies of the mind and body, lies at the heart
of the Taoist approach to healing and spiritual development.
Return to Tao of Natural Breathing Overview
03/17/04