| Teaching breathing in Taijiquan form is not as | | | | One day breathing may be easy, the next it could |
| straightforward as one might think. A breathing | | | | struggle. You have little conscious control over |
| form is not the solution. | | | | this, because this regulation is done by your body. |
| People take different amounts of time to breathe | | | | It does what it needs to keep you going. So, |
| in and out, so giving them a set pattern will make | | | | there are many benefits to letting the body do |
| them hold their breath. A posture that takes | | | | the breathing during the practice of Taijiquan |
| longer than their normal breath will probably result | | | | form. This way, whatever state you're in, your |
| in the student finishing their breath by the time | | | | body will automatically coordinate the breathing |
| they are 2/3 of the way through the posture. | | | | with the movement |
| They will hold their breath for the rest of it. | | | | Practice breathing with simple movements. |
| Breath holding will cause tension in the body, and | | | | Walking is a good movement to use. Your body |
| tension is our enemy. One of the Taiji goals is to | | | | will gradually get the idea, and it will start to |
| relax and let go of tension, not create more in | | | | coordinate your breathing with your movement. |
| the body. Holding your breath for long periods of | | | | Once you get it, it will just happen without you |
| time whilst practicing form is also not good for | | | | having to consciously intervene, just like riding a |
| the body. The body will remember the breath | | | | bicycle. |
| holding and out of habit it will make you do this in | | | | Practice breathing with very natural movements, |
| your everyday life, and that will only make you | | | | such as walking and eventually your body will get |
| even more tense. | | | | the idea, so that when you do start doing Taiji |
| Taiji has no fixed breathing pattern because the | | | | form, your body will automatically breathe to the |
| body's internal can vary tremendously from day | | | | movement, you won't have to try to "fit" your |
| to day, depending on your general state of health, | | | | breathing to the form. |
| your emotional balance or how fatigued you are. | | | | Your body will get the idea of coordinating |
| One day breathing may be easy, the next it could | | | | movement with breathing and it will automatically |
| struggle. You have little conscious control over | | | | start do regulate your breathing during your form |
| this, because this regulation is done by your body. | | | | practice. |
| It does what it needs to keep you going. | | | | If you do this often enough, your body will get |
| Taiji has no fixed breathing pattern because the | | | | the idea of coordinating movement with breathing |
| body's internal can vary tremendously from day | | | | and it will automatically start do regulate your |
| to day, depending on your general state of health, | | | | breathing during your form practice. |
| your emotional balance or how fatigued you are. | | | | |