Tai Chi for Relaxation Breath Can Help Control Stress

An excellent tool for dealing with stress is your breath. The breath is the way to quiet the frantic emotional monkey mind—the breath is the banana that will quiet the monkey mind. That is why it is very important to have correct posture especially in the thoracic spine, not pushed in and up like military posture and not collapsed down when we slouch, as well as in the shoulders in order to create the optimal space for the lungs.

Slow deep breathing is a strong tool for quieting the monkey mind when it is bothering you and creating stress within. Try it the next time you are much stressed. Put your attention on your breathing and surf the breath. Follow the air in and out for a few minutes. Some days when the monkey is very strong, you will need to use fire breath breathing. In fire breath breathing, you inhale with a sound through your nostrils and when exhaling whispering "ha" sound from your mouth. Fire breath breathing is useful in intense situations. It will help you move your thoughts away from the stressful situation and release tension. Click to learn how Chinese medicine treats Gout.

Of course, sometimes you may need to take a few deep breaths and simply relax. Once you do that, you can then deal with the mental stress. First, use fire breath and eventually use a quiet water breath. You have options in different situations: a breath with a sound like "ha" or "oy-gevalt," or a quiet, deep, long, peaceful breath.