Part II: The Importance of Breath

Ideally how I'd be breathing all the time!

So have you been holding your breath to hear why breath is so important in Feng Shui? The time has come! In Black Sect Tantric Buddhism Feng Shui, we base our practice on Chi, or Life Force, the Breath of Life. Every person, every space, every thing, has its own Chi and it can either be flowing properly, barely or not at all. When someone brings me in for a Feng Shui consultation, that is one of the many things I observe - the Chi of the person or persons and the Chi of the space and how the Chi of these elements interact. And depending on what the person is seeking to achieve, I recommend a variety of things, many of them related to Chi improvement. People don't realize how important this is. Without Chi, we'd all be, well, kaput. Most people think that Feng Shui is just about moving furniture. Yes, the Art of Placement is fundamental in classical Feng Shui. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the proper flow of a space is integral for health and prosperity. But there are many times after a three hour consultation that I may not have even moved one piece of furniture. You didn't expect that did you?

Try this. Take a moment to observe your breath right now. What's your regular breathing like? Can you comfortably breathe through your nose? If it's a struggle like it was for me, consider trying a neti pot. Is your breathing shallow or deep? If it's shallow, can you try to take deeper breaths? Without hyperventilating of course. I noticed recently that when I am fearful, I stop breathing completely. Imagine that! No air whatsoever! Not only does that not help my performance, it can put my health at risk. So when I feel fear setting in, instead of running for the hills, I try to notice the sensation creeping in and take purposeful deep breaths. I try my best. And thankfully, it usually works. It has made a world of a difference for me in terms of dealing with difficult moments (like why more people don't read my blog), puts whatever is freaking me out into perspective and lets me ride the moment of tension more easily.

Sure I can tell you more about how breath is related to our chakras (energy centers of the body) or how breath is related to the emotion joy in Feng Shui but I wanted to start off slow. We have loads of time for all that other stuff. Let's just start slow and steady, with the aim being to not overwhelm but to recognize and adjust. Like your breath. Happy Monday morning breath!