Last week, I had a rare opportunity to sit in on a Taoist workshop lead by the head of the Chinese Taoism Society, Master Meng Zhiling. I knew very little going in about Taoist culture and beliefs, only that they would be a great complement to my Buddhist studies (and helpful toward my goal of sitting and meditating for more than 10 minutes at a time without deciding the clean the living room).
During the second workshop, Master Meng spoke specifically about breath and meditation, focusing on body position and the role of Chi. In a nutshell:
- Shoulders relaxed and down
- Breath is focused three inches below your belly button
- Spine and neck are in line
- Head is lifted but not tense (like a basket on a string!)
- Overall, you should feel physically light and balanced
- This practice takes time and patience, since we most likely have been breathing differently all our lives
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