According to Taoist masters, Bone Breathing is a powerful technique that helps our breath to reach our bones and cleanse the bone marrow.
Most of us think that following a regular physical exercise schedule will help us stay healthy and feel younger. However, regardless of how physically fit we may be on the outside, the aging process primarily depends on the health of our internal organs like the bone marrow that rejuvenates and nourishes our body. Now we can choose to cleanse the marrow with the ancient Taoist practice of Bone Breathing which enables our breath to reach our bones.
Bone Breathing is a powerful technique developed by Taoist masters in China to empower us to live up to our highest potential and access higher consciousness. Bone Breathing allows us to absorb energy from our environment and heal ourselves internally.
What is Bone Breathing?
In our daily life, we have become so busy and inattentive that we fail to realize we need to breathe consciously and feel it to our bones. Bone Breathing is the process when we breathe slowly, deeply, and clearly to help it reach our bones and heal various ailments, relieve stress, and make us feel relaxed. In fact, a recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology (Cell Physiology) found that the supply of oxygen to our bones greatly affects our bone physiology and bone formation.
“Bone breathing is not only for those repairing bones… the Taoists developed these practices for opening the human potential to its maximum. One powerful effect of bone breathing sessions is the ability to calm the mind and arrest the current of internal talk which goes on constantly. It also brings a profound sense of relaxation and openness that aids in resolving muscular tension and stress.” – Healing Tao
Qi and the bone marrow
Lifeforce or Prana or Qi is the vital energy that keeps our body nourished. By channeling this life force to various internal organs, we can develop good health and reverse the effects of aging. Bones provide the essential structure for the human body, protect crucial organs, and nourishes us by creating red and white blood cells. Bone Breathing utilizes breathing techniques and brings this life force to heal the bones.
According to Taoist master and author Mantak Chia, our bones are living organs and always breathe. As the bones are highly absorbent, it ingests oxygen, blood, and nutrition. By absorbing energy, the bones ‘regrow’ the marrow, slows down the aging process, reverses bone compression, and restores health. This also helps to stimulate hormonal production and prevent osteoporosis.
“Bone Breathing or bone compression is the method of ‘Cleansing the Marrow’, or cleaning out fat in the bone marrow so that you can direct and absorb the creative (sexual) energy into the bone to help regrow the bone marrow.” – Mantak Chia
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How bone breathing works
The technique of bone breathing enables us to absorb significant amounts of Prana or Qi to strengthen our mind & body and become healthier. Ancient Taoist masters believed our vital energy diminishes as our body ages. And as a result, our bones become weaker with age.
According to the masters, bone breathing techniques can help us slow down this process and regenerate the loss of bone marrow with regular long-term practice. They also believed that it can rejuvenate our immune system, blood and significantly reduce stress.
We need to realize that the true essence of breathing is in a full and conscious breath. When we are aware of our breath it revitalizes and refreshes our body. Healthy bones are developed from healthy breathing. As the quality of our breath affects our body organs, the bone and the marrow are also healed through our breath. The marrow, stored in the medullary cavity, generates white and red blood cells which are crucial for our life.
By breathing fully, the bones take in oxygen and transfer it to the marrow to make cells and cleanse the space inside the bones.
However, the primary focus of bone breathing is on our subtle breath. This is how we absorb the universal energy through the pores of our skin. This subtle breath is then transferred to the marrow through conscious breathing, awareness, and concentration.
How to practice bone breathing to heal bone marrow
The fundamental practice and the basic steps of bone breathing are mentioned below. Simply follow the steps as mentioned here to begin:
1. Sit comfortably
To get started, sit in a comfortable position. Extend your arms and put them on your lap. Open the palms of your hands, stretch open your fingers and keep them relaxed. Gently inhale through your nose and exhale deeply towards your abdomen.
Take calm, deep breaths several times while releasing all stress and tension from your mind with each breath. Imagine that you can subtly feel the energy present in the environment around you.
2. Breathe consciously with your fingers
Bone breathing doesn’t only include deep breathing through your nose, it also requires that you breathe with awareness through your fingers, hands, and arms. Start by bringing your focus to the tip of your left index finger. As you breathe normally, allow your attention to move gently from the tip of the finger to the base.
When you exhale through your nose, allow the energy to remain in your finger. Now bring back your attention to the tip of your finger. Repeat this process with the following breaths.
You will feel a sensation of warmth and heaviness developing in your fingers. Now compare the feelings in your left-hand index finger with your right index finger. As you have not done any bone breathing on your right index finger, you will be able to feel the difference in sensations and realize the feelings that come with bone marrow breathing. With the index finger on your left hand becoming warmer, keep practicing bone breathing for the rest of your fingers on your left hand. You may choose to do them at the same time or one at a time.
Once you are done, compare the warm feeling in your left with your right hand, where you have not practiced breathing yet. When you begin doing bone breathing for your right hand, repeat the process you did for the left hand and focus on one finger at a time, or you can do it simultaneously. After you’re done with both hands and feel heavy and warm in your fingers, repeat the process again but move higher up in the arm to experience the same sensation until you reach the shoulder.
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3. Breathe with the toes, feet and legs
After you’re done with your hands, you can practice bone breathing with your legs, feet, and toes as well. However, it is a good idea to get your shoes and socks off before you begin bone breathing through your feet. Repeat the same process you did with your fingers and hands by bringing your awareness to the toes, feet, ankles, and legs.
4. Breathe with your spine
Start by bringing your attention to the sacral region at the bottom of the spine and breathe up. Move your awareness through your spine gradually moving up till you arrive at the base of your neck. Make sure you experience the same sensation of heaviness and warmth as you did with your arms and legs.
5. Breathe with your body
Keep practicing bone breathing by bringing your attention to the rest of the bones in your body. When done properly, you can do bone breathing for the entire human skeleton like the sternum, collarbone, ribs scapulae, and even your teeth. As you continue your practice, focus on breathing with your whole body as if you are absorbing the surrounding energy.
Why practice bone breathing
Apart from strengthening your bones and healing your bone marrow, bone breathing will improve blood flow, stimulate your immune system, improve secretion of nutrients, promote sexual energy and increase the production of red and white blood cells.
This practice will also enable your body to deal with the issues of bone mass deficiency, lack of energy, osteoporosis, and even stress management. Bone breathing helps to merge Qi with the sexual energy by circulating the life force through your entire body.
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This feel-good breathing technique facilitates maximizing energy which helps you keep moving throughout the day. It is a powerful and beneficial practice that enables you to absorb energy in a particular area and experience warmth and energy in that specific area.
Bone breathing enables you to connect and tune in to the flow of energy in the environment and inside your body.
Happy bone breathing!
Reference: Bone Marrow Nei Kung
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