Consciousness of Breathing

Author: Jie Kong

“Consciousness of breathing” is the process of transforming respiration into a state where our breath does not depend on the body, but the body on our breathing. This process in Daoist tradition represents the mythical animal – unicorn Qi Lin (Qilin, 麒麟), because it has focus and directed attention. At this point, result of the practice depends on the level of mental strength and the how much energetically connected the brain and the spinal cord.

This stage of practice activates the prenatal abdominal functions associated mainly with the spinal cord when internal breathing replaces the external breathing.

In Daoist alchemy, this practice is also associated with the notion of “rinsing the bone marrow”. This technique promotes producing shen- qi energy which is also understood as prenatal blood, or young blood.

There is a myth that Qilin‘s bone marrow was able to reproduce and renew energy, which is why it is associated with longevity. Qilin‘s breathing is the technique of directing the breath and converting it into energy, which can enter deeper layers of the body.

This is an essential step in preparing the body for the turtle breathing practice as it produces shen-qi energy which helps to control the overall breathing of qi and to increase the power of consciousness.