Chest Breathing

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If your chest feels tight, try chest breathing before you start Jung-Choong Breathing. Lie comfortably on the floor face up, spread your legs to about the width of your shoulders, and move your arms to the sides, about 45 degrees from your body. Close your eyes and take three or four slow, even breaths while counting to four. Breathing out slowly through your mouth, exhale the energy, releasing the stuffy, restless feeling in your chest. Breathe out slowly, to a count of six. Exhale quietly, with your lips parted slightly. Once you become comfortable with this step, concentrate your awareness on the tips of your fingers as you exhale, imagining that energy congested in your chest goes out through the ends of your fingers. If lying down, picture the energy leaving your body through the tips of your toes, as well as fingers.

The Jung-Choong Breathing postures are most effective when you adjust the sequence of the postures to your own condition. For beginners, Ilchi Lee recommend a 20-minute routine in which the practitioner decides on the duration of each posture. Switch between Postures No. 2, 3, and 4 for 15 minutes, according to your comfort level, A rough guideline is provided for beginners who are not sensitized to energy flow. The ideal sequence should be Posture 2->3-*4-+3^2, but do what feels most beneficial for your body. If you feel a sharp pain or it becomes too difficult to keep the posture, move on to the next one. The autonomic nervous system governs most of our bodily functions and encompasses the sympathetic and parasympathetic networks.

The sympathetic nervous system activates the “fight or flight” response, triggering increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, inhibition of digestion, and release of energy stores for use by the large muscle groups. In contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system activates the functions of “rest and digest.”

The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, extending from the medulla in the brain to the base of the spine, forming a network of vital links to the heart, liver, lungs, and other major organs.

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