Autumn Qi Chats | Week 5
Wrap up the ribs!
This week’s Qi Time chat leads us to talk
about how to properly train for better breathing.
You house a grand source of energy. Are you properly accessing that drive?
In the torso of the body lies three areas often referred to as the San Jiao, or the ‘three burners.’ This energetic-organ system has a relationship to the breathing process. Often correlated to the hypothalamus, the San Jiao is in charge of our energy maintenance via mood, sleep and arousal, body temperature and more.
In Chinese Medicine, the San Jiao (also known as San Jiao or Triple Burner) is an important concept related to the regulation of bodily fluids and the coordination of various organs and systems. It is not a physical organ like the heart or liver but rather a functional system that plays a vital role in maintaining overall health.
The San Jiao is often described as having three areas or "burners" in the body:
Upper Burner: This is the area above the diaphragm, which includes the chest and the region around the heart and lungs. The Upper Burner is responsible for receiving and transforming air and fluids, particularly related to respiration.
Middle Burner: This is the area between the diaphragm and the navel, encompassing the stomach and digestive organs. The Middle Burner is responsible for digesting food and transforming it into nutrients and energy.
Lower Burner: This is the area below the navel, including the lower abdomen, bladder, and reproductive organs. The Lower Burner is responsible for eliminating waste and regulating the body's fluids.
How can the Lung affect my energy?
Now, in relation to lung health:
The Upper Burner is closely associated with the lungs and their function. It governs the inhalation of air, the diffusion of qi (energy), and the distribution of moisture to the skin and hair. When the Upper Burner is functioning well, it helps to support healthy lung function and respiration.
The Middle and Lower Burners also indirectly affect lung health by ensuring proper digestion and elimination. Good digestion allows the body to extract nutrients and energy from food, which in turn supports the body's overall vitality and immune function, including the health of the lungs.
When you breathe with purpose, you begin to awaken areas of the body that hasn’t been associated with the function of the lungs. Image the ribcage like an umbrella expanding outward and lifting upward during each inhale. Now image closing the umbrella during your exhale as you feel the ribs descend and come closer together. The rhythmic movement of the ribs, the better engagement of your respiration muscles create a neurological connection that can calm the nervous system & release tension of the body. That energy can now be reserved for function rather than protection.
Better breathing = better energy sourcing.
Neuro-Qi Tip o’the day!
Become more aware of the midline
Morning ribcage scrub (play with vibration, crude touch, light touch, temperature)
Wrap the ribcage or use weights on the torso
Massage the center of the sternum (Ren 17) to help with the following breathing technique.
Focus on slowing your breathing to the 6 breaths a minute. Count to 5 as you inhale then exhale for 5.
*Video posts every Friday by 11:30am MDT
