Humans have figured out quite a few ways to travel, for an infinite number of reasons. Whether it’s for work, pleasure, or personal growth, leaving the comfort of home means having to adjust to a different environment. Travel is stressful, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it certainly does take up energy.
Jungchoong Breathing is a fabulous method of training practiced in the regular Dahn Yoga classes, but it is especially ideal when you’re traveling as well. It’s easy to do and highly effective for quickly recharging your energy, it’s quiet, and it doesn’t require too much space or movement.
Consisting of five basic Haenggong (breathwork) postures, Jungchoong Breathing helps you to relieve fatigue and better withstand heat, cold, and humidity by strengthening and accumulating energy in your dahnjon, the energy center that is located in the lower abdomen and pertains to the second chakra.
Our every movement and posture affects the way we breathe. Each of the postures of Jungchoong Breathing promotes an increase in abdominal pressure, which strengthens the dahnjon, and deep and stable breathing, which opens the energy points throughout the body.
Jungchoong means having abundant jung, or physical energy. This jung energy becomes the foundational energy we use in our day-to-day living, as well as for spiritual growth. To make your jung abundant, it’s essential to eat the foods your body needs, perform moderate exercise, and breathe well.
Breathing well involves deep, stable breathing that makes the mind and body peaceful. Thus, it is breathing that goes all the way down to the lower belly and enhances the abdominal pressure in the lower abdomen, enabling it to be filled with energy. When you breathe this way, all of the internal organs gain vitality, and energy is supplied to the whole body effectively. If this condition is maintained, the mind and body start to function at their optimum level. Once you reach a certain point, it brings a steady peace to the mind and body that is difficult to describe with words, and you feel happy from within just to be alive.
How to do it:
Breathing method: In each posture, when you first start breathing, inhale through your nose and exhale slowly with your mouth as though you are expelling all of the stagnant energy inside.
As you become more relaxed, if it feels more comfortable, breathe in and out through your nose instead of exhaling through your mouth.
Haenggong ?: Lie down comfortably and relax. Your feet should be apart, but not more than your shoulder width. Relax your lower back and let yourself feel it stretch as though it is almost touching the floor. This forms abdominal pressure in your dahnjon.
Haenggong ?: Lift up your legs naturally and bend your hip joints, knees, and ankles to about 90 degrees.
Caution: Keep the knees slightly more towards the feet than the hip joints. However, the lower back should not come off the floor. Also, hold your feet a little higher than your knees. This creates abdominal pressure in the dahnjon. It’s hard to accumulate energy if your knees are farther apart than your feet.
Haenggong ?: Hold your feet with your hands. Keep bending your ankles as much as you can, and straighten your knees. This promotes better blood and energy circulation in your whole body.
Haenggong ?: Lift your lower back, bring your feet over your head, and let them touch the floor. This circulates energy more strongly throughout your body. If you find the posture difficult, do not touch your feet to the floor, but hold them in the air as you do the breathing.
Caution: Many people are unable to do postures 3 and 4. If that includes you, don’t overdo it. Alternate between Haenggong postures 1 and 2 instead, and try 3 and 4 when the condition of your body improves.
Haenggong ?: Cross your legs as you lower them gently to the floor, or bend your knees with your feet comfortably apart on the floor. Focus on your dahnjon and accumulate energy as you breathe deeply.
The goal of touching your lower back to the floor in these postures is to let your lower back stretch as it relaxes, and ultimately to form abdominal pressure in the lower abdomen. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to accumulate energy effortlessly.
— Chungsuk Lee