The Gathering Breath
Sitting down, with the hands starting in the lap, or standing in the Preliminary Posture with the hands dangling at the sides begin to inhale and move the hands outward and upward as if you are scooping something useful, even precious, from the air around you. When your hands are slightly above and in front of you, the inhalation should be complete. Then bring your hands, side by side, palms facing you, toward your head. Then move them slowly down in front of your face, in front of your chest, in front of your abdomen, exhaling. When your hands reach the navel area, linger for a moment and then repeat.

Many people find this breath practice very calming. It is a kind of meditation that allows for some gentle movement, which often makes it easier for people to relax. Frequently, people who have a hard time meditating find it easier if some mild movement is in-volved. Many who have found it difficult to take a full, deep breath have discovered that the arm movement helps to open up the rib cage and fill the lungs. Allow yourself to relax deeply dur-ing this practice.

In China this movement and breath practice is part of a pow-erful Qigong method called "marrow washing," which gathers energy (Qi) from nature and then purposefully stores it in the marrow of the bones, like electrical potential in a battery. As the hands pass over the body, focus intently on the energy pene-trating through the surface of the body, through the flesh and muscles, and through the surface of the bones to be stored in the marrow. This stored energy becomes an available resource to vi-talize the organs and glands, harmonize imbalances, and heal disease. Allow yourself to float free of concerns and simplify your thoughts. Move toward a state of mental neutrality where you are simultaneously cheerful and indifferent.

You may, if you wish, imagine or visualize that you are gather-ing healing energy from around you-from the universe, heaven, God, or a marvelous pool of healing waters. Bathe yourself gently in this rich resource. Allow the healing energy to penetrate deeply in order to nourish the organs and glands.

You may want to turn and face the different directions. From the east gather the energy of spring, of awakening and sprouting. From the south gather the energy of summer, of maturing and ripening. From the west gather the energy of autumn, the reward of the harvest. From the north gather the energy of winter, of patience and rest.

As you relax in this practice you may feel the warmth of your hands as they pass in front of your face. The Chinese call this "Qi sensation." Rest in the rhythm of the movement, allowing the breath to be natural as you go deeper into relaxation. Notice that very soon you begin to feel carefree, lighter. You may become aware of a soothing floating sensation that makes you feel filled with lightness, as if the cells are less compressed, less dense.

Application Suggestions

• Health maintenance: Five to ten repetitions in one session per day.
• Health improvement: Ten to fifteen repetitions, or add a second practice session.
• Disease intervention: Start slowly and build up to fifteen to | twenty repetitions.
• Getting started: Two to three repetitions, once or twice a day. This method is very mild, so feel free to do as many as you like.

Benefits
The movement of the arms increases the lymph flow in the chest and shoulder area, which makes this practice particularly helpful in preventing or resolving disorders and discomforts in the chest and neck area. Be sure to combine significant expansion of the upper ribs with the lifting of the arms. The rib cage is expanded and lung capacity is increased. The deep inhalation causes the diaphragm to compress the abdominal organs, which triggers the elimination of metabolic by-products from the intracellular spaces-spaces be-tween the cells in the organs and glands.

Because the intention of this practice is to calm the mind and deepen your relaxation, it has a strong effect on your neurochem-istry, enhancing the naturally occurring internal mechanisms that support self-healing and self-restoration through the autonomic nervous system and the immune system.

Remember, if you find it interesting, to be aware of the circulation of the energy that the Chinese refer to as the Qi. It is astonishing that the ancient Chinese, with no scientific knowledge of he actual physiology of the bone marrow or of its value, had an | intuitive sense that the marrow was where vitality is stored. All red and white blood cells and almost all immune cells are born the marrow. Somehow the Chinese intuition was quite enlightened regarding self-healing thousands of years ago.