We can think of our energy as being like a spark of life within us. When we work actively with this energy we can nurture it and grow it into a vibrant glowing flame, filling us with vitality and spreading radiantly into every aspect of our lives.
Inner Fire Breathwork is a series of breathing practices which build this fire and balance and distribute it evenly through our body. Each of the breathing techniques are beneficial individually, and when they are practiced together in sequence they support each other synergistically for more powerfully effective results.
Building the Root
The process begins with breathing practices for building the root of our energy. We activate our energy at the deepest level by breathing through our bones to stimulate the bone marrow and activate the electrical properties of the crystalline matrices of our bone’s structures. The electrical energy of our bones activates the flow of energy through the surrounding soft tissues of our bodies, and this then naturally seeks to ground itself deep into the earth in a branching fractal pattern – forming a connection to the energy of the earth beneath us very much like the roots of a tree. We can then tap into this connection to the energy of the earth to support and balance the energy in our body. Drawing energy through these roots specifically into our kidneys supports the water element within our bodies. In Chinese medicine the kidneys are responsible for the health and strength of the legs, the spine, including the spinal cord, and the hormones. So having the energy of our kidneys supported by deep strong roots which extend down into the earth gives us a stable base of support for activating the energy of all of the other organs and tissues of our body through the action of the central nervous system and hormones.
This process of rooting our energy is deeply yin in nature, and is very useful for rebuilding our energy at a deep level when it is depleted, as well as giving us the yin support we need for activating our energy in a more yang way.
Preparing the Firepit
Having developed a strong root, the next step is to prepare the space that our fire will be lit within. In Qigong and Chinese Medicine, this space is known as the Dantien. It is in the very centre of our body – a couple of inches below the navel and back towards the spine. This area is deep within our enteric nervous system and digestive organs. It is richly supplied with both blood and nerve endings. It is also the centre of the expansion of our breath when we breath in a relaxed natural way. All of the movement of our breath – our breath of life, expands and contracts around this area.
To activate our life energy within this area effectively, we need to first make sure that all of the tissues which surround this area are balanced and active, so that they can build the fire in a balanced way.
We start by working with the base of this firepit, by activating our gluteal muscles and balancing the activity of the pelvic floor so that the pelvis can be a stable base for the activity in the dantien. We then work with the muscles of the lower back, lower abdomen and obliques (sides of the body) to balance their tensions and make them responsive to the breath so that they will support the activity in the dantien evenly from all sides. Finally we ‘empty’ the firepit with deep exhaling breathing techniques which naturally draw the abdominal muscles in deeply and squeeze out any stagnant blood or energy which may be sitting within the organs in this space, allowing fresh energy to flow in to replace it.
Lighting the Fire
With a stable, balanced, clear firepit, we are ready to begin the process of lighting our Inner Fire. We begin by drawing some fresh energy up from Huiyin – the meeting point of yin energy within our body, we need yin energy to support the spark of yang. We then activate the spark of energy within our dantien, starting to make it glow warmer and brighter. Special breathing techniques help us to apply balanced pressure to this spark activating it and causing it to grow stronger.
As the spark grows stronger we blow on it gently at first, and then more strongly, growing the energy from a spark, to a glowing coal, and eventually a vibrant flame. We nurture the energy to make it strong and bright.
It is helpful at this stage to understand that our Inner Fire is a special kind of flame. It incorporates all of the aspects of our living energy within it. So when we start to build our Inner Fire we will often feel heat and even perceive light within our minds eyes, but these are not the only aspects of energy that we may experience. We may also notice other aspects of our energy such as sensations of magnetism or vibration and internal movement also growing stronger. We should not judge the strength of our flame by just the heat we feel, but by the combination of all of the aspects of our energy.
Raising, Balancing, and Distributing the Fire
With our flame lit we then raise the fire, and balance and distribute it throughout our body. We start by opening up our spine and flowing the energy from the lower dantien up to activate and balance the energy of the upper dantien which is centred in our head. The brings brightness and clarity to our intellect and perception.
We then draw from the energy of both the upper and lower dantien to support the activity of our middle dantien located in the area of our heart. From here our Inner Fire radiates outwards and we spread it evenly through our whole body, and can even issue energy out through the palms of our hands.
With our Inner Fire active and spread through our whole body we can work with this flame to purify and cleanse our energy, burning away any blocked or stagnant energy and allowing bright fresh energy to flow through every part of our being.
Why Practice Inner Fire Breathwork?
From the description above, you can see that there is quite a process involved in Inner Fire Breathwork. Each practice has many benefits in its own right, and collectively there is a synergy between them which is powerfully effective for activating our energy and making it glow bright vibrant and healthy.
As you work to master each of the different techniques you go on a journey of discovery, learning things about yourself and your energy, building strength, resilience, and vitality at a deep level. Once your fire is lit and balanced you find that the process becomes easier, you are able to tap into and activate your Inner Fire more easily. You no longer need to go through every step of the process, but rather you can tap directly into that fire and activate it and direct it at will.
The vibrant glowing flame then acts as a base of energy to support you in every aspect of your life. It enriches and brings greater flow of energy to your other qigong practices, and enhances your ability to direct your energy within all of your activities.
Learning Inner Fire Breathwork
If you would like to learn Inner Fire Breathwork so that you can bring this practice into your life, we teach these practices within the Inner Fire Qigong Instructor Certification Program. So any Long White Cloud Qigong instructor who has completed this course will be able to guide you in starting this practice. You can find Long White Cloud Qigong instructors in the ‘Find an Instructor’ section of our website.
Or perhaps you would like to do the Inner Fire Qigong Instructor training yourself? Within the program we teach the Inner Fire Breathwork along with Wild Animal Play, Iron Shirt Qigong, and an abundance of breathing theory and application. These dynamic practices develop our energy in many ways to make it strong, vibrant, and resilient. You can find all the details of the program here, and hear recent participants experience with the program, including the Inner Fire Breathwork here.