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What is Ki Breathing?

Ki breathing is an exercise Aikido students use to develop their extension of ki and their breathing so that it is always calm and even.

Although our breathing is so intimately connected with our life, few of us are aware of its basic mechanics and its effects on our mind and body.

The average person's lung capacity is about 3500 cubic centimetres, yet in ordinary breathing we inhale about 600 cubic centimetres of air.

By breathing deeply and using our full lung capacity, we stimulate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, clear the system of impurities, and make ourselves powerful and fully alive.

What is Ki Meditation?

Meditation is an art in it's self. It requires a great deal of practise and concentration. However the benefits of meditation are well worth the time and effort.

Through meditation a person learns to calm his or her mind, filtering out the distractions of daily life and the world around them. A person who can learn to meditate properly will feel healthier and handle difficult or even confrontational situations with greater ease.

Through time as a person becomes more adept at meditating. The effects and benefits of meditation will last for longer and longer periods after the exercise of meditation has been completed. This continues until a calm and relaxed state of mind becomes second nature.

Four Basic Principals of Ki

Keep One Point

Concentrate on a single spot in the lower abdomen.

Relax Completely

A widespread misconception of relaxation is that it is a pleasant but weak state, and people therefore revert to tension in an emergency. They are unaware that true relaxation is the strongest state.

Keep Weight Underside

The weight of all objects is naturally underside. The human body is only different when it is tense. When you are calm, the weight of all parts of your body will be underside. Calmness is our natural state.

Extend Ki

A person who extends little ki has no confidence. He hesitates at every new undertaking and consequently does poorly. If you want a vigorous, positive life, the first thing you must do is learn to extend a strong flow of Ki.

Ki Development

What are Ki Development Exercises?

The extension of Ki, (pronounced “key”) is a central theme in Aikido. Students with a strong extension of Ki feel calm and relaxed and are less likely to suffer from stress or panic in a crisis.

Ki development exercises are a series of simple exercises which demonstrate the non-physical mind is stronger than the physical body.

To aid the development of Ki there are Ki breathing and meditation exercises as well as specially designed Ki development exercises and the four principles of Ki.

Later we find that this mind or “Ki” power becomes very strong. In turn, this is reflected in our bodies through our posture, our health, and our general ability to deal with difficult or even confrontational situations.