Breathing is actually a very intricate system that begins with the journey of oxygen coming in to the lungs and ends with carbon dioxide leaving our lungs but only after traversing the entirety of our body in most cases. What happens in between is an amazing and vital process to our health and well-being.

As you inhale, oxygen is brought into the lungs where it is transferred to millions of little sacs located in the “tissue” of the lungs, called alveoli. Once in the alveoli the oxygen is transferred to red blood cells via the pulmonary capillaries. At the same time that the oxygen is transferred to red blood cells, carbon dioxide is also being transported from the body into the alveoli to be expelled and exhaled from the lungs as a waste product. Once the initial transfer is complete, the pulse of the heart pushes the oxygen containing red blood cells throughout the body where they exchange with other cells and tissues and provide the foundation for a wide variety of necessary activities. Oxygen is required for quite a number of jobs within the body not the least of which are, detoxification of the body, glucose production, cellular repair and chemical communication.

For the most part, effective breathing is pretty easy to accomplish. Becoming aware of your breathing and paying attention to any constriction that is occurring in your chest, ribs, back and belly is critical. The more that you mindfully take deeper, slower breaths to allow for full access to the lungs, the more that proper breathing will begin to become the habit rather than the exception.

 “Controlled Breathing” patterns or breathwork teaches us to utilize different breathing patterns for different situations and can be quite effective in helping to manage stress and other imbalances.

One of my favorite examples of a balancing breathwork technique is “The Six Healing Sounds/Exhalations” of Taoist tradition. In the tradition of Chinese Medicine the sounds emitted while exhaling are related to various organ systems in the body. These organ systems are associated with energy channels called ‘meridians’ and they are each responsible for a variety of functions both physical and emotional/mental. The use of the Six Healing Sounds is said to increase personal vitality, strength, courage, health and wellness. The sounds are also used to dissipate negative energy and keep balance of your emotional and physical well-being.

While there is no particular order for these breathing exercises to be accomplished in, I’m listing them in the order that I’ve found to be the most beneficial. It’s recommended that you do them every morning or evening and do each sound three times, unless you have a particular imbalance you are working with, in which case you can work with that sound as much as you need. Just be sure to pause as you move to the next sound/exhalation. Practicing these breathing sounds is very easy and well worth the small amount of time that it takes. With each sound you will want to breathe in fully and then exhale fully.

The first sound is HEEEEEEE and encompasses the full body in three sections: Feet to naval; naval to diaphragm and diaphragm to the top of the head. Keep the jaw and tongue soft and the teeth slightly separated. Place your hands over your head, palms down, fingertips of each hand towards each other. Inhale fully and exhale with the sound of HEEEEEE. As you exhale, slowly move the hands down outlining your body. Envision collecting and wiping negative energy from your head down towards your feet. In Chinese Medicine this is called the triple warmer meridian which corresponds with our adrenal system and stress response. When we are emotionally stressed or, out of balance due to chronic stress, it affects the triple warmer meridian. This sound/exhalation is said to help harmonize and balance the overall energy of the body. 

The second sound is HAWWWWW. Place your hands over your heart. Inhale fully; exhale the sound of HAWWWW, keeping a soft jaw and tongue and teeth slightly separated. This sound works with the heart and small intestine meridians. It is said to be helpful when working with insomnia, heart disease or other issues of the heart (including emotional issues of the heart) Since this meridian is also associated with the tongue it is suggested that this sound can be helpful in dealing with issues of the mouth and tongue. The emotional energy said to be balanced with the use of this sound are hatred, arrogance and impatience. It increases the energy of love. 

The third sound is SHHHHHHH. Inhale fully; exhale the sound of sshhhhh (as though telling someone to be quiet). Keep the jaw and tongue soft, the teeth slightly separated. Place your hands to the right side at the bottom of the ribs. This sound works with the liver and gall bladder meridians and can be associated with eyes/sight. It is said that working with this sound can have influence on issues like vertigo, anorexia and eye problems. Shhhhh exhalations are said to help transform emotions such as anger and jealousy and increases the energy of kindness.

The fourth sound is WOOOOOO. This sound works with the Kidneys and Bladder meridian and can be associated with the ears. Keep jaw and tongue soft and teeth slightly separated. The hand position is on your mid back, palms facing in and fingertips touching.  Inhale fully, exhale with the sound of WOOOO (as if blowing out a candle). It is said that working with this sound can be helpful for increasing overall vitality as well as sexual energy.  This sound increases the energy of gentleness and is helpful when fearful.

The fifth sound is SSSSSSS. This sound works with the Lung and Colon meridians and can be associated with the nose. Keep jaw and tongue soft and teeth slightly separated. The accompanying hand position is left hand over left lung, right hand over right lung. Inhale fully, exhale with the sound of SSSSSSS (like a snake). This sound is helpful for congestion, coughs and colds. It increases feelings of courage and lessens grief and sadness.

The sixth sound is WHOOO. This sound works with the spleen, stomach and pancreas meridians and is associated with the mouth. Keep the jaw and tongue soft and the teeth slightly separated. Place your hands on the left lower portion of your ribcage.  Inhale fully, exhale with the sound of WHOOO (like an owl). It is said the working with this sound can be helpful with digestive issues, problems in the mouth and menstrual disorders. This sound works with the emotions of worry and anxiety and increases feelings of fairness and balance.

I try to practice breathing using the sounds and hand positions daily; much to the delight of my cat Bruiser who likes to participate as well.