From ‘The practice of Tuina – Principles, diagnostics and working with the Sinew channels’ by Rob Aspell.
The importance of breaking cannot be underestimated when dealing with conditions such as Qi stagnation and overall health. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, the only two ways we acquire Qi is from the food that we eat and the air that we breathe. So breathing is very important for moving Qi around the body and improving overall health. If we are not breathing properly, how can the body circulate Qi effectively?
As human beings, we breathe roughly between 20,000-25,000 times a day. If our breathing becomes dysfunctional, this can wreak havoc on the whole body. Ideally when we breathe, we should draw our breath down to below our diaphragm and into our lower Dan Tian – this is known as connecting the Lungs to the Kidneys. Our breath should also expand in the 360-degree cylinder through the front and the back, encompassing the Dai Mai, Girdling vessel. A healthy Dai Mai has a large influence on the healthy circulation of Qi and Blood, particularly within the lower Jiao. In Chinese Medicine the Lungs are considered to be the highest of the Zang organs, and therefore descend and disperse the Qi. The diaphragm sits just under the Lungs, and when breathing becomes dysfunctional, the diaphragm becomes stuck or simply doesn’t move well. This prevents the descending and dispersing of the Qi. As the Lungs are essentially big bellows, if they are unable to expand properly, there will be pressure problems within the body (known as intra-abdominal pressure issues), resulting in a stagnation of Qi.
The diaphragm is not only important for being responsible for assisting the Lungs in moving Qi by descending and dispersing, but also because it connects to various other parts of the body. It also attaches to the roof of the mouth – this is why, in Taiji and Qi Gong, practitioners will press their tongue onto the roof of the mouth in order to make a connection between the Ren Mai and Du Mai. Doing so creates a fascial and neural connection with the diaphragm and the circulation of the Vital Substances that it helps with. This also explains why one of the core foundations and practices of Taiji and Qi Gong is diaphragmatic breathing. The diaphragm also connects with the spine, which again is hugely important within energetic practices such as Taiji and Qi Gong for the transfer of power and circulation of the Vital substances.
The diaphragm also attaches to both the front and the back of the body. If the Lungs and diaphragm functions are impaired, it can cause pain and discomfort to the back and front. The diaphragm also has fascial connections to the pelvis, and in particular, the psoas muscles (part of the Stomach, Spleen, Liver and Kidney Sinew channels). If Lungs and diaphragm functions are impaired, and the ability to move Qi around the body is vastly reduced, this will, of course, affect the channel system, particularly in the lower Jiao, causing stagnation or even deficiency of the organs and tissues within the pelvic floor.
Lastly, the Lungs in Chinese Medicine are responsible for water metabolism and dissemination of the Body Fluids, and do so with the help of the diaphragmatic breathing. This is because the diaphragm is one of the main lymphatic pumps of the body. Should the diaphragm not pump effectively enough, the Body Fluids will stagnate and again, cause pain and discomfort. Your body is essentially bathed in lymph – when we talk about nourishing the Yin and Body Fluids within Chinese Medicine, the lymphatic system can be considered one of those key components. The Lungs connect to the skin, and the lymphatic system sits just beneath the skin. If the body is injured or in need of repair, the lymphatic system is involved by helping to draw ‘cellular waste’ away from the injury site. For example, DOMS (delayed onset muscles soreness) is a result of inflammation within the fascia, muscles and connective tissues, and the lymphatic system is responsible for getting rid of this inflammation. If the body is unable to do this, for instance, due to a dysfunction of the diaphragm, the DOMS will feel worse and last for longer. This is also a key reason why some people will wake up in the morning with the feeling of achiness all over until they begin to move. This is often due to the breathing being too shallow during sleep, and the diaphragm has not been active enough to help circulate the fluids around the body, thus causing stagnation. If the diaphragm doesn’t move properly, it also doesn’t move and ‘massage’ the Zang Fu organs, causing them to suffer from stagnation and become dysfunctional as well. As a result, this will cause a wide range of problems, mostly due to stagnation (discussed below). In addition to stagnation, a dysfunction diaphragm movement can cause Qi deficiency due to the lack of Qi and Blood circulation, essentially causing malnourishment of various parts of the body. (..)
