Dan Jun Breathing
Dan Jun breathing has been used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years in various forms and under various names throughout Asia. The term Dan Jun refers to a Korean technique of breathing to increase health, control of the mind, body connection and to development power beyond that of the physical. Chi, Qi or Ki, is the term that refers to inner strength or life force that exists inside every living thing in our universe. Have you ever wondered how some martial arts masters possess seemingly superhuman strength and other capabilities? Well what we will cover here is one of the methods used to achieve this. Dan Jun breathing is most prominently used in Korean martial arts such as Hapkido and Tang Soo Do. The fact that Dan Jun breathing is used in a martial arts setting suggests to some people that it doesn’t apply to them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dan Jun breathing has been proven to increase health and vitality as well as decrease various physical ailments and long term symptoms. These studies are numerous and not surprisingly, most come from Korea where Dan Jun breathing came from.
Ok, now what it is Dan Jun breathing? How does it work? And how do I do it?Well first of all, I am not including pictures here, so you will have to follow the written instructions carefully. Now, lets get on with it. The Dan Jun is a point about three inches below the navel. It is said that this is the place where inner energy or Ki is stored. Dan Jun breathing is about releasing this energy and putting it to use for strength, healing and increased perception. Step One:Stand with the feet about double the width of your shoulders apart. Point the toes straight forward and slightly bend the knees. Keep the back straight and head up. The position should resemble that of riding a horse, without the actual horse. Step Two:Extend the arms straight out in front, fingers pointed forward, palms facing each other and hands about 12 inches (30 cm) apart. Now slowly draw the hands toward the body while breathing in through the nose. The breath should be about eight seconds in, the tongue needs to be lightly pressed to the top palate in the mouth and your entire body should be totally relaxed. When the hands are pulled to the chest, pause and hold the breath for about four seconds. Step Three:Next, sink down slightly by bending your knees, tighten every muscle in your body except for the face and hands (this may take some practice) and begin forcing the breath out through your mouth with a closed glottis (let the air escape forcefully), keep the tongue pressed to the palate and extend the arms at the same speed as the breath. This breath should also be about eight seconds in length. Pause at the end of the breath for four seconds and repeat the process. This whole process should be repeated about eight times, then you can rest and do another set if you feel you can. You can perform Dan Jun breathing in the morning, every day for the best results.
Now, there are some variations and you can apply some or all of them in the same session. Variation 1: Instead of extending your arms forwards, you can do the same technique while extending the arms upwards while looking up also. Variation 2: Repeat the same technique while extending the hands downwards. Look down and imagine you are pushing your feet through the ground with enormous power. Imagine that you cannot be lifted off the ground. Variation 3: Again, repeat the breathing process but this time you perform the out breath while moving the arms from over head (elbows half bent) in a circle down to the sides and then to the centre and raise them for the in breath. That concludes our little Dan Jun breathing tutorial, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me. I have studied many martial arts throughout the years and have more or less trained since I was about nine years old. I studied Hapkido for many years under several different instructors. The Hapkido is where I get my basis to be teaching Dan Jun breathing, I also perform Dan Jun breathing for 10-15 minutes every morning with awesome results. Note that the results may not be noticeable immediately but persist with it. Over time you will begin to establish your own way of performing Dan Jun breathing and you will begin to get to know your body’s response and how to get the most from this daily practice.
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