1. First open the mouth

First open the mouth and exhale the stale air from the lungs. Then close the mouth slowly and draw fresh air in through the nose. Repeat this 3 to 5 times in order to harmonize the breath.

Text taken from the book Cheng Man-Ch’ing’s Advanced T’ai-Chi Form Instructions by Douglas Wile

2. Lightly close the mouth

Lightly close the mouth. The upper and lower lips and teeth should slightly touch. The tongue sticks to the hard palate.

Text taken from the book Cheng Man-Ch’ing’s Advanced T’ai-Chi Form Instructions by Douglas Wile

3. The eyelids should hang like curtains

The eyelids should hang like curtains. The vision extends from the bridge of thenose to the abdomen, but it is not necessary to concentrate. Our attitude should be one of gazing but not gazing, relaxed and natural. The eyes must not be completely shut in order to prevent falling asleep, and the light should not be too bright.

Text taken from the book Cheng Man-Ch’ing’s Advanced T’ai-Chi Form Instructions by Douglas Wile

4. Abdominal breathing

Abdominal breathing. Use deep breathing to allow air to completely fill the lungs, but do not expand the chest. The lung cavity expands downward from the pressure of the diaphragm. The downward movement of the diaphragm causes the abdomen to protrude slightly. When one exhales, the abdomen withdraws as the diaphragm is pressed upwards, forcing the stale air in the lungs to be completely expelled. The breathing should be deep, long, fine, even, light and slow. There should be no sound.

In the beginning, one must not force the breath to be deep and long. If normally one cycle of inhalation and exhalation takes four seconds, then during meditation is should be increased slightly to six seconds. After several days, this should be increased to eight seconds and gradually to ten. With long practice it can be increased to two or even one cycle per minute. The most advanced practitioners can breath once in half an hour. In summary, beginners must not use force to hold the breath in order to avoid a feeling of oppression or discomfort. In slightly extending the length of exhalation, it should not be forced, but perfectly comfortable.