usually in the navel or solar plexus chakra. All movement in the body originates
from this center, providing the meeting point for body and mind. It is commonly
considered the “earth” center, for it gathers energy from the earth rising up through
the legs. Centering can be achieved through movement, as in T’ai Chi, or it can be
found in stillness, as in meditation. Being centered allows one to operate intuitively,
with awareness, and to channel energy throughout the body.
Breath
Breath is at the center of all spiritual and religious traditions. In many languages
the words for spirit and breath are one and the same—Sanskrit prana, Hebrew ruach,
Greek pneuma, and Latin spiritus. In Christianity, the Holy Spirit is referred to as “the
breath of life.” To in-spire, or take in spirit, not only means to inhale but also to
encourage, motivate, and give hope. To ex-pire, or lose spirit, not only means to
exhale but also to die, cease to exist, to end or be destroyed.
In Eastern cultures, when air is inhaled, so is vital energy, which flows into the body
to nourish and enliven. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the exhalation is consid-
ered the yin part of the breath, and the inhalation is yang. It is impossible to only
breathe in without breathing out or to breathe out without breathing in. It is the
continuous dynamic balance of yin and yang that contributes to health and well-
being. Most of the healing traditions worldwide believe breath is the most important
function of life, and breathing restrictions lead to dysfunction and disease.
CHAPTER 2 HOW DOES ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE WORK? 29
THE BREATH OF LIFE, AND GOOD HEALTH
In Western culture, the breath has been considered simply a mechanical, metabolic function
of the body. Scientists are now beginning to recognize that breath can be used for healing,
improving the body’s self-repair processes, and reducing vulnerability to illness. Oxygen is
toxic to viruses, bacteria, yeasts, and parasites in the body. Cancer cells find it more difficult
to survive in an oxygen-rich environment. A 13-year study of longevity found that respira-
tory capacity was actually more significant than tobacco use, insulin metabolism, or choles-
terol levels in determining the length of people’s lives. People with cancer and other
illnesses involved in breath therapy groups demonstrate an average 46% increase in the
levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) immediately after the breathing sessions. IgA is the body’s
first line of defense against germs entering through the mouth and nose that produce res-
piratory tract infections. It is, of course, only one component of the immune system, but
the results demonstrate that breathing techniques can enhance immunity. Andrew Weil
believes that “breath is the master key to health and wellness, a function we can learn to
regulate and develop in order to improve our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.”
