“If we think of our whole body as a living organism that breathes as we breathe, we can discover ways of breathing with the totality of the body”
Dear Integral Meditators,
The article below explores some foundational Taoist breathing methods for opening up our body to greater energy and healing. If done regularly for short periods, the results can be surprisingly powerful.
If you enjoy it, spaces are available this Saturday for the Taoist pranayama session!
In the spirit of the breath,
Toby
Breathing with your palms, feet & crown
Normally when we think of breathing, we think about it in terms of nose, mouth, and lungs. If we think of our whole body as a living organism that breathes as we breathe, we can discover ways of breathing with the totality of the body that:
- Enhances our capacity for relaxation
- Opens the body to greater energy flow and circulation
- Releases internal blockages and build-ups of stress
- Increases the positive exchange of energy between ourself and our environment
Feet, crown, and palm breathing are great examples of how to open the potential of our breathing to unlock these benefits.
Below are four exercises to become familiar with breathing with these different parts of the body.
Feet, crown, and palm breathing
In qi gong and Taoist breathwork, the soles of our feet are the main interface or energy gateway between our bodies and the qi/energy of the earth. Conversely, the crowns of our heads are seen as a major gateway between ourselves and the energy of the sky and stars, or ‘heaven’. Our palms, when activate can also be ‘breathed through’ in a way that promotes energy and healing.
Palm breathing for bodily healing
Rub your hands together to create a little heat. Then hold them in front of you, palms facing up. Now breath in and out nine times, focusing gently on the palms of your hands, imagine energy flowing in and out of them as you do so. Then place your palms on an area of your body that you want to give healing to. Do another nine breaths in and out, giving healing energy to that part of the body through your palms.
Earth breathing
To encourage the flow and exchange of qi between ourself and the earth we can practice ‘breathing’ through the soles of our feet. To do this, simply focus your attention on the soles of your feet. As you inhale, imagine yourself breathing in qi from the earth, like a tree drawing energy up through its roots. As you exhale, imagine and feel yourself breathing energy down into the earth.
Sky breathing
To encourage the flow of energy between ourself and the sky, visualize a small golf-ball sized ball of light at the crown of your head. As you breathe in, feel yourself inhaling qi and energy from the sky down into your body. As you breathe out, feel energy flowing out of your crown and connecting with the sky.
Putting it together – Opening the energy gates
In a standing, or upright sitting posture, focusing on either the palms, or the feet, or the crown:
1. Inhale deeply and bring arms out to sides up to 30-45% maximum
2. Exhaling, bring arms back down to sides.
This simple exercise helps to co-ordinate mind, breath and body, as well as helping to open up the energy gates in the palms, feet and crown. You can also visualize stagnant energy leaving the body as you exhale, and luminous light energy entering as you inhale.
Once you are familiar with it with one of the three body parts, you can do all three zones (palms, feet, crown) together as you breathe.
Related reading:
Breathing through your skin
Core cellular breathing
© Toby Ouvry 2025, you are welcome to use or share this article, but please cite Toby as the source and include reference to his website www.tobyouvry.com
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