Tanden Breathing

丹田呼吸は，腹式呼吸の一種である。丹田（下丹田，臍下丹田）は，臍下三寸（または数センチ，指数本分）のところにあるとされるが人それぞれであり，大雑把に言えば，下腹と解釈して良い。息を吸う際，丹田を意識し，腹圧を上げて横隔膜を下げ，下腹を膨らませる。息は２～３秒ぐらいで短く吸う。腹が膨らんだら，息を１～２秒止めつつ，丹田を意識してそこに力を込める。次に，息をなるべく細く長くゆっくりと，８～１０秒ぐらいかけて吐く。この際，丹田（下腹）に込めた力を抜かないようにする。したがって，通常の腹式呼吸の場合は，息を吐くときに腹が緩んで凹むが，丹田呼吸の場合は，息を吐くときにも腹に力を入れて腹圧を上げたままにするので，腹は緩みにくく凹みにくい。このように，丹田呼吸は，(1) 「吸い」と「吐き」の間に「止め」の間があり，(2) 下腹あたりを意識してそこに力を込めながら，(3) 呼気をできるだけ細く長くゆっくりと行う，という点が特徴的である。

Tanden breathing is a variety of abdominal one. Though tanden (shimo-tanden, seika-tanden) is generally said to be three "sun" (the Japanese old measure; one sun is almost three centimeters long) under navel, the place of tanden depends on individuals. Roughly speaking, it would not be a problem if tanden may be regarded as the lower abdomen. In inhaling, we raise the abdominal muscle pressure and lower the diaphragm (midriff) to swell the abdomen, while we are fully aware of tanden. Inhale briefly for two or three seconds. When our abdomen has swollen, we hold our breath for one or two seconds and tension our abdomen with awareness of tanden. Next, we exhale as gently, slowly, and long as possible for eight or ten seconds. In exhaling, we do not relax the muscles of our lower abdomen (tanden). Therefore, the abdomen is usually easy to be deflated and hollowed in exhaling of normal abdominal breathing, but in exhaling of tanden breathing, the abdomen is not easy to be deflated and hollowed because the abdominal muscle pressure remains raised.Thus, the features of tanden breathing are, (1) there is an interval to hold our breath between inhaling and exhaling, (2) tension our lower abdomen with awareness of it, and (3) we exhale as gently, slowly, and long as we can.