Immunity Boosting Toolkit: Get Bright Breathing

One of the biggest factors influencing our immunity is stress. As many of us know, in the short term, the body’s stress response helps us deal with immediate dangers and even boosts the body’s immune system. In the long term, however, it can do damage to our body. When we’re stressed all the time, we can’t repair our cells and tissues, digest our food properly, get the rest we need, or fight infections efficiently. In this condition, our bodies’ natural healing abilities can’t work at their best.

Those abilities are maximized when our bodies are warm, our muscles are relaxed, our minds are calm, our body fluids are circulating, and our energy is flowing. But how often do we find ourselves in this state? The more we sit, stare at a screen, get stuck in traffic, or do some kind of repetitive action, the more our bodies and minds become cold and stiff. That sounds like the opposite of healthy and alive, doesn’t it?

In my Immunity Boosting blog series, I’ve introduced several exercises that warm up the body, loosen the muscles and joints, and increase immune system efficiency. They also reduce stress and release pent-up emotions, especially the negative ones.

The exercise in my Immunity Boosting Toolkit that I’d like to tell you about today is quite simple. It’s called Joongwan Healing; I also call it Get Bright Breathing because doing it makes you feel happier and lighter. It’s similar to last week’s exercise, Belly Button Healing, but it focuses on another point on the Conception Vessel Meridian (energy channel). In Korean, this point is called Joongwan. It lies on the midline of the abdomen, halfway between the bottom of the sternum and the belly button, around the solar plexus area. You can find it by putting your thumb where your solar plexus and sternum meet and putting your pinky on your navel. The place where your middle finger meets the midline is your Joongwan.

So what’s so great about this point that I devised a whole immunity-boosting exercise for it? Acupressure points are associated with different parts of the body, and their importance comes from their location. The Joongwan point is associated with your third chakra and lies over major organs such as the stomach and liver. The kidneys are not far from them, at the back of the body. These areas are associated with specific emotions, and emotions tend to build up in the body when we suppress them. By stimulating the Joongwan point, we can release these emotions that can cause havoc in our bodies or our relationships.

The emotions and stress, the stagnant energy, that get stuck in the solar plexus area build up in the chest and head as well. When the Joongwan point is blocked, we feel stuffier in our chest, more emotional. Our breathing is also shallower. Our thoughts may race, or we may feel a little cloudy or confused in our minds. Getting rid of this blockage releases all these emotions and stress and lets energy circulate in the natural Water Up, Fire Down cycle it needs to in order for us to be healthy.

Just by stimulating the Joongwan point, we can release our stress and calm our minds. We turn on our bodies’ rest and digest functions. Our abdomens become warmer as well, helping our core body temperature go up.

Here’s how you do it:

1. You can do this exercise sitting, standing, or lying down. Start by rubbing your belly and bringing your awareness into your body.
2. Find your Joongwan point by putting your thumb where your sternum meets your abdomen and putting your pinky on your navel. Bend your middle finger until it touches the imaginary line running vertically down the center of your body, cutting it in half. Where your middle finger rests is the Joongwan point.
3. Then place the middle fingers of both hands on your Joongwan point. Gentle and repeatedly press in and out, finding a comfortable rhythm. Exhale through your mouth as you press to let out the stuck energy inside. It’s important to relax your neck, shoulders, and abdomen. Press for about one to two minutes. You can also use the tool I developed for Belly Button Healing to do this.
4. Then use either your two middle fingers or your thumb to press deeply into your abdomen at the Joongwan point until you can feel your pulse inside. (You can also use a tool.) Be careful not to press too hard. It shouldn’t be very painful. If you press with your thumb, put your other hand over the pressing hand to help you have the strength to press deeply enough. Exhale as you press and hold for a count of five.
5. Release the point and inhale as deeply as you can. Hold your breath for a count of five.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for five or ten minutes.
7. Finish with another minute breathing without pressing your Joongwan.

Get Bright Breathing becomes even more effective if you follow it up with Belly Button Healing so that your entire abdomen becomes relaxed and warm. It’s an exercise you can do throughout your day to manage your stress and emotions. Learn more about Get Bright Breathing in this blog post on ChangeYourEnergy.com.

Learn about the next exercise in my Immunity Boosting Toolkit: Brain Wave Vibration.