HONG KONG: Insomnia, anxiety, inattention - all are problems that can be attributed to the way people breathe, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) asserted yesterday.

At the conclusion of a study, conducted jointly by CUHK and the Henan Songshan Research Institute for Chanwuyi, the researchers concluded that correct breathing is not only the foundation of good health, it also optimizes performance at work and in other areas of life.

The joint study was undertaken to study the effects of Dan Tian breathing. The research focused on healthy individuals as well as patients suffering from disorders such as autism, mental retardation and dementia for which no effective Western drug treatment is available.

"Dan Tian is the energy center in the body's abdominal region, about midway into the center of the body," director of the Integrative Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Centre Agnes Chan Sui-yin said. "Breathing through this source of energy can improve mental and cognitive functions."

Incorrect breathing, on the other hand, like breathing through the chest or shoulders, serves to escalate and intensify anxiety under stress.

To breathe in a healthy manner, one must be in a relaxed state, focus the mind on the Dan Tian area while inhaling and exhaling slowly through the nose, Chan believed.

Chan said that clinical observation of some cases has shown encouraging results. Most patients go through significant improvement after adopting the breathing method.

Results showed that after a month of practice, people began revealing deeper relaxation, better mood and a higher level of attention and alertness.

"A balanced, optimized and harmonized brain allows for improved nervous system function, improved stress response, and reduced anxiety, all of which sets the stage for higher levels of performance in every area of life," explained Chan.

Mrs Tsang, mother of two, said she thinks Dan Tian breathing is an effective treatment to improve one's quality of sleep and general well being.

Her eldest son, nine years old, was diagnosed with autism at age two. He has severe inattention problems. Her youngest suffers from cerebral palsy. Mrs Tsang herself has difficulty in sleeping.

Since learning the Dan Tian breathing method, she said she has felt much calmer and is now able to sleep. "By the second week into practicing the breathing method, I knew the outcome would be positive. My sons are feeling much better, they can concentrate better," she said.

Tsang believed patients and a wider public stand to benefit in many ways, from learning to breathe the right way.

(HK Edition 08/11/2009 page1)