Should men breathe differently than women in practicing chikung?

Usually, modern people use their chest as the center for their breathing, but in our practice of chikung we use the abdomen as the center for breathing. It has been reported that men have the advantage when it comes to learning to breathe abdominally than women: nevertheless, mastering abdominal breathing is a very difficult technique. If we look at babies and small children breathing, we will find that they use the abdomen as the breathing center but when they grow up they use their chest instead. In other words, they forget how to use their abdomen as the breathing center. As Lao Tse says, we should try to return to being a child (physically and mentally] so we will be able to get a better and higher achievement in perfecting ourself. Therefore, it is not the method of breathing which is important for men or women, it the significance and meaning for understanding the concept of breathing, as well as doing the stretching, and thought control.

Chi Kung Culture Society of TAIPEI