Nanzy Zi and the Art of Breathing

"A simple child, dear brother Jim
That lightly draws its breath,
And feels its life in every limb,
What should it know of death?"

-William Wordsworth

Long ago in Asia breath control was considered to be the essence of life, meditation, singing, healing and the martial arts; in the West numerous references to breathing appear in art, literature, mythology and the meditative arts. Yet in today's increasingly "globalized" world, people in every nick and cranny of the plant suffer from physical, emotional and psychological disturbances attributed to poor breathing habits. 

In search for an answer to the secrets of breathing, The Buenos Aires Voz Journal approached Nancy Zi, a singer and teacher who believes "that the practice of the art of breathing is beneficial to the health of the whole person, regardless of career or activity."

"Is breathing an art?"

"Yes, certainly. What I discovered was that as my understanding of the benefits of controlled breathing developed, I began to formulate the principles of what I call chi yi-the art of breathing.

"That's the name of a book you published on the subject."

"Yes. It's called 'The Art of Breathing.'"

"No doubt the fruit of your experience in both East and West..."

"That's right. I was born in the USA but was brought up in China. My parents had come to study in the U.S., where I was born in 1930. When I was two months old, my father received his PhD degree and our family returned to the city of Swatow, in Canton Province, China. He became the principal of the Pei Li Seminary and also was the pastor of the Swatow Presbyterian Church. We lived in Swatow for five years, until the war between Japan and China broke out, causing us to evacuate to Hong Kong and then a year later we moved to Shanghai, where we lived throughout the Second World War. We were living there also during the three years after the war, before China changed to the Communist system."

"¡Quite a childhood!"

" Yes...I was a city child. Swatow, Hong Kong, and Shanghai are well known cities in China. Hong Kong and Shanghai, even during my childhood days, were melting pots of multi-national cultures. Despite the wars, I was brought up during a fabulous time when Chinese society was rapidly, absorbing Western religion, science and culture while at the same time struggling to hold on to its traditional heritage. The intellectuals of China indeed had important choices to make. My paternal parents became Christians and became more westernized while my maternal parents kept their Buddhist faith, stayed traditional even though they did send their three sons to universities in Paris, France. 

"So you were a city child..."

"That's right. In contrast to being brought up in rural villages, I had always lived in cities. Swatow was a small city, but a city nevertheless - I remember we had city buses but of course we also had rickshaws. My brother and I each had a tricycle, and we had a swing in the walled-in garden. We began our piano lessons when I was five and my brother was four. Our nurse maid would walk us to kindergarten, which was located across the seminary compound where we lived." 

"You must have vivid memories of that period."

"In the seminary compound, we would play with the children of European and U.S. missionaries. But the most memorable events were our big family gatherings every Sunday after church at my paternal grandmother's house with more than a dozen first cousins. For the past century Hong Kong and Shanghai had been notoriously cosmopolitan cities. I remember clearly what a schoolmate asked me when I had just entered the University, in Illinois, USA. She wanted to know if there were bicycles in China. I must have surprised her when I replied telling her that we had three at home - my brothers and I bicycled to school because of gasoline rationing during the war. The use of private cars had to be limited."

"Quite a cosmopolitan upbringing!"

"Yes indeed. I memorized some of my Bible verses in English and attended a grade school where the principle was an English lady. My high school was the Sacred Heart Convent in Shanghai, run by nuns mostly from Europe, and I believe that there were girls from seven foreign countries in my graduating class." 

"How did you manage to bring together the bits and pieces of East and West?"

"Well, my parents had been educated abroad, so my existence during my growing up years was not typical of all Chinese children in those days. I had the advantage of cross culturing ever since I could remember. For example, it was not unusual one day to receive friends or relatives who would come from their villages and then the next day watch a Hollywood movie. And wearing Chongsum (the form fit dresses with high collar and slits down the sides) one day, and blue jeans to a picnic the next day was quite normal."

"Blue jeans!"

"Yes, we had blue jeans in Shanghai in the 40's as well! Therefore, being already quite homogenized, I did not find any difficulty in adapting to a western life style when I came to the USA. However, now that I think back, I believe that the adapting took place more in the philosophical sense, in the sense of values and priorities. I certainly eliminated some, but gained others; but it was for the best and was a maturing process. Behavior such as being assertive, making eye contacts, speaking your mind could have been interpreted as being unlady-like for a Chinese girl. Yet that was preparing me for the modern Western society. 

"Why is it that concern about breathing technique seems so uniquely Eastern?

"It appears to me that breathing technique was actually quite apparent for centuries in Western culture, especially in the performing arts. Look at the great classical singers, the wind instrumentalists, the dancers, the athletes, even the warriors - nothing could have been done superbly well without being supported and fueled by superb breathing techniques and the chi energy that materialized from deep breathing. In western culture, beyond the apparent application of breath discipline on the physical level, application on the emotional, spiritual, and healing level is not as apparent. On the contrary, Eastern culture has for centuries emphatically preached the importance of appropriate disciplined breathing for all levels of human existence. Thus, breathing technique and Eastern culture became closely linked. Whenever someone asks me to teach him/her to breathe the Chinese way, I reply that when talking about breathing there is neither East nor West. There is only the correct way and the not so correct way to breathe. Anyone from any part of the world can breathe correctly, like a baby, breathing deeply, using the lower abdomen as the pump and allowing the lungs to become a relaxed container for the inhaled air. Breathing to the core allows one to acquire ample oxygen as well as generate chi energy in the process." 

"Nevertheless, in "The Art of Breathing" you say that Western singers, without knowing it, have been using chi breathing."

"Indeed! In the West singers did and do know that when they breathe deeply and correctly, there is a magical power that helps them deliver fantastic vocal sounds with vocal dexterity. They somehow did not establish a name for that magic, whereas in Chinese culture, the name "chi" has been established for thousands of years. Chi energy includes that magical power."

"Is it true that breathing drills used commonly in China for curing illnesses?"

"Perhaps you are referring to Tai Chi, Chi Kong (Qigong), Tui Nah, and other such disciplines. These disciplined drills when done properly are always accompanied by disciplined breathing, and these drills do produce healing effects, physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

"What is chi Yi?

"Chi yi is a term I coined to represent the breathing technique I developed. Translated literally, it means breath art or the art of breathing. Anything that we learn to do well can become an art. My message is very basic: if you breathe well, other skills and benefits will follow and develop. Think of the great breathers-superbly conditioned athletes, yogis, the Pavarottis and Streisands-who can amaze and inspire their audiences. I have combined techniques and concepts from both East and West to ensure an ample supply of both oxygen and chi, plus the knowledge of knowing how to put both to good use. Chi kung, tai chi, yoga and the martial arts are all ancient disciplines, and the breathing technique you learn from The Art of Breathing reinforces all these great disciplines and in no way contradicts their principles. All ancient Asian disciplines are related and similar in their ultimate goal: the development of a person physically, mentally and spiritually. All require the coordination of breathing with physical form. All build their principles on the subtle, all-important energy known as chi or ki or prana. Their emphasis and approach are what makes them different."

"But what exactly is chi?"

"Chi generally means breath, air, atmosphere. Development of chi gives us physiological and psychological balance and balance of yin and yang-a symbolic expression of such universal polarities as masculine and feminine, light and dark, creative and receptive. Ancient practitioners found that by deliberately controlling the breathing process, physical and emotional functions of the body-heartbeat, blood flow and others could be consciously altered. Thus the mind, coordinated with breathing, can be responsible for the state of one's physical health, one's blood pressure, one's immune system and one's mental condition."

"But...in practice?"

"As you learn to apply the principles of chi yi, you will develop your core, to lead your breath to the core where chi energy is nurtured and generated"

"The core?"

"The core is located at the center of the body, measuring from head to toe. That point is located approximately 2 to 5 inches below the navel. The entire body is coordinated from this center of balance. It thrives on attention and stimulation. The more you practice breathing to the core, the more energy it stores and is prepared to release. However, spirit and chi energy should not be confused. Some spirits are said to possess (good) chi, while others may possess the negative (evil) chi. I believe that chi is a beneficial force, but spirit is in another category that I am not knowledgeable in."

"Are you still singing? Teaching? Working on a new book?"

"No, I am no longer performing as a singer, but I do sing a bit for myself, now and then, here and there when I am alone - in the shower, in the car, relaxing, etc. I am not teaching singing anymore. I am thinking about working on a book with games to promote good breathing habits for children. I have just compiled a new CD of arias and songs selected from tapes of my previous performances in concerts and broadcast programs-just for the fun of going down memory lane!" 

"What role do you believe breathing practice and meditation can play in a world bloodied by violence, poverty, over population, hunger...?"

"I am not sure what influence breathing can have on poverty, over population, and hunger. But as for violence, if I could, I would like to get "The Art Breathing" and the video/DVD sent to some of the correctional institutions and prisons, where inmates have plenty of time for self-improvement, if they choose. Disciplined breathing and meditation will help evaporate some of that pent up violence and anger, and might even cultivate some compassion. Hum, how about those leaders who head nations - some of them can benefit from developing more compassion as well."

"You have had a long and rich career. What would you say was the 'turning point'?"

"My life and career somehow just evolved -- events and opportunities appeared, and I simply went with the flow, and when I noticed a specific direction, I pursued diligently and enjoyed working hard. Ever since I was a child, I fell in love with singing, and singing and teaching singing was my life and my satisfying career for more than thirty years. Who would have thought, that I would have started a second career after retiring from professional singing and teaching, but somehow the doors flung opened and here I am. I have become an deep breathing expert, not just for musicians but for everyone on this planet who wishes to improve his or her health, performance, and well-being." 

"What advice would you give to young artists or people just venturing into the art of breathing?"

"If you practice, persist and enjoy breathing, satisfaction will be your reward. 

Nancy Zi
Email: [e-mail] 
Vivi Company Fax: [phone]
http://www.redwingbooks.com/products/books/ArtBreZi.cfm 
http://www.theartofbreathing.com/meet.htm 

"The Art of Breathing" book is available in Spanish:

EL ARTE DE RESPIRAR, please visit http://www.alfaomega.es