The Five Key Breaths
Ki means life energy — and these breaths are the key to it. The key to the whole Circle. Eight and a half minutes. Your voice. Your breath. A practice you can use every day, wherever you are.
Free Preview
Listen to the first minute of the guided session — my voice, the actual recording. If it lands, the full practice is below.
What This Is
Five types of meditation I use in the Circle. Each one's important, and each day, one has more value than the next day — depending on what's going on in your life. This isn't a course you study. It's a practice you do. Sit or lie down, close your eyes, and breathe. I'll walk you through the rest.
The Five Breaths
Relaxing. — The body. Start at the top of your head and work down — jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, back, hips, legs, feet, toes. Let every muscle you can consciously control go still. Let the tension flow out. Feel your body get heavier. Relaxation. At peace, body resting.
Physical. — The movement. Tai chi forms that go hand in hand with the relaxing breath — the same calm, in your body, on your feet. This comes as a separate watch-and-follow video, so you can see it and do it with me.
Mental. — The mind. Your brain's like a computer — it doesn't want to shut down. You have to turn it off. Open your ears and listen: the obvious sounds first, then the ones underneath — a clock ticking, a motor humming. Open your skin: feel the sun or the air conditioning, your clothes on your body, your heart beating, your lungs expanding and contracting. Be present. There's no time to be focused on the stuff that bothers you right now. It's about you.
Emotional. — The heart. Picture a blank sheet of paper, 25 lines. Count your blessings and fill every line, then turn the page. Small things first — the light switch, the toothbrush, running water — then build out to the large things: the people who love you, the people you love. Concentrate on the positives. Fill up your soul until it makes you smile. If you fake the smile for two minutes, it changes how your body's feeling and reacting — even if you don't mean it.
Spiritual. — The source. What's your source? What power greater than you can you give thanks to? Connect to that source. Feel that source. Trust that source. Stay in touch with it constantly. Because times get hard — they will. Nobody skates. Nobody gets through this life without struggles. This is the relationship that sustains you through them.
All of these are a practice. Relaxation is the easiest. Turning off the brain is a little more difficult. Counting blessings gets you out of your own way. And the spiritual keeps you connected to something bigger than the bad day you're having.
Your Coach
I'm Joe Paul McDavid. I've coached bodies and minds for 35 years — at the Heights Casino in Brooklyn, at Point O'Woods, and everywhere in between. The five breaths came from my Hapkido teacher, Sabumnim Herbert — founder of Han-su Hapkido — who taught me the Gift behind them. I've closed every class I've ever taught with these breaths. Now I'm closing mine the same way, and you can too.
What You Get
The guided session — the full 8½-minute audio, my voice walking you through all five breaths. Yours to keep, listen anywhere.
The tai chi forms video — watch-and-follow, the physical breath in motion. (Coming soon — being recorded.
A practice, not a lecture — no homework, no quizzes. Sit down, breathe, done.
The Book Connection
This course is the practice companion to my book, The Circle. The book is the why — the course is the how. Get both and the Circle is complete.
FAQ
Do I need any experience with meditation or tai chi?
No. If you can sit and breathe, you can do this. I start you sitting or lying down — standing comes later.
How long does it take each day?
The guided session is eight and a half minutes. The tai chi forms take as long as you want them to.
What if my mind won't shut off?
That's the whole point of the mental breath. Your brain's like a computer that doesn't want to shut down — the practice is how you turn it off. Nobody's good at it the first time.
Is this religious?
No. The spiritual breath asks about your source — whatever that is for you. Bring your own.
Why is it called 'Key' Breaths?
Because ki means life energy, and these breaths are the key to it.