Why I Still Teach the “Haaa” Breath After 20 Years
Modern science is finally catching up with what Taoist masters taught 1,500 years ago.
I didn’t know how much I was tensing until I finally exhaled.
Not through the nose. A real exhale—soft, through the mouth, with a quiet “haaa” sound. It felt ridiculous at first. But my body responded like it had been waiting for this signal for years.
In qigong and tai chi, the breath isn’t background—it’s the method. It shapes your nervous system. It moves your energy. It releases tension and emotions you didn’t even know you were carrying. Change the breath, and you start changing everything.
Modern science backs this up: a soft exhale through the mouth with a gentle vocalization activates the vagus nerve and tells your body it's safe to let go. That one shift can change everything—if you let it.
The most powerful breathing technique that I learned from my teachers, and the one that I use as the default when I teach beginners, is simple:
Inhale gently through the nose; exhale gently through the mouth with a soft "haaa" sound.
It doesn’t have a poetic name, so I just call it the Haaa Breath.
Beginners usually love this breath. It’s the more experienced students—those trained in yoga or silent meditation—who sometimes resist it. If that’s you, maybe this post will help shift something.
This breathing method is intentional. It's rooted in both ancient wisdom and modern science, and it's intentionally chosen to achieve certain goals.
For our goals—pain relief, nervous system calming, emotional release, stress reduction—the soft "haaa" is unmatched. It's simple. It's accessible. And it works.
Exhaling through the mouth activates the parasympathetic nervous system, encourages circulation of qi, and helps release stuck emotions and stress. The soft sound calms the mind and the body at the same time.
It makes the whole experience feel softer, lighter, more natural, and more enjoyable.
This kind of breathwork—if we have to use a buzzword—is about results. But it's not new.
Roughly 1,500 years ago, the Taoist physician and alchemist Tao Hongjing (陶弘景, 456–536 CE) wrote about exhalation sounds for regulating the internal organs and clearing emotional blockages.
In his classic text Essential Formulas for Nourishing Life (Yangsheng Yaoji, 養生要集), he described a system that laid the foundation for what we now call the Six Healing Sounds (六字訣, Liu Zi Jue), a well-known qigong set.
Tao Hongjing taught that breath, sound, posture, and intention could work together to move stagnant qi, calm the spirit, and restore harmony to the body. It was a turning point—when ancient breathwork and early Chinese medicine began to merge into a more integrated system of internal cultivation.
This same connection between breath and power runs deep in the martial arts.
One of the earliest written references comes from the Shaolin Classic of Boxing (少林拳譜), a 17th-century manual from the late Ming or early Qing dynasty. It describes using breath and sound to generate internal force. A sharp “ts” or “sss” focuses qi and power into a strike—channeling intention through breath.
Modern Muay Thai fighters do something similar, using short, sharp exhales to tighten the core and deliver maximum impact. We did something similar in karate. Different cultures, same principle: breath amplifies power.
With qigong, we’re not amplifying striking power—but the principle remains the same. Specific breathing techniques, especially when paired with sound, have profound effects on the nervous system, the energy body, and our capacity to heal.
Even tai chi incorporates these sounds, though that often surprises modern practitioners. The old legend says Yang Luchan heard the deep "hen" (哼) and "ha" (哈) sounds of the Chen family secretly practicing their tai chi. If he hadn't caught those sounds, he might never have discovered their training, never developed Yang Style Taijiquan, and who knows—tai chi as we know it might never have reached the world.
And here’s what’s fascinating—this isn’t just ancient Chinese wisdom. Modern science has caught up and confirms why this works: opening the jaw and softening the lips actually activates the vagus nerve, which tells your brain it's safe to relax. And when the nervous system feels safe, healing becomes possible.
It might seem subtle—or even silly—at first. But this gentle exhale can completely transform your experience of qigong and tai chi. Most beginners don’t realize how often they hold their breath or force it. The Haaa Breath gives them permission to soften. To feel. To release.
I’ve seen students cry from this one adjustment. Not out of sadness, but because—for the first time in years—their body is finally exhaling. If you want to heal your body and mind, then you owe it to yourself to practice this technique for a while.
If you want to feel how this breath works in motion, start with Lifting The Sky. It’s free, it’s simple, and it might change everything.
Lifting The Sky is often the first exercise I teach to new students for good reason. It opens your chest, releases tension from your shoulders and upper back, and creates a powerful energy flow throughout your entire system. Combined with the "haaa" breath, it’s one of the most effective qigong exercises for beginners and experienced practitioners alike.
Click here to learn Lifting The Sky with the Haaa Breath
If you’ve been practicing qigong for years but haven’t felt the results you’re looking for, it might be as simple as changing how you breathe.
The breath is a simple tool, but don’t underestimate it. The "haaa" sound isn’t just some random thing I teach. It’s grounded in both ancient practice and modern biology, and it works.
This subtle change in how you breathe could be the thing that finally helps you heal. It’s simple, effective, and real.
Your body knows how to heal itself. Sometimes it just needs permission to exhale.
Now I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to share in the comments below. Have you tried the Haaa Breath? What happens in your body when you practice it?
About me: I’m Sifu Anthony, a longtime teacher of qigong and tai chi, and a bestselling author. These arts pulled me out of depression and chronic pain when nothing else worked. Now I teach students from all over the world, mostly online. I live in New Mexico with my dog, my garden, and a stunning view of the Sandia Mountains. More about me →
Free & Low-Cost Resources
🔹 Learn One of the Best Qigong Exercises Around (Free) – This is the exercise I teach more than any other. It’s simple, powerful, and a great place to start if you’re new—or to return to if you’ve fallen off track. You can learn it today in less than 10 minutes.
📖 My Book ($10–$17) – I wrote this book for the younger version of myself—the one who was lost and hurting. He desperately needed all of this information presented in a clear and honest way. I’m grateful it has received hundreds of kind reviews on Amazon—it’s now one of the best-reviewed qigong books out there. I think it’s because the book speaks directly to that struggle. If you’re looking for something that actually works, this might be it. It also comes with free video lessons to help you get started.
📜 13 Proven Benefits of Qigong & Tai Chi (Free PDF) – This free PDF summarizes the research behind qigong and tai chi. If you’re looking for scientific validation—or just want to share something solid with a skeptical friend—this is a great resource.
It's like a stress release valve.
Hi Sifu - You have mentioned the healing sounds in some of the different courses you teach, but is there a course or mini course that features all six? Thanks .