Part 2 of The Immortal Series
Part 1: The Immortal: Uncovering the Legend of the 250-Year-Old Man, Li Qingyun
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Introduction: The Breath That Sustained 250 Years
In 1927, when General Yang Sen sat down with Li Qingyun at the Commerce Port Bureau in Wanxian, he was speaking with a man who claimed to have lived for two and a half centuries. Li’s secret, he explained, was not some rare elixir or forbidden herb. It was something far simpler—something available to every human being from the moment of birth.
His secret was his breath.
Li Qingyun taught that “the method of the Dao is in the ‘naturally-just-so.’ If we want to live longer, we should turn Acquired Breathing into Innate Breathing and change our shallow lung breathing to deep lower Dan-Tian breathing. The breath should be as soft and smooth as possible, just like an infant.”
That teaching, recorded in the foundational text of his longevity methods, points to one of the most powerful—and most overlooked—health interventions available to us today: abdominal breathing.
Modern science is now confirming what Li Qingyun practiced for over two centuries. Deep, slow, diaphragmatic breathing does far more than bring oxygen into the lungs.
Abdominal breathing activates the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, reduces inflammation, enhances immune function, and improves cardiovascular health in ways Li could only describe metaphorically.
This article explores Li Qingyun’s teachings on breathing, the specific page in the record where he described the practice, and the remarkable science that explains why this ancient technique might have helped him live an extraordinarily long life.
Li Qingyun’s Teaching on Abdominal Breathing
In the English translation of Yang Sen’s The Immortal: True Accounts of the 250-Year-Old Man, Li Qingyun, translated by Stuart Alve Olson, the specific teachings on breathing begin in Part Two: Discourses on the Beginning Foundations of Long Life, which starts on page 197 of the original text.
On page 193, within the section titled “The Chapter on Breathing” (which is part of the larger “Secrets of Li Qingyun’s Immortality” section), Li Qingyun’s core teaching on abdominal breathing is presented directly:
“Thus, Daoism starts from learning Embryonic Breathing as a basis of Entering the Dao, and those who want longevity need to learn how to breathe with these tactics to prolong life. Umbilical Breathing is learning about how to raise the Qi [up along the spine] and learning to stay calm [when doing so], there should be no emotions of joy or anger.”
The text continues on the same page with detailed instructions:
“The mind is to be kept clear of all distractions, keeping the will free of any disturbances. Sit still and face the easterly direction. Use a thick sitting pad to make the body feel comfortable and so not to tire quickly.
Wear loose clothes so the Qi will not be hurried. Shut the Six Doors so the Spirit will not disperse. Keep sitting over a long time, the Spirit will be clear and the Qi will become stable. Then the mind will be clean and all the thoughts will be silenced.”
Li Qingyun’s method was not merely about breathing mechanics—it was a complete system of mind-body cultivation. The breath was the bridge between the physical and the spiritual, the tool that allowed the practitioner to “turn Acquired Breathing into Innate Breathing.”
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The Immortal: True Accounts of the 250-Year-Old Man, Li Qingyun
The Anatomy of Abdominal Breathing: What Li Called “Embryonic Breathing”
Li Qingyun used a specific term for the breathing practice he taught: Embryonic Breathing (胎息, Tāi Xī). This ancient Daoist concept describes a type of breathing so deep and natural that it mimics the oxygen exchange of a fetus in the womb—not breathing through the nose, but through the “umbilical” connection to universal energy.
Physiologically, what Li described as “Embryonic Breathing” is what modern medicine calls diaphragmatic breathing or abdominal breathing. The key distinction is which muscle drives the breath:
Chest Breathing (Acquired Breathing):
When we breathe using only the upper chest and intercostal muscles, we activate the sympathetic nervous system—the “fight or flight” response. This is the shallow, rapid breathing of stress. It signals to the body that danger is present, even when we are sitting quietly.
This activation triggers the release of cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that prepare the body for immediate action by increasing heart rate, tightening muscles, and sharpening focus.
When this pattern becomes chronic, however, these same hormones suppress digestion, weaken immune function, disrupt sleep, and promote inflammation throughout the entire body—accelerating the very aging process Li Qingyun sought to reverse.
Diaphragmatic Breathing (Innate Breathing):
When we engage the diaphragm—the large, dome-shaped muscle separating the chest cavity from the abdomen—the breath becomes deeper, slower, and more efficient. The belly expands on the inhale, and the diaphragm descends, creating a vacuum that draws air into the lower lungs. This pattern activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the “rest and digest” response.
This activation triggers the release of acetylcholine, the primary neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, along with hormones such as oxytocin and serotonin that promote calm, bonding, and emotional well-being.
Unlike the stress hormones of chest breathing, these “rest and repair” chemicals lower heart rate, reduce blood pressure, enhance digestion, improve immune function, and create a state of whole-body coherence that supports healing, regeneration, and longevity.
Li Qingyun’s instruction to “change our shallow lung breathing to deep lower Dan-Tian breathing” was a direct call to shift from the stress-inducing pattern of chest breathing to the restorative pattern of diaphragmatic breathing.
The Modern Science of Diaphragmatic Breathing
What Li Qingyun understood through centuries of personal practice is now being validated by modern research through controlled studies. The benefits of diaphragmatic breathing extend far beyond relaxation.
1. Immune System Activation Through the Lymphatic Pump
The lymphatic system is often called the body’s “second circulatory system.” It is a network of vessels and nodes that transports lymph—a clear fluid containing white blood cells—throughout the body. Unlike the cardiovascular system, which has a pump (the heart), the lymphatic system has no central pump of its own.
How does lymph move?
The lymphatic system relies on several mechanisms:
- Muscle contraction during movement
- Respiratory movement of the diaphragm
- Intrinsic contractions of lymphatic vessels themselves
Li Qingyun’s diaphragmatic breathing directly engages the respiratory pump of the lymphatic system. When the diaphragm contracts and descends during a deep inhale, it compresses the abdominal organs and the lymphatic vessels in the abdominal cavity.
When it relaxes and ascends during exhalation, it creates a pressure gradient that draws lymph upward toward the thoracic duct, where it empties into the bloodstream.
A 2011 study published in The Journal of Physiology confirmed that “lymphatics supplying highly moving tissues, such as skeletal muscle, diaphragm, or thoracic tissues, undergo cyclic compression and expansion of their lumen imposed by local stresses arising in the tissue as a consequence of cardiac and respiratory activities.”
The study emphasized that “active muscle contraction and not passive tissue displacement is required to support an efficient lymphatic drainage.”
Li Qingyun’s deep breathing was not passive—it was an active engagement of the diaphragm that functioned as a lymphatic pump. This pump helps clear metabolic waste, transport immune cells, and maintain fluid balance throughout the body.
2. Anti-Inflammatory Effects and Immune Modulation
Chronic inflammation is now recognized as a central mechanism in nearly every age-related disease: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.
The immune system’s inflammatory response, when chronically activated, becomes a destructive force rather than a protective one.
A 2024 randomized controlled trial published in Stress & Health examined the effects of deep diaphragmatic breathing on inflammation and immune markers. The researchers found that the intervention group showed “reduced ALI (Allostatic Load Index), increased respiratory abdominal amplitude, decreased BPM (breaths per minute), increased HRV (heart rate variability) indicating parasympathetic activation, and decreased cortisol and inflammatory cytokines.”
The specific inflammatory markers that decreased included:
- IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α: Pro-inflammatory cytokines that promote inflammation
- Cortisol: The primary stress hormone
The study concluded that “This protocol can represent a non-invasive therapeutic adjutant in disorders related to a dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis or to an inflammatory state.”
Li Qingyun did not live in a well-protected, environmentally controlled house. Rather, he lived through centuries of exposure to pathogens, environmental stressors, and the simple wear of aging.
His regular practice of diaphragmatic breathing may have provided him with a naturally anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating intervention that protected his body from the chronic low-grade inflammation that accelerates aging.
3. Cardiovascular Benefits and Blood Pressure Regulation
High blood pressure is one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease and premature death. Li Qingyun, at 250 years old, reportedly had “a ruddy face” and “bright eyes”—indicators of healthy circulation.
Modern research consistently demonstrates that slow, deep breathing lowers blood pressure. A 2007 study published in Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia examined the effects of slow-breathing training in patients with essential hypertension. The results were striking:
- Reduced systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure (p < 0.05 vs control)
- Increased heart rate variability, as evidenced by greater RR interval variation and SDNN index
- Decline in respiratory rate (p < 0.01 vs control)
- Increase in tidal volume (p < 0.01 vs control)
- Improved thoracic expansibility (p < 0.01 vs control)
The study concluded that “respiratory retraining using the slow breathing technique appears to be a useful adjunctive for cardiorespiratory control in hypertensive patients.” In other words, abdominal breathing acts like an antihypertensive medication.
Another study on elderly subjects (aged 65-75) found that “abdominal breathing increased significantly log(L × T), which indicated augmented cardiac parasympathetic nervous activities compared to those in the resting state. We also demonstrated that abdominal breathing, but not spontaneous breathing, induced statistically significant changes in both urine noradrenalin and in salivary cortisol in accordance with the decline of stress levels.”
Li Qingyun’s daily practice of abdominal breathing would have maintained a low resting heart rate, reduced sympathetic nervous system activity, and kept his blood pressure regulated—all factors that contribute to cardiovascular longevity.
4. The Vagus Nerve Connection
The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve and the primary driver of the parasympathetic nervous system. It connects the brainstem to the heart, lungs, and digestive organs, and its activation is associated with reduced inflammation, improved heart rate variability, and enhanced emotional regulation.
Diaphragmatic breathing directly stimulates the vagus nerve. As the diaphragm descends during a deep inhale, it massages the internal organs and sends signals through the vagus nerve to the brain, triggering the relaxation response.
The 2024 Stress & Health study noted that “Diaphragmatic breathing (DB) is an evidence-based, low-cost technique… This method has been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve, leading to a marked increase in parasympathetic and cardiac vagal activities.”
Li Qingyun described this state as “the Spirit will be clear, and the Qi will become stable.” In modern terms, he was describing vagal activation—the physiological state of calm alertness that underpins health and longevity.
Why Abdominal Breathing Helped Li Qingyun Live to 250
We cannot definitively prove that Li Qingyun lived to 250 years. But we can examine the mechanisms by which his lifestyle—and specifically his breathing practice—could plausibly contribute to extreme longevity.
1. Reduced Stress Load Across a Lifetime
Li Qingyun lived through nine Qing emperors, civil wars, foreign invasions, and the collapse of the imperial system. He witnessed more political upheaval than most humans could imagine. Yet by all accounts, he remained calm, unbothered, and “rarely depressed.”
His breathing practice was a stress buffer. Every session of diaphragmatic breathing lowered his cortisol levels, reduced sympathetic activity, and restored his body to a state of balance.
Over 200 years, this daily practice would have prevented the cumulative wear-and-tear of chronic stress on his cardiovascular system, immune system, and brain.
2. Enhanced Immune Surveillance
Every day, your body is under siege. Not from armies or invaders with weapons, but from an invisible onslaught of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other pathogens that surround you in every breath, every touch, and every meal.
Consider what happens on a typical morning. You wake up and touch your phone—a surface that harbors millions of bacteria. You brush your teeth and accidentally nick your gum, creating a tiny opening in your body’s first line of defense.
You eat breakfast, and along with it, you swallow thousands of microorganisms that have been on the food since it was harvested. You walk outside and inhale air that carries fungal spores, pollen, and airborne bacteria. You shake hands with a colleague, transferring whatever they picked up from the subway railing an hour earlier.
Your body’s immune system is engaged in a constant, silent war against these invaders. But here’s the critical question: how do immune cells get to where they’re needed?
The answer lies in the lymphatic system. This vast network of vessels and nodes acts as the body’s surveillance and rapid-response highway. Immune cells—white blood cells like lymphocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells—patrol the body through lymphatic vessels, constantly scanning for signs of infection or abnormal cells. When they detect a threat, they mount an attack and alert the rest of the immune system.
But there’s a problem. Unlike the cardiovascular system, which has a powerful pump—the heart—the lymphatic system has no central pump of its own. Lymph, the clear fluid carrying immune cells and waste products, must be moved through the body by other means. And this is where Li Qingyun’s breathing practice becomes remarkably relevant.
The diaphragm, when engaged in deep abdominal breathing, acts as a lymphatic pump. Each deep inhale descends the diaphragm, compressing the abdominal organs and the lymphatic vessels that run through them. Each exhale allows the diaphragm to ascend, creating a pressure gradient that draws lymph upward through the vessels, eventually emptying into the bloodstream at the thoracic duct.
A 2011 study published in The Journal of Physiology confirmed this mechanism, noting that “lymphatics supplying highly moving tissues, such as skeletal muscle, diaphragm, or thoracic tissues, undergo cyclic compression and expansion of their lumen imposed by local stresses arising in the tissue as a consequence of cardiac and respiratory activities.”
The study emphasized that “active muscle contraction and not passive tissue displacement is required to support an efficient lymphatic drainage.”
Li Qingyun’s deep breathing was not passive—it was an active engagement of the diaphragm that functioned as a lymphatic pump. By breathing this way for over two centuries, he kept his immune surveillance system operating at peak efficiency. His white blood cells circulated freely, patrolling every corner of his body. Pathogens that would have overwhelmed a less efficient immune system were detected and eliminated before they could establish a foothold.
In an era before antibiotics, vaccines, and modern medicine, a robust immune system was essential for survival. Li Qingyun’s breathing practice may have given him a significant advantage in resisting the infections and diseases that killed most people in his time. Every breath was not just oxygen—it was immune system maintenance, performed thousands of times a day for hundreds of years.
3. Preserved Lung Function
Lung function declines with age, and this decline is associated with increased mortality. A study of female centenarians found that “Centenarians have significant limitations to gas exchange across the lungs during exercise, but this limited oxygen transport is tempered by improved skeletal muscle mechanical efficiency that may play a vital role in maintaining physical function and therefore longevity in this population.”
Li Qingyun’s daily abdominal breathing likely preserved his lung capacity and efficiency far better than the shallow chest breathing of most elderly people. The book describes him walking 30 kilometers at age 250 without fatigue—a testament to his remarkable aerobic capacity.
4. The Mind-Body Connection
Li Qingyun taught that breathing was not merely physical—it was the bridge between mind and body. His instruction to “keep the mind clear of all distractions” while breathing reflects an understanding that breath and consciousness are inseparable.
Modern research on heart rate variability (HRV) confirms this. HRV—the variation in time between heartbeats—is a marker of vagal tone and emotional regulation. Higher HRV is associated with better health, resilience, and longevity. Diaphragmatic breathing increases HRV by activating the vagus nerve.
Li Qingyun’s practice cultivated a coherent heart rhythm—a physiological state in which the heart, breath, and brain are synchronized to optimize health and performance. This coherence, practiced daily for centuries, may be one of the most powerful longevity interventions available to any human being.
How to Practice Li Qingyun’s Abdominal Breathing
Li Qingyun’s instructions, as recorded in the book, provide a clear framework for practice. Here is a modern adaptation:
The Foundation
Posture:
Sit comfortably on a thick cushion, facing east if possible. Wear loose clothing. Keep the spine upright but relaxed.
Li Qingyun’s instructions specify sitting for formal breathing practice, but he also integrated this breath into standing, walking, and lying down. The standing meditation (Zhan Zhuang) that he practiced will be covered in a future article in this series. For now, focus on the seated practice—it is the foundation.
Mindset:
“Shut the Six Doors”—close your eyes, withdraw your attention from external stimuli, and turn your awareness inward.
The Six Doors”（六門）refers to the six sense faculties: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. They are called “doors” because they are the gateways through which external stimuli (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, and thoughts) enter and potentially distract the mind.
This concept is rooted in the shared Buddhist-Daoist framework of the Six Roots (六根): eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. In Daoist internal alchemy and qigong traditions, “closing the Six Doors” means withdrawing attention from the senses—not seeing, not hearing, not smelling, not speaking, not touching, and not thinking—to prevent the mind from wandering and to gather energy internally.
For Li Qingyun’s practice specifically, the instruction to “Shut the Six Doors” on page 193 means closing these six sensory gateways to allow the Spirit to settle and the Qi to stabilize during embryonic breathing.
The Practice
- Begin with natural breathing. Don’t force anything. Simply observe your breath as it is.
- Shift to abdominal breathing. Place one hand on your belly and one on your chest. As you inhale, let your belly expand like a balloon. Your chest should remain relatively still.
- Slow the breath. Li Qingyun taught that the breath should be “soft and smooth as possible, just like an infant.” Aim for a breath rate of about 6 breaths per minute—5 seconds in, 5 seconds out.
- Extend the exhale. The exhale is where the parasympathetic activation occurs. Let the exhale be slightly longer than the inhale—perhaps 4 seconds in, 6 seconds out.
- Maintain awareness. “The mind is to be kept clear of all distractions.” When thoughts arise, gently return your attention to the breath.
- Practice regularly. Li Qingyun practiced daily for over 200 years. Aim for 10-15 minutes per day, ideally in the morning and evening.
The Progression
Li Qingyun’s teaching on “Embryonic Breathing” describes an advanced stage in which the breath becomes so subtle and refined that it seems to cease altogether. This is not breath retention—it is a state of profound relaxation where the body’s oxygen needs are met with minimal respiratory effort.
This state cannot be forced. It emerges naturally from consistent, patient practice.
The Takeaway: What Li Qingyun’s Breath Teaches Us Today
Li Qingyun’s abdominal breathing was not a mystical secret—it was a practical, accessible practice that anyone can learn. Here are the key takeaways from his teaching and the science that supports it:
The Core Principles
- Diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, shifting the body from stress mode to restoration mode.
- The diaphragm acts as a lymphatic pump, helping clear metabolic waste and transport immune cells throughout the body.
- Deep breathing reduces inflammation by lowering cortisol levels and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels.
- Slow breathing lowers blood pressure and improves cardiovascular health.
- Vagus nerve stimulation through breath enhances emotional regulation, resilience, and overall well-being.
The Takeaway on Disease Prevention
Abdominal breathing directly addresses the mechanisms behind many of the current top ten causes of death. Research shows that inflammation is involved in at least 7 of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, infections, Alzheimer’s disease, and kidney disease.
By activating the parasympathetic nervous system and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, deep diaphragmatic breathing targets the underlying inflammatory processes that drive these conditions.
Additionally, by lowering blood pressure and improving cardiovascular function, this simple practice directly combats heart disease and stroke—the first and fourth leading causes of death in the U.S. In other words, Li Qingyun’s breath practice may have helped him avoid the very conditions that kill most people today.
The Practical Application
- Practice daily. Even 10 minutes of focused abdominal breathing can produce measurable benefits.
- Breathe slowly. Aim for about 6 breaths per minute—5 seconds in, 5 seconds out.
- Expand the belly, not the chest. The diaphragm, not the intercostal muscles, should drive the breath.
- Extend the exhale. A longer exhale enhances parasympathetic activation.
- Be patient. The benefits accumulate over time. Li Qingyun practiced for over two centuries.
The Deeper Lesson
Li Qingyun lived to an age that most scientists consider impossible. Whether his claimed age is accurate or not, his teachings on breathing point to a profound truth: the breath is the most powerful tool we have for influencing our own physiology.
We cannot control our genetics. We cannot stop aging entirely. But we can control how we breathe. And through that simple act, repeated thousands of times a day for decades, we can shape the trajectory of our health in ways that science is only beginning to understand.
Li Qingyun’s secret was not a secret at all. It was a breath—slow, deep, and conscious. And it is available to every one of us, right now, in this moment.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Consult with a qualified healthcare professional before beginning any new health practice.
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About Dr. Jesse Santiano, MD
Dr. Santiano is a retired internist and emergency physician with extensive clinical experience in metabolic health, cardiovascular prevention, and lifestyle medicine. He reviews all medical content on this site to ensure accuracy, clarity, and safe application for readers. This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for personal medical care.
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- Pinheiro CH, Medeiros RA, Pinheiro DG, Marinho Mde J. Spontaneous respiratory modulation improves cardiovascular control in essential hypertension. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2007 Jun;88(6):651-9. English, Portuguese. doi: 10.1590/s0066-782×2007000600005. Erratum in: Arq Bras Cardiol. 2007 Aug;89(2):138. PMID: 17664992.
- Michiko Tanaka, Mou Nagasaka, Tomoko Yano, Toshio Kobayashi, Yoshikazu Sakakibara, Autonomic nervous responses during the controlled abdominal breathing using the diaphragm in the elderly, Structure and Function, 2011, Volume 10, Issue 1, Pages 8-16, Released on J-STAGE August 28, 2015, Online ISSN 1884-6084, Print ISSN 1347-7145
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