CIRCULAR  BREATHING

Regardless of what anyone tells you... circular breathing is EASY, and don't think otherwise.  If  you choose to think it is hard, then you'll still get it... it will just take you longer than if you think positively.

So... the key to circular breathing is to realize that:
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BREATH IN AND OUT AT THE SAME TIME!!!

Say this to yourself twice and forget about trying to do this.

What will follow is an explanation for what I call the MECHANISM of circular breathing.   Read the instructions all the way through several times... and as you get better at the mechanism... read the instructions again.

IF YOU FOLLOW THESE STEPS WORD FOR WORD, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND CIRCULAR BREATHING.

First - put your didge aside, and practice the mechanism thoroughly, and repeatedly. 

You must understand that your mouth is a separate chamber of air from your lungs.
So fill your cheeks up with air...
while holding that air in your cheeks, breathe IN and OUT of your nose.

Now, you can appreciate that your mouth is indeed a large reservoir of air, separate from your lungs.

2nd:  Now, since you must breath in through your nose while circular breathing... air must come out of your face somehow to keep the drone going.  This is accomplished by squeezing air out of your face using your cheek muscles.
IT IS CRUCIAL THAT YOU DON NOT BREATHE OUT but squeeze air out.

Practice this by blowing all the air out of your lungs
Fill your cheeks up with air from within (meaning don't take a breath of air to fill your cheeks)
Then squeeze the air out of your face (use your hand if necessary)
REMEMBER:  Do not breath air out... SQUEEZE air out
(hence, with your lungs empty you are not able to breath out, and must squeeze air out).

3rd:  Combine steps 1 and two.
Since in step 2 you are not breathing out... you may simply breathe in through your nose WHILE squeezing air out of your cheeks.
Remember that your cheeks are separate from your lungs (as proven in step one)

So start at step 2, and while SQUEEZING air out of your cheeks, simply breath in through your nose.

NOW:  You'll know you are doing this correctly if there is air being squeezed out of your face, while you are breathing in through the nose. 
If you have accomplished this  CONGRATULATIONS!  You are circular breathing.
This process is called the MECHANISM of circular breathing.

If you haven't accomplished this:

- DON't worry!  simply re-read the three steps, and do them all individually until you get it

In order to apply this mechanism to the didge you must MASTER it.  Practice and practice (without the didge) until it is very easy to do... then slowly apply it to your increasing repertoire of didge skills.
The better you are at droning, and the better you are at the MECHANISM the easier it will be to become a circular breathing maniac.

they key is to practice the mechanism - all the time (without the didge)

See Lesson 7 for hints and tips on applying the mechanism to didge playing... this is very important!