BREATH: PART ONE
Weekly Seed of Inspiration
"The mind is the king of the senses, and the breath is the king of the mind." B.K.S Iyengar
How often do you catch yourself holding your breath? Or do you ever notice that your breath is shallow and you barely take in ample, good-quality breath?
I could write about breathing for hours, but I intend to keep these "seeds" short and sweet. Consider this seed, Part One, which touches on the physical and mental benefits of breathing. In Part Two, I will share more about the spiritual and energetic aspects of breathing.
Breath is paramount to our physical, emotional, mental, and energetic state, yet it is often overlooked and taken for granted. I am fascinated by the power of our breath, and as many of you know, if you attend my yoga classes, I refer to the breath throughout the practice. One of the Eight Principles of yoga is Pranayama. Pranayama is a practice that involves multiple ways to breathe in order to clear physical, emotional, and mental obstacles in your body so Prana can flow better. Prana is known as Vital Life Energy or Life Force. Proper breathing in yoga and in life delivers more oxygen to the blood and brain and truly is our life-giving elixir.
"The presence of oxygen is the absence of disease." Gary Brecka
What I find so interesting about the breath is that it has many physical benefits but is equally powerful in connecting us back to our Source, Spirit, God Self, Higher Self, Nature, and Universe. I will write more about this in the next seed.
When one's breath becomes frequent, shallow, frantic, or strained, the body understands this as a sign of stress and responds accordingly. Breathing this way puts us in a survival state, which triggers the sympathetic nervous system to switch on. According to Ganesan R. in the Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, typically, an anxious person takes tiny, shallow breaths and uses their shoulders rather than their diaphragm to move air in and out of their lungs.
A long, deep breath is a very different sign for the body; it is a sign that all is well and invites the nervous system and body to relax, which is understood as a "thriving" state.
Deep breathing is one of the body's most vital self-healing tools. When you can control your breath, you can control your life. Regular controlled deep breathing will increase oxygen to your lungs, exercise the lungs, massage internal organs, oxygenate the blood, enhance energy, help the lymph system eliminate waste, improve digestion, decrease stress hormones, balance emotions, and put you into a parasympathetic rest state. This is the branch of the nervous system we want to be tapped into more often than not. Research indicates that 70% of toxins are released simply by breathing properly.
"If man's breath is prosperous, then the body is prosperous. Man's bodily decline is always due to the decline of the breath. If the breath is congested or isolated, it can lead to illness. When man's breath is exhausted, then the body is destroyed."
Besides all the physical benefits of breathing, by taking conscious control of your breathing, you are harnessing your mindset and taking charge of your active monkey mind and the damaging negative default network we all are challenged with. Remember, "breath is the king of the mind." Voluntarily breathing is a great remedy for a scattered and active mind and can assist in paying attention to your thoughts, actions, and emotions throughout the day on purpose.
Here, I will share a simple breathing exercise you can do at home to regulate your nervous system, release tension, and elevate your mood.
1. Inhale through your nose, expand your belly, and fill your chest. Count to 5
RELAX YOUR SHOULDERS AND SOFTEN YOUR JAW
2. Hold and count to 3. Feel your body being filled with healing energy.
SMILE
3. Exhale completely with a slightly open mouth. Experience the toxins, tensions, and negativities leaving the body.
RELAX EVEN MORE
4. Hold on empty for just a few seconds.
MELT INTO THE STILLNESS
5. Repeat 4-5 times or until satisfied :)
HAPPY BREATHING
I was recently in Miami for an immersive breathwork training certification. Once I complete my training and am certified to facilitate, I cannot wait to share the experience of Breathwork with you. Stay tuned.
"Believe in Magic"