We come into life on an inbreath and we leave this life on an outbreath……and in between we breathe.
Yet how do we breathe? Have you ever observed the breath, its spontaneous natural rhythm occurring, without our conscious participation, every moment of every day? If you have - perhaps you have noticed how our moods and reactions to certain events change our breath rhythm or even take it away momentarily. Or in a quiet moment perhaps you have noticed the strange sensation or had the awareness of being breathed!
There are two kinds of breathing according to yogic knowledge.
One is the physical breath which is the drawing in of air through nostrils, to back of throat, into the windpipe through to the two bronchial channels and then finally into the lungs. It is here the air enters the tiny air sacks to give over its oxygen supply to the body into the blood and draw the waste gases from the blood. This exchange is essential to health and function at every level. The blood is cleansed, the oxygen distributed throughout the body to enhance cellular function, digestion and all functions that require both oxygen and a quality of heat. The cleansed blood releases its waste gases into the lungs and this is removed from our system through the exhalation. All this fine function goes on without our thinking about it and if it didn’t occur life would be of poor quality and short.
However!!!!
Most us us breathe poorly. Our state of mind, emotions, stress and tension levels imprint on our breath rhythm and function often diminishing our breath capacity. Most people are shallow breathers. Posture and mental state can dramatically impede our breath and breathing capacity. If we are not good breathers, if we are not drawing upon a good full volume of air rich in oxygen, and utilising the full capacity of our lungs, all systems and functions of the body are greatly sabotaged.
Most people are unaware how vitally important effective breathing is to their overall health and wellbeing. A simple change to effective breathing can accelerate a rapid and beautiful return to good health and vital wellbeing. As well as the great need of our body for good breathing our mind equally functions very poorly without good effective breathing.
Some people need to be trained to breathe well again. There may be so much mental habit and physical restriction impeding full breathing they need assistance to release and open the body to receive and release breath optimally. There are simple methods to achieve this and it can occur in a relatively short period of skilful training. The body will thank you immediately. The magnificent bonus to restored effective breath is a calmer mind that can focus and relax more easily.
This is a very abbreviated look at the physical side of breathing.
Yoga would take this conversation a whole lot deeper. It would speak of the shift that occurs when we make our breath conscious. We become aware of an ever deepening subtlety to the nature of the breath by observing the breath closely. The length, quality, sensation and sound of the inhalation and the exhalation, and the observation of any natural pauses between the two streams of incoming and outgoing breath. The awareness of our breathing, making it conscious as fully and completely as possible, awakens us to the perception of what we could call the subtle nature of the breath. At the physical level we will experience this as ever increasing subtlety of sensation, all our sensing capacity is attentive to the sensations breath gives rise to. We may become aware of the touch of the breath in all the breathing spaces. We may become aware of the subtle sensations and changes that occur throughout the entire body in response to each breath in ever more refined ways as we practice making the breath conscious. It might seem as if the whole body breathes. It may seem that nature, body and breath are one. This is the first stage of what could be called psychic breath or pranayama.
What the subtlety of breath awareness puts us in direct relationship with is the energetic quotient of the breath. Yoga teaches us that prana (life force) rides the breath. Breath is our easiest access to the powerful subtle force responsible for life itself. It is equally responsible for enhancing the quality of our life force, raising, cultivating, directing and refining it. The more potent our life force the more potent our wellbeing at every level of the soul’s interface with the living experience. All forms of healing require an increase in quality and amount of prana.
Extending beyond simply bringing consciousness to breath, we can then also exert certain voluntary controls upon the breath rhythm, extending it, contracting it, expanding it, quickening or suspending it and in so doing generating all kinds of direct and observable physiological, psychological and spiritual changes.
The breath becomes both a powerful vehicle to facilitate experiential transformation. The breath also introduces us to the subtler dimensions of our existence, purpose and capacity.
There are necessary cautions given always before venturing into the practice of pranayama. The simpler forms are beneficial for most of us, the more complex forms require we learn from a highly skilled teacher who will tailor practice according to our readiness and state of mind and consciousness. These cautions are essential as it is too easy to disturb the mind and heart function with inappropriate preparation, training and readiness.
Unfortunately over the years we have needed to support some practitioners to recover from the effects of poor training.
The relationship between mind and prana is significant. The mind loves prana, in a perfect and balanced partnership anything is possible, an imperfect balance and partnership creates all kinds of trouble.
But we all need to introduce our minds to prana to step forward into our potentials. This profound marriage introduces us to the depths of our being while awakening us to the immense joy and potency of the consciousness at the root of the breath itself. Just always be very mindful of who is teaching you, do your due diligence and check out the credentials, intentions and ethics of the one guiding you.
Breath itself can be a great teacher and guide if we know how to work with it. One of my greatest loves in practice is reacquainting myself with the subtle beauty, sweetness and power of the breath, be that in asana practice, pranayama , relaxation or meditation, or just breathing in and out with nature herself in the moment. The sweet shakti ( creative universal power) is ever present in the breath, she will instantly transform your state when the relationship has become subtle and real.
