The Miracle of Breath
David Blaine, an accomplished magician, in an interview with a man who amputated his own hand to save his life after being crushed under a boulder for six days in Rocky Mountains asked him the source of strength for this spine-chilling feat. The man’s answer, though unbelievable, is the crux of all levels of connections with the eternal. He proudly described that once he discovered the pocket knife, all he had to do was concentrate on his breath to take him through the whole process, such that eventually the realization that he might live caused the adrenaline to overwhelm him with a sense of euphoria – such is the power of breath.
Patanjali Yoga Sutra describes ‘Pranayam’ as the fourth rung of an eight rung ascending ladder leading to a communion of mind and matter. Only when a seeker has practiced first three that is yama or training your action and thoughts with respect to others; niyama or training your actions and thoughts with respect to yourself and asana or postures as an aid to exploration, can one begin to understand and absorb the immense potential of breath of life or the ‘prana’. The inhalation and exhalation and the transitions between them are a source of a steady flow of energy that is readily available to be tapped by each one.
Asanas sans an anchor to the breath are nothing but lackadaisical stretching of muscles and joints. But the minute these are married to the iridescence of breath the complete experience is meditative. As a matter of fact any physical effort needs to be regulated with the inhalation and exhalation for maximum benefit and sometimes to escape the potential hurts. The regulation of breath ensures a normal blood pressure during the activity and aids in going further than what we might have prescribed for ourselves. The nature of breath is also an accurate indicator of the intensity of physical effort and hence helps to tune the effort based on our goals- a shallow and choppy breath implies a strenuous posture, breathlessness implies high cardiovascular zone and normal breathing is a sign of physical rest- in fact the amount of time it takes to transition from a state of breathlessness to normal breathing is a huge indicator of the fitness level of an individual.
Living up to its moniker of ‘prana’, the breath has obvious linkages with the energy flow within us. The loud exhalation in the performance of a martial arts move is such an attempt to tap the energy source required to make the effort forceful. So much so that the postures we adopt during the day has a big impact on how energetic we might finally feel – say if we slouch for most of the day, the lungs would not be free enough to perform unobstructed breathing eventually leading to a lethargic, energy less state.
The breath also has emphatic linkages with our mind. The state of mind is reflected in the intensity of breathing and hence the concentration on breath can lead to the restless mind finally listening to us. Just a simple focus on the beauty and rhythm of our inhale and exhale can take us through the most challenging situations of mind and body – by filling the void with the focus on our breath there is no room left for the nomadic rambling of the mind.
The breath has also been used as a powerful tool for spiritual journey in many disciplines of meditation. Either by regulating or by observing the breath one can experience the taste of our true blissful being.
If you have ever longed for a place of calm and solitude in those moments of challenge, the transition between the inhale and the exhale can provide that shelter of nothingness. Breath is certainly a miracle masquerading as a platitude. It is said that we all are born with our own mantra and as we inhale and exhale we can hear the sound of that mantra. As my yoga teacher often prompts – our being is resonating with this mantra of ‘Ham’ as we inhale and ‘Sa’ as we exhale – all we have to do is be aware and listen.
David Blaine, an accomplished magician, in an interview with a man who amputated his own hand to save his life after being crushed under a boulder for six days in Rocky Mountains asked him the source of strength for this spine-chilling feat. The man’s answer, though unbelievable, is the crux of all levels of connections with the eternal. He proudly described that once he discovered the pocket knife, all he had to do was concentrate on his breath to take him through the whole process, such that eventually the realization that he might live caused the adrenaline to overwhelm him with a sense of euphoria – such is the power of breath.
Patanjali Yoga Sutra describes ‘Pranayam’ as the fourth rung of an eight rung ascending ladder leading to a communion of mind and matter. Only when a seeker has practiced first three that is yama or training your action and thoughts with respect to others; niyama or training your actions and thoughts with respect to yourself and asana or postures as an aid to exploration, can one begin to understand and absorb the immense potential of breath of life or the ‘prana’. The inhalation and exhalation and the transitions between them are a source of a steady flow of energy that is readily available to be tapped by each one.
Asanas sans an anchor to the breath are nothing but lackadaisical stretching of muscles and joints. But the minute these are married to the iridescence of breath the complete experience is meditative. As a matter of fact any physical effort needs to be regulated with the inhalation and exhalation for maximum benefit and sometimes to escape the potential hurts. The regulation of breath ensures a normal blood pressure during the activity and aids in going further than what we might have prescribed for ourselves. The nature of breath is also an accurate indicator of the intensity of physical effort and hence helps to tune the effort based on our goals- a shallow and choppy breath implies a strenuous posture, breathlessness implies high cardiovascular zone and normal breathing is a sign of physical rest- in fact the amount of time it takes to transition from a state of breathlessness to normal breathing is a huge indicator of the fitness level of an individual.
Living up to its moniker of ‘prana’, the breath has obvious linkages with the energy flow within us. The loud exhalation in the performance of a martial arts move is such an attempt to tap the energy source required to make the effort forceful. So much so that the postures we adopt during the day has a big impact on how energetic we might finally feel – say if we slouch for most of the day, the lungs would not be free enough to perform unobstructed breathing eventually leading to a lethargic, energy less state.
The breath also has emphatic linkages with our mind. The state of mind is reflected in the intensity of breathing and hence the concentration on breath can lead to the restless mind finally listening to us. Just a simple focus on the beauty and rhythm of our inhale and exhale can take us through the most challenging situations of mind and body – by filling the void with the focus on our breath there is no room left for the nomadic rambling of the mind.
The breath has also been used as a powerful tool for spiritual journey in many disciplines of meditation. Either by regulating or by observing the breath one can experience the taste of our true blissful being.
If you have ever longed for a place of calm and solitude in those moments of challenge, the transition between the inhale and the exhale can provide that shelter of nothingness. Breath is certainly a miracle masquerading as a platitude. It is said that we all are born with our own mantra and as we inhale and exhale we can hear the sound of that mantra. As my yoga teacher often prompts – our being is resonating with this mantra of ‘Ham’ as we inhale and ‘Sa’ as we exhale – all we have to do is be aware and listen.
posted by Garima at 1:04 PM
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