Life and Breath
“Life is in breath, therefore he who only half breaths, half lives”
The way we breath directly affects our physical and mental well-being and determines to certain extent the quality of our lives.
The body can go for many weeks without food, days without water but not long without air. In yoga air is known as prana or life-force. This is not the air itself but the subtle life-giving element extracted from the air. The more life-force you have in your body, the more alive you are.
Most people have the habit of shallow breathing. With the practice of yoga we learn how to breath in a complete way and extract the most life-force possible. Also we learn to make breathing slow and rhythmic whenever possible… This helps anxieties and tensions lessen or dissolve completely and control of the mind for the purpose of concentration is greatly increased. By breathing deeply and fully we can revitalize our bodies and clear our minds.
Living life without breathing deeply is like listening to a piece of music without any space between notes. It would drive us insane! Just like music needs space between the notes, we need to create space in a our busy lives to stop all we are doing and assess if we are breathing to our optimal lung capacity or engaging in shallow breathing. This will make a huge difference in the quality and quantity of oxygen which gets delivered to our brain and our inner organs, oxygenizing all our glands and circulation so that our bodies may perform more effectively and efficiently at every task. We will be more focused and become more alert and productive. Next time your energy drops in the middle of the afternoon instead of reaching for your next cup of coffee, stop and simply take a deep yogi breath. Ideally outside in the arms of Mother Nature. You will be all the merrier and healthier because of it!
After all, we live only as long as we breathe: Life is breath!
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