Taking a breath was your first act when you came into this world. Your last act will be breathing out. But are you aware of the power of your breath? It is central to who you are. Learning to breathe consciously helps us activate the life energy inside us.
Breathing is the most important and basic function of life. Yet we are not aware of its immense power for overall well-being and healing. We can live without water and food for a few days. But how many of us can survive without breathing for more than a few minutes?
No one can, right? That is the importance of breathing. In the tradition of yoga, it is known as prana. Simply put, it is life force, energy, or vitality. The practice of Pranayama In Yoga is a powerful technique that teaches us to control and master our breathing.
The connection between life and breath is often celebrated in different cultures around the world. In New Zealand, the Maori People greet each other by exchanging breath. Lord Budha also encourages us to observe our breath through a concept called Anapanasati.
Using the power of your breath
Using your breath, you can observe even small sensations in your body and go beyond them to see what the life inside you reveals about yourself. There are several techniques and ancient theories about mastering the breathing process.
In Pranayama, breath is used as a source of self-awareness and to gain the ability to adapt to situations that we think control us. Exploring yourself using breath involves identifying, understanding, and integrating the breath just like you do any other movement.
The process of controlled breathing can purify our body and mind. If you think of your mind as a kite that flies high in the sky, breath is the string in your hand that controls it. Being aware of the power of your breath can help you activate the energy within you.
You can learn to Breathe Rhythmically and deeply, removing all the stress that has accumulated in your mind in just seconds. Controlled breath can cleanse negative thoughts and elements from the mind and body and boost your prana your life force energy.
Breath to calm the mind and increase your energy
You can use your breath to increase your energy as well as calm your mind. A long breath in and a shorter, vigorous breath out can help energize the body and mind within seconds. Several breathing exercises can also boost your immune function.
If you suffer from Anxiety or any other mental health condition, you can practice the “physiological sigh”. It’s an easy process, take two inhales through the nose and exhale at once. Want to know an interesting fact!? We often do this without realizing it, while sleeping or crying!
During heightened panic and anxiety, doing 2 or 3 physiological sighs is the fastest way to calm your body and mind. You can also do a daily calming breath practice by gazing into the distance and breathing in slowly to a count of 4, then breathing out to a count of 6.
