Reconnect with Practice
Take a Breath
Let’s get this straight yoga is not about how far you can reach past your toes in active wear but more about bringing the mind to a place of stillness and calm, enabling you to see things clearly, as they really are. Freeing your mind of distractions and disturbances has the mind in a state of joyfulness and serenity. This is a ‘state of mind’ we want to hold on to, even when experiencing adverse conditions. Do you know people that can do this? Those who are calm and in control while their world falls apart around them. Amongst adversity they remain undisturbed because they have a calm state of mind.
How can you achieve this for yourself? The answer begins with the breath. The involuntary action that invites you to life, and when ceased invites you to death. Let’s take a look at why the breath is so influential and a breathing exercise to try on your own. Let’s begin with the breathing exercise.
Take a moment now to observe your breath, a practice called mindful breathing.
Breathe through the nose and become aware of the breath. Notice that you are breathing. No need to change the breath in any way. Notice how the breath moves in and out of the body. Notice the rhythm. Where does the breath begin and where does it end? Notice whether it is smooth or not, long or short, notice if the torso expands or contracts when you inhale and exhale. When your mind wanders, just notice it has wandered and gently bring your attention back to focus on your breath. Inhale and exhale over and over again for five minutes. Gently open the eyes, give yourself gratitude for spending time with your breath.
What is with the Breath?
You take 8.5 million breaths every year, and for the majority, taken without conscious thought. Regardless of when or how you breathe the purpose of each breath is the same, cellular respiration. Every cell in the body needs to breathe; takes up oxygen, burns fuel, generates energy and releases carbon dioxide. With each inhalation new life is delivered to your body and with every exhalation we cleanse the body. Enter oxygen and exit carbon dioxide. The wonderful thing about the breathing process is you can take this involuntary action and, with consciousness, make it voluntary. You can spend time with the breath and direct it in whichever way you like. You can control how you breathe. You can choose to breathe fast, slow, deep or shallow, through one nostril or two. By changing the way you breathe you can change the way breathing affects your body.
With every inhalation new breath is brought to the body, with every exhalation there is a release, a figurative ‘cleaning house’.
Research Shows
Yogi’s, in the East have known for a very long time the breath is the key to unlocking the body’s potential. After many research projects, using Tibetan monks as their subject, doctors and scientists in the West now agree that a regular deep breathing practice can be of benefit. In particular you can
Reduce anxiety levels and depression
Lower/stabilize blood pressure
Increase energy levels
Aid in muscle relaxation
Decrease feelings of stress and overwhelm
The way you breathe has a dramatic effect on your wellbeing and by spending a few minutes a day breathing consciously allows you to ‘power down and reboot the brain’ improving your health and state of mind. To understand the science behind the breath look out for the blog post Relaxation Response in coming weeks.