The act of
breathing… it is so simple, yet so profound. Breathing comes naturally to us…it
really is second nature… yet it is this most simple of acts that sustains our
life and is an absolutely essential act. If we were to stop breathing for a few
minutes, we would die. It is said that at the one minute mark, brain cells
start dying. Yes, this number does differ between individuals… there are the
Russian ‘supermen’ who can of course stay under water for much longer periods,
but for us mere mortals… we need to work with what we have!
The breath
is more than an apparatus that keeps us alive, it is also a barometer to
measure our own state of mind. When our breath is uncontrolled and fast, the
mind is racing and erratic; you could even say it is in a state of chaos. But
when the breath is controlled, even and is slowed down, so is the mind. The mind follows the breath…so where the
breath goes, the mind will follow. This truth has been realised by many people
throughout history, and has been employed with great success. Yogis over the past
two and a half millennia have used the act of controlled breathing to calm the
mind. This practice is called pranayama and is the practice of controlling the
breath. Our breath is the source of our prana; or our life source. There are
many methods to practice pranayama, and each method has a different result.
Some are for energising the body, some are for calming the body and mind and
some are used specifically for meditation. The word pranayama is made up of two
Sanskrit words which are prana meaning
life force and ayama which means
control. So pranayama means ‘to control our breath’ or to control our life
force. So, when practising pranayama, we can control the pranic energy in our
bodies and can achieve a healthy body and mind. In the yoga sutras written by
Patanjali, he spoke of the importance of pranayama as a means of attaining higher
states of awareness, and said that the act of pranayama is as important as achieving
Samadhi (highest state of
consciousness). Because of this,
pranayama is often practiced before meditation because it puts the mind in a
state that is conducive to calm and stillness.
For our
purposes here, living in the fast-paced western world where anxieties and frustrations
are common in this driven society, pranayama can play a part in allowing us to
achieve a much needed state of calm and peace. It doesn’t take long to
practice, it can take as little as ten minutes. In fact, many practices of
pranayama are only that long. To practice it, sit down, cross-legged if you want,
otherwise any way is fine, and breathe. A simple method to follow is breathe in
for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds and breathe out for 4 seconds. When breathing
out, it is important not just to exhale strongly, but to employ what is known
as the ‘ujjayi’ breath. This particular technique -which is common in hatha
yoga practice- is a controlled exhale where the throat is slightly constricted
to elongate the exhale. When people become more adept at this practice, these
times become longer, and this is because the diaphragm expands and allows for a
larger intake of breath. When we breathe in, it is important not just to
breathe in and raise the ribs, but to breathe into the stomach. This allows for
a ‘fuller’ breath that is also more comfortable in this process.
The science
of pranayama is quite involved and there are many different techniques, so it
is important to follow particular methods under the guidance of a qualified yoga
or pranayama teacher. This is advised because pranayama is about the movement
of energy in the body, and according to some, if this is done incorrectly
energy flow can be disrupted and disharmony in the body can ensue. On the contrary
though, innumerable benefits can be reaped from this simple practice. Although
all we need to know here is that a calm breath leads to a calm mind. Practice
slowed and controlled breathing, and your monkey mind will become a lot calmer
and peaceful. If you need to bring some
peace into your life, or are looking to deepen your meditative practice, give
it a go and see what benefits you find.
Happy
breathing!
Ben J
References
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