I love teaching about breath. It might not sound exciting, but it is and it can be truly life changing. I wrote a whole thesis on breath and its use in the treatment of stress and pain relief as part of my yoga training years ago, using my own research from teaching meditation, in both the oncology and general wards of hospitals.
At certain times in my life, it has been the thing that has sustained me, including giving birth to both my children at home, having surgery, working in stressful situations, and the general drama of life. My breath is always there, like a friend I can turn to. Sound strange? Yoga, as we looked at in last monthโs blog, has 8 paths or “limbs.” One of those limbs is Prฤแนฤyฤma. Prฤแนฤyฤma involves breathing exercises and practices, using the inhale, the exhale, and, at times retention of the breath. Practices are designed to let energy flow freely through the body and for thoughts and emotions to be released.
There are huge texts written about Prฤแนฤyฤma and many different techniques. Some of these techniques are energizing and detoxing and others are balancing and relaxing. The benefits are many for the physical body – for internal organs, the digestion system, blood pressure, muscle relaxation, and increased energy levels. It also can help to reduce anxiety and depression, in addition to decreasing feelings of stress and being overwhelmed.
Our body and mind are intimately connected and affect each other. Our breathing is influenced by our thoughts, and our thoughts can be influenced by our breath. Learning to breath consciously can be a profound awakening into this relationship. It can also be a tool that helps restore us to balance in times of need.
As we discussed previously, our general wellbeing is affected by our stress levels, so that when we are under stress our sympathetic nervous system activates our fight-or-flight response. This means our breath becomes shallow, quicker, or held, cortisol is produced, so the blood pressure and pulse rate increase, muscles tense, our immune system shuts down as does our digestion. It can make it very hard to make a mindful response or a good decision. And, as we know, if stress is a constant in our life it can lead to illness and make us more vulnerable to depression and anxiety.
We can use our breath to reverse these symptoms instantly and create a sense of calm for both mind and body. When we breathe fully and deeply, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which reverses the stress response in the body, lowering our blood pressure and heart rate, as well as calming us and restoring damage done.
Often we can go through a whole day without noticing our breath. We might not realize that our posture can affect our breathing, we might not realize that we are breathing very shallowly, or more in the upper chest. Any of these factors can affect our mindset, our mood, and our anxiety levels. The body affecting the mind.
By consciously breathing deeply we take ourselves out of our heads, we calm the mind and the body. We improve our focus and our wellbeing.
Let’s try a simple conscious breath technique now. Make sure you are sitting fairly straight and comfortably. Feel your feet firmly on the floor. Begin to inhale through the nose, bringing air into the bottom of the lungs. You should feel your abdomen rise. Continue to inhale as your rib cage expands (middle of lungs), and then finally feeling expanse under the collar bones (top of the lungs). Pause for a moment and then begin to gently exhale from the top of the lungs to the bottom. Repeat a few times.
Notice the difference already? Imagine what practice could do?
The beauty of breath awareness is that it works for anyone regardless of age, culture, or belief system. It can be used to manage serious conditions, such as depression, obsessive-compulsive behaviors and anxiety, as well as improving general wellbeing.
I use Prฤแนฤyฤma techniques throughout my sessions, as a method of stress relief, tension release, or as a part of a meditation practice.
If you are interested in further reading on the benefits and philosophy I would recommend BKS Iyengarโs book โLight onย Prฤแนฤyฤmaโ.ย It is surprisingly accessible. Find it through Amazon:ย http://www.amazon.com/