The human body can survive for weeks without food. We can last days without water. But when it comes to air – around 6 minutes.
The breath is the very essence of life. With a full inhale, we flood oxygen into the lungs. Every cell in your body also inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide. In Vedic tradition, air is closely linked to Prana – the life force that flows through all living creatures – plant and animal. So if you've been feeling claustrophobic, unsettled, or just not totally there, it may just be that you haven’t been breathing well. You could think of it as an art – to breathe well requires focus and effort. The result of practice with the breath creates more interior space and supports all over health.
If you've been waiting, here's your invitation to discover the breath, also called pranayama.
Prana, commonly translates as the upward moving currents within the body, is a subtle form of energy. Whether or not the energy body is something you feel you can access, the breath is right here, accessible to each one of us. Yes, we naturally inhale and exhale but breathing consciously helps us to visualize, localize, be thoughtful and practice. In this way, the lungs, intercostals, and diaphragm strengthen; sending rich life-giving oxygen from the follicles of the hair down to the very tips of the toes. Through focused regular practice of simple breath work, we can feel the positive effects it has on our nervous system.
Now let’s quickly touch on the nerves. This nervous system has two parts: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic is the fight or flight response that prepares the body for sudden stress by controlling physical things like our heart rate, the adrenals and our breathing. In general, when we inhale, we activate the sympathetic system, our action oriented, heating, male energy. The parasympathetic system does the opposite – it prepares the body for rest, When we exhale, the parasympathetic system kicks in, awakening our intuitive, cooling and female energy.
Focused, mindful breathing brings the nervous system into balance. So when fear arrives, consciously shift the body into the parasympathetic system through the breath. This part of conscious living – total attention to the physicality of your body - can occur by simply deepening the breath, even inhales and exhales, filling the lungs fully, and emptying the lungs fully. The breath can be one of the most therapeutic ways to calm the body AND mind when we need some love a.s.a.p.
The breath is the very essence of life. With a full inhale, we flood oxygen into the lungs. Every cell in your body also inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide. In Vedic tradition, air is closely linked to Prana – the life force that flows through all living creatures – plant and animal. So if you've been feeling claustrophobic, unsettled, or just not totally there, it may just be that you haven’t been breathing well. You could think of it as an art – to breathe well requires focus and effort. The result of practice with the breath creates more interior space and supports all over health.
If you've been waiting, here's your invitation to discover the breath, also called pranayama.
Prana, commonly translates as the upward moving currents within the body, is a subtle form of energy. Whether or not the energy body is something you feel you can access, the breath is right here, accessible to each one of us. Yes, we naturally inhale and exhale but breathing consciously helps us to visualize, localize, be thoughtful and practice. In this way, the lungs, intercostals, and diaphragm strengthen; sending rich life-giving oxygen from the follicles of the hair down to the very tips of the toes. Through focused regular practice of simple breath work, we can feel the positive effects it has on our nervous system.
Now let’s quickly touch on the nerves. This nervous system has two parts: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic is the fight or flight response that prepares the body for sudden stress by controlling physical things like our heart rate, the adrenals and our breathing. In general, when we inhale, we activate the sympathetic system, our action oriented, heating, male energy. The parasympathetic system does the opposite – it prepares the body for rest, When we exhale, the parasympathetic system kicks in, awakening our intuitive, cooling and female energy.
Focused, mindful breathing brings the nervous system into balance. So when fear arrives, consciously shift the body into the parasympathetic system through the breath. This part of conscious living – total attention to the physicality of your body - can occur by simply deepening the breath, even inhales and exhales, filling the lungs fully, and emptying the lungs fully. The breath can be one of the most therapeutic ways to calm the body AND mind when we need some love a.s.a.p.
Don't forget to "Breathe"
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