THE ART OF BREATHING
The breath is one of the most powerful training tools that we have. Gaining control over the respiratory system allows for a dramatic increase in physical performance. Breathing is the most vital process of the body. We start breathing when we are born, and when we stop breathing, we die. The air that we breathe travels through 1500 miles of airways before it animates and sustains the life of every cell in the body. Many people give great consideration to what they eat and drink, but think little about their breath. A person can live a month or more without food, a week or more without liquids, but deprived of breath – we die in minutes. In light of this, it is astonishing how little attention we normally pay to the importance of breathing correctly.
On average, human beings breathe 21,600 times per day. Yet most people have forgotten how to breathe correctly. Shallow breathing through the mouth uses only a small portion of the lung capacity and leaves the thoracic and diaphragmatic muscles tight and weak. Typically, this tendency only worsens as we age, and our breath becomes ever-more shallow. (Contrast the deep abdominal breathing of a toddler with the shallow breathing of a typical, untrained adult.) Shallow breathing deprives the body of the oxygen that is essential to good health. This results in a lack of vitality and a compromised immune system. Additionally, shallow breathing deprives our internal organs of the movement that is essential to proper functioning.
Fortunately, our breath can be dramatically improved with proper training. By consciously training, restoring and balancing our breath, we feel full of life. Ket Yoga employs the ground-breaking techniques of Mahaprana Yoga to teach the most effective and efficient ways to strengthen and smooth the flow of our breath. The Prana Sanchalan Kriya develop overall cardiovascular endurance and greatly increase our capacity to breathe through the nose. By forcefully pumping the lungs at a fast pace, these exercises simultaneously strengthen and cleanse the entire respiratory system.
Developing the capacity to take deep, relaxed breaths through the nose is extremely important. Breathing through the nose provides valuable breath-regulating mechanisms such as warming and filtering the air. From the yogic point of view breathing through the nose also maximizes the amount of prana that is absorbed, since prana passes through the olfactory organs at the back of the nose to reach the central nervous system and brain.
The quality of our breath is extremely important because it reflects our mental state. Yogic philosophy has long-recognized the breath to be the intermediary between the mind and body, and the link between the inner and outer body. When the movement of the breath becomes relaxed, the movement of the mind is calmed. This relaxed state allows us to realize our potential in athletic performance.
Western science tells us that although the human brain makes up only 2% of the body’s weight, it consumes 20% of the oxygen that the body uses. Proper breathing enables us to bring more oxygen to the blood and thus to the brain. By increasing the concentration of oxygen in the body, the brains ability to concentrate improves.
By training the breath with effective techniques, it can become stronger, more balanced and in tune with Nature. Learn to make use of these valuable techniques and get the most out of your training and your breath!
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