Breath is Life - Do You Breathe Deeply Enough?
Breath is Life - Do You Breathe Deeply Enough
?
Without it, we do not survive; with it, we thrive, and combined with awareness, we awaken. Breath is not just oxygen; it is the vehicle for the subtle life force to enliven us as it passes through the currents of the breath. How we breathe not only directly affects our health but we entrain others with it, just like being angry or happy affects those around us.
The ancients paid more attention to the breath. In fact the root of our word breath in Latin is respire (re) - return, (spiritus) - the spirit: each breath is the return of spirit. Ancient yogis of India called breath prana, which means the subtle life force of the Universe. The Confucius Masters warned us not to confuse the outer breath of oxygen with the inner breath, chi or energy.
As the key to our biology, a deep, full breath provides us with incredible amounts of energy, vitality and clarity; a shallow breath pattern promotes anxiety and stress, accelerates the aging process and becomes the greatest contributor for setting off dis-ease. Every one of the body's systems from detoxification, to burning fat to moving the lymph requires oxygen. A consistent, shallow breath means the body does not have enough fuel to eliminate toxins and fats so it stores them. When this becomes a chronic pattern, organs shut down and dis-ease sets in.
Most of us are not taught to breathe fully; when we are shown how to use the complete respiratory system we bring health back to parts of our body that have become stagnant from years of shallow breathing. Deep breathing uses the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles between the ribs; the diaphragm stimulates a gentle massage of the abdominal organs, the intercostal muscles massage the lungs and heart. Without this vital massage, common ailments arise such as a sluggish digestive track/ colon, tension in the lower back, stagnation in the reproductive organs, heart ailments and more. The abdominal region in eastern medicine is also known as our true source of power, creativity and ability to trust in all of life. By breathing diaphragmatically we innately connect with being grounded, creative and in our power.
Check now to see where your breath starts. Put four fingers below your belly button, and a hand on your heart, can you feel any movement? Your breath tells the story of how you live. The inhalation is about taking in vital energy, are you saying 'yes' to life? If so, you can feel full movement in those four fingers. Does the breath expand up to your chest? Or are your shoulder muscles chronically tight? Where the breath does not go becomes stressed; when the breath is deep and full, it provides the whole body with an internal massage.
The exhalation tells how well we let go of what we no longer need; can we release what we don't like, or do we push it away? Can we relax into the flow of life? How do we handle fear, or pain when it arises? Are we living vitally and aligned with a sense of purpose?
Breath is life; Andrew Weil, a doctor known for blending eastern with western medicine says this, "Whenever there is any disharmony in the body, physical, dis-ease, illness: the first place you should look is to see how you are breathing. Breathing is the master key to self-healing. It is the doorway into every system of the body, determines whether we are stuck in flight or fight, or are able to rest and balance ourselves." Breathe deeply and be healthy, enjoy your breath.
Tracey Stover, MA
Breath Therapist, Meditation Teacher & Writer
http://www.breathingmandala.com
Tracey trains other providers (nurses, therapists, massage workers, yoga instrustors, teachers, energy intuitives etc) how to incorporate breathwork into their practice as a way to both read their clients blocks, and open them to be receptive to their work. She offers breath classes, ongoing group series and private sessions. Meditation classes and breathing retreats can all be found on the website.
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