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Breathe into Life – Part 3 Dynamics of Breath by yaninayoga

Although our Breathing is an involuntary, automatic and self-regulating function of our nervous system; we do have the ability to consciously alter our breath. It takes no conscious effort on our part for our breathing to keep us alive. Yet if we choose we can stop our Breath for a short time, speed it up or slow it down. This is not possible with our other involuntary functions like digestion and circulation. Our individual Breathing mechanism is VERY unique and powerful.

Parts of the body involved in taking a Breath include the Nose, Lungs, Pharynx, Trachea, Diaphragm, Bronchi and Ribcage. While the muscles of the chest control our Breathing Movements, it is the Nose that regulates the temperature and filters the air before it gets into the lungs. We move approximately 8,640 litres of air in and out of our lungs everyday (41/2 times more than we eat or drink). The air contains oxygen which is delivered to the cells, where it is consumed and generates power. Each time we inhale and exhale we take in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000, (10 to the power of 22) atoms.

Breathe into Life – Part 2 Balance by yaninayoga

Correct Breathing brings Balance. Yoga is all about Balance – the Balance between our Masculine/Active and Feminine/Passive energies; between Conscious and Unconscious use of will; Inner and Outer Awareness.

When we achieve a Reconnection with Balance, we recognise our Connection with ‘All That Is’ – moving beyond duality to Oneness.

While observing Mother Nature we often see clearly the delicate balance that occurs all around us. From the most basic conditions required to grow a plant, to the awesome dance of the planets in our solar system; and all of space beyond. We observe balance beyond our comprehension.

What scientists call Intelligent Design suggests – Wisdom – a Balance – a constantly evolving Intelligence – of which we play a unique part. This Intelligent Design/Higher Wisdom is in every Cell, Atom and Molecule of our Being.

Breathe into Life – Part 1 Breath Awareness by yaninayoga

When we do begin to choose a deeper relationship with our breath it can feel strange at first. Almost like you’ve been ‘caught out’ doing something you shouldn’t. The reaction can be like a fight or flight response where breath becomes restricted and fear emerges. For some this ‘uncomfortable’ feeling stops them in their travels, and they figure – “That was too hard, I’ll go back to unconscious breathing thanx – I don’t need the hassle/drama!”

While a fear reaction can be part of deepening our Breath Awareness – it is often brief and easily passed by affirming a commitment to deepen our personal relationship with our breath. AND by accessing and moving through the fear response we are already deepening the awareness in a profound and useful way. So next time we find ourselves in a situation where fear emerges, we can choose to take a DEEP BREATH and move through the feelings – one breath at a time.

Breathe into Life Series by yaninayoga

“What’s the big deal about breathing? We’re all doing it any way!”

Yes – we are all breathing – it sustains our existence. And to go without it for more than a few minutes causes serious brain damage and eventually death.

In this 5 part series Breathe into Life (available each Thursday for the next 5 weeks) you will be transported on a personal journey deep into yourself. This is where your breath begins.

In yogic wisdom the breath is called prana or Life-Force, in Chinese wisdom it is called chi. As ancient wisdom acknowledged the link between breath and Life-Force energy, experimentation led to many powerful practices and traditions. These included Tai-Chi, various Martial Arts, and yoga (which means Balance [Part 2]) designed to increase Breath Awareness [Part 1] and harness the power of the Life-Force energy through various breathing methods.

Breathing: An Introduction by Dr. Andrew Weil M.D.

"The single most effective relaxation technique I know is conscious regulation of breath."

In many languages - the words for spirit and breath are one and the same (Sanskrit prana, Hebrew ruach, Greek pneuma, Latin spiritus). Native Americans, among others, believe that life enters the body with the first breath, not at the moment of birth or of conception. In this view the fetus and newborn have a kind of vegetative life, uninvested with spirit until the breath cycle begins.

Breathing is the bridge between mind and body, the connection between consciousness and unconsciousness, the movement of spirit in matter. Breath is the key to health and wellness, a function we can learn to regulate and develop in order to improve our physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

The Art and Science of Breathing by Dr. Andrew Weil

Breathing exercises can reduce stress, improve mood, and help you feel energized. Better yet, they are simple, easy, and can be done anywhere.

Enlightenment Through Breath

Breathing To Reduce Stress

Breathing exercises are a wonderful way to reduce anxiety, agitation and stress, while promoting relaxation, calm and inner peace. It may take some practice - and requires some commitment on your part to achieve results. However, the long-term benefits are well worth the effort - a calm and relaxed body and mind are less prone to health issues.

Breathing: Basic How-To's by Dr. Andrew Weil M.D.

At the very center of our being is rhythmic movement, a cyclic expansion and contraction that is both in our body and outside it, that is both in our mind and in our body, that is both in our consciousness and not in it. Breath is the essence of being, and in all aspects of the universe we can see the same rhythmic pattern of expansion and contraction, whether in the alternating cycles of day and night, waking and sleeping, high and low tides, or seasonal growth and decay. Oscillation between two phases exists at every level of reality, even up to the scale of the observable universe itself, which is presently in expansion but will at some point contract back to the original, unimaginable point that is everything and nothing, completing one cosmic breath.

Three Breathing Exercises by Dr Andrew Weil, M.D.

"Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders."

Since breathing is something we can control and regulate, it is a useful tool for achieving a relaxed and clear state of mind. I recommend three breathing exercises to help relax and reduce stress: The Stimulating Breath, The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise (also called the Relaxing Breath), and Breath Counting. Try each and see how they affect your stress and anxiety levels.

Breath and Breathing Newsletter April 2010 by Dan Brule

Hi Everyone!

I am in Russia, breathing and doing seminars. If you are near by, come breathe with everyone here. Check out my schedule page http://breathmastery.com/seminars.htm or email me at danbrule@breathmastery.com for locations

While I was here, 2 old newsletters that did not get published or added to the archives turned up. One of these was done 5 years ago at The Hill that Breathes in Italy, A great place with great people! I am looking forward to breathing with them again June 24th - July 1

What have you come here to learn? by Charlie Badenhop

When new students showed up in Aikido class, one of my sensei's favorite questions was, "What have you come here to learn?"

When sensei asked such a question you could be sure he wasn't going to accept the first answer someone gave.

I was intrigued to discover no one seemed to have a reply that was well thought out. Myself included!

The longer I studied Aikido the more I felt sensei's question was a kind of Zen "koan”. A paradoxical question designed to show the inadequacy of your logical thinking.

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