Podcast: The Science of Breathing & Stress Relief

Podcast:

The Science of Breathing & Stress Relief

Time: 7 min 48 sec

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Breathing is something we all do – 20,000 to 22,000 times a day – or more. Breathing itself is critical for maximizing and enhancing both our physical and psychic abilities. Correct breathing increases one’s physical prowess and enables the mind to become more efficient and calm. The yogis term the science of breath control as svarshastra.

This ancient science is highly applicable to modern life where the speed of human interaction has increased exponentially – and will only increase more in the future. To keep up with technological advancements, we must make our own body and mind more efficient. Only then will we be able to manage the increasing demands of daily life. Failing that, we may succumb to stress, head or muscle aches, or even disease.

The yogic method of breathing is a helpful antidote based on universal tenets applicable for everyone. The breath is seen as the linking point between body and mind. Or we can say that breathing is a physical process that affects both body and mind. The slower the breath the more the body is nourished through the oxygenation of blood, and the slower the mind becomes. And a slow mind characterized by expanded mental wavelengths is an efficient mind; a fast mind, dominated by jagged wavelengths, is not.

That is why if you ask anyone a question after they have been rushing around, they often say, “Hold on a moment, let me catch my breath.” Here the point is that when breathing is labored or fast, then the mind is distracted and one is not able to think deeply. At that time, even simple, basic questions are difficult to answer.

Thus it is when the breathing is slow and the mind is calm that we can quickly assimilate challenging, new ideas and easily process large amounts of information, whereas when the mind is fast our mental abilities are severely hampered. This efficiency or speed of mind is directly related with the breath. So the greater control and awareness we have of our breath, the more efficient the mind becomes. This efficient mind delivers greater concentration and focus, as well as emotional and psychic equipoise.

Thus in this ultra-modern era where the speed of life and human interaction is at an all-time high, and growing day by day, our job as humans is to slow down the mind using our breath so we may best meet the demands of the day. That will bring our peak performance.

This podcast then is a breathing practice aimed at physical well-being and psychic efficiency. We will examine the 4 stages of breath: Inhalation, retention, exhalation, and extension. In yoga, these are known as purak, khumbak, recak, and shunya khumbak, respectively. By being more conscious of each of these limbs of the breathing process, we can best enhance our breath, and thus our physical and psychic condition as well.

So this is something extremely practical for everyone. And the best part is that the effects are nearly instantaneous – faster than your last tweet. Everyone can quickly get the benefits just by breathing. And after all, when breathing itself is something we do 20,000 times a day or more, think of the tremendous benefit that can be gotten by consciously training yourself to breathe in the most effective and efficient manner.

Remember, breathing is not something that exists in isolation but is rather an essential piece of who we are. As we become more accustomed to breathing in an enhanced way, both body and mind will readily adopt this habit and make it our nature. Then we will have truly mastered the breath and helped transform ourselves into happy, healthy people ready to perform at an optimal level and get the most out of life, professionally and personally.