Stabilise your breathing for a calm and integrated mind and for longevity, says ANANDMURTI GURUMAA
Breath is life. No breath, no life, but we are least aware of it. Though breathing is happening every moment, one is not aware of this crucial, intrinsic phenomenon. Breath is fundamental not only for the existence of this physical body but it is also intricately linked to our mind. That is why, if you see the breathing of a person who is agitated or excited, you will notice that his breathing is rapid, unequal and shallow. On the contrary, the breath of a meditator is slow, deep and rhythmic. The difference depends on the states of the mind. When the mind is agitated, breathing is irregular; however, when the mind is calm and integrated, breathing is steady, deep and harmonious.
Moreover, if you look at longevity of some animals, it reveals some rather interesting facts. Dogs pant and their average rate of respiration is 20 to 25 breaths per minute. Their average life span is between 10 and 15 years. On the other hand, the average life span of a tortoise is well over 200 years. And the striking feature depends on its respiration rate — around four per minute! Thus, the slower one breathes, the longer one lives.
You do not need any tonics, vitamins or any longevity enhancing wonder drugs — just slow down your breathing naturally and the job is done.
What all this means is that if you want a healthy body to live long and your mind to be calm and integrated, you need to understand the mechanics and dynamics of breathing and practise accordingly.
Another intriguing part of breathing is the fact that we have two nostrils. Have you ever wondered why this is so? After all, isn’t one nostril enough to take the air in? So, what was the need for the intervening septum dividing the nostrils into two? Indeed, there is a reason and a vital one too. The reasons are much deeper than of basic cosmetic design alone. You may not be aware that whilst breathing, only one nostril is active at any given time.
At any point in time, either the right or left nostril, works actively whilst the other nostril has a very subtle airflow. Test it out now if you wish. Place a finger half an inch below the left nostril for a few seconds and then under the right. You will know which one is working at that moment.
It is not just oxygen that one inhales, but rather with every breath we take in prana, the vital cosmic life-force. This vital life-force governs the body and mind. Udana, prana, samana, apana and vayana are the five pranas working in the body. Apana governs the body parts situated below the umbilicus and exerts control on the process of elimination. Udana is the controller of the organs and tissues, including brain, eyes, ears, and nose. The chest area, including lungs and heart, is the field of prana and it governs respiration and the functioning of the heart. Samana controls the mid portion of the torso, the portion that lies between the territories of apana and prana. Vayana, on the other hand, is the reserve energy bank that runs through the entire body. For you to be able to control prana, you first need to understand its functioning — how it works in your body. To learn how to control your prana, you need to purify and balance your body. And this is done through the practice of asanas. Gradually as your capacity increases and improves, then you can learn and master the practice of pranayama. This is the basic process.
Usually, people think pranayama is some kind of a breathing exercise, but it is not. Prana means cosmic life force and ayama means giving a dimension or giving a direction to it. It is a subtle practice and one needs to be really patient in order to understand it fully. Breath is the physical carrier of prana. Pranayama is not only related to breath and its regulation, but is directly concerned with influencing prana. It entails boosting vital life force with correct breathing. Hence, the basics of pranayama should be well understood and practised consistently to prepare oneself for meditation; it helps you rise above the dualities of life — joy and sorrow, profit and loss, birth and death.■