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Pranayama
Yogis justifiably believe that breathing is the most essential of all bodily functions. It supplies the body with oxygen, removes waste products, and supplies vital energy (prana). Pranayama is comprised of two Sanskrit words prana (vital energy) and yama (to control). It means to control the vital energy. In yoga, breath is considered to be the bridge between mind and body. Yogis of ancient times made the observation that breathing is the only function that is both voluntary and involuntary. They found that control of breath "prana" was the gateway to controlling other bodily functions. Through control of breathing yogis have demonstrated control over other bodily functions that had been believed to be involuntary. This principle can easily be demonstrated by observing breathing patterns while a person is nervous or under stress. The breathing will become shallow, uneven, and rapid and the heart rate will be rapid. If a person consciously slows, smoothes, and deepens the breath they will calm down and the heart rate will slow down.
Importance of Breathing
It is obvious that breathing is important because we could
only live for a few minutes without breathing. In terms of physical
health, there are two main reasons it is so important. First is because it
is the only means of supplying our bodies and its various organs with oxygen
which is vital for our survival. The second reason is because Breathing is
one of the ways to get rid of waste products and toxins from our body.
Why Is Oxygen So Vital?
Oxygen is the most vital nutrient in our bodies. It is essential for the
proper and efficient functioning of the brain, nerves,
Glands and other internal organs. We can survive without food for weeks
and without water for days, but without oxygen we will die within a few
minutes. If the brain does not get proper supply of this essential nutrient,
it will cause degradation of all the vital organs of the body. The brain
requires more oxygen than any other organ. If it doesn't get enough, the
result is mental sluggishness, negative thoughts, depression and,
eventually, vision and hearing declines. Oxygen supply in our body, however,
declines as we get older and if we live a poor lifestyle.
Old people and those whose arteries are clogged often become senile and
vague because the supply of oxygen towards the brain is reduced. They get
irritated very quickly. Many people need reading glasses and suffer hearing
difficulties in old age. Poor oxygen supply affects all parts of the body.
When an acute circulation blockage deprives the heart of oxygen, this will
result to heart attack while a stroke is the result of poor oxygen supply in
the brain.
For a long time, lack of oxygen has been considered a major cause of cancer.
Even as far back as 1947, a study done in Germany showed that when oxygen
was withdrawn, normal body cells could turn into cancer cells. Similar
research has been done with heart disease. It showed that lack of oxygen is
a major cause of
Heart Disease, Stroke and cancer. The work done at Baylor University in
the USA has shown that you can reverse
Arterial Disease in monkeys by infusing oxygen into the diseased
arteries.
Oxygen is very critical to our well-being and any effort to increase the
supply of oxygen to our body, especially to the brain will pay rich
dividends. Yogis realized the vital importance of an adequate oxygen supply
thousands of years ago. They developed and perfected various Breathing
Techniques. These Breathing Exercises are particularly important for people
who have sedentary jobs and spend most of the day in offices. Their brains
are oxygen starved and their bodies are just 'getting by'. They feel tired,
nervous, I irritable, and are not very productive. On top of that, they
sleep badly at night so they get a bad start for the next day and this cycle
continues. This situation also lowers their immune system, making them
susceptible to catching
Colds, flu and other
Allergies.
Oxygen Purifies the Blood Stream
One of the major secrets of vitality and rejuvenation is a
purified blood stream. The quickest and most effective way to purify the
blood stream is by taking in extra supplies of oxygen from the air we
breathe. The Breathing Exercises described in this website are the most
effective methods ever devised for saturating the blood with extra oxygen.
Oxygen bums up the waste products (toxins) in the body, as well as recharges
the body's batteries (the solar plexus). In fact, most of our energy
requirements come, not from food, but from the air we breathe. By purifying
the blood stream, every part of the body benefits, as well as the mind. Your
complexion will become clearer and brighter and wrinkles will begin to fade
away. In short, rejuvenation will start to occur.
Scientists have discovered that the chemical basis of energy production in
the body is a chemical called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). If something
goes wrong with the production of ATP, the result is lowered vitality,
disease and premature ageing. Scientists have also discovered that oxygen is
critical for the production of ATP; in fact, it is in fact its most vital
component. Yoga permits us to tap into this vital nutrient.
Importance of Healthy Breathing
We know how to breathe. It is something that occurs
automatically, spontaneously, and naturally. We are breathing even when we
are not aware of it. So it seems foolish to think that one can be told how
to breathe. Yet, one's breathing becomes modified and restricted in various
ways, not just momentarily but habitually. We develop unhealthy habits
without being aware of it. We tend to assume positions such as slouching
that diminishes lung capacity and result to shortened breaths. We also live
in social conditions that are not good for the health of our
Respiratory System. As discussed above, scientists have known for a long
time that there exists a strong connection between Respiration and
Mental States. Improper breathing produces diminished mental ability.
The outcome is true also. It is known that mental tensions produce
restricted breathing.
A normally sedentary person, when confronted with a perplexing problem,
tends to lean forward, draw his arms together, and bend his head down. All
these body postures result to reduced lung capacity. The more intense the
concentration, the more tense the muscles become. This leads to the
contraction of the muscles in your arms, neck and chest. The muscles that
move the thorax and control inhalation and muscular tenseness clamp down and
restrict the exhalation. The breaths become shorter and shorter. After an
extended period of intense focusing, the whole system seems to be frozen in
a certain posture. We become fatigued from the decreased
Circulation
of blood and from the decreased availability of oxygen for the blood because
we have almost stopped breathing. As our duties, responsibilities and their
attendant problems become more demanding, we develop habits of forgetting to
breathe.
Try an experiment suggested by Swami Vishnudevananda. Focus attention upon
the ticks of a clock placed at a distance of about twelve feet. If you get
distracted, try concentrating harder until you experience the ticking with
undivided attention. If you fail at first, you should try again and again
until you succeed in keeping the ticking clearly in mind for at least a few
seconds. What happened? The majority of persons who took part in this
experiment reported that they have completely suspended the breath. The
others, who concentrated less, reported that they experienced very slow
breathing. This experiment shows clearly that where there is concentration
of the mind, the breathing becomes very slow or even gets suspended
temporarily.
What's Wrong with the Way We Breathe?
Our breathing is too shallow and too quick. We are not
taking in sufficient oxygen and we are not eliminating sufficient carbon
dioxide. , As a result, our bodies are oxygen starved, and a toxic build-up
occurs. Every cell in the body requires oxygen and our level of vitality is
just a product of the health of all the cells. Shallow breathing does not
exercise the lungs enough, so they lose some of their function, causing a
further reduction in vitality. Animals which breathe slowly live the
longest; the elephant is a good example. We need to breathe more slowly and
deeply. Quick shallow breathing results in oxygen starvation which leads to
reduced vitality, premature ageing, poor immune system and a myriad of other
factors.
Why Is Our Breath Fast and Shallow?
There are several reasons why our breath becomes fast and
shallow. The major reasons are: (a) We are in a hurry most of the time. Our
movements and breathing follow this pattern. The increasing stress of modern
living makes us breathe more quickly and less deeply. We get too emotional
too easily. We get easily excited or angry, and most of the time, we suffer
from
Anxiety due to worry. These negative emotional states affect the rate of
breathing, causing it to be fast and shallow. (b) Modern technology and
automation reduces our need for physical activity. There is less need to
breathe deeply, so we develop the shallow breathing habit. We are working
indoors more and more. This increases our exposure to pollution. As a
result, the body instinctively inhales less air to protect itself from
pollution. The body just takes in enough air to tick over.
As we go through life, these bad breathing habits we picked up become part
of our lives. Unless we do something to reverse these habits, we can suffer
permanent problems. The good news is that these are reversible. The bad news
is that before we can change these habits, we should recognize and accept
that our behavior needs to be changed. This means that we see for ourselves
the benefits of good Breathing Techniques.
Certainly, Yoga is not the only way to cope with stress and the resultant
drop of oxygen supply in the brain brought on by constricted breathing.
Smoking, taking a coffee break, going to the restroom, or a good laugh may
all result into some readjustment of constricted breathing patterns. These
can be thought of as "mini yogas"/ we can benefit by taking or seeking more
smokes, breaks, trips or jokes. But people whose occupations continue to be
highly stressful, something more will be needed. Deep Breathing Exercises
and stretching of muscles, especially those primarily concerned with
controlling inhalation and exhalation, should be sought. Participation in
active sports will also be useful. Going for a walk is very good. For those
experiencing restricted breathing at night, morning exercises should be
actively pursued.
The Effects of Shallow Breathing
Shallow breathing can result to: (a) reduced vitality, since
oxygen is essential for the production of energy in the body; and (b)
susceptibility to diseases. Our resistance to disease is reduced since
oxygen is essential for healthy cells. This means we catch more Colds and
develop other ailments more easily. Lack of sufficient oxygen to the cells
is a major contributing factor in Cancer, Heart Disease and
Strokes.
With our 'normal' sedentary way of living, we only use about one tenth of
our total lung capacity. This is sufficient to survive and just tick over,
but not sufficient for a high vitality level, long life and high resistance
to disease. The
Ancient
Yogis knew the importance of correct breathing and developed techniques
not only to increase Health and life span, but also to attain superconscious
states.
Modem science agrees with the Ancient Yogis on the subject of shallow
breathing. An editorial in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
suggested that fast, shallow breathing can cause fatigue, sleep disorders,
Anxiety, stomach upsets,
Heartburn, gas, muscle cramps, dizziness, visual problems, chest pain
and heart palpitations. Scientists have also found that a lot of people who
believe they have Heart Disease are really suffering from improper
breathing.
Importance of Breathing through The Nose
The first rule for correct breathing is that we should
breathe through the nose. This may seem obvious, but many people breathe
principally through the mouth. Mouth breathing can adversely affect the
development of the Thyroid Gland, and can retard the mental development of
children. The nose has various defense mechanisms to prevent impurities and
excessively cold air entering the body. At the entrance to the nose, a
screen of hairs traps dust, tiny insects and other particles that may injure
the lungs if you breathe through the mouth. After the entrance of the nose,
there is a long winding passage lined with mucus membranes, where
excessively cool air is warmed and very fine dust particles that escaped the
hair screen are caught. Next, in the inner nose are glands which fight off
any bacilli which have slipped through the other defenses. The inner nose
also contains the olfactory organ-our sense of smell. This detects any
poisonous gases around that may injure our health.
The Yogis believe that the olfactory organ has another function: the
absorption of Prana from the air. If you breathe through the mouth all the
time, as many people do, you are cheating yourself of all this free energy (Prana).
The Yogis say this is a major factor in lowered resistance to disease and
impairs the functioning of your Vital Glands and
Nervous System. Pathogens can also enter the lungs through mouth
breathing makes it impossible to be healthy. It is easy to break the habit
of breathing through the mouth. Just keep your mouth closed and you will
automatically breathe through your nose.
Excerpt taken from www.abc-of-yoga.com