Tags:
Journalism of Courage
BREATHE your way to health? That sounds believable enough. But breathe and be blissed out? Breathe right and live longer? We8217;re getting kind of carried away, aren8217;t we? Or, are we?
My frenetically strung mind seems to be experiencing silence and relaxation already. Could it possibly be due to the pranayama breathing techniques or could it be the stunning splendour of the Velliangiri mountains, the flame of the forest trees in bloom and the swaying, slim sugarcanes in the fields? Granted, I am practising pranayama at the crack of dawn. But the bright yellow butterflies and sleepy big rocks at the 17-acre Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore could well be responsible for my feeling of well-being, too. On my return to Mumbai after eight days, I continue to watch the sunrise as I discipline and deepen my breath. And hey! It8217;s the same feeling of energised calm.
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I8217;ve studied yoga for 30 years, about its yama, niyama, asanas and pranayama, the discipline and balance. There is a connection between the rate of breathing and life-span. A tortoise breathes just once a minute and lives upto 200 to 300 years, rabbits and dogs 40 to 60 times a minute, and accordingly their lifespans are much shorter. This is only the beginning of the study.
8216;8216;Prana or energy pervades the whole universe,8217;8217; explains Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of the Isha Yoga foundation. This son of a doctor, brought up on European philosophy, is amazingly articulate in English and switches effortlessly from modern quantum physics to Shiva. Under his tutelage, Swami Lokanetra takes me through the paces. 8216;8216;It is this energy which controls the different systems of our body and it is essential to keep them functioning optimally,8217;8217; Swami Lokanetra points out.
If you8217;ve wondered why your breath becomes shallow when you are tense or angry, it8217;s because both breathing and the thought process are controlled by the prana vayu. Similarly, I8217;ve noticed that whenever I have an upset stomach I tend to feel cold. This is because, 8216;8216;the samath prana controls the digestion and temperature of the body,8217;8217; my guide explains.
The apana prana is in charge of the cleansing process, the uddana prana gives the body the feeling of lightness and the vynana prana promotes organic unity. We are taught different practices of pranayama to activate and nourish these pranas. Is it any wonder that when I do the nadha pranayama or the mudra pranayama and even the sukha pranayama, I feel calmer? While the mahath pranayama balances my digestive system, it is the swana which cleanses, while the nag and the kak promote a feeling of lightness.
As I sit in perfect composure and breathe in and out rhythmically, I understand the mechanics of how the mind and the body are interconnected. It8217;s finally beginning to make sense to me that if my emotional state can influence my breathing patterns, then the reverse can also be true. And that8217;s why it8217;s breathing into bliss!
Do keep calling and writing. And do keep smiling. For all your health queries, call
022-22161313 or log onto http://www.rashmiudaysingh.com. Write to P. O. Box No 19946, Colaba, Mumbai-5 or e-mail holrashmiudaysingh.com
