Breath ~ The Healer Within, part I

BREATH--- THE ULTIMATE HEALER, part I

The beautiful breath! The very first and most precious gift that we receive when we arrive in this world. The most dependable and trusted companion we have for the rest of our lives. The very last thing that we let go of.

When was the last thing you gave serious attention or any attention to your breath? Have you ever tried to control its flow? Have you ever observed it’s rhythm as it flows in and out of your body ever so constantly? What does it bring with it and what does it take away? How does it affect your physical and mental body?

So many questions---I hope that you are now looking for answers. I will try my best. Breath brings the flow of oxygen or prana in our bodies. Prana is a Sanskrit word which means force of life. When someone dies in India, they say their prana has left them. It is the life force that keeps us alive. It is the force that we can extend in our bodies with Pranayama or breathing techniques used in yoga. Every cell in our body needs this prana or energy to survive. It can be in the form of oxygen that we breathe in or in the form of food or nourishment that we eat. This live energy is carefully balanced with apana or the waste that every cell creates. This waste can be in the form of gases or Carbon dioxide that we breathe out or in form of liquid or solid waste that we excrete. It is very important to keep the balance between the two systems. If we have more apana in our bodies, we won’t be able to breathe in new prana. This is somewhat like a cluttered room full of stuff. We cannot decorate this room with new and beautiful things unless we get rid of old and useless stuff.

Try to incorporate deep breathing in your daily routines and see how you feel. The only tools you need to get started is your will and awareness. Heal yourself with the most basic thing we all own and perhaps take for granted. You can never do too much of deep breathing! Enjoy a private moment with your breath!

I'll share some techniques for deep breathing in part II of this article.

Namaste’

Ritu Kapur is the owner of Sohum Yoga and Meditation Studio in Westborough, MA. She is an Occupational Therapist and a Certified Yoga Teacher. She takes pride in using yoga as a healing technique for her patients. She teaches yoga for people with physical disabilities, injuries and/or chronic pain. Please visit her website www.SOHUM.org for details on the classes and workshops offered at the studio. Email: ritu.kapur@Sohum.org