Since energy is always in motion, change is a constant in our lives!
What is the very first act we do upon being born? No rocket science here, we inhale! Our very last act is to exhale. All spiritual and yogic masters have at length deliberated on the subject. Yet we need to develop the habit of being mindful of our breathing patterns. From our first breath on, every minute of our lives, we continue to breathe, taking this miraculous ability for granted because our body’s autonomous system does the job so masterfully – and yet, we can control the breath and in doing so change our state of being. There are innumerable bonuses to be had by practising conscious breathing or the ability to observe the breath, not necessarily control it.
We barely use thirty per cent of our lung capacity. Through mindful breathing, we can also expel ninety per cent of toxins. Several programs are being conducted by the faculty of the Art of Living under the guidance of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from which individuals can learn and appreciate the magical, therapeutic prowess of pranayama and Kriya.
We can undertake pain management through proper breathing techniques. If a certain part of the body is aching, one can draw all attention to that part and observe the breath. This coupled with Mudra Pranayama works as a tonic in mitigating the pain. “As a fire blaze brightly when the covering of ash over it is scattered by the wind, the divine fire within the body shines in all its majesty when the ashes of desire are scattered by the practice of pranayama,” wrote the Yogic Guru Shri B.K.S Iyengar.
The human mind keeps oscillating between the past and the future, never remaining in the present. Willy-nilly this results in emotional upheaval in our system. The mind can be brought to the present moment through the unfailing practice of the rhythmic breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “Mind is like the kite and the breath is like a string.”
We can practice meditation by beginning with Nadi Shodan pranayama (alternate nostril breathing). This relaxes the body, muscles and nerves and we seamlessly slip into meditation. Meditation is an act of de-concentration where we strive to embrace all thoughts, never resisting any thought or emotion. The reality in life is that whatever we resist persists. Meditation eventually leads to mental sharpness and clarity and increased levels of concentration.
Human minds are cannonaded by innumerable thoughts. This leads to a state of perennial mental chatter. For a moment let us draw our attention to animals chewing cud, the process of regurgitation. This is exactly how we humans keep feeding on our negative thoughts and fears, re-living them every moment. Through mindful breathing we can arrest this tendency and reduce the mental chatter, bringing our minds to the present moment. Profound silence dawns on us through mindful breathing and over a period negative thoughts and fears in the mind dissolve, as we learn to be in the present moment, connecting to our inner self; living in harmony with our environment and our existence.
Spiritually, conscious breathing helps to remind us that energy is constantly moving. As Einstein famously said, “Nothing happens until something moves.” Well, since energy is always in motion (vibration), then change is a constant in our lives! This is a truth that cannot be ignored. Let us all practice mindful breathing from this very instant!
(Ravi Valluri is the CEO of Chhattisgarh East Railway Ltd. and Chhattisgarh East West Railway Ltd. And is a faculty of the Art of Living)