I was in the middle school then; and was, once, cast to play the role of a boy fostering the wishes of his parents to become a doctor. The plot of the drama was set under a banyan tree where Swami Vivekananda meditated.

(Vivekananda attended world parliament of religions in Chicago in 1893 and was the most sought after guru after his debut speech in the parliament. His salutation, “My Brothers and Sister in America”, gave him a three minute standing ovation.  Vivekananda is accredited to the introduction of Indian life practices – including Yamas, Niyamas, Pranayama and Prathyahara -to the West.)

One day the Swami confronted the boy whose brisk walks (I visionary writer has depicted the child as somebody in the instant gratification gen) might have disturbed him. In the brief discourse Vivekananda tried to convince the boy of seeking the truth through latter limbs of Ashtanga yoga. The boy did change. But the script did not say anything about how his parents perceived it. The presentation was a hit in the school anniversary celebrations. For me, it was an opportunity to know Swami Vivekananda. Even though I did not have access to his style of meditation, I tried to practice it through instructions from one of my friends. I had many friends practicing Vivekananda style of meditation then. I too was attracted.

Few year later the practitioners felt the act of focus and thoughts as a work to the brain. That might have fueled the popularity of another branch of meditation introduced by Maharishi Mahesh yogi- Transcendental Meditation (TM) I saw an Ashram by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi popped up in my neighborhood. Expensive cars and white westerners (we thought all were Brits) flocked in the Ashram. Now I realize that was the time Maharishi had tremendous following in the west including the Beatles. I wanted to try that too; did not work then. I had to wait for another fifteen years to practice TM (Why? It could be another standalone blog!)

Both meditative styles have their own strengths. Both have the ability to calm the body, mind and spirit. Among the numerous benefits of TM, reduction in BP, relaxation, reduction in cardiac diseases and improved cognitive and work efficiency are my favorites.

 I am doing a workshop on pranayama and meditation on January 17^th. The attached flyer has all the details. Hope to see you there.

Jay

Role of Detox in Yoga

Yoga is, “Chitha vrithi Nirodha”- it’s our ability to harness the mind; it’s our ability to prevent the deviation of the mind.

If we are not talking about mantra yoga, jnana yoga, karma yoga or raja yoga, why the popular yoga (in the west) focus mostly on poses? We spent hours in 105⁰F with rigorous (or athletic) vinyasa; same sequences again and again with counts; or hold poses for several minutes (while pondering an exit strategy- as I do in restorative!). They all seem to be a part of same yoga philosophy. If one need to connect the yoga definition with the asana practice, we need not go far – it is in the definition of asana, “Sthira Sukham Asanam”. The yoga pose need to be stable, comfortable and easy. Really? Instructors use comforting jargons to boost participant confidence: yoga is a journey; one need to differentiate challenge and the struggle; with practice comes perfection; be where you are; honor thyself etc.  In order to access the pose as patanjali perceived we need to put our thoughts into it; we need to refine our thoughts; and our mind, body and spirit need to sync. Now…does it make sense to say, yoga, “Chitha vrithi Nirodha”?

How do you combine or melt the mind, body and spirit. It’s like welding; unless the surfaces to be welded are clean it may take some effort to join them. Cleansing your body, mind and spirit is yoga; and its power to detox is the beginning of your journey to reach samadhi. Intelligent breathing, mindful poses and cognitive focuses form the triangular base on which you are going to build your character.

I want to thank all who have registered for Twin Heart Yoga Detox workshop on December 06. I am happy to be a part of your journey and wish could accommodate more. Hope you may be able to join in a later workshop.

Jay

Yoga for patience, persistence and balance.

I visited an Indian nutriceutical company several years ago and was surprised to see the schedule of the day: afternoon session started with, “Visitor planting a tree”. My astonishment was the prominence the event occupied the agenda. In Indian culture trees and plants are revered and (even) worshipped (the Bodhi tree under which Budha attained enlightment; the national tree of India- Banyan tree, Thulsi -ocimum sanctum- in front yards are example.) Flowers, fruits and leaves of several trees have been part of various religious ceremonies in India. Trees planted near tombs represented memories; their fruits, its values, integrity and karma! Trees occupy a great position in other cultures too: Yule tree in Germanic mythology; the tree of knowledge in Judaism and Christianity. Trees symbolize life, perseverance, balance, transformation and the inherent desire to reach the higher truth while grounded in reality. The metaphor of two birds perched on a tree in Rigveda and Upanishads represent the mind-spirit duality. The first bird (Jiva), distracted by the appealing sensual pleasure, ate the fruit. The other one (Atma), not distracted by the fruit, watched the first one and abstained from the corporeal desire. “The tree of knowledge” represents the sensual and spiritual dimensions of our self. If Adam was not tempted by the fruit offered by Eve or if Adam had just watched Eve (without eating the fruits), Cane and Abel would have ended up as ideal children!

Trees are more than a symbol of balance. Rooted in reality, reaching to unite with the higher truth and its determination to accept and unite with other trees and organisms embodies the fine human attributes we aspire; a great lesson to be learnt. We do have folks rooted in reality; we do have spiritual people; we do have people who yoke with others. What we, often, do not have is a committed balance of these three- a culture where we interact, support, complement each other.

There was not a single pose in yoga that has generated such an excitement in my yoga class than the tree pose- a pose mostly confined to focus and balance. Tree pose has also been under scrutiny since recent reports that a lack of balance in a tree pose could be an early indication of a possible memory loss later in the life. If a lack of balance is perceived as a warning sign, an increased balance, by practicing the tree pose should be indication of sharpened cognition. For such an outcome, the traditional tree pose need to be taken out of “strength of the standing legs and the flexibility of hip adductors and abductors.”

Normally, one variation of the pose by placing the feet on the inner thigh above the knees (or below knees or kickstand style) is practiced. In vinyasa styles it’s transitory to hip opening poses. I have seen practitioners fall like chopped trees in the pose and the bilateral asymmetry is often blamed for this imbalance. The strength of the standing leg; strength of quadriceps, hamstrings, glute and psoas major muscles and pranayama techniques have always been overlooked. Practice the pose with one knee flexed and puling the feet towards buttocks (make sure to keep thighs parallel). This will work on the quadriceps. To work on the hamstrings and the glute lift the bend leg towards the chest and the press knees to the chest (combined with a lifting action). Continue the preparation with uttitha padangustasana and natarajasana. The combination of these four poses prior to the traditional tree should help one to get the required strength, flexibility and balance for the tree pose (prior you scan the brain!) By the time you gain the balance through patience and perseverance, you will realize the path of yoga and discover the yogi in you.

Thy,

Jay

“Crowdsourcing” in Yoga

When I first learned that there are 8.2 million yoga poses, I thought it was insane. However, when I watch all improvised yoga poses my loving yogis and yoginis post in the Facebook, when I look into the origin of certain poses, I recognize the versatility in yoga evolution and its limitlessness. If there is a limit to this ever expanding plethora of yoga poses, it is (only) our compassionate creativity and scientific curiosity!

In one of my yoga classes I asked how many participants had seen the hala (plough) as in halasana (plough pose).  Not many had seen it; some even did not know what that meant. Halasana was designed when somebody in the remote village in India noticed how plough was used to till the land those days. I have seen those ploughs and their variants. The scientific curiosity of the carpenter (to reduce the resistance while bulls pulled those ploughs) was translated to the compassionate creativity of the yogi to give birth to halasana. As time passed, the pose in various angles ( from135 degrees angle between the short arm and the long arm; to a supported shoulder stand; to the traditional halasana; and every version in between) emerged. One would be able to demonstrate at least eight different versions of this pose in a yoga class. Think of all energy locks and energy centers one could activate in those poses. The permutations and combinations make this named yoga pose to adopt umpteen variations.

Another example: Pavana mukhthasana (wind expelling pose- also called apnasana.) This seems to have originated by observing children in their early developmental stage; Children prior to walking, lift their leg, bend and bring it towards their chest; some even bite their toes. The purpose of this natural evolutionary process is to strengthen muscles in the stomach and back, and breathing mechanics to facilitate walking. This pose may be executed with one, two, or both legs, with or without engaging bandhas and chakras. Possibilities…

How can we be a part of this creative crowdsourcing? We may not be able to see plough or (unfortunately) don’t even have plenty of time to observe our children. We, still, see tons of things around that could animate us.  Look at Ronald McDonald and his happy face. Can we design a yoga pose to relax facial muscles: McDonaldasana!! We need that asana. One more smile and make this world a better place. That is yoga all about; that is yoga evolution and its destiny.

Thy,

Jay

P. S. If you still is not my friend in Twin heart Yoga Facebook, please send me a friend request.

twinheartyoga.com live!

At last, twinheartyoga.com is live, with:

Mission: Twin heart yoga offers its members (clients) an opportunity for total wellness through mindful execution of poses (asana) intelligent breathing (pranayama) and cognitive focus (dhrishti) in a nurturing, motivating and pleasant ambiance.

Vision: Our vision is to unlock the power in every individual to experience mindful transformation of body, mind and spirit to discover the strength and balance to live the life to its fullest.

And

Values: Right thoughts, true words and compassionate actions.

Orthodoxy (right doctrine or right belief); orthopathy (right passion or right feeling); and orthopraxy (right practice or right implementation) are the lights in this journey that defines our destiny. It is the character we need to foster; and that’s what Twin Heart Yoga is all about. It is all about us. Sri Patanjali, two thousand years ago captured these wholistic wellness program in Yoga Sutra that defined the path to cleanse thoughts, words and actions.

Please visit my blog (http://poweryogajay.blogspot.com) and let me know your thoughts;  also visit the Facebook page (Twin Heart Yoga) You are most welcome to join THY family. I am very proud to be in a circle of several fine yogis and yoginis in the Chicago land area and would happily share their inspiring thoughts.

Thy,

Jay

Dear All,

As you might have already heard, I have embarked on a new venture- Twin Heart Yoga (Thy). It is my initiative to explore and promote the science and philosophy of yoga. It is a platform for the practitioner to “Experience Mindful Transformation” The mission of Twin heart Yoga is to offer holistic wellness in all seven dimensions: Physical, Occupational, Emotional, Spiritual, Intellectual, Environmental and Social. Remember the POESIES I wrote in one of my blogs earlier. I had sent friend requests from my Twin heart Yoga Facebook page a while ago. Some of you accepted and some rebutted with a, “who is this yogi with two hearts”; now you know- Thy Jay.

I am starting our signature THYFLOW in Naperville in the first week of October. You may find the details in the attached flyer. The core of THYFLOW is you and your ability to transform yourself: Physically, mentally and spiritually.

I want to thank my wife Bindhu; and friends (Roopa, Mohan, Shobha, Vinesh, kamala, Sailesh and Monika) for their thoughts and inputs into the design of the logo to capture the vision of Twin Heart. Monika was able to detain our views in all its subtlety, “softness of those dynamic hearts” as Monika mentioned once. The two hearts represent the physicality and spirituality in you. Yoga is a balance. The red color of “O” in YOGA represents you: the center of Twin Heart Yoga. The red color is the base chakra that makes who you are; and how stable and healthy you are. You are flanked by your significant other represented by orange (Swadhistana chakra); and the community represented by green- Anahata or Heart Chakra. The green color also represent the love, compassion, service, joy and peace residing in you and the community. At the end of the day, yoga is a journey to discover and unearth that peace. The blue triangle in the end represents A. It also depicts tristana yoga (pose, breath and the focus.) The color represent the truth- visudha chakra.

The yogi in the center is supported by two hearts; or, sitting at the center of a lotus. I am big fan of lotus. I still remember those young days during the monsoon season (in India); after-school hours are spent in flooded paddy fields with gracious blooms of beautiful lotuses; fragrant and often elusive. The lotus telecast a wonderful message, “I have been into the deepest of muds; look at me now” It’s a testimony for transformation. Seed physiologists say that lotus seeds are the oldest well preserved viable seeds on earth! A wonderful lesson to learn from lotus.

I am working on twinheartyoga.com and is still in the delta version (a version farther from beta!). Wish I had a method for technological wellness! Hope to see you some time in my class.

Thy,

Jay

The fruit of silence is the union with the Divine

      “The fruit of yoga is samadhi- the pinnacle of yoga.” We hear this, often, in yoga. It intrigued me; I never understood what it meant while growing up in India. Our school field trips included samadhis of revered gurus- often, their tombstone area. Naively, Samadhi connoted those resting places. What is the point of being a yogi if the goal is “this” Samadhi?. Samadhi signifies more than we could comprehend. I find it hard to explain this as the final stage of union with divine in a yoga class where many seek physical fitness. It is more than fitness; it is beyond wellness and exaltation. A similar yogic term that intrigued me was brahmacharya.  Our convenient translation of brahmacarya to “moderation” did not justify the depth of this yama (commitment to nature as defined by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras). Brahmacarya and samadhi are related; we could practice it; we could live it- here and now.

In Indian tradition brahmacaris were celibates even though the ancient Hindu Ashram system defined brahmacarya as the first stage of human life based on age (other stages being grihasta, householder; vanaprasta, forest dweller; and sanyasa, renunciation). I always wondered why brahmacarya cannot be practiced in family; in friendships; in dating; in spousal bonds; parent-child and teacher-student relationships. To address this deeper one need to understand the roots of the word: brahma means divine and carya means stay or move. Collectively it becomes move with the divine or stay with the divine. If divine is love; living that love is brahmacarya. What is that divine love? I borrow the definition of love from late Pope (Saint) John Paul: Love is free, total, faithfull and fruitful. This love emanate from faith and prayer. As mother Theresa puts it, “the fruit of silence is prayer” When you are on the yoga mat listening to your breadth; submitting your strengths, weaknesses, imperfections, dreams and belongings; listening to your heart with love, compassion, service, peace and happiness you are moving with the divine. When you do not steal (astheya), kill (ahimsa), do not demand more than what you are eligible (aparigraha), speak the truth, and do not misuse of a relationship (opposite of love), you are in the realm of divinity; and close to it when we follow the attributes of that love.

Sama means equal; dhi means reflection. Samadhi also means a balance of happiness and sadness; it’s a balance of masculinity and feminity; it’s a balance of creativity and retrospection; it’s a balance of sun (ha) and moon (tha) in you. It’s in the balance we live with what have been given to us. The fruit of silence is the music of your breath- an intelligent music that does not have any parallels (Hathayoga prathipika, 1:45). This intelligence is the beginning of your journey to good karma, brahmacarya and samadhi.

Jay

(I would love to hear your thoughts)

Dimensions of wellness

This is the time of the year corporations encourage its employees for fitness tests and offer incentives for the same. It is a win-win. The providers of these tests compute a numerical value for the wellness based on several questions and the results from the blood work. I recently filled one such questionnaire and was surprised to note physical wellness formed only a portion of the evaluation. Others being social wellness, emotional wellness, spiritual wellness, environmental wellness, occupational and intellectual wellness. I found an acrostic hiding in holistic wellness-POESIES: the art of writing poems. Your wellness is a poem written by you!  The yoga sutras written by Patanjali two thousand years ago seem to give us the words, grammar, voice, rhyme and rhythm. Is Samadhi the wellness of 21^st century? Social wellness (ability to connect and relate to people around you); emotional wellness (ability to understand our self and cope with the challenges); spiritual wellness (ability to establish peace and harmony in our lives); intellectual wellness (ability to open up our mind for new ideas and experience and translate them for the betterment of humankind) are my favorites among the holistic wellness. I will save those for another occasion and focus on physical wellness.

Heart health seems to be the major factor in our physical health. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Heart Association (AHA) have some recommendations and guidelines: Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week; or, do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week and combine those with eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, twice a week. Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, still able to carry on a conversation. These recommendations are for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease. In 2014, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology reported that practicing yoga had the same effect on improving cardiovascular markers (LDL, HDL, triglycerides, total cholesterol, BP) as other aerobic exercises.  However yoga, still, does not count towards physical activity requirements of 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week. This may be due to the various levels of exertions in the yoga classes (from very slow and mild to highly aerobic) offered.

Our food habits, indeed, influence cardiac health. Reduce red meat; avoid egg yolk; eat food rich in fibers (at least 35 grams per day) and reduce alcohol consumption. Soluble fibers combine with bile acids and take it out of the system. The body is forced to produce more bile acid from cholesterol and cholesterol level goes down. Fermentation of fiber produces propionic acid which inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme required for the production of cholesterol. Inhibition of this enzyme reduces cholesterol level. This is somewhat similar to the action of cholesterol lowering drugs, statins. In addition, fibers maintain colon integrity and bowl regularity.

Few years ago one of my friends introduced a recipe made of avocado, jalapeno, onion, garlic and tomato. According to her, the preparation reduced the cholesterol level of her husband significantly. Science support the beneficial effects of this guacamole to reduce total cholesterol and LDL; and increase the level of HDL

  

·         Avocado has number of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. These ingredients get absorbed better by human body in avocado medium. Avocado has Vit-B3 (Niacin), which in pharmacological doses has proven to reduce total blood cholesterol and LDL. It's a good source for mono and poly unsaturated fatty acids.

·         One of the ingredients in garlic is a hypolipidemic compound- allicin. It's produced immediately on crushing fresh garlic cloves and is an unstable compound. Being very unstable, allicin is not present in cooked garlic. It's possible that the hypolipidemic effect is from allicin; while avocado enhances it.  

·         This guacamole also contains capsaicin - the chemical giving heat to jalapeno. This is an anti-inflammatory compound. Studies have shown that capsaicin can reduce the risk of arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm).

There are several supplements in the market that claim to control the cholesterol level. One such supplement that caught my attention was red yeast rice. According to a study published in American Journal of Cardiology, red yeast supplements reduced LDL cholesterol by 21%. It's a good alternative to lowering LDL for people who are intolerant (muscle pain, lethargy, gastro-intestinal intolerance) to statins. The whole research and development of statins started with the red yeast rice. One of the many reasons men who take statins mention for their inability to get onto treadmill or elliptical is lethargy - lack of energy or enthusiasm to exercise. The explanation generally is: "I am getting old." There is some truth in it. Research shows statins interfere with the production of energy in the body. The pathway statins block hinders ATP - energy currency- production too. What does that mean? Lethargy. Lethargy, low exercise, inflammation, further reduction in exercise, and more inflammation. It is a spiraling effect. Talk to your physician if you have symptoms of these secondary effects.

Inhabitants of Southwest France have high life expectancy even though they consume copious amounts of foie gras (dish made from super-fattened duck or goose) and confit de canard (dish from duck leg poached with fat). Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease is very low in them. The consumption of red wine by the French is attributed for this paradox. Red wine has been under scrutiny for some time. In several studies, scientists found red wine reduced total cholesterol and increased HDL by 16%. In 2005, scientists from Denmark came to a conclusion that all beneficial effects of wine came from its alcohol content (British Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005). I was skeptical. There should be something more than just high calorie alcohol.Red wine has plenty of anthocyanins (purple, red , pink pigments) A glance through literature will reveal antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties of these pigments. In a 2009 study (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) the pigments in red wine was found to increase HDL by 13.8% and decreased LDL by 13.5%. According to the data benefits are due to the inhibition of a protein, CETP (Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein). Anthocyanins stop the cholesterol "trafficker" maintaining a healthy HDL/LDL balance. Putting the puzzle together, moderate consumption of red wine seems to be beneficial for cholesterol management. 

Wish you all a healthy heart!

 Jay.

“Memories: timeless treasures of the Heart”

 

Recently I watched a movie that won 2015 Oscar for Best Actress- Still Alice. Julianne Moore, as Dr. Alice Howard, honorably recreated the character Alice based on a bestselling novel by Lisa Genova. The movie takes twists and turns: when Alice’s initial diagnosis changes from mild cognitive impairment to an early onset of familial Alzheimer’s disease and when the family try to cope with the memory disruptions in a smart linguistic Professor at Columbia. The highlight was its ending which made warmth to an otherwise unhappy plot. In the last scene, after reading Angels in America to her mom, Alice’s daughter asked what that meant to her. Alice, who could barely think, contemplate, or hardly speak utter this beautiful four letter word: “Love”. Yes, it is all about love. The love and the compassion you show to the inflicted; the service you render to the patient and the peace that evolve from that relationship. It’s Alzheimer’s: a disease that eludes our efforts to stop, prevent or slow.

 

In a study reported in Nature genetics (September 2009- Fifteen years since the last discovery of its kind) scientists identified three new genes linked to the most common form of memory disorder, late-onset Alzheimer’s. We had 5.3 million Americans suffering from the disease and thought a cure for Alzheimer’s was near. Fast forward to six years - the direct cost for patient care per year is 226 billion dollars and would cost 1.1 trillion in 2050; 65 percent of the patients are women; since 2002 349 drugs failed in human trials. Everybody now praises the new drug in the pipeline (aducanumab developed by Biogen) as the Holy Grail of Alzheimer’s prevention. This is unheard in pharmaceutical industry which is driven by profit and competition. Failures in the past and a common cause seems to add synergy into a formidable attempt. Multiple targets (beta amyloid protein; tau protein; Apo lipoprotein E, which enhances the proteolysis cleavage of beta amyloid; and things we do not know) together with the time of intervention makes the drug development endeavor a daunting task. The path to "the patient has cognitive impairment" seems to be long.

 

From the experience with patients with cognitive impairment, (researchers feel) one way to reduce the progression is to keep the mind engaged and challenged - learn new things and use them. Exercise seems to enhance brain function; some results are documented and some are yet to get the blessings of our pragmatic scientific community. There is nothing wrong in trying to delay or fight the onset of such an inconvenience.

 

• Exercises indirectly delay the progression of cognitive impairment.  
• Aerobic exercises reduce the fasting plasma levels of insulin, cortisol and brain-induced neurotropic factors in women. It was strange to see that women benefits more from exercise for brain health than men. However, aerobic exercises increase the levels of Insulin-like growth factors in men, a negative factor for Mild Cognitive Impairment-MCI (Archives of Neurology, 67(1), Jan 2010).
• Any mild activity reduces the incidence of MCI by 30-40%. An exercise program combining strength training and aerobics is important for cognitive health. Cardiovascular exercises, 2-4 days/week, 30 min per session is beneficial. What is good for the heart is good for your Brain.
• Physical fitness and exercises were also found to improve spatial memory and increase the size of Hippocampus, a curved structure inside the brain. Higher the size of the Hippocampus, higher the ability of a person to store and process recent information. Other attributes to exercises: Increased blood circulation to the brain; change in brain metabolism; growth in new brain cells – neurogenesis (Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, January 19, 2010).
• It is time for our fitness experts to add cognition to the exercise classes. Engage participants and challenge them. Yoga is an exercise modality where ancient gurus recognized the relevance of mind and spirit. They had modified some of the breathing techniques specifically for brain: for example- Kapalabhati (frontal brain purification). It is a pranayama. Science is yet to prove how headstand and inversions influence the flow of blood to the brain and its function. What about if we ask participants to use the brain and cognition in the head stand?  Allow them to contemplate on energy centers and locks. It is time for yoga community to add a fourth dimension to it and redefine yoga as a union of mind, body, spirit and cognition.
• Stress is a culprit. Stress triggers the release of stress hormones- norepinephrine, epinephrine and cortisol. Elevated cortisol is destructive. This catabolic hormone breaks down muscle; lower the ability to concentrate; reduce the activities of many important immune cells; and leads to cognitive disruption. Getting proper sleep is critical for optimal cognitive performance. Stress interferes with the ability of melatonin to induce sleep.
• Structured aerobic classes (cardio kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, step…) offer a challenge to brain and heart.
• Studies have found B vitamins - folic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 - could reduce the rate of MCI, a transitive stage between normal aging and dementia.
   
  Till we have a clear treatment for Alzheimer’s, it would be wise to be proactive. Remember: “Memories are the timeless treasures of the Heart” and we do not want to lose them.
   
  Healthy Regards,
   
  Jay

Breath: the intelligence of the body

A participant in my yoga class once asked, “Why you give so much importance for breathing in your class?” She has been hearing a lot on Pranayama, Ujjayi breath, Kumbaka, Surya Bhedana, Chandra Bhedana, Puraka, Racheka… I tried my best to draw a convincing argument to explain this great process we inherited from the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) millions years ago; or as narrated in Genesis 2:7. Whatever be the legacy of your belief, it is a highly evolved process; a testimony to nature’s law of adaptation and utilization. It defines who you are. This may be an ideological definition and may not work in a (yoga) class setting where views, opinions and convictions differ significantly. However, I started to use this definition lately and realized most explanations about breath lead us in the same direction:

• Breathing is the ability of the body to increase the volume of thoracic cavity to create ample space for lungs to expand. It is a classic example of Boyle’s law: pressure and volume are inversely related. Higher the volume, lower the pressure inside the lungs; and greater the amount of air getting into the lungs. Mindfully activated breathing, with time, improves aerobic capacity.

• Consider breath as “allowing the air in” rather than “taking the air in”. This will change our perception on breath.

·          

• Ujjayi (victorious) breath warms up the body. Have you ever thought the number of muscles working in deep breathing? The internal energy helps to stretch, flex and extend muscles to achieve full Range of Motion.

•  Breathing is one of the pillars of Tristana (three points) yoga. Other pillars are Asana (pose) and Dhrishti (focus).

·          

•  Mindfulness in breath is an easy way for centering prior to the execution of poses. Breath makes yoga a moving meditation.

•  Deep breath using chest, diaphragm and abdominal muscles strengthen diaphragm and generate diaphragmatic “space” for the abdominal muscles to create postural support. Simple yet useful apanasana connect breath with the body movement and enhances upward release of the diaphragm and helps to alleviate lower back tension.

·          

•  Ujjayi breath creates the internal energy required to cleanse the nadis or energy channels (Yoga, in essential, is Nadi cleansing). Pranayama balance and cleanse the major nadis (Ida and Pingala).

• Pranayama brings the equanimity of “ha” and “tha”, the sun and moon in you; balance the masculinity and feminity, an equilibrium of action and retrospection.

• Deep breathe in some poses (for example matsyasana) pressurizes air through nostrils, pharynx, larynx, trachea and bronchi flushing out the toxins adhered to their inner walls. This pose may sensitize the thyroid and parathyroid. Deep breath in matsyasana may activate the thymus gland and improve the immunity. It is a simple pose loaded with benefits.

• Breathing is the accompaniment to the music of Om (a symphony of breath and word).

Breath is the intelligence of the body. I heard this brilliant definition in a yoga retreat recently. The origin of this definition could be traced back to Kausitaki Upanishad in Rigveda (the oldest canonical sacred text of Hinduism). So, what is Intelligence? Experts do not concur on the subject. References we set on various abilities make intelligence subjective- somebody who might look intelligent to me may not have the same impression on you. Leading contemporary psychologists including Howard Gardener, David Perkins, and Robert Sternberg, however, agree upon one point: intelligence is a combination of the ability to learn; ability to pose problems (recognize problem and transforming them to defined ones); and the ability to solve them. Very optimistic definition.

Breath helps to learn about our body; it helps one to understand the limitation and imperfections; in yoga, working with the breath, we tend to reach solutions. Breath is consciousness. Consciousness, intelligence, breath and body make us who we are; and breath supersedes. No wonder the Psalmist said, “Let everything that has breath, Praise the Lord”

Jay