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

A yogi defined!

Dear All,

Last month, on a Sunday afternoon, my son broke his scaphoid bone (a carpal bone on the wrist) while playing basketball. The doctor in the convenient care refered him to an orthopedic who later sent us to an arm specialist. While discussing various options to fix the wrist the specialist explained the slow healing rate of scaphoid bone injuries due to reduced blood supply, misalignments and separation of broken pieces. I was impressed by the word “non-union” when he explained why some scaphoid injuries may not heal seamless. The path from non-union to healing is to nurture aligned (as close to reality) broken pieces.

This is Easter time (obviously, I wanted to post this before Easter.) The life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ teach a great lesson: communion- a true union of mind, body and spirit. The life of Jesus is a true definition and statement of all paths of yoga. He has the knowledge, understanding and the realization of laws and was able to articulate that to the Pharisees, teachers (of the law) and the uneducated public alike (Jnana Yoga). His Bhakti to the Father was unparalleled. How many times we see him going to “talk” to his father before making any decision and do anything that would define his mission. Who is a better Karma yogi than him: everything for us (even his life!); nothing for his glory. When the lepers, whom he healed, did not say him thanks, he was not upset. He never got into “what is the point?” when he performed the rest of his miracles. The life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ teaches the path to the communion: deep realization, unfaltering devotion and selfless service.

When Jesus sent his disciples to fulfill his mission he said to them, “be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” Even though serpents do not have a good “reputation” in the bible, he specifically mentioned his disciple to be as shrewd as serpents. I always think about this statement when I perform the Bujangasana. Snakes, in general, seem to sense the danger so fast through pressure variations and vibrations and are swift in U-turns (not like us. When we meet the end of the road, we tend to climb over the block to see what is on the other side). They have the real gut feeling. We teach the participants that bhujangasana sensitize third chakra, solar plexus energy center. It defines your decision making. Jesus wanted to make sure his disciples do not hang around in hostile places and unfavorable situations. He continues, in the same sentence, “Be innocent as doves.” I do not know if you have noticed what makes a dove different form the rest of the birds: its innocence and the commitment to its pair is remarkable. Have you not heard your instructors say that eka pada raja kapotasana (pigeon pose) makes you compassionate and activates your heart and sacral chakra- the energy centers for relationships, love and compassion? The origin of these asanas may be the shape one assume in these poses; these names make good sense. Jesus, in all true definitions of Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, Raja and Ashtanga Yoga is a great yogi and the disciples called him teacher; a great Guru.

(Belated) Easter wishes,

Jay