Importance of Breath

The natural cycle of one’s breath is an accurate indicator of their state of emotional and mental health, which leads into one’s physical health. Breath indicates the amount of presence one has in the current moment, as well as how much energy they are giving to their body (in spiritual terms, we can call this energy Life Force energy).

I shall offer you an example:
Person A take shallow breaths. This is akin to doggy paddling in the ocean. It has a sense of deprivation and panic. The ‘survival mode’ of the person is sending this message to the brain: Get out of this situation as fast as possible. Get it over with. Hurry!

Person B takes continuous, deep breaths. Throughout the day, when they catch themselves taking shallower breaths, they take a moment to relax into where they currently are. By taking a minute to regain a stronger rhythm in their body, they are self regulating back into a space of health. There is more focus and attention paid to the present moment: What is happening right now? How can it be made better? What is my next action step? By bringing relaxed concentration into the moment, decisions can be made with much clarity. In essence, the amount of breath brought into the present moment is commensurate to the amount of consciousness brought into the present moment.

This breathing technique is a great tip to help you get through your work day; however, there are exceptions. Making deep breaths a part of your subconscious routine will make you more attuned to yourself as well as your surroundings. Thus, if your actions are out of alignment with your true nature, you will notice this discrepancy exponentially. In fact, people who are living in this manner will not be physically able to incorporate deep breaths into their body’s cycle, because of the painful friction between one’s internal world and one’s external world.

I must remind the reader that this new rhythm being introduced to one’s body is not meant to be painful– deep breaths can be easily interpreted as hard, heavy breaths, as if one were running. This is not how it is supposed to feel! A healthy breath will feel grounding, slow, and pleasing. That is the most important tip I have to offer from my personal experience, but many other resources on healthy breathing techniques can be found online, in yoga/meditation books, and classes.

by Maxine Clarity