Every breath can rejuvenate
Breath is life; hence the better we breathe the better we live. To breathe slowly is to prolong youthfulness and life. So say yogic texts that caution us to breathe as if, at birth, only a fixed and immutable number of breaths had been allotted to us. If so, then each slow breath we take preserves our precious respiratory credit balance and prolongs our existence. It can even be considered as an obligation, because if we are pre-programmed in this way, it is because we have a task to accomplish, a destiny to fulfill, in that limited span of time. The yogi obtains a greater quantity of oxygen and expels more gaseous toxins, especially carbon dioxide, than the sedentary person who breathes superficially 18 times a minute. This is because it is not the volume of air that matters, but the quantity of oxygen which is actually absorbed and assimilated in the body. Air is nourishment and requires time to be digested, just like any liquid or solid food in the digestive tract. In practice Whenever we remember to think about it, we can breathe slowly, deeply and with awareness, utilising the technique of yogic breathing. One or two minutes of this practice can be more beneficial than 59 minutes of shallow breathing. We should schedule frequent sessions of yogic breathing throughout the day, especially when we are outdoors, even if we are only going to fetch the car. Each minute of practice increases our vitality and health. Each slow and deep breath rejuvenates us, in the sense that it revitalises our tissues. This is not merely affectation, but a personal and even a civic duty. The yoga session offers a good opportunity to practice slow breathing. A session of asanas includes not only conscious breathing, but also the practice of continuous controlled breathing, therefore deeper and slower, with asanas included. Just as a handful of pearls do not make a necklace, a succession of asanas becomes a series only if breath links them together. Of course, the breath must be accompanied by mental awareness. The unconscious breath It is true that it is quite impossible to stay conscious of the breath all day long and during our daily work. Therefore, whether we are yoga practitioners or not, for most of our life our breathing is unconscious. So the practice of yogic breathing can only be a small part of our active, waking life, let alone of our sleeping time, during which it is seemingly impossible to control the breath. But there is another aspect to remember. If we can manage to practise slow and deep breathing several times a day, we will eventually influence our unconscious breath. After practising for only one or two minutes, even if we forget about it immediately, our body continues with a deeper and slower breathing rate than usual for a variable time. The usual rhythm of respiration, shallow and quick, does not supervene immediately. The more we prolong and repeat our practices, the more the unconscious respiration will slow down and deepen permanently, even during sleep. It is worthwhile to persevere. Therefore, let us breathe slowly and deeply, each time we think of it. And let's hope that it is often.
