A Sanskrit proverb says “When the breath wanders, the mind is also unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.”

Mind and body are connected, modern science concurs. And that’s why the way you breathe can affect the way you feel.

Modern science is catching up with the powerful breathing practices from ancient yogic traditions. A key finding of a peer-reviewed study has shown “Investigations into the physiological effects of slow (and regulated) breathing have uncovered significant effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, cardiorespiratory and autonomic nervous systems.” Read the abstract on the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s website.

Ancient science on the respiratory process confirms that breathing balances your mind and brings concentration, mental vitality, and the ability to discern more clearly how your thoughts and emotions often distort your perception. Breathing reveals the essence of an emotion.

Breathing is also a mirror of your body-mind’s reactions. It acts as a kind of safety valve:  If you’re upset or overstressed, your breathing is irregular and short; if you’re happy, your breathing is steady and long. By observing your breathing, you can be alert to what’s happening within your body and mind.

Once you’re familiar with your breath’s many variations and modulations, and how they affect you, you can balance how you feel at any time and in any situation. Directing your attention to the process of breathing becomes a powerful tool to optimize health, increase longevity, dissolve fear, manage your emotions and develop higher states of consciousness. It’s simply the most powerful stress reduction tool you can use to support, manage, and sustain your health regardless of your age or condition.

Learn now how to practice a breathing technique to reduce stress, anxiety and tension—and bring yourself to a greater state of calm!

Benefits: relaxing, stabilizing, stress releasing

 

Get more breathing lessons in my book, The Breathing Breakthrough: Everything you need to know to Sharpen your Focus, Worry Less, and Live Longer (Balboa Press, 2016)

 

 

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