Excerpts from Garima Roy,  Fractal Enlightenment

Breathing in, I calm body and mind.

Breathing out, I smile.  ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Notice a new-born child sleeping. Just watching the child take deep breaths while he or she sleeps is meditative! You will see the abdomen expanding and contracting to its full capacity; this is our natural breathing state. But as we age our breathing tends to become more and more shallow. It becomes shorter and never reaches the abdomen.

We need to re-learn how to breathe.

Breath is the life-force energy. Our heart beats because of the breaths we take and due to this natural bodily function, energy is disseminated to each and every part of our body. Unconscious and disordered breathing can lead to heart and respiratory diseases, muscle cramps, numbness, reduced cognition, panic attacks, superficial blood flow which in turn can lead to host of diseases. Therefore, its crucial and advisable to practice conscious breathing.

 Conscious Breathing

The conscious act of breathing involves inhaling oxygen deeply, holding your breath for 3-4 seconds and then exhaling slowly, till you can’t feel any sensation near your nose. Following this simple technique brings a great amount of positive changes to your body, mind and soul. It is as important as sleeping and eating.

Conscious breathing demands you to be in the present, and when you are mindful of the present, you aren’t loaded with thoughts of the past and future.

As you breathe consciously, you become aware of your life force – in that awareness, you discover joy and positive emotions, and mindless thinking dissolves.

“Just breathe” are two magical words that you should always remember and practice. It will lead to a balanced mind that swims in the realm of peace, truth and serenity.

Next tidbit: Brainwave Entrainment!