Shallow breath ... fast mind...slow down

Spring has sprung and along with it comes wedding season in full swing! I love Indian weddings, they are colorful, spiritual, fun, foodie, and festive! Family members from all over gather together to eat yummy fried and creamy Indian foods, they sing songs, dance up a storm, have tear jerking moments and welcome new family ties and make new memories. After spending a weekend partaking in the fun I am home on the couch with my feet up and silence rings in my ears. Ahhh… I sigh. What a weekend. I turn inwards for a moment and notice my breath… it is shallow and quick… I listen carefully and hear the exhaustion in my body… slowly I begin to notice the tightness and tension that has built up, the dehydration and effects of indulgence… I listen and take notes. The past is the past and there is a price to pay to indulge however the price need not be high. When one is connected with themselves and they quickly observe the imbalances and take steps to get back on track. Whether it is eating right, exercising, or relaxing you are always one moment away from getting back on the path. This cannot be done without the internal messenger… the BREATH. In Sanskrit Pranayama means “restraining of the breath” through the practice of regulating the in and out breath the mind becomes calm and the body becomes come. The breath is the connection between the cognitive and the experiential. See for yourself… next time you find yourself in a situation of anger or anxiety notice the shallow, fast breath and then notice the fast heart beat and increased heat in the body. Compare that to a time of peace and quiet and notice the deep, slow breath and relaxation of the body. Hence, the breath is the mirror reflecting our true nature, consciousness. When we are aware of our current state we can change it through pranayama. Feeling tense or depressed, try slow deep breathing, soon enough the emotions will sync up as well. I am fascinated by this physiological phenomenon of respiration and have started my journey to study it deeper, through text. I have a book that has been collecting dust on my shelf for a couple of years, I wish I was done reading it already and had the knowledge in there we are not quite at the level of learning through countless hours of staring at the cove. It’s time to pick up the book and read into my journey of the breath. More to come…

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