What is the essence?
My roommates and I have been contemplating the essence of this lineage of yoga that we're immersed in. I believe it's multi-layered and faceted, and at the grossest level, the breath is fundamental. If the breath is our main source of nourishment--it is pretty well constant and we can't live more than a couple of minutes without it--isn't it remarkable how little attention most of us pay to the quality of our breath? We take it for granted and assume that it's good enough.
Our other sources of nourishment, such as food and water, we pay much more attention to. What if the breath came in as many flavours, colours and textures as food? Perhaps it does, but we have lost our connection to the deliciousness of the breath. The breath can be as refreshing as a tall cool glass of pure spring water, yet we often fail to drink deeply of its goodness.
It is only when the breath is restricted or cut off that we come to appreciate how precious it is, but we still take it for granted the moment it returns.
We nourish our ourselves with the breath as if we're breathing a constant diet of fast food. When the breath is shallow, short and quick, we never fully feed the system. And, the muscles that support the breath (mainly intercostals, diaphram and abdominal muscles) do what other underworked muscles do: become weaker and less flexible.
What if we spent time every day being conscious of the breath? What if we believed that it was as important to breathe in a way that nourished the system, just as we nourish ourselves with healthy food? I believe that on one level, the practice of yoga therapy in this lineage of yoga is precisely about that. Many diseases are caused by the cycle of stress and poor breathing habits, and many problems can be alleviated through improving the breath.
The ancient yogis knew this, and measured their lives, not in years, but in number of breaths. The slower and deeper your breath, the fewer breaths you take in a lifetime, and the longer that life can be as a result.
Rather than counting your blessings, try counting your breaths...perhaps, in fact, the two are deeply linked. Enjoy your breath as if it were a delicious meal, prepared with love, just for you.
Our other sources of nourishment, such as food and water, we pay much more attention to. What if the breath came in as many flavours, colours and textures as food? Perhaps it does, but we have lost our connection to the deliciousness of the breath. The breath can be as refreshing as a tall cool glass of pure spring water, yet we often fail to drink deeply of its goodness.
It is only when the breath is restricted or cut off that we come to appreciate how precious it is, but we still take it for granted the moment it returns.
We nourish our ourselves with the breath as if we're breathing a constant diet of fast food. When the breath is shallow, short and quick, we never fully feed the system. And, the muscles that support the breath (mainly intercostals, diaphram and abdominal muscles) do what other underworked muscles do: become weaker and less flexible.
What if we spent time every day being conscious of the breath? What if we believed that it was as important to breathe in a way that nourished the system, just as we nourish ourselves with healthy food? I believe that on one level, the practice of yoga therapy in this lineage of yoga is precisely about that. Many diseases are caused by the cycle of stress and poor breathing habits, and many problems can be alleviated through improving the breath.
The ancient yogis knew this, and measured their lives, not in years, but in number of breaths. The slower and deeper your breath, the fewer breaths you take in a lifetime, and the longer that life can be as a result.
Rather than counting your blessings, try counting your breaths...perhaps, in fact, the two are deeply linked. Enjoy your breath as if it were a delicious meal, prepared with love, just for you.