By DR BHUSHAN KUMAR UPADHYAY 

 

Life is the continuous and uninterrupted interplay of inhalation and exhalation from birth to death. Breath is the sign of life. We can survive without food for weeks, without water for days, but not without breath for a couple of minutes. So in Indian tradition breath is called Prana - that vital cosmic energy which keeps all moving and alive. In the Taittiriya Upanishad we find description of Pancha Koshas - five sheaths, Annamaya Kosha( body formed of food) , Pranamaya Kosha (energy body), Manomaya Kosha (mental body), Vigyanamaya Kosha (intelligence body) and Anandamaya Kosha ( bliss body). All these sheaths are integrated and inseparable layers of human personality. Out of five sheaths Pranamaya Kosha or pranic body has been described in exhaustive details in all Yogic and Tantric texts. It has been the experience of seers, saints and Yoga practioners that by manipulation of Prana we can control and calm our mind. The external manifestation of Prana is our breath. So from time immemorial breathing techniques have been designed and developed all over the world in some way or the other. But in India our ancestors experimented with this breath in a very detailed and scientific manner resulting in a very vast array of literature expanding over hundreds of years. Swara Yoga is the name given to the study of breath in Indian tradition. Swara means a rhythm.

 

Our breath operates in a very rhythmic way. The dominance of breath keeps on alternating every 90 to 120 minutes in our left and right nostrils. In other words we can say that if the left nostril breath is dominant at this moment, after 90 to 120 minutes right nostril breath will become dominant. This we can feel after mindful observation. It is the conclusion of the science of breath that left nostril breath is cool in its effect while right nostril breath is hot. So if the rhythmic movements of our normal breath are disturbed, it gives rise to so many diseases. So many breathing techniques were developed in form of Pranayamas to keep the breathing pattern rhythmic. All the forms of Pranayamas are aimed at making the breath smooth, balanced and calm. Our Yoga texts announce that breath is the vehicle of mind. By controlling and manipulating breath we can control the mind. Fast, jerky and irregular breath is the symptom of a restless mind. Hathayoga Pradipika, an important Yoga book tells- Chale Vate Chalam Chitam- in case of fast breath mind also becomes fast. In the recent scientific studies done on breathing lots of Yogic assumptions about breath and mind have come true. In his book The New Science of a Lost Art, James Nestor has concluded that improper breathing is the major cause of our psychosomatic ailments.

 

He has quoted so many scientific research proving great connections between breathing and good health. In another path breathing book on scientific study of breath named The Oxygen Advantage Patrick Mckeon has very beautifully elaborated different breathing techniques elevating mental health and physical efficiency. In brief we can conclude that slow, rhythmic, nasal and balanced breathing is sign quo non for better physical and mental health. (The writer is DG Police and CG,Homeguards, Maharashtra)