Breathing Your Way to Well-Being

“What is essential is invisible to the eye” –Antoine De Saint-Exupery.

Sometimes, we get so caught up in the hustle of our daily lives that we forget to really stop and pay attention to the things that really matter, like the depth and quality of your breath. Breath that’s filled with vitality and energy is what sustains us not only physically, but also on a spiritual level.

However, many people will discover that their breathing tends to be restricted to their upper chests. Babies on the other hand breathe very naturally and deeply in their lower bellies. They are uninhibited and free of emotional blockages that restrict the life force energy from flowing freely through them.

Breathing deeply and rhythmically in the belly may appear to be an easy task, but it actually takes a conscious effort, particularly if you have never practiced any form of basic meditation. By practicing rhythmic breathing we begin to release built up tensions that prevent the free of life force energy within us.

A simple rhythmic breathing exercise described in Israel Regardie’s book, The art of true healingThe art of true healing, consists of inhaling very slowly into the belly for the count of 4, then exhaling at the same rhythm. Regardie explains that the natural processes of the universe around us have an unchanging cyclical rhythm and it is only man that has through self-righteousness, swayed away from his true nature. By tuning into this rhythm through the power of our breath, we can attune ourselves to higher vibrations, increase our own energy and vitality and heal ourselves of various illnesses.

Tantric massage practitioners also stress the importance of breath, to prolong sexual intercourse and to raise one’s spiritual and sexual energy. Also, learning tantric breathing exercises or meditation encourage the release of endorphins in the body like (serotonin and dopamine) that keep is in a more happy and content state.

There are many techniques that can help increase the depth of your breath. I guess you have to sort of go with whatever methods work for you, whether you practice meditation, yoga or tantra massage. The result will speak for itself…