Riding the Wild Breath

Dr. Swami Shankardevananda Saraswati, MB, BS (Syd)

"Having repressed his breath in the body, and having checked his movements, one should breathe through the nostrils with diminished breath. Like that chariot yoked with vicious horses, the wise man should undistractedly restrain his mind."

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (II, 9)

The breath pulsates in the body like a piston in an engine, 15 times per minute, 21,600 times per day, but we are not aware of it. It is driven by prana, the energy of life, and is responsible for the rate of all the chemical processes in the body- from the burning of oxygen and glucose to every muscular contraction, glandular secretion and thought.

Of all the body's automatic processes, the breath is the easiest to become aware of because it lies at the interface of the conscious and subconscious mind. We can easily take control of it whenever we want, though at most times it goes on by itself controlled only by the autonomic nervous system. It is, therefore, a subtle mirror of underlying neural and mental activity. When we are happy it is rhythmic, deep and slow, and when we are unhappy or tense it is gasping, sighing, shallow, fast and uneven.

Regular breathing induces relaxation, regularity and integration of the body's rhythms and processes so that they work together in harmony. Irregular breathing can be caused by and lead to dangerous mental frameworks, chaotic thinking patterns, and a disordered lifestyle, as well as physical, emotional and mental blocks, conflicts, impulsiveness and disease. It disrupts the rhythms of the brain resulting in a vicious circle.

The breath and mind in most people are like a team of wild horses whose driver has lost the reins and who are running in whichever direction they please. Without awareness of breath or mind, we can easily slip into unstable brain and thought patterns, neurosis and disease. William Reich, the German psychiatrist, highlighted the need for controlled breathing when he stated: "There is no neurotic individual who is capable of exhaling in one breath, deeply and evenly."

This insight into the link of breath and mind points out that mental tension creates uneven breathing. Yogis used this insight to devise techniques which enhance and balance awareness and breathing patterns so as to induce a calm mind and to reorder the chaotic internal cycles of brain and mind.

(abridged)