“for it is the breath that gathers us together and holds us in its embrace.”
Anyone that knows me, knows that Belly Breathing is something that I am passionate about. And anyone that does Belly Breathing knows exactly why I am!
Babies Belly Breathe and young children Belly Breathe, and its time that we all return to this essential, dynamic and powerful way of Breathing.
Prana, is the Sanskrit word for breath that signifies both the physical breath and the universal life force that is manifest in us, through that breath.
In one of the ancient yoga texts, a parable was used to convey just how important breath is and the role it plays in our lives. And it all centers around the relationship to our senses.
“One day when the senses were arguing among themselves about who among them was, in fact, the greatest, each one of the senses proclaimed itself to be the greatest and then left in a prideful huff. At last the breath, being left alone now, also decided to leave.
When this occurred, all of the other senses rushed back in, pleading with the breath to remain, for without it, none of them could endure.”
The sage that recounts this parable reminds us that the breath is the outward form of our Inner Self. He goes on to say that when we sleep, all of the senses converge into the breath, “for it is the breath that gathers us together and holds us in its embrace.”
So, yes…I AM really passionate about Belly Breathing. As we inhale through the Crown Chakra on the very top of our heads, where, like babies, we used to have a “soft spot”, right down from the heavens and exhale it into the Earth, we let the belly rise up on that inhalation and we allow it to softly fall back down as we exhale. Then it is on the rise again as we inhale up from the Earth and exhale right up through the Crown. Put these two sets together and call it a complete cycle…
Go ahead do another…and another…until “it is your breath that gathers you together and holds you in its embrace.”
I’ll be back to share more on this and why Dr. Sue Morter identifies Belly Breathing as key to what she refers to as Central Channel Breathing.
Until then…Belly Breathe, and then Belly Breathe some more!!
Peace & Blessings,
Dr. Patricia