WHAT IS DEEP BREATHING?

[Ani]

WHAT IS DEEP BREATHING?

 

Contemporary people breathe shallowly and fast. We know that the lungs contain more than 3,500 cubic inches, and in some cases as much as 4,200 cubic inches. Even in deep breathing there are about 800 cubic inches of air retained in the lungs. In this way the new air that is inhaled which is cold is mixed with the old warm air and thereby the lungs are protected from the cold air. During man's ordinary breathing, since it is very shallow and fast, he inhales and exhales about 300-500 cubic inches of air and the lungs retain much more of the "old" air. How is it thus possible for man to be healthy, vigorous and have an alert mind? With this shallow breathing, the amount of prana is deficient and he ages prematurely. With shallow breathing, very often the old air remains in the lung and the lung loses its optimum life and function and is susceptible to illness.

 

Fast and shallow breathing affects not only the man's physical health, but his psychic health. He loses the good conditions for the correct development of his mind, emotions and will. During shallow breathing, some impurities remain in the lung and this is a good basis for sickness. When we breathe deeply the air penetrates much deeper into the lungs and pushes out the impure air. As long as we breathe deeply we absorb and retain air which penetrates into the lungs and we derive more prana. When we breathe slowly the lungs are infused with the new air and the blood penetrates into the capillaries, supplying them with the new air. It is known that when we exhale, we can never exhale all of the old air. Some of it always remains. But with deep and slow breathing, the absorbed air has enough time to penetrate into all parts, even to the ends of the lungs, and push out a great part of the old air so that all unnecessary unclean particles are exhaled. Despite the fact that we cannot empty our lungs of all air, we have to make an effort to expel as much as possible. This enables us to inhale a greater quantity of air, and the exchange will be more fulfilling.

 

There are three kinds of breathing: upper, middle and lower. We don't recommend them as separate because the lungs do not participate fully. We recommend the deep, full breath because the whole lung, upper, middle and lower can participate. This is how deep breathing is done.

 

We mentioned before that the diaphragm in its natural form is convex and extends a little upward. When we exhale it becomes concave and a little flatter in order to liberate space for the chest. When it goes down it presses on the intestines and other organs of the abdomen causing them to come forward. This is what happens in the process of deep breathing. First the abdomen comes forward and then the chest expands to fill the lungs with fresh air. Then the diaphragm relaxes, comes upward, the abdomen flattens and the lungs are squeezed as we exhale. Therefore, in deep breathing, we have to feel the contraction and expansion of the diaphragm. The Master says when you begin to breathe deeply, in order to facilitate it, you must free yourself from all clothes which constrict, because it will prevent the expansion.