Do You Know That You Breathe?

Silly question, of course you know that you breathe! Well, not really. We have totally forgotten that breathing is as important as eating, exercise or sleeping for health. In Ayurveda and Yoga it is described as ‘life’. It’s even the same word in Sanskrit. Life starts with an inhale and it ends with an exhale. All in between is life.

The breathing is like ‘a communication tool’ to ourselves, that we can use so much more than we do today, when we get aware of it. It gives a clear biochemical and neurological signal to get into a certain state of mind and body. Think about it; if you want to calm down you can breathe deeply and hold the air in. If you want to gear up you just hyperventilate, and if you combine it with motion like jumping, you fly into the meeting room with a clear head, and you don’t need to reach for your fifth coffee.

When you want to be healthy, be aware of how you breathe. At Olive Retreat we teach a few easy breathing exercises (Pranayamas). If you are a client of ours you know how good it is to meditate just after doing Pranayamas. It clears the head, leaving it blank and you just zoom into the silence and stillness within you. I love it!