Sound is a manifestation of breath,
and breath is the most fundamental aspect of life. Breathing is much more than
a mechanical reflex for oxygen intake; it is the basis for all our cellular
functions, our energetic well-being, even our emotional health. I have come to realize that sound is both a manifestation
of breath and a means to revitalize it, with far reaching positive consequences
for people’s well-being and recovery.
Breathing holds a prime importance in
yoga. Yoga is a 3000 years old discipline whose goal is to create a sense of
harmony with the universe by integrating the mind, body and spirit. The word yoga means ‘union’ and its three part
practise of posture, breath work and meditation is designed to take us beyond
transitory concerns and pleasures ego to discovery and awareness of oneself.
Pranayama is the Vedic science of controlling the breath in order to direct Prana
(Life force) and thereby balance both body and mind. There is a huge difference
in between shallow chest breathing- the result of years of conditioning,
stress, trauma, and poor habits, and deep abdominal breathing, the kind taught
and practised in yogic traditions.
In shallow breathing, the diaphragm
does not move downward sufficiently, so that the lungs never fully expand into
the abdomen. As a result, the lower
portion of the lungs, which are filled with small blood vessels that carry oxygen
to our cells, hardly receive oxygen. In an effort to compensate for this inadequate
oxygen intake, our heart rate and blood pressure increases, as our
cardiovascular system works overtime. By contrast, in deep abdominal breathing
allows ample room for the bottom portion the lungs fill up with oxygen. The result
is more than adequate oxygen exchange.
Shallow breathing is also evidence
that the body is a permanent state of ‘fight or flight’- the stress response to
external danger or anxiety provoking events. During fight or flight, which is a
natural mind-body reaction to stress, the sympathetic nervous system goes into
overdrive; our adrenal gland pump out stress hormones such as adrenaline; the musculoskeletal
system goes out into a stiff state of preparedness; heart rate and blood
pressure becomes elevated.
When we are continually stressed out,
our mind and body become frozen in a
chronic state of fight or flight; we consistently react as if we are surrounded
by a pack of wild animals, an evolutionary legacy of our prehistoric ancestors.
The shallow breathing that results causes a particular vicious cycle because
the body reacts as if it is oxygen starved, which to a certain extent is the
case. The body’s response to oxygen deprivation which is to pump even more
stress hormones, only adds to our anxiety, and the cycle is continued. This catapults
the rest of our physiological systems out of balance, including other hormones,
neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and the immune cells and substances they help
to regulate.
The link between breathing and good
health is more than just theoretical: studies have directly associated respiratory
capacity with longevity. On the negative side, the famous Framingham health
study found that lower respiratory capacity is directly associated with higher
death rates from heart diseases. Moreover, a 13 years long study conducted in
Australia demonstrated the respiratory capacity was a more significant factor
than tobacco use, cholesterol level, and insulin metabolism in determining
people’s longevity. The oxygen link extends to cancer as well; Nobel prize
winner Otto Warburg published landmark studies in the 1960s showing that cancer
cells thrive in an environment starved of oxygen.
Singing bowls prove to be an
excellent tool which sends a person into a meditative state and proving the
body to breathe in deeply to the full capacity of the lungs. Through the
mechanism of entertainment of brain and cells with the use of singing bowls, to
open and deepen the breath and restore our body to a state of harmony, reunite
our spirit with our essence.
For more Information: +918806667192 /
+919923766110
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| Breathe |
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| Deep Breathing |
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