Breath is Life, and Breath Influences Quality of Life

Breath is Life, and Breath influences Quality of Life

If there is an ease in the breath is there really anything more that you need?

Think about it. What is it that we really want out of life?  More money? A big house?  A perfect relationship?  The perfect look? Our minds can be filled with constant desires.  Have you ever noticed that when a desire gets filled a new desire pops up as if the previous desire was not enough?  You get your dream car,  and your mind is already scanning for an upgraded model.  You find your soulmate and then your mind keeps seeking as if there may be still someone better.

Watch your breath as your mind strives for something better than what you already have and see if the breath feels a bit agitated. As you lie awake at night dissatisfied with the way your life is going notice if the breath gets irregular or if you hold your breath or maybe breathe more rapidly. 

Your breathing often reflects your state of mind.  If your state of mind is ill at ease then your breath can also be ill at ease. The agitated mind and the breath can signal the stress response in the nervous system leading to the release of stress hormones. Over an extended period of time, these stress hormones can be deleterious to your body in the form of cardiovascular disease, impaired immunity, weight gain, blood sugar imbalances as well as mood changes of depression and anxiety.

If your breath reflects your state of mind then the reverse may also be true.  The state of the breath can influence the state of mind. Through conscious awareness of the breath and self-regulating the breath to be slow, regular, and deep from the belly the state of mind can ease as well as the release stress hormones can be averted.  It is reported that the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is influenced by the breath and a breathing rate of 6 breaths a minute (done without strain) has benefited by increasing vagal tone.  The greater the vagal tone the better health of the subjects.

Ask yourself the question, ”Why does my mind have such desires for a new car, a better relationship, or a bigger home?”  Can the answer all come down to that what you really desire is not a “thing”, but a state of mind? Are you looking for things to give you a state of happiness? fulfillment? peace? Learning to do proper breathing practices to bring ease to the breath and the mind may be all that one really needs.  Breath is life and living with easeful breaths brings better quality to life. Breath is the means and the end. Quality of breath influences the quality of life.