It is so natural for us to stop breathing or hold our breath whenever certain things happen in our life that disturbed our usual patterns. Due to the competitive environment in the corporate world, majority of the people forgot how to breathe. It could be a joke to some, as they felt that breathing takes place automatically. However, to breathe means to have a certain pattern when you breathe. How many times do you breathe in a minute? Is your every inhale the same duration, and every exhale the same?
In yoga, we regulate our breath through pranayama which refers to pranic expansion as kinetic energy is formed when particles start to vibrate more and activate the cells. This will kill cancer cells and activate dead cells in the body.
Our actions depend on our breath, based on the duration, depth, pace and pressure. The shallower you breathe, the more hot temper you are and the more stressful you get. The deeper you breathe, the easier it is for you to focus and be aware.
It is recommended to do cooling pranayama 15mins before you go to bed everyday. One of the cooling pranayama is called “Sheekari”. It cools the body down, relieves thirst, and clears the complexion. Below are the steps in doing Sheekari breathing:
1. Form a rectangular shape with your mouth, revealing your upper and lower set of teeth (An illustration would be the reaction you have after eating something very spicy)
2. Place your tongue behind your teeth
3. Inhale air from both sides of your mouth
4. Exhale air from your nose (with mouth closed, lips touching)
5. Repeat this for 15 – 20 times until your body cools down
Kat Boey
200hr YTT (Weekday – Nov 2013)
