Let's talk about the breath-mind connection.
Breath is the one function that lives in two worlds at once.
It's automatic,
Meaning we don't need to think to breathe.
But also it's under our voluntary control,
Meaning that we can change it with mental direction.
We can hold our breath.
We can make our exhales longer.
Now in yoga philosophy,
This is considered hugely significant.
The breath is the bridge between what we can't consciously control with the mind and what we can.
This is the basis of the breath-mind connection.
Now in yoga philosophy,
You may have heard prana being translated as breath.
And this is not exactly correct.
It's more like vital life force energy.
Physical breathing is the most obvious expression of prana,
But prana itself is much subtler than the air moving in and out of our lungs when we breathe.
It's considered the driving force behind all bodily functions.
Mental activity,
Emotion.
And our thoughts themselves are considered prana,
Our emotions are considered prana.
So when yogis say,
Control the breath,
Control the mind,
They don't just mean that breathing slowly is calming for the mind,
For the body,
Though it is.
Because of what we just spoke about,
But really they mean that you're working consciously and directly with that energy that the mind itself is made of,
That the thoughts themselves are made of,
And that which drives the breath.
With this,
You can find mastery over things that you never thought were in your control,
Like negative thinking.
So let's take a quick example.
Have you ever been so upset,
So stressed that your breathing was short,
Quick,
You even held your breath?
You may not have been aware of it at the time.
But when you've started to take deep breaths.
How did you feel?
Depending on the intensity of the situation,
It may have taken a couple minutes.
Several minutes or even longer of conscious breathing.
But ultimately it would have helped you find that clear head,
That centeredness.
To help you resolve the issue of the situation.
This is the power of the breath-mind connection.
