The word “spirit” in ancient Greek language is Pneuma (πνεῦμα) from the verb “πνέω (Greek pneûma literally, breath, wind, akin to pneîn to blow, breathe). On the other hand, we have the word “Breath” which is translated in Greek as “Αναπνοή”: ana-pnoî. Two words that have been in my vocabulary for years, that I wonder about both years now, that I practically realized their connection but never realized their common root as words.
The depth of ancient Greek language, despite its alterations overtime, is overwhelming and never seize to amaze me. There are times when I have the feeling that ancient Greek language is a codification of humanity’s true history and true nature.
At school I learned about breathing that it is a physical function that happens automatically, without my own intervention. Later in different schools such as the painless childbirth classes I attended when I was pregnant, I learned that with different breaths in each phase, I did not feel unbearable pain and my baby was getting the necessary oxygen to not suffer. I later learned that for my astral journeys it was enough to focus on my breathing. Then I learned that proper breathing is necessary to relax, to identify and to perceive the parts of my psyche. Every day new discoveries and findings.
“I breathe” means I am alive, I have life, something so important and yet forgotten in its fate that over time it came to mean, ” I’m just sustained in life “. The gift of breath, however, hides many secrets. Yes, we survive but if we are tempted to consciously play with our breath, we will discover a lot more and the more we practice, the more surprises will await us.
We know from science that respiration is controlled by brain strains that relate to the autonomic functions of our body, such as the heartbeat, etc. However, we hear about efficient or proper breathing and that as humans we can control and regulate respiration. Just like our brain. This ability of ours is unique, it does not happen in animals. Animals do not change their breathing rate voluntarily. Their breathing usually changes only in response to running, resting, etc.
In Chinese medicine we know that a rough loud audible breath indicates exaggeration, a weak shallow breathing is accompanied by a lack [1].
Questions that have begun to puzzle scientists are: why are humans able to voluntarily regulate their breathing and how do we gain access to parts of our brain that are not normally subject to our conscious control?
When we are born our first breath is also our first shock because the umbilical cord is usually cut immediately. If the umbilical cord is not cut [2] but we wait until the placenta stops pulsating we allow the baby to start breathing gradually with the lungs and does not get this first painful shock.
So since our birth, physical imbalances and mental tensions, anxiety, fear, etc., led us to breathe shallowly and unconsciously.
When we are in pain we stop breathing adequately even when we are waiting the pain to come. When we are afraid, we take shallow breaths even when what we are afraid of, has no real meaning. In other words, it can be something that concerns the future or that is in the scripts of our mind or even watching a movie. Our brain gets the same message whether it is something real that we have to act to protect ourselves or something imaginary.
So breathing may be something that the body does automatically but the way we breathe changes depending on our mental and emotional state.
Fortunately for us this works both ways: If we change the rhythm at which we breathe (inhale – exhale) voluntarily, we can really change the way we feel. When we breathe gently, we send a signal to the body that says I am relaxed and that everything is safe and well. In response, the body produces less stress hormones (adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol) and increases the hormones that make us feel good (endorphins, etc.).
“I feel that it is time to start wondering about our true nature, about our abilities. In fact, it is now imperative for humanity to begin to take responsibility.
A key aspect of our nature is our psyche. These are the filters through which we perceive ourselves, our life and the world around us. As beautifully described in a comment by an apprentice after 18 months of practicing conscious breathing:
… As a result of my breathing, all of my unconscious buried cellular emotion started to surface. Unpleasant blacked out memories from childhood, traumatic experiences—they all came rushing back.
It became very clear then what I had been running from. I didn’t want to face those painful feelings.
I made a commitment to myself, however, that I would continue to show up. I dropped the story. I dropped any goal of “fixing” myself and just let go.
I decided I would be willing to lie down for an hour and breathe. Whatever happened from there was what needed to happen. I dropped the “poor me” drama that this horrible trauma had happened to me and instead, I felt it.
The terror, the anger, and the pain became my companions. Welcoming them in with open arms, I breathed through them—and they passed.
I stopped, turned around, looked straight at these feelings, and took my power back.
Today, I am not on the run any more. My body doesn’t shake like it used to, and my legs aren’t constantly twitching up and down.
I can sit still.
I know now that when my mind starts to create drama, I can lie down and breathe.
The clarity comes, the peace comes, and the feelings pass. I allow them, without trying to make them be any different.…
Especially for people with intense anxiety, depression and other psychological problems, the art of conscious breathing can really save them. Many therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Therapy, or various types of mental exercises – include focusing and regulating breathing. The results of which show us that:
- Breathing changes / improves mood
- Breathing releases tension. When there is tension the muscles tighten and the breathing becomes shallow. When breathing is shallow, we are not getting the amount of oxygen our body needs.
- Breathing relieves emotional problems. Conscious breathing helps us to clear the uncomfortable emotions from our body.
- Breathing relaxes mind / body and brings clarity. Oxygenation of the brain reduces excessive stress levels. By paying attention to our breathing, breathing slowly, deeply and observing our body, we identify any parts that are tight. Then we can see on the screen of our mind every inhalation reaching them.
A relatively new study [3] published in 2018, shows that breathing can also change our brain. Such electrode investigations for direct observation of the brain are rare. Patients with epilepsy participated in this study. These patients experienced seizures that could not be controlled with medication and therefore required surgery to detect the source of the seizures. So, while they were in hospital for follow-up, doctors had the opportunity to study the issue of respiration.
The findings of the study were, in simple terms, that changes in respiration – for example, breathing at different rythms and especially the conscious focus on our breathing – affect various other parts of the brain (besides those that control autonomic functions). That is, exercises that involve voluntary / conscious breathing seem to alter the connectivity between parts of the brain that are usually not accessible to us.
In this research, the scientists also showed that the conscious (voluntary) focus on breathing, gives oscillations in different parts of the brain that differ from the usual general stimulation. Especially in the anterior cortex of the adductor which is an integral part of the parietal system, which participates in the formation and processing of emotions, learning and memory.
The findings certainly support the advice given to people in times of stress or when increased concentration is required or to individuals in a variety of occupations that require exceptional focus and flexibility. Athletes have also long been known to use their breath to improve their performance.
“However, it is worth the question, how we, as humans, have moved so much away from our nature that we have forgotten our breath.
Probably if we had dealt with our breathe as much as for example with our hair care, we would surely have learned a lot more …
We now know from science that all of our body cells are affected by our thoughts and retain memory (everything we have experienced is stored in each of our cells. The new science of epigenetics proves the connection between matter and spirit.
But how can we change our thoughts? The most powerful and immediate tool we have is our breath. Practicing breathing brings us in touch with our inner truth and makes the connection between body and spirit. It is the bridge that connects the visible with the invisible.
But what is proper breathing?
Depending on the muscles we use to manage the air, there are different ways of breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing is considered by everyone to be the most effective. Those who sing, for example, know that the right way to breathe is using the diaphragm. This type of breathing increases the volume of the thoracic cavity that is achieved by the descent of the diaphragm and the simultaneous movement of the sides outwards. It is the most relaxing and productive because with the least possible energy the maximum work is produced.
On the other hand, when we breathe and the chest and shoulders rise, we get tired and increase the tension for no reason. The way we breathe can be practically controlled by simply focusing on the breath and the moving parts of the body. We can also put one hand on the chest and the other on the abdomen. Only the hand on our abdomen should move with the diaphragmatic breath. Also, be careful not to lift your shoulders while breathing.
It is important not to forget that “breathing” includes both inhalation and exhalation. As it is important to inhale properly, it is just as important to exhale.
On the internet you can find endless articles and videos on breathing exercises.
I would say that breathing is our most natural function and this knowledge is within us, within every human being. All we need is: “intention, action and observation”. This way we will recognize the discrepancies and we will remember our nature.
As pulmonologists examine serious lung disorders and yogis explore pranayama, for our daily lives, for our lives, probably each of us must undertake responsibility, to research, experiment and discover. There is no logic to wait for scientific data and experiments to deal with our breathing.
My experience in relation to breathing
The simplest way to activate the “observer” inside us and start controlling our mind at any time is our breathing. The important element in all this I feel, is the “conscious” breathing.
When I try to control external situations, my mind starts to run, I feel anxious and helpless, and I create fake scenarios most of the time, in the style of “everyone and everything against me”…
My greatest savior in this inner war, has become the breath. Just inhaling and exhaling consciously. The calmer my breathing, the more balanced I feel. So, when I talk about deep breathing, I do not mean breathing that is done with some kind of pressure.
Breathing helps me to move between emotions and chaos.
Sounds so simple, and it is.
I was ready to defend myself at any time. Inside my body, there were times when I felt waves of adrenaline, as if it were a matter of life and death. I was always alert, ready to take action. (And I was not even there to realize it…)
Now, when I catch my mind starting to get lost in mental scenarios, the only way to stop it, is to breathe consciously. This means breathing deeply, feeling and watching on the screen of the mind, the diaphragm to go down and my belly up. All my attention is on the breath.
Conscious breathing helps us to somehow control the uncontrollable scenarios of the mind that keep us trapped and drain our power.
The difficult thing is to remember it. The sooner we realize that we are trapped in scenarios of the mind, the easier it is to escape from them. The repetition and the memory of the relief and satisfaction we can get is what strengthens our intention to practice it more and more.
After only 5 to 6 conscious breaths, I catch my mind having escaped back to its own scenarios (thoughts). These breaths are sometimes more and sometimes even less depending on my energy state. In this short period of time I feel like I am coming to my center. There are no thoughts / scenarios for either the past or the future. The pervasive anxiety subsides. I feel the sobriety of “Now”.
It is in this time that choices suddenly appear in everyday life that when I am identified in thoughts of the Ego, fear, anger, etc., I cannot see.
In these moments of each Now you perceive your existence differently.
It is in this small-time space that you can feel yourself and at the same time perceive the world around you with all your senses.
It is in this short period of time that you can change the message in your brain and ask treatment for any issue. Breathing consciously and seeing on the screen of the mind the part of our body that concerns us, to be healthy. That is when you feel that what you are praying for has already been done. Simultaneously with the breath I project the “spiral” [4] as it was given to me. I do not know its role but I can assure you that it works for me.
So simple and at the same time so difficult.
When my back is straight and relaxed, just by consciously breathing, I can really relax and unwind after a hard day and move on. Then I can easily understand the tightness I have on my shoulders, for example, that where I thought I was relaxed, I suddenly feel my shoulders fall, my jaws relax, e.tc ..
Usually when we are not in good psychology, we do not have good posture. With the breathing exercises we slowly get a better posture.
I have also noticed that when I am sitting but crouched or lying on the couch or in bed, it is more difficult to maintain this awareness. Generally, postures that I used to use when I am at rest, I noticed that they give me more easily to Ego thoughts.
The straight and at the same time relaxed spine, the conscious breathing, the vigilance and the absolute relaxation somehow become interconnected.
In summary, some of the things I have come to realize are:
- Practice at some time of the day is necessary. Firstly, because we need some time with ourselves, to feel us, to relax and let go. Secondly, when we need to use our breathing in an emergency, whether it is pain, panic attack or anything else that will need to restore our body and / or psyche to balance, without practice we will not even remember breathing let alone to have the energy to focus on it and lead it. And thirdly because we dedicate time to ourselves, to explore us, to learn us, to trust us. To feel safe and take our responsibility.
- The practical application is what will give us all the information we need. If we start breathing consciously, we will identify various issues on our own. But the classic approach of all people is to feed their minds. Especially when what we have received as information makes us a click, we have questions, we want explanations, we read the same things all over again and we avoid the practical application of an information we received. Unfortunately, most of the time the information we get covers our concerns and yes, it becomes one of our beliefs, but without practically applying what we believe.
The mind ends up being a useless tool when ruled by the Ego.
Breathing is the most important tool given to us as part of our nature. And how strange our breath brings us back to the “now”, when we live in every now there is no time, without time there is no fear and without time and fear a new world opens before us. Then we find our strength and our true nature.
“Our breath sustains us in life, but it can also be the air that enlivens the “spark” inside us and that which dispels the mental and emotional fog.
With love
Elle
[1] Lack of Lungs Chi (energy)
[2 In addition, according to the World Health Organization, it is recommended that the umbilical cord not be cut immediately to prevent child anemia. But who knows and who applies it?
[3] Breathing above the brain stem: volitional control and attentional modulation in humans, Jose L. Herrero, Simon Khuvis, Erin Yeagle,Moran Cerf and Ashesh D. Mehta
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jn.00551.2017
[4] From my research I have briefly found that the “spiral” is integrated into all known organic structures. From the structure of human bones to the pattern of the seeds of a sunflower and the spiral of a sea shell. It seems to be a geometric pattern for life itself under all biological structures. It is the Alpha and Omega of the Etheric Scripture, in motion.
