2 minutes of reading
We breathe to live and to ensure that our organs have enough oxygen to function properly. In addition to this necessity, however, breathing is also closely linked to mental functions. Neuroscience itself is beginning to lean towards the view that meditation and proper breathing has psychosomatic effects on our bodies. What exactly is meditation from a health perspective and how can it help us? Read on and learn how to breathe properly.
In the Eastern tradition, the act of breathing is an essential aspect of most meditative practices. It is considered to be a crucial factor in achieving the meditative state of samadhi consciousness.
The word prana is a designation of breath, but it encompasses the meaning of both breath and energy. Energy is considered to be the conscious field that pervades the entire universe. Prana-Yama is literally stop, control, but it also means the rising and expansion of the breath. It is a set of breathing techniques that aim to directly and consciously regulate one or more parameters of breathing such as frequency, depth, in-breath and out-breath ratio. Pranayama is primarily related to the practice of yoga, but is also an important part of meditative practices.
Heuristics recognizes that breathing techniques are deeply mixed with the cognitive aspects of meditation. In Eastern culture, their role in achieving altered states of consciousness is unquestioned. In Western culture, however, we are also aware of the beneficial effects of breath control on health. Modern methods of stress relief, such as wellness and relaxation, place a premium on proper breathing. In our country, breath control is a modern knowledge that has not received enough attention in Western science in the past. Only now are the effects of controlled, clean breathing on the neural correlates of consciousness and on specific mental functions beginning to be explored. The effect of breathing on focused attention and on mental imagery has already been demonstrated.
In Western culture, breathing techniques have been developed independently of any religious or spiritual beliefs. Nowadays they are mainly used for therapeutic purposes (biofeedback, progressive relaxation, autogenic training). These breathing techniques are referred to as stimulated breathing and are based on slowing down the breathing rate. Paced breathing is associated with relaxation and well-being, while rapid breathing is closely associated with stress and anxiety.
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