Soulful Healing

Last week, I began a 5-part series discussing the koshas.   This is the yogic term for the layers of our being:  body, breath, mind/emotions, intellect, and spirit.  This week, let’s take a closer look at how our breath affects our ability to connect body and soul.

Pranamayakosha

Pranamayakosha (PRAH- nah-MAI-uh-KOH-shuh) is the breath or energetic body.  In yoga, prana means life energy.  Other familiar terms for this concept include chi or life force.  In Christian traditions, it is called the Holy Spirit.  To grasp this concept, consider how we don’t usually see electricity, but we know it is there; same thing with our life energy.  The yogis understand that we can increase or decrease or balance our energy levels through the use of various breathing practices called pranayama.  If you are a regular yoga practitioner, you may be familiar with one of form of pranayama called ujjayi (oo-jy-ee).  Translated as Victorious Breath, Conqueror Breath, or Ocean-Sounding Breath, it is a common staple in yoga classes because this breath technique helps us to steady our breathing and match the flow of breath to the movement of the body.

Breathing is something we usually do unconsciously and yet it is the most important life-sustaining activity we can do.  According to one article at eHow.com, “brain cells are destroyed after 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen”.  Beyond issues of life and death, mere shallow breathing contributes to anxiety, stress, and physical tension.  In my work in mental health, I have come to understand that attention to and mastery of the breath is the single most effective strategy we have for regulating our emotions.  Consider this:  when our emotions become worried or stressed, our breath becomes shallow and rapid, then the body develops physical tension.  Utilizing the breath, we can calm the nervous system, balance the emotions, and relieve our physical tension.  I frequently find myself watching others’ breathing patterns and wanting to reach out to them to share some deep breathing techniques.  Granted, I probably ought to stay focused on my own breath patterns, but we’re all works in progress right?

Initially, the practice of attending to our breath patterns can be disconcerting because when the body and breath become still, we must listen to the ridiculous chatter of our feelings and thoughts.  Yet with consistent practice, it becomes easier to recognize when our body or or thoughts have become constricted and how to use our breath to bring some ease back into our experience.  So the practice of breathwork, however you approach it, can bring you physical relaxation, mental clarity, emotional steadiness, and spiritual connectedness.  I can’t think of any other activity that can bring one a greater sense of true joy!  As you journey through the week ahead, try noticing how your breath connects your body, mind, and soul.  Consider trying some of the deep breathing strategies you may have heard about, whether in this blog, in your yoga class, or somewhere else out there in cyberspace.  In closing, I’ll leave you with a Bible verse that speaks to this concept of breath as life-giving energy:  “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”  – Job 33:4.  Thank you for reading and have a joyful week!

Please note: While I am most familiar with Christianity, I welcome you to share quotes or verses from your own religious, spiritual, or secular explorations by leaving a comment below.