Eastern Breathing Techniques

When we were born, our whole body breathed. Every cell was energized with the vitality of the breath. As adults we are amazed (and exhausted) by the relentless nature of children's energy. We remember the exuberance of our early youth when we breathed with relaxed, open bellies and had an almost limitless supply of energy. Then we began to learn and develop poor breathing patterns. Breathing is not an intellectual activity, yet to reclaim our youthful energy and natural breathing requires your conscious awareness and participation.

Breathing is something that the body knows how to do for our basic survival; it will flow in and out without any thought on your part. This automatic breath allows you to survive, but when you unconsciously hold or restrict your breath through habit, the breath that once ‘breathed you' becomes automatically restricted and distorted. This unconsciously altered breath allows you to survive but not to thrive. As adults, we find ourselves looking for ways to reawaken this experience of aliveness. Caffeine, sugar, nicotine, alcohol, mega-vitamins, herbs, drama, sex and obsessions all have the ability to momentarily ignite us yet leave us depleted. Curiously, the answer to recovering this dynamic vitality lies within us - in the unconditioned breath of our childhood.