There is a very interesting story of a guru and his disciples. This story is about ancient secrets of breathing science and explains the relation between the breath mind and the universe.
Ancient Story About Breathing Science
It occurred a long time ago. In the middle of the dense forests, at the foot of the high peaks of the mountains, in the pure rivers and musical streams, there used to be an ashram of a guru. In the lap of nature, the Guru used to research breathing science and the mysterious relationship between breath and mind with all his disciples.
The Guru himself was a yogi and always used to inspire his disciples about the relationship between the universe and the mind through this breathing science. Guru knew this thing very well that God had not sent us on this earth according to the count of days but according to the count of our breaths.
The Guru and his disciples used to bring their breath in harmony with the mind through daily yoga and went deeper into this science.
It’s just a matter of one day. Out of hundreds of Guru’s disciples, one of the disciples got curious to know this science of breath more deeply. He went to his Guru to fill the pot of curiosity with knowledge.
“Say, my child, what do you want to ask?” The Guru asked after feeling the fast pace of the disciple’s breath.
Guru ji, I want to know from you that when we are in the form of a newborn when we are very small, then the speed of our breath is very fast. That is, a child normally breathes very fast and during this, his stomach also moves in and out. But when we gradually grow older, the rate of our breathing also slows down. Why is it so Guruji?
And my second question is we are not sent on this earth to live for a certain number of years or months but to take a certain number of breaths. So how can we increase our age by controlling our breath?
“Guruji, I want a long life. How can I achieve this goal through my breath? “
After listening to the disciple, the Guru smiled and said, Come dear child, sit near me, and close your eyes.
Why Guruji? The disciple asked curiously.
Until you feel the power of your breath with your eyes closed, you will not understand its power. So dear child, close your eyes and listen to me carefully.
The disciple closed his eyes and started listening to the Guru’s words while breathing in a slow voice.
The Guru started guiding with the first question of the disciple. Yes, my child You are absolutely right. When a child is small, it breathes at a rapid rate and during this, the movement of its stomach can also be seen.
That is, when the child inhales, the stomach of that child expands and when the child exhales, the stomach goes inside. But when the same child starts growing up, his breathing pattern also changes. When a child is small, it naturally breathes.
He breathes through his navel. This movement of breath keeps the child’s mind excited and happy. At this time he gives direction to his life according to the law of nature. He cannot keep things hidden in his mind. That’s why at this time the mind of the child is absolutely true. And the basis of this true mind is its breath. Which he took from the navel.
Relation Between Breath Mind and The Universe
Come children, let me explain to you about this same relation between breath, mind, and universe which science took thousands of years to verify. But even today scientists have not been able to find out its secrets.
- A dog breathes 30 to 35 times in a minute, he lives 11-12 years.
- If a person takes 15-16 breaths in 1 minute, then he lives for an average of 80-100 years.
- But a tortoise lives for 550 to 600 years because it breathes 4-6 times in a minute.
It becomes clear from these examples that the slower the rate of breathing in the animal, the longer its life.
Our sages understood this science of breath thousands of years ago and they started working on the science of increasing life by reducing its number.
Usually, when we breathe, the air is felt by only 3-4 of our organs. Throat, lungs, heart, and stomach. But while breathing, we do not even realize that the breath we are taking through our nose is not only the air that touches these 3-4 organs, but it is the basis of our life.
The biggest proof of our life is our breath. From our birth to our death, our breath is the first companion of every experience, every moment, in every situation.
These breaths fill life in our every particle through the air. The air that enters through our nose and mouth gets divided into different parts as soon as it enters our body and comes out after completing its work.
This process is nothing less than a miracle. We are relieved just knowing that we have taken oxygen through our noses and exhaled carbon dioxide. Just as a gust of wind coming into the forest makes every fiber of the forest active and alert, similarly the fast pace of our breath makes our internal cycle and system active and healthy.
In Kapalbhati or Bhastrika Pranayama, the process of rapid breathing is repeated. With the fast flow of breath, the toxins and bacteria present in our body get out. The rapid flow of oxygen to our cells strengthens the immune system. The path of accumulated waste in the intestines opens.
When the Pranavayu entered at high speed of breath enters our brain, the activation of neurons increases our ability to think and understand.
These breaths fill our bodies with confidence from beginning to end and take out the negativity present in us.
Every day only 10 minutes of this storm of breath will do wonders in our life with a new freshness and confidence.
Nowadays people are not aware of their own breaths. The uprooting of his breath is the most significant proof of this. In anger, our breathing becomes very fast, while in sadness, the same breath is very slow. The connection of breath is not only with the mind but also with the emotions.
Apart from this, our breath is also affected by our diet and our thoughts.
Yoga science and vocal science are based on this science of breath. If we want to keep our body disease-free, have more life force than normal, have sharp intellect and success, and want peace in life, then we have to understand the secret hidden in the breath. You have to learn the breathing science to control your breathing.
A Bridge Between Our Mind and Senses
Our breath acts as a bridge between our mind and senses. We have to learn to walk on this bridge. Once we learn to walk on this bridge of life, the true sorrows and troubles will disappear from our life like magic. Because there is no such thing as sorrow and problems in our life, it is just the illusion of our mind, and control can be found in this mind only through breath.
In today’s young generation, anxiety, stress, depression, and other mental disorders are spreading like a virus. The most effective way to remove these disorders is to connect with the mind through your breath and bring out the negativity from it.
My dear child, you mentioned the child’s breath in the first question. I would like to give the same example here again.
A child’s mind is always purified by the fast breath taken from the navel. He does not have any attachment or enmity with anyone because at this time he breathes naturally. Nor does he have any kind of negativity or disorder in his mind. Even if someone criticizes him, the next moment he forgets him and starts laughing again.
Nature has taught us all to take slow and deep breaths till our navel but by making unnatural changes in our lifestyle, we have restricted our breaths. Its slow pace has been accelerated. We don’t breathe till Navi but just exhale by bringing breath to the chest. They do not allow that vital air to reach our base.
As a result, our life gets filled with stress and negative things. The deeper and longer our breaths, the simpler and calmer our life will be.
Animals have 6 senses but humans have 5. But we can also win over this sixth sense with our breath. The sixth sense is to feel vibrations. Our body can breathe 14-15 times in a minute, but if we reduce the number of these breaths to less than 11, then we also get the power to feel the vibration.
The Guru was explaining this science of breathing to his disciple that in the meanwhile a ferocious lion appeared in front of him. The disciple was listening to his guru with full sincerity by closing his eyes and he was concentrating on understanding breathing science, so he did not realize the arrival of the lion to the child.
The surprising thing was that the lion did not attack either the Guru or the disciple, but silently bowed his head and sat near the Guru.
The Guru ordered the disciple to open his eyes. When the child opened his eyes and saw a ferocious lion in front of him, he was scared for a moment, but being with the Guru, his fear ended immediately.
The Guru said – Dear child, by our breath we go ahead in the path of understanding the secret hidden in it, then we become so capable that we can communicate with other creatures of nature by our breath and the victory achieved over the sixth sense.
These dreaded creatures cannot harm you in any way now because, with the accomplishment of my breath, I have learned the art of communicating with such creatures. Seeing the real example of the power of a Breath, the child was surprised.
Guru continued his talk and said, child, these are our breaths, the mystery of this universe begins from here itself. When we learn to control it, we can understand this universe and every phenomenon happening in it. This is the reason why only a few Siddha Yogis understand this secret and conquer the art of predicting the universe and future times.
Dear child, we will soon read Yog Vigyan(Yog Science) too, in which it is written that after gaining control over the breath, a seeker can do such mysterious things which are beyond the reach and understanding of common men. Such fatal diseases, which have no cure in science, can also be cured by keeping control over your mind and brain through breathing.
When it is unstable in the breath, the mind also becomes unstable. And with the calmness of the breath comes stability in the mind as well. This is the secret of a yogi’s longevity. And you can also achieve the same longevity by controlling your breath.
Dear child, to understand the science of breath, it is also important to know that we exhale more than the breath we take in. There are many such works in our life every day while doing which we exhale many times longer than the longer we take in breath while exhaling. While exhaling, the length of these breaths is maximum in anger and while sleeping. That’s why in our scriptures, it is said to have control over lust and anger because it exhausts our life force.
So my dear child, always remember – take slow breaths by filling them up to your navel.
The disciple was satisfied with this inspiring answer from the Guru and from the next day he started working on understanding the secrets and science of breath.
This story about breathing science was not only for that disciple, but it is for all of you. Don’t limit yourself to reading to it only as a story, but by learning it, you will practice controlling your breath. With a little awareness of your breath every day, you will not be bothered by the ups and downs in your life.
Your breath is the biggest proof of your life. You have the most precious gift of nature. It is your responsibility to take care of it. I hope you will fulfill this responsibility with full devotion.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- FAQ: Can controlling my breath really increase my lifespan?
- Yes, according to ancient breathing science, the rate of breathing is believed to be linked to the length of life. Slower breathing, as practiced in certain yogic techniques, is said to contribute to a longer and healthier life.
- FAQ: What is the significance of breathing through the navel, as mentioned in the blog?
- Breathing through the navel, particularly in children, is associated with a natural and purifying breath. It is believed that this type of breathing keeps the mind excited and happy, leading to a more truthful and positive mindset.
- FAQ: How does rapid breathing, as in Kapalbhati or Bhastrika Pranayama, affect the body?
- Rapid breathing techniques are thought to expel toxins and bacteria from the body, strengthen the immune system, and activate neurons in the brain. The increased flow of oxygen through rapid breathing is said to have various health benefits.
- FAQ: Can breath control help in managing emotions and mental disorders?
- Yes, the blog suggests that our breath is not only connected to our mind but also influences our emotions. Learning to connect with the mind through breath is presented as an effective way to alleviate anxiety, stress, depression, and other mental disorders.
- FAQ: Is there a connection between breath control and the ability to communicate with animals, as mentioned in the story?
- The blog narrates a story where a disciple, through breath control, is able to communicate with a ferocious lion. While this may be anecdotal, it suggests a belief in the potential connection between breath control and the ability to communicate with other creatures.
Love,
Saurabh Goel
Read more blogs on The Power of Proper Breathing, Sleep Disorders Treatment by Moon Breathing Technique, The Main 3 Nadis – Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna, 10 Important Science-Based Benefits of Yoga, The Benefits of Yoga | Yoga Benefits for Mental Health
Saurabh Goel
He is the Founder and CEO of the Training and Counselling Company ‘Brain Soul & You’. He is an NLP Wellness Coach, Life Coach, Brain analyst, and Trainer for Education, Corporate, and Entrepreneurship. For more than 7 years, he delivered presentations on entrepreneurship, mind programming, and motivation. He did his B.tech in IT and later choose to be a successful psychologist. He is helping people in various ways through his counseling and training sessions.