The Importance of the Breath
Breathing is more than just the physical act of supplying oxygen to our bodies. The Breath is the junction point between the mind, body, emotions, and spirit. Every change of mental state is reflected first in the breath and then in the body.
Breathing is a grossly underestimated source of life giving, healing and purifying energy. When we breathe in a relaxed fashion, we move from a destructive metabolic state to a constructive one. This shift from operating in chronic stress mode to one of relaxed alertness can affect the synthesis of protein, fat and carbohydrates, increase the production of cells for immune system activation, promote bone repair and growth, as well as enhance the cellular, hormonal and psychological process.
Breath is the only body function that is completely automatic and yet can be controlled at will. It is because of this that the breath can act as a bridge between our conscious and unconscious functions. The breath can be looked at as a physical system, as a biochemical system, as an energy system, and as an expression of our emotional state. Of course, these systems are constantly overlapping and interacting with each other.
Did you know…
The average person breathes between 18,000 - 20,000 breaths per day.
This totals an average of 5,000 gallons of air.
In weight, this is 35 times as much as we take in from food and water.
70% of toxins are eliminated during the breathing process. Only a small % of toxins are eliminated through perspiration, defecation and urination.
90% of the nutrition needed by the body comes from the oxygen we breathe. Only 10% comes from the food we eat, and without sufficient oxygen, we will not get proper nutrition from our food. Oxygen is the fuel that burns our food.
We can go 10-14 days without food, 4 days without liquids, hours without heat but only 4 minutes without air before brain damage occurs.
Air is the most quickly distributed element in the body. It immediately enters the bloodstream, as oxygen must be constantly supplied to each and every cell.
Each breath nourishes and feeds the circulatory system.
Deeper breathing enhances cellular activity and therefore our very strength.
Without the breath we could not speak.
We need oxygen for our brains to think and to metabolize our food.
“Focusing on the act of breathing clears the mind of all daily distractions and clears our energy enabling us to better connect with the Spirit within.”