Breath

Preamble
OK...spontaneous wiki page.

I think it has to do with a culmination of my current yoga practice and past experiences of immersion into nature. Most importantly, bullshit aside, and lets be brutally honest here; it has to do with the my infamous armchair-naturalist/yogi on-the-toilet reading sessions. Information provided from books will be appended to the end of the wiki page

Initial Reactions
Questions/Comments going through your mind at this moment might be:
 * Breathing? We all do it. What's the deal?
 * Great, more newage bullshit.
 * Seriously now, what can I really learn about breathing that I already know and do?!
 * Do I amuse you? Am I a clown to you?

Some facts

 * Most humans do not breath to their full lung capacity, in other words it is typical to find that many people breath in a shallow or superficial manner.
 * I've read that Physiologists (Physiology: The biological study of the functions of living organisms and their parts) explain that a large part of humanity do not breath correctly. Google:Paradoxical%20Breathing.
 * In Latin the word 'Breath' is 'Spiritus'. In Hebrew it is "Neshima" from the root 'NSHM' which "Neshama" (Soul) is sourced from. To "inspire" is also another word describing "to inhale".
 * Breath is a good way to guage the mood of a person you are talking with, especially if they are unpredictable and inclined to violence. Example: audible shallow breath a.k.a. panting (other symptoms are sometimes, sweat and visible pulse on the neck)

The Benefits

 * 1) Increased energy level
 * 2) Mood Control
 * 3) Increased mental quality
 * 4) A strong sense of 'Connectedness'

Anatomy behind breathing
to be updated

Exercises
One of my principles is not to take any information at face value. Always try to test it out, experiment, and try it out for yourself. Other thoughts to note: People react differently to things; food, medication, social dynamics etc.. your results might not mirror the results written for each exercise. Also results are linked elsewhere so as to keep your experience your own, in other words, without suggestion effecting your outcome before you complete the exercise. Have some tissues handy, it's not rare to be surprised what comes out of your nose.

Experiment 1a: Take a minute to orient and prepare yourself (this way you can observe the results clearly). Sit back in your chair. Close your eyes so you can see whats going on inside you. Slowly become aware of your breath, dont change it..just become of aware of it. Now.. *Inhale slowly for 5 seconds (fill your lungs as much as you can but dont strain too much) *and exhale quickly for 1 to 2 seconds. Repeat this cycle of breathing (inhale 5sec, exhale 2sec) 5 to 10 times (10 is recommended for a more prevalent effect. Remember the more cycles you do..the more apparent the result will be) What happend when you do this? Possible result

Experiment 1b: First, as before orient and prepare yourself. Then...reverse the ratio of Experiment 1a. Inhale quickly for 1 to 2 seconds and exhale slowly for 5 seconds. Repeat this cycle of breathing (inhale 1-2sec, exhale 5sec) 5 to 10 times (again 10 is recommended for a more noticeable effect.) So, what happend? Possible result

More Breathing Techniques See: Simple Breath exercise (animated) Advanced Breathing Exercises (animations) The Complete Breath Meditation Posture Chakras VerbalAbuse Breath/Video Breathing Techniques

Some information provided from "Breathwalk: Breathing Your Way to a Revitalized Body, Mind and Spirit ISBN 0-7679-0493-1

Commentary: (please add)