Breath is the #1 Nutrient
weeks without food and
days without water but
only seconds without AIR
Fresh air is pure Prana.
Prana is a Sanskrit work meaning life-force energy. It has many definitions but basically it is the vital life-giving force that runs through all living things and comes from elements in nature like the sun and the oxygen we breath. So simple yet so complex.
Oxygen is the most valuable nutrient we can take in. Of course clean water, healthy food and quality rest are essential as well, but often we miss the importance vitamin … oxygen! It both calms and energizes us. It nourishes and sustains us. It fuels every cell of our body.
A few weeks ago, I taught a yoga class for my niece and at her bachlorette party weekend. Like in every yoga class, we finished with a nice, long Savasana. As I walked around and spritzed the girls with essential oils I paused for a moment just to watch my niece breathing (which sounds a little creepy but hear me out). In that moment my eyes welled up with tears as I flashed back in time to 28 years earlier… The day I watched my niece take her first breath! What a blessing to be in the delivery room with my sister the day my niece was born. There is no greater miracle.
Breath is clearly life. It’s the first thing we do when we enter this world, and it’s the last thing we do when we leave. We shouldn’t take a single breath for granted, but it’s hard in this hectic world.
Breathing is a unique bodily function in that it both happens for us automatically, without having to consciously think about it. But we also can control it, and in so doing, can alter the way we feel dramatically. Deep breathing can induce the relaxation response and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing us to rest more deeply and recover more completely.
If you’re an athlete, breathing practice can reduce stress and allow us to stay calm in a challenging moment. It can also increase energy and improve overall performance as well as focus the mind.
Here is a quick and easy video to practice getting calm and centered with breathing before a race or game day…
Breathe deep and fuel your Prana my friends!
Karen Dubs
www.flexiblewarrior.com
