Keeping Fit!

It's been some time since we talked about taking up yoga class together before P falls sick. The heart is willing but the flesh is weak. We never really got down to doing that until now. And now I have to attend it alone, until P is well enough to join me.

I registered for Hatha Yoga (Elementary) class for a 3-month period at a CC near my home. It is conducted once a week, 1.5 hours each lesson. I started my 1st lesson today. Not sure if it is the style of the instructor or because this is an elementary course, I find the pace of the lesson really slow. Now then I understand why the instructor needs 1.5 hours for each lesson.

However, there was something interesting that I learned from the instructor today. He was teaching us the technique of slow breathing and what good it does to our body, health and overall wellbeing.

"Oh men and women...! You have defaulted from good health by being shallow breathers!"

- Rishi Gorakhnath

He shared examples of various breathing patterns of creatures in nature to show us interesting parallels between breath, behavioural characteristics and life span. For instance, those creatures that are easily excitable (quick to jump, or edgy) breathe with higher rapidity. A mouse takes 50 breaths per min and lives 3-4 years; a chicken takes 30 breaths per min and lives 12-17 years; a horse takes 16 breaths and lives 40-42 years; an elephant takes 15 breaths a min and lives 70-80 years. And the most immovable of all creatures, the tortoise a mere 3 breaths per min and can live up to 190 years! As for humans, we take in an average of 12 breaths per min and can live up to 100 years.

What is the morale of the story? If you want to live a long and healthy life, you must try to keep your calm and cool at all times and not get agitated or angry easily. Because when we get angry, our breathing speeds up and we breath faster than usual and it affects our health. That's why when people get angry, their blood pressure goes up.

The Breath of Life
“By slowing the rhythm of your breath, the vital energy will reach high levels; by increasing the frequency of the breath, this energy of life will diminish.”
- Gheranda Samhita