Health and Mind - 4: BREATHING

We all use the computers in our daily lives, and operate these computers day in day out. In the process we all have gained good knowledge about computers and software systems. This knowledge can give us some good insights into the human physiology. For example, the reflex actions resemble very much the short cut icons we use in the Desktop. We can see that, in sneezing, probably the body cannot even afford those minuscule seconds in getting the approval of the brain to execute the action and it carries out the action first and then sends the details of what had occurred, to the brain. Again, Just as it takes place in ‘spelling and grammar’ in Microsoft Word, and also in the Google Search etc, the mind prompts us with different suggestions on various occasions, which mostly we are not aware, and which may help us very much if we are aware of this facility in us. For example, when a neighbour comes and tells me that a house is for sale at a throwaway price, something in me immediately prompts that the house is built over a refilled area and it may sink, or, the house is in a low lying area, or that the neighbours of that house are not likable people and the like. It is upto me to accept the prompting or leave it.

Breathing can be considered as both voluntary and involuntary action. We take it as normal that we breathe air  automatically, inhaling Oxygen into the system and exhaling Carbon dioxide, the rate being in the range 12 to 20 cycles per minute for adults. 3 to 5 seconds per cycle looks too small a time for us that we take the breathing as a matter of fact, and do not give many thoughts to the act.

But, 3 seconds or more is quite a time for the processors. Thus, it could be that the brain seeks the requirements of Oxygen to the various parts of the body from those parts of the body, and executes inhaling of that much Oxygen into lungs and sends the same to those parts. The most important outcome of this way of viewing by us is that we may conclude that the various parts of the body from the legs to the head unite together to draw Oxygen through nose and it is not just that the nose inhales air and Oxygen as a matter of fact, and as an independent act.

We understand that whenever we do physical work we require more Oxygen to the parts that we exercise. If we are not able to get that much Oxygen through normal breathing, we resort to gasping, that is inhaling Oxygen through mouth and in higher frequencies and drawing more Oxygen per cycle. Best example is running. Sometimes we resort to a one time deep inhalation of air through the nose drawing the maximum/required Oxygen to execute an act, say, like using a heavy hammer in one stroke to cut a rod.

It looks strange that our act of thinking requires quite much Oxygen. The reports say that the brain occupies 2% of the body weight but it requires 20% of Oxygen intake.  It even happens that the thoughts rush to our minds even as we are breathing, wanted thoughts or unwanted ones. As thoughts occupy the mind, the brain gets clogged and becomes dull to the level that it becomes less serious about executing breathing. Even the nose slows down in breathing and draws less Oxygen than required. The whole body gets Oxygen lower than the quantity required and necessary. The body as a whole gets so foxed up that it forces breathing through the mouth, forcibly drawing maximum Oxygen through the mouth. That is how yawning probably takes place. Likewise, strange as it seems, at times if the brain is engaged in ‘some’ thinking, drawing more Oxygen for itself in the process, the part of the brain that is in charge of the breathing becomes clogged and dull, and the nose becomes slower in breathing, and the brain resorts to a similar act like yawning, but this time through the nose and the supply of Oxygen is limited to brain only. This is called ‘sigh’.

There is a regulator switch in the life force in each of us which ups the energy level, when we get involved in important acts, or, when we are in our happy moments etc. Those times the breathing is normal, fluent and easy. But, the same regulator also downs the energy level when we are bored with what we are doing, or, when we are strenuously involved in some acts that needs lots of thinking and involvement, which zaps and drains our energy mentally etc. These are the times the body resorts to yawning or sighing.

At a lesser level, probably breathing through mouth does not require much permission from brain, and hence the body resorts to breathing through mouth, whenever the body or brain gets tired. At some other level, when the body or brain is tired, the breathing through the nose is done with some difficulty, and the body resorts to (semi)deep breathing through the nose and even then the Oxygen intake may not match the requirements of the body. This (semi)deep breathing is voluntary and is not pranayama, and the lack of Oxygen can be felt all over the body by dullness and pain.

The thoughts that gallop in the mind include every type of thought. Normally from an important thought that occurs, many thoughts branch out and spread in all directions and they substantially express our desires or anger, worries and anxieties  and what have you! To give an example, an important thought occurs in a person's mind, 'I shall go to the Office in time!'. Immediately the other thoughts rush into the person's mind like, ' Otherwise the boss will bark at me' and then the thoughts branch out to the unpleasant dealings the person had with the boss. It continues on. The thoughts being unpleasant, they zap and waste the energy. The regulator switch in the body downs the energy level. The whole thing creates a vague field where the brain/mind gets submerged and loses most of its energy and focus, and thus causing the breathing take a back seat in the process. Going to the office being an important act, the brain pulls itself, the person takes a deep sigh and moves on. It may be for the same or similar person that doing the Office work continuously becomes dreary and tiring! The body resists and protests, and becomes unable and weak to continue. This is the time the body resorts to yawning. Thus Breathing being so essential and a must thing, the body or the brain as the case may be rises to the occasion and forcibly executes the breathing.

Quite independently of the above, it looks even stranger that depending on whether the part that requires Oxygen is placed lower or higher in the body, the nose also breathes that much lower or higher within it. Thus for the leg, the nose breathes at lower part of the nose, and for neck, say, that much higher part of the nose. For head the nose breathes through the highest part of it. Breathing at the back side of the nose takes the Oxygen to the back parts of the body like back bone portions and breathing at the front side of the nose takes Oxygen to the front parts of the body like heart, stomach etc. The reports say that we alternate between breathing through the left nostril and the right nostril. More oxygen inhaling as in Pranayama is welcome, and the body accepts extra Oxygen probably upto a degree.

The blood flow in a person, supplying as it does Oxygen to the various parts of the body, probably plays an important role in getting the requirements of Oxygen for the various parts of the body and conveys it to the brain. Oxygen in take is more where blood supply is required maximum. When the blood supply gets concentrated in some parts, like say in the stomach area during digestion of food, the other parts get less blood supply and in turn less Oxygen. These are times when a person looks dull and experiences mild pain all over the body, because of lack of blood and Oxygen, and becomes less efficient during that time. The person goes for an afternoon nap.

How does knowing all these help us? Well, Pranayama (under the guidance of a proper Guru) teaches us to take deep breaths and inhale as much air and Oxygen as possible consciously, hold it for some seconds time and then exhale the Carbon dioxide. Conscious breathing cuts down on thoughts, thus lowering the requirements of the Oxygen, and eventually we will settle down for slower cycles of inhalation and exhalation done deeply and more relaxed and making the body also more relaxed and supple. Buddhism tells us to keep observing our breath and this helps us to continually cut down on thoughts. The whole process aids the regulator switch to have more energy level in our life force, and up the energy level in the body. We start enjoying our very being in this world!

We may also try cutting down on thoughts by our normal day to day practice. And also it will help us immensely, if we involve ourselves in physical work and exercise, which automatically cuts down thoughts.

Initially, the default system in each of us dominates. We get back to our routine levels of inhaling and exhaling soon after the practice. After a good long practice of Pranayama for a long period of time over days and years, and on our practice of cutting down thoughts, the practice gets ingrained in our system, and that is when it bears fruit.

Disclaimer:  I am not a doctor and I have not studied Medicine or any subject connected to Medicine. What I have written above can only be taken as postulates.