Preksha Dhyana Perception of Breathing

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

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Control of Respiration
Normally breathing is an unconscious act. It can also be controlled (consciously) voluntarily to some extent. One can breathe rapidly or slowly, deeply or shallowly at will One can even stop breathing entirely for a time. But most of the time respiration is under automatic control by special centres in the central nervous system. The average adult at rest and not emotionally excited, breathes about 15 to 20 times a minute. Emotional stimulation, pain, temperature, carbondioxide level and age cause variations from this basic level. However, we can train ourselves to breathe more slowly and more deeply, though without pause between inspiration and expiration. The rate can be easily reduced by 4 to 5 breaths a minute, i.e. 25% to 33%. Slower rate results in reduction of wear and tear in the entire body, less work for the heart, lower blood pressure and quieter nerves.
Scientific Complete Breathing
The difference between bad breathing and scientifically complete breathing lies mostly in the method and its practice. Because one is perpetually under stress and tension, breathing is usually incomplete, hasty, superficial and sometimes even gasping. Logically, therefore, proper breathing depends firstly on removal of tension. Hard (tense) abdominal muscles encumber every breath. Immobilised diaphragm and inflexible rib-cage hinder the entry of air into the lungs more efficiently than a tight belt or a corset. First step, therefore, is to remove the internal girdle by relaxing these muscles.
Exhalation : Scientific breathing begins with a slow, calm and complete exhalation. Contraction of the abdominal muscles helps to evacuate the lungs by raising the diaphragm. More complete the evacuation, greater the volume of fresh air to enter the lungs and purer the air in contact with alveolar surfaces. Unless we first breathe out fully, it is impossible to breathe in correctly.
Inhalation: Having emptied the lungs, the next step is to fill it up to the maximum extent, the total volume of air which the lungs are able to contain is known as the vital capacity, which is
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