Breathing awareness

Evidence shows that stress causes ailments and significantly affects breathing. Changes in breathing pattern can radically alter the internal chemistry of the body, says Dr Vasant Joshi

 The health and happiness of an individual depends on an understanding that body, mind, and consciousness or spirit are intrinsically connected. Healing and wellness is four dimensional — physical wellness, psychological or mental wellness, spiritual wellness and universal wellness. Primarily, physical wellness implies respecting one's body and taking responsibility which may include keeping an exercise routine, eating a balanced diet and avoiding tobacco and other intoxicants. It essentially requires one to be proactive in taking preventive measures for maintaining an overall quality of life. The key to health and wellbeing is awareness. Evidence shows that stress causes ailments and significantly affects breathing. Changes in breathing pattern can radically alter the internal chemistry of the body. Breathing with awareness can substantially enhance the intake of oxygen and discard carbon dioxide from the body. Osho gives the following exercise for breathing awareness:
    Sit on a chair. Take whatever posture you are most comfortable with. Close your eyes and relax the body. Starting from the toe to the head, find out where you are feeling the tension. If it is at the knee then relax the knee. Touch it and say to it, 'Please relax.' Wherever you find tension, touch that place with love and compassion.
    Next, bring your consciousness into your breathing and relax the breathing. The breath is the bridge between the body which is the outermost part, and consciousness which is innermost part. Once the body is relaxed, just close your eyes and see your breathing and relax that too. Talk to your breath and ask it to relax. The moment you do this, there will be a subtle click.
    Now with each relaxation, say, "one." When you breathe in, say nothing. When you breathe out say, "one". As you repeat 'one', you'll find that the whole existence is one, a unity. No need to say that; just saying 'one' will help.