Breath is the Bridge

Breath is the bridge between the conscious and the unconscious, the voluntary and involuntary functions, or, in general, the body and the mind.

The respiratory system is both voluntary and involuntary. Using the voluntary control we can change the involuntary functions.

The objectives of yogic breathing practices are 1) to bring into action all the lobes of the lungs for full utilisation, 2) to normalise the breathing rate, and 3) to make breathing uniform, continuous and rhythmic.

Pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) and asana (yogic postures and movements) are utilized to regularise the breathing by using two principles: 1) increase and decrease in the breathing rate and 2) developing awareness of breathing through the movements of different parts of the body.