The Art of the Breath
by Raman Pathik
The First Breath. I believe a baby’s first inhalation starts not at birth, but rather in the mother’s womb through the umbilical cord, much like I described the breathing tube attached to the Oxygen tank that scuba divers breathe from underwater. In Section II of Chapter Two, I described in detail my personal experience of scuba diving and the peace, tranquility, and spiritual solitude I experienced under the sea. This was the first silent breathing I had experienced in over a decade. It changed my awareness of life and began the journey of The Simple Solution!
The mother’s blood, carried through the umbilical cord, contains all the Oxygen, water, nutrition, and basic needs for the fetus to grow and develop into a newborn baby. The baby is surrounded by fluid, and the sound is suppressed much as we experience soft, muted sounds when we swim underwater. This is the environment in which the baby first learns to breathe. It is natural, calm, serene, and filled with safety and security. That is, as long as the mother is healthy and breathing in enough oxygen to sustain them both and release all the Carbon Dioxide and toxins from both of their bodies. What a beautiful way to initially learn The Art of The Breath!
When the baby is born, the tiny human being just naturally breathes most efficiently, releasing carbon dioxide in a process opposite of plant photosynthesis. This, of course, demonstrates further the balance of life on this planet. The important point is that no one has to teach a baby to breathe or a plant to thrive on sunshine and water. Have you ever observed the breathing of a baby, lying on his/her back? As you watch, the stomach fills with air, encompassing the entirety of the small body. It’s easy to see how the Oxygen filters to all areas where it is needed when the deep, Diaphragmatic inhalation puts the whole body in motion at a slow, natural pace. Air moves in and moves out like the waves of a calm sea…in tune with the universe and in sync with a rhythm of life that is without fear, stress, and chaos. As long as the baby’s basic needs are met, the breath will remain the same. The exhalation and inhalation cycle is usually at a rate of 5-10 cycles per minute under natural, calm, anxiety-free conditions.
When the rate increases to 10-15 cycles per minute, breathing becomes shallow, only allowing the air to reach the chest level and not fill the stomach or distribute Oxygen to all the cells of the body. You will notice this in babies when they become frightened by a loud noise or a beloved parent must leave them for work or other daily concerns and demands. Crying restricts and disrupts this natural breathing cycle. Watch a baby as he/she breathes during sleep. The breath out is slow and deep, pushing away and emptying CO2 and wasteful toxins, as well as anxious or fearful thoughts, from the body and mind. This type of breath when practiced by anyone at any age doesn’t allow the mind to become full of conflict, overcrowded thoughts, and emotions. Breathe in positive energy, filling the entire torso and stomach; sink into the breath as you release negative energy, CO2, and fearful thoughts, listening for the silence between the breaths and making room once again for life-sustaining Oxygen.
This mindful breath flow creates a natural quietness of the mind so you can get in touch with the gift: Unconditional love, peace, joy, wisdom, and purity. This level of deep breath flow regularly allows people to access their true spiritual mind and become healthy, happy, and loving human beings and role models for The Simple Solution! Just look how easy this breath pattern is to achieve? So simple and easy a baby can do it! Naturally!