Slow down the Breath

"Slow down the breath" is the fourth limb of Classical Yoga.

My experience is that slowing down the breath is impossible using breath ratios and mental will power. Breath ratios are so distasteful, and such an awful experience, why would anyone do it? Practically no one does. Trying to use a ratio to slow down your breath is like trying to push a sitting elephant. It won't budge.

The reason is because the Breath is in charge, not the mind. Biology is in charge, not fanciful wishes.

Swami Kripalu got it right. Love and devotion first, Biology second, then the mind follows.

Following the path in This Next Breath, after many months, the volume of the lungs increases. Almost all restrictions in the ribcage and spine are gone. The efficiency of the lungs increases, and the blood, brain and all the organs are purified through the daily flooding of nasal nitric oxide. 

This journey has been fun and easy, and all it takes is dogged persistence... and Love. And anyone can do it.

If you get your breath down to 5 breaths per minute, which is very doable without much effort or practice, you will start to have "Coherent Breathing," this lovely synchronicity of lungs and heart. One breath every 12 seconds. That is a good goal to start with.

5 months ago, after one hour of anuloma viloma practice, my body arrived at a milestone of 2 breaths per minute, sustained for 10 minutes, no strain, no struggle, no stupid ratios. The process happened naturally and organically through the bodily transformation going on.

Understand that I am not purposely sitting there timing my breath. I just realized, mid practice, things were really slow and in a very quiet place. I hit the timer on the iPhone. 20 breaths in 10 minutes. I knew I was on the right track.

This Next Breath is a path of reverence and devotion for the Breath, surrender to the Breath. No forcing or controlling the breath is needed. Listen to the Breath. Respond in the present moment as to what is happening. Breath is Spirit. Breath is the Goddess Shakti, and the Goddess is in charge, if you like those kinds of metaphors. 

Today is Day 4 of a fast and 5 months later; the body is very chill. After one hour of anuloma viIoma, I hit the iPhone timer. 15 breaths in 10 minutes, 1.5 breaths per minute for 10 minutes, no strain, no struggle, no thoughts. 

This is very affirming for my spiritual ego, and yet I know that this small milestone is not a big deal for the thousands of yogis who have gone before me. Some of them have done extraordinary miraculous things with the breath far beyond this sign post. And anyone can do this.

The method works. Thank you Bapuji and Gurudev.

"Even a little bit of practice will save you from great harm," the Gita extols.

It is always about the breath.