Miracles of Mindful breathing
To feel freedom, peace and joy is the desire of every heart.
Many of us go to holy places, study scriptures, follow a disciplined life, just to have a glimpse of enlightenment. But still, generally we remain tied to the realities of our circumstance, and feel suffocated by the daily grind. Buddhist Zen Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, referring to the effectiveness of mindful breathing says that one can achieve many miracles by practicing it in life. To control our restless mind, mindful breathing is given great importance in Buddha’s teachings, and as well as in ancient yoga scriptures.
Breathing is a physical process that happens by itself but when it is connected to mindful awareness, it becomes an extraordinary act. One feels at ease, and does everything with a centered focus that comes from a true awareness of the self.
Mindful breathing works like a bridge between the body and mind; it helps to bring our restless mind into calmness, and also to the present moment. The mind’s usual tendency is to run into past memories or dream of future possibilities. As a result, the power of the present moment slips by, unnoticed. Buddha said, “The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There is only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment”. If we miss that present moment, then we continually miss our life. The simple practice of mindful breathing can also create a feeling of oneness with our surroundings – both people and the environment. The silence we create becomes nourishing for our body and mind, it gives us joy and happiness. We become fully present, and in doing so, connect with life beyond that which is contained within our body.
A radiant sunset, clouds floating in a blue sky, a little bird hopping on a branch, or the simple beauty of a blade of a grass sparkling with dew drops are miracles of everyday life that can become a source of joy and inspiration in life.
The relationship between conscious breathing and the power of concentration is well established and can easily be experienced first-hand. Breath has the power to concentrate life force just as a magnifying glass has the power to concentrate the sun’s rays. The simple act of breathing consciously can burn karma and lead to a purified state of existence.
Life is a display of a complex patterns of joy and sorrow, gain and loss, light and shade. How much we can transform life’s vagaries into a deeper state devoid of fluctuations all depends on our wisdom and insight – one that is available with our next breath. “Breathing in and out mindfully, becoming fully present, with body mind united – these are the conditions for entering the kingdom of God”. (Thich Nhat Hanh, The Path of Emancipation).
Today many people feel lonely, disconnected and miserable, unable to share their joys and sorrows with each other. Living alone does not mean mental isolation. With mindful breathing one can feel at ease in every situation. Life is uncertain; we never know how misfortunes may come to us or to our dear ones. But if we learn to live in an awakened way, treating everybody with understanding and gentleness, then we will have no regrets when something happens to us or to our dear ones. Being loving and compassionate we have the capacity to lead richer, more meaningful lives.
Buddha advised us through his beautiful gatha (verse), which says, “We must be diligent today. To wait until tomorrow is too late. Death comes un-expectedly. How can we bargain with it?”
A tree that stands strong in the backyard beautifully teaches us the value and necessity of endurance. Shedding leaves, she bears the harshness of cold winter silently, and without losing hope, waits for the spring to come; when she can manifest her beauty again with abundance of new leaves and flowers. From this inbuilt transformational system of nature, we also can learn to receive, embrace and transform any suffering into the enduring richness of life. But for that we must learn to open our heart and feel our interconnectedness and the oneness with our environment. And it all begins with mindful breathing.
Edited by Prodeep Bose
