Imagine taking just one bite of a delicious and healthy apple and throwing away the rest. We wouldn’t do that, would we? Why? Because it’s a precious resource.

But that is exactly what we do with a resource that is much more precious than an apple. We consume very little of this resource and throw away the rest. We do it every minute, every day, every breath, throughout our lives.

Apples cost money. But this resource is completely free, and is available abundantly.

If you agree that you wouldn’t waste an apple, then you should pay attention that you are throwing away a much more precious resource.

This precious resource is the POWER OF BREATH.

We breathe every minute of our lives. Without breath, there is no life.

But breathing is not just to keep us alive. There is an incredible power in breath. A power, a vital energy that most of us are not consciously aware of and therefore don’t harness.

We are all aware how the state of our mind affects the quality of our life. Imagine how the quality of your life can improve if you can harness the power of your mind. Fortunately, you can do it, through your breath.

Have you noticed how your mind affects your breath? When you are anxious, agitated or stressed, your breath is shallow. It’s rapid, it’s irregular. But when you are calm and relaxed, the breath is slow, and smooth, and harmonious.

Clearly, the state of your mind affects your breath.

But are you aware that you can change the state of your mind by consciously changing your breathing?

I witnessed this in 1990 when I was working as a software engineer in San Francisco. A friend had a severe panic attack and was gasping for air. The doctor made my friend breathe into a paper bag. Deliberately changing the breathing pattern immediately calmed my friend down.

Shortly afterwards I learned Pranayama, the ancient science of breath, from a Yogi. This practice of conscious breathing had a profound impact on me over the past three decades.

Our breath supplies the oxygen that is needed for the proper functioning of the body and mind.

But most of us develop wrong breathing habits and routinely use only a quarter of our lungs. This under-nourishment creates imbalances in the body and mind.

Have you noticed that despite good diet and exercise, many of us still feel exhausted in the body and especially in the mind?

None of it matters if you are not breathing properly. The way we breathe either nourishes us or depletes us.

Let us take a minute to figure out how you are breathing right now.

Don’t change how you are breathing right now. Simply bring your awareness to your breath. It is important not to change your breathing pattern.

Just observe how you are breathing.

Is your breath shallow or deep? Is it slow or fast?

Where is the movement of air in your lungs? Is it in the neck and shoulder area? Is it in the chest? Or is it deeper, in the abdominal area? Just observe your breath.

What was your observation about your breath? You will be in one of two categories.

One, where the breath is deep and slow. Only a small minority of people have this deep belly breath.

The vast majority of people fall in the second category. Here the breath is shallow and moves in the neck and upper chest only. This shallow breath is inefficient and unhealthy.

How does a baby breathe? As the baby inhales, the belly expands. As it exhales, the belly contracts.

This belly breathing is a natural, healthy, and efficient way of breathing.

But over time we develop wrong habits and under-utilize the power of breath throughout our lives.

Despite wrong breathing habits people still lead long lives. But are they having the vitality and realizing their highest potential?

The good news is that we can train our lungs and breath.

We don’t have conscious control over the functioning of organs like the kidneys and liver. But lungs and breathing are different. While breathing is automatic, we can also exert conscious control over it, and hence over the mind. This is a gift from Mother Nature.

By practicing the ancient science of breath, you can stay healthy in the body and mind. When you master your mind, you become the master of your destiny.

You have the key to unlock the full potential of your life by harnessing the power of your breath!

Remember to breathe like a baby and experience the same blissful and abundant energy!Enter your text here...