Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Are thoughts linked to your breaths?

During my meditation class, we practice stretches and pranayam to prepare our bodies for the deep relaxation. After performing about 15-20 minutes of stretches and pranayam, its much easier to get into that "zone" of a very quiet and peaceful mind. During our pranayam practice, our teacher will ask us to try and extend the "kewalkumbhak" (spontaneous pause in your breathing that is observed after you do a good round of "kapaalbhaati" or "Bhastrika"). She says thats the fruit of our practice. She made us notice that during this period, there are no thoughts at all and after this pause, when we resume breathing, thoughts almost always automatically rush in.

The second time I noticed a linkage is when, during a guided meditation by Sri Sri Ravishankar (Art of Living), guruji asks us to say OM. I noticed that even to say OM silently in my mind, I need to breath in deeply and during exhalation I can utter the OM. I am unable to silently uttter OM if I hold my breath.

I notice that during the "kumbhaks" (pauses between inhalations and exhalations), the mind is typically silent and free of thoughts.

During your pranayam practices, extend these "kumbhaks" pauses to get that inner peace.

Am I talking TO or FOR?

I have noticed that when I am alone with my dogs, I dont really talk much to them (and dont even feel the need to) since we seem to silently understand each other quite well.

Although, I observed that when people are around, I end up talking a wee bit more to my dogs.

I wonder if I am talking to my dogs OR to the people who are around at that time ;-)