Together we inspire, together we believe

Do you breathe properly? This may seem like an odd question to many, considering that if you are reading this you are alive and must be breathing.

But proper breathing is not something that most people consider consciously or execute correctly.

Over the years as a Kundalini yoga instructor I have observed that many people do not breathe correctly. I have written about this in the past, but will address it again, especially now as the world grapples with the wide and rapid spread of covid19, a disease that affects the respiratory system.

Whenever new participants attend a Kundalini yoga session, I begin by checking on how everyone is breathing. I invite all present to take a few slow, deep breaths, then ask the newcomers: “When you inhale does your abdomen go in/contract or out/expand? And when you exhale, does it contract or expand?”

Most of the time, participants say that the abdominal area contracts during inhalation and expands during exhalation.

This incorrect method of breathing results in shallow breathing, similar to the short, rapid breaths generated in states of fear or anxiety. The feeling of hyperventilation and increased efforts to take a deeper breath incorrectly can create more stress or panic, exacerbating the problem in a vicious cycle.

Nowadays, many citizens of TT experience fear and anxiety for a variety of reasons, most of them covid-related – job loss, the daily barrage of disturbing newspaper headlines, reports on rising numbers of new covid cases and deaths, possible death of loved ones due to covid, mental instability and tension experienced as a result of restrictions forbidding outdoor exercise, being "stuck" at home in potentially abusive and highly stressful environments...The list of increased environmental stressors (potentially resulting in even shallower, tenser breathing) goes on.

The resulting physical effects of shallow breathing include increased blood pressure and heart rate, decreased endurance, fatigue, sleeplessness and other manifestations of stress such as headaches and upper neck and back pain – problems that plague many people and can even affect productivity.

Consider the effects that this widespread shallow breathing could be having on the mental and physical health of our nation.

Shallow breathing and reduced oxygen intake impair one’s ability to think. Studies show that there is a connection between breathing and cognitive function, which is stronger during inhalation. How does potentially impaired cognitive capacity bode for our citizens, who must think clearly in order to be effective contributors to our society...and for our leaders, who are expected to guide the nation with clarity and wisdom?

It is interesting to note that the technical word for "inhalation" is "inspiration."

“When we break apart the word 'inspired,' we find it comes from two words, 'in' and 'spirit.' The word literally means 'in spirit.' In other words, when you are inspired by something, it means that you are living in line with your spirit.” (Dr Wayne Dyer, late author and self-development "guru").

In light of the above perspective, if we changed the national motto on TT’s coat of arms to “Together We Inspire, Together We Believe,” could it lead to more national alignment with spirit and a resulting greater belief in positive outcomes?

From an etymological perspective, many words based on the root
spir are connected to air and breathing. So even the word "aspire" in our national motto encapsulates the essence of breath.

As simple as it sounds, I believe that if we taught proper breathing techniques to schoolchildren, the working population, prisoners, hospital patients, essential workers, people in high office – the general state and psyche of our nation could be vastly and positively transformed.

Start with yourself. Stop and check to see if, during inhalation, your abdominal area expands first. This makes space for your diaphragm to move downwards, creating more room in your chest for your lungs to expand with air. During exhalation, the opposite occurs. Your abdominal area contracts, your diaphragm moves up, and air is pushed out of your lungs, causing your chest to contract.

Keep practising. At the very least, you could increase lung capacity, slow down and relax body and mind, release stress, reduce blood pressure and heart rate and increase mental clarity.

A nation that breathes correctly and deeply will experience many benefits – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – increasing our collective capacity for inner and outer peace and overall wellbeing.

Breathe it. Believe it.