If we don’t control our breath, the breath will control us and that creates friction, tension, anxiety, frustration, fatigue, and even disease. If we know how to breathe correctly, it can be a powerful tool to help us manage mind, emotions, and imbalances in the body. In fact, having a regular breathing practice offers many mental, emotional, and physical health benefits. Yogic and Buddhist sages have known this for thousands of years. They’ve made conscious, deep breathing a central part of their practice precisely because it’s so effective at taming an overactive mind. The Buddha specifically taught mindfulness breathing meditation as a way to transform suffering and increase inner peace. Adopting a daily breathing practice can be a game-changer in helping you cope with life’s demands, curveballs, and challenges. May these 20 quotes be a gentle reminder and a source of inspiration that reconnects you with the calming and healing power of your own breath: Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.” – Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk, meditation teacher, & author – Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 500-year-old yogic text Animals such as the rat and rabbit have fast breathing and so are extremely nervous, mentally unstable, emotionally restless, and live only for a short period of time. In contrast, the elephant and turtle are slow, deep breathers and consequently have calmer personality and longer lives.” – Dr. Ananda Bhavanni, researcher & yoga therapist If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly. There is no single more powerful – or more simple – daily practice to further your health and wellbeing than breathwork. Practicing a regular, mindful breathing exercise can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.” – Dr. Andrew Weil, Integrative medicine physician & author – Dave Asprey, researcher & professional biohacker If you think of the Earth as a living organism, the Earth does something very beautiful and complementary to us: It inhales carbon dioxide and exhales oxygen, which is why we have this very beautiful oxygen-rich atmosphere. And we, in turn, inhale oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. The exact opposite process. So there’s this complementary pattern where we breathe in what the Earth breathes out. When we breathe out the Earth breathes that back in again. And this process of breathing in oxygen into our bodies is a process of transformation. We are literally breathing the outside into ourselves.” – Charlie Knoles, meditation teacher – Eckhart Tolle, author & speaker Do you have time to breathe? Meditation is your breath.” – Ajahn Chah, Buddhist monk & author – Jack Kornfield, meditation teacher & author – Dr. Patricia Gerbarg, Harvard-trained psychiatrist Conscious breathing is my anchor.” – Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk, meditation teacher, & author When we are angry, our breath quickens; when we sleep our breath slows down. By consciously slowing down the breath and making it rhythmic so that consciousness is not disturbed by it, we can achieve corresponding tranquility.” – Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, psychologist, philosopher, & researcher Breathing. No breath, no life.” – Mr. Miyagi, The Karate Kid Breathe. Let worry go. Breathe. Allow love and intuition in.” – Sonia Choquette, author – Amit Ray, author & yoga teacher We should pay as much attention to it as any other aspect of beingness.” – Swami Nostradamus Virato, yoga teacher – Sylvia Plath, poet & writer We switch from that fight or flight nervous system. As we begin to breathe and we begin to turn on the other nervous system called the parasympathetic nervous system, that nervous system is the nervous system of relaxation… Your heart rate slows down, your respiratory system slows down, your blood pressure changes. All your blood flow goes into your internal organs and into your brain and metabolism, or better said, energy is being rejuvenated and restored and no energy is leaking out to address emergency situations, to address threats.” – Dr. Joe Dispenza, neuroscientist & author – Elsie Lincoln Benedict, speaker & writer Breathing out, I know I am breathing out. Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing out, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing in, I calm my whole body. Breathing out, I calm my whole body.” – Anapanasati Sutta, The Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
