"Mind your Breath" - Madhusudan Naidu highlighting Swami's reflection on Yoga!
Swami when talking to a devotee says that the number of breaths one
can take in a lifetime is already decided. And if a person is going to breathe
faster, it just means that the person is approaching death in a faster way.
Swami points out the significance of breath control as both mind and breath are
interrelated. For a person to stay calm and have a positive mind frame, he/she
needs to have control over their breath. This is where yoga plays a crucial
role. Madhusudan Naidu throws light on Swami's thoughts on Yoga.
Speaking about a devotee who was having
chest congestion while eating food, Swami said, “How can someone breathe and
eat simultaneously!? When you eat, you can’t breathe; when you breathe, you
can’t eat. The number of breaths one can take in a life time is already
decided, and therefore if you breathe faster, you will have to leave early. A
dog that breaths faster has a shorter life; so also, a man who is always
worried and excited would have short and fast breathing which would reduce his
life span. Therefore, through Pranayama,
the Yogis perfected the art of
breathing and thereby lived long and healthy lives.
Breath is also the fuel for the mind, and
faster breathing excites the mind which is then difficult to control. When we
are calm, we tend to breathe slowly. So, as both breath and mind are
interlinked, by breathing slowly we can calm the mind and bring it under
control. Practise Pranayama which is
a part of the eight-fold path of yoga and conquer the vagaries of the mind.
Once the mind is pure and still like the waters of the lake, it can help you
see the bottom of the lake, which is the truth within you.”
Madhusudan Naidu |
Madhusudan Naidu Muddenahalli |
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