Silverheart Yoga & Pilates

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Breath & Prayer!

I know your mailboxes are jammed with ads, so I wanted to take this Sunday before you ramp up for Christmas to remind you to breathe!

I'm 1/2 way through James Nestor's book "Breath: The New Science of a lost art" and I'm in awe of the lessons on breathing. To me this never gets old:)

So what do prayer and breath have to do with one another?  

"In a 2001 study 24 subjects were covered in sensors to measure blood flow, heart rate, and nervous system feedback, then were asked to recite Buddhist mantra as well as the Catholic prayer cycle of the Ave Maria. The most amazing part of this was that when the subjects followed this slow breathing pattern, blood flow to the brain increased and the systems in the body entered a state of coherence, when the functions of heart, circulation, and nervous system are coordinated to peak efficiency.  When the subjects went back to normal talking, their hearts would beat a bit more erratically."

Here are a few chants and prayers that were studied.  

Ave Maria (original latin version of the rosary) is 5.5 breaths per minute" just slightly shorter than the Hindu, Taoist, and Native American Prayers."
Om Mani Madme Hum - 6 ct. inhale after 6 ct. of exhaling the words 
Om the "sacred sound of the universe" takes 6 seconds to sing
Sa Ta Na Ma takes 6 seconds to vocalize (exhale), followed by 6 seconds to inhale

All these cultures had somehow developed the same prayer techniques, requiring the same breathing patterns. 

So this month, when you need a break between shopping or kids or you're having a tough day at work, or your trying to fall asleep, give yourself the gift of breath and prayer!  5.5 - ok 6 on an inhale and 5.5 or 6 on the exhale.  

"Prayer heals, especially when it's practiced at 5.5 breaths a minute" ~ James Nestor