Spirituality :: When we breathe, are we just inhaling and exhaling air ? Or?

hello dear...you rightly observed about the breathe. let me tell you that when we breathe, we are not just inhaling and exhaling. There is something very special called VITAL AIR (Praan) is mounted on air. The scientists will tell you that we breathe air only which consists of oxygen, hydrogen and other elements. They will tell you that you jst inhale and exhale only Air.

But dear it is not so. The fact is that the AIR IS ONLY A MEDIUM, A CARRIER AND not the real thing. The air is only a carrier which carries the CHIEF ELEMENT i.e. VITAL AIR(PRAAN-LIFE STRENGTH). We don't breathe only air, we breathe vital air. Inhaling and exhaling are not the same..they are entirely different. When we inhale air, vital air is coming in mounted on air..you can say that we are drinking vital air..and when we drank completely, the air is now left empty which we exhale and it has no vital air in it.. This is like that as after we drank water from a tumbler, the tumbler is left empty. Likewise air is a medium for carrying vital air (praan-life strength)for us. When we inhale we drink the vital air and the air is now left empty which we exhale. So that the secrete of life if you experience and recognize, you will be in a blissful condition always..will be prayerful always...will be thankful to God always...enjoy the vital air.

Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God. ~Krishnamacharya

Just like living and dying, when we breathe we also do two things: we inhale and we exhale. Whether our first action is an inhalation or an exhalation doesn’t really matter…what matters is that first there is one, followed by the other. Because inhaling and exhaling are two distinct actions that always follow each other we are able to stay alive.

Although breathing is a vegetative-automatic-unconscious function of your body, by intentionally modulating the breath with pranayama, you can bring opening and spaciousness to your mind, tranquility to your emotions, and healing to your physical body.

There may be scientific answers, life breathing answers to it. But, you are asking spiritual answers to this inhale and exhale of breathing. This is not a breath of air. While inhaling or exhaling, the prana of the body is involved in it. so, it is told pranayama, anotomy cleansing, in the internal body. Om is the prana mantra and there are holy worlds in this earth. so, while inhaling and exhaling it is said bhuloka, bhuvarloka, suvarloka, maharloka, janahaloka, thapahaloka and satyaloka. we are not just inhaling and exhaling the air, we are inhaling and exhaling the pranava mantra of holy worlds duly using both nostles.

This is spiritual proceedure of inhaling and exhaling of air as per hinduism.

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Trisha

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This relates plant kingdom and animal kingdom. There is a inseparable interdependence in these two. We are inseparable part of this Universe and exist because Universe exist and may perish without this. This should inculcate a sense of closeness with nature and help one see as a part and parcel of this Universe. There is a view that this Earth is a living entity and we being just a part of this system, though functioning independently(like our body organs), still just here to do some function in a larger life of the Earth. This may be viewed as a step closer to God.

Alas !! and finally, i agree with Rajan Rajan. I believe that you might have just touched a secret method... a tantra...unknown to many. Agreed that it is very skillfully touched, and the ones who are unaware will not be able to guess it. Maybe you are too generous and want to share knowledge and information. But personally i think tantras should not be discussed on a public forum. Nevertheless, i appreciate your openness for posting such a question.

I am sorry, i will not be able to post an answer to this question. It is because the answer is a method and it cannot be expressed in words.

It is said in the vedas, that cosmic deities control/rule over every sense/organs in our body. Like all devatas live in Cow's body, so do they control all our senses/organs/elements. Thus Vak/tongue is controlled by Saraswathi/God of Learning, so does the nostrils by Vayu/Varuna. Thus, if we smell bad odors, taste bad foods, those deities get offended and we incur bad karma. Thus, body should be treated like a temple that hosts many cosmic energies/deities. A sound mind is in a sound body.

breathing & inhaling oxygen is just a by-product of the rhythm of Naad.......

prana is actually inhaled, which results in inhaling of oxygen

this cosmic naad gives prana to the subtle body and oxygen to the physical

the diaphragm moves with the rhythm of universal naada

and moves the O2 inside and CO2 out

When we exhale, Shakti sends her love to shiva

Shiva sends his acceptance when we inhale

Along with air cosmic energy is taken in. Few yogis have proved they can live on cosmic energy alone without taking any food.

With air all good and bad we smell around enters in.

All the different spirits enters in...which put us ON or OFF.