Breath and Vitality

Central to yoga and Ayurveda is the concept of "prana," translated to mean a vital life energy. It is what distinguishes the living from the dead. This life force is also acknowledged by Chinese medicine, qigong and Tai-Chi as "qi" or "chi," and by other Asian systems with their own nomenclatures.

We have all experienced this life energy as it shifts in us. There are days when we feel on top of the world, full of energy and a gusto for life. Then there are days, such as when we are ill, when it takes all we have just to get out of bed. We also recognize this life energy in others. We might describe someone as being "full of life," even as we wonder what ills might have befallen others.

This life energy can be cultivated, and the primary vehicle is our breath. This cultivation is particularly important. As we age, we not only lose physical capacity for strenuous exercises, but a lifetime of poor posture has led to hunched over shoulders and tightened fascia that hinder us from using our full lung capacity.

Fortunately, this can be corrected. In my Breathe Better classes, for example, we do a variety of exercises that bring more mobility and openness into the rib cage and chest area before engaging in breathing exercises. This combination increases our breathing capacity and therefore the amount of life energy we can cultivate. Not only will life energy help us feel more vital, but it will also help with longevity.