Ancient Breathing Techniques
Breathwork and the study of the breath is far from a new practice. Our very language indicates how connected our ancestors are to the breath. Nothing is more important than a human being’s spirit. Spirit is derived from the Latin word spiritus meaning “a breath.” Let’s take a deep spirit and think about how and when we disconnected from the importance of breathing. Ruach רוּחַ is the Hebrew word for spirit, breath, or wind. In ancient Greek, the phrase pneuma means breath; however, in some contexts, the meaning refers to the soul, spirit, or life energy. In India, prana can mean both “air/breath” and “sacred essence of life.” The Hawaiian word for breath is ha and is connected to mana, which means “sacred essence of life.” We know chi from famous martial arts movies and culture. In Chinese, Chi means breath or air and has a dual meaning, “universal and cosmic energy of life.” Needless to say, these ancient cultures held their breath in very high regard. Our culture has more profound words and meanings for vape pens than the breath, and our health and well-being are depictions of that.
The first records of breathwork date back to ancient India and China however, it seems as though connectivity to the power of the breath has been around as long as we have. The Tibetan meditation/breathwork practice of Tummo breathing has been around since the eighth century. The world record-breaking Wim Hof is a master of many ancient breathing techniques and describes the benefits of the Tummo breathing technique on his website, stating,
Besides raising your body temperature, Tummo breathing has more benefits and purposes. From our view, the main thing about Tummo breathing is a deeper appreciation of the mind-body connection and the power of thought. It can give us a healthier stress response, which boosts our immune system. The breathing exercises of Tummo can also tone up the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is responsible for controlling the correct functioning of several organs. And besides that, if done regularly, Tummo breathing can bring many more benefits, such as better core stability, increased exercise tolerance, and reduced risk of muscle injury.
Most people have never heard of Tummo. I subscribe to the belief that when you are truly happy or enlightened, you're not overly concerned with making sure the world knows #zenbreathingtechniques. All around the globe, different languages depict how the breath and the essence of our being are intrinsically intertwined. Being conscientious about how we breathe effects “the sacred essence of life.” If you asked modern people to define the breath, I doubt you will hear much about the spirit or soul. The World Health Organization stated that, “Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds.” Is there a correlation there?