‘The Tao of natural breathing’
by Dennis Lewis
publish. by Full Circle – Books 1998; p. 28-29
‘What is the relationship of our breath to our experience of ourselves and to real health and well-being? What is the relationship of our breath to our quest for self-knowledge and inner growth? To begin to amswer these questions in a way that can have a long-lasting, beneficial impact on our lives, it is not enough to go to a weekend rebirthing or breathing intensive, or to simply start doing exercises from a magazine or book. Because of the intimate relationship between mind and body – the many subtle yet powerful ways they influence each other – any lasting, effective work with our breath requires clear mental knowledge of the mechanics of natural breathing and its relationship to our muscles, our emotions, our thoughts. The clarity of this picture in our mind will help us become more conscious of our own individual patterns of breathing. It is through being ‘mindful’ of these patterns that we will begin to sense and feel the various psychophysical forces acting on our breath from both the past and the present. And it is through the actual observation of these forces in our own bodies that we will begin to see how we use our breathing to buffer ourselves from physical and psychological experiences and memories too dificult or painful to confront. And, finally, it is through this entire process – the integration of mental clarity with sensory and emotional awareness – that we will begin to experience the extraordinary power of ‘natural breathing’ and its ability to support the process of healing and wholeness in our lives.’