Life is absolutely dependent upon the act of breathing. "Breath is Life". To breathe is to live, and without breath there it no life. Not only are the higher animals dependent upon breath for life and health, but even the lower forms of animal life must breathe to live, and plant life is likewise dependent upon the air for continuous existence. Breathing may be considered the most important of all of the functions of the body, for, indeed, all t m other functions depend upon it. It has been said that an intelligent control of breathing power will lengthen the days upon earth by giving us increased vitality and powers of resistance, and, on the other hand, unintelligent and careless breathing will lend to shorten the days, by decreasing the vitality and laying individuals open to disease.
It has been said that the practice of the complete breath will make any man or woman immune to consumption and other pulmonary troubles, and will do away with all liability to contract "colds," as well as bronchial and similar weaknesses. The Yogi system of Complete Breathing is of vital importance to every man, woman and child wishes to acquire health and keep it.
Several breathing exercises are performed by the Yogi. If the breathing exercises are not performed in a proper manner various impairments of the body systems can take place. This is because the blood gets nourishment from the breathing system and all the other systems of the body are dependant on the blood for their nourishment. Impure blood on the other hand might have serious effect on the body system. And the only remedy to keep the blood pure is to practise proper breathing.
Improper breathing has effect on systems like the digestive system, the nervous system and all the other systems. Hence it has been focussed in Hatha Yoga that breathing should be carried out in a proper manner in order to make all the systems of a body run in a proper manner. Moreover it is also believed by that proper breathing gives vitality and energy to the body so that the body is able to function in a proper manner.
