It is a stretch to consider air to be something we get cravings for, as we normally associate this with chocolate, sugar, salt, etc. However, withholding the breath for some time certainly makes me crave air - with intensity. I do breathing exercises every morning for about 10 minutes, and I am astonished at the effects they are having on my life. A lot of tension is connected to the respiratory system, and it is important to become aware of this. Breathing exercises is part of the yoga tradition, and I do a combination of yoga, breathing exercises and meditation in a 30 minute morning ritual. Doing breathing exercises regularly is getting me well acquainted with the cravings for air.
The exercise called “alternating breath” works like this: - breathing in on the count of 4 – holding the breath in while counting to 16 – slowly exhaling on the count of 8 – holding the air out on the count of 8. This is repeated through alternating nostrils 10 times. Being a beginner I cannot quite understand how the advanced yoga masters can manage cycles of 20-80-40-40 while I am still struggling with 4-16-8-8.
At the beginning my pores would open up and sweat would pour out during this exercise. It was all I could do not to give in to an intense craving for air. The only reason I didn’t give in, was the fact that I had made a firm decision to stick to it, as I was truly curious to see what I could learn from it.
The first thing that kicked in was the intense survival instinct. "Lack of breath..…. breathe, goddamn it!" The conviction that I would in fact survive being without air for this amount of time, was crucial. Otherwise I would have breathed for my life.
Not giving in to such a basic demand has made me think about all the other demands that I face, which I quite often give in to. Why? If I can refuse myself something like air, why is it so difficult to refuse myself things like comfort-food, watching tv, drinking to much coffee or wine etc? Making just this one conscious choice – to do yoga and meditation part of my daily habits – has made me more aware of all the unconscious choices I make. This has in a way forced me to take a closer look on my old prejudices, belief-systems and habits.
The craving for air feels a lot like the craving for food just before lunch-time, the craving for chocolate right after dinner, and the craving for wine and a tv-show after the kids are put to bed. I still give in to these cravings, but at least now I am conscious about it at some level.
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8 comments:
This is an interesting post, thank you for putting it out there. I think an underlying motivation for craving things like wine while watching TV, chocolate after dinner, etc are very, very different than craving air. Too much chocolate and too much wine lead to health problems, while our body's demand for air is fundamentally nourishing.
Cravings are very much part of human nature and allowing ourselves treats is one of the most delightful things we can do for ourselves, within moderation of course!
I think an important aspect of this is the way in which you treat those cravings. Most of the time, we crave something like chocolate and we just eat it. We shove it in our mouths, chew and swallow, as if we were gasping for it! We don't even REALLY taste it! We demand it, we eat it, but because we were not present in the moment of eating the chocolate, no meaningful experience has occurred. These moments are cheap and before we know it, we want more chocolate, more wine, more TV, etc.
I think the true lesson that comes from the breathing exercises you describe (I use some different ones myself) are a great exercise in bringing your attention to the moment, rather than just depriving yourself for sake of self control. When you fully and truly bring yourself to the breath, you are bringing yourself to the reality of the moment, which is ultimately where our lives take place. Experiencing the power of the breath is so simple and very pleasurable if we take the time to do it. The coolness of the air on the back of the throat as you inhale, the rush of the exhale, the smells of the room as the air rushes into your lungs, then the release of indulging in that breath after waiting for it. I'm sure you know what I mean as a person who practices these exercises.
I think that if we are able to treat our craving for chocolate in a similar manner to how we treat a purely focused breath, the experience can be intensely and truly pleasurable. We are satisfied with less because we actually experience the true sensation of the chocolate melting in our mouths, the richness of the texture, and depth of the flavour. Will you do me a huge favour? The next time you give in to that chocolate craving, treat it as you would the breathing exercise! Focus on that experience, enjoy it, experience it, and let me know if you ended up eating too much of it or felt bad about it after. I think you deserve that chocolate, but more than that, I think you deserve the full experience of eating it!
I blog about this sort of stuff too, please consider visiting me!
stopassuming.blogspot.commineur
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stopassuming.blogspot.com
Wonderful post - just breathe!
THANK YOU!!! I'm going to start incorporating this into my daily routine.
Thank you all for commenting. Glad you found this post interesting.
TH!NK:
I believe there are similarities between the unconscious breathing, and the unconscious eating of chocolate etc. Overeating chocolate can lead to health problems, but so can bodily tension caused by insufficient breathing.
The way you describe your experiences from doing breathing exercises are quite similar to the way you describe eating chocolate with real presence of mind. Which is the ultimate goal. To do the things we consciously choose with complete attention to the moment - every moment.
I certainly have a lot to learn still. Thanks for the input!
By the way: I like your blog! Very sensual.
Miss Attica :-)
Miss Attica, I am so glad you left me a comment! I am thrilled to have "found" you, albeit a bit late. Sorry. Your blog is one of those hidden secrets in this wild blogosphere. ... I must email you a copy of a collage I did some time ago..you'll see why when you read the title :).
Best regards
Thank you for adding my blog to your list. I would be delighted to the same for you :)
Please email me so I can send you my little humorous piece, if you'd like.
I'm honored! Thanks. :-)
E-mail on the way.
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