‘Please place and secure the oxygen mask over your own mouth and nose before assisting others’ such a simple airplane instruction really makes a beautiful analogy for today’s society and the very rampant reality of the fact that most of us do not practice what we preach! Whether it be life, career or health advise- to our children, colleagues, and close ones. This is because life is unpredictable and stressful.
This instruction is usually demonstrated by a visual aid because humans by nature receive and process the world through sight first. (Did you know that the retina and optic nerve are the only brain tissues outside of the skull?) Most of the information we process is absorbed by the brain visually; It’s why we need to turn the volume down while driving when it’s hectic, and close our eyes whilst meditating. Attention can be thought of as ‘what you allow your eyes to look at’, we get so engrossed, consumed and distressed by the visual content that we see in this age of virtual hyper connectivity and instant gratification, that our sense of sight is overwhelmed and so overpowering that we emerge from a session with our phones with a deep sigh!
To ‘breathe’ is to take air into our lungs, it’s the simplest involuntary physiological process, simple I know right? It’s why we take a deep breath in the mountains or at the beach when we get there, you’re allowing your senses a relaxing treat away from the cities sensory overload! Breathing seems sweeter when focused on soaking in the moment of solitude in our stressful lives. Yet for the longest time I struggled with breathing, I have chronic anxiety and my breath always seemed stuck in my chest. I was advised the easiest way out was to go to a psychiatrist, get a prescription, and see how I felt in a year or two. I took them for about six months, till I realised I felt no different- I wasn’t putting my own oxygen mask on. Till about two months ago, when my friend introduced me to Wim Hof, the Iceman, and his breathing techniques. I dove into scientific literature about breathing techniques, and decided to just stop taking my anti-depressants the next day. I can safely say from my own experience that ‘they’ were wrong; a prescription pad is not the easiest way out of a stressful situation. A little stress keeps life in balance, that is till high cortisol cause chronic ailments, especially fatigue, in the long run making one feel low energy, or depressed. It reduces life expectancy, causes long-term illnesses, and affects daily health, moods and behaviours. I didn’t think taking pharmaceutical drugs and avoiding stress was an option anymore, learning how to manage it seemed to be the only way out.
Breathing is the easiest way out, and the oldest! It’s more than a physiological process, being intimately linked with mental functions. The act of breathing is an essential aspect to most meditative practices, for example Pranamaya, the ancient Indian practice of breath control, frequently practiced with yoga. ‘Prāna’ loosely translates to ‘breath’ or ‘life energy’ and yama to ‘control’. Breath control helps strengthen the body-mind connection, that enhances overall psycho-physiological well-being. If you are a visual learner, triangle breathing helps! (It’s available as a video online.)
Photo courtesy Taabish RayaniI wanted to write this month because I want to talk more about this airline instruction. If we break it down, it’s saying two things- ‘help’ yourself first, and continue ‘breathing’. In real world application it translates to our own responsibility to ‘help’ ourselves find our own happiness; how will you ever share it and help others if you do not feel it abundantly yourself? Also, that we need to actively be ‘breathing’ or taking actions to stay there. About a week ago, I got a rejection letter from the university I was hoping to pursue higher education at. I felt unmotivated to do anything, because my future was back to being uncertain, I was really stressed out, and stopped sleeping and eating for a few days. Then I remembered a scene from one of my favourite movies, Dear Zindagi- Dear Life in Hindi-where one character asks the other if she buys the first chair she sits on when she’s out chair shopping. No! So, I guess I will keep shopping, stopping to enjoy the sights along the way, deep breathing. The first rule of scuba diving is to never hold your breath underwater- never stop breathing, why should it be any different above the surface?
We’re so consumed by the capitalist rat-race, that we all forget that we are but tourists on this beautiful, incredible planet, visiting some very ancient beings.
I mean even your phone has a certain daily battery life! Don’t overrun yours. Relax your mind, slow your thoughts, and take a deep breath! All good things come to an end yeah, but time is limitless. Every ending is a beginning. The best we can hope for as humans is enjoy what little time we have left on this earth, because it is going to be short.
Written By Taabish Rayani
I was born and bred in Mumbai, but I consider myself a resident of Pangaea. I’m a stick and poke tattoo artist, I like dogs more than humans, and I would rather read an ancient satire by Aristophanes, than watch a Marvel movie (I know, what a classical gyp). I believe life is happy if you are the person your dog thinks you are!
Week 11, March 2021
