We've all breathed a long sigh at the end of a long day. Have we also experienced the deep relaxation that occurs after a good laugh? Perhaps we've felt the urge to stretch, and it felt amazing when we did. In more subtle cases, some of us might have noticed the body's tendency to open the eyes wide when we are surprised, or to grip our fists and grit our teeth when we are angry, or tremble when we are scared. These are all innate responses of the human nervous system to convert the stimulus of the environment into an inner experience for the individual. In addition to this fact, our human nervous system has the same basic machinery in each body and this is why human expressions are universal. These built-in responses of our body to the environment are automatic yoga.
The sighing breath is a long exhalation. Exhalations correspond to relaxation, whilst inhalations are stimulating. Why? The heart rate slows down on the exhale, just a little bit, but enough to create a shift in the production of hormones and neurotransmitters, thus effecting our whole neurobiology and therefore the experience we are having in our body. Our mind is functioning within and through our body. By altering the occurrences in the body, we have a different affect on the mind, yes? The simplest way the yogis do this is through the breath, as we can see.
Now here is the key point. Because our body has built-in responses to stimuli, and these mechanisms help us to ease ourselves out of the tension that seems to accrue due to daily living, what happens if we take the reigns consciously? The body knows what to do. It really does. The problem is, we've accumulated so many obstructions in our nervous systems due to the times in our lives that we failed to behave naturally, as a result of the mind's imposition on the body. You see, the mind can override the body. Allow the mind to override the natural responses of the body too often, and we end up with a nervous system that is tangled and knotted. Preventing ourselves from expression might actually be damaging. It certainly has consequences, as we can see with the build up of stress from holding things in.
The question remains - what happens if we start to explore these response mechanisms under our own volition? What if we practice them, before the world triggers a reaction from us? This is the basis for the technologies of yoga. Yoga is a science of reverse engineering the human mindbody system. It has taken the inherent patterns that exist within each of us, the underlying biomechanical and fundamental neurobiological functions, and gives us ways to interact with these organizing forces. Of course the body must follow certain organizing principles. When two cells (sperm, egg), became one cell (zygote) and then replicated into a living community of fifty trillion , which then all band together to create and support the experience that you consider 'you'.... yes, there was a highly intelligent, highly capable natural pattern that guided this development. Let us not confuse intelligent with 'intellect'. Some may be triggered by the concept that there could be an intelligent force which governs our existence. There is no need to debate over whether this is true, our intention is only to focus on what is real and observable. Look for yourself and see. Does or does not the body exhibit organizing principles? Why is that the human body contains the same golden ratio that is found everywhere in the Universe?
It is not our intention here to have a spiritual debate. We are only asking each individual to consider these questions and reflect using their own discernment and judgment. It is our collective wish that we might see the things that we share most in common, not only with each other, but with all things. Existence itself is a miracle, and the fact that we are here is the real blessing. Through our existence, we can discover and decide for ourselves what is real and true. It is with a curious mind that we might volunteer ourselves towards the pursuit of these discoveries, as each individual's success in these endeavors brings us closer and closer to the goal.
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