The Hindu−Yogi Science Of Breath (Part 2)

THE EXOTERIC THEORY OF BREATH

The Organs of Respiration consist of the lungs and the air passages leading
to them. The lungs are two in number, and occupy the pleural chamber of
the thorax, one en each side of the median line, being separated from each
other by the heart, the greater blood vessels and the larger air tubes. Each
lung is free in all directions, except at the root, which consists chiefly of the
bronchi, arteries and veins connecting the lungs with the trachea and heart.
The lungs are spongy and porous, and their tissues are very elastic. They
are covered with a delicately constructed but strong sac, known as the
pleural sac, one wall of which closely adheres to the lung, and the other to
the inner wall of the chest, and which secretes a fluid which allows the
inner surfaces of the walls to glide easily upon each other in the act of
breathing.
The Air Passages consist of the interior of the nose, pharynx, larynx,
windpipe or trachea, and the bronchial tubes. When we breathe, we draw in
the air through the nose, in which it is warmed by contact with the mucous
membrane, which is richly supplied with blood, and after it has passed
through the pharynx and larynx it passes into the trachea or windpipe,
which subdivides into numerous tubes called the bronchial tubes
(bronchia), which in turn subdivide into and terminate in minute
subdivisions in all the small air spaces in the lungs, of which the lungs
contain millions. A writer has stated that if the air cells of the lungs were
spread out over an unbroken surface, they would cover an area of fourteen
thousand square feet.
The air is drawn into the lungs by the action of the diaphragm, a great,
strong, flat, sheet−like muscle, stretched across the chest, separating the
chest−box from the abdomen. The diaphragm's action is almost as
automatic as that of the heart, although it may be transformed into a
semi−voluntary muscle by an effort of the will. When it expands, it
increases the size of the chest and lungs, and the air rushes into the vacuum
thus created. When it relaxes the chest and lungs contract and the air is
expelled from the lungs.
Now, before considering what happens to the air in the lungs, let us look a
little into the matter of the circulation of the blood. The blood, as you
know, is driven by the heart, through the arteries, into the capillaries, thus
reaching every part of the body, which it vitalizes, nourishes and
strengthens. It then returns by means of the capillaries by another route, the
veins, to the heart, from whence it is drawn to the lungs.
The blood starts on its arterial journey, bright red and rich, laden with
life−giving qualities and properties. It returns by the venous route, poor,
blue and dull, being laden down with the waste matter of the system. It
goes out like a fresh stream from the mountains; it returns as a stream of
sewer water. This foul stream goes to the right auricle of the heart. When
this auricle becomes filled, it contracts and forces the stream of blood
through an opening in the right ventricle of the heart, which in turn sends it
on to the lungs, where it is distributed by millions of hair−like blood
vessels to the air cells of the lungs, of which we have spoken. Now, let us
take up the story of the lungs at this point.
CHAPTER III 9
The foul stream of blood is now distributed among the millions of tiny air
cells in the lungs. A breath of air is inhaled and the oxygen of the air comes
in contact with the impure blood through the thin walls of the hair−like
blood vessels of the lungs, which walls are thick enough to hold the blood,
but thin enough to admit the oxygen to penetrate them. When the oxygen
comes in contact with the blood, a form of combustion takes place, and the
blood takes up oxygen and releases carbonic acid gas generated from the
waste products and poisonous matter which has been gathered up by the
blood from all parts of the system.
The blood thus purified and oxygenated is carried back to the heart, again
rich, red and bright, and laden with life−giving properties and qualities.
Upon reaching the left auricle of the heart, it is forced into the left ventricle,
from whence it is again forced out through the arteries on its mission of life
to all parts of the system. It is estimated that in a single day of twenty−four
hours, 35,000 pints of blood traverse the capillaries of the lungs, the blood
corpuscles passing in single file and being exposed to the oxygen of the air
on both of their surfaces. When one considers the minute details of the
process alluded to, he is lost in wonder and admiration at Nature's infinite
care and intelligence.
It will be seen that unless fresh air in sufficient quantities reaches the lungs,
the foul stream of venous blood cannot be purified, and consequently not
only is the body thus robbed of nourishment, but the waste products which
should have been destroyed are returned to the circulation and poison the
system, and death ensues. Impure air acts in the same way, only in a
lessened degree. It will also be seen that if one does not breathe in a
sufficient quantity of air, the work of the blood cannot go on properly, and
the result is that the body is insufficiently nourished and disease ensues, or
a state of imperfect health is experienced. The blood of one who breathes
improperly is, of course, of a bluish, dark color, lacking the rich redness of
pure arterial blood. This often shows itself in a poor complexion. Proper
breathing, and a consequent good circulation, results in a clear, bright
complexion.
A little reflection will show the vital importance of correct breathing. If the
blood is not fully purified by the regenerative process of the lungs, it
returns to the arteries in an abnormal state, insufficiently purified and
imperfectly cleansed of the impurities which it took up on its return
journey. These impurities if returned to the system will certainly manifest
in some form of disease, either in a form of blood disease or some disease
resulting from impaired functioning of some insufficiently nourished organ
or tissue.
The blood, when properly exposed to the air in the lungs, not only has its
impurities consumed, and parts with its noxious carbonic acid gas, but it
also takes up and absorbs a certain quantity of oxygen which it carries to all
parts of the body, where it is needed in order that Nature may perform her
processes properly. When the oxygen comes in contact with the blood, it
unites with the hemoglobin of the blood and is carried to every cell, tissue,
muscle and organ, which it invigorates and strengthens, replacing the worn
out cells and tissue by new materials which Nature converts to her use.
Arterial blood, properly exposed to the air, contains about 25 per cent of
free oxygen.
Not only is every part vitalized by the oxygen, but the act of digestion
depends materially upon a certain amount of oxygenation of the food, and
this can be accomplished only by the oxygen in the blood coming in contact
with the food and producing a certain form of combustion. It is therefore
necessary that a proper supply of oxygen be taken through the lungs. This
accounts for the fact that weak lungs and poor digestion are so often found
together. To grasp the full significance of this statement, one must
remember that the entire body receives nourishment from the food
assimilated, and that imperfect assimilation always means an imperfectly
nourished body. Even the lungs themselves depend upon the same source
for nourishment, and if through imperfect breathing the assimilation
becomes imperfect, and the lungs in turn become weakened, they are
rendered still less able to perform their work properly, and so in turn the
body becomes further weakened. Every particle of food and drink must be
oxygenated before it can yield us the proper nourishment, and before the
waste products of the system can be reduced to the proper condition to be
eliminated from the system. Lack of sufficient oxygen means Imperfect
nutrition, Imperfect elimination and imperfect health. Verily, "breath is
life."
The combustion arising from the change in the waste products generates
heat and equalizes the temperature of the body. Good breathers are not apt
to "take cold," and they generally have plenty of good warm blood which
enables them to resist the changes in the outer temperature.
In addition to the above−mentioned important processes the act of
breathing gives exercise to the internal organs and muscles, which feature
is generally overlooked by the Western writers on the subject, but which
the Yogis fully appreciate.
In imperfect or shallow breathing, only a portion of the lung cells are
brought into play, and a great portion of the lung capacity is lost, the
system suffering in proportion to the amount of under−oxygenation. The
lower animals, in their native state, breathe naturally, and primitive man
undoubtedly did the same. The abnormal manner of living adopted by
civilized man−−the shadow that follows upon civilization−−has robbed us
of our natural habit of breathing, and the race has greatly suffered thereby.
Han's only physical salvation is to "get back to Nature."