Breath Control = Pujya Gurudev

Happiness through Breath Control

=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

Adequate and harmonized (with respect to body functions and the bioelectrical flows) supply of oxygen through balanced and deep breathing helps nourishing secretion and circulation of several neuropeptides (neuro-transmitters) and healthy activation of the endocrine (hormonal )glands which lead to a state of psychosomatic calm and peace. 

Irrespective of what makes us happy, one thing is certain that we all want to be happy. Who is there who does not want to be happy? Is there any moment when anyone, in normal state of mind, would opt for or deliberately attempt to invite tragedy, sorrow, troubles or some other adversities? None. As noted philosopher and ancient mathematician Blaise Pascal puts it: "The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both (to be happy), attended with different views. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves." 

In fact every moment of life, with every breath, every being seeks happiness. There is no exception, because this is the original desire of the individual-self; its quest for unalloyed happiness is the driving force for its endless journey life after life. But have we ever thought what is happiness? And, is everyone ever happy? The answers to these could be as many as the impulses of mind. (Perhaps that is why some savants say, happiness is so soothing to feel but it is so dry to talk about!) If happiness is only an impulse or excitation of mind, then every thrill of mind should have made at least someone happy. 

But then, someone would have achieved and experienced it all the time with varied degrees! Which of these countless experiences would have then accounted for the "real" happiness? Also, why then happiness would have been such a "sought-after" goal of life? If the source of happiness lay in worldly possessions, glittering resources, lavish food, charming bodies, supportive circumstances, etc then all those owning these things would have been most happy. But in reality we often see the contrary. People dying for worldly pleasure miss happiness in their mad rush for success, name, fame, luxuries and what not. 

Whatever "joy" they feel in achieving such things is only a sting of excitation, an illusion of happiness which is never separated from the hidden shadows of fear (of losing what they have), passions (of gaining much more than what they have) and consequent stress with recurring pressures of fluctuating circumstances.

Thanks GOD, Thanks Sadguru,

Shiv Sharma