Where there is energy, there is prana, the universal life force that exists everywhere. Any form of energy is considered prana, including heat, light, electricity, and gravity. Prana is the prime mover of all activity; it is life and consciousness.

The most obvious manifestation of prana is our breath. Each day, we take more than 20,000 breaths, but how often do we notice the life force that animates our being? If we pay attention, our breath can teach us more than we can imagine: our emotional state, the power of the present moment, gratitude, peace, and even God.

Focusing on the breath immediately brings us into the now. When we allow ourselves to be present, we create the breathing room we crave so intensely and we can feel, unimpeded, the sensual rhythm of our lives.

The interplay between inhale and exhale is an intricate pas de deux. The inhalation, rising from the root of the spine, has an expansive quality that bubbles up the way a lover greets his beloved. In the slight pause that follows, lover and beloved are united in a total embrace. During the exhalation, which reaches all the way down to the pelvic floor, the beloved is kissed as she merges back into the infinite.

The inhalation bathes the body in life; the exhalation surrenders that life back to its source. Each breath offers the chance to awaken and the opportunity to let go. When we pay attention, we can feel the core of our being ripple through our body. Breathing with awareness is a form of prayer, a grateful listening to the divine within ourselves.

Breathing in gratitude, we breathe out joy. This simplicity is the key to our vitality. We spend years searching for the key, looking high and low. The journey home begins when we realize that the key is hiding in our own pocket.

Love,
Deepak