The breath is a curious physiological function in humans, being one of the only functions which can be under conscious control or unconscious control. This is one of the aspects which makes it a vital link to the deeper levels of the mind.

By practicing a technique such as alternate nostril breathing, we can quickly bring peace to a perturbed mind.

For example, we might take 20 breaths from one nostril, and then take 20 breaths from the other nostril.

Or we might breathe in on the left nostril, retain the breath and then breathe out from the right nostril.

After some weeks or months of practice, we might find that we bring our breaths down to two or one per minute. If we expand that practice to the rest of our lives, we might find that we can stay composed even in the most difficult situations.

For the transcript: Breathe A Beautiful Thought