Breathing is being!

 Which is the best gift we alone can give ourselves? It is the breath. Breathe in and breathe out is that 'taken for granted' but vitally important process that defines our very existence. One breath the less, one breath indeed is the case that can be the end of our story.

I know the feel. On March 26, 2021, very early morning at about 4.30ish, Aai was there, and just a few minutes later, there was no breath. Even now I choke on my breath, as I did during her ninth day ceremony, when I think of that eerie feel. 

Very many are the enemies of that fragile organ called the lungs that help us breathe in and breathe out from the minute we are born to the second we die. Yet hardly do we care for our lungs. Smoking is how some of us choose to commit suicide slowly, but surely. Even if you have not fallen a victim to the allure, forget 555, even one time, passive smoking is hyper dangerous.

This passive smoking is in the form of inhaling involuntarily the excessively polluted air that surrounds us. As it is, given the urban life style, the individual immunity is minimal most. Given the constant attack on the poor lungs, they literally cave in.

It is a medically researched and established fact that lung cancer incidences are on the rise, not to forget that ole guest in the body, tuberculosis. But natural is this sick feel  because most people have forgotten to breathe the natural way, cooped up as they are behind closed doors, with the air-conditioner on, and inhaling even the God would not know what all! They think they thus show off their modern, sophisticated, rich life style. Actually, it is a silly exhibition of their total ignorance!

As breathing is being, how to help our lungs in such dis-eased times? Eat healthy. Control the stress levels. Most importantly, perform pranayam and "omkara" recitation as often as is possible. Well, none knows when which breath would be the last one. Better hence to breathe healthy till we can!

Pratima@ One breath the less/can completely impair that grace/called being alive n healthy/breathe well n deep, and thus be truly wealthy!