As the individual’s amount of breaths converges on that number, his bodily functions begin to deteriorate, organs begin to fail, cell regeneration slows, and diseases begin to creep in.

One might then ask, then why doesn’t everyone breathe slower then? Well, it’s not so straightforward.

For one, to be constantly aware of the breath all day is something that takes a lot of work in order to accomplish. That’s not to say it’s impossible, far from it. There are many yogi’s and spiritual adepts capable of doing so. Part of the reason they are able to live so long.

When the breath is slowed, so does your basal metabolic rate. Meaning the body is functioning fully with the least amount of energy necessary. In other words, your body is at ease. The opposite of dis-ease!

Some adepts are able to slow down their breath and reach a super-conscious state, that halts the activity of the organs almost completely. This enables them to heal and rest their bodies more efficiently than regular sleep would allow for, and so they conquer the need for sleep.

At rest, breath is slowed, and so is the heart rate, with your nervous system in a state of calm and relaxation, cortisol, our stress and anxiety hormone, is also low. In fact, when you are ever in a state of panic or fear, observe your heart rate, breath, and pranic somatic hot zones.

Often, times, one of these is going to be haywire.

The real problem does not lie here. After all, these physiological responses are only meant for survival.

Interestingly enough, in the modern age, our software seems to have some flaws that didn’t exist before.

Threats to survival don’t exist anymore or as much, but these hormonal functionalities still do. Non-life threatening aspects of our lives ranging from our phone running out of battery to schoolwork or even minor disagreements or things we see online can induce higher levels of baseline anxiety, fear, or general unrest or unease.

This can then turn into a multitude of problems. Mental health and physical health begin to deteriorate, and the body begins to trap and hold energy in different parts of the body. This causes further unrest, and it is very subconsciously so those who are less aware can easily fall victim to it and never truly escape.

During all of this your respiratory rate is much higher. It is almost as if your body is constantly sensing threats to survival so it ups the ante.

When you have certain absolute expectations about certain parts of experience, they can unconsciously exhibit control of breathing. If something or someone behaves outside of this expectation window, it can affect our mood.

The next time feelings of angst manifest themselves, right at that moment focus on the breath, take a deep 4 second in-breath. Fill your lungs entirely, then exhale for 8 seconds. Hold for 4, then inhale again and repeat the process.

This slows the heart down and reduces blood pressure, in turn calming down activity in the brain. The source of most disease, the brain can be your biggest enemy or best friend.

Once brain activity is slowed, it stops feeding negative thoughts and the immorality and unworthiness of most feelings dissipate. Often times, our bodies become addicted to these negative states of being, deeming them almost unavoidable.

Once breath and awareness is mastered, the realization that there is never any need to feel these ways comes alive and takes a seat in the heart of hearts. Realize, and be free, let go, and be free, breathe, and be free from breathing itself!

You must practice non-attachment to all that is experienceable on this plane. This becomes much easier once breath-control (pranayama) is mastered. All becomes easier, but it is important to even let go of the breath and heartbeat to progress. Remember, you are not the body, but your spirit expresses itself through the constitution of the physical body according to its desires.

Many have the notion that karma is a magical universal feature that rewards the righteous, and punishes wrongdoers.

This is incorrect. Once I paint the picture of karma clearly, it will make sense how this view has come to be.

A more accurate definition of karma can be defined as, “You are what you repeatedly do.” In Sanskrit, the word “karma” translates directly to action.

Whether it exists or not isn’t a matter of debate. It is not a moral or ethical religious code, engineered solely for control or for the otherwise morally bankrupt to rely on.

You may be inquiring, so what? What importance does this have? Why should I care? I already know what cause and effect is, this is simply common sense?

And you are partially correct and valid in thinking this.

However, allow me to propose an integral question.

What influences action? What exactly determines how we act in the first place?

“Oh, that’s easy, our nature requires us to act in order to survive, we act in our own interests!”

Then, what separates you, a human, from an animal like a dog, or cat?

Is that not solely acting on impulse? On primal desires only? From the reptilian brain?

No! We humans are much more capable than that. We possess innate curiosity, and the ability to control our breath, the ability to reason.

If we acted on whatever came to our minds 24/7, society would erupt into pandemonium!

But let’s say we did act on every desire, what would happen?

Unless the individual already has some vidya & gnosis, their desires only entrench them further in samsara. They know not what they are doing to and the true effects of it.

Most base desires are bottomless, and only create negative attachment and harmful thought loops.

People mindlessly engage in lust, overeating, gambling, stealing, manipulation, drugs, etc., the list goes on and on and on and on.

The problem is not the desires themselves, but how they shape you. These sorts of activities affect your emotional state and restructure your psyche, promoting over-attachment, identification with material states or phenomena, dependencies and addiction. All lead to constant states of insecurity, ignorance, anxiety, and fear states.

Overall, they lead to suffering, and a very hard detachment at the moment of death or transition from physical form to less dense forms.

Now, let me introduce you to a concept called the desire body. It is not quite a body like, per say, the astral body or the causal body, but it does exist in some sense if you like to think of concepts in their transcendental forms, for lack of a better umbrella term or [unclear] of philosophical thinking.

We “carry” it with us. It contains our desires, and is used to determine our body in the next life. It is an essential component in [unclear] what plays a role in our karma.

For those who awake to some degree by chance or karma, or being introduced to meditation, psychedelics, or spiritual science, their karma does not play as big of a role in deciding their life.

This is because a broader or more comprehensive awareness of reality and its inner and outer workings allows for autonomous decision making. If you understand you have free will to rise above your current desires and choose to act more in alignment with your higher self, karma becomes nothing more than a baseline to track progress and compare against.

This is where the real work begins, and the aspirant develops a further refined desire body. These desires determine his subsequent births, until eventually he progresses into the astral worlds and then causal and worlds. Slowly, they are born into higher and higher births, that’s why karma is so important. It plays a role in everything [unclear] and choice.

There also is no such thing as objectively good or bad karma. As you sow you shall reap. As you breathe, you shall reap.

Associate with the righteous. Associate with those of even temperament. Associate with those who foster unconditional love in their heart for all that exists. Speak no evil, do no evil, hear no evil. Practice stillness and awareness of the processes of the mind.