Náš dech není jen automatická fyziologická funkce. Je to most mezi tělem, myslí a vědomím. V každém nadechnutí se skrývá schopnost zklidnit mysl, proměnit emoce, obnovit energii a navrátit se k sobě. Kniha Dýchej tak, jak chceš žít ukazuje, že se k žádoucímu psychickému rozpoložení můžeme prodýchat. Učitel práce s dechem Matteo Pistono v ní předává sadu technik, které nám s tím pomohou. Navíc vysvětluje, jak a proč tyto nástroje fungují. Vychází přitom z jógové a buddhistické tradice, jejichž studiu se věnuje již více než třicet let. Čtenáře své knihy tak vede k pochopení kouzla skrytého v dechu a dává jim možnost s ním samostatně pracovat.
Dozvíte se:
jak dechem ovlivnit svou náladu, množství energie i výkonnost, jak si úpravou dýchání navodit snadnější usínání a kvalitnější spánek, jak nám dech může pomoci lépe se spojit se sebou samými, s přítomností i s tím, co nás přesahuje, jak se naučit dýchat nosem (a proč to dělat), jak pracovat s dechovými zádržemi tak, abychom je povýšili na superschopnost, jak zlepšit svůj život pomocí přijetí faktu, že jednou vydechneme naposled.
Matteo began studying Buddhism and yoga in Nepal in the early 1990s, and later lived and worked in Tibet for a decade. Pistono's writings about meditation, Buddhism, yoga, Himalayan and Southeast Asian cultural, political, and spiritual landscapes have appeared in The Washington Post, BBC, Buddhadharma, Tricycle, Men's Journal, Kyoto Journal, and HIMAL South Asia. Matteo earned a Masters in Indian Philosophy from the University of London. He has engaged regularly in extensive meditation retreats over the last twenty-five years, and he maintains a daily yoga asana, pranayama, and meditation practice.
Pistono was born and raised in Wyoming, completed his undergraduate degree in Anthropology from the University of Wyoming, and in 1997 he obtained his Masters of Arts degree in Indian Philosophy from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. After working with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. on Tibetan cultural programs, Pistono lived and traveled throughout the Himalayas for a decade, bringing to the West graphic accounts and photos of China’s human rights abuses in Tibet, which he wrote about in In the Shadow of the Buddha. He sits on the Executive Council of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists. Matteo and his wife Monica reside in Southern California.
I’ve learned a decent amount about the breath through my yoga practice, but really enjoyed learning more about the physiology (is that the word I’m looking for?) of the breath and its impacts on different bodily systems. Also, when the author was talking about mouth breathing, my first reaction was “ew good thing I’m not a mouth breather” and then OMG reader I have caught myself mouth breathing. Beware.
Absolutely brilliant book, a must read for everyone. My breathing has always been very poor with me often unconsciously holding my breath as a child which greatly impacted my anxiety and nervous system. We are told that breathing is an automatic process but I have learnt from this book that the way we breath is often not correct and is also harmful to our sense of peace and inner tranquillity. Since reading this book I have felt more aware of my breath, and how it impacts my well being. Highly recommend this to everyone. It is very well written and greatly enjoyable to read, and a book that every single person could get something out of. Written really well so is very enjoyable read, so far have found it extremely worthwhile and have mentioned it to others. Highly recommend
I highly recommend this book as a practical guide to getting started on different breathing exercises for different purposes, and I picked up a number of new tips to try when placing my focus on my breath. A very good blend of practical advice, with just the right amount of ancient wisdom.
But I didn't give it a fifth star because I don't believe it is a stand-alone book, and must be read in conjunction with other books that either give a more detailed explanation of how breathing evolved (like the recent work by James Nestor), or a more detailed explanation of how the eastern traditions came to pay so much attention to breathing.
I've read a number of books on breathing techniques, but none were as clear in their instruction as this one. I also do a pranayama practice without fully understanding what I am doing, this book filled in the gaps in my knowledge, and I am already engaging in some of the practices, "when are ready, your guru appears".
The main thing I took away from this book was "breathe through your nose", and to be honest, that alone will probably have more of a positive impact on my life than most books I read. It also made me much more conscious of my breath, and I enjoyed the variety of breathing techniques and exercises included in the book.