Friday, April 17, 2009

Carbon Footprints - Pranayam Helps


As a human being, we have an inquisitive brain; and to justify our every deed without paying much attention towards the facts is our habit. It is a very natural tendency of us to blame everything except us for the results that could not go our way. Why and how long we have to live with the same? Why we can not hold ourselves responsible for a few destructive things that could have been restricted? It is a time to introspect, to peep in side the darkness, which is prevailing within me, in the form of lack of awareness or I must say “Wisdom.”

Carbon footprint- this is the word that stings me every now and then. I was reading many stories off late, and measures that we must take in order to check carbon emissions. Why we woke up so late? After destroying everything, did we realize suddenly? This is called as corporate.

For every project, we always do a SWOT analysis, and it shows us the Threats as well. But in the name of development we ignored it; not that we did not know where this development would take us. To repent over the spilt milk is human being. And let us try to control our carbon footprints now. Can we shut down all the factories? Can we grow a jungle over night to control our carbon emissions? And by the time our jungle grows up, what would be the extent of carbon produced by our on going projects? It is a very clear and simple calculation, and the inference is pricking me somewhere at the level of my soul. I have to blame myself for all this, and I wish to take the responsibility.

Largest source of carbon production is the humanity in fact. What is the total population of the world? It is beyond my imagination, and still growing each passing day. We breathe out for 18 – 20 times per minute approximately. That means individual breaths out for 25920 times per day approximately. And here onwards we can calculate the amount of breathes expelled out on yearly basis by an individual. And with every such breath we emit carbon dioxide in the environment. The amount of carbon released by all the human beings, across the globe, at the end of each passing minute aghasts me. 

The fountain of traditional wisdom in the form of philosophy gives us the in sight. It shows us the absolute truth, and tries to differentiate us from the canines. Because we can analyze and based on facts we can draw an inference as well. Yoga philosophy was narrated only to take the human quest of spirituality to a new height. Unfortunately, it became a science of flexibility and refrained within the art of postures itself. Yoga is a true mirror of ones self. It connects us to our inner being. And Pranayam plays a major role in this process of spiritual realm.

Pranayam is an art of breath control. The philosophy behind it is that we have been given a set number of breaths for our life time, and slower we breath longer we live. It may sound absurd, because we live in the era of evidence based practice. But do I need to explain the physiology of breathing? Slower we breathe; better the exchange of gases occurs in side the lungs, which results in good amount of oxygen supply to the body. The other aspect of this Pranayam is the one that I am discussing or trying to explore; it can help us controlling our carbon footprints as well. For that matter we have to control our over all breathing process. We have to insist on deep breathing process, instead of our routine shallow breathing. Deep breathing automatically cuts down the speed of inhalation, now only thing we need to do is to with hold the breath as long as we can. There should be no compulsion initially that how long you have to hold, but gradually we should increase the timing of holding on to the breath. This process in Yoga philosophy is called as Kumbhaka. Now as a last step we need to expel the air as slowly as possible. With this simple process, if we can reduce our two breathes per minute individually, can you imagine the extent of reduction in carbon amount controlled by every intelligent, and awakened individual on this earth. In my opinion, it would be the most effective and practical step to check our carbon footprints. As per my belief, a true spirituality is to find out the solace with in ourselves, rather than rushing around here and there in search of it. Quest of spirituality can never be resolved merely by asking questions to the prophets who themselves are confused by materialism; but the true prayer towards the Almighty is to find out the answers within myself. Lord Krishna says,

Sarvam anyat parityajya Mam ekam sharnam gacha !!

Bhagvad Gita

Leave everything else behind and follow the path of myself. Try to find out this “myself.” Probably, all your prayers would be answered, all your questions would be solved.

In the name of Lord Brahma – the wisdom, for the sake of humanity.

 

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