A common characteristic of perfectly healthy individuals is a high level of carbon dioxide in their blood, which can be as much as 6.5%

Years of research have revealed that one common trait among perfectly healthy individuals is a high level of carbon dioxide in their blood, reaching up to six and a half percent. This finding indicates that the quantity of CO2 in the blood is crucial for all metabolic processes in the body.

We learn in school that erythrocytes, or red blood cells, transport oxygen molecules from the lungs to the body’s tissues. However, when carbon dioxide levels are low, these oxygen molecules cannot detach from the erythrocytes, allowing them to circulate for extended periods still bound with oxygen. This leads to a counterintuitive situation known as the Bohr effect, initially described by Christian Bohr, Niels Bohr’s father. The Bohr effect illustrates that a deficiency of carbon dioxide in the blood can cause severe oxygen deprivation, even if the blood is saturated with oxygen.

In essence, the oxygen we breathe from the atmosphere serves as a double-edged sword.

Firstly, the body can become critically deprived of oxygen if atmospheric oxygen does not enter the cells. For oxygen to be utilized by the cells, it must be converted into atomic or ionized form.

Secondly, an increase in atmospheric oxygen within the body can lead to a higher presence of free radicals, potentially causing significant harm.

The oxygen content in the atmosphere is mirrored in our blood, yet the level of CO2 in our blood is significantly lower than what our body requires. Consequently, deep and frequent breathing can lead to the depletion of carbon dioxide from the body, which may disrupt various metabolic processes.

The theory of deep breathing diseases

This theory posits that everything is quite straightforward. Deep breathing, which refers to our most common breaths, is believed to supply us with an abundance of oxygen. Indeed, it is beneficial, but only in a very small dose, far less than what we actually inhale. The surplus oxygen that enters the body is not only wasted but can also be detrimental. Once the hemoglobin’s “empty wagons” are filled with oxygen, the blood becomes saturated. Any additional, unnecessary oxygen will not be absorbed and cannot be transported to the cells. However, taking deep breaths means we also exhale vigorously. During exhalation, this excess, unutilized oxygen is expelled, but it also carries away something else along with it—carbon dioxide.

If the carbon dioxide content in the blood falls below 3.5%, it can be fatal. Between 6.5% and 3.5%, a variety of diseases may occur. The body cannot tolerate a drop in CO2 levels below 3.5% as it is life-threatening. To prevent this, it initiates protective measures: it obstructs the nasal passages, causes spasms in the smooth muscles (such as those in the stomach, intestines, and heart), and narrows the blood vessels to stop the excessive loss of CO2. Consequently, conditions like heart disease, diabetes mellitus, pulmonary tuberculosis, and vegetative-vascular dystonia can arise. While many of these conditions are deemed incurable, that is not always the case. They can and should be addressed, but through methods that reduce deep breathing rather than increase it.

Yogis believe that each person is allotted a certain number of breaths at birth, and life ends when this count is exhausted. It is suggested that holding one’s breath may extend life expectancy. Notably, the depth and rate of breathing are influenced by the body’s metabolic rate; a higher metabolism leads to deeper, more frequent breaths. Life expectancy is primarily determined by the rate of metabolic processes. Predators, with their rapid breathing and high metabolic rates necessary for detoxifying the body, typically have shorter lifespans of 10-15 years.

Galapagos tortoises are known for their longevity, which is attributed to their slow metabolism. Some scientists believe that by reducing our body temperature by one degree, thereby slowing our metabolic rate, we could potentially extend our lifespan significantly, perhaps to 200 or even 300 years.

Such scientific endeavors are sometimes compared to an attempt to reach heaven without good deeds, as if bypassing the natural order. It is suggested that by adhering to the laws of nature, people can achieve longevity, as evidenced by certain populations in Eastern Tibet and Western China, where lifespans of 120-140 years are not uncommon. The oldest documented person, Dr. Li of Tibet, reportedly received recognition from the imperial Chinese government at 150 years old, and again at 200. He is said to have lived until the age of 256, a feat not considered extraordinary among Himalayan yogis, according to Nicholas Roerich.

Studies have shown that consuming meat, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, and other intoxicants triggers a metabolic surge in the body, leading to an increase in both the depth and frequency of breathing. This occurs as all endocrine glands work intensively to eliminate these substances quickly. Such activity contributes to the body’s rapid deterioration, premature aging, and decline. Frequent occurrences of these “surges” can significantly impact a person’s overall well-being and life expectancy.

Additionally, research indicates that among individuals with similar lifestyles, those who are believers and optimists tend to be healthier.

Eastern teachings highlight a crucial aspect: our breathing is influenced not just by our diet, but significantly by our state of consciousness. Negative thoughts or emotions, often termed sinful, immediately cause our breathing to quicken and deepen. Consider how anger, resentment, greed, envy, and lust affect our respiration. In contrast, higher-order emotions naturally slow our breathing; profound spiritual experiences can leave us breathless, and in a state of spiritual trance, breathing may nearly cease.

For the discerning and reflective, this presents much to ponder: higher-order energies (consciousness in goodness) can sustain and extend life, whereas lower-order energies (passion and ignorance) tend to shorten it. Merely allowing a negative thought into one’s consciousness can, therefore, reduce one’s lifespan.

Thus, all classical yoga systems and meditative practices commence with the mastery of yama and niyama stages. Yama involves eschewing all that leads to an increase in the depth and frequency of breathing at the physical level, such as impurities in diet and behavior. Niyama encompasses the study of sacred texts, the recitation of mantras, and prayers to cleanse the mind of negative thoughts, thereby eliminating the subtle triggers of deep breathing.

Eastern practitioners liken the mind to the surface of a lake, with mental disturbances akin to ripples and waves that distort clear vision and impede coherent thought. The breath and mind are intimately connected: a tranquil mind equates to serene breathing, while an agitated mind leads to erratic breathing. This relationship is reciprocal. Hence, in meditative disciplines, significant emphasis is placed on pacifying and regulating the mind through the control of breath, which is vital for apprehending the Absolute Truth. A serene mind allows the sediment of material cravings to settle, leading to a state of spiritual illumination.

Through conscious breath control and careful management of their emotions and awareness, experienced yogis can minimize their body’s metabolic processes, which some claim allows them to live for centuries. While they lack documentary evidence of their age—passports and birth certificates didn’t exist when they were born—they have vivid memories of events from hundreds of years past. One such yogi emerges from meditation every 12 years to participate in the Kumbh Mela, a gathering of yogis in Allahabad. Despite being 600 years old, he appears youthful.

To achieve a long and happy life, it’s not necessary to reduce body temperature. By avoiding factors that accelerate metabolic processes, we can potentially extend our lifespan two or threefold. A life of purity and health sustains our youth, health, and beauty, whereas indulgence and ignorance can lead to their decline.

Yoga treatises state that by easing one’s breathing, a person simplifies their life and can positively alter their destiny, as an individual’s karma is inscribed in their subtle body, which is closely linked to the flow of prana, or life energy, within the body. However, before delving into practice, it is necessary to understand a bit more theory.

Every individual possesses a natural pause between inhalation and exhalation, and vice versa, which can indicate their health status and blood carbon dioxide levels. A control pause is the natural interval after exhaling (or inhaling) in a relaxed state before the urge to inhale (or exhale) arises. Conversely, a delayed pause is the intentional curbing of the impulse to inhale (or exhale), which leads to a subsequent increase in breathing depth and frequency. For instance, if your natural pause lasts 15 seconds, you might consciously extend this period, after which the body will require time to recover and return to its natural breathing pattern.

In perfectly healthy individuals, the control pause lasts at least 45 seconds. English physiologists Holden and Priestley observed in their 1937 book “Breathing” that such respiratory capacity was common among sailors in the English fleet, selected for their superior health. Followers of Dr. Buteyko are often seen carrying stopwatches, using them to adjust their breathing rate to discern what is detrimental or beneficial to their health. It is conceivable that by meticulously avoiding anything that intensifies the depth and frequency of breathing, one could metaphorically reach heaven with a stopwatch in hand.

The agitated mind of a person can provoke aggression in animals and insects, so Indian beekeepers often use simple pranayama breathing exercises to calm themselves before approaching bees. This practice enables them to work without protective gear or smoke. It is believed that a virtuous individual, whose mind is aligned with divine will and is thus perpetually serene, can collect honey without causing disturbance to the bees. Such a person is thought to only take what is needed, ensuring the bees are not deprived of their sustenance. In Lithuania, there was once a custom where a prospective bride was asked by her future mother-in-law to retrieve honeycombs barehanded from a beehive. If the bees left her unharmed, it was taken as a sign that she was benevolent and would make a good wife and homemaker.

A significant validation of spiritual practice’s health benefits is the reduced oxygen demand of body tissues during prayer recitation. Eastern philosophies suggest that a person is allotted a certain number of breaths at birth, and the quicker one uses them, the shorter one’s lifespan may be.

Paths that lead to the Creator are believed to be light and natural, extending life and enhancing health.