Monto walks briskly for one-and-a-half hours every day – morning and evening. Recently, he decided not to use the elevator. He walks up to our flat on the twelfth floor without pausing after his 90-minute walk and … he’s breathing absolutely normally. Not one puff or pant from this guy. He’s fit, man!

The secret of great stamina lies in correct breathing. Watch a sleeping baby intently and you’ll see its tummy – not chest – rise and fall deep and even. This is the stamina-breath. Now, watch yourself – when you inhale, does your upper chest expand and then contract as you exhale? Do it right, dude!

Practise daily. Lie on your back, eyes closed. As you inhale slowly through your nostrils, make your tummy swell outward filling it with pure, fresh oxygen. As you exhale through your mouth, draw your tummy in gradually to exhale all toxins.

Visualise the rise and fall of your tummy synchronising with the flow and ebb of ocean waves. Breathe this way until you’re virtually in a trance and your vision behind your eyelids is a shimmering orange colour. When you open your eyes, you’ll feel relaxed, fresh and your surroundings will appear vividly etched and bright. Soon, it will become a habit. It’s worth it – you’ll rid yourself of tiredness, headaches and pressures. This makes not just good sense but also good science. The brain and other organs need our blood flow to transport oxygen into them. If we breathe shallow, we just don’t take in sufficient oxygen and the blood has to be pumped faster by the heart to prevent us from fainting. However, since this is not an optimal process, in time, we are vulnerable to migraines, blackouts, blood pressure problems, weak eyes.

To explain a little more: There’s a ‘gas exchange’ in our lungs – oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxide is released from the lungs to be exhaled out of our system.

Shallow breathing means the exchange does not reach the lower lungs. This weakens the lungs and you can’t run up the stairs without gasping. Gyaan: When you breathe easy, you live easy.

Wish you a happy, breathtaking new year!

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