An Application of the Breathing Concept in Buddhism to Breathing Yoga Practice
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study explores the integration of Buddhist breathing concepts, particularly ānāpānasati (mindfulness of breathing), into contemporary yoga practice, highlighting its potential to enhance individual well-being and societal harmony. Three objectives: tracing yoga’s origin and development, analyzing how Ānāpānasati may refine yoga practice, and applying Ānāpānasati in breathing-based yoga. Data were collected via interviews with five practitioners versed in Theravāda Buddhism and Brahmanical (Vedic) traditions. This study underscores physiological, psychological, and ethical synergies between these traditions. Central to both practices are foundational breathing techniques that optimise autonomic nervous system function, reduce stress, and improve mental clarity. These methods foster physical health and cultivate emotional resilience, enabling practitioners to navigate challenges with equanimity by synthesising principles from Buddhist meditation and classical yoga.
The study emphasises how ānāpānasati’s focus on present-moment awareness complements yoga’s holistic philosophy, which unites body, mind, and spirit through postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), and ethical discipline. The four classical yogic pathways, Karma Yoga (selfless action), Jhāna Yoga (contemplative wisdom), Bhakti Yoga (devotional practice), and Kriya Yoga (energy cultivation), are examined as frameworks for addressing modern stressors, promoting balance across physical, cognitive, emotional, and energetic dimensions of human experience.
On a societal level, integrating breath-centric mindfulness into community and institutional settings holds transformative potential. By reducing stress-related health burdens, enhancing focus in educational and workplace environments, and fostering prosocial behaviours rooted in compassion, these practices offer scalable solutions to contemporary issues such as healthcare costs, productivity deficits, and social fragmentation. The ethical imperatives embedded in both traditions, including non-harm (ahimsa) and selfless service (seva), further model a vision of collective well-being grounded in mutual respect and cooperation.
The research concludes that the confluence of Buddhist breathing techniques and yogic discipline provides a robust, transdisciplinary approach to holistic health. It bridges ancient wisdom with modern scientific understanding, advocating for practices that not only elevate individual well-being but also nurture resilient, empathetic communities. By prioritizing mindful engagement over passive consumption, this integration presents a sustainable paradigm for addressing the complexities of 21st-century life, ultimately aligning personal transformation with broader societal flourishing.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The Journal of TCI is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence unless otherwise stated. Please read our Policies page for more information on Open Access, copyright and permissions.
References
Analayo Bhikkhu. (2006). Satipaṭṭhāna: The direct path to realization. Windhorse Publications.
Awasthi, B., Rastogi, R., & Nivethitha, L. (2015). Effect of anapanasati meditation technique through electrophotonic imaging. International Journal of Yoga, 8(2), 117–121. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-6131. 158474
Brems, C. (2024). Understanding the Psychology of Breath and Breathing. In Therapeutic Breathwork: Clinical Science and Practice in Healthcare and Yoga (pp. 127-171). Springer.
Brown, R. P., & Gerbarg, P. L. (2009). Yoga breathing, meditation, and longevity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1172(1), 54-62.
Bryant, E. F. (Trans.) (2009). The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali: A new edition, translation, and commentary. North Point Press.
Buddhadasa Bhikkhu. (1989). Anapanasati: Mindfulness of Breathing Vol. I, II, III.
Buddhaghosa. (2010). The path of purification (Visuddhimagga) (B. Ñāṇamoli, Trans.). Buddhist Publication Society.
Douglas, L. J. (2024). Yoga and Religion in the Quest for Happiness and Enlightenment. IntechOpen.
Feuerstein, G. (2008). The yoga tradition: Its history, literature, philosophy and practice (3rd ed.). Hohm Press.
French, J., Brown, R. J., & Bell, T. (2024). Breathing techniques in the treatment of depression: A scoping review and proposal for classification. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 24(3), 870-883. https://doi.org/ 10.1002/capr.12782
Germano, D. (2024). Dzogchen: Historical development and tantric influences. In Encyclopedia of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Retrieved from https://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzogchen
Gethin, R. (2004). On the practice of Buddhist meditation according to the Pāli Nikāyas and exegesis. In K. Trainor (Ed.), Buddhism: The illustrated guide (pp. 198–207). Oxford University Press.
Gunaratana, H. (2012). Mindfulness in plain English (20th Anniversary ed.). Wisdom Publications.
Jones, P. (2024). Lessons for the health-care practitioner from Buddhism. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 22(6), 812–817. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijem.IJEM_286_17
Maas, P. (2020). Yoga in transformation: Historical and contemporary perspectives. V&R unipress.
Mallinson, J., & Singleton, M. (2017). Roots of yoga. Penguin Classics.
Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Spence, D. W., Srivastava, N., Kanchibhotla, D., Kumar, K., Sharma, G. S., Gupta, R. & Batmanabane, G. (2022). The origin and clinical relevance of yoga nidra. Sleep and Vigilance, 6 (1), 61–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7
Payne, P., Crane-Godreau, M. A., & Gaylord, S. A. (2017). Somatic experiencing: Using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 788. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fpsyg.2017.00788
Pettit, J. W. (1999). Mipham's Beacon of Certainty: Illuminating the View of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection (Vol. 2). Simon and Schuster.
Prabhu, A., & Bhat, R. (2021). Neuroscience of the yogic theory of consciousness. Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2021(2), niab030. https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niab030
Saraswati, S. (2024). Traditional Brahminical practices of yoga. In P. Jones (Ed.), Happiness and the Psychology of Enlightenment (pp. 45–68). IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1006839
Satyananda, S. (2022). The origin and clinical relevance of yoga nidra. Journal of Integrative Medicine, 6(1), 61–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7
Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916
Thanissaro, B. (Trans.). (2024). Anapanasati Sutta: Mindfulness of breathing. Access to Insight. Retrieved from https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/ mn/mn.118.than.html
Wielgosz, J., Goldberg, S. B., Kral, T. R. A., Dunne, J. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2016). Mindfulness meditation and psychopathology. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 12, 285–316. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093423
