Breath Talks
Breathing (spiration or ventilation) is the rhythmical process of moving air into and out of the lungs to facilitate gas exchange with the internal environment, mostly to flush out carbon dioxide and bring in oxygen.
All aerobic creatures need oxygen for cellular respiration, which extracts energy from the reaction of oxygen with molecules derived from food and produces carbon dioxide as a waste product. Breathing, or external respiration, brings air into the lungs where gas exchange takes place in the alveoli through diffusion. The body's circulatory system transports these gases to and from the cells, where cellular respiration takes place.
The breathing of all vertebrates with lungs consists of repetitive cycles of inhalation and exhalation through a highly branched system of tubes or airways which lead from the nose to the alveoli. The number of respiratory cycles per minute is the breathing or respiratory rate, and is one of the four primary vital signs of life. Under normal conditions the breathing depth and rate is automatically, and unconsciously, controlled by several homeostatic mechanisms which keep the partial pressures of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the arterial blood constant. Keeping the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood unchanged under a wide variety of physiological circumstances, contributes significantly to tight control of the pH of the extracellular fluids (ECF). Over-breathing (hyperventilation) and under-breathing (hypoventilation), which decrease and increase the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide respectively, cause a rise in the pH of ECF in the first case, and a lowering of the pH in the second. Both cause distressing symptoms.
Breathing has other important functions. It provides a mechanism for speech, laughter and similar expressions of the emotions. It is also used for reflexes such as yawning, coughing and sneezing. Animals that cannot thermoregulate by perspiration, because they lack sufficient sweat glands, may lose heat by evaporation through panting.
Title | Speaker | |
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Vajrayogini 9th Meditation: Recitation of Mantra Serial 00095 Breath, Passions, japanese, Ego, Duality, Peace, Freedom, Enemies |
Oct 27 1985 |
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Vajrayogini Parts 6, 7, 8 Serial 00094 Concentration, Breath, Two Truths, Balance, Sanctuary, Duality, Hate, Bell |
Oct 26 1985 Parts 6, 7, 8 ff. |
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Breathing in ZazenSerial: BZ-00405B Rohatsu Zazen, Breath, Zazen Mind, confusion, Discrimination, Big Mind, Birth-and-Death,... |
Dec 04 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Tsembupa Avalokitesvara, Serial 00081 Posture, Breath, Concentration, Letting Go, Renunciation, Mahayana, Mindfulness, Non-... |
Jul 17 1984 |
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1982.08.18-serial.00105 Daily Life, Liberation, Happiness, Freedom, lecture, Breath, confusion, Passions,... |
Aug 18 1982 |
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March 1st, 1982, Serial No. 00146 causation, Impermanence, Consciousness, Compassion, Evil, Politics, Separation,... |
Mar 01 1982 |
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Ngon Dro, and sleep yoga of Amitabha, Serial 00011 Buddha Nature, Conversation, Breath, Hindrances, Intention, Describe, Beginners... |
Apr 20 1980 |
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Ngon Dro: Vajrasattva, copy, Serial 00056 Japan, Intention, Passions, Evil, Precepts, Breath, Hindrances, Commitment, Non-... |
Mar 15 1980 |
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December 21st, 1979, Serial No. 00144 Breath, Posture, Compassion, Discrimination, Meditation, causation, American,... |
Dec 21 1979 |
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December 21st, 1979, Serial No. 00145 Breath, Concentration |
Dec 21 1979 |
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December 18th, 1979, Serial No. 00142 Breath, confusion, Evil, Fifth Precept, Beginners, Happiness, Emotions, Interview,... |
Dec 18 1979 |
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December 13th, 1979, Serial No. 00137 Concentration, Emotions, Right Effort, Separation, realization, Suffering, Oneness,... |
Dec 13 1979 |
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December 12th, 1979, Serial No. 00134 realization, Consciousness, Breath, Oneness, Lineage, Don't Know Mind,... |
Dec 12 1979 |
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September 5th, 1979, Serial No. 00133 confusion, Hate, Subject-and-Object, Community, Consciousness, Intuition, Beginners,... |
Sep 05 1979 |
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March 5th, 1979, Serial No. 00112 Silence, Compassion, Building, Balance, Culture, Breath, Religion, Suffering... |
Mar 05 1979 |
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March 5th, 1979, Serial No. 00113 Attachment, Silence, Passions, Breath, Suffering, Consciousness |
Mar 05 1979 |
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March 5th, 1979, Serial No. 00128 Silence, Building, Balance, Compassion, Suffering, Enemies, Culture, Breath, Religion... |
Mar 05 1979 |
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March 1st, 1979, Serial No. 00126 Fox, Breath, Bowing, Funeral, Conversation, Nirvana, Discrimination, Hate |
Mar 01 1979 |
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February 28th, 1979, Serial No. 00108 Hindrances, Posture, Balance, Teacher-and-Student, realization, Samadhi, Oneness,... |
Feb 28 1979 |
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Foundation Practices Seminar, Serial 00071 Ceremony, Mandala, Bell, Breath, Describe, Passions, Sangha, Monks |
Feb 26 1978 9 and 10 DR48 New York City? |
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August 19th, 1977, Serial No. 00089 Transmission, Dharma Transmission, Buddha Nature, lecture, realization, Rinzai, soto... |
Aug 19 1977 |