Breath Talks
Breathing (spiration or ventilation) is the rhythmical process of moving air into (inhalation) and out of (exhalation) 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) increases the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide, causing a rise in the pH of the ECF. Under-breathing (hypoventilation), on the other hand, decreases the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide and lowers the pH of the ECF. 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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SesshinSerial: BZ-02314 zazen, Sesshin Sesshin, Breath, Separation, Mundane Life, Oneness, Daily Life, Conversation, Posture... |
Jun 20 2013 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Zazen and the Seven Factors of EnlightenmentSerial: BZ-02227 Beneficial Attachment, One-Day Sitting Passive and Active Zazen
Shikantaza, Posture, Breath, Zazen, Monkey Mind, Concentration, Big Mind, Mindfulness... |
Jan 21 2012 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sutra on BreathingSerial: BZ-01210D One-Day Sitting Breath, Happiness, Four Foundations, Birth-and-Death, Mindfulness, Subject-and-Object... |
Jan 14 2006 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Breathing OutSerial: BZ-01186 Sesshin Day 2 Breath, Pure Existence, Renunciation, Buddha Nature, Karma, Don't Know Mind, Big... |
Sep 04 2005 Berkeley Zen Center |
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BreathSerial: BZ-00101A Saturday Lecture Breath, Maylie Scott, Daily Life, Liberation, Harmonizing, Practice Period, Don'... |
May 19 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Breath and PostureSerial: BZ-00085A One-Day Sitting Breath, Posture, Posture, Instruction |
Aug 06 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Breathing, Theravada/Zen SufferingSerial: BZ-00194B Sesshin Day 3 Breath, Theravada, Samadhi, Mundane Life, Attachment, Daily Life, Four Foundations,... |
Sep 06 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Breathing (Thich Nhat Hanh)Serial: BZ-00194A Sesshin Day 2 Breath, Thich Nhat Hanh, Four Foundations, Peace, Concentration, Happiness,... |
Sep 05 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Full Awareness of Breathing SutraSerial: BZ-00108B Sesshin Day 2 Breath, Big Mind, Subject-and-Object, Mindfulness, Liberation, Four Foundations,... |
Mar 25 1994 |
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Posture and BreathSerial: BZ-00511B One-Day Sitting Posture, Breath, Posture, Concentration, Instruction, Harmonizing, Interview,... |
Jul 15 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Posture, Breath, AttitudeSerial: BZ-00904B Saturday Lecture Posture, Breath, Posture, Dragons, Happiness |
Nov 21 1987 Berkeley Zen Center |
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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 |