December 1, 2025

Inhale slowly through the nose. Hold it. Strong exhale through the nose. With some force. You should feel some contraction in your stomach with the exhale. What we just did is called the Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati Pranayama) This breathing method builds our internal heat, and according to Google, "supplies oxygen to the brain, and is believed to improve memory, concentration, and intelligence." Lets do another one. Start with an open mouth exhale, making a "hawh" sound. Inhale, audibly, through the nose. Now, exhale, audibly, through the nose. It should sound like ocean waves crashing. What we just did is called the Ujjayi Breath. Like the Breath of Fire, it also builds heat (while increasing focus, and activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the mind). Whenever I practices these breaths (which is always in my daily yoga class), I think to myself "Ok. It is time to bring the heat." In other words, it is time to work. It is time to lock-in. It is time to do something hard. Something that requires focus. On the mat, it is easy. You hear the yogi instructor say "now do this" and you do it. Though I've been practicing yoga for nearly a year now, it wasn't until today that it even occurred to me to take these two breathing techniques off the mat. My newly developed awareness led me to recognize that the essence of this breath-work is a beautiful, easy demonstration of ambition and execution. First, you have to make the decision to act. You must decide to take the heat building breath. (Decide to pursue something. Anything.) Then, you do it. You build the heat. (Try your thing out.) Then, after your first breath, you have to decide to do it a second time. Even if you 'didn't feel it' the first time around. (You won't see major results in one go around.) So you do it again, and again. (Fail, try, forget a bit, try again, etc.) Focus, concentration, memory improvement, and intelligence are at the centerfold of this technique, and of pursuing anything. Whether that is a skill, a craft, or something entrepreneurial, the formula for it is the same. This simple no-tools-required method of breathing encompasses the spirit of pursuit well.