Jigsaw puzzle by Nina Torr
Buy online
I Catch Joy from the Air
i
"Beach at Cabasson" by Henri–Edmond Cross, 1891–1892, The Art Institute of Chicago/Rawpixel (public domain)
Breathe In

I Catch Joy from the Air

On the Pleasures of Thoughtful Breathing
Jan Stoberski
Reading
time 7 minutes
Jan Stoberski:
was a writer. In Kraków, people recall that he lived like a Franciscan monk, never ate too much, went everywhere by foot, and would lend any money he made on literature to others. He would chronically visit people and listen to them.

Enough of mindless breathing! Let’s stop wasting air, inhaled without any pleasure. In times that are laced with thick smog, we recall a text from the archives of “Przekrój”.

A few breaths of fresh air often provide me with more energy than a multi-course dinner. Because, although a feeling of worry plagues me and all I want to do is heave a big sigh, upon swallowing a larger portion of oxygen once or twice, my mood immediately becomes brighter, while my deep breaths finally turn into bursts of laughter.

Molecules of air are therefore my reliable allies – my consolers proven many times over – who are ready to come to my rescue whenever I summon them. After all, I have an abundance of them at my side at any given moment. I can count on them more than anything else, as I cannot always have a friend, my favourite dog, trees or flowers within reach. A man who could make the air the object of his desire would probably never walk the planet with his head hung in despair as a bitter and disappointed lover.

I sometimes imagine that I am

Information

You’ve reached your free article’s limit this month. You can get unlimited access to all our articles and audio content with our digital subscription. If you have an active subscription, please log in.

Subscribe
Jan Stoberski:
was a writer. In Kraków, people recall that he lived like a Franciscan monk, never ate too much, went everywhere by foot, and would lend any money he made on literature to others. He would chronically visit people and listen to them.
Translation: Mark Ordon
Publish date: 22.03.2019

Also read:

Slowly, Through the Nose
i
"Study of Clouds with a Sunset near Rome", Simon Alexandre Clément Denis,1786-1801, Getty Museum/Rawpixel (public domain)
Breathe In

Slowly, Through the Nose

The Science of Yogic Breathing
Łukasz Kaniewski
Łukasz Kaniewski:
He writes about space, which is where he lives. He has mess on his desk (and likes to rhyme all the time). He uses public transport.

The way we breathe can influence those body systems that do not directly depend on our will.

A scientist from the University of Pisa, Andrea Zaccaro, studies the influence of yogic breathing on the state of the body and mind. In his latest experiment, he asked 16 people familiar with yoga techniques to breathe through their nose at a very slow rate (just 2.5 breaths per minute) for a quarter of an hour. Over the next 15 minutes, the participants were asked to breathe through their mouth (at the same speed). Later, the participants were asked about their feelings. They all agreed that breathing through their nose put them in a state of introspection and concentration, while breathing through their mouth did not.

Continue reading