Our breath is the one tool we carry with us from the moment of our birth to the moment of our death. It is the one involuntary bodily function that we all can also control voluntarily. We can choose to let our bodies, minds and emotions determine how we breathe or we can take control and alter the breath to support ourselves. That taking conscious control of our breath and using it alter our physical, mental, and emotional states is what the sages of the yogic traditions called pranayama. These days one can find many different recommendations for various breathing techniques to help you relieve emotions, reduce cortisol levels in your body, diminish sensations of pain, and so on. Ultimately, no matter which tradition you follow or what recommendations you may receive from others, your journey into the realm of using your breath as a tool for your health and wellbeing begins at birth and can be accessed at anytime by simply focusing on the inhale and then exhale. Then repeat. Like the waves of the oceans, sometimes the waves of our inhalations and exhalations are small and soft and other times they are large and roaring but they always flow in then out, in then out. The only difference between someone who is using their breath to help themselves and someone who isn't is whether or not they place any attention on their breath.