Why do we match Breath to Movement?

In a variety of different practices there is an element of combining breath and movement in a synchronized way. There are several reasons for it but I’m going to just focus on one, mind body connection. Many people feel that their mind and body are disjointed or fractured beings, sometimes even in conflict with each other. What we seek to do in this practice is reintegrate the entirety of our being into a single whole by forging a strong mind-body connection. The only major automatic system in our bodies that we can readily take conscious control of is our breath, so we can use it as a gateway to connect the mind into the body. By taking conscious control of our breath we bring our mind’s focus inside ourselves, and then by linking that to our bodies motions, particularly that of the spine, we can use that same focus to enliven our bodies and awaken active control and sensation throughout.