As successive cold fronts sweep across Taiwan, plunging temperatures and fluctuating air quality have heightened respiratory discomfort among the public. This seasonal shift has also made people more keenly aware of how every breath affects their physical and mental well-being. Breathing, while seemingly routine, is a fundamental life process and a critical scientific bridge connecting physiology, emotion, and the environment.
Against this backdrop, the Aerosol Science Research Center (ASRC) at National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) recently hosted an eco-psychospiritual workshop titled "Let's Take a Deep Breath: When Ancient Indian Yogic Wisdom Meets Modern Science." The event drew nearly 100 onsite participants, while a global livestream attracted over 1,000 viewers from countries including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
"Breathing may appear mundane, but it is actually governed by highly sophisticated physiological and neural regulatory mechanisms," noted Professor Chia C. Wang, Director of the ASRC and Professor of Chemistry at NSYSU. She explained that contemporary research shows mindful breathing can stimulate the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and oxytocin, while regulating cortisol levels. These processes activate the vagus nerve and balance the autonomic nervous system, helping to stabilize emotions and enhance focus. Such scientific findings echo the long-standing emphasis on breath cultivation found in ancient civilizations.
The workshop integrated millennia-old Indian yogic philosophy with the latest research on respiration and air quality. A special guest, Dinesh Kashiji—a senior teacher from the India-based The Art of Living Foundation shared how ancient yogic practices use specific breathing rhythms to calm the mind and harmonize the body's internal state.
The session opened with a musical meditation led by Fei, founder of Longyuetang. Using a "heart-soothing zither" (Fuxinqin), Fei guided participants to reconnect with their bodies and the present moment. Amidst the winter chill, participants were invited to "inhale the sky and exhale into the earth," experiencing the profound interdependence between humans and the ecosystem.
From a scientific standpoint, Professor Wang reminded the audience that cold snaps often coincide with deteriorating air quality. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, over 90% of the global population is chronically exposed to polluted air, making the quality of the air we breathe as vital as the act of breathing itself.
In alignment with this, the ASRC has been actively promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Inner Development Goals (IDGs). These frameworks emphasize that sustainability is not merely a matter of external systems and technology; it requires cultivating inner capacities such as self-awareness, systems thinking, and collaborative action.
"Ecological awakening is, at its core, a collective spiritual awakening," Professor Wang concluded. "When we realize that every breath connects us intimately to the environment, ecological protection ceases to be a mere external obligation—it becomes a natural expression of inner awareness."
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Media Coverage
冷空氣下的生命科學 中山大學從呼吸談永續 (中山大學氣膠科學研究中心)
https://aerosol.nsysu.edu.tw/news_info/14/1/358
冷空氣下的生命科學 中山大學從呼吸談永續 (中山新聞)
https://news.nsysu.edu.tw/p/406-1120-369759,r2910.php?Lang=zh-tw
冷空氣下的生命科學 中山大學從呼吸談永續 (台灣新生報)
https://www.tssdnews.com.tw/?FID=67&CID=848983
冷空氣下的生命科學 中山大學從呼吸談永續 (台灣好報)
https://newstaiwan.net/2026/01/09/397853/
中山大學氣膠科研中心生態身心靈工作坊 邀印度瑜伽講師卡西吉分享呼吸調節身心 (鮮週報新聞網)
https://freshweekly.tw/?pn=vw&id=3252h2epodfp
冷空氣下的生命科學 中山大學從呼吸談永續 (波新聞)
https://www.bo6s.com.tw/news_detail.php?NewsID=106985
冷空氣下的生命科學 中山大學從呼吸談永續 (Yahoo新聞) https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E5%86%B7%E7%A9%BA%E6%B0%A3%E4%B8%8B%E7%9A%84%E7%94%9F%E5%91%BD%E7%A7%91%E5%AD%B8-%E4%B8%AD%E5%B1%B1%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%B8%E5%BE%9E%E5%91%BC%E5%90%B8%E8%AB%87%E6%B0%B8%E7%BA%8C-063710044.html
冷空氣下的生命科學 中山大學氣膠科學研究中心從呼吸談永續 (天天上新聞)
https://mknews.com.tw/2026/01/902227/
冷空氣下的生命科學 中山大學從呼吸談永續 (寫生活新聞)
https://enews-life.com.tw/2026/01/632621/
冷空氣下的生命科學 中山大學氣膠科學研究中心從呼吸談永續 (PChome 新聞)
https://news.pchome.com.tw/living/focusnews/20260109/index-76793740858150302009.html