The Yogic Breath

Being sick is not a static state of being. It is a process; it is fluid, continuing only as long as you nourish it. By removing your support, you can reverse the process. Once you stop feeding it, once you alter the conditions necessary to keep it going, it (the disease) will starve and eventually disappear.

When you breathe properly, you bring nourishment and vitality into your system. The vital force (prana) helps the body mobilize its resources against disease. With greater force mobilized against it, the disease is forced to respond to less harmonious conditions within the body.

The full breath, what I call the Yogic Breath, is a synthesis of the three basic breaths and is often called the complete breath. The three elements are: the abdominal breath in which the abdomen is expanded and stretched downward; the mid-breath in which air, once having filled the abdomen, expands to fill the chest cavity, expanding the rib cage and lifting the shoulders; and the nasal breath, in which air, having first filled the abdomen and then the chest, fills the nasal passages and continues filling the head. In complete Yogic breathing, not only do you bring more oxygen into your physical body, but you stimulate the chakras by bringing prana down through the abdomen and up to the top of the head. As you know, everything vibrates, including prana, and its vibration affects the chakras, helping to keep them open and functioning harmoniously.

Correct breathing is an essential part of the other techniques mentioned in this book. So, I encourage every one of you to take time each day and practice the exercise described below. You will find it very beneficial.

Begin by sitting in a comfortable position with your back straight and your legs flat on the floor. You can use the lotus position if you like. Once you're sitting comfortably, place your right hand on your abdomen just below the solar plexus. This will help you feel the rhythm of your breath and will make it more fluid and rhythmic. Then close your eyes. Closing the eyes is not essential, but it will help you to relax, making rhythmic breathing easier. Begin by breathing in; first filling your lower lungs with air. With your hand on your abdomen, you will feel the muscles of your diaphragm stretch as your stomach becomes slightly extended. Continue breathing inward, feeling the air fill the middle and upper part of your lungs. Your shoulders will lift and the muscles of the rib cage will stretch as the lungs expand. During the mid-breath, some people feel pain in the upper back between the shoulder blades. The pain is caused by muscles which over the years have contracted and have become stiff.This is largely due to improper breathing. Don't let a little discomfort discourage you, press on. In a few days the discomfort will disappear and your muscles will return to their normal state of elasticity. After air has filled your lungs, let it continue to rise, filling your nasal passages and head, giving you a light pleasant sensation. When you exhale, reverse the process, letting the nasal passages empty first and then the upper, mid, and finally the lower lungs. Your shoulders will naturally drop and the diaphragm will then return to its normal position. Without separation between inhalation and exhalation, continue this exercise for about five minutes. At first, reserve special times during the day for practice, but once the rhythm is mastered, you should make this form of breathing the norm. Become attentive to your breathing and gently bring it back to the complete breath every time it becomes shallow or falls into an old habit.

Now, a NOTE OF WARNING: be sure that you are gentle with yourself! Don't fall victim to watching yourself and your breathing all the time. Don't become obsessive about it, because you will simply undermine yourself in other areas, and instead of liberating yourself, you will restrict yourself even more.