The Power of the Breath
description
Transcript of The Power of the Breath
2
Table of Contents
Introduction
My Personal Experiences With The Breath
What Can the Breath Do For You?
Part 1: The Theory
- Your Very First Breath
- Your Own Personal Breathing Pattern
- Change the Breathing Pattern, Change Your Life
- The Relaxation Response Vs The Fight or Flight Response
Pranayama and the Energy Body
Part 2: The Techniques
- Preliminary Techniques and a Word of Caution
- Nostril/Sinus Purification
- Nostril Breathing Formula
- Beginning Regimen
Practice Sessions
As You Go
- Breath Awareness Meditation
- Advanced Regimen
Practice Sessions
As You Go
- Energy Breathing: The Ultimate Healing of the Breath - Conclusion
3
Introduction
I wonder how you would react if I were to tell you that you didn’t know
how to breathe. It makes it easier, of course, for me to tell large amounts
of people this through a book, as I do not have to personally experience
their varied reactions to this statement. (Feel free to send me an email if
you must.) Being the person that I am, and being that the breath has been
one of my lifelong studies, curiosities, and companions, I have had the
opportunity to tell this to quite a few people in my life. The reactions can
be quite interesting and amusing, sometimes a little tense. Some people
just look at me like I’m a little bonkers, some people get quite offended. A
common reaction would be to say,
“Well I’ve been breathing since the day I was born and I’m still alive, so I
must know what I’m doing!”
A question I usually refrain from asking them is “but, really, how alive are
you?”
I’m going to make a bold statement at the beginning of this book by saying
that the degree to which you are able to breathe properly, efficiently, and
naturally, is directly equal to the degree of which you are alive, conscious,
mentally/emotionally healthy, and empowered. We will go into the
detailed information upon which I stake this claim, but I’m really a lot more
about showing you, rather than telling you. Nobody really learns, except
4
through experience. So I would urge you, if this idea seems strange or even
outrageous to you, to please suspend your judgment, if not enough to read
through this short book and experiment with the exercises. In other words,
I’m offering the experience to you now, and am asking you to come see for
yourself.
…You may be amazed at how much of the world you are not yet
experiencing.
My Personal Experiences With The Breath
If you’ve visited my site, and are acquainted with my other writings, you are
probably aware that I started my own personal spiritual journey with
brainwave entrainment technology. I had done some homework, and had
found that meditation appeared to be the common denominator of nearly
every spiritual, self-help, or mystical endeavor. This is true, but only half of
the story.
Meditation was not the only common denominator that I discovered.
Nearly every new-age, spiritual, or self-help book I read had something
about breathing. Even the King James version of the Bible. The Buddha
talked about breathing, Buddhism in general talked about breathing, nearly
any energy work or esoteric practice touched on breathing in correlation to
the technique being taught, Yoga obviously focused heavily on breathing. I
remember at first being even a little put out when I started reading my first
5
Tony Robbins book to find that, with how much of a focus he placed on the
mind, NLP, emotional mastery, and goal achievement, even he started out
first by laying a foundation of proper breathing.
The way it started to appear to me from all these varied points of view, all
focusing on breathing, was that it wasn’t just something important. It was
a fundamental precursor to achieving any sort of mastery in any endeavor.
So, at the early age of 19, as I was experimenting with brainwave
entrainment and meditation, I was also beginning my first experimentation
with the breath, breathing, pranayama, and everything related. This turned
out (so far) to be an 8 year journey (and counting), with astounding results
that not only provided me with answers and results, but have also left me
in a continual state of gratitude, awe, and amazement at how something so
simple, can do what it does.
I have put this book together as a gift to you, as one of the greatest gifts I
can offer someone. This is a collection of much of my life’s most important
work, and contains some of the greatest secrets that I have ever discovered
within the realm of human experience. I have done my best to keep the
material simple and easy to absorb, without deluding any of the power that
can be gained from understanding the information, and practicing the
techniques. Again, the information is very good to know, but it is far more
important to consistently apply the techniques. Along with the written
instructions there are also Video Instructions (that can be found at these
6
links: 20 Connected Breaths ; Shiva Mudra ) and to further help you master
the techniques. I highly encourage you to use these videos, as there are
subtleties in many of these exercises that make all the difference.
What Can the Breath Do For You?
As I said, the breath is fundamental to any endeavor you may be
undertaking, whether you are just working to improve your health, feel
better emotionally, achieve your full spiritual potential, make more money,
or attract that perfect someone into your life. The breath is the 1st step. It
is the foundation upon which the other techniques you are employing rest.
Attempting to reach your full potential and achieve success in life without
first mastering the breath is a lot like trying to earn an Olympic medal
without knowing how to perform basic stretches and warm-up exercises.
Sometimes it is amazing to me that we, as a human race, can be so
unaware and unconscious towards something so simple and close to us as
our own breath. Once you actually experience the difference, it’s almost
unbelievable. It certainly begs an answer to the question why. There are a
few answers to this question, but really the deepest answer to this question
is quite universal. This answer can also be applied to the question of why
the majority of us are so uninformed about proper nutrition and eating
habits, or why so many of us are still stuck believing that our thoughts and
emotions are things that just “happen” to us, rather than things that we
can be in complete control of. Or maybe even why so many of us are so
7
afraid to dream and imagine how we want our lives to be, even though this
is exactly what needs to be done for us to actually have these dreams begin
to happen.
In short, the simple answer to this question is that this is just where we are
right now as a collective human race. This is just one of the many by-
products of a certain type of unawareness that we have shared for
centuries as a species. And we are now, finally, standing at the threshold
where we can see what we have been missing. We can finally become
aware of these simple and fundamental truths about our existence that
have previously been clouded by ignorance, and pave the path for a whole
new way of being alive, physical, and human in the world we experience.
Metaphorically, it’s a matter of levels. By creating a solution at the very
foundation of our life structure, we are, in-turn, creating ripples that will
effortlessly remove obstacles and problems that exist throughout the rest
of the architecture that is our lives.
Part 1: The Theory
Again, this book is about taking action, and applying techniques and
practices, but before we get into the practices, we’re going to explore some
concepts and theory that will help to deepen your understanding of the
breath’s importance, and its overall effect on your state of consciousness,
your emotional energy, and your physical health.
8
Your Very First Breath
We’re going to start at the very beginning, and talk about your very first
breath. This is something from the Rebirthing Breathwork community that
provides an important key to why we are not already naturally breathing in
the most optimal manner, and why it is so important to first heal the breath
before we can achieve our full potential in life.
I want you to put yourself in the shoes of a new-born baby. Actually, I want
you to first put yourself in the shoes of a baby that hasn’t yet left the womb.
Here you are, inside your mother’s belly, with no knowledge whatsoever of
the physical experience of being human, separate from your mother, in
your own physical body. Your ears have only heard muffled sounds
(through your mother’s body of course). Your appendages have never
made contact with any physical objects. Your eyes have not opened yet to
perceive a world outside of you. You’ve never felt a breeze against your
skin, or really experienced more than a minute temperature change. Very
important to consider, you have never had the experience of needing
anything outside of yourself to ensure your survival. Everything you need is
automatically and naturally supplied to you from your mother. And, also
very importantly, you have never used your breathing mechanism.
Now, the moment of birth is at hand. You begin to feel changes in your
surroundings, your home. You begin to perceive that you are no longer
9
going to be able to remain in this place, as you begin to move through a
crowded and tumultuous birth canal. As you are squeezing through this
tight uncomfortable space, with absolutely no knowledge of how to use
your physical body, you begin to hear the muffled sounds of the outside.
People seem tense. Your mother is probably in pain, and is likely screaming
or yelling. Voices are talking and the situation seems very serious. As you
emerge from the opening your never-before used eyes are instantly
blinded by bright lights. Your never-before used ears are bombarded with
noise, and your body experiences an instantaneous temperature drop from
98 degrees to 70-75 degrees (whatever temperature the hospital room is
set to). As your vision begins to clear you see, for the first time, objects and
surroundings that are completely foreign and alien to you. You feel the last
physical connecting link between you and your mother (the umbilical chord)
cut, and at the moment you need to feel the comfort and reassurance of
your mother the most, you are whisked away by someone you do not know
at all (the doctor/nurse) and are forced to take your first breath. Your first
exhale likely comes out as a cry of agony, confusion, and pain at this
intense experience, one of being separated from your mother, and, in a few
short moments, transitioning from one state of being to an entirely
different state of being. A state of being that is much more physical, much
more dangerous. One where you are vulnerable, and no longer supplied
with everything you need without any effort on your part.
10
After you have taken your first breath, you are then probed, prodded,
tested, and checked before finally being returned to your mother’s arms, so
long as nothing is found seriously wrong with you.
At this point I want to make it clear that I am not providing this perspective
to call for radical change in the medical community or to impose blame on
doctors or parents for the way they handle a birth. I am simply presenting
this to you because it is important that we understand the conditions with
which our very first breath was associated. This is huge when you consider
how much our minds and brains associate our first experiences with
anything and the emotional state that was prevalent at the time. For
example, consider how most grown adults that were bitten by a dog as a
child are still afraid of dogs. Consider how a low blow about your
personality or physical appearance from someone you were infatuated with
can lead you to be self-conscious about that attribute years down the road.
To this day the popular opinion is that as newborn babies we were still
underdeveloped mentally, and were not really able to fully comprehend
what was happening at this time. This supposedly was enough to save us
from the trauma of the situation. Whether this is true or not, we’re not
really talking about comprehension. We’re talking about unconscious
processing. We’re talking about raw emotion and experience.
Another interesting thing to consider on this subject: if you have ever
researched or known anyone with serious post-traumatic stress disorder,
11
you will know that a common symptom is that the traumatic situation that
induced the disorder is often times inaccessible to the sufferer of the
trauma. And what is the one thing that nearly everyone on the planet does
not even remotely remember about their own lives? That’s something to
think about.
So what are we to do? I promise we’ll talk solutions soon, but please
indulge me a bit longer.
Your Own Personal Breathing Pattern
Each person has their own unique, largely unconscious breathing pattern,
just as unique and personal as their fingerprints. There could be a hold
here, a pause there, a tendency to wait at the end of the exhale, or a habit
of restricting the inhale. There is a way that people breathe when they are
sleeping, when they are falling asleep, when they are excited, when they
are upset, when they doubt themselves, and when they are feeling
empowered. There is also the way they breathe when they are
experiencing transcendental ecstasy, or when they are in complete
connection to their source.
If you are a breathing “geek” like me you may find this very fascinating. A
word of warning, however, your lovers might find it a little creepy to wake
up in bed to find you watching the way they breathe when they are asleep.
(I may or may not have learned this from experience.) Your ability to match
12
their breathing pattern and gain deep rapport with them later, when they
need it the most, will likely make up for this though. So observe away
weirdo.
I discovered the uniqueness of people’s breathing patterns personally
through my experimentations with NLP and matching physiology to gain
rapport. It was often times quite an eye-opening experience to observe the
mental/emotional state that would come from matching someone’s
breathing pattern. This is when it really dawned on me that from each
particular and unique breathing pattern, there stems a corresponding
particular and unique mental/emotional state. I found that those shallow,
choppy, restricted breathers were usually also those tense, uptight, anxious
personality types. Those slow, steady, rhythmic breathers were usually
those laid back, chill, relaxed types of people, and those deep, fast, almost
loud breathers were usually the energetic, boisterous, and talkative types.
This is not necessarily a golden rule. It’s very similar to posture and body
language. Yes it is entirely possible to still feel good with slumped
shoulders, but this is usually not the case. Usually the person that still feels
good with horrible posture has undergone some sort of mental training, or
has a more naturally conscious awareness to overcome these incongruent
signals. The same goes for breathing, and, very importantly, just as one can
consciously adjust their body language and posture to produce a desired
mental/emotional state, so can one adjust their breathing pattern to do the
same.
13
The real power comes when one has permanently adjusted their
unconscious breathing patterns and reactions, thus permanently changing
their prevailing mental/emotional state.
Change the Breathing Pattern, Change Your Life
There are a few stages to go through in permanently changing your
breathing pattern. The first is awareness of what you want to change. This
awareness is simply cultivated by paying attention to the breath in any and
all situations in your life. Breath-based meditation practices can help a lot
with this. The second step is to begin mastering the techniques that
empower your breathing mechanism to function optimally, which I will be
sharing with you in this book. The third step is to master these techniques,
and use them consciously and regularly, until they develop into a habit.
The final stage comes when you have long-since mastered the techniques,
and repeated the habit of using them over and over again, until these
breathing habits have become integrated into your subconscious. At that
point, you simply breathe optimally, with empowering breathing habits,
without having to think about it, or even be aware of it (though you will
probably never lose the degree of breath awareness that you gain through
the journey).
It is not very hard to simply use a certain type of breathing in the moment
to enhance your mental/emotional state. However, once you have
14
permanently changed your unconscious breathing habits, you have done
more than just given yourself a tool to change your state. By permanently
shifting your constant breathing patterns and reactions, you have also
permanently shifted your constant and prevailing mental emotional state,
meaning this is more than just changing your state in certain situations, but
is actually more like changing your personality, or overall demeanor, for the
better.
The Relaxation Response Vs The Fight or Flight Response
One of the most profound examples of the breath’s effect on one’s
emotional state is during times of intense stress. We are more ruled by our
primitive reptilian brains than we like to admit. Though some of our
greatest triumphs in our progress as a human race are based on our
intellect, there has also been a price to pay for it.
In our primitive stages as human beings, our survival was much simpler. A
threat to our survival was much more physical, and easy to recognize.
When our survival is threatened, of course, our fight or flight response kicks
in and gives us that extra boost we need to do just that, post up and
physically defend ourselves, or take off as fast as we can. Back in the early
days, this response was, for the most part, incredibly useful, and usually a
legitimate reaction. We had to run from wild animals, stand up and defend
our tribe, protect ourselves in harsh conditions, and close in on our prey in
order to keep ourselves and our families fed.
15
In our mental intellectual evolution as a species, shifting from a largely
physical mode of survival to a largely mental/intellectual form of survival,
our perception of what a threat to our survival is has changed quite
considerably. Nowadays a threat to our survival could be a mistake we
made at our job, a feeling of being judged, rejected, or alienated by others,
or a circumstance that requires us to be witty, make quick decisions, or stay
focused to think up a solution.
The problem is that, though our brain’s perceived “threats to survival” have
changed greatly over the years, revolving largely around mental,
intellectual circumstances, our brain’s/body’s reaction to these “threats”
has not evolved to accommodate these changes. Our fight or flight
response still does that same thing, pumping adrenaline into our systems
and invoking fear, stress, (and sometimes anger) as a means of motivation
to either get the hell out of the place or stand and fight. Unfortunately
when your adrenaline starts flowing, and you’re feeling these emotions,
you are usually only using a very small percentage of the rational,
intellectual part of your brain that is really needed to handle the situation
at hand in an effective manner. Quite ironic isn’t it?
I’ve digressed from breathing a bit here, but what I am getting at is that one
of the hallmarks of the fight or flight response that we experience in times
of stress is restricted breathing. I’m sure you know exactly what I mean.
Think of the last time you were really riled up, or really got a scare. Most
16
likely you were holding your breath, breathing very shallow and choppy, or
possibly having trouble breathing at all. Once you finally calmed down, so
did your breathing.
One of the most effective habits we can develop in life is to learn to take
slow, deep breaths when we are stressed out, upset, or afraid. This is the
more enlightened and advanced reaction to our mental/intellectual
“threats” for a whole variety of reasons. First, you are giving your brain and
body more oxygen, allowing you to think more clearly, and act more
effectively. Second, disengaging your fight or flight response and
minimizing the amount of adrenaline released into your system keeps you
from experiencing a bodily “burn out” later, and also enables you to
continue to use the larger percentage of your brain, where the real solution
to your issue lies. Third, when we reach the height of our mental evolution
as a species, we find that thoughts/feelings actually create reality, so these
perceived “threats” are not really threats at all, so long as we are able to
step back, keep our emotional state balanced and at peace, and use our
minds to find the correct perspective. The flipside of this strategy being
that we indulge in negative emotion and mental fretting, which puts more
energy into the problem and thus causes us to create and attract more of
that problem into our lives.
Summary of Part 1 Train yourself to become aware of your breath in
times of stress, fear, and negative emotion. Take slow, deep breaths. Once
this has become a natural reaction, you have conditioned yourself to use
17
the more effective “relaxation response” rather than the less-than-useful
“fight or flight response”. Of course, if your physical survival is being
threatened, by all means use that fight or flight response to protect
yourself. There still is a use for it. It’s just all about having the wisdom and
awareness to understand when the situation calls for it.
Pranayama and the Energy Body
So far we have covered more of the practical reasoning behind breath
awareness and mastery. Now we are going to step further into the
metaphysical. I am sure that, if you are even vaguely familiar with the law
of attraction and manifestation, that you have already connected some
dots as to why breath mastery can help improve your ability to live the life
you want to live. We are now going to explore the second half of this
concept.
Our body/mind units are largely regulated and powered by electromagnetic
energy. Though we will not spend much time getting into the specifics here,
we can simplify it by saying that each of our bodies have seven major
energy centers (chakras) running in alignment with our spines, which,
through our various energy channels (nadis, meridians, etc.) supply this
electromagnetic energy to our entire body and brain. Some of this energy
also flows in the space surrounding the outside of our body, producing a
field that most refer to as the aura. This energetic activity and flow is
largely interrelated with the sympathetic nervous system. I imagine that if
18
you have found your way to this book that you are, more or less, already
familiar with this concept.
Aside from the oxygen we receive from each breath we take, we are also
intaking life-force energy, also referred to as prana or chi. This life-force
energy is a lot like an invisible silver lining to the air we breathe, having a
large effect on our physical energy level, our mental/emotional balance,
and the flow of our electromagnetic energy. The way we breathe has a
large effect on how much life-force energy we are constantly taking in, and
how this life-force energy is affecting the various currents and energy
centers in our electromagnetic field. By mastering certain breathing
techniques, we are also mastering our ability to enhance our energetic
currents and flow, which in turn provides us with the means to further
master our mental/emotional state, our level of physical energy, and the
evolution of our consciousness. The art of using the breath in this way is
most commonly referred to as Pranayama Yoga.
Mastering Pranayama is one of the most powerful things an individual can
do to become the ruler of their own universe. The regular practice of
pranayama leads to supreme mental and emotional control and rapid
advancement of consciousness through the balancing of one’s chakra
system, and the awakening of the kundalini energy channels in the body. It
gives one extraordinary levels of energy, abilities in concentration, and
unusually good health and long life.
19
…and it’s fun. Long story short: Pranayama is awesome.
Part 2: The Techniques
So let’s get started! I want to further reiterate that what we are doing here
is training both your conscious awareness, and your unconscious mind to
form healthier, more natural, and more beneficial habits. In order to form
any habit, it is important that you are consistent, and committed to
uncompromising daily practice. I promise you that if you are disciplined
through your first month, the pranayama exercises will become more and
more pleasurable, and effective, once you really begin changing your habits,
and clearing the various energy blocks in your electromagnetic/nervous
system.
Preliminary Techniques and a Word of Caution
I will quickly caution you, these techniques are powerful. With as much
good as they can do for you, they can also be dangerous if not practiced
correctly. One of the keys to doing all of these exercises properly is that
you are relaxed and comfortable. There is a certain amount of pushing
yourself to master the various techniques, but if you are feeling discomfort
due to shortness of breath, or lightheadedness or dizziness, this is a sign
that you should tone it down a bit.
20
Nostril/Sinus Purification
You will be breathing through your nostrils for many of these exercises. It
can be a large inhibitor to have a clogged or blocked nostril. If you are
experiencing this issue, there is an easy yogic purification technique to aid
in keeping the nostrils clear. I recommend practicing this purification
anyways, as it is very useful in clearing a specific and key section of your
energy body- the nadis- and also works wonders in clearing sinus infections,
preventing headaches, and curing other sinus/mucous issues.
You will need a nedi pot. Usually the instructions on a nedi pot will tell you
to allow the water to flow into one nostril out the other. What you want to
do instead is learn to pull the water in through the nostrils, and expel it
through your mouth. This does take some practice to get used to when you
first begin, but becomes natural quite quickly. Practicing this will ensure
that your nostrils are consistently clear for your breathing regimen.
Nostril Breathing Formula
To gain the maximum amount of prana flow in your exercises, it is key that
your inhales and exhales are matching in their length of time, and their
intensity. If you are experiencing discomfort, or shortness of breath, simply
reduce the amount of time on your inhales and exhales until the exercise
becomes comfortable again. You can then slowly increase the timing as
you become more accustomed with the particular exercise.
21
A Tip For Breath Awareness Shock
It is not uncommon for one who is first increasing their awareness of the
breath to experience a shock, and feel as if they “don’t know how to
breathe” or that they are “not breathing properly” during their breath
awareness. This is simply a side-effect for some who have never paid
attention to this before, and have never really considered the subtleties of
their own breathing patterns. Know that you are not ever in danger, your
unconscious mind will always make sure that you are breathing ample
enough levels of oxygen to stay alive and conscious. If you experience
these anxieties, or any “shortness of the breath” when first becoming
aware of your breath, simply breath in this fashion for a few minutes:
Take a deep breath in. Hold it for 2-4 seconds. Exhale in the most
comfortable manner for you. Inhale again when it feels natural.
Basically the pause after the inhale helps you to feel more natural about
the breath again. You may not experience this issue at all, but if you do,
understand that this is a great sign that you are making progress in
reprogramming your unconscious mechanism, and gaining a greater
awareness of yourself.
22
One More Word of Caution
If you are hypertensive, or have high blood pressure, please proceed with
caution and restraint, and take the necessary measures to ensure that you
are not straining yourself.
Beginning Regimen
Practice this regimen for at least a month, or until you feel you have gained
a sense of mastery over the exercises, and have made progress in the
efficacy of your practice.
There are two types of breathing exercises: breathing exercises to be
performed in practice sessions (preferably twice a day in the morning and
at night), and breathing exercises to practice throughout the day to
maintain and enhance your energy levels, and retrain your more active
habitual breathing habits. It is a very powerful thing to stop when you are
most active or busy, become aware of the breath, and use one of these
exercises. This changes your entire routine, energetically,
mentally/emotionally, and physically. You will get results from this.
There will also be a breath awareness meditation to help you bridge the
connection between your conscious awareness of the breath, and your
unconscious breathing habits. It is recommended you do this at least once
a day as well. It is recommended that you meditate for at least 5-10
23
minutes a day. However, it is still very worthwhile to put in a quick 2 min.
practice if you are short on time. Again, the daily consistency is key with
this.
Practice Sessions
Make a goal to practice for 15 minutes, twice per day.
The Yogic Breath: Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight.
Inhale while expanding and filling only your belly, then expanding your
chest, and then lifting your collar bone. When you exhale, hold the chest
and stomach firmly, while first letting your collarbone drop, then release
your chest, then release the air from your belly. At first this will be three
separate motions. As it becomes more natural and intuitive, move towards
making this one smooth, fluid motion.
Benefits of this exercise: This will give you a new control and awareness
over your breathing mechanism, helping to release unconscious blocks and
trauma-related habits in the various subtle areas of your breathing muscles.
Often times we are storing negatively charged energy in these muscles that
is associated with the trauma that occurred when our breath was being
held/restricted in these areas. By breathing fully and efficiently, with a full
awareness of each muscle and bodily sensation, we release these energetic
imprints that condition us to breath in a non-effective manner. Of course
you are also receiving very large amounts of oxygen from this exercise.
24
Alternate Nostril Breathing: Sit comfortably with the spine straight. Block
the left nostril with the first knuckle of your ring finger on your right hand.
(For a demonstration, visit Shiva Mudra Breathing Technique) Inhale fully
through your right nostril. Without pausing, block the right nostril with
your thumb, and exhale fully through the left nostril. Then inhale through
the left nostril and out the right. This makes a count of one. Do this for a
count of 12.
Benefits: This effectively cleans the nadis, a key series of energy channels
passing through your energy system. It also cleans the nervous system. In
Yoga, this exercise is sometimes referred to as “nerve purification”.
Belly Breathing: This exercise can be done sitting or standing. Breathe
deeply into the belly alone, expanding it like a balloon as full as you can
comfortably do so. Hold the inhale as long as is comfortable (for at least 2-
3 seconds) and release. Repeat several times.
Benefits: The majority of people on the planet do not regularly breathe into
the lowest 1/3 of their lungs regularly. Ironically this is where the largest
amount of oxygen is able to flow from the lungs into the bloodstream.
Deep belly breathing provides the body with a large and much-needed
amount of oxygen, lowering blood pressure, alleviating anxiety, improving
muscle function, and clarifying mental function. Just learning to breathe
habitually into your belly can drastically change your life for the better.
25
Prolonged Inhale/Exhale: Tighten your throat muscles. Alternately you can
also tighten your sinuses where your throat meets the roof of your mouth.
Inhale as slowly as you can through the nose without losing your breath.
Then release the muscles, and exhale naturally and comfortably through
the mouth. Time your inhales, and gradually work towards making them
longer and slower.
Do this the opposite way as well, taking a quick deep breath in through the
mouth, then tightening your muscles, and exhaling slowly through the nose.
Time the exhales, and work towards increasing their longevity.
Once you are used to the above two, keep your throat/sinuses closed
during your inhale and exhale. Again, it is important that you do not push
yourself too hard and strain your heart, or run out of breath. Be patient.
Practice regularly.
As You Go
Try to stop at least 3 times in a day to practice these exercises. These quick
“pranic pick-me-ups” will help to focus your awareness on the breath,
break poor breathing habits, and help keep your energy body clear and
healthy.
26
Breathing Up the Spine: This can be done either sitting or standing up.
Breathe in fully and deeply through the nose. While inhaling, imagine a
bright, clear, white light flowing from the base of your spine all the way to
the top, reaching the top at the end of the inhale. Chant the word “OM” in
your head while this is happening. During the exhale, imagine the light
going back down to the base of the spine, reaching the bottom at the end
of the exhale.
Benefits: This exercise wills life-force energy to flow up into the higher
chakras, and to purify and activate all of the chakras as it passes through
them. It also purifies and charges the energy body as a whole, giving you a
healthy aura. As you begin to open your higher chakras, and send more
life-force energy to them, your consciousness begins to dwell in these areas,
giving you access into heightened states of awareness, and opening the
door to a more experiential understanding of spiritual truths.
Skull Shining: Skull shining can also be done standing up, with legs shoulder
width apart, knees slightly bent, or sitting down in a comfortable posture
with the spine straight. Curl your top lip up above your front teeth, and
hold it there gently but firmly. This fully opens the nostril passages, and
also directs the flow of prana more into your crown and third eye chakras.
Pull your inhale in firmly, steadily, and with force through the nose. Then,
without pausing, exhale quickly, fully, and completely. There is just a split
second pause after the exhale before inhaling again. When done properly,
the inhale will be longer than the exhale, and the breath will sound much
27
like a bellows. If you become dizzy or lightheaded from this exercise, stop
and sit or lay down to relax for a few minutes.
Benefits: Skull shining stimulates the awakening of your kundalini energy,
clearing the energetic obstructions in your energy system that prevent it
from naturally flowing. It also pulls large amounts of life-force energy into
the body, and the crown, giving you an energetic pick-me-up. Physically it
tones your diaphragm and upper stomach muscles, and massages your
digestive organs (the liver, pancreas, stomach, intestines, etc.).
The Easy Breath: You will be blocking your nostrils in the same manner as
in the alternate nostril breath for this exercise. First, inhale through the
right nostril for a count of 5 seconds. Hold this breath for a count of 5
seconds, and exhale through the left nostril for a count of 10 seconds.
Then, inhale for 5 seconds through the left nostril, hold the breath for 5
seconds, and exhale out the right nostril for 10 seconds. This makes a
count of 1. Do this as many times as is comfortable, increasing the amount
of breaths per day.
This exercise is especially powerful in retraining your subconscious
breathing habits when used at different times during your active day. Be
sure to practice this at least once a day consistently, preferably taking a
quick break during your most busy times to practice.
28
Breath Awareness Meditation
This meditation is an ancient and esoteric practice, being taught for
hundreds of years through the lineage of Kriya Yoga. Until recently, it was
required that one was initiated into this meditation from a guru, and had
undergone many preliminary yogic purification techniques before being
initiated. I give this practice to you, asking that you will take it seriously,
and only use it if you are dedicated to being consistent, and transcending
yourself.
To begin the meditation, sit comfortably with the spine straight, and close
your eyes. You will be focusing your closed-eye gaze on your third eye (the
space between your eyebrows) throughout the whole meditation. Take a
deep breath in, turn your head to the left, and exhale in two quick breaths,
completely emptying your lungs. This is a symbolic command to your mind
to release the ego.
After performing this step, turn your head forward again, eyes still closed
and focused on the third eye, and inhale, chanting the syllable “HONG” to
yourself. After you are done inhaling, pause as long as happens naturally,
and focus your awareness on the feelings/sensations that occur during the
pause. Then exhale, chanting the word “SAU” to yourself. Again, pause as
long as naturally occurs, paying attention to the sensations and feelings of
the pause.
29
The “HONG” sounds like Hong-Kong. The “SAU” sounds like saw. It is
important that you do not attempt to control the breath at all. Simply let it
do what it does. Especially be sure not to control or delay the pauses
between the inhale and exhale. As you are inhaling, the HONG should be
chanted for the full duration of the inhale, and the SAW should be chanted
for the full duration of the exhale. While meditating, your focus should be
only on the breath, and the third eye.
This meditation, though very simple, is incredibly powerful in its effect on
your subconscious breathing mechanism. It bridges the gap between your
conscious and unconscious mind, and also teaches your unconscious
esoteric lessons about the breath, and the pauses between the breath.
Much of this is not fully describable in rational terms, but practicing this
meditation for a few months will give you experiential knowledge about
your breath. This meditation also collects and recharges your life-force
energy. In yogic tradition this is one of the only times that your are building
energy, rather than using it.
Advanced Regimen
IMPORTANT: Do not move on to the advanced regimen until you have
practiced the beginning regimen consistently for at least one month. You
will know if you are ready by noting the progress and mastery you have
made with the easy breath, the prolonged inhale/exhale exercise, and the
30
lack of lightheadedness/dizziness from the skull shining. Should you
experience severe discomfort, or any unwanted
mental/emotional/energetic symptoms from the advanced exercises, this is
a sign that you should go back to the beginning exercises for another
month. There is no rush, you are already making very quick progress.
There may be a few exercises from the beginning regimen that really
resonate with you, or that you really enjoy. If this is the case, feel free to
keep them, and to mix and match them with the advanced routine. You
can always focus on one of the breathing exercises below at a later time,
considering that this will be a life-long exploration.
Practice Sessions
Alternate Nostril Breathing: You will continue this exercise from the
beginning routine. Traditionally, it takes approximately three months of
consistent practice of alternate nostril breathing to experience the full
purification of the nadis and nervous system.
Sun Piercing: This is another ancient and esoteric exercise that was, in the
past, only taught to yogic initiates, and practiced under direct observation
of a guru. Please exercise caution with this one. It can do you more harm
than good to push yourself too hard. If you find yourself running out of
breath, this is your limit. Be gentle, and slowly increase the amount of
breaths you take as you become familiar with it.
31
Sit either cross-legged, in the lotus posture, or in the half-lotus posture.
Take special care to ensure that the spine is straight. Pull your
sphincter/sexual organ muscles upwards, and hold them firm (this alone
could take you some practice to master). Then bring your chin down to
connect with your breast bone. Hold it firmly but without strain. Using the
same method as the alternate nostril breathing, plug your left nostril, and
inhale slowly and firmly through the right nostril. Then hold both nostrils
shut, holding the breath for 5 seconds, and increasing the intensity of the
sphincter hold. Then exhale slowly and fully through the left nostril.
Repeat. For this exercise you will only be inhaling through the right nostril,
and exhaling out the left. For best effects, slightly block the nostrils that
the air is passing through, aiming for a noise that resembles a leak in a tire.
Your eyes should be closed and focused on the third eye throughout this
entire exercise.
As noted in the preliminary section, it is important that the inhale and
exhale are of matching length and intensity. If you suffer from
hypertension, do not perform the 5 second hold. If you are feeling very
short on breath, begin by shortening the time of the inhale/exhale. This
breathing exercise produces large amounts of heat. It is only
recommended to be performed at a temperature below 75 degrees (or only
in the winter). You will sweat a lot. It is best to rub the sweat back in to
prevent fatigue.
32
Benefits: This exercise is very powerful, as it passes life-force energy
directly through the third eye. You may notice flashes of color or patterns
in your inner vision while you are doing it. Again, if you notice unwanted
symptoms, take a break and return to it later, after spending more time
with the other exercises.
The Bee Breath: The bee breath is best performed in the frog posture,
sitting with the rear in direct contact with the ground, and the legs folded
on either side. (If you are not familiar with this posture, it is very helpful to
stretch first.) Think of it like kneeling, except that you sit between the legs
instead of on them.
Plug the right nostril, and inhale fully and deeply through the left. After the
inhale, hold the breath for three seconds. Then exhale, also through the
left nostril, while making a “hmmm” sound with the throat. You will see
why this is called the bee breath. You will only be breathing through the
left nostril for this exercise.
Benefits: This exercise focuses the mind, improving concentration, and
enhancing meditative awareness. It is also said to improve one’s ability to
hear the spiritual “OM” during transcendental experiences. It adds depth
and dynamic to one’s experiential breathing habits, and subconscious
understanding of the breath in it’s relation to consciousness.
33
As You Go
The 2/4 Breath: Be ready to get a rush from this breath. The skull shining
will have prepared you for this. Simply inhale quickly and fully, filling the
lungs absolutely full in two seconds. Without pausing, exhale out the
mouth for four seconds. Repeat without pausing after the exhale. Your
breaths should be completely connected and fluid.
Benefits: This will pull large amounts of prana into the body, flushing out
your energetic system and giving you a burst of energy. It also brings a lot
of oxygen into your system in a very short amount of time. Again, exercise
caution and take it easy if you become lightheaded.
Twenty Connected Breaths (Click for a demonstration). For this, you will be
breathing into your upper chest, solely through the nose. The inhale and
exhale are connected. You will be taking four short breaths, then one long
one, four times, making twenty connected breaths. There is a specific way
of exhaling for this one, and it is important that you watch the online video
to ensure that you are getting the full benefits of this exercise.
Benefits: The twenty connected breaths clears energy blocks, and releases
deep-seated negative energy and tension from your muscle memory. This
is a very powerful and therapeutic technique that was originally created to
help prepare one for an energy breathing/rebirthing session (more on this
later).
34
Easy Breath Revisited: Continue to practice the easy breath. Once you
have mastered the 5-5-10 sequence, you will then increase the time
amount for the hold, making it 5-7 ½-10. Once this has been mastered, you
can then increase it another 2 ½ seconds making it 5-10-10, and so on and
so forth up through 5-12 ½-10, 5-15-10, etc.
Meditation
Building upon the hong-sau meditation, simply alter it to connect the inhale
and exhale with no pause. Also, begin to visualize bright, white energy
moving up the spine on the inhale, and down the spine of the exhale. Begin
controlling the breath, making it as slow as comfortably possible. As with
the pranayama exercises, it is best to keep a consistency of time and force
between the inhale and exhale.
Benefits: This meditation will charge the cells and atoms of the body with
life-force energy, awaken the kundalini energy, and progressively expand
one’s consciousness as awareness begins to rest more fully in the
awakened higher chakras.
A special note: If you are not seeking spiritual advancement or expanded
states of awareness, this meditation is not necessary. The exercises listed
above are more than sufficient in making drastically powerful corrections to
the human breathing mechanism, and prana flow of the energy body.
35
Energy Breathing: The Ultimate Healing of the Breath
There is one more practice that I want to talk to you about. Unfortunately,
(and fortunately) this practice is too powerful and transformational for me
to explain to you in a book. I can only recommend you seek out a
professional who can help you master it.
As mentioned at the beginning of the book, we have acquired a great deal
of negative emotion associated with the breath, quite possibly beginning
from our very first breath on the day that we were born. We have also
accumulated a great deal of tension, stress, and suppressed negative
emotional energy throughout our lifetimes. The practice of Energy
Breathing (also known as Rebirthing Breathwork) is one of the most
effective means for releasing this tension, negative energy, and these
negative associations with the breath on the planet to date.
It is also one of the most powerful means for advancing one’s
consciousness. The combination of breathing large, concentrated amounts
of fresh prana into the energy body and releasing motherloads of
mental/emotional “baggage” has a tendency to rapidly progress one’s
journey back to their natural state.
36
As many of us already know, we are already infinitely abundant, at one with
all that is, and free of any limitation, fear, or pain. The only thing that holds
us back from manifesting our true identity in the physical/mental world is
our own limiting beliefs and energetic blocks. When we clear these blocks,
we begin to naturally and effortlessly manifest our true nature, which is
abundance, wealth, happiness, success, freedom from negativity, and
blissful awareness. Energy breathing is one of the most powerful and
effective means for clearing these beliefs and blocks.
I highly recommend you look up a certified rebirthing breathworker in your
area and schedule 10 sessions. Energy breathing is most responsibly taught
in 10 one on one sessions with a trained and professional rebirther. Once
one has undergone ten sessions, they are self-sufficient with the technique,
and are able to use it as needed. I personally recommend breathing in this
way for at least 1-3 hours on a daily basis at that point.
I am available in the state of Utah for rebirthing sessions. Feel free to
contact me if you are interested.
Conclusion
So once you have mastered the breath, where do you go from there? Keep
in mind that mastering the techniques is only the beginning step. You will
find that your awareness of the effect these techniques have on your life
will continue to grow, and deepen, over the course of several years. My
37
recommendation to you is that you master them, make them a habit, and
use them for the rest of your life.
Pay close attention to how your life unfolds over the next few months, you
may be surprised at the magical transformations that occur. Again, we are
making a change at the very foundation upon which everything else in your
life rests, your consciousness, your awareness, your emotional state, your
physical energy levels, and your ability to think clearly and concentrate.
You have just taken the 1st step in the absolute right direction.
From here your options are open, and it is my hope and intention that this
information makes your future path easier and more enjoyable, that you
stumble less, that the road is clear, that you have the time to stop and
appreciate the scenery, and that the journey is just as important as the
destination.
Yours Truly,
-Ashton