Science of Breath
CHAPTER XV MORE
PHENOMENA OF YOGI PSYCHIC BREATHING
(1)
THOUGHT PROJECTION.
Thoughts may be projected by following the
last mentioned method (Distant Healing) and
others will feel the effect of thought so
sent forth, it being remembered always that
no evil thought can ever injure another
person whose thoughts are good. Good
thoughts are always positive to bad ones,
and bad ones always negative to good
ones. One can, however, excite the
interest and attention of another by sending
him thought waves in this way, charging the
prana with the message he wishes to convey.
If you desire another’s love and sympathy,
and possess love and sympathy for him, you
can send him thoughts of this kind with
effect, providing your motives are pure.
Never, however, attempt to influence another
to his hurt, or from impure or selfish
motives, as such thoughts only recoil upon
the sender with redoubled force, and injure
him, while the innocent party is not
affected. Psychic force when legitimately
used is all right, but beware of 'black
magic' or improper and unholy uses of it, as
such attempts are like playing with a
dynamo, and the person attempting such
things will be surely punished by the result
of the act itself. However, no person of
impure motives ever acquires a great degree
of psychic power, and a pure heart and mind
is an invulnerable shield against improper
psychic power. Keep yourself pure and
nothing can hurt you.
(2) FORMING an aura.
If you are ever in the company of
persons of a low order of mind, and you feel
the depressing influence of their thought,
breathe rhythmically a few times, thus
generating an additional supply of prana,
and then by means of the mental image method
surround yourself with an egg-shaped thought
aura, which will protect you from the gross
thought and disturbing influences of others.
(3) RECHARGING yourself.
If you feel that your vital energy is
at a low ebb, and that you need to store up
a new supply quickly, the best plan is to
place the feet close together (side by side,
of course) and to lock the fingers of both
hands in any way that seems the most
comfortable. This closes the circuit, as it
were, and prevents any escape of prana
through the extremities. Then breathe
rhythmically a few times, and you will feel
the effect of the recharging.
(4) RECHARGING others.
If some friend is deficient in
vitality you may aid him by sitting in front
of him, your toes touching his, and his
hands in yours. Then both breathe
rhythmically, you forming the mental image
of sending prana into his system, and he
holding the mental image of receiving the
prana. Persons of weak vitality or passive
will should be careful with whom they try
this experiment, as the prana of a person of
evil desires will be colored with the
thoughts of that person, and may give him a
temporary influence over the weaker person.
The latter, however, may easily remove such
influence by closing the circuit (as before
mentioned) and breathing a few rhythmic
breaths, closing with the Cleansing Breath.
(5) CHARGING water.
Water may be charged with prana, by
breathing rhythmically, and holding the
glass of water by the bottom, in the left
hand, and then gathering the fingers of the
right hand together and shaking them gently
over the water, as if you were shaking drops
of water off of your finger tips into the
glass. The mental image of the prana being
passed into the water must also be held.
Water thus charged is found stimulating to
weak or sick persons, particularly if a
healing thought accompanies the mental image
of the transfer of the prana. The caution
given in the last exercise applies also to
this one, although the danger exists only in
a greatly lessened degree.
(6) ACQUIRING mental qualities.
Not only can the body be controlled
by the mind under direction of the will, but
the mind itself can be trained and
cultivated by the exercise of the
controlling will. This, which the Western
world knows as 'Mental Science,' etc. , has
proved to the West portions of that truth
which the Yogi has known for ages. The mere
calm demand of the Will will accomplish
wonders in this direction, but if the mental
exercise is accompanied by rhythmic
breathing, the effect is greatly increased.
Desirable qualities may be acquired by
holding the proper mental image of what is
desired during rhythmic breathing.
Poise and Self Control, desirable qualities;
increased power, etc. , may be acquired in
this way. Undesirable qualities may be
eliminated by cultivating the opposite
qualities. Any or all the 'Mental Science'
exercises, 'treatments' and 'affirmations'
may be used with the Yogi Rhythmic Breath.
The following is a good general exercise for
the acquirement and development of desirable
mental qualities:
Lie in a passive attitude, or sit
erect. Picture to yourself the
qualities you desire to cultivate, seeing
yourself as possessed of the qualities, and
demanding that your mind develop the
quality. Breathe rhythmically, holding
the mental picture firmly. Carry the mental
picture with you as much as possible, and
endeavor to live up to the ideal you have
set up in your mind. You will find
yourself gradually growing up to your
ideal. The rhythm of the breathing
assists the mind in forming new
combinations, and the student who has
followed the Western system will find the
Yogi Rhythmic a wonderful ally in his
'Mental Science' works.
(7) ACQUIRING physical qualities.
Physical qualities may be acquired by
the same methods as above mentioned in
connection with mental qualities. We
do not mean, of course, that short men can
be made tall, or that amputated limbs may be
replaced, or similar miracles. But the
_expression of the countenance may be
changed; courage and general physical
characteristics improved by the control of
the Will, accompanied by rhythmic
breathing. As a man thinks so does he
look, act, walk, sit, etc. Improved thinking
will mean improved looks and actions.
To develop any part of the body, direct the
attention to it, while breathing
rhythmically, holding the mental picture
that you are sending an increased amount of
prana, or nerve force, to the part, and thus
increasing its vitality and developing
it. This plan applies equally well to
any part of the body which you wish to
develop. Many Western athletes use a
modification of this plan in their
exercises. The student who has
followed our instructions so far will
readily understand haw to apply the Yogi
principles in the above work. The
general rule of exercise is the same as in
the preceding exercise (acquiring Mental
Qualities). We have touched upon the subject
of the cure of physical ailments in
preceding pages.
(8) CONTROLLING the emotions.
The undesirable emotions, such as
Fear, Worry, Anxiety, Hate, Anger, Jealousy,
Envy, Melancholy, Excitement, Grief, etc. ,
are amenable to the control of the Will, and
the Will is enabled to operate more easily
in such cases if rhythmic breathing is
practiced while the student is 'willing. '
The following exercise has been found most
effective by the Yogi students, although the
advanced Yogi has but little need of it, as
he has long since gotten rid of these
undesirable mental qualities by growing
spiritually beyond them. The Yogi
student, however, finds the exercise a great
help to him while he is growing.
Breathe rhythmically, concentrating
the attention upon the Solar Plexus, and
sending to it the mental command 'Get Out. '
Send the mental command firmly, just as you
begin to exhale, and form the mental picture
of the undesirable emotions being carried
away with the exhaled breath. Repeat
seven times, and finish with the Cleansing
Breath, and then see how good you feel. The
mental command must be given 'in earnest,'
as trifling will not do the work.
(9) TRANSMUTATION of the reproductive
energy.
The Yogis possess great knowledge
regarding the use and abuse of the
reproductive principle in both sexes.
Some hints of this esoteric knowledge have
filtered out and have been used by Western
writers on the subject, and much good has
been accomplished in this way. In this
little book we cannot do more than touch
upon the subject, and omitting all except a
bare mention of theory, we will give a
practical breathing exercise whereby the
student will be enabled to transmute the
reproductive energy into vitality for the
entire system, instead of dissipating and
wasting it in lustful indulgences in or out
of the marriage relations. The
reproductive energy is creative energy, and
may be taken up by the system and transmuted
into strength and vitality, thus serving the
purpose of regeneration instead of
generation. If the young men of the
Western world understood these underlying
principles they would be saved much misery
and unhappiness in after years, and would be
stronger mentally, morally and physically.
This transmutation of the
reproductive energy gives great vitality to
those practicing it. They will be
filled with great vital force, which will
radiate from them and will manifest in what
has been called 'personal magnetism. 'The
energy thus transmuted may be turned into
new channels and used to great
advantage. Nature has condensed one of
its most powerful manifestations of prana
into reproductive energy, as its purpose is
to create. The greatest amount of
vital force is concentrated in the smallest
area. The reproductive organism is the most
powerful storage battery in animal life, and
its force can be drawn upward and used, as
well as expended in the ordinary functions
of reproduction, or wasted in riotous
lust. The majority of our students
know something of the theories of
regeneration; and we can do little more than
to state the above facts, without attempting
to prove them.
The Yogi exercise for transmuting
reproductive energy is simple. It is coupled
with rhythmic breathing, and can be easily
performed. It may be practiced at any time,
but is specially recommended when one feels
the instinct most strongly, at which time
the reproductive energy is manifesting and
may be most easily transmuted for
regenerative purposes. The exercise is
as follows: Keep the mind fixed on the idea
of Energy, and away from ordinary sexual
thoughts or imaginings. If these
thoughts come into the mind do not be
discouraged, but regard them as
manifestations of a force which you intend
using for the purposes of strengthening the
body and mind. Lie passively or sit
erect, and fix your mind on the idea of
drawing the reproductive energy upward to
the Solar Plexus, where it will be
transmuted and stored away as a reserve
force of vital energy. Then breathe
rhythmically, forming the mental image of
drawing up the reproductive energy with each
inhalation. With each inhalation make
a command of the Will that the energy be
drawn upward from the reproductive
organization to the Solar Plexus. If
the rhythm is fairly established and the
mental image is clear, you will be conscious
of the upward passage of the energy, and
will feel its stimulating effect. If you
desire an increase in mental force, you may
draw it up to the brain instead of to the
Solar Plexus, by giving the mental command
and holding the mental image of the
transmission to the brain. The man or woman
doing metal creative work, or bodily
creative work, will be able to use this
creative energy in their work by following
the above exercise, drawing up the energy
with the inhalation and sending it forth
with the exhalation. In this last form of
exercise, only such portions as are needed
in the work will pass into the work being
done, the balance remaining stored up in the
Solar Plexus. You will understand, of
course, that it is not the reproductive
fluids which are drawn up and used, but the
etheripranic energy which animates the
latter, the soul of the reproductive
organism, as it were. It is usual to allow
the head to bend forward easily and
naturally during the transmuting exercise.
(10) Brain stimulating.
The Yogis have found the following
exercise most useful in stimulating the
action of the brain for the purpose of
producing clear thinking and reasoning. It
has a wonderful effect in clearing the brain
and nervous system, and those engaged in
mental work will find it most useful to
them, both in the direction of enabling them
to do better work and also as a means of
refreshing the mind and clearing it after
arduous mental labor.
Sit in an erect posture, keeping the
spinal column straight, and the eyes well to
the front, letting the hands rest on the
upper part of the legs. Breathe
rhythmically, but instead of breathing
through both nostrils as in the ordinary
exercises, press the left nostril close with
the thumb, and inhale through the right
nostril. Then remove the thumb, and
close the right nostril with the finger, and
then exhale through the left nostril.
Then, without changing the fingers, inhale
through the left nostril, and changing
fingers, exhale through the right.
Then inhale through right and exhale through
left, and so on, alternating nostrils as
above mentioned, closing the unused nostril
with the thumb or forefinger. This is
one of the oldest forms of Yogi breathing,
and is quite important and valuable, and is
well worthy of acquirement. But it is
quite amusing to the Yogis to know that to
the Western world this method is often held
out as being the 'whole secret' of Yogi
Breathing. To the minds of many Western
readers, 'Yogi Breathing' suggests nothing
more than a picture of a Hindu, sitting
erect, and alternating nostrils in the act
of breathing. 'Only this and nothing
more. 'We trust that this little work will
open the eyes of the Western world to the
great possibilities of Yogi Breathing, and
the numerous methods whereby it may be
employed.
(11) The Grand Yogi psychic breath.
The Yogis have a favorite form of
psychic breathing which they practice
occasionally, to which has been given a
Sanscrit term of which the above is a
general equivalent. We have given it
last, as it requires practice on the part of
the student in the line of rhythmic
breathing and mental imagery, which he has
now acquired by means of the preceding
exercises. The general principles of
the Grand Breath may be summed up in the old
Hindu saying:'Blessed is the Yogi who can
breathe through his bones. ' This exercise
will fill the entire system with prana, and
the student will emerge from it with every
bone, muscle, nerve, cell, tissue, organ and
part energized and attuned by the prana and
the rhythm of the breath. It is a
general housecleaning of the system, and he
who practices it carefully will feel as if
he had been given a new body, freshly
created, from the crown of his head to the
tips of his toes. We will let the exercise
speak for itself.
(1) Lie in a relaxed position, at
perfect ease.
(2) Breathe rhythmically until the
rhythm is perfectly established.
(3) Then, inhaling and exhaling, form
the mental image of the breath being drawn
up through the bones of the legs, and then
forced out through them; then through the
bones of the arms; then through the top of
the skull; then through the stomach; then
through the reproductive region; then as if
it were traveling upward and downward along
the spinal column; and then as if the breath
were being inhaled and exhaled through every
pore of the skin, the whole body being
filled with prana and life.
(4) Then (breathing rhythmically)
send the current of prana to the Seven Vital
Centers, in turn, as follows, using the
mental picture as in previous exercises:
(a) To the forehead.
(b) To the back of the head.
(c) To the base of the brain.
(d) To the Solar Plexus.
(e) To the Sacral Region (lower part
of the spine).
(f) To the region of the navel.
(g) To the reproductive region.
Finish by sweeping the current of
prana, to and fro from head to feet several
times.
(5) Finish with Cleansing Breath.
Next
Body
|
