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.
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