HOW TO ACQUIRE THE YOGI COMPLETE BREATH.
The Yogi Complete Breath is the fundamental breath of the entire Yogi
Science of Breath, and the student must fully acquaint himself with
it, and master it perfectly before he can hope to obtain results from
the other forms of breath-mentioned and given in this book. He should
not be content with half-learning it, but should go to work in earnest
until it becomes his natural method of breathing. This will require
work, time and patience, but without these things nothing is ever
accomplished. There is no royal road to the Science of Breath, and the
student must be prepared to practice and study in earnest if he expect
to receive results. The results obtained by a complete mastery of the
Science of Breath are great, and no one who has attained them would
willingly go back to the old methods, and he will tell his friends
that he considers himself amply repaid for all his work. We say these
things now, that you may fully understand the necessity and importance
of mastering this fundamental method of Yogi Breathing, instead of
passing it by and trying some of the attractive looking variations
given later on in this book. Again, we say to you: Start right, and
right results will follow; but neglect your foundations and your
entire building will topple over sooner or later.
Perhaps the better way to teach you how to develop the Yogi Complete
Breath, would be to give you simple directions regarding the breath
itself, and then follow up the same with general remarks concerning
it, and then later on giving exercises for developing the chest,
muscles and lungs which have been allowed to remain in an undeveloped
condition by imperfect methods of breathing. Right here we wish to say
that this Complete Breath is not a forced or abnormal thing, but on
the contrary is a going back to first principles--a return to Nature.
The healthy adult savage and the healthy infant of civilization both
breathe in this manner, but civilized man has adopted unnatural
methods of living, clothing, etc., and has lost his birthright. And we
wish to remind the reader that the Complete Breath does not
necessarily call for the complete filling of the lungs at every
inhalation. One may inhale the average amount of air, using the
Complete Breathing Method and distributing the air inhaled, be the
quantity large or small, to all parts of the lungs. But one should
inhale a series of full Complete Breaths several times a day, whenever
opportunity offers, in order to keep the system in good order and
condition.
The following simple exercise will give you a clear idea of what the
Complete Breath is:
(1) Stand or sit erect. Breathing through the nostrils,
inhale steadily, first filling the lower part of the lungs,
which is accomplished by bringing into play the diaphragm,
which descending exerts a gentle pressure on the abdominal
organs, pushing forward the front walls of the abdomen. Then
fill the middle part of the lungs, pushing out the lower
ribs, breast-bone and chest. Then fill the higher portion of
the lungs, protruding the upper chest, thus lifting the
chest, including the upper six or seven pairs of ribs. In
the final movement, the lower part of the abdomen will be
slightly drawn in, which movement gives the lungs a support
and also helps to fill the highest part of the lungs.
At first reading it may appear that this breath consists of
three distinct movements. This, however, is not the correct
idea. The inhalation is continuous, the entire chest cavity
from the lowered diaphragm to the highest point of the chest
in the region of the collar-bone, being expanded with a
uniform movement. Avoid a jerky series of inhalations, and
strive to attain a steady continuous action. Practice will
soon overcome the tendency to divide the inhalation into
three movements, and will result in a uniform continuous
breath. You will be able to complete the inhalation in a
couple of seconds after a little practice.
(2) Retain the breath a few seconds.
(3) Exhale quite slowly, holding the chest in a firm
position, and having the abdomen in a little and lifting it
upward slowly as the air leaves the lungs. When the air is
entirely exhaled, relax the chest and abdomen. A little
practice will render this part of the exercise easy, and the
movement once acquired will be afterwards performed almost
automatically.
It will be seen that by this method of breathing all parts of the
respiratory apparatus is brought into action, and all parts of the
lungs, including the most remote air cells, are exercised. The chest
cavity is expanded in all directions. You will also notice that the
Complete Breath is really a combination of Low, Mid and High Breaths,
succeeding each other rapidly in the order given, in such a manner as
to form one uniform, continuous, complete breath.
You will find it quite a help to you if you will practice this breath
before a large mirror, placing the hands lightly over the abdomen so
that you may feel the movements. At the end of the inhalation, it is
well to occasionally slightly elevate the shoulders, thus raising the
collarbone and allowing the air to pass freely into the small upper
lobe of the right lung, which place is sometimes the breeding place of
tuberculosis.
At the beginning of practice, you may have more or less trouble in
acquiring the Complete Breath, but a little practice will make
perfect, and when you have once acquired it you will never willingly
return to the old methods.