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The Technique of Deep Breathing
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The deeper you breathe, the deeper you perceive
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According to the yogis of old, the science of breathing is the secret of living. There are two reasons for this: the first is the one that we all know - that by breathing we inhale oxygen which is, quite literally, vital to our physical well-being. The second reason, which is just as important if not more so, is that when we breathe we draw a certain type of energy into ourselves. This energy has been known by many names: in China it is known as qi (also spelt "ch'i"), in India it is called prana, and in western mysticism it is sometimes called "the universal life force". The deeper your breath the more of this wonderful energy you can draw into yourself.
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Breathe deeply
Always breathe through the nostrils rather than the mouth, unless you have nasal congestion. Keep the mouth closed and gradually begin to make the breath longer and longer until you are breathing as deeply as you can without straining yourself in any way. As you breathe in, remember that the deeper your inhalation the more energy you are drawing into yourself. Don't worry about using too much of this energy - it is universal and can never run out. As you breathe out you are cleansing yourself, you are allowing unwanted energy to leave.
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Breathe evenly
Try to breathe as evenly as you can - always try to make the in-breath and the out-breath as equal in depth and duration as possible. One way to do this is to do a mental count as you breathe in, and then try to breathe out for the same count, then breathe in again for that same count, etc. It may take you a little while to work out what count is best for you. When you are comfortable with this you can try the following slightly more difficult method of keeping the breath even: instead of counting in your mind count on your fingers. It is tricky at first but soon becomes automatic: you start with the thumb on the tip of the index finger and move it down touching each finger-joint in turn and then up the next finger to the tip and again down the next finger, etc. touching each finger-joint. There are four stages on each finger. When you take an in-breath, count the number of finger-joints your thumb touches, and then touch the same number of joints on the out-breath. The advantage of this method is that it leaves the mind free to do more than just count.
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This extract...
is taken from Meditation - A Complete Workout for the Mind by Richard Lawrence
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