HOW TO GET SHINING SKIN

 

                       KAPALABHATI PRANAYAMA

                           (SHINING FACE BREATHING)

                  KAPALABHATI LITERALLY MEANS "THE PRANAYAMA THAT MAKES THE FOREHEAD AND ENTIRE FACE LUSTROUS". IT HELPS CLEAN THE SINUSES AND ALL OTHER RESPIRATORY PASSAGES, ANDIT STIMULATES THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES AND DIGESTIVE ORGANS. A SENSE OF EXHILARATION IS EXPERIENCED WITH THIS PRACTICE.

                    THIS EXERCISE CONSISTS OF A VIGOROUS AND FORCEFUL EXPULSION OF BREATH, USING THE DIAPHRAGM AND ABDOMINAL MUSCLES, FOLLOWED BY A RELAXATION OF THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES, RESULTING IN A SLOW, PASSIVE INHALATION. THIS CYCLE OF AN ACTIVE AND VIGOROUS EXHALATION FOLLOWED BY A PASSIVE INHALATION IS REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES IN QUICK SUCCESSION. IN THE BEGINNING YOU CAN ATTEMPT BETWEEN SEVEN AND TWENTY-ONE CYCLES, DEPENDINGON YOUR CAPACITY.

                           BHASTRIKA PRANAYAMA

                             (BELLOWS BREATHING)

                  THE WORD BHASTRIKA MEANS "BELLOWS". IN THIS PRANAYAMA THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES WORK LIKE BELLOWS. THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF THIS EXERCISE ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF KAPALABHATI.

                   IN THIS EXERCISE, THE DIAPHRAGM AND ABDOMINAL MUSCLES ARE EMPLOYED AS IN KAPALABHATI, BUT HERE BOTH INHALATION AND EXHALATION ARE VIGOROUS AND FORCEFUL. BETWEEN SEVEN AND TWENTY-ONE  CYCLES MAY BE ATTEMPTED, ACCORDING TO YOUR CAPACITY, AND THE CYCLES SHOULD FOLLOW EACH OTHER IN QUICK SECCESSION.

                                  UJJAYI PRANAYAMA

                            (VICTORIOUS BREATHING)

                 THE WORD UJJAYI MAY BE INTERPRETED AS "CONTROL OR VICTORY ARISING FROM A PROCESS OF EXPANSION". THIS PRANAYAMA ENHANCES THE VENTILATION OF THE LUNGS, REMOVES PHLEGM, CALMS THE NERVES, AND FILLS THE WHOLE BODY WITH VITALITY.

                    INHALATION  AND EXHALATION DURING UJJAYI ARE SLOW AND DEEP, AND THEY TAKE PLACE WITH PARTIAL CLOSURE OF THE GLOTTIS. THIS PRODUCES A SOULD LIKE SOBBING, BUT IT IS EVEN AND CONTINUOUS. DURING INHALATION, THE INCOMING AIR IS FELT ON THE ROOF OF THE PALATE AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SIBILANT SOUND SA. DURING EXHALATION, THE OUTGOING AIR IS FELT ON THE ROOF OF THE PALATE AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE ASPIRATE SOUND HA. DURING INHALATION, THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES ARE KEPT SLIGHTLY CONTRACTED, AND DURING EXHALATION, ABDOMINAL PRESSURE IS EXERTED UNTIL THE BREATH IS COMPLETELY EXPELLED.

                           BHRAMARI PRANAYAMA

                                   (BEE BREATHING)

                   A BHRAMARI IS A LARGE BEE. THE SOUND OF THE BUZZING OF A BEE IS MADE DURING EXHALATION IS THIS EXERCISE. INHALE COMPLETELY THROUGH BOTH NOSTRILS. EXHALING AS IN UJJAYI, PRODUCE THE HUMMING SOUND OF A BEE. REPEAT FOR TWO TO THREE MINUTES. BHRAMARI SOOTHES THE NERVES AND CALMS THE MIND.

                   SITALI PRANAYAMA (HISSING BREATH 1)

                     SITALI AND SITKARI BOTH ARE EXERCISE FOR COOLING AND SOOTHING THE BODY. CURL THE TONGUE LENGTHWISE UNTIL IT RESEMBLES A TUBE (THOSE WHO CANNOT DO THIS SHOULD PRACTICE SITKARI INSTEAD) LET THE TIP OF THE TONGUE PROTRUDE OUTSIDE. EXHALE COMPLETELY THROUGH BOTH NOSTRILS. REPEAT THREE TIMES.

                          THE FOLLOWING EXERCISE (SURYA BHEDANA, MURCCHA, AND PLAVINI) ARE DESCRIBED HERE TO ILLUSTRATE IMPORTANT YOGIC BREATHING TECHNIQUE. THESE THREE, HOWEVER, SHOULD ONLY BE PRACTICED UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A QUALIFIED TEACHER. AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER CAN SHOW THE STUDENT HOW TO AVOID DAMAGING THE HEART AND LUNGS DURING THE PROCEDURE.

                         SURYA BHEDANA PRANAYAMA

                  IN THIS EXERCISE, THE BREATH IS INHALED THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL, RETAINED, AND THEN EXHALED THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL.

                               MURCCHA PRANAYAMA

                          INHALE COMPLETELY THROUGH BOTH NOSTRILS. APPLY THE CHIN LOCK, AND THEN SLOWLY AND GENTLY EXHALE.

                                

MAKARASANA (BREATHING BRIEF)

 

                                     

                      MAKARASANA (CROCODILE POSE)

                        IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR FOR SOME REASON CANNOT START PRACTICING DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING IN A SIMPLE POSITION, THEN START IN THE CROCODILE POSTURE. LIE ON THE STOMACH PLACING THE LEGS A COMFORTABLE DISTANCE APART AND POINTING THE TOES OUTWARD. FOLD THE ARMS IN FRONT OF THE BODY. RESTING THE HANDS ON THE BICEPTS. POSITION THE ARMS SO THAT THE CHEST DOES NOT TOUCH THE FLOOR, AND REST THE FOREHEAD ON THE ARMS.

                       THIS POSTURE IS AN EXCELLENT TEACHING DEVICE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS YOU TO EXPERIENCE HOW IT FEELS TO BREATHE DIAPHRAGMATICALLY, FOR WHEN YOU INHALE YOU FEEL THE ABDOMEN PRESSING AGAINST THE FLOOR, AND WHEN YOU EXHALE YOU FEEL THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES RELAXING. SO IT IS EASY TO NOTE THE MOVEMENT OF THE DIAPHRAGM IN THIS POSTURE.

                                SANDBAG BREATHING

                        THIS PRACTICE WILL STRENTHEN THE ABDOMINAL AND DIAPHRAGMATIC MUSCLES. IT WILL ALSO HELP TO REGULATE THE MOTION OF THE LUNGS IN COOPERATION WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE MUSCLES OF THE DIAPHRAGM. LIE ON YOUR BACK IN SHAVASANA, SEALCLES OF THE DIAPHRAGM. LIE ON YOUR BACK IN SHAVASANA, SEAL YOUR LIPS GENTLY, AND RELAX YOUR BODY FROM HEAD TO TOE. CALM YOUR BREATH. NOW GENTLY PLACE A FIVE-POUND SANDBAG ON YOUR ABDOMEN. IF YOU HAVE HEART PROBLEMS, LUNG PROBLEMS, OR BLOOD PRESSURE ABNORMALITIES, PLACE THE SANDBAG ON THE MUSCLES BELOW THE NAVEL, BUT MAKE SURE THAT NO PART OF THE SANDBAG IS SUPPORTED BY THE PELVIC GIRDLE.

                  CLOSE YOUR EYES AND BREATHE. FEEL HOW THE SANDBAG RISES AS YOU INHALE AND DROPS AS YOU EXHALE. YOU MUST MAKE AN EFFORT TO INHALE, AND DROPS AS YOU EXHALE. YOU MUST MAKE AN EFFORT TO INHALE, BUT THE EXHALATION SHOULD BE EFFORTLESS. AFTER THREE TO FIVE MINUTES, REMOVE THE SANDBAG AND RELAX ON YOUR BACK FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES.

                     IF YOU PRACTICE REGULARLY, YOU MAY WANT TO INCREASE THE WEIGHT OF THE SANDBAG EVERY TWO WEEKS. BUT DO THIS GRADUALLY, STRAIGHT WITHIN YOUR COMFORTABLE CAPACITY, AND DO NOT EXCEED FIFTEEN POUNDS.

                      DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING DECREASES THE BREATH RATE CONSIDERABLY. IT IS THE BASIC EXERCISE THAT THE STUDENT PRACTICES TO ACCOMPLISH THE HIGHER PRACTICES AND DERIVE BENEFITS FROM THE SCIENCE OF BREATH.

                     DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING DECREASES THE BREATH RATE CONSIDERABLY. IT IS THE BASIC EXERCISE THAT THE STUDENT PRACTICES TO ACCOMPLISH THE HIGHER PRACTICES AND DERIVE BENEFITS FROM THE SCIENCE OF BREATH.

                        BREATHING AIR INTO THE DEEP RECESSES OF THE LUNGS IS HEALTHY IN ALL RESPECTS. SINCE THE PERICARDIUM IS ATTACHED TO THE DIAPHRAGM, THE PROCESS OF DEEP BREATHING CAUSES THE DIAPHRAGM TO DESCEND, STRECHING THE HEART DOWNWARD TOWARD THE ABDOMEN. WHEN THE LUNGS ARE FILLED WITH AIR FROM THE BOTTOM UPWARD, THEY COMPRESS, GIVING A GENTLY MASSAGE TO THE HEART. AS THE DIAPHRAGM CONTRACTS AND RELAXES, IT ALSO MASSAGES THE HEART, LIVER, AND PANCREAS, AND IT HELPS TO IMPROVE TEH FUNCTIONS OF THE SPLEEN, STOMACH, SMALL INTESTINE, AND ABDOMEN AS WELL.

                 IF THE PRACTICE OF RHYTHMIC DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING IS DONE TEN TIMES  A DAY FOR AT LEAST TWO MONTHS, WITH GRADUAL AND EQUAL PROLONGATION OF THE INHALATION AND EXHALATION, THE BODY WILL EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF DEEP RELAXATION AND REST MORE RESTFUL EVEN THAN THE DEEPEST SLEEP. ONE WILL REMAIN FREE FROM THE STRESS AND STAIN WHICH IS THE SOURCE OF MANY PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOMATIC ILLNESSESS. THE NERVES WILL BE CALM, AND THE VOICE AND FACE WILL MANIFEST THIS SERENITY. THE VOICE WILL GROW SWEETER, AND THE HARSH LINES OF THE FACE WILL BE REPLACED BY A SOFT GLOW.

                                    NADI SHODHANAM 

                     (ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING)

                   ANOTHER EXCELLENT BREATHING EXERCISE IS CALLED NADI SHODHANAM, WHICH LITERALLY MEANS "CHANNEL PURIFICATION".

                     1. SIT IN A CALM, QUIET, AIRY PLACE IN AN EASY AND STEADY POSTURE WITH THE HEAD, NECK, AND TRUNK ERECT AND IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE BODY SHOULD BE STILL.

                     2. BRING THE RIGHT HAND UP TO THE NOSE, THE INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS SHOULD BE FOLDED  SO THAT THE RIGHT THUMB CAN BE USED TO CLOSE THE RIGHT NOSTRIL AND THE RING FINGER USED TO CLOSE THE RIGHT NOSTRIL AND THE RING FINGER USED TO CLOSE THE LEFT NOSTRIL (VISHNU MUDRA).

                     3. WTH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL CLOSED, EXHALE COMPLETELY THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL. THE EXHALATION SHOULD BE SLOW, CONTROLLED, AND FREE FROM EXERTION AND JERKNESS.

                       4. AT THE END OF THE EXHALTION, CLOSE THE LEFT NOSTRIL WITH THE RING FINGER, OPEN THE RIGHT NOSTRIL, AND INHALE SLOWLY AND COMPLETELY. INHALATION SHOULD ALSO BE SLOW, SMOOTH, CONTROLLED, AND OF THE SAME DURATION AS THE EXHALATION.

                         5. REPEAT THIS CYCLE OF EXHALATION THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL FOLLOWED BY INHALATION THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL TWO MORE TIMES.

                          6. AT THE END OF THE THIRD INHALATION THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL, EXHALE COMPLETELY THROUGH THE SAME NOSTRIL, STILL KEEPING THE LEFT NOSTRIL CLOSED WITH THE RING FINGER.

                           7. AT THE END OF THIS EXHALATION CLOSE THE RIGHT NOSTRIL AND INHALE THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL. REPEAT THIS CYCLE OF EXHALATION THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL FOLLOWED BY INHALATION THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL TWO MORE TIMES. THIS COMPLETES THE EXERCISE.

                    IN SUMMARY, THE EXERCISE CONSISTS OF THREE CYCLES OF EXHALTION THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL AND INHALATION  THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL, FOLLOWED BY THREE CYCLES OF EXHALATION THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL AND INHALATION THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL.

                     IN THE EVENING, START THE EXERCISE WITH THREE CYCLES OF EXHALATION THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL AND INHALATION THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL, FOLLOWED BY THREE CYCLES OF EXHALATION THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL, FOLLOWED BY THREE CYCLES OF EXHALATION THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL AND INHALATION THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL. IN ALL PHRASES OF THIS EXERCISE, THE EXHALATION AND INHALATION SHOULD BE OF EQUAL DURATION, WITHOUT A PAUSE BETWEEN EXHALATION AND INHALATION. BREATHING SHOULD BE DIAPHRAGMATIC AND SHOULD BE SLOW AND CONTROLLED, WITH NO SENSE OF EXERTION. WITH PRACTICE, GRADUAL LENGTHENING OF THE DURATION OF INHALATION AND EXHALATION SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED. 

                    THERE ARE SLIGHT VARIATIONS ON THIS BASIC TECHNIQUE IN DIFFERENT YOGA TEXTS. THE STUDENT SHOULD AVOID FREQUENT CHANGES IN TECHNIQUE, HOWEVER, FOR ONLY WITH REGULAR PRACTICE FOR THE SAME TECHNIQUE CAN HE READ THE FULL BENEFITS OF NADI SHODHANAM. FURTHER, IN SOME TEXTS RETENTION OF THE BREATH BETWEEN INHALATION AND EXHALATION IS RECOMMENDED. THIS IS A ADVANCED FORM OF THE EXERCISE AND SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED ONLY UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A COMPETENT TEACHER. OTHERWISE THE STUDENT MAY HARM HIMSELF IRREPARABLY. UNDER PROPER GUIDANCE RETENTION MAY BE PRACTICED, THE PERIOD OF RETENTION BEING GRADUALLY INCREASED SO LONG AS IT DOES NOT IN ANY WAY AFFECT THE RHYTHM, EVENNESS, AND EQUALITY OF INHALATION AND EXHALATION. THE RECOMMENDED RATIO BETWEEN THE DURATIONS OF INHALATION, RETENTION, AND EXHALATION IS 1.4.2. AFTER MASTERING THE RETENTION AFTER EXHALATION, AGAIN BY GRADUALLY INCREASING THE LENGTH OF TIME THE BREATH IS HELD.

                 PRANAYAMA IS HIGHLY DEVELOPED AND COMPLEX SCIENCE, AND THE ADVANCED TECHNIQUE REQUIRE EXPERT GUIDANCE. THEY SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED PURELY ON THE BASIS OF INSTRUCTIONS FOUND IN BOOKS. UNLESS ONE HAS THE PREREQUISITES FOR SUCH ADVANCED TECHNIQUE, MORE HARM THAN GOOD WILL RESULT, FOR THE ASPIRANT WILL HAVE AWAKENED THE ENERGIES OF PRANA TO A DEGREE THAT IS BEYOND HIS CAPACITY TO CONTAIN AND CONTROL.

                  THE BASIC FORM OF NADI SHODHANAM WITHOUT RETENTION, DESCRIBED ABOVE, AND A FEW OTHER TYPES OF PRANAYAMA MAY BE PRACTICED SAFELY. BASED ON THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN HERE. BUT TO REPEAT. RETENTION OF BREATH DOES REQUIRE THE SANCTION AND GUIDANCE OF A TEACHER WELL-VERSED IN PRANAYAMA.

THE BRIEF ABOUT BASIC BREATHING

 

                                   BASIC BREATHING 

                          AND CLEASING TECHNIQUES

                            RESPIRATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE BODY. YET MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF THE SIMPLE FACT THAT THE BREATH DOES NOT FLOW EQUALLY THROUGH THE TWO NOSTRILS. AT TIMES ONE NOSTRIL IS MORE ACTIVE THAN THE OTHER , AND AT OTHER TIMES AT MAY BECOMES LESS ACTIVE THAN THE OTHER. AND AT OTHER TIMES IT MAY BECOME LESS ACTIVE THAN THE OTHER. THIS IS BECAUSE ON EACH SIDE OF THE SEPTUM SEPERATING THE TWO NOSTRILS, THERE ARE STRUCTURES CALLED TURBINATES THAT REGULATE THE PATHWAY OF AIRFLOW WITHIN THE INNER NOSE. THESE TURBINATES ARE COVERED BY MUCOUS MEMBRANCE, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF ERECTILE TISSUE. THE SWELLING OF THE TURBINATES CHANGES THE INNER CONFIGURATION OF THE AIR PATHWAYS AND CAN THUS RESTRICT OR EVEN BLOCK THE FLOW OF AIR. THIS EXPLAINS THE UNEQUAL FLOW OF BREATH THROUGH THE NOSTRILS.

                  ONE OF THE AIMS OF YOGIC BREATHING TECHNIQUE IS TO EQUALIZE  THE AIRFLOW IN THE NOSTRILS. THIS IS A PREREQUISITE FOR THE DEVILIZATION OF THE IDA AND PINGALA NADIS AND THE OPENING UP OF THE BLOCKED SUSHUMNA NADI. IN A MOMENT, WE WILL CONSIDEROF BREATHING TECHNIQUE CALLED NADI SHODHANAM, OR PURIFICATION OF THE NADIS, THE PRACTICE OF WHICH LEADS TO EQUALIZATION OF THE BREATH IN THE RIGHT AND LEFT NOSTRILS, AND THEN TO THE OPENING OF THE SUSHUMNA NADI. EQUALIZING THE FLOW OF BREATH CALMS THE MIND, AND IN STATES OF DEEP MEDITATION THIS EQUAL FLOW IS EVIDENT.

                        JALA NETI (WATER CLEANSING)

                   A PREMILIMINARY STEP TO EQUALIZING THE FLOW OF BREATH IS CLEANSING THE NOSTRILS, AND FOR THIS YOGA MANUALS DESCRIBE A TECHNIQUE CALLED JALA NETI (PURIFICATION WITH WATER). LUKEWARM WATER, WITH A LITTLE SALT DISSOLVED IN IT, IS POURED INTO ONE NOSTRIL WHILE THE HEAD IS TILTED SO AS TO ALLOW THE SALINE SOLUTION TO FLOW OUT THROUGH THE OTHER NOSTRIL. (A CUP CAN BE USED TO DO THIS, BUT IT IS FAR MORE CONVENIENT TO USE A POT WITH A NARROW SPOUT). THIS LUKEWARM, SALINE WATER NOT ONLY DISSOLVES AND WASHES AWAY ANY ACCUMULATED MUCUS AND DIRT, DISSOLVES AND WASHES AWAY ANY ACCUMULATED MUCUS AND DIRT, BUT IT ALSO, BY OSMOSIS, DRAWS OUT EXCUSES WATER FROM SWOLLEN TURBINATE STRUCTURES. IT ALSO FACILITIES DRAINAGE OF THE SINUSES.

                   IF THE WATER IS FIRST POURED INTO THE LEFT NOSTRIL AND FLOWS OUT THROUGH THE RIGHT, THE FLOW DIRECTION IS THEN REVERSED BY POURING THE SALT WATER INTO THE RIGHT NOSTRIL AND ALLOWING IT TO DRAIN THROUGH THE LEFT. THIS ACCOMPLISHES A THGOROUGH CLEANSING OF THE AIR PASSAGEWAYS. PERSONAL INSTRUCTION IN THIS TECHNIQUE FROM A QUALIFIED TEACHER IS RECOMMENDED IN THIS TECHNIQUE FROM A QUALIFIED TEACHER IS RECOMMENDED BEFORE ATTEMPTING IT ON YOUR OWN. DAILY PRACTICE PREVENTS CONGESTION OF THE SINUSES AND MAKES YOU LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO COMMON COLDS AND OTHER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS.

                       SUTRA NETI (STRING CLEANSING

                        IN THIS EXERCISE A RUBBER CATHETER WITH A COTTON STRING ATTACHED IS INSERTED INTO THE NOSTRIL AND THEN TAKEN OUT THROUGH THE MOUTH, OR STRING ALONE MAY BE USED IF THE END HAS BEEN STIFFENED WITH WAX. ALL THE IMPLEMENTS SHOULD BE STERILIZED BEFORE THEY ARE USED AND, AS HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE, THE DEMONSTRATION OF THIS TECHNIQUE BY A COMPETENT TEACHER IS RECOMMENDED BEFORE YOUR FIRST ATTEMPTS.

                    THIS EXERCISE CLEANSES THE NOSTRILS, STRENGTHENS THE MUCOUS MEMBRANE, AND BENEFITS THE EYES.

                          RHYTHMIC DIAPHRAGMATIC 

                                           BREATHING

                  THE IMPORTANT ASPECT OF BREATH CONTROL IS DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING. THE AVERAGE PERSON USES HIS CHES MUSCLES RATHER THAN HIS DIAPHRAGM WHEN HE BREATHES, AND SUCH BREATHING IS USUALLY SHALLOW, RAPID, AND IRREGULAR. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE LOWER LOBES OF THE LUNGS, WHICH RECEIVE AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF BLOOD, ARE NOT ADEQUATELY VENTILATED, SO THE GAS EXCHANGE WHICH TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE AIR IN THE LUNGS AND THE BLOOD IS INADEQUATE. RESPIRATION PHYSIOLOGISTS REFER TO THIS AS A VENTILATION-PERFUSION ABNORMALITY. WITH DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING, SUCH INEQUALITIES BETWEEN VENTILATION AND PERFUSION ARE MINIMIZED. THERE IS ALSO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING IS BENEFICIAL BECAUSE IT INCREASES THE SUCTION PRESSURE CREATED IN THE THORACIC CAVITY AND IMPROVES THE VENOUS RETURN OF BLOOD, THEREBY REDUCING THE LOAD  ON THE HEART AND ENHANCING CIRCULATORY FUNCTION.

                  THOUGH CHEST BREATHING HAS NOW BECOME NATURAL AND INVOLUNTARY FOR MOST OF US , IT IS REALLY A PART OF THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT SYNDROME, AROUSED WHEN THE ORGANISM IS CHALLENGED BY SOME EXTERNAL STRESS OR DANGER. BECAUSE OF THE RECIPROCITY BETWEEN THE BREATH AND MIND, CHEST BREATHING, IN TURN, GIVES RISE TO THE TENSION AND ANXIETY ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIGHT OF FLIGHT  SYNDROME. WITH CHEST BREATHING, THE BREATH IS SHALLOW, JERKY, AND UNSTEADY, RESULTING IN SIMILAR UNSTEADINESS OF THE MIND. ALL TECHNIQUES AIMED AT PROVIDING RELAXATION OF THE BODY, NERVES, AND MIND WILL BE INEFFECTIVE UNLESS CHEST BREATHING IS REPLACED BY DEEP, EVEN, AND STEADY DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING.

                                                                                 ❤

                ALTHOUGH DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING IS SIMPLE, EASY, AND BENEFICIAL, THE HABIT OF DOING IT HAS TO BE CONSCIOUSLY CULTIVATED BEFORE IT CAN BECOME AUTOMATIC . A SIMPLE PRACTICE TO ACHIEVE THIS IS TO LIE ON YOUR BACK ON A MAT OR RUG, WITH ONE PALM PLACED ON THE CENTER OF THE CHEST AND THE OTHER ON THE LOWER EDGE OF THE RID CAGE WHERE THE ABDOMEN BEGINS. AS YOU INHALE, THE LOWER EDGE OF THE RIB CAGE SHOULD EXPAND AND THE ABDOMEN SHOULD RISE, AS YOU EXHALE, THE OPPOSITE SHOULD OCCUR. THERE SHOULD BE RELATIVELY LITTLE MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER CHEST. BY PRACTICING THIS EXERCISE YOU WILL FIND IN DUE TIME THAT DIAPHRAMATIC BREATHING BECOMES HABITUAL AND AUTOMATIC.