Guest guest Posted August 25, 1999 Report Share Posted August 25, 1999 Dear friends, Breathing exercises have been very popular in India from most ancient times. All the forces like gravity - attraction and repulsion, electricity, magnetism, all movements in the body - breathing, beating of heart, peristalsis, all the movements in the mind - ideas, thoughts, imagination, all these are various manifestation of one kinetic force called as Prana. Breathing is the most tangible and dramatic expression of this Prana. Breathing exercises, known as Pranayama, are meant to bring the whole prana under control of mind. With this the mind is concentrated and becomes one pointed. It is then able to fathom the secrets of its own dark crevices. The light of concentrated mind is focused on mind itself to understand its true nature. Mind ought to control every bit of prana including breathing. But, because of our infatuation that we are body, for most of us it is other way round -- breathing controlling the mind. Breathing exercises and control of breath should be seen as meditative exercise to control the restless mind. As we practice, the mind becomes quieter. (Regular breathing exercises also bring colour to the skin, the voice becomes soft and sweet, one feels healthy and develops capacity to fight diseases.) Then it listens to reason, and is capable of discriminating between real and unreal. The same effect of controlling and concentrating the mind can be achieved by focusing the mind on: 1) " Divine Form or Symbol " (for instance - the chosen Ideal, an idol, a photo, Temple, The Holy Cross, Church, etc.); 2) Holy attribute as His Vastness, Grace, Compassion, etc. (sky, ocean, being the symbol); or, 3) Prayers and Japa (constant repetition of the name of God or a Mantra) dr c s shah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 26, 1999 Report Share Posted August 26, 1999 Dear Dr S, Thank you for this. By the way, I save many of these notes (and mail from many list members) in a folder to re-read later. My teacher also taught us pranayama as a technique just as you mention below. There have been times I felt depressed or tired and used such a technique to great advantage -- if only I could remember this all the time! thank you again, Karen Dr C S Shah wrote: > Dr C S Shah <drcssha > > Dear friends, > > Breathing exercises have been very popular in India from most ancient > times. > > All the forces like gravity - attraction and repulsion, electricity, > magnetism, all movements in the body - breathing, beating of heart, > peristalsis, all the movements in the mind - ideas, thoughts, > imagination, all these are various manifestation of one kinetic force > called as Prana. > > Breathing is the most tangible and dramatic expression of this Prana. > > Breathing exercises, known as Pranayama, are meant to bring the whole > prana under control of mind. With this the mind is concentrated and > becomes one pointed. It is then able to fathom the secrets of its own > dark crevices. The light of concentrated mind is focused on mind itself > to understand its true nature. > > Mind ought to control every bit of prana including breathing. But, > because of our infatuation that we are body, for most of us it is other > way round -- breathing controlling the mind. > > Breathing exercises and control of breath should be seen as meditative > exercise to control the restless mind. As we practice, the mind becomes > quieter. (Regular breathing exercises also bring colour to the skin, the > voice becomes soft and sweet, one feels healthy and develops capacity to > fight diseases.) Then it listens to reason, and is capable of > discriminating between real and unreal. > > The same effect of controlling and concentrating the mind can be > achieved by focusing the mind on: > > 1) " Divine Form or Symbol " (for instance - the chosen Ideal, an idol, > a photo, Temple, The Holy Cross, Church, etc.); > > 2) Holy attribute as His Vastness, Grace, Compassion, etc. > (sky, ocean, being the symbol); or, > > 3) Prayers and Japa (constant repetition of the name of God or a Mantra) > > dr c s shah > > --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- > > GET WHAT YOU DESERVE! A NextCard Platinum VISA: DOUBLE Rewards points, > NO annual fee & rates as low as 9.9 percent FIXED APR. > Apply online today! /ad/nextcard1 > > ------ > Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah > Vivekananda Centre London > http://www.btinternet.com/~vivekananda/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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