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Table of Contents

Introduction

My Personal Experiences With The Breath

What Can the Breath Do For You?

Part 1: The Theory

- Your Very First Breath

- Your Own Personal Breathing Pattern

- Change the Breathing Pattern, Change Your Life

- The Relaxation Response Vs The Fight or Flight Response

Pranayama and the Energy Body

Part 2: The Techniques

- Preliminary Techniques and a Word of Caution

- Nostril/Sinus Purification

- Nostril Breathing Formula

- Beginning Regimen

Practice Sessions

As You Go

- Breath Awareness Meditation

- Advanced Regimen

Practice Sessions

As You Go

- Energy Breathing: The Ultimate Healing of the Breath - Conclusion

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Introduction

I wonder how you would react if I were to tell you that you didn’t know

how to breathe. It makes it easier, of course, for me to tell large amounts

of people this through a book, as I do not have to personally experience

their varied reactions to this statement. (Feel free to send me an email if

you must.) Being the person that I am, and being that the breath has been

one of my lifelong studies, curiosities, and companions, I have had the

opportunity to tell this to quite a few people in my life. The reactions can

be quite interesting and amusing, sometimes a little tense. Some people

just look at me like I’m a little bonkers, some people get quite offended. A

common reaction would be to say,

“Well I’ve been breathing since the day I was born and I’m still alive, so I

must know what I’m doing!”

A question I usually refrain from asking them is “but, really, how alive are

you?”

I’m going to make a bold statement at the beginning of this book by saying

that the degree to which you are able to breathe properly, efficiently, and

naturally, is directly equal to the degree of which you are alive, conscious,

mentally/emotionally healthy, and empowered. We will go into the

detailed information upon which I stake this claim, but I’m really a lot more

about showing you, rather than telling you. Nobody really learns, except

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through experience. So I would urge you, if this idea seems strange or even

outrageous to you, to please suspend your judgment, if not enough to read

through this short book and experiment with the exercises. In other words,

I’m offering the experience to you now, and am asking you to come see for

yourself.

…You may be amazed at how much of the world you are not yet

experiencing.

My Personal Experiences With The Breath

If you’ve visited my site, and are acquainted with my other writings, you are

probably aware that I started my own personal spiritual journey with

brainwave entrainment technology. I had done some homework, and had

found that meditation appeared to be the common denominator of nearly

every spiritual, self-help, or mystical endeavor. This is true, but only half of

the story.

Meditation was not the only common denominator that I discovered.

Nearly every new-age, spiritual, or self-help book I read had something

about breathing. Even the King James version of the Bible. The Buddha

talked about breathing, Buddhism in general talked about breathing, nearly

any energy work or esoteric practice touched on breathing in correlation to

the technique being taught, Yoga obviously focused heavily on breathing. I

remember at first being even a little put out when I started reading my first

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Tony Robbins book to find that, with how much of a focus he placed on the

mind, NLP, emotional mastery, and goal achievement, even he started out

first by laying a foundation of proper breathing.

The way it started to appear to me from all these varied points of view, all

focusing on breathing, was that it wasn’t just something important. It was

a fundamental precursor to achieving any sort of mastery in any endeavor.

So, at the early age of 19, as I was experimenting with brainwave

entrainment and meditation, I was also beginning my first experimentation

with the breath, breathing, pranayama, and everything related. This turned

out (so far) to be an 8 year journey (and counting), with astounding results

that not only provided me with answers and results, but have also left me

in a continual state of gratitude, awe, and amazement at how something so

simple, can do what it does.

I have put this book together as a gift to you, as one of the greatest gifts I

can offer someone. This is a collection of much of my life’s most important

work, and contains some of the greatest secrets that I have ever discovered

within the realm of human experience. I have done my best to keep the

material simple and easy to absorb, without deluding any of the power that

can be gained from understanding the information, and practicing the

techniques. Again, the information is very good to know, but it is far more

important to consistently apply the techniques. Along with the written

instructions there are also Video Instructions (that can be found at these

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links: 20 Connected Breaths ; Shiva Mudra ) and to further help you master

the techniques. I highly encourage you to use these videos, as there are

subtleties in many of these exercises that make all the difference.

What Can the Breath Do For You?

As I said, the breath is fundamental to any endeavor you may be

undertaking, whether you are just working to improve your health, feel

better emotionally, achieve your full spiritual potential, make more money,

or attract that perfect someone into your life. The breath is the 1st step. It

is the foundation upon which the other techniques you are employing rest.

Attempting to reach your full potential and achieve success in life without

first mastering the breath is a lot like trying to earn an Olympic medal

without knowing how to perform basic stretches and warm-up exercises.

Sometimes it is amazing to me that we, as a human race, can be so

unaware and unconscious towards something so simple and close to us as

our own breath. Once you actually experience the difference, it’s almost

unbelievable. It certainly begs an answer to the question why. There are a

few answers to this question, but really the deepest answer to this question

is quite universal. This answer can also be applied to the question of why

the majority of us are so uninformed about proper nutrition and eating

habits, or why so many of us are still stuck believing that our thoughts and

emotions are things that just “happen” to us, rather than things that we

can be in complete control of. Or maybe even why so many of us are so

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afraid to dream and imagine how we want our lives to be, even though this

is exactly what needs to be done for us to actually have these dreams begin

to happen.

In short, the simple answer to this question is that this is just where we are

right now as a collective human race. This is just one of the many by-

products of a certain type of unawareness that we have shared for

centuries as a species. And we are now, finally, standing at the threshold

where we can see what we have been missing. We can finally become

aware of these simple and fundamental truths about our existence that

have previously been clouded by ignorance, and pave the path for a whole

new way of being alive, physical, and human in the world we experience.

Metaphorically, it’s a matter of levels. By creating a solution at the very

foundation of our life structure, we are, in-turn, creating ripples that will

effortlessly remove obstacles and problems that exist throughout the rest

of the architecture that is our lives.

Part 1: The Theory

Again, this book is about taking action, and applying techniques and

practices, but before we get into the practices, we’re going to explore some

concepts and theory that will help to deepen your understanding of the

breath’s importance, and its overall effect on your state of consciousness,

your emotional energy, and your physical health.

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Your Very First Breath

We’re going to start at the very beginning, and talk about your very first

breath. This is something from the Rebirthing Breathwork community that

provides an important key to why we are not already naturally breathing in

the most optimal manner, and why it is so important to first heal the breath

before we can achieve our full potential in life.

I want you to put yourself in the shoes of a new-born baby. Actually, I want

you to first put yourself in the shoes of a baby that hasn’t yet left the womb.

Here you are, inside your mother’s belly, with no knowledge whatsoever of

the physical experience of being human, separate from your mother, in

your own physical body. Your ears have only heard muffled sounds

(through your mother’s body of course). Your appendages have never

made contact with any physical objects. Your eyes have not opened yet to

perceive a world outside of you. You’ve never felt a breeze against your

skin, or really experienced more than a minute temperature change. Very

important to consider, you have never had the experience of needing

anything outside of yourself to ensure your survival. Everything you need is

automatically and naturally supplied to you from your mother. And, also

very importantly, you have never used your breathing mechanism.

Now, the moment of birth is at hand. You begin to feel changes in your

surroundings, your home. You begin to perceive that you are no longer

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going to be able to remain in this place, as you begin to move through a

crowded and tumultuous birth canal. As you are squeezing through this

tight uncomfortable space, with absolutely no knowledge of how to use

your physical body, you begin to hear the muffled sounds of the outside.

People seem tense. Your mother is probably in pain, and is likely screaming

or yelling. Voices are talking and the situation seems very serious. As you

emerge from the opening your never-before used eyes are instantly

blinded by bright lights. Your never-before used ears are bombarded with

noise, and your body experiences an instantaneous temperature drop from

98 degrees to 70-75 degrees (whatever temperature the hospital room is

set to). As your vision begins to clear you see, for the first time, objects and

surroundings that are completely foreign and alien to you. You feel the last

physical connecting link between you and your mother (the umbilical chord)

cut, and at the moment you need to feel the comfort and reassurance of

your mother the most, you are whisked away by someone you do not know

at all (the doctor/nurse) and are forced to take your first breath. Your first

exhale likely comes out as a cry of agony, confusion, and pain at this

intense experience, one of being separated from your mother, and, in a few

short moments, transitioning from one state of being to an entirely

different state of being. A state of being that is much more physical, much

more dangerous. One where you are vulnerable, and no longer supplied

with everything you need without any effort on your part.

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After you have taken your first breath, you are then probed, prodded,

tested, and checked before finally being returned to your mother’s arms, so

long as nothing is found seriously wrong with you.

At this point I want to make it clear that I am not providing this perspective

to call for radical change in the medical community or to impose blame on

doctors or parents for the way they handle a birth. I am simply presenting

this to you because it is important that we understand the conditions with

which our very first breath was associated. This is huge when you consider

how much our minds and brains associate our first experiences with

anything and the emotional state that was prevalent at the time. For

example, consider how most grown adults that were bitten by a dog as a

child are still afraid of dogs. Consider how a low blow about your

personality or physical appearance from someone you were infatuated with

can lead you to be self-conscious about that attribute years down the road.

To this day the popular opinion is that as newborn babies we were still

underdeveloped mentally, and were not really able to fully comprehend

what was happening at this time. This supposedly was enough to save us

from the trauma of the situation. Whether this is true or not, we’re not

really talking about comprehension. We’re talking about unconscious

processing. We’re talking about raw emotion and experience.

Another interesting thing to consider on this subject: if you have ever

researched or known anyone with serious post-traumatic stress disorder,

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you will know that a common symptom is that the traumatic situation that

induced the disorder is often times inaccessible to the sufferer of the

trauma. And what is the one thing that nearly everyone on the planet does

not even remotely remember about their own lives? That’s something to

think about.

So what are we to do? I promise we’ll talk solutions soon, but please

indulge me a bit longer.

Your Own Personal Breathing Pattern

Each person has their own unique, largely unconscious breathing pattern,

just as unique and personal as their fingerprints. There could be a hold

here, a pause there, a tendency to wait at the end of the exhale, or a habit

of restricting the inhale. There is a way that people breathe when they are

sleeping, when they are falling asleep, when they are excited, when they

are upset, when they doubt themselves, and when they are feeling

empowered. There is also the way they breathe when they are

experiencing transcendental ecstasy, or when they are in complete

connection to their source.

If you are a breathing “geek” like me you may find this very fascinating. A

word of warning, however, your lovers might find it a little creepy to wake

up in bed to find you watching the way they breathe when they are asleep.

(I may or may not have learned this from experience.) Your ability to match

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their breathing pattern and gain deep rapport with them later, when they

need it the most, will likely make up for this though. So observe away

weirdo.

I discovered the uniqueness of people’s breathing patterns personally

through my experimentations with NLP and matching physiology to gain

rapport. It was often times quite an eye-opening experience to observe the

mental/emotional state that would come from matching someone’s

breathing pattern. This is when it really dawned on me that from each

particular and unique breathing pattern, there stems a corresponding

particular and unique mental/emotional state. I found that those shallow,

choppy, restricted breathers were usually also those tense, uptight, anxious

personality types. Those slow, steady, rhythmic breathers were usually

those laid back, chill, relaxed types of people, and those deep, fast, almost

loud breathers were usually the energetic, boisterous, and talkative types.

This is not necessarily a golden rule. It’s very similar to posture and body

language. Yes it is entirely possible to still feel good with slumped

shoulders, but this is usually not the case. Usually the person that still feels

good with horrible posture has undergone some sort of mental training, or

has a more naturally conscious awareness to overcome these incongruent

signals. The same goes for breathing, and, very importantly, just as one can

consciously adjust their body language and posture to produce a desired

mental/emotional state, so can one adjust their breathing pattern to do the

same.

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The real power comes when one has permanently adjusted their

unconscious breathing patterns and reactions, thus permanently changing

their prevailing mental/emotional state.

Change the Breathing Pattern, Change Your Life

There are a few stages to go through in permanently changing your

breathing pattern. The first is awareness of what you want to change. This

awareness is simply cultivated by paying attention to the breath in any and

all situations in your life. Breath-based meditation practices can help a lot

with this. The second step is to begin mastering the techniques that

empower your breathing mechanism to function optimally, which I will be

sharing with you in this book. The third step is to master these techniques,

and use them consciously and regularly, until they develop into a habit.

The final stage comes when you have long-since mastered the techniques,

and repeated the habit of using them over and over again, until these

breathing habits have become integrated into your subconscious. At that

point, you simply breathe optimally, with empowering breathing habits,

without having to think about it, or even be aware of it (though you will

probably never lose the degree of breath awareness that you gain through

the journey).

It is not very hard to simply use a certain type of breathing in the moment

to enhance your mental/emotional state. However, once you have

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permanently changed your unconscious breathing habits, you have done

more than just given yourself a tool to change your state. By permanently

shifting your constant breathing patterns and reactions, you have also

permanently shifted your constant and prevailing mental emotional state,

meaning this is more than just changing your state in certain situations, but

is actually more like changing your personality, or overall demeanor, for the

better.

The Relaxation Response Vs The Fight or Flight Response

One of the most profound examples of the breath’s effect on one’s

emotional state is during times of intense stress. We are more ruled by our

primitive reptilian brains than we like to admit. Though some of our

greatest triumphs in our progress as a human race are based on our

intellect, there has also been a price to pay for it.

In our primitive stages as human beings, our survival was much simpler. A

threat to our survival was much more physical, and easy to recognize.

When our survival is threatened, of course, our fight or flight response kicks

in and gives us that extra boost we need to do just that, post up and

physically defend ourselves, or take off as fast as we can. Back in the early

days, this response was, for the most part, incredibly useful, and usually a

legitimate reaction. We had to run from wild animals, stand up and defend

our tribe, protect ourselves in harsh conditions, and close in on our prey in

order to keep ourselves and our families fed.

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In our mental intellectual evolution as a species, shifting from a largely

physical mode of survival to a largely mental/intellectual form of survival,

our perception of what a threat to our survival is has changed quite

considerably. Nowadays a threat to our survival could be a mistake we

made at our job, a feeling of being judged, rejected, or alienated by others,

or a circumstance that requires us to be witty, make quick decisions, or stay

focused to think up a solution.

The problem is that, though our brain’s perceived “threats to survival” have

changed greatly over the years, revolving largely around mental,

intellectual circumstances, our brain’s/body’s reaction to these “threats”

has not evolved to accommodate these changes. Our fight or flight

response still does that same thing, pumping adrenaline into our systems

and invoking fear, stress, (and sometimes anger) as a means of motivation

to either get the hell out of the place or stand and fight. Unfortunately

when your adrenaline starts flowing, and you’re feeling these emotions,

you are usually only using a very small percentage of the rational,

intellectual part of your brain that is really needed to handle the situation

at hand in an effective manner. Quite ironic isn’t it?

I’ve digressed from breathing a bit here, but what I am getting at is that one

of the hallmarks of the fight or flight response that we experience in times

of stress is restricted breathing. I’m sure you know exactly what I mean.

Think of the last time you were really riled up, or really got a scare. Most

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likely you were holding your breath, breathing very shallow and choppy, or

possibly having trouble breathing at all. Once you finally calmed down, so

did your breathing.

One of the most effective habits we can develop in life is to learn to take

slow, deep breaths when we are stressed out, upset, or afraid. This is the

more enlightened and advanced reaction to our mental/intellectual

“threats” for a whole variety of reasons. First, you are giving your brain and

body more oxygen, allowing you to think more clearly, and act more

effectively. Second, disengaging your fight or flight response and

minimizing the amount of adrenaline released into your system keeps you

from experiencing a bodily “burn out” later, and also enables you to

continue to use the larger percentage of your brain, where the real solution

to your issue lies. Third, when we reach the height of our mental evolution

as a species, we find that thoughts/feelings actually create reality, so these

perceived “threats” are not really threats at all, so long as we are able to

step back, keep our emotional state balanced and at peace, and use our

minds to find the correct perspective. The flipside of this strategy being

that we indulge in negative emotion and mental fretting, which puts more

energy into the problem and thus causes us to create and attract more of

that problem into our lives.

Summary of Part 1 Train yourself to become aware of your breath in

times of stress, fear, and negative emotion. Take slow, deep breaths. Once

this has become a natural reaction, you have conditioned yourself to use

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the more effective “relaxation response” rather than the less-than-useful

“fight or flight response”. Of course, if your physical survival is being

threatened, by all means use that fight or flight response to protect

yourself. There still is a use for it. It’s just all about having the wisdom and

awareness to understand when the situation calls for it.

Pranayama and the Energy Body

So far we have covered more of the practical reasoning behind breath

awareness and mastery. Now we are going to step further into the

metaphysical. I am sure that, if you are even vaguely familiar with the law

of attraction and manifestation, that you have already connected some

dots as to why breath mastery can help improve your ability to live the life

you want to live. We are now going to explore the second half of this

concept.

Our body/mind units are largely regulated and powered by electromagnetic

energy. Though we will not spend much time getting into the specifics here,

we can simplify it by saying that each of our bodies have seven major

energy centers (chakras) running in alignment with our spines, which,

through our various energy channels (nadis, meridians, etc.) supply this

electromagnetic energy to our entire body and brain. Some of this energy

also flows in the space surrounding the outside of our body, producing a

field that most refer to as the aura. This energetic activity and flow is

largely interrelated with the sympathetic nervous system. I imagine that if

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you have found your way to this book that you are, more or less, already

familiar with this concept.

Aside from the oxygen we receive from each breath we take, we are also

intaking life-force energy, also referred to as prana or chi. This life-force

energy is a lot like an invisible silver lining to the air we breathe, having a

large effect on our physical energy level, our mental/emotional balance,

and the flow of our electromagnetic energy. The way we breathe has a

large effect on how much life-force energy we are constantly taking in, and

how this life-force energy is affecting the various currents and energy

centers in our electromagnetic field. By mastering certain breathing

techniques, we are also mastering our ability to enhance our energetic

currents and flow, which in turn provides us with the means to further

master our mental/emotional state, our level of physical energy, and the

evolution of our consciousness. The art of using the breath in this way is

most commonly referred to as Pranayama Yoga.

Mastering Pranayama is one of the most powerful things an individual can

do to become the ruler of their own universe. The regular practice of

pranayama leads to supreme mental and emotional control and rapid

advancement of consciousness through the balancing of one’s chakra

system, and the awakening of the kundalini energy channels in the body. It

gives one extraordinary levels of energy, abilities in concentration, and

unusually good health and long life.

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…and it’s fun. Long story short: Pranayama is awesome.

Part 2: The Techniques

So let’s get started! I want to further reiterate that what we are doing here

is training both your conscious awareness, and your unconscious mind to

form healthier, more natural, and more beneficial habits. In order to form

any habit, it is important that you are consistent, and committed to

uncompromising daily practice. I promise you that if you are disciplined

through your first month, the pranayama exercises will become more and

more pleasurable, and effective, once you really begin changing your habits,

and clearing the various energy blocks in your electromagnetic/nervous

system.

Preliminary Techniques and a Word of Caution

I will quickly caution you, these techniques are powerful. With as much

good as they can do for you, they can also be dangerous if not practiced

correctly. One of the keys to doing all of these exercises properly is that

you are relaxed and comfortable. There is a certain amount of pushing

yourself to master the various techniques, but if you are feeling discomfort

due to shortness of breath, or lightheadedness or dizziness, this is a sign

that you should tone it down a bit.

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Nostril/Sinus Purification

You will be breathing through your nostrils for many of these exercises. It

can be a large inhibitor to have a clogged or blocked nostril. If you are

experiencing this issue, there is an easy yogic purification technique to aid

in keeping the nostrils clear. I recommend practicing this purification

anyways, as it is very useful in clearing a specific and key section of your

energy body- the nadis- and also works wonders in clearing sinus infections,

preventing headaches, and curing other sinus/mucous issues.

You will need a nedi pot. Usually the instructions on a nedi pot will tell you

to allow the water to flow into one nostril out the other. What you want to

do instead is learn to pull the water in through the nostrils, and expel it

through your mouth. This does take some practice to get used to when you

first begin, but becomes natural quite quickly. Practicing this will ensure

that your nostrils are consistently clear for your breathing regimen.

Nostril Breathing Formula

To gain the maximum amount of prana flow in your exercises, it is key that

your inhales and exhales are matching in their length of time, and their

intensity. If you are experiencing discomfort, or shortness of breath, simply

reduce the amount of time on your inhales and exhales until the exercise

becomes comfortable again. You can then slowly increase the timing as

you become more accustomed with the particular exercise.

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A Tip For Breath Awareness Shock

It is not uncommon for one who is first increasing their awareness of the

breath to experience a shock, and feel as if they “don’t know how to

breathe” or that they are “not breathing properly” during their breath

awareness. This is simply a side-effect for some who have never paid

attention to this before, and have never really considered the subtleties of

their own breathing patterns. Know that you are not ever in danger, your

unconscious mind will always make sure that you are breathing ample

enough levels of oxygen to stay alive and conscious. If you experience

these anxieties, or any “shortness of the breath” when first becoming

aware of your breath, simply breath in this fashion for a few minutes:

Take a deep breath in. Hold it for 2-4 seconds. Exhale in the most

comfortable manner for you. Inhale again when it feels natural.

Basically the pause after the inhale helps you to feel more natural about

the breath again. You may not experience this issue at all, but if you do,

understand that this is a great sign that you are making progress in

reprogramming your unconscious mechanism, and gaining a greater

awareness of yourself.

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One More Word of Caution

If you are hypertensive, or have high blood pressure, please proceed with

caution and restraint, and take the necessary measures to ensure that you

are not straining yourself.

Beginning Regimen

Practice this regimen for at least a month, or until you feel you have gained

a sense of mastery over the exercises, and have made progress in the

efficacy of your practice.

There are two types of breathing exercises: breathing exercises to be

performed in practice sessions (preferably twice a day in the morning and

at night), and breathing exercises to practice throughout the day to

maintain and enhance your energy levels, and retrain your more active

habitual breathing habits. It is a very powerful thing to stop when you are

most active or busy, become aware of the breath, and use one of these

exercises. This changes your entire routine, energetically,

mentally/emotionally, and physically. You will get results from this.

There will also be a breath awareness meditation to help you bridge the

connection between your conscious awareness of the breath, and your

unconscious breathing habits. It is recommended you do this at least once

a day as well. It is recommended that you meditate for at least 5-10

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minutes a day. However, it is still very worthwhile to put in a quick 2 min.

practice if you are short on time. Again, the daily consistency is key with

this.

Practice Sessions

Make a goal to practice for 15 minutes, twice per day.

The Yogic Breath: Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight.

Inhale while expanding and filling only your belly, then expanding your

chest, and then lifting your collar bone. When you exhale, hold the chest

and stomach firmly, while first letting your collarbone drop, then release

your chest, then release the air from your belly. At first this will be three

separate motions. As it becomes more natural and intuitive, move towards

making this one smooth, fluid motion.

Benefits of this exercise: This will give you a new control and awareness

over your breathing mechanism, helping to release unconscious blocks and

trauma-related habits in the various subtle areas of your breathing muscles.

Often times we are storing negatively charged energy in these muscles that

is associated with the trauma that occurred when our breath was being

held/restricted in these areas. By breathing fully and efficiently, with a full

awareness of each muscle and bodily sensation, we release these energetic

imprints that condition us to breath in a non-effective manner. Of course

you are also receiving very large amounts of oxygen from this exercise.

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Alternate Nostril Breathing: Sit comfortably with the spine straight. Block

the left nostril with the first knuckle of your ring finger on your right hand.

(For a demonstration, visit Shiva Mudra Breathing Technique) Inhale fully

through your right nostril. Without pausing, block the right nostril with

your thumb, and exhale fully through the left nostril. Then inhale through

the left nostril and out the right. This makes a count of one. Do this for a

count of 12.

Benefits: This effectively cleans the nadis, a key series of energy channels

passing through your energy system. It also cleans the nervous system. In

Yoga, this exercise is sometimes referred to as “nerve purification”.

Belly Breathing: This exercise can be done sitting or standing. Breathe

deeply into the belly alone, expanding it like a balloon as full as you can

comfortably do so. Hold the inhale as long as is comfortable (for at least 2-

3 seconds) and release. Repeat several times.

Benefits: The majority of people on the planet do not regularly breathe into

the lowest 1/3 of their lungs regularly. Ironically this is where the largest

amount of oxygen is able to flow from the lungs into the bloodstream.

Deep belly breathing provides the body with a large and much-needed

amount of oxygen, lowering blood pressure, alleviating anxiety, improving

muscle function, and clarifying mental function. Just learning to breathe

habitually into your belly can drastically change your life for the better.

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Prolonged Inhale/Exhale: Tighten your throat muscles. Alternately you can

also tighten your sinuses where your throat meets the roof of your mouth.

Inhale as slowly as you can through the nose without losing your breath.

Then release the muscles, and exhale naturally and comfortably through

the mouth. Time your inhales, and gradually work towards making them

longer and slower.

Do this the opposite way as well, taking a quick deep breath in through the

mouth, then tightening your muscles, and exhaling slowly through the nose.

Time the exhales, and work towards increasing their longevity.

Once you are used to the above two, keep your throat/sinuses closed

during your inhale and exhale. Again, it is important that you do not push

yourself too hard and strain your heart, or run out of breath. Be patient.

Practice regularly.

As You Go

Try to stop at least 3 times in a day to practice these exercises. These quick

“pranic pick-me-ups” will help to focus your awareness on the breath,

break poor breathing habits, and help keep your energy body clear and

healthy.

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Breathing Up the Spine: This can be done either sitting or standing up.

Breathe in fully and deeply through the nose. While inhaling, imagine a

bright, clear, white light flowing from the base of your spine all the way to

the top, reaching the top at the end of the inhale. Chant the word “OM” in

your head while this is happening. During the exhale, imagine the light

going back down to the base of the spine, reaching the bottom at the end

of the exhale.

Benefits: This exercise wills life-force energy to flow up into the higher

chakras, and to purify and activate all of the chakras as it passes through

them. It also purifies and charges the energy body as a whole, giving you a

healthy aura. As you begin to open your higher chakras, and send more

life-force energy to them, your consciousness begins to dwell in these areas,

giving you access into heightened states of awareness, and opening the

door to a more experiential understanding of spiritual truths.

Skull Shining: Skull shining can also be done standing up, with legs shoulder

width apart, knees slightly bent, or sitting down in a comfortable posture

with the spine straight. Curl your top lip up above your front teeth, and

hold it there gently but firmly. This fully opens the nostril passages, and

also directs the flow of prana more into your crown and third eye chakras.

Pull your inhale in firmly, steadily, and with force through the nose. Then,

without pausing, exhale quickly, fully, and completely. There is just a split

second pause after the exhale before inhaling again. When done properly,

the inhale will be longer than the exhale, and the breath will sound much

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like a bellows. If you become dizzy or lightheaded from this exercise, stop

and sit or lay down to relax for a few minutes.

Benefits: Skull shining stimulates the awakening of your kundalini energy,

clearing the energetic obstructions in your energy system that prevent it

from naturally flowing. It also pulls large amounts of life-force energy into

the body, and the crown, giving you an energetic pick-me-up. Physically it

tones your diaphragm and upper stomach muscles, and massages your

digestive organs (the liver, pancreas, stomach, intestines, etc.).

The Easy Breath: You will be blocking your nostrils in the same manner as

in the alternate nostril breath for this exercise. First, inhale through the

right nostril for a count of 5 seconds. Hold this breath for a count of 5

seconds, and exhale through the left nostril for a count of 10 seconds.

Then, inhale for 5 seconds through the left nostril, hold the breath for 5

seconds, and exhale out the right nostril for 10 seconds. This makes a

count of 1. Do this as many times as is comfortable, increasing the amount

of breaths per day.

This exercise is especially powerful in retraining your subconscious

breathing habits when used at different times during your active day. Be

sure to practice this at least once a day consistently, preferably taking a

quick break during your most busy times to practice.

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Breath Awareness Meditation

This meditation is an ancient and esoteric practice, being taught for

hundreds of years through the lineage of Kriya Yoga. Until recently, it was

required that one was initiated into this meditation from a guru, and had

undergone many preliminary yogic purification techniques before being

initiated. I give this practice to you, asking that you will take it seriously,

and only use it if you are dedicated to being consistent, and transcending

yourself.

To begin the meditation, sit comfortably with the spine straight, and close

your eyes. You will be focusing your closed-eye gaze on your third eye (the

space between your eyebrows) throughout the whole meditation. Take a

deep breath in, turn your head to the left, and exhale in two quick breaths,

completely emptying your lungs. This is a symbolic command to your mind

to release the ego.

After performing this step, turn your head forward again, eyes still closed

and focused on the third eye, and inhale, chanting the syllable “HONG” to

yourself. After you are done inhaling, pause as long as happens naturally,

and focus your awareness on the feelings/sensations that occur during the

pause. Then exhale, chanting the word “SAU” to yourself. Again, pause as

long as naturally occurs, paying attention to the sensations and feelings of

the pause.

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The “HONG” sounds like Hong-Kong. The “SAU” sounds like saw. It is

important that you do not attempt to control the breath at all. Simply let it

do what it does. Especially be sure not to control or delay the pauses

between the inhale and exhale. As you are inhaling, the HONG should be

chanted for the full duration of the inhale, and the SAW should be chanted

for the full duration of the exhale. While meditating, your focus should be

only on the breath, and the third eye.

This meditation, though very simple, is incredibly powerful in its effect on

your subconscious breathing mechanism. It bridges the gap between your

conscious and unconscious mind, and also teaches your unconscious

esoteric lessons about the breath, and the pauses between the breath.

Much of this is not fully describable in rational terms, but practicing this

meditation for a few months will give you experiential knowledge about

your breath. This meditation also collects and recharges your life-force

energy. In yogic tradition this is one of the only times that your are building

energy, rather than using it.

Advanced Regimen

IMPORTANT: Do not move on to the advanced regimen until you have

practiced the beginning regimen consistently for at least one month. You

will know if you are ready by noting the progress and mastery you have

made with the easy breath, the prolonged inhale/exhale exercise, and the

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lack of lightheadedness/dizziness from the skull shining. Should you

experience severe discomfort, or any unwanted

mental/emotional/energetic symptoms from the advanced exercises, this is

a sign that you should go back to the beginning exercises for another

month. There is no rush, you are already making very quick progress.

There may be a few exercises from the beginning regimen that really

resonate with you, or that you really enjoy. If this is the case, feel free to

keep them, and to mix and match them with the advanced routine. You

can always focus on one of the breathing exercises below at a later time,

considering that this will be a life-long exploration.

Practice Sessions

Alternate Nostril Breathing: You will continue this exercise from the

beginning routine. Traditionally, it takes approximately three months of

consistent practice of alternate nostril breathing to experience the full

purification of the nadis and nervous system.

Sun Piercing: This is another ancient and esoteric exercise that was, in the

past, only taught to yogic initiates, and practiced under direct observation

of a guru. Please exercise caution with this one. It can do you more harm

than good to push yourself too hard. If you find yourself running out of

breath, this is your limit. Be gentle, and slowly increase the amount of

breaths you take as you become familiar with it.

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Sit either cross-legged, in the lotus posture, or in the half-lotus posture.

Take special care to ensure that the spine is straight. Pull your

sphincter/sexual organ muscles upwards, and hold them firm (this alone

could take you some practice to master). Then bring your chin down to

connect with your breast bone. Hold it firmly but without strain. Using the

same method as the alternate nostril breathing, plug your left nostril, and

inhale slowly and firmly through the right nostril. Then hold both nostrils

shut, holding the breath for 5 seconds, and increasing the intensity of the

sphincter hold. Then exhale slowly and fully through the left nostril.

Repeat. For this exercise you will only be inhaling through the right nostril,

and exhaling out the left. For best effects, slightly block the nostrils that

the air is passing through, aiming for a noise that resembles a leak in a tire.

Your eyes should be closed and focused on the third eye throughout this

entire exercise.

As noted in the preliminary section, it is important that the inhale and

exhale are of matching length and intensity. If you suffer from

hypertension, do not perform the 5 second hold. If you are feeling very

short on breath, begin by shortening the time of the inhale/exhale. This

breathing exercise produces large amounts of heat. It is only

recommended to be performed at a temperature below 75 degrees (or only

in the winter). You will sweat a lot. It is best to rub the sweat back in to

prevent fatigue.

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Benefits: This exercise is very powerful, as it passes life-force energy

directly through the third eye. You may notice flashes of color or patterns

in your inner vision while you are doing it. Again, if you notice unwanted

symptoms, take a break and return to it later, after spending more time

with the other exercises.

The Bee Breath: The bee breath is best performed in the frog posture,

sitting with the rear in direct contact with the ground, and the legs folded

on either side. (If you are not familiar with this posture, it is very helpful to

stretch first.) Think of it like kneeling, except that you sit between the legs

instead of on them.

Plug the right nostril, and inhale fully and deeply through the left. After the

inhale, hold the breath for three seconds. Then exhale, also through the

left nostril, while making a “hmmm” sound with the throat. You will see

why this is called the bee breath. You will only be breathing through the

left nostril for this exercise.

Benefits: This exercise focuses the mind, improving concentration, and

enhancing meditative awareness. It is also said to improve one’s ability to

hear the spiritual “OM” during transcendental experiences. It adds depth

and dynamic to one’s experiential breathing habits, and subconscious

understanding of the breath in it’s relation to consciousness.

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As You Go

The 2/4 Breath: Be ready to get a rush from this breath. The skull shining

will have prepared you for this. Simply inhale quickly and fully, filling the

lungs absolutely full in two seconds. Without pausing, exhale out the

mouth for four seconds. Repeat without pausing after the exhale. Your

breaths should be completely connected and fluid.

Benefits: This will pull large amounts of prana into the body, flushing out

your energetic system and giving you a burst of energy. It also brings a lot

of oxygen into your system in a very short amount of time. Again, exercise

caution and take it easy if you become lightheaded.

Twenty Connected Breaths (Click for a demonstration). For this, you will be

breathing into your upper chest, solely through the nose. The inhale and

exhale are connected. You will be taking four short breaths, then one long

one, four times, making twenty connected breaths. There is a specific way

of exhaling for this one, and it is important that you watch the online video

to ensure that you are getting the full benefits of this exercise.

Benefits: The twenty connected breaths clears energy blocks, and releases

deep-seated negative energy and tension from your muscle memory. This

is a very powerful and therapeutic technique that was originally created to

help prepare one for an energy breathing/rebirthing session (more on this

later).

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Easy Breath Revisited: Continue to practice the easy breath. Once you

have mastered the 5-5-10 sequence, you will then increase the time

amount for the hold, making it 5-7 ½-10. Once this has been mastered, you

can then increase it another 2 ½ seconds making it 5-10-10, and so on and

so forth up through 5-12 ½-10, 5-15-10, etc.

Meditation

Building upon the hong-sau meditation, simply alter it to connect the inhale

and exhale with no pause. Also, begin to visualize bright, white energy

moving up the spine on the inhale, and down the spine of the exhale. Begin

controlling the breath, making it as slow as comfortably possible. As with

the pranayama exercises, it is best to keep a consistency of time and force

between the inhale and exhale.

Benefits: This meditation will charge the cells and atoms of the body with

life-force energy, awaken the kundalini energy, and progressively expand

one’s consciousness as awareness begins to rest more fully in the

awakened higher chakras.

A special note: If you are not seeking spiritual advancement or expanded

states of awareness, this meditation is not necessary. The exercises listed

above are more than sufficient in making drastically powerful corrections to

the human breathing mechanism, and prana flow of the energy body.

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Energy Breathing: The Ultimate Healing of the Breath

There is one more practice that I want to talk to you about. Unfortunately,

(and fortunately) this practice is too powerful and transformational for me

to explain to you in a book. I can only recommend you seek out a

professional who can help you master it.

As mentioned at the beginning of the book, we have acquired a great deal

of negative emotion associated with the breath, quite possibly beginning

from our very first breath on the day that we were born. We have also

accumulated a great deal of tension, stress, and suppressed negative

emotional energy throughout our lifetimes. The practice of Energy

Breathing (also known as Rebirthing Breathwork) is one of the most

effective means for releasing this tension, negative energy, and these

negative associations with the breath on the planet to date.

It is also one of the most powerful means for advancing one’s

consciousness. The combination of breathing large, concentrated amounts

of fresh prana into the energy body and releasing motherloads of

mental/emotional “baggage” has a tendency to rapidly progress one’s

journey back to their natural state.

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As many of us already know, we are already infinitely abundant, at one with

all that is, and free of any limitation, fear, or pain. The only thing that holds

us back from manifesting our true identity in the physical/mental world is

our own limiting beliefs and energetic blocks. When we clear these blocks,

we begin to naturally and effortlessly manifest our true nature, which is

abundance, wealth, happiness, success, freedom from negativity, and

blissful awareness. Energy breathing is one of the most powerful and

effective means for clearing these beliefs and blocks.

I highly recommend you look up a certified rebirthing breathworker in your

area and schedule 10 sessions. Energy breathing is most responsibly taught

in 10 one on one sessions with a trained and professional rebirther. Once

one has undergone ten sessions, they are self-sufficient with the technique,

and are able to use it as needed. I personally recommend breathing in this

way for at least 1-3 hours on a daily basis at that point.

I am available in the state of Utah for rebirthing sessions. Feel free to

contact me if you are interested.

Conclusion

So once you have mastered the breath, where do you go from there? Keep

in mind that mastering the techniques is only the beginning step. You will

find that your awareness of the effect these techniques have on your life

will continue to grow, and deepen, over the course of several years. My

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recommendation to you is that you master them, make them a habit, and

use them for the rest of your life.

Pay close attention to how your life unfolds over the next few months, you

may be surprised at the magical transformations that occur. Again, we are

making a change at the very foundation upon which everything else in your

life rests, your consciousness, your awareness, your emotional state, your

physical energy levels, and your ability to think clearly and concentrate.

You have just taken the 1st step in the absolute right direction.

From here your options are open, and it is my hope and intention that this

information makes your future path easier and more enjoyable, that you

stumble less, that the road is clear, that you have the time to stop and

appreciate the scenery, and that the journey is just as important as the

destination.

Yours Truly,

-Ashton