In the West, they usually have a very confused idea of ​​what "yogis" are, what their philosophy and activities are. Travelers around India tell many tales about hordes of fakirs, beggars and all sorts of conjurers filling the high roads India and shamelessly calling themselves "yogis". But the people of the West will be greatly mistaken in thinking of the typical "Yogi" as an emaciated, fanatical, dirty and ignorant Hindu, who either sits in a motionless posture until his body is rigid, or holds his arms up until they are stiff and dry, and so they will remain for the rest of his life, finally, he keeps his fist tightly clenched until the nails of his fingers grow through the palm of his hand. All these people exist - it's true, but to call them "yogis" - it sounds for the real yoga the same absurdity as it is absurd for an honored surgeon to hear that a callus operator is called a doctor or a "professor" - a street seller of healers' potions.

Long ago in India and in other Eastern countries there were people who devoted their time and energy to the study of methods for developing the forces of man, physical, mental and spiritual. The experience of the first generations of these seekers was passed down for centuries from teachers to students, and science was gradually folded - yoga, i.e. these studies and teachings were eventually given the name "yogi" - from the Sanskrit word "south" - which means " unite ".

Yoga is divided into several sections, starting with the teachings on the management of the body to teachings on how to achieve higher spiritual development. In what follows, we will not touch on the higher aspects of the subject of the book, if it does not itself lead to that.

The "science of breathing" is often very close to the field yoga and although its first task is the development in man of the forces of his physical organism, but in some ways it also serves his spiritual development.

AT India there are big schools yoga that combine thousands of leading minds of this great country. Yogi philosophy is the rule of life for many, many people. True Teachings yoga However, they keep among the few, while the masses are content with the crumbs falling from the tables of the educated classes - the Eastern custom in this respect is not like what we see in the West. But Western ideas are beginning to have an effect on the East, and now teachings that were previously communicated to only a few are freely offered to anyone who is only qualified enough to receive them. East and West are growing together in close communication, using this for mutual influences.

Indian yoga give great attention to the "science of breathing" for reasons that will become clear to the reader after reading this book. Many Western authors have dealt with this part of the teachings of the Yugas, but it seems that only the author of this book was able to present for Western readers in a clear and concise form the main principles of the "Science of Breathing" yogis and their favorite exercises and methods. We use everywhere terms familiar to the West, avoiding Sanskrit names whenever possible so as not to confuse the reader.

The first part of the book is devoted to the physical side of the "Science of Breathing", then its physical side is considered in parallel with the impact on the mental area, and finally its influence on the spiritual development of a person is outlined.

We have tried to combine as much as possible of the teachings of the Yogis in this small book, and we have sometimes had to use words and terms that are new to the Western reader. We are afraid, however, only that, due to their extreme simplicity and clarity, these teachings will be accepted as something too light and unworthy of attention, since perhaps readers expect to find something instead. deep, mysterious and incomprehensible However, the Western mind is an extremely practical mind, and we know that it will not be long before the practicality of the presentation of this book will be fully recognized.

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Ramacharaka
THE SCIENCE OF THE BREATH OF THE INDIAN YOGI
Breathing according to oriental methods,
as a means of physical, mental,
mental and spiritual development

Chapter 1

In the West, they usually have a very vague idea of ​​what "yogis" are, what their philosophy and activities are. Travelers in India tell many tales about hordes of fakirs, beggars and all kinds of conjurers, filling the high roads of India and shamelessly calling themselves "yogis." But the people of the West are greatly mistaken in thinking of the typical "Yogi" as an emaciated, fanatical, dirty and ignorant Hindu, who either sits in a motionless posture until his body is rigid, or holds his arms up until they are stiff and dry, and so they will remain for the rest of his life, finally, he keeps his fist tightly clenched until the nails of his fingers grow through the palm of his hand. It is true that such people exist, but to call them "yogis" sounds as absurd to a real yogi as it is absurd for an honored surgeon to hear that a callus operator is called a doctor or a "professor" - a street seller of medicine potions.

From time immemorial, in India and other Eastern countries, there have been people who devoted their time and energy to the study of methods for developing the forces of man, physical, mental and spiritual. The experience of the first generations of these seekers was passed down over the centuries from teachers to students, and the science of “yoga” was gradually folded, that is, these studies and teachings were eventually given the name “yogi” - from the Sanskrit word “yug” - which means “ unite".

"Yoga" is divided into several sections, starting with the teachings on the control of the body to teachings on how to achieve higher spiritual development. In what follows, we will not touch on the higher aspects of the subject of the book, if it does not itself lead to that.

The “science of breathing” is often very close to the field of “yoga”, and although its first task is to develop the forces of its physical organism in a person, it also serves his spiritual development in some aspects.

In India there are great schools of "yoga" that combine thousands of leading minds of this great country. Yogi philosophy is the rule of life for many, many people. The true teachings of "Yoga," however, are held among the few, while the masses are content with the crumbs that fall from the tables of the educated classes—the Oriental custom in this respect is not like that which we see in the West. But the ideas of the West are beginning to have an effect on the East, and now teachings which were previously communicated to only a few are freely offered to anyone who is sufficiently prepared to receive them. East and West grow together in close communication, using this for mutual influences.

Indian yogis place great emphasis on the "science of the breath" for reasons that will become clear to the reader after reading this book. Many Western authors have dealt with this part of the teachings of the Yogis, but it seems that only the author of this book has been able to present for Western readers in a clear and concise form the main principles of the "Science of Breathing" of Yogis and their favorite exercises and methods. We use everywhere terms familiar to the West, avoiding Sanskrit names whenever possible so as not to confuse the reader.

The first part of the book is devoted to the physical side of the “science of breathing”, then its physical side is considered in parallel with the impact on the mental area, and finally its influence on the spiritual development of a person is outlined.

We have tried to combine as much as possible of the teachings of the Yogis in this small book, and we have sometimes had to use words and terms that are new to the Western reader. We are afraid, however, only that, due to their extreme simplicity and clarity, these teachings will be accepted as something too light and unworthy of attention, since perhaps readers expect to find something "deep", mysterious and incomprehensible instead of them. However, the Western mind is an extremely practical mind, and we know that it will not be long before the practicality of the presentation of this book will be fully recognized.

Chapter 2

Life depends entirely on the act of breathing. While diverging in the details of theory and terminology, East and West agree on basic principles.

To breathe is to live, and without breathing there is no life. Not only do the higher animals depend for their life and health on respiration, but the lower animals must breathe in order to live, and even plants need air, and without it life of any length is impossible for them.

The child takes a long deep breath, holds the air in the lungs for a minute in order to extract from it the life-giving parts; and then slowly breathes it out, and life begins for him. The old man lets out a weak sigh, his breath breaks and life stops. From the first deep breath of a child to the last breath of a dying old man, there is a long succession of continuous breathing. Life is only a series of breaths.

Breathing is the most important of all the activities of the body, for all its other activities depend on breathing.

A person can live for some time without food, it is more difficult for him to be without water, but only a few minutes he can live without renewing the air in the lungs through breathing.

And not only life for a person is connected with his breathing, but the duration of his life and freedom from diseases entirely depend on the correctness of breathing. Intelligent breath control continues our days on earth, increasing our vitality and resistance, on the other hand, incomplete and careless breathing shortens our life, lowering our vitality and predisposing to disease.

A person in his normal state does not need special instructions for breathing. Like animals and like a child, he breathes with a full and free chest, as nature has indicated to him. But civilization has changed a lot in it. She gave him wrong and harmful manners of walking, standing and sitting, which deprived him of his natural and correct breathing given to him by nature. He paid a heavy price for civilization.

The current savage breathes properly until he is touched by the influence of civilized life. Only a very few among the people of the civilized world breathe properly, which is the cause of these sunken chests and concave shoulders, and also this terrifying increase in diseases of the respiratory tract, and among them is the terrible monster - consumption, this "white plague". Eminent hygienic authorities say that one generation of people breathing properly would regenerate the race and make consumption a rarity that everyone would talk about as something extraordinary. For a European and a person of the East, the close relationship between health and proper breathing is equally clear and undeniable.

Western science confirms that the physical health of a person is very dependent on proper breathing. The teachers of the East, agreeing with this opinion of their Western brethren, admit that in addition to winning physical health obtained from correct breathing, the mental strength of a person, contentment with life, self-control, insight, moral firmness and, in general, spiritual strength are greatly increased from it. Entire philosophical schools were founded in the East on this science, and when the Western peoples become acquainted with it and put it into practice, it will work wonders among them. The theory created by the East and applied to practice by the West will give worthy results.

This book has the task of giving the "science of breathing" in its entirety - not only what is known to Western physiologists and hygienists, but also the occult side of the issue. It not only opens the way to general strengthening health of a person through deep breathing known to Western experts, but shows how Hindu yogis achieve possession of the forces of their physical body, expand the abilities of their mind and develop the spiritual side of their nature - through the "science of breathing".

Yogis do exercises by which they acquire power over their body and become able to send its intense stream to any organ. life force- “prana”, which strengthens and heals this organ. They know everything their western brethren know about physiological impact correct breathing, but they also know that the air contains not only oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen, and that more than one oxidation of the blood occurs during breathing. They are aware of "prana" which their western counterparts are not at all aware of, and they are thoroughly aware of the nature and methods of controlling this great manifestation of energy, as well as its effect on human body and mind. They know that by rhythmic breathing one can bring oneself into a harmonious vibration with all of nature and help develop one's hidden powers. They also know that by properly controlled breathing, one can not only heal their own and other people's diseases, but also remove fear, torment and lower passions from oneself.

Teaching all this is the purpose of this book. We wish to give precise explanations and indications in a few chapters, which could be extended to whole volumes. We want by this to awaken in the minds of the West attention to the "science of breathing" of the Yogis.

Chapter 3

In this chapter, we will give a brief summary of the theories of Western scientists regarding the activities respiratory organs human and its significance for the human body. In later chapters, we will present the same theories and the exact facts presented by the Eastern schools. scientific research. Eastern scholars accept the theories and facts of their Western counterparts (which, moreover, were known to them centuries earlier), but add to them much that the latter do not now accept, but which they will “discover” in due time and present to the world as a great truth.

Before expounding on the theory of Western science, it might be appropriate to first give a general description of the respiratory tract.

The respiratory organ consists of the lungs and the pathways that carry air to them. Lungs number two. They lie in the chest, one on each side; between them is the heart. Each lung is free in all directions, except for the part in which it enters the bronchi, arteries and veins connecting it to the heart and windpipe. The lungs are spongy and porous, their tissue is very elastic. They are placed in a double bag of a delicate but strong tissue called "pleura". One wall of this bag is tightly connected to the lungs, and the other to inside chest. Between these two walls, fluid is constantly released, which allows them to internal surfaces easy to slide one against the other while breathing.

The paths that carry air into the lungs consist of the nasal cavity, larynx, windpipe or trachea, and bronchi. When we breathe, we draw in air through the nose, where it is warmed by contact with the mucous membrane, abundantly supplied with blood, and, passing through the pharynx and larynx, goes into the windpipe, which is divided into many respiratory channels, bronchi, which in turn are divided into the smallest canals, ending in small blood vessels, of which there are millions in the lungs. One scientist calculated that if the blood vessels of the lungs were stretched into one continuous surface, they would cover an area of ​​14,000 square feet.

Air is drawn into the lungs by the action of the diaphragm, which is a large, strong, sheet-like, flat muscle lying across the chest, separating the chest from the intestines. The diaphragm acts almost automatically, like the heart, although if desired, its movements can be subordinated to the will. When the diaphragm expands, the volume of the chest and lungs expands, and air is drawn into the resulting void. When the diaphragm contracts, the chest and lungs also contract, squeezing the air out of themselves.

Now, before talking about what happens to the air in the lungs, let me touch on the issue of blood circulation. Blood, as you know, is pushed by the heart into the arteries, through which it enters the hair vessels, thus dispersing to all parts of the body, which it nourishes and strengthens. Then, by means of the hair vessels, it returns by the other way, through the veins, to the heart, from which it is driven to the lungs.

The blood goes on its way through the arteries bright red and rich in life-giving properties and qualities. It returns through the veins blue, impoverished and heavy, burdened with decay products that it has captured throughout the circulatory system. It rushes from the heart like a pure mountain stream and returns as a heavy gutter stream. This dirty stream enters the right ventricle of the heart. When it is filled, it contracts and pushes the blood into the lungs, in which it is distributed by millions of hair channels to the cells that we talked about above. Breathing fills the lungs with air, and its oxygen in the cells comes into contact with the venous spoiled blood through the walls of the hair vessels, which are thick enough not to let blood pass through them, but at the same time thin enough that oxygen can pass through them into the blood. When oxygen comes into contact with the blood, something like combustion occurs - the blood takes in oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide, formed from the decay products collected by the blood along its path from all parts of the body. The blood, thus purified and oxygenated, goes back to the heart, again bright red and rich in life-giving properties. It enters the left ventricle of the heart and from it is sent by the heart again on its way through the arteries to all parts of the body. It is calculated that 35,000 pints (24,000 bottles or 1,200 buckets) of blood per day pass through the heart into the hair ducts of the lungs, and the blood globules, one at a time, squeeze into the cells and come into contact with the oxygen of the air. If you think for even a minute about the details of this process, you must come into direct amazement and admiration before the infinite care and ingenuity of nature!

Obviously, if fresh air does not enter the lungs in sufficient quantities, the polluted venous blood cannot be purified and, consequently, not only the body will be deprived of nutrition, but the decay products that should have burned up when in contact with the oxygen of the air will return to circulatory network, poisoning the entire system and producing death. Impure air acts in the same way, but only to a lesser extent. It is clear from this that if one does not send enough air into the lungs in breathing, the work of the blood cannot be done properly; as a result, the body will not get enough nutrition and disease or even a violation of health will follow. The blood of someone who does not breathe correctly is therefore a bluish-dark color, markedly different from the bright redness of normal, oxygenated arterial blood. This is often expressed already in the very pallor of the face in such people, while correct breathing gives a person a vigorous blood circulation and a bright healthy glow.

A little remark will clarify the vital importance of correct breathing. If the blood is not completely cleansed by the regenerating process in the lungs, it returns to the arteries in an abnormal state, not sufficiently pure from all the residues it has taken up in various parts of the body. All these decay products are again returned to the body, and the natural consequence may be disease, sometimes a special disease of the blood, or deterioration in the activity of some organ or tissue due to malnutrition.

The blood, when it is properly ventilated in the lungs with air, is not only freed from the harmful impurities and carbonic acid gas that saturate it, but also absorbs a certain amount of oxygen from the air, which carries it around the body, as much as it needs where necessary, so that nature can properly perform your business. When oxygen comes into contact with blood, it combines with its hemoglobin and is carried away by it to every cell of the body, to every muscle of it, to every organ, reviving and strengthening them with new materials that nature provides them with. Arterial blood, properly exposed to air in the lungs, contains about 25% oxygen.

And not only every part of the body is revitalized by oxygen, but the digestive act also directly depends on the sufficient oxidation of the food material, which takes place in the blood, when oxygen comes into contact in the blood with the juices extracted from food, and different types combustion. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that sufficient oxygen be delivered to the lungs. This also explains the common fact that weak lungs and bad digestion go hand in hand. To understand the full significance of this, we must remember that the whole organism receives its nourishment from food. learned, and that incomplete assimilation of it inevitably leads to incomplete nutrition of the organism. The lungs themselves are still dependent on the same source of nourishment, and if the absorption of food juices is impaired by weak breathing, the lungs also weaken, becoming even less able to do their job properly, and then the whole body withers and weakens. Every particle of food or drink must be oxidized with oxygen before it can be assimilated by the body, and the products of the internal fume of the body require the same oxidation in order to take a form in which they can be excreted from the body. Lack of oxygen in the blood, i.e. in the lungs, leads to malnutrition, insufficient purification of the body and poor health. Truly, breath is life.

The combustion of spoiled elements in the blood warms the body and generally equalizes its temperature.

He who knows how to breathe deeply protects himself by this and from colds, having a good supply of hot blood, which makes him more able to withstand changes in external temperature.

In addition to all the above, deep breathing gives exercise to the organs and muscles of the intestines, which is usually completely overlooked by Western hygienists, but fully appreciated by yogis.

With improper or shallow breathing, only a certain part of the lung cells fulfills its purpose, while a significant part of the work of the lungs is lost and the whole organism suffers. The lower animals in their natural state breathe correctly, and primitive man undoubtedly breathed in the same way. The abnormal way of breathing adopted by a "civilized" person - a dark shadow falling on civilization - has deprived us of the air we need. And the nations suffer from this more than from anything else. Man can save himself only by returning to nature.

Chapter 4

The science of breathing, like many other teachings, has its esoteric or inner side as well as its exoteric or outer side. Occultists of all times and countries have always taught, but usually among only selected students, that there is a certain substance or principle in the air, which gives everything movement and life. They differed in the expressions and names by which they defined this force, as well as in the details of the theory itself, but the basic view, common to all occult teachings and philosophical schools, forms part of the teaching of the Yogis of the East.

Many occult authorities teach that there is a universal principle of energy or force, which they call the Sanskrit word "prana" which means "absolute energy." All energy or force in the universe comes from this beginning, or rather is a partial form of manifestation of it. These teachings have little to do with the very subject of this book, and in explaining the essence of "prana" we will limit ourselves only to the fact that it is the beginning of energy, which manifests itself in every living being and distinguishes it from everything lifeless. We can consider it as the active principle of life - if you like, as a vital force. It is present in all manifestations of life from amoeba to man, from the most primitive forms of plant life to the highest forms of animal life. Prana pervades everything. It is found in everything that has life. Since, according to the teachings of occult philosophy, life is in everything, in all things, in every atom - the visible lifelessness of a thing is only the lowest degree of manifestation of life - therefore, according to the teachings, prana is spilled in nature everywhere, is in everything. It should not be confused with the "Ego", "I" - with this particle of the divine spirit in every soul, around which matter and energy are concentrated. Prana is simply a form of energy that the Self uses for its material manifestation. When the “I” leaves its physical body, prana, no longer under the influence of its will, falls under the influence of individual atoms or groups of atoms that make up the body, and since the body undergoes decay into its constituent elements, then every atom captures a particle of prana , sufficient to form a new combination, a new living body, the rest of the prana returns to the ocean of the world reserve from which it separated. Its connection with the body exists as long as the action of the will of the "I" lasts, and by this will the atoms of the body are held together.

By "prana" we mean the universal principle, which is the essence of any movement, force or energy, no matter how and in whatever it manifests itself - whether in the force of attraction, in electricity, in the rotation of the planets or in other forms of life, from the lowest to the highest. Prana is the soul of force and energy in all their manifestations, the principle which, acting in a certain way, causes manifestations called "life".

This beginning is present in all forms of matter, but it is not matter. It is also in the air, but it is not air and not any of its constituent chemical elements. Animals and plants inhale it from the air, and if it were not in the air, they would die, although they would be full of air. It is perceived by the body together with oxygen, but it is not oxygen. The Jewish authors of the Book of Genesis know the difference between the atmospheric air and the mysterious and powerful principle poured into it. They speak of "neshemet ruach chayim", which means "breath of the spirit of life". In Hebrew, "neshemet" means ordinary atmospheric breathing, "chayim" means "life" or "lives" and the word "ruach" means "spirit of life." According to the occultists, this expression indicates the same principle that they mean by the word "prana".

Prana is in the atmospheric air, but it is everywhere and where the air cannot penetrate. Oxygen plays an important role in the course of animal life, carbon has a similar importance in vegetable life, but prana has its own very special role in the manifestations of life, regardless of their physiological side.

We constantly inhale air saturated with "prana" and also constantly extract prana from the air, using it for our needs. In its freest state, prana is in the atmospheric air, and if it is fresh, then it is abundantly saturated with prana, which we extract from the air more easily than from any other source. With ordinary breathing, we absorb a normal amount of right, but with deep breathing, as yogis teach to breathe, we can absorb much more prana from the air, which accumulates in the nerve and brain centers in case of need. We can accumulate prana in ourselves, as batteries absorb electricity. Many of the faculties possessed by advanced occultists have been made possible for them chiefly by their knowledge of this fact and by the intelligent use of the accumulated energy. Yogis know that with certain breathing techniques, the flow of prana into the body increases, and they can collect it as much as they need. At the same time, not only the physical body is strengthened, but the brain also receives a new influx of energy and new abilities and mental forces develop. One who has mastered the science of prana accumulation, consciously or unconsciously, is often able to radiate it from himself as a life force and act on others, giving them new vitality and health. What is called "magnetism" is given by this faculty of magnetizers, although many of them do not know the real source of their power.

Western scientists were vaguely aware of the presence in the air of this great force, but since it leaves no trace in their apparatus of chemical research, they have for the most part treated this "invention" of the East with disdain. Since they cannot determine the essence of this force, they tend to deny it. However, they still admit that in some areas the air has a large amount of "something" revitalizing, and sick people are sent to doctors in these places in search of lost health.

Oxygen is absorbed from the air by the blood and is used to meet the needs of the body by the circulatory system. Prana is extracted from the air by the nervous system and used by it for its work. And, just as oxygenated blood is carried by the circulatory system throughout the body, building it and reviving it, so prana passes through all parts. nervous system filling it with new vitality and strength.

If we call prana the active principle in our so-called vitality, then we will form in ourselves a clearer idea of ​​the important role that it plays in our lives. Just as the oxygen of the blood is consumed by the circulatory system for the needs of the body, so prana is consumed by our nervous system for our thoughts, desires and other types of mental activity, as a result of which a constant renewal of its reserves is necessary. Every thought, every action, every effort of the will, every movement of the muscles, uses up a certain amount of what we call nerve force, and which is in reality one of the forms of prana. To move a muscle, the brain sends a volitional current through the nervous system, the muscle contracts, and now part of the prana is used up. If you remember that most of the prana received by a person is absorbed from the air he breathes, the importance of correct breathing will become quite clear to you.

Prana- this is the universal principle of energy, manifested in a wide variety of forms, including life force.

Pranayama is the control of prana, especially prana that has taken the form of vital energy. The Yogis maintain that this control, if carried to a sufficiently high degree, gives man dominion over all other manifestations of prana in nature, and is the secret of power and might.

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Breath Science

The science of yoga, with its various branches, seeks to unravel, as we have pointed out, the mysteries of life and death. Some of the leading thinkers of the West are beginning to understand the importance of this amazing science and are beginning to explain the problems of existence with its help. But modern physiologists, anatomists, biologists and physicians are still too uncertain about right ways to the solution of these problems, and the more they write and research, the more doubts appear in their minds. During the past fifty years, various investigations in various fields of science, in physics, chemistry, physiology, biology, apparently led to the conclusion that life as such does not exist, that those phenomena that we call life are the results of physical and mechanical processes in organic nature, and that there is no such thing as a life force separate and distinct from the physical and chemical forces studied and observed in laboratories.

After that, many began to wait and hope that not today tomorrow they would hear about the discovery of a new substance, artificially formed in the laboratory, which would live, grow, move, multiply and die like living matter. So many of today's thinkers and scientists actually think it's possible. They think that vitality is simply the result of the mechanical activity of organs, that life arises directly in dead matter and obeys mechanical, physical and chemical laws, that a living being is nothing but a machine, and that all its actions, both internal and external, there is only a combination of known chemical reactions, subject to the usual chemical laws. They argue that living matter is no different from dead matter, and that living matter is created from non-living matter.

According to these scientists, the human being is nothing but the result of certain changes and combinations, governed by the general laws of physical nature. But if you ask them what power these chemical and mechanical modifications that create man have, what kind of power makes all chemical combinations form in the right quantities and along the right lines and at the same time in such an infinite variety, they will answer that they do not know.

But it is necessary to raise the question: are we really like machines and are subject only to mechanical laws and nothing more, does our growth depend exclusively on the processes of a certain combination of matter in the inanimate world, are we really only random deposits or crystallizations of atoms and molecules not controlled by any higher forces, except for physico-chemical? People who study physiology in our time become acquainted in books and textbooks with this physico-chemical theory of the origin of life, and they laugh at those who use such expressions as vital force, vitality or vital energy in the sense of an energy separate and different from physical the chemical forces of nature. What actually happens is the following. In studying physiology, they seem to throw aside any idea of ​​vitality and vitality. They consider the nature of vitality and life and try to explain the formation of brain cells, nervous tissue and buildings various bodies living being, imagining all this dead and not alive. But these extremes, to which science goes, are already causing a reaction against themselves, and in Europe there are many thinkers who, on the contrary, assert that there are no grounds for considering the life force consisting of physical and chemical forces, and who assert that there is a special life force that manifests itself in particles of living matter and incommensurable with physical forces.

It is absolutely true that the human body is a machine, but a machine unlike any machine created by man. It is a self-moving, self-regulating, self-adapting living machine, controlled by the forces of will and reason, and it originated from the germ of life, which possessed vitality and had the opportunity and ability to become conscious, to desire, to think, to manifest mental activity, i.e., to form everything in itself emotions and thoughts of a human being. By the germ of life, we mean that germ of matter or substance that potentially contains life and mind. And although the manifestation of this vital force depends on the organic structure, nevertheless, it cannot be identified with any of the physical forces known to us. It is not heat, not electricity, not magnetism, not molecular attraction, on the contrary, it is a force that controls all the grosser physical forces and directs them at will. This power directs all currents that transmit energy through the body, set in motion and contract muscles, it coordinates all automatic movements, monitors the actions of the whole system both as a whole and in parts, and in itself is the beginning of a purely animal life. In man there is a special organ by which this force functions, and which is also created in order to separate it from other energy, to give it the opportunity to manifest itself in form and strive for certain goals. This organ, as it were, gives her an outlet for expression. This is the spinal cord with its nerves in man and the corresponding organs of other animals.

The mysterious and invisible life force is called "prana" in Sanskrit. That part of the science of the Yogis which relates to the operation of this mysterious power, describes its origin and nature, and teaches how this power can be controlled and used for the desired results, is called the "science of prana." Usually the word "prana" is translated into European languages ​​by the word "breath", which is why the science of prana is often called the science of breathing. Actually, prana does not mean breath at all. In the Upanishads, prana is defined as the cause of all movement and life in organic and inorganic nature, where there is even the slightest manifestation of the movement of life or mind. From the smallest atoms to the greatest solar systems, and from the amoeba to the genius of man, life is the manifestation of an all-pervading force called prana. This force is one, although it seems extremely varied in its expressions, it is the mother of all forces, physical, chemical and psychic. Vedanta philosophy speaks of it as the ultimate generalization of the manifold forces of nature. This power is indestructible, death is only a form of manifestation of this power, and not its destruction at all. But this force should not be confused with molecular attraction, because it is much subtler - and in no way can be made visible or tangible to the touch. This force cannot be weighed, measured or seen in any form.

According to Vedanta, before the beginning of creation, nature was in a free state, did not have anything conventional in itself, but contained potential prana. Vedanta does not make that absurd claim that life has come from the absence of life. It does not admit the possibility that vital energy is the result of the action of mechanical forces, but on the contrary, it says directly that vital energy is a force acting simultaneously with physico-chemical forces, or rather, one can even say that physico-chemical forces are only an expression of the living energy of prana. . Although some of the modern scientific monists admit that all matter and all forces arise from a common source or from one eternal energy, yet at the same time they deny life or vitality in this energy and consider it not living. They are trying to prove that life is the product of some kind of movement of dead matter. Vedanta, on the contrary, teaches that all the phenomena of the universe have developed from the eternal energy contained in prana. Cosmic life, the power of the cosmic mind, cosmic understanding and consciousness may mutually depend on each other, but, existing in human body, they are in the same proportion to each other as those infinitely varied forces that act in the eternal living being, whose body is the universe.

The science of "yoga" states that prana is the main cause of all the manifesting forces of nature. Why does an atom move or vibrate? Scientists do not know this, but "yoga" says it is the action of prana. Those forces that produce vibration in an atom or molecule are one of the expressions of the energy of prana or the cosmic life principle. The same prana is the force by which the germ of life awakens and begins to grow on the physical plane. Prana excites movement in the molecules of the cells of the embryo and begins to build the organism according to the plan laid down in the embryo, make corrections, renew worn parts and produce new individuals, continuing the existence of the genus. Prana is the cause of all protoplasmic activity, both in the smallest living organisms and in the most developed organism, in man. Prana is closely connected with all the activities of the mind, that is, it controls all the rational and conscious activity of the organism, manifested by it at all stages of its evolution, starting from the embryo. Life force and mind are really only two aspects of prana. The germ of life has psychicity as well as vitality, and the phenomena of these two aspects are inextricably linked. In the science of yoga, the relationship between mind and prana is allegorically described as that of horse and rider. Prana in this case plays the role of the horse, and the individual mind the role of the rider. If we also introduce the body into this comparison, then we need to imagine it as a carriage driven by the forces of prana and controlled by the mind. The activity of the mechanism of the body stops if the prana or life force ceases to be renewed and act in it. When the vibrations of prana stop, the mind ceases to function on the physical plane. That is why the life force or prana is called the mediator or medium through which the mind manifests its force on the physical plane.

A living organism is nothing but a mechanism for the manifestation of the power of the soul. When the soul desires to express certain aspects of itself on the material plane, it creates, through the medium of prana, the possibility of fulfilling its desire. If the mental activity of any living being changes, the organic structure of tissues and cells must also change. Various experiments carried out by numerous scientists have clearly shown that certain mental efforts, the activity of the mind, lie at the basis of all physical changes and organic functions. Abnormal activity of the mind will certainly create some pathological phenomena in the body, because it will affect its life and its activities. And when the vital force, that is, the force that gives life to every cell of the body, is under abnormal influence, all the cells begin to vibrate in a different way, and as a result, the normal activity of the cells of the body is disturbed, which in turn affects the whole organism and creates what we call sickness of the body. In short, when vital activity is normal, then mental functions will be natural. A diseased body affects the mind in the same way that a disturbed mind makes the whole body sick. physical system. He who can regulate his mental activity knows how to keep the vitality and health of his body, just as a person who knows how to control the vital functions of his body understands the secret by which to keep the mind healthy. The man who is thus capable of mastering mind and body is the master of himself, the king consciously ruling over his dominions. But whoever is not the master of himself, he lives like a slave, subject to passions, feelings, desires for possession, a sense of ownership, pride and all earthly desires. People who do not know how to control their vital forces are always unhappy, because they constantly suffer physically or spiritually.

Every wrong activity of the mind creates physical and chemical changes in the nerve centers, in the organs and even in the whole body. This can be proved by performing a chemical analysis of the secretions of various organs, and especially by an analysis of respiration, i.e., exhaled air. When analyzing the air exhaled by a person under the influence of anger or some other strong passion, we will find that his whole system during this time was, as it were, poisoned. Passing the exhaled air through a known solution in a glass tube, we will clearly see the change produced by this breathing in the solution, but this change will be only an external sign of the internal modifications taking place in the entire nervous system. In fact, there must be purely organic changes that create such properties of the exhaled air. In a normal healthy state of mind and body, the chemical solution in the glass tube will remain unchanged, breathing then is correct, deep and strong. Each impulse of passion that takes possession of the mind is reflected in the respiratory functions, creating significant changes in them. Anger, hatred or jealousy immediately creates a short fast breathing while the thought of peace, of happiness, of divine love produces a long, deep breath.

There are many various ways study of attitudes to life, to mental activity. Yogis say that the direct cause of abnormal and diseased states of the body is a weak manifestation of vital energy in it, and indirectly the same is affected by wrong mental activity. Therefore, the cure of diseases means the removal of obstacles that prevent the prana from working properly. This can be done by physical means or by regulating the mental and psychic processes. Yogis cure diseases by increasing the vitality of the body, awakening the hidden energy of prana, which is the source of all forces. They know the ways by which the whole body and every cell of the body can be filled with vitality.

Regulating cell vibrations with the help of high vibrations of prana, yoga creates a strong current of prana that produces vibrations, and by directing its flow through the disordered and disorganized cells of diseased organs, they restore the structure of these cells. "Cure" is produced by rapid circulation of blood, saturated with prana, which has healing properties and is sent to the sick places. In this way, the cells are restored to their normal state, and the disease is cured. Yogis do this consciously and in a strictly scientific way with the help of breathing exercises; accompanied by concentration of thought. According to the science of "yoga", all currents and all molecular movement in the brain and nerve cells are produced by prana or life force. If the molecules are filled with a strong current of prana or life force, their vibrations will increase infinitely, and this will help them to throw out unnecessary substances, waste materials that hinder their natural activity. This release from unnecessary ballast restores the healthy state of the body.

The same prana is the driving force that produces the circulation. Yogis say that life energy is contained in the nerve centers spinal cord. It causes the movement of the chest, which in turn produces respiration. Breathing is the cause of blood circulation and all organic activity. Modern physiologists tell us that every part of our body, every tissue and every cell breathes, that the lungs are nothing but an instrument in the respiratory process, since the chemical operations that are an essential part of breathing take place not only in the lungs, but in throughout the body, in all cells and tissues. The lungs are only the door through which oxygen enters the system. Physiologists of the 18th century held a very different view. Even the father of modern chemistry, Lavoisier (1748-1794), assumed that the main act of breathing takes place in the lungs, but in reality there is only that the oxygen introduced into the lungs is filtered through the thin walls of the pulmonary hair vessels, finding red blood cells there, t i.e., a substance called hemoglobin, with which it combines to form what is called oxy-hemoglobin. This is a very unstable complex substance, because when it passes through the hair vessels of the whole body, oxygen very easily escapes from it and, entering the cells, does its work in them. Thus, the blood is, as it were, a vehicle for the transport of oxygen. Organic combustion does not occur in the lungs; its place in cells and tissues throughout the body system.

Physiological chemistry tells us that all the bodies of the mineral and vegetable kingdoms, as well as those of the animal, are predominantly composed of the following four elements; oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen. Of these, oxygen is the most important, since it is the most widely distributed. It makes up about one-fifth of the atmosphere by weight, eight-ninths of the oceans and all water, almost half of solid rocks and solid matter in general, and more than half of all plants and man. If a person weighs about four pounds, then almost three pounds of his weight is oxygen. Oxygen is the main cause of all the activity of mechanical, chemical, muscular and psychic forces. The very energy or activity of a living organism is determined by the amount of oxygen it inhales, and the degree of force exerted by the organism grows in proportion to the oxygen introduced into it. The absorption of oxygen is the first and necessary condition for vital activity. Without it, all other materials on which vital activity depends are of no use. Breathing is the means or instrument for introducing oxygen into the system. The blood that once made its circulation through our body would be no longer fit for work if it were not purified in the lungs. Normally, inhaled air contains 21% oxygen, and when exhaled, only 12% oxygen remains in it, therefore, 9% remains in the body. In a healthy normal person, on average, the pulse rate reaches 75 beats per minute, and each beat of the pulse means that about one-eighth of a pound of blood moves from the heart, that is, about 9 pounds per minute. The amount of blood in the human body is considered to be approximately one-fifth of the weight of the entire body, or about thirty pounds. For a person weighing about 4 pounds, the entire amount of blood in the body flows through the lungs in such an unusually short period of time as three minutes. It is difficult even to imagine the colossal work of the lungs, this machine of unusually strong and energetic action. In 24 hours, about 380 pounds of blood passes through the lungs.

It is well known that, as a rule, no more than one sixth of the capacity of all lungs works in an ordinary person. If, however, to use the non-working five-sixths, then who knows what amazing results can be obtained. Nature has not given any organ its full strength without purpose. We are sure that if a man could learn to take advantage of the full strength and capacity of his lungs, then diseased or disturbed lungs would become completely impossible. If we understand the science of breathing, we can develop our lung strength to its extreme. Then, by properly regulated breathing exercises, we can purify every particle of matter in the cells of our organs, and with the help of the current of prana, we can finally drive out all physical weakness from the body.

Various sectarians, of which so many have developed in America and Europe, who assure that they can cure diseases by faith, by their breath or mental currents, indeed sometimes cure the sick without the help of medicines. The same is done by Indian yogis, but much more the right way. Western healers require their patients to believe certain things, above all, that they believe that they are no longer suffering. Yogis claim that we can achieve real results without the help of any faith, if by means of breathing exercises we learn to control prana, increase the vital current and fill the entire system healing powers vital energy. By harmonizing the activity of the cells and removing obstacles that prevent the correct manifestation of the vital current in the cells, we are freed from diseases. Western healers vaguely know the secret of prana control; if they had known more, they would no doubt have achieved much stronger results. Some of them, following the example of the yogis, take up breathing exercises, and perhaps the time is not far off when in the West they will learn to use the breath and understand the truth that lies in the amazing "science of breathing."

Some people who do not know anything about this science think that it teaches simply the mechanical processes of inhalation and exhalation. But the field of this science is much wider, because it also shows how to control prana, how to increase the vitality of the entire system by generating new nerve currents of a higher order, how to harmonize cell vibrations, how to awaken the forces sleeping on the subconscious plane of the mind, as well as the energy contained in the nerve centers of the back. She also tells us that when these higher powers begin to manifest, we are no longer subject to the influences to which ordinary mortals are subject. India is the only country where since ancient times the science of breathing has been carefully studied and inherited by yogis of various directions. Centuries of work have discovered a variety of methods for regulating the breath, following which you can get amazing results, both spiritual and physical. From these amazing discoveries, the modern "science of breathing" has grown, which not only gives control over the lungs, but also explains the relationship of the breathing process to prana and shows how, by regulating the vibrations of the cells and subordinating these vibrations to the higher laws of life, a person acquires dominance over prana. his body, and this control over prana gives him complete control over all the forces that govern the mind and body.

The goal of yogis is to establish absolute harmony between their vital properties and spiritual functions, to transcend all laws to which the body and mind are usually subject, to rise above the influence of environmental conditions and become the supreme ruler of their mind and body. According to the yogis, this complete mastery over oneself and the resulting liberation comes only to one who has learned all the secrets of the regulation of vital energy, and who has acquired the power to direct this vital energy to where it is needed. Before a person can learn to control this unknown life force, he must know where to find it in his body, he must know where the throne of this unknown king is. physical activity where his assistants are, and how he governs his kingdom.

Yogis say that this king of the organism or prana with its assistants has a residence in the nerve centers located along the spinal cord. These centers are the main stations or accumulators of the body's vital force. There are many such centers in the spinal cord, from which motor and sensory nerves originate, penetrating the entire body, including its internal organs. All feelings and movements of a person depend on his nerve centers in the spinal cord. There are two currents that go to and from the brain through the spinal column and nerves, they are called the bringing and taking away current; in Sanskrit "ida" and "pingala". These currents pass through the anterior and posterior channels of the brain, which are, as it were, two roads along which the currents of prana travel. Nerve energy is dispersed throughout the body, and the only way to regulate it is to control the activity of the main centers of the spinal cord. Therefore, if someone wants to control his prana, he must first of all learn to control the central stations by which it spreads throughout the body and does its work. Having studied the mutual relations of these various centers, yogis find that there are six such most important centers in the body.

According to the "science of breathing", the main of these six nerve centers is located in the spinal cord, against chest cavity. This is the respiratory center and in Sanskrit it is called "anahata". It moves the chest, causes the lungs to expand and contract, and governs the activities of other centers dependent on it. If this main center is upset or vibrates incorrectly, then all the smaller centers subordinate to it, scattered throughout the body system, begin to work also incorrectly. The result is disease, organic disorder, or long-term ill health. But as long as the main center is in a normal state, the movement of the lungs, on which inhalation and exhalation depend, will be correct. Therefore, yogis who want to subdue the nerve centers, first of all try to achieve control over the center that controls the breath. The "science of breathing" states that by regulating the breath, the movement of the lungs and all the functions of the nervous system can be controlled. She also says that by controlling the nerve centers of the spinal cord, a person gains mastery over the nerve currents passing through the body, and finally conquers all the unconscious forces of his mind and awakens the forces dormant in it, thereby increasing his power. If a person can awaken the mental forces currently in a latent state in the subconscious area of ​​the mind, he will be able to benefit from the experience of all previous incarnations, all the impressions collected during previous lives. All this, as it were, will pass to the conscious plane, he will remember and see all this.

Yogis say that most people breathe completely wrong, and that there is big difference in the breath of different people. The causes of this wrong breathing are very varied and numerous. Abnormal food, stimulating drinks, fear, illness, grief, sadness, nervous excitement, passions, restlessness - all this upsets and disturbs the correctness of breathing. Emotions do not act directly on the breath, but they affect it indirectly, creating an abnormal activity of prana, affecting first the nerve centers, then the movement of the chest, which, becoming wrong, creates wrong breathing. Thus, incorrect breathing is always an external sign of abnormal activity of the nerve centers of the spinal cord.

Yogis whose respiratory centers function correctly and are under complete control of consciousness are free from weakness, disease and all organic disorders. Just as by controlling the activity of prana in the nerve centers the movement of the lungs and breathing are regulated, so in the opposite way, by regulating the breath, the activity of the lungs and nerve centers can be controlled. The activities of the breath and the nerve centers are always inextricably linked with each other. People suffering from any organic disorders should pay attention to the study of the "science of breathing", as it is absolutely necessary in order to get a healthy body and a healthy mind. The main goal of the Yogis is to carefully observe their own nature and clearly understand the forces operating in their system, understand the relation of some forces to others and, acquiring a complete knowledge of their own organism, learn to understand all nature just as clearly, because the laws, governing the human body and the entire universe are exactly the same. All these laws are nothing but the modes of action of prana in nature; therefore yogis seek first of all to understand the individual prana and the life force operating in their own system. In India, this fact has long been recognized, and the "science of breathing" is carefully studied by sages who have no other goal than to acquire knowledge for the sake of knowledge. And they study this science, practice breathing exercises, notice their results, pass on instructions to their students, not at all in order to create a profession out of this or earn money or gain fame, but solely for the sake of knowledge. They refuse to teach people who come to them with any utilitarian goals and refuse precisely because of their complete lack of any material interests, since the knowledge of yogis is pure and not corrupted by any egoistic motives. They are well aware of the danger that can arise from the immoderate use of breathing exercises. Therefore, those who study the "science of breathing" under inexperienced teachers should be on their guard, as they are always in danger of creating a nerve current in the wrong direction. And this can give completely undesirable results and even end in a complete mental breakdown. On the contrary, correct breathing brings the greatest benefit to people if it is skillfully used. But if the powers given by the conscious breath are abused, it is the cause of a great amount of evil, just as any medicine is a poison when it is misused or used immoderately. Just as, by studying medical books, a person cannot begin to heal himself without the help of an experienced doctor, in the same way theoretical study yoga cannot give good results to anyone unless a person takes a practical course under the guidance of experienced yoga. It must also be remembered that in all the books written about yoga, far from everything is said: and it cannot be said, because the body of one person is too different from the body of another, and what is useful to one may be harmful to another. But every person who diligently and persistently begins to work on himself, according to the instructions of an experienced teacher, will certainly receive highly beneficial results, both for the mind and for the body. He will learn to generate vitality and increase the vitality of his whole organism. He will be able to voluntarily remove unnecessary substances from the body and overcome all disease states in cases where, of course, the disorganization and decomposition of the cells have not gone too far. By gaining control over his body, he will never again suffer from colds, never again suffer from fever, rheumatism and many other diseases that result simply from the fact that a person does not know how to use the internal forces of his own body. Knowing what he can give new life cells of his organs, by strengthening the vibrations of prana, a person will know how to free himself from any possibility of bodily disorders, which are the simple results of ignorance.

Every person, young or old, male or female, will certainly achieve known results if one practices the breathing exercises correctly and regularly for six months, but breathing exercises here do not mean only deep breathing, which is taught to singers, lawyers and actors. In general, the breathing of Hindu yogis is not at all the same as the correct breathing taught by modern schools. physical culture. Deep breathing is very useful for taking in a large amount of oxygen into the body, and, undoubtedly, it has its value, especially for people who live an abnormal city life and get tired of mental work. Women wearing tight dresses, acquire many diseases thanks to them, the source of which can be traced to the very beginning and can be explained precisely by the lack of oxygen necessary for organic combustion and maintaining the activity of organs. Internal organs many people in Western countries are undeveloped or abnormally developed due to abnormal clothing, and for all such people deep breathing is, of course, extremely beneficial, but too much of it is also harmful, as it strains the lungs too much and causes them to increase in volume. Abnormal growth of lung tissue over time can itself create a disease state throughout the body. People taking deep breathing lessons from experienced teachers should think carefully about what we are saying. The breath is too great a force to be handled carelessly. But by breathing exercises we mean the process by which control is acquired over the movement of the lungs and over the nerve centers, i.e., power over prana or vital energy.

Yogis say that the practice of breathing brings the results that a person desires: physical, mental or spiritual. Whoever can acquire complete control over his breathing can stop it for whole hours and with the help of this develop in the body such a force that can lift the body into the air, as if entering into a struggle with all the forces of attraction. Yogis claim that one can even conquer death by gaining control over prana. There are many yogis in India who know in advance the moment when they will be free from their body. For a long time ahead, they say that on such and such a day and at such and such an hour they will leave their body, and at the appointed time, quite consciously and in the presence of many people, they completely die. naturally. There are others who can unusually for a long time continue life and can live for a long period of time completely without any food.

When such amazing things are done by controlling the vital energy of prana, it is not at all strange that yoga teachers say to the world: -

"O mortals, study the science of breathing, study the secret of controlling prana or life force, work diligently to control your breath; power over prana will bring you earthly and spiritual happiness; with this power will come complete health, dominion over the body and that an inner light that will last forever."

The science of breathing of Indian yogis

Breathing according to Eastern methods as a means of physical, mental and spiritual development

Chapter I "YOGI"

In the West, they usually have a very confused idea of ​​what "yogis" are, what their philosophy and activities are. Travelers in India tell many tales about hordes of fakirs, beggars and all kinds of conjurers, filling the high roads of India and shamelessly calling themselves "yogis." But the people of the West would be greatly mistaken in thinking of the typical "Yogi" as an emaciated, fanatical, dirty and ignorant Hindu, who either sits in a motionless posture until his body is rigid, or holds his arms up until they are stiff and dry, and so they will remain for the rest of his life, finally, he keeps his fist tightly clenched until the nails of his fingers grow through the palm of his hand. All these people exist, it is true, but to call them “yogis” sounds as absurd to a true yogi as it is absurd to an honored surgeon to hear that a callus operator is called a doctor or a “professor” - a street seller of medicine potions.

From time immemorial, in India and other Eastern countries, there have been people who devoted their time and energy to the study of methods for developing the forces of man, physical, mental and spiritual. The experience of the first generations of these seekers was passed down over the centuries from teachers to students, and the science of yoga was gradually folded, that is, these studies and teachings were eventually given the name “yogi” - from the Sanskrit word “south” - which means “to connect” .

Yoga is divided into several divisions, ranging from the teachings on the control of the body to teachings on how to achieve higher spiritual development. In what follows, we will not touch on the higher aspects of the subject of the book, if it does not itself lead to that.

The “science of breathing” is often very close to the field of yoga, and although its first task is to develop the forces of its physical organism in a person, it also serves his spiritual development in some aspects.

There are great schools of yoga in India, uniting thousands of leading minds of this great country. Yogi philosophy is the rule of life for many, many people. The true teachings of yoga, however, are held among the few, while the masses are content with the crumbs that fall from the tables of the educated classes - the Oriental custom in this respect is not like what we see in the West. But Western ideas are beginning to have an effect on the East, and now teachings that were previously communicated to only a few are freely offered to anyone who is only qualified enough to receive them. East and West are growing together in close communication, using this for mutual influences.

Indian yogis place great emphasis on the "science of the breath" for reasons that will become clear to the reader after reading this book. Many Western authors have dealt with this part of the teachings of the Yugas, but it seems that only the author of this book has succeeded in presenting for Western readers in a clear and concise form the main principles of the “Science of Breathing” of Yogis and their favorite exercises and methods. We use everywhere terms familiar to the West, avoiding Sanskrit names whenever possible so as not to confuse the reader.

The first part of the book is devoted to the physical side of the "Science of Breathing", then its physical side is considered in parallel with the impact on the mental area, and finally its influence on the spiritual development of a person is outlined.

We have tried to combine as much as possible of the teachings of the Yogis in this small book, and we have sometimes had to use words and terms that are new to the Western reader. We are afraid, however, only that, due to their extreme simplicity and clarity, these teachings will be accepted as something too light and unworthy of attention, since perhaps readers instead of them expect to find something “deep, mysterious and incomprehensible” . However, the Western mind is an extremely practical mind, and we know that it will not be long before the practicality of the presentation of this book will be fully recognized.

Chapter II. BREATH FOR LIFE

Life depends entirely on the act of breathing. While diverging in the details of theory and terminology, East and West agree on basic principles.

To breathe means to live, and without breathing there is no life. Not only do the higher animals depend for their life and health on respiration, but the lower animals must breathe in order to live, and even plants need air, and without it life of any length is impossible for them.

The child takes a long deep breath, holds the air in the lungs for a minute to extract the life-giving parts from it, and then slowly exhales it, and life begins for him. The old man lets out a weak sigh, his breath breaks and life stops. From the first deep breath of a child to the last breath of a dying old man long life constant breathing. Life is only a series of breaths.

Breathing is the most important of all the activities of the body, for all its other activities depend on breathing.

A person can live for some time without food, it is more difficult for him to be without water, but only a few minutes he can live without renewing the air in the lungs through breathing.

And not only life for a person is connected with his breathing, but the duration of his life and freedom from diseases entirely depend on the correctness of breathing. Intelligent breath control prolongs our days on earth, increasing our vitality and ability to resist, on the other hand, breathing, incomplete and careless, shortens our life, lowering our vitality and predisposing to disease.

A person in his normal state does not need special instructions for breathing. Like animals and like a child, he breathes with a full and free chest, as nature has indicated to him. But civilization has changed a lot in it. She gave him an incorrect and harmful way of walking, standing and sitting, which deprived him of the natural and correct breathing that nature bestowed on him. He paid a heavy price for civilization.

The current savage breathes properly until he is touched by the influence of civilized life. Only a very few among the people of the civilized world breathe properly, which is the reason for these hollow chests and concave shoulders, and also this terrifying increase in diseases of the respiratory tract and among them - a terrible monster - consumption, this "white plague". Eminent hygienic authorities say that one generation of people breathing properly would regenerate the race and make consumption a rarity that everyone would talk about as something extraordinary. For a European and a person of the East, the close relationship between health and proper breathing is equally clear and undeniable.

Western science confirms that the physical health of a person is very dependent on proper breathing. The teachers of the East, agreeing with this opinion of their Western brothers, admit that in addition to the gain in physical health obtained from correct breathing, the mental strength of a person, contentment with life, self-control, insight, moral firmness and, in general, spiritual strength are greatly increased from it. Entire philosophical schools were founded in the East on this science, and when the Western peoples become acquainted with it and put it into practice, it will work miracles among them. The theory created by the East and applied to practice by the West will give worthy results.

This book has the task of giving the "Science of Breathing" in its entirety - not only what is known to Western physiologists and hygienists, but also the occult side of the issue. It not only opens the way to the general strengthening of human health through deep breathing, known to Western experts, but also shows how Hindu yogis achieve possession of the forces of their physical body, expand the abilities of their mind and develop the spiritual side of their nature - through the "science of breathing".

Yogis conduct exercises by which they acquire power over their body and become able to send to any organ its intense stream of vital force - “prana”, which strengthens and heals this organ. They know everything their Western brethren know about the physiological effects of proper breathing, but they also know that air contains more than just oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen, and that more than one oxidation of the blood occurs during breathing. They are aware of "prana" which their western counterparts are completely unaware of, and they are thoroughly aware of the nature and methods of controlling this great manifestation of energy, as well as its effects on the human body and mind. They know that by rhythmic breathing one can bring oneself into a harmonious vibration with all of nature and help develop one's hidden powers. They also know that by properly controlled breathing, one can not only heal their own and other people's diseases, but also remove fear, torment and lower passions from oneself.

Teaching all this is the purpose of this book. We wish to give precise explanations and indications in a few chapters, which could be extended to whole volumes. We want by this to awaken in the minds of the West attention to the "Science of Breathing" of the Yogis.

The book by the famous popularizer of the teachings of Indian yogis in a simple and accessible form tells about the main views of the latter on human nature and methods of physical and spiritual development through breathing exercises developed within the so-called "science of breathing", which is integral part yoga teachings. Designed for a wide range of readers.

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The following excerpt from the book The Science of Breathing of Indian Yogis (Yogi Ramacharaka) provided by our book partner - the company LitRes.

Chapter 1

In the West, they usually have a very vague idea of ​​what "yogis" are, what their philosophy and activities are. Travelers in India tell many tales about hordes of fakirs, beggars and all kinds of conjurers, filling the high roads of India and shamelessly calling themselves "yogis." But the people of the West are greatly mistaken in thinking of the typical "Yogi" as an emaciated, fanatical, dirty and ignorant Hindu, who either sits in a motionless posture until his body is rigid, or holds his arms up until they are stiff and dry, and so they will remain for the rest of his life, finally, he keeps his fist tightly clenched until the nails of his fingers grow through the palm of his hand. It is true that such people exist, but to call them "yogis" sounds as absurd to a real yogi as it is absurd for an honored surgeon to hear that a callus operator is called a doctor or a "professor" - a street seller of medicine potions.

From time immemorial, in India and other Eastern countries, there have been people who devoted their time and energy to the study of methods for developing the forces of man, physical, mental and spiritual. The experience of the first generations of these seekers was passed down over the centuries from teachers to students, and the science of “yoga” was gradually folded, that is, these studies and teachings were eventually given the name “yogi” - from the Sanskrit word “yug” - which means “ unite".

"Yoga" is divided into several sections, starting with the teachings on the control of the body to teachings on how to achieve higher spiritual development. In what follows, we will not touch on the higher aspects of the subject of the book, if it does not itself lead to that.

The “science of breathing” is often very close to the field of “yoga”, and although its first task is to develop the forces of its physical organism in a person, it also serves his spiritual development in some aspects.

In India there are great schools of "yoga" that combine thousands of leading minds of this great country. Yogi philosophy is the rule of life for many, many people. The true teachings of "Yoga," however, are held among the few, while the masses are content with the crumbs that fall from the tables of the educated classes—the Oriental custom in this respect is not like that which we see in the West. But the ideas of the West are beginning to have an effect on the East, and now teachings which were previously communicated to only a few are freely offered to anyone who is sufficiently prepared to receive them. East and West grow together in close communication, using this for mutual influences.

Indian yogis place great emphasis on the "science of the breath" for reasons that will become clear to the reader after reading this book. Many Western authors have dealt with this part of the teachings of the Yogis, but it seems that only the author of this book has been able to present for Western readers in a clear and concise form the main principles of the "Science of Breathing" of Yogis and their favorite exercises and methods. We use everywhere terms familiar to the West, avoiding Sanskrit names whenever possible so as not to confuse the reader.

The first part of the book is devoted to the physical side of the “science of breathing”, then its physical side is considered in parallel with the impact on the mental area, and finally its influence on the spiritual development of a person is outlined.

We have tried to combine as much as possible of the teachings of the Yogis in this small book, and we have sometimes had to use words and terms that are new to the Western reader. We are afraid, however, only that, due to their extreme simplicity and clarity, these teachings will be accepted as something too light and unworthy of attention, since perhaps readers expect to find something "deep", mysterious and incomprehensible instead of them. However, the Western mind is an extremely practical mind, and we know that it will not be long before the practicality of the presentation of this book will be fully recognized.