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Breathing. High Breathing fills only the upper portion of the lungs. Mid
Breathing fills only the middle and a portion of the upper parts. Low
Breathing fills only the lower and middle parts. It is evident that any
method that fills the entire lung space must be far preferable to those filling
only certain parts. Any method which will fill the entire lung space must be
of the greatest value to man in the way of allowing him to absorb the
greatest quantity of oxygen and to store away the greatest amount of prana.
The Complete Breath is known to the Yogis to be the best method of
respiration known to science.
The Yogi Complete Breathing.
Yogi Complete Breathing includes all the good points of High Breathing,
Mid Breathing and Low Breathing, with the objectionable features of each
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eliminated. It brings into play the entire respiratory apparatus, every part of
the lungs, every air-cell, every respiratory muscle. The entire respiratory
organism responds to this method of breathing, and the maximum amount
of benefit is derived from the minimum expenditure of energy. The chest
cavity is increased to its normal limits in all directions and every part of the
machinery performs its natural work and functions.
One of the most important features of this method of breathing is the fact
that the respiratory muscles are fully called into play, whereas in the other
forms of breathing only a portion of these muscles are so used. In
Complete Breathing, among other muscles, those controlling the ribs are
actively used, which increases the space in which the lungs may expand,
and also gives the proper support to the organs when needed, Nature
availing herself of the perfection of the principle of leverage in this
process. Certain muscles hold the lower ribs firmly in position, while other
muscles bend them outward.
Then again, in this method, the diaphragm is under perfect control and is
able to perform its functions properly, and in such manner as to yield the
maximum degree of service.
In the rib-action, above alluded to, the lower ribs are controlled by the
diaphragm which draws them slightly downward, while other muscles hold
them in place and the intercostal muscles force them outward, which
combined action increases the mid-chest cavity to its maximum. In
addition to this muscular action, the upper ribs are also lifted and forced
outward by the intercostal muscles, which increases the capacity of the
upper chest to its fullest extent.
If you have studied the special features of the four given methods of
breathing, you will at once see that the Complete Breathing comprises all
the advantageous features of the three other methods, plus the reciprocal
advantages accruing from the combined action of the high-chest, mid-
chest, and diaphragmic regions, and the normal rhythm thus obtained.
The Yogi Complete Breath is the fundamental breath of the entire Yogi
Science of Breath, and the student must fully acquaint himself with it, and
master it perfectly before he can hope to obtain results from the other
forms of breath mentioned and given in this book. He should not be
content with half-1earning it, but should go to work in earnest until it
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becomes his natural method of breathing. This will require work, time and
patience, but without these things nothing is ever accomplished. There is
no royal road to the Science of Breath, and the student must be prepared to
practice and study in earnest if he expects to receive results. The results
obtained by a complete mastery of the Science of Breath are great, and no
one who has attained them would willingly go back to the old methods,
and he will tell his friends that he considers himself amply repaid for all his
work. We say these things now, that you may fully understand the
necessity and importance of mastering this fundamental method of Yogi
Breathing, instead of passing it by and trying some of the attractive looking
variations given later on in this book. Again, we say to you: Start right, and
right results will follow; but neglect your foundations and your entire
building will topple over sooner or later.
Perhaps the better way to teach you how to develop the Yogi Complete
Breath, would be to give you simple directions regarding the breath itself,
and then follow up the same with general remarks concerning it, and then
later on giving exercises for developing the chest, muscles and lungs which
have been allowed to remain in an undeveloped condition by imperfect
methods of breathing. Right here we wish to say that this Complete Breath
is not a forced or abnormal thing, but on the contrary is a going back to
first principles a return to Nature. The healthy adult savage and the
healthy infant of civilization both breathe in this manner, but civilized man
has adopted unnatural methods of living, clothing, etc., and has lost his
birthright. And we wish to remind the reader that the Complete Breath does
not necessarily call for the complete filling of the lungs at every inhalation.
One may inhale the average amount of air, using the Complete Breathing
Method and distributing the air inhaled, be the quantity large or small, to
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