Breath Purifies The Mind To Mindfulness-2 Prana And Mind

Freedom, Happiness, and wisdom
When we learn the principles of eastern wisdom, we apply discernment that becomes dispassion. The highest dispassion leads to knowledge of real self, awakens to permanent happiness. We will learn from Yoga Sutra, Gita, and other texts together to discover the true nature.

Transcript

Just to briefly let us understand what we have been doing.

We have been doing our meditation.

We were talking about the obstacles on the path.

So now what happens?

Our master Pratangali has been very kind to say that,

Okay,

Remove these obstacles one after the other,

Find out.

If you can do that,

You will succeed.

But some people,

You know,

They say,

How can I remove these obstacles?

Then they say that previous meditation practice,

You should continue doing the previous meditation practice.

The goal is to remove all the distractions from the mind.

That is the goal.

So once all the distractions are removed,

We succeed in mindfulness or meditation.

So then we studied how to give a new direction to the mind to remain in the state of cheerfulness by four factors,

Friendliness,

Compassion,

Joy and equanimity in the mind.

So when I start living my personal,

Professional,

Social life with these four factors,

The mind normally remains clear and it is ready to meditate.

Then you say,

No,

What should I do?

I'm not able to do it.

So there are a lot of challenges that is present in the mind.

So then the Patanjali,

The master says,

Prachad Dharana Vidhara Nabhyama,

Now come to the breathing practice.

Understand all these steps too are meant to clear the mind,

To purify the mind,

To remove the distractions so that the mind can go within and we can succeed in meditation.

So last session,

We understand this prana,

The breathing practice also helps in purifying the mind.

Don't go into the scientific aspect,

You know,

Oxygen concentration,

I have already explained about the brain receptors also responds to the increased oxygen concentration and decreased carbon dioxide concentration.

So we are not going there.

So here the focus is what the master is saying that I have yet to give you the practice.

What he's saying,

The meaning of this sutra is,

Meaning of this sutra is by expelling the air,

Means total exhalation and holding the breath.

Now,

Why I'm not asking you to hold the breath at this moment?

That normally should be done at the individual level but we will do as I believe you all are seekers.

So here,

What the master is saying,

You regulate this breathing.

When you regulate this breathing,

Then it purifies the mind,

It focus the mind.

So when it purifies the mind,

It removes the distraction and then what happens?

Then we enter into the deeper meditative state.

But remember,

This is an active step.

You cannot do all these breathing 24 by seven.

So we have to do until the mind is totally absorbed inside,

Lays deeper within and then,

Are you guys listening to me?

Huh,

Brandy,

You are listening to me?

No,

I'm just speaking.

Isha,

I'm trying to.

.

.

Oh,

Sometime it happens,

Still there is a problem.

So let me refresh it again.

Now I have done everything.

It may be at the end of,

Yes.

So this breathing practice,

Now you guys are listening.

You can nod your head,

Still not listening.

Still not listening.

Listening,

Not listening.

Kristina,

Listening,

Not listening.

Listening,

Not listening.

Now you're listening,

Not listening.

Listening,

Not listening.

Listening,

Listening now.

Very,

You can move your,

Yes,

Yes.

So there,

The master says the breathing practices can help us,

What they help us?

They can help us purify the mind and focus the mind.

Two part,

Focus and purification.

We cannot do the breathing practices for all the 24 by seven.

So because we are not able to raise our awareness,

The mind cannot go inside.

So here comes these breathing practices that will help us to move our mind within and succeed in meditation.

Are you guys listening?

So that,

So the master says,

Last week I covered,

I'm going to Chale Vate Chalam Chittam Neschale Neschalam Bhaveer Yogi is Tharnuktamapanuti Tatovayum Nirodhayate.

The beautiful understanding is that when we change the rate and the rhythm of the breath,

The mind also changes its direction.

When we change the mind means when we introduce a thought in the mind,

That also helps to change the direction of the prana,

Means the breath,

Means the life force,

Means the energy,

Means that energy.

So based on this principle,

We say if we change the rate and the rhythm of the breath,

It also changes,

It also changes the mind,

Means it removes the distraction and ultimately it helps us to achieve the success in meditation.

So let us start doing the practice,

Doing the practice.

What practice we will do?

We will directly go to the breathing practice.

Two minutes of chest breathing,

Two minutes of belly breathing and two minutes of yogic breathing.

But the intensity should be long in the deep and the fast.

So we are going to repeat the same practice as we did last time.

Are you guys ready?

So close your eyes.

Close your eyes.

So we will see how the breathing helps us.

Close your eyes and look at the body,

Body is steady and the body is steady and the mind is looking deep inside.

Mind is looking deep inside and the body is steady.

So what we do in the first breathing,

It is become aware of the entire rib cage,

The chest region,

All the ribs,

They move horizontally and vertically.

We are aware of it.

So what we do,

We do the quick,

Fast and quick,

Short,

Quick and the fast breathing from the rib cage while keeping our focus deep inside the ribs.

So when we do it,

Keep short,

Quick and the fast from the chest,

But now another factor is there.

Your mind should remain focused.

You should not stop in the middle.

You will undergo variety of experiences and you simply recognize and accept these experiences,

But do not stop in the middle.

So let us start breathing short,

Quick and fast only from the chest.

Continue quick,

Short and fast breaths.

Continue quick,

Short and the fast breath into the chest.

You may undergo variety of experiences,

Simply recognize and accept,

But do not stop in the middle.

Continue.

Do not stop this breathing,

Do nothing,

Recognize and accept the changes.

Do not allow the mind to react to those changes.

That will help us to remove the distractions of the mind and obstacles present in the mind.

Just become aware of the head and the neck,

Experience the sensation and other changes.

Those changes may be freezing of the body,

Numbness,

Tingling,

Freshness in the head,

Tingly sensation the entire body,

You need not to worry about it.

We are in safe hands.

Just become aware of the entire body and experience the change.

Now in the second breathing,

Again,

This is not a short because we are going to breathe from the belly.

So it's a belly breathing,

It's a long,

Fast and quick.

Means we do not allow any thought to enter between the two breaths,

But here the breathing has to be done from the belly,

Like a balloon.

You expend the balloon during inhalation and you contract the belly during exhalation,

Long,

Fast and deep breath.

Let us start breathing.

Mmm,

Mmm,

Mmm,

Mmm.

Consider the belly is like a balloon.

You expend the balloon,

Contract the balloon.

Inflated,

Deflated,

Long and deep.

Mmm,

Mmm,

Mmm,

Mmm,

Mmm,

Continue long,

Long,

Continue long,

Long,

Deep in the fast breath from the belly.

You inflate the belly,

You deflate it.

You will find unusual experiences in the brain.

Let us continue.

Recognize and accept those changes.

Continue long,

Deep.

Continue long in the deep,

Hissing breath from the belly only.

Recognize there are instant changes that we experience.

We recognize it,

We experience it,

And we continue.

Continue the journey.

Continue my friends.

Continue.

Continue.

And stop this.

Do nothing.

Experience the changes in terms of sensation,

Tingling,

Freshness,

Freezing,

Numbness in the body.

It is okay.

Normally these practices are done nine minutes each.

We are doing more or less for two minutes each.

Remember,

Nine minutes,

27 minutes of breathing.

So that is normally the target.

But normally when we do something and the mind reacts to it,

And then we fail in the practice.

That is why I explained to you.

Recognize these changes as instant sensation and continue the journey.

Now comes the third breathing that we have to inhale into the belly and the chest.

The belly goes out,

Chest goes out,

One breath.

Belly goes in and chest goes in.

So it is a long,

Deep,

And the hissing sound is there.

And focus remains deep inside the forehead.

Start.

Long,

Deep in the hissing,

You inhale into the belly,

Chest,

You exhale from the belly and the chest.

And the focus remains deep inside the forehead.

Continue long,

Deep in the hissing breath.

Long,

Deep,

Continue.

Continue long,

Deep.

Long,

Deep in the hissing breath,

Both from the belly and the chest.

You can say it is a yogic breathing because we engage the belly and the rib cage together.

Long,

Deep in the hissing breath.

Long,

Deep in the hissing breath.

Long,

Deep in the hissing breath.

And now leave this practice.

Do nothing.

First,

Check the mind.

Mind is not reacting to it.

Reacting to the changes,

You look at the head and the neck outside.

Relaxation,

Stillness,

And some different sensation.

And inside is a sense of calmness.

At the same time,

Note the flow of the breath is equal in both the nostrils.

Look at the right arm outside,

Different sensation,

Stillness,

And inside a sense of calmness and quietness.

Go back to look at the flow of the breath.

I'm using a tantra principle and we will understand deeply in our next session.

So look at the left arm,

Sensation in the stillness,

And inside,

Sense of calmness is there.

That sense of calmness we want to proceed to go deeper into a meditative state.

So that sense of calmness bypasses all the nine obstacles we understood before.

And so why the breathing practice is done to reach to a state where we can move the mind easily deeper within.

The role of the breathing is gone.

So it is a temporary arrangement.

Look at the entire body.

Look at the right leg.

Sensation and stillness and inside calmness,

A sense of calmness is there,

The mind lives within.

You have a variety of experiences and the mind is not reacting but recognizing and accepting it.

That is very important because if you do not accept these changes the mind reacts very deeply.

And that is why we say there are dangers in the practice but if you are doing consciously you recognize them.

You accept the changes.

Nobody is there.

Look at the left leg,

Sensation and the stillness,

Inside calmness is there,

A sense of blankness is there.

And from there you bring your mind to the flow of the breath.

Check the flow of the breath is equal.

Normally it says for about two to three months if we do the breathing and we reach to a nine minutes time factor of each breath.

Then what happens?

The mind remains in that state of silence and extreme calmness.

During that period we take the mind deeper within hope.

We will achieve that.

And now look at the breath.

Look at the breath and make your breath deep,

Silent and slow.

Make your breath deep,

Silent and slow.

Not very deep but definitely deep.

And now deep means you are aware first the belly is coming out.

You continue inhaling and then the ribs comes out,

You feel that sensation.

That is inhalation and then you exhale from the belly first and then from the rib cage.

Check it.

So you establish a relationship between the body and the breath.

Check it.

The relationship between the body and the breath,

Why?

So that we don't allow the body and its past impression accumulated in the body in every cell should not disturb us in the journey of meditation.

And now we establish a relationship between the mind and the breath.

As you inhale,

Move the mind in the spine from the crown of the head to the tailbone.

And as you exhale,

Move the mind from the tailbone to the crown of the head.

In the very beginning last year in March and April,

I used to give these practices.

Now we are understanding in depth how these breathing practices helps us and how long,

How much.

That is what.

.

.

So when you do it with understanding,

There is a greater knowledge and the knowledge helps us to deepen the practice.

So now see that the body is in the state of total steadiness that you are aware of.

The breath is deep,

Silent and slow.

Second point of awareness,

Third point of awareness,

As you inhale,

Belly expand first,

Follows the rib cage,

As you exhale,

The belly contracts first,

Follows the rib cage.

Fourth point,

As you inhale,

The mind is moving in the spine from the crown of the head to the tailbone.

And as you exhale,

The mind rises from the tailbone to the top of the head,

Crown of the head.

Done.

And now,

Now as you inhale,

Because we want to remove all the distractions,

We want to purify the mind.

We are using the breath.

So as you inhale,

Now we are using both the body,

Breath and the mind too.

So as you inhale,

Mind is moving from the crown of the head to the tailbone,

You sing mentally.

Aum,

Shantay.

And as you exhale,

Mind rises from the tailbone to the crown of the head and again you sing.

Aum,

Shantay.

So what you are doing,

Where you are withdrawing the mind,

Not only it becomes a breathing practice,

But also it becomes what we say the praktyahara.

And it becomes the dharna in Patanjali that we have the first stage of meditation.

And that goes a long way.

So remember,

In the state of steadiness,

Stillness in the body,

You will experience a variety of changes in the body sensation.

Heaviness,

Lightness,

Freezing of the body,

Numbness,

Sinking of the body into the floor or rising of the body.

And Aum,

Shantay,

Continue.

Aum,

Shantay.

Another point of awareness,

As you say Aum,

Shantay,

We have already understood Aum is the real self.

So just become aware that Aum,

You are calling Aum is self-existent,

Self-luminous,

Or simply when you say Aum,

Let the mind absorb into the infinite space.

Aum,

Shantay.

Continue.

Aum,

Shantay.

Breath,

Mind,

Aum,

Shantay,

Spine,

They are all in sync.

How does that sync?

That syncing keeps all the distractions away from where?

From the mind.

When that happens,

Aum,

Shantay.

You will experience as if you are totally away from the world outside.

Thoughts may be coming but they do not touch you.

They do not react.

They do not create any obstacle.

And that is why that nine minute time frame normally is required.

Sometimes people need a little more,

Sometimes,

But we have done a lot of practices.

So possibly five to six minutes may do.

We will see that.

Okay.

Aum,

Shantay.

And now leave the deep silence,

Slow breathing,

And continue Aum,

Shantay,

Moving the mind from the crown of the head to the crown of the head to the tailbone without the breath.

Breath flow,

Let the breath flow on its own.

You need not to worry about the breath now.

So what happens?

The mind realizes that body and the breath is separate from the mind itself.

And instantly we find out that is the mind continues to remain absorbed deeper within.

Continue Aum,

Shantay without the breath,

But the mind continues to move in the spine.

Aum,

Shantay without the breath,

But the mind continues to move in the spine.

Aum,

Shantay without the breath,

But the mind continues to move in the spine.

Aum,

Shantay without the breath,

But the mind continues to move in the spine.

Aum,

Shantay without the breath,

But the mind continues to move in the spine.

Aum,

Shantay without the breath,

But the mind continues to move in the spine.

Now do nothing,

Remain as you are.

Now you live into that state of doing nothing.

As the knowledge increases,

The discernment also goes up.

The discernment goes up.

The third factor we say,

Uparati.

The mind is 100% available to us when in the state of doing nothing and you say simply once,

Aum,

The mind merges into the real self.

Shanti,

You are there.

Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti.

Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti.

Aum.

Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti.

Bring your awareness on the right hand,

Your awareness on the left hand.

Lift your both the palms,

Place it on your eyes,

Open the eyes inside,

Know your experiences and bring the hands down.

How are you,

David and Jerry?

Still there seems to be a problem,

David and Jerry,

How are you?

Obviously a little different than normal but I think that presented the new opportunity turmoil.

So for me it was the breathing,

The very deep peace and.

.

.

Can you hear us?

Yes,

I heard something and I lost something.

Okay.

I heard that the breathing led David to the deep peace.

Also noticed the breathing the.

.

.

Okay.

Now I can listen.

But it was good.

For me?

Yeah,

Just noticed during the wrap and the nap seemed very nourishing with lots of light.

Yeah,

Yeah.

Lots of light,

That is really good.

If you.

.

.

I believe you all are ready,

We will go for some intense breathing practices and see how it deepens our practice of meditation.

How are you,

Sam?

Not listening.

Not listening.

Terry,

Not listening.

Sangeeta,

Are you guys are listening to me?

Sam?

Yeah,

Terry,

I can hear you,

Terry.

Experience the coolness.

Yes.

I'm always to the end of the thing.

Good.

Without.

.

.

I don't think that.

.

.

I don't think too much reaction compared.

.

.

Huh.

Good.

Stephen and Sam,

Are you listening?

Are you listening,

Sam?

Half seekers,

You are right.

How are you,

Christina?

Sam has good bites.

How are you,

Christina?

Are you listening?

You,

Yes,

Only getting.

.

.

Yeah,

That is what,

You know,

I tried,

David.

I tried everything.

I tried everything.

Today I will call Internet guy.

Internet guy.

So,

Yes,

Is anybody listening?

Christina,

Are you listening?

Yes,

Christina.

Everything,

Namaste,

Everyone.

Nobody is listening.

Are you listening?

No.

No.

We will meet next time early.

Thank you,

K Yes,

That is good.