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[GentleWanderer]

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[Nau7ik]

I agree with what Bardon said. I do this when I am feeling off balance: I pray and immediately afterward my spine straight back up and I do three full inhales, exhales, holdings. I visualize breathing in golden white light, it rests in my lungs during the exhale, the exhale imagined as blackish or grayish smoke, respresenting that which is toxic or not needed, and during the holding of the breath the golden white light diffuses throughout my body from the lungs. This works every time I do it.

I also practice Prana yoga during meditation. This was a technique I learned early on when studying the Western Mystical traditions. Full inhale, full exhale, hold. About 4 seconds for each step. But I don't count, I use feeling. I do it at a steady pace, keeping each step equal, and using feeling to know when to inhale and exhale. Further, one can use the breath as the focus of the meditation to aid in keeping the silence, and developing concentration and one-pointed focus. Always return to the breath after the mind wanders.

I believe that deep breathing is healing as well. I had intense stomach pain the other night, and I noticed that deep breathing would lighten the pain and discomfort.

All in all, pranayama is a useful yoga I feel. The lungs can hold much more air than what humans normally breath. It's usually quite shallow. Deeper breathing brings a sense of touching into a deeper level of yourself. An accessing of energy that is always available.

You don't need a teacher to practice this simple form of Pranayama yoga. You will become your own teacher in the midst of practice. Of course, a teacher is recommended for more advanced techniques.

[loostudent]

I,ve heard a few people take only prana as their nutrition. They are called pranarians or something like that.

I haven't practised any breathing exercises but I focus on breathing in prayer. It helps me to retain concentration and it gives me rhythm. I've learned about this when I read about hesychasm prayer method (christian mystic tradition). Anyone can use the basic method but advanced practise requires an experienced teacher.