Breathing

The Yogi Nerve Vitalizing Breath. This is an exercise well known to the Yogis, who consider it one of the strongest nerve stimulants and invigorants known to man. Its purpose is to stimulate the Nervous System, develop nerve force, energy and vitality. This exercise brings a stimulating pressure to bear on important nerve centres, which in turn stimulate and energize the entire nervous system, and send an increased flow of nerve force to all parts of the body. 1) Stand erect. 2)Inhale a Complete Breath and retain same. 3) Extend arms straight in front of you, letting them be somewhat limp and relaxed, with only sufficient nerve force to hold them out. 4) Slowly draw the hands back toward the shoulders, gradually contracting the muscles and putting force into them, so that when they reach the shoulders the fists will be so tightly clenched that a tremulous motion is felt. 5) Then keeping the muscles tense, push the fists slowly out and then draw them back rapidly (still tense) several times. 6) Exhale vigorously through the mouth. 7) Practice the cleansing breath.

Inhale for four seconds. Hold the breath for eight seconds and exhale for four seconds.Repeat this four times in the morning and four times in the evening. It would be better to measure the time by some word which is holy to you. Inhale through the left nostril and exhale through the left.The reverse the process. Go on thus reversing the process.

Alternate nostril breathing is apparently good for the nerves. Here is Swami Vivekananda (disciple of Ramakrishna) on Pranayama. In spiritualism Prana is the sum total of universal energy. It is the prime energy which has its manifest form in all visible forces. The universe is created when Prana acts upon the sky-element. We breathe and the blood circulates because of it. The same Prana is in our nerves, muscles and the brain. If we can control the breathing we will gradually achieve more and more subtle forces.