Category: Swami Rama

In India Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, and Sufis have lived harmoniously for many centuries. India is a melting pot. Whoever visits India gets into this pot. This has been the history of Indian civilization. In the subcontinent of India people were peaceful, but the aliens who ruled India created hatred among the various religious groups because of their policy of divide and rule.

Sufis from all over the world go to India to pay homage to Indian Sufis. Even today India is the home of Sufism. Sufism is a religion of love and is not followed by Mohammedans exclusively. Among the several Sufi sages I have met, one of the greatest was a woman who lived in the city of Agra, 120 miles away from Delhi. This city is famous because of the Taj Mahal, a symbol of love and one of the wonders of the world.

Once I traveled from the Himalayas to visit this old woman sage, who lived completely naked in a small dargah [dwelling and worshipping place of a holy Moslem fakir]. She was ninety-three years of age and never slept at night. I used to call her Bibiji; this word is used for “mother.” She would call me “my son” (Bete). During my stay at Agra I regularly visited this Sufi woman sage between twelve and one in the morning. My visiting Bibiji at nights was misunderstood—so much that people started thinking I had lost my equilibrium. Several high army officials and learned people also used to visit her. Colonel J. S. Khaira was her great devotee. Although she was adored by Hindus and others equally, many people in the city did not understand this great Sufi mystic and her mysterious way of living. Her compassion toward her visitors was immense, but her attitude toward the mundane world was self-explanatory: “The people of the world have learned how to fill up earthen bowls with grains and coins, but no one knows how to fill the bowl of the heart.”

One night Bibiji told me that it would be easy for me to meet God. I asked, “What is the way?” She said, “To be one with the Divine, one has simply to detach oneself from this mundane world and be linked with the Beloved. It is so simple. Offer your rooh [soul] to the Lord and then there is nothing to be done or realized anymore.”

I said, “Bibiji, but how?” She started using a dialogue. I am narrating it exactly as she related it to me.

She said: “As I went to see my Beloved, He asked, ‘Who is that standing at the entrance of my shrine?’ I said, ‘Thy lover, Lord.’ The Lord said, ‘What proof can you give?’ I said, ‘Here is my heart on my palms and tears in my eyes.’

“And the Lord said, ‘I accept thy offering, for I also love thee. Thou art mine. Go and live in the dargah.’ Since then, my son, I live here. I wait for Him day and night, and I will wait for Him till eternity.”

I remembered the words of a great man, who said, “This poisonous tree of life has but two fruits: contemplation on immortality, and conversing with the sages.” Many times I would watch a very powerful light emanating from Bibiji’s eyes. She impressed me deeply because of her superb divine ecstasy, her complete self-surrender, and her unfathomable love for God. She said, “The pearl of wisdom is already hidden within the shell in the ocean of the heart. Dive deep and one day you will find it.”

One day she smilingly cast off her body. A light like that of a star was witnessed by twelve of us who were sitting around her. The light came out of her heart and sped toward the sky like lightning. She remains in my heart always. I remember my Bibiji with great love and reverence.

---

Editor’s Note:

This is an excerpt from Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama, published by the Himalayan Institute Press, 2007.

The word guru is so misused that I feel hurt sometimes. It is such a noble word, such a wonderful word. After your mother has given birth to you, and your parents have raised you, then the role of the guru begins, and he helps you fulfill the purpose of your life. Even if I’m a very bad man and somebody calls me guru, I have to become the best for the sake of the person who expects it of me. A guru is different from a teacher. Guru is a compound of two words, gu and ru. Gu means “darkness”; ru means “light”: that which dispels the darkness of ignorance is called guru. In the West the word guru is often misused. In India this word is used with reverence and is always associated with holiness and the highest wisdom. It is a very sacred word. It is seldom used by itself, but always with its suffix, deva. Deva means “bright being.” An enlightened master or guru is called gurudeva.

There is a vast difference between an ordinary teacher and a spiritual master. All followers of a guru, whatever their age, even if they are eighty years old, are like children to him. He will feed them, give them shelter, and then teach them, without expecting anything in return. I asked my master, “Why does he do this?” He said, “He has no other desires but teaching those aspirants who are prepared. If he doesn’t do this, what shall he do?”

When a student goes to a guru he takes a bundle of dry sticks. With reverence and love he bows and says, “Here, I offer this.” That indicates that he is surrendering himself with all his mind, action, and speech with a single desire to attain the highest wisdom. The guru burns those sticks and says, “Now I will guide you and protect you in the future.” Then he initiates the student on various levels and gives him the disciplines to practice. It is such a pure relationship that I don’t think any other relationship is even comparable. Everything the guru has, even his body, mind, and soul, belongs to his student. But if he has any odd habits at all, they belong only to himself.

The guru imparts a word and says, “This will be an eternal friend to you. Remember this word. It will help you.” That is called mantra initiation. Then he explains how to use the mantra. He removes obstacles. Since the student has desires and many problems, he does not know how to make decisions properly. So the guru will teach him how to decide and how to remain peaceful and tranquil. He will say, “Sometimes you have noble thoughts, but you do not bring them into action. Come on, make your mind one-pointed. You are powerful, and my blessings are with you.”

You try your best to do something for him, but you cannot, because he doesn’t need anything. Such a compassionate one spontaneously attracts your attention, for you are bewildered. You wonder, “Why is he doing so much for me? What does he want from me?” He wants nothing, for what he is doing is his duty, the purpose of his life. If he guides you, he is not obliging you, he is doing his work. He cannot live without doing his duty.

Such people are called gurus. They guide humanity. As the sun shines and lives far above, the guru gives his spiritual love and remains unattached. Guru is not a physical being. Those who think of the guru as a body or as a man do not understand this pious word. If a guru comes to think that his power is his own, then he is a guide no more. The guru is tradition; he is a stream of knowledge. That stream of knowledge goes through many channels. Christ also said this when he healed people and they called him Lord. He said, “This is because of my Father; I am only a channel.”

No human being can ever become a guru. But when a human being allows himself to be used as a channel for receiving and transmitting by the Power of Powers, then it happens. And for that, a human being should learn to be selfless. Usually love is mingled with selfishness. I need something, so I say, “I love you.” You need something, so you love me. This is what we call love in the world. But when you do actions selflessly in a spontaneous way, then that is really love. You don’t expect any reward. Genuine gurus cannot live without selflessness, for selfless love is the very basis of their enlightenment. They radiate life and light from the unknown corners of the world. The world does not know them, and they do not want recognition.

Don’t ever believe anyone who comes to you and demands, “Worship me.” Even Christ and Buddha did not ask that. Never forget that guru is not the goal. Guru is like a boat for crossing the river. It is very important to have a good boat, and it is very dangerous to have a boat that is leaking. But after you have crossed the river you don’t need to hang on to your boat, and you certainly don’t worship the boat.

Many fanatics think they should worship a guru. A guru should receive your love and respect—that is different from worship. If my guru and the Lord both come together, I will go to my guru first and say, “Thank you very much. You have introduced me to the Lord.” I will not go to the Lord and say, “Thank you very much, Lord. You have given me my guru.

---

Editor’s Note:

This is an excerpt from Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama, published by the Himalayan Institute Press, 2007.

Nearly all children are quite selfish by nature. They do not want to give anything to others. I was trained to reverse this tendency.

In the mountains I used to take only one meal a day. I would have one chapati, some vegetables, and a glass of milk. One day when it was almost one o’clock I washed my hands, sat down, and the food was given to me. I said grace and was about to start eating when my master came in and said, “Wait!” I asked, “What’s the matter?” He answered, “An old swami has come. He’s hungry and you must give him your food.”

“No,” I argued, “I’m not going to, even if he is a swami. I’m also hungry and I won’t get any more food until tomorrow.” He said, “You won’t die. Give it to him. But don’t give it just because I am ordering you. Give it as an offering of love.” I said, “I’m hungry. How can I feel love toward someone who is eating my food?” When he could not convince me to offer my food to the swami he finally said, “I order you to offer your food!”

The swami came in. He was an old man with a white beard. With only a blanket, a walking stick, and wooden sandals, he traveled all alone in the mountains. My master said to him, “I’m so glad that you have come. Will you bless this child for me?”

But I said, “I don’t need your blessing. I need food. I am hungry.”

My master said, “If you lose control in this weak moment, you will lose the battle of life. Please offer your food to the swami. First give him water and then wash his feet.”

I did as I was told, but I did not like it, nor did I understand the meaning of it. I helped him wash his feet and then I asked him to sit down and I gave him my food. Later I found out that he had not had any food for four days.

He took the food and said, “God bless you! You will never feel hunger unless food comes before you. This is my blessing to you.”

His voice still echoes in my ears. From that very day, I have been free from that urge which had so often led me to childish cravings.

There is a narrow barrier between selfishness and selflessness, love and hatred. After crossing it one enjoys doing things for others, without seeking anything in return. This is the highest of all joys, and an essential step in the path of enlightenment. A selfish man can never imagine this state of realization, for he remains within the limited boundaries built by his ego. A selfless man trains his ego and uses it for higher purposes. Selflessness is one common characteristic that we find among all great men and women of the world. Nothing could be achieved without selfless service. All the rituals and knowledge of the scriptures are in vain if actions are performed without selflessness.

---

Editor’s Note:

This is an excerpt from Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama, published by the Himalayan Institute Press, 2007.

When a mantra is imparted to a student, it is meant to be used in a particular and specific way during the practice of meditation. Mantras are not spoken or muttered on the gross physical level, with the mouth, tongue, and voice box, but instead, are heard first mentally, and then allowed to become increasingly subtle and fine. The goal is to eventually achieve a state of constant, effortless awareness, called ajapa japa. To be beneficial, the mantra must be appropriate to the student’s level of attainment, personality, desires, and attitudes.

There are two types of sounds in the world: those which are created by the external world and heard by the ears, and those inner sounds which are called anahata nada (unstruck sounds). Unstruck sounds do not vibrate in quite the same way that sound vibrates in the external world. These sounds are described as having a guiding or leading quality, which carries the meditator to the center of silence within.

A mantra that is used in meditation is a special kind of sound, which does not obstruct or interfere with the flow of breath in meditation, but instead helps to balance and refine the breath, leading to a unique and special state. This state is called sushumna awakening. When the sushumna nadi or channel is active, the breath flows freely and equally through both nostrils simultaneously. This unique state is different than the normal functioning of the body, breath, and mind, in which ether the left nadi (ida) or the right nadi (pingala) is active, leading to dominance in one or the other of the nostrils. When the student succeeds in activating sushumna, the breath flows evenly through both nostrils and both the breath and the mind function in complete harmony. This special state is ideally suited for meditation, for when it is achieved, the mind becomes completely inward in its focus.

As the mind becomes more inward, it disconnects from the external senses. Then the student will experience a flow of thoughts and impressions coming forward from the unconscious mind, the storehouse of all the impressions of our lifetime. These impressions, thoughts, and emotions have created deep grooves in the unconscious mind. The purpose of mantra is to help us to go beyond these impressions and grooves, creating new, beneficial channels in the mind. Then, the mind begins to flow spontaneously in the new grooves created by the mantra. This helps the mind to become concentrated, one-pointed, and inward. As the mind centers on the mantra, the myriad other impressions, memories, thoughts, and emotions of the conscious and unconscious mind become still.

Once a student has received a mantra, he or she should seek to practice that mantra for some time, bringing it to increasingly subtle and fine levels of experience. Sometimes modern students become impatient after practicing the mantra for only a few weeks’ or months’ time, feeling that they are making no progress because they cannot perceive any dramatic or immediate external changes as a result of this practice. Some conclude that their mantra is not the “right” mantra, and seek other practices. Others simply discontinue their practice, disheartened by their supposed lack of progress. Such a situation is like the impatience experienced by a small child who plants a tulip bulb in September, and then wants to dig it up two days later because he or she has not yet seen any signs of a flower.

Patience is essential in the practice of meditation. One should work with the mantra with full dedication and with a deep feeling for the mantra for some time. Eventually, the mantra becomes like a loyal friend, who will never abandon you and who is always available to help you. That is why teachers sometimes tell their students that a dependence on any external person or object will always disappoint the student at some time, whereas seeking a sense of solace and comfort from the mantra will be helpful, especially during those times in every human life when loneliness and doubt exist.

When you begin the practice of meditation on a mantra, you are systematically working to make conscious successively deeper and more remote levels of your own inner experience. This process has two aspects. The first is one of refinement and purification of the existing impressions of the mind. The second, which occurs simultaneously, is one of cultivating and deepening the experience of the mantra, through active meditation and japa, in order to create a positive groove in both conscious and unconscious levels of mind. Because most people have not yet acquired much sensitivity to or awareness of the deeper levels of themselves, it is not easy for them to observe and appreciate the deep changes that are taking place within during this process. But as one continues to practice meditation on the mantra, an internal process is taking place that will eventually reveal and express itself both in increasingly refined and evolved external behavior and also in a gradual deepening of the experience of meditation.

---

Editor’ Note

Excerpted from The Transforming Power of Yoga: The Subtle Science of Altering the Mindstream by Swami Rama, Yoga International, May/June 1992

Meditation is a process of purifying the mind and making it one-pointed, inward, and tranquil. Through the method of meditation, the mind will help you to fathom the deeper levels of your being and lead you to the highest state of realization.

As an aspirant, it is always wise to be vigilant and firm in practicing meditation. Do not expect too much right in the beginning. There is no instant method of meditation. Modern students expect immediate results from meditation and this expectation causes them to fantasize, imagine, and hallucinate many things that they think are spiritual experiences. These experiences are actually products of their subconscious minds. As a result, they become frustrated and imbalanced, and either they stop meditating, or they start following strange methods that are harmful to their progress.

Meditation is a technique that has only one way, and that is a scientific way that is very precise and clear. If you learn how to systematically practice meditation, it will not take much time for you to reach the summit, provided you know the whole technique.

First thing is to have a strong desire, a burning desire within. When you have a burning desire to do your meditation, that burning desire leads you. Sankalpa shakti is needed. “Today I will sit in meditation. No one has the power to disturb me! Thought is a product of the mind. I do not belong to thought.”

If you learn to go beyond the jabbering of your mind, and can go to the deeper aspects of your consciousness, then body, breath, and mind will not come in your way.

They come in your way because you have not trained them, because you have not decided to do meditation. Once and for all you should learn to decide, and fix up a time for meditation in the morning and before you go to bed.

You have been taught to see and examine things in the external world. Nobody has taught you to see and find within. There is no other way but the way of meditation. No object of the world has the power to give you what meditation can give you.

Don’t meditate if you are not inclined to meditate. If you want to meditate, you have to form a habit, because habit weaves your character and personality. If you really want to know who you are, you have to take off all the masks, one after the other. You have to be totally naked. You have to be in the fire. If you are prepared to do that, you can learn to tread the path of meditation.

In the external world there is no object that can make you happy, because all objects are subject to change, death, decay, and decomposition. That which is subject to change, and is not everlasting, can never give you happiness. It can give you only momentary joy.

That momentary joy is evidence enough that there is something that is called joy. You are searching in the wrong place. If you receive everlasting joy, and if you have attained everlasting joy, then you’ll be free. It is for that freedom and for that great joy that you live.

When you sit in meditation, I advise you not to worry about seeing lights. You have to learn to make your abode in complete darkness, so that you can see that gentle light. Do not worry if you don’t see any light or have any visions or experiences.

If you have patience and learn to sit still, the center of life and light will start revealing itself to you. Until then, imagining superficial lights is harmful. Learn to be in the darkness waiting for the light to be revealed.

Having no experience in meditation is the right experience. If you systematically follow the meditation method, there is no chance for you to worry and feel that you are not progressing.

Whenever you are meditating, or making effort to meditate, you are doing something. Don’t say and don’t think that you are not reaping the fruits of your actions. It is not possible. It is unscientific that you do something and you don’t get anything. Every action has its reaction.

If you systematically learn to meditate, you will find that the faculty of discrimination, the buddhi, will help you in all walks of life, both within and without.

You have to pay attention to four important points: building determination, learning to pray, learning to meditate according to instructions, and not allowing your mind to be stained by self-created guilt that destroys the inner spiritual potentials.

Learn to be spiritual in your daily life by doing selfless action. Learn to meditate every day, a few minutes. Don’t become a hypocrite, sitting for a long time and hallucinating. Meditate for a few minutes, and enjoy life. Learn to meditate and learn to be here and now. Meditational therapy is the highest.

Meditation is self-effort, a probe into inner life, and will reveal all the secrets to you in time to come.

---

Editor’s Note:

This is an excerpt from The Essence of Spiritual Life, page 71 -74, written by Swami Rama.

The word guru is a compound of two words, gu and ru. Gu means darkness and ru means light. That which dispels the darkness of ignorance is called guru. The energy and action of removing darkness are guru. Guru is not a person, it is a force driven by grace.

To put this another way, there is an intelligent momentum that pervades the universe that is moving all human beings toward the perfection we call God. Guru is that intelligence. Everyone’s receptivity to that intelligence varies. It depends on preparation, which includes the development of vairagya or non attachment, and abhyasa or practice. In other words, guru is always there, but the student may not be  ready to receive what the guru has to offer. When the student is prepared, the guru always arrives to help the student do what is necessary to progress in removing the veil of ignorance. It is said that when the wick and oil are properly prepared, the master lights the lamp.

Guru is not a person, but guru can be represented in a person. One who has developed his or her own spiritual awareness to a very high level can guide others, and is considered to be guru. Only one who is finely attuned to the inner guide can inspire the awakening of the inner guide in another. Guru is not a physical being. If a guru begins thinking this power is her or his own, then they are no longer a guide. The guru is a tradition, a stream of knowledge.

In India guru is a sacred word that is used with reverence and is always associated with the highest wisdom. The guru is unique in a person’s life. The relationship between disciple and guru is like no other relationship. It is said that guru is not mother, father, son, or daughter. The guru is not a friend in any conventional sense. It also is sometimes said that the guru is father, mother, son, daughter, and friend all in one; the guru is sun and moon, sky and earth to the disciple.

The truth is that the relationship of guru to disciple is indescribable. The relationship extends to the realm beyond the world, transcends death, and stretches far beyond the limited karmic bonds associated with family and friends. A mother and father help sustain the body of their child, and nurture and guide the child through the formative years of life to adulthood. Guru sustains, nurtures, and guides a soul through life times to ultimate liberation.

The relationship with the guru is based on the purest form of unconditional love. There is complete openness with the guru. The disciple should hold nothing back from the guru. This is why in the tradition, a student goes to the guru and offers a bundle of sticks to burn. The bundle symbolizes that everything the disciple has is offered unconditionally to the guru. Everything is offered to the guru so the guru can do the work of shaping the student spiritually. The disciple comes with full faith and entrusts his whole life to the guru. The guru takes that life and chops it and burns what is not necessary, and then carefully carves what remains into something sacred.

In this chopping and burning, the guru is merciless. The guru’s job is not to hold hands with the disciple and wipe away tears, but to cut into pieces the disciple’s ego and all that stands between the disciple and freedom. The guru does not allow dependence. If the disciple becomes too dependent on the guru, the guru pushes the disciple away, insisting on independence. It is a remarkable expression of the deepest love.

To be on a spiritual path with a guru is not an easy thing. It is not pleasant. The guru tests the disciples, puts them in the most difficult situations, and creates obstacles for them. All the tests, difficulties, and obstacles are meant to train and expand the consciousness of the disciple.

That is the sole work of the guru. The guru wants nothing from the disciple. Guru is that force moving a soul toward enlightenment. The guru’s actions are from pure compassion. As the sun shines and lives far above, the guru gives spiritual love and remains unattached.

---

Editor’s note

This is an excerpt from Sacred Journey by Swami Rama, published by the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust, 2002.

The human race is suffering from its ego-born narrow-mindedness. Discrimination exists, based on religion, color, and nationality. In the same locality, people are being discriminated against just because they are European or Asian, black or white, Hindu or Moslem. As long as these man-made divisions exist in our society, there is no hope for peace or happiness. We must understand that we are born as humans and all other identifications are superimposed on us later. Loving others and receiving love from others is our birth right. True freedom means loving all and hating none, including all and excluding none. For cultivating the true human within, we have to reach out to the hearts of our fellow beings. Political treaties and alliances are of little value. There has to be a desire in every human heart to overcome mutual differences that have been artificially imposed by selfish political, social, and religious leaders.

Removing differences and moving from diversity to unity are the essence of real spiritual practices. This process has to occur at every level of our individual and social lives. By realizing one Reality within all, we will be able to purify our hearts and minds. This purification can lead us to the experience of the Divine Light within. Once we experience the Truth within, we will find ourselves to be part of the universe, and vice versa. Upon such realization here and now, we will not need to imagine a heaven apart from this universe. By loving all and excluding none, by sharing everything and possessing nothing, we will attain freedom from the fear of hell and the desire for heaven. We can have our own heaven here on earth.

Our interpersonal relationships must be based on the philosophy of universal brotherhood.

---

Editor’s Note

This is an excerpt from A Call to Humanity by Swami Rama, Chapter “Humanism,” pages 116-117 in the 1988edition.

This book is out of print, but available as a used book.

For all Swami Rama’s and Swami Veda Bharati’s published works, please email hyptbooks@gmail.com

Published works of Swami Rama and Swami Veda Bharati are also available at other venues.

Fears, if not examined, will develop strong roots, though they are often rootless. Fear invites danger.

Self-preservation is the instinct that remains always vigilant to protect the body. This instinct is useful up to a certain extent, but it should not become an obsession in life. When fear becomes an obsession, all spiritual potentials become dormant. Fears are never examined—that is why they are able to control human life. They should be examined boldly.

Fear has two faces: I might lose what I have, and I might not gain what I want. These two thoughts should not be entertained, and cannot be when you remember your mantra or the presence of the Lord within.

Fearlessness is very important. One should constantly remain in spiritual delight, so that no fear is entertained. Fearlessness comes from knowing that God is with us, and that we are with God.

---

Editor’s Note

This is an excerpt from The Essence of Spiritual Life by Swami Rama. Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust. 2002. Page 26.
To watch the short video Swami Rama Discusses Self Preservation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy9zl_m_R4E 

If you want to live positively and joyfully, learn to give the fruits of your actions to others, and determine that you will not allow yourself to be bothered by anything in the exterior world. If you do not learn to give, then you are being selfish and negative. A negative person is selfish; a positive person is generous. You cannot rely on a negative person. There are some people who never come in contact with their positive emotions – they only remain negative all the time. And because of this they are unable to give to others.

So learn to give to your own people, those with whom you live, those who are closest to you. Learn to give spontaneously in your mind, action, and speech. That is your first step to freedom. It is attained when you learn to do your actions with love and learn to give. Love means non-harming, so you should resolve that you will not harm, hurt, or injure your spouse, children, or friends – that means that you love them. The expression of your love is not hurting or harming others. Love does not consist of telling someone that you love them and cannot live without them – that is mere selfishness. If you love someone, then don’t harm or hurt them – that is the real expression of your love.

---

Editor’s Note

This is an excerpt from The Art of Joyful Living by Swami Rama, published by Himalayan Institute Press.

From the 2010 – 2013 Practice given by Swami Veda Bharati to the AHYMSIN sangha: “Read Swami Rama’s ART OF JOYFUL LIVING. Keep track of what progress you are making in the paths shown there.”

Almost everyone has felt the influences of stress at some point during life, perhaps relating to a situation at school, work or in one’s family. Although the stresses in our environment cannot be controlled, our reaction to them can be. Breath can be used as a very powerful tool in the regulation of both the mind and body, and thus also in the reduction of stress. Most people, however, have never observed their own process of breathing; its qualities and patterns have remained unknown, hidden in the unconscious mind. Although the breath is maintained by unconscious mechanisms in the body, it can be brought under our conscious control, and unhealthy breathing habits can be corrected. In doing this, one can decrease the level of stress in one’s life and feel more balanced and relaxed.

Despite the obvious importance of the breath, a majority of us have poor breathing patterns, which disturb us physically, mentally and emotionally. These improper breathing habits thus create stress and can eventually lead to other imbalances and complications. The importance of good breathing is paramount, for it continually provides us with nourishment and cleanses our body; the oxygen inhaled is utilized by every cell of our body. When this gas exchange does not take place efficiently, the entire pulmonary-cardiovascular system must work harder in order to properly oxygenate the blood.

By paying attention to one’s breath, one can become aware of its irregularities and dysfunctions. Observe your own breathing for a moment and you may notice pauses and jerks that interrupt its flow. The breath should be allowed to flow smoothly. Pauses and jerks arise from poor breathing habits and disturb the nervous system. These irregularities in the breath can be corrected with consistent, daily practice of smooth, even breathing, which in turn will give rise to greater control over the respiratory motion and lead to a state of mental and physical calmness and alertness.

The most fundamental requirement for proper breathing is to breathe diaphragmatically. It is easiest to observe this process and to practice breathing diaphragmatically, when in a comfortably seated position or lying with the back against the floor. Place one hand on the upper region of the chest and the other hand on the soft part of the abdomen just below the rib cage. With each inhalation one should feel the abdomen gently rise and with each exhalation the abdomen should gently fall. One should be careful not to force the breathing or to push the abdomen in and out with the abdominal muscles. As the air enters and exists the lungs, the abdomen will slowly rise and fall on its own accord. It is important that the chest region be still so that one is not breathing with the chest. Accurate diaphragmatic breathing is established by allowing the breath to reach the depths of the lower lungs rather than to circulate only in the upper regions of the lungs.

After ensuring that one is breathing with the diaphragm rather than the chest, one should allow the breath to be smooth and even, so that inhalation and exhalation are of equal length. The mouth is kept gently closed so that one breathes through the nose. Eliminate any noise and jerks in the breath as well as any pauses occurring after inhalation or exhalation. Each breath should be full and relaxed, rather than shallow. The coordination and integration of these important qualities into one’s breathing pattern will occur with a little consistent effort. Although long term changes will occur more gradually, the benefits of practicing these techniques for 5-10 minutes daily will be noticed immediately.

Diaphragmatic breathing leads to autonomic balance and a more relaxed state of being. After some weeks of practice, more subtle changes will be noticed. The rhythm of the breath will become more relaxed and regular. This steadiness leads to a greater efficiency of the breathing process and reduces the amount of work required for proper ventilation and oxygenation of the blood.

By establishing an even, steady breath, a state of physiological balance is maintained, and the mind remains balanced and tranquil. A significant degree of control over the emotions can be achieved when one learns to regulate the breath. This is no small benefit, for it is often our emotions that lead us to feel increasingly stressed in life, and the regulation of these emotions through healthy breathing will greatly aid us in creating balance and equanimity in the face of life’s difficulties.

---

Editor’ Note

Reprinted from The Hindustan Times, Dec 27, 1992