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THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
The whole system catches the vibrations and becomes in harmony with the will, which causes the rhythmic motion of the lungs, and, while in such complete harmony, will respond readily to orders from the will. With the body thus attuned, the Yogi finds no difficulty in increasing the circulation in any part of the body by an order from the will, and in the same way he can direct an increased current of the nerve force to any part of the organ, strengthening and stimulating it." .
In this manner the Yogi catches the swing, as it were, and is able to absorb and control a large amount of prâna from his surroundings. The secret of rhythmic breathing is that it sets every fibre of the body vibrating with vitality, so that when all the motions of the body become rhythmical, the body itself becomes, as it were, a gigantic battery of will.
In rhythmic breathing the main thing to be grasped is the idea of rhythm. To quote again from " The Hatba Yoga" :
“ The yogi bases his rhythmic time upon a unit corresponding with the beat of his heart. The heart beat varies in different persons but the heart beat unit of each person is the proper rhythmic standard for that particular individual in his rhythmic breathing. Ascertain your normal heart beat by placing your fingers over your pulse, and then count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc., until the rhythm becomes firmly fixed in your mind. .... The yogi rule of rhythmic breathing is that the units of inhalation and exhalation should be the same, while the units for retention and between the breaths should be one half the number of those of inhalation and exhalation.”
When the novice has mastered these exercises, he will be able to will the vital prâņa in the body to any part of it, banishing and destroying the causes of disharmony from his system. The training of the will by prâņâyáma gives a push to the mind, which, in due .course of time, acquires the capacity to respond to higher
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