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The Science of Breathing. W E have to state the science of breathing from two
VV standpoints one of health, another the spiritual standpoint. Generally in the world people follow all kinds of practises only for the purpose of gaining health. They do not inquire into other reasons, and therefore all rules framed out of their observation are based only on one standpoint, and that is the health standpoint. If anything is done which can produce better health they will consider that the best, even though done at the expense of the spiritual powers. But in the Hindu philosophy they have taken into consideration both health and spirituality. So far as health is concerned we must know the construction of the human body, the physiological nature of the organs of breathing, and then alone we can deduce the best rules. So far as the spiritual nature is concerned we must understand the occult functions of the different parts of the human body. The physiologists have given us some rules for breathing, have said something about the chest and abdominal breathing, and the normal or deep breathing, but the only object that is set forth in these rules is the strengthening of the body, and what they are going to do after that they do not tell us. If that is the only object, we might say, we do not wish to be soldiers ; what is the use of the strength of the body. We say that the health of the
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