Consider these 2 aspects. When we are in an awakened state, would you agreed for a start that there in that aware state, we will have 2 operating sub-states. Yes…the voluntary and involuntary states.

Most of us know one and not the other. Most of us know of the voluntary consciousness and are unaware of the involuntary consciousness. When we were at birth, we dwelled in the involuntary state, and very shortly thereafter, the voluntary consciousness overpowered the former to such an extent, the involuntary consciousness can rapidly varnished from our Being. We become attached to the stories of our past and the hope of a future. We no longer become Being in Now.

The voluntary state mind is one when our mind can direct our actions. When we wish to do something, we will have our mind direct our to carry out that piece of action such as when we want to go into a state of mind of happiness. Our mind determines the form and outcome of an action.

An involuntary state of mind is when we become an observer of our state of mind. In other words, we become dissociated from events that are happening to us and the environment. We strive in the presence or NOW; just Being. We become positively centered and balanced irrespective of every negative emotions that surround us. When someone special passed on, we see the positivity of the event and not be attached to any negative emotion what might be happening around us. There may be pain, suffering, sadness correlated with the passing on. However, it we can remain in a involuntary state of mind, we are no longer afraid of death. With centerness and balance, we are able to handle tasks rationally and positively. We no longer allow our our state of mind to control our the outcome of our actions.

When pain occurs if we hurt ourselves, we are able to dissipate that pain and dissociate any hurt. With training, we can therefore, let our involuntary mind be in an operative choice. We shall not be at the EFFECT end of the equation…we will always strive at the CAUSE end of that equation. We will be inductive instead of deduction. We will look at the big picture instead of the little ones.

How can we train ourselves to rebuild our involuntary consciousness? One way is to perform something that we are very familiar with. Breathing!! Yes..breathing (Pranayama) is a process that each of use are very familiar with. With a set of breathing regiments and processes, we can train ourselves to achieve a state of dissociation and not to be attached or related to an action/happening going on around us. Breathing and followed by a state of meditation is really a gym for our mind to practise and journey to discover the involuntary state of consciousness. Have discovered it, there will be stillness; a Being of unattached centerness adn balance. A calmness. At the highest level of involuntary consciousness, there will no longer be either positive state or a negative one. One doesn’t take sides; no doesn’t participates; one doesn’t engage; one doesn’t influence.

No more boundaries.

Your perspective is welcome…

Our MIND.

Think about it. Our mind is constantly fluctuating from one thought to another and perhaps, back to the original thought. The mind is always leading. Always demanding. Incessantly pointing us into various directions beyond our conscious will. Our mind might mislead us into negative thoughts periodically. Even whilst we are asleep, our mind directs us into dreams and nightmares.

Can our mind ever be calm, stable and clear? Why is it important and essential that we are to be calm and be able to achieve inner clarity in our mind?

All thoughts consume enormous amount of energy or “qi”. More so with negative and ill thoughts. They suck and sap away our life-force necessary for us to maintain wellness and sanity of our mind, body and spirit. Each single living moment, such negative energies or the qi are slowly and surely being drawn away from us; the qi we are so in need of to conserve our well-being, health and peace.

Pranayama is one very simple way to do it. And it does not take just a few minutes of each day for us to attain inner clarity and solace. Pranayama is a breathing practice used by yogis for centuries; proven to give each one of us who do it, harmony and balance within our ourselves and everything that evolves around us. Pranayama removes fluctuations of our mind, gives us immense inner clarity, stillness and peace within ourselves.

After each pranayama, we can observe the calmness of our breath and the silence of our mind. These are invaluable and easily obtainable gifts we can generously bestow upon ourselves if we cared to do this daily practice. We re-establish and re-balance our inner life-force and rejuvenate ourselves after the harsh beatings and polluted environment our mind, body and spirit continuously are subjected to on a daily basis.

Benefits are endless and these include -

-Hair will regrow within two months of practice;

-Body will go to it’s ideal weight by itself;

-Face becomes bright and luminous;

-Lost vision will return;

-Removes fear/anxiety of any kind -
- Aligns both hemisphere of the brain for full brain functionality
- Creates a deeper sense of well-being and harmony
- Helps alleviate migraines and headaches and frazzled states of being
- Works great in situations where you find yourself anxious, board and need grounding; and

-Blockages in the arteries of the heart are removed and the arteries become clean, making circulation unimpeded.

I strongly recommend to you to discover this sheer pleasure, state of bliss and this definite self-fulfilling, self-enriching journey into a peaceful, healthy and wealthy mind, body and spirit. A Wonderful And Meaningful Life.

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Great introduction to pranayama by reviewer who delivers workshops on these types of topics, March 13, 2007
Reviewer: Patrick D. Goonan “www.meaningful-life.us” (Pleasanton, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
I am a personal growth coach who is educated in biology, biochemistry, biofeedback and psychology. I give workshops on stress management, coach executives on this topic and also do workhshops that combine these techniques with biofeedback. This gives you some background on me and my perspective that I’m writing this review from.

As someone who works with these techniques and sees the results via biofeedback with myself and others, I highly recommend this very inexpensive book as a brief overview and introduction to the topic. The author covers a lot of ground in a small space and the instructions are clear and simple.

If you practice these exercises as they are explained, they will cause effects in your physiology. Regulation of the breath is very tied to the nervous system and to heart rate variability which correlates with resilience. If you buy this book and get serious about a practice, I would pick up some additional material to augment this text such as the SCIENCE OF BREATH and THE LIGHT ON PRANAYAMA. The first of these is a more Western explanation by a respected yoga institute and the second is a classic text with a lot of detail.

I also highly recommend getting a home biofeedback program such as FreezeFramer or Healing Rhythms. You can read the descriptions of each and determine what is best for your needs. However, this additional step will really heighten your awareness and help you to develop more control over your internal states.

Excellent., February 10, 2007
Reviewer: Sanjay Raj “OmsDaddy” (Woodbridge, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
i still need to learn more to understand completely the given material, but a very lucid book and a good source.

Valuable Book, February 24, 2006
Reviewer: Manish A. Patel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Instead of wasting money on Iyengar’s books, this is safer, simple way of doing PRANAYAMA. This book is worth it’s weight in gold.

Alternet Nostril Breathing is the best for weight loss, however Ujjaini works, too, but little slowly.

Following are two techniques:
Alternate Nostril Breathing
(Anulom Vilom Pranayama with no breath retention) This pranayama (control breathing) is done with alternate breathing from the left and right nostrils for cleansing of Nadis. (energy meridians). Seated in a convenient posture, start off with slow inhalation from the left nostril first by closing the right nostril with the middle of right hand thumb ,and after fully filling the lungs, (not the belly breathing) breathe out slowly from the right nostril by closing the left nostril with the two ( left hand middle and ring) fingers. Now breathe in from the right nostril by closing the left nostril in the above manner and exhale from the left nostril by closing the right nostril with the right thumb. It completes one cycle. Do this for three minutes for two months then gradually increase to 5 minutes.

Do it two hour after eating or drinking. (Do it on empty-stomach) Do not eat for 15 minute after you are done. Better to lie down for five minutes after you are done. If you limit practice to maximum of five minutes, it will be the best.

The very first sign you will experience is lightness in the body and clearer thinking.

The practice of this breathing for a period of three to four months can open up thirty to forty percent of the heart arteries’ blockages. This pranayama alleviates all the diseases of the body, leads to the state of joy, enthusiasm for living , fearlessness, peace of mind and deep meditation.

Benefits:
-Hair will regrow within two months of practice.
-Body will go to it’s ideal weight by itself.
-Face becomes bright and luminous.
-Lost vision will return.
-Removes fear/anxiety of any kind.
- Aligns both hemisphere of the brain for full brain functionality
- Creates a deeper sense of well-being and harmony
- Helps alleviate migraines and headaches and frazzled states of being
- Works great in situations where you find yourself anxious, board and need grounding
-Blockages in the arteries of the heart are removed and the arteries become clean, making circulation unimpeded.

Ujjayi Pranayama

1. You can do this sitting, standing or walking anywhere anytime.

2. Inhale slowly through both nostrils, keeping the throat slightly constricted so as to make a gentle sound that will help you to feel the breath in the throat. The sound will remind you of ocean waves washing up the beach. Concentrate on the feeling of the breath moving in and out through the throat.

3. During inhalation do not allow abdomen to bulge out, let the chest expand.

4. After completing inhalation slowly exhale. (Either by both nostrils or by left nostril) During exhalation chest should go inside and abdomen should remain steady.

Remember :-

1. While doing Ujjiayi air should touch the throat.

2. Breath must be mentally locked in chest area. (Do not do belly breathing)

3. After practicing it for few days, knowing your limitations, keep the ratio between inhalation and exhalation 1 : 2.

4. In easy Ujjiayi Pranayama, inhalation and exhalation can be practiced by both the nostrils.

Benefits:
This simple practice has a subtle influence on the whole body. It calms the mind and has a soothing effect on the nervous system. Ujjayi is very useful for people with high blood pressure as it slows down the heartbeat. It has subtle effects on the flow of life force in the astral (energy) body and helps you to be aware of its movement within the sushumna (astral spine).

Video 1 Kapalbhati Pranayama - BSK Lyengar Pranayama

Video 2 - narrated in Tamil - Kapalbhati Pranayama - An ancient way to keep an individual’s body fit. 3:56 minutes running time

Video 3 - Conscious breathing - 2:28 minutes running time

Video 4 - Pranayama with Masterji II - 7:27 minutes running time - Change your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies through simple, focused yogic breathing techniques. Enjoy the first 2 beginners lessons of this dynamic yogic breathing instructional dvd - Brought to you by yoga.india.yogeleme.