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For those who're coming to this column for the first time, we recommend you practice a few days on the preliminary Charger Breath before progressing to the current lesson.
Lesson Two:
Whole Charger Breath
1. Do all new breathing exercises sitting down at least the first several sessions of practice, regardless whether you've already practiced the previous variations. This is because each modification of the basic breath, or each introduction of a supplemental technique, produces a different effect on the system (whether a strongly different or subtly different effect); even if you're thoroughly acclimated to the effects of previous exercises, this does not therefore "inoculate" you against the modified effects which each new lesson introduces. Always sit with spine straight, clothes loose (or none), feet flat on floor, hands relaxed on knees or in lap. Fix your gaze on a point straight ahead to aid in concentration while performing the Breath.
2. Perform a succession of three powerful Charger Breaths, as you should be by now accustomed. Inhale strongly and sharply, thoroughly through the nose, then exhale with similar vigor, evenness and maximum expulsion of air also through the nose—except, this time, on the last repetition of the Charger Breath, the exhalation is to be performed through the mouth. To do this correctly, the lips should be compressed leaving only a very slight gap, virtually imperceptible to vision, through which the air of the exhalation is allowed to escape. This has the effect of greatly slowing the last exhalation. The use of such scarcely-pursed lips regulates the flow of air much more dramatically and "voluntaristically" than can be done by breathing out through the nose. There are two basic ways of allowing this last exhalation of the series to take place: the breath may be expelled by a kind of deliberate pressure, i.e. actually blowing out through the slight gap of the lips; or it may be allowed to "ease" away as if on its own, the air being leaked very slowly and evenly by the natural contraction of the abdomen and consequent deflation of the diaphragm without any deliberate "blowing" on the part of the practitioner. This last breath makes the final series-exhalation especially slow; and it is only when the escaping air has left the lungs in their normally-relaxed state that deliberate expulsion of the remaining CO2 in the air sacs is called for, finishing off the final series-breath with a distinct, pressurized puff. It is recommended that the practitioner favor the method of deliberately (though slowly) blowing the air through the lips on the last exhalation, at the beginning of each Whole Charger Breath session; but that, during the numerical increase of breath-clusters and series-repetitions in which the Breath is performed, the practitioner should gradually switch to the much slower method of allowing the air to simply "leak out" the tiny labial opening (like the scarcely perceptible leak of air from a minutely punctured balloon) on the automatic deflation of the diaphragm.
The reason for this progression has to do with the greater comfort experienced while "relaxing" the breath out of your system, the more saturated in surplus oxygen the system becomes; the further into your Charger Breath session, the more deeply you will have succeeded in altering the ratio of oxygen to C02 in the blood in favor of oxygen; therefore the less likelihood there is of feeling that faint "panic" for air that might otherwise be felt if you tried "leaking" the last series-breath at the beginning of your session.
3. Perform several complete rounds of the three Whole-Charger-Breaths always breathing through the nose, in and out, except on the last series-breath where you breathe very slowly, evenly and thoroughly out the mouth, through scarcely pursed lips. Pause, relax completely (always keeping spine and head straight) and feel at the end of each round, before proceeding to the next cluster of three Whole-Charger-Breaths. Next, increase the number of breaths in a cluster (i.e., from 3 to 5, later from 5 to 7 etc); and then increase the number of rounds each amplified series of Breaths is performed (i.e., from 3 rounds to 5, later from 5 to 7 etc).
Remember: always breathe out through the mouth only on the last exhalation of the given series (for example, the three-breath series: in-nose, out-nose; in nose, out nose; in nose, out mouth—end of round). There is no "count", as in many breathing exercises, so don't worry about measuring the inhalations and exhalations against each other according to some standardized ratio (2 to 4 etc). After practicing in the seated position several times during each day, you will have succeeded in pushing back the threshold of possible hyperventilation to the degree that you can perform the Whole-Charger-Breath randomly, while walking, standing etc. You should resort to this random charge-up often.
You'll find it makes you feel better in general, more alert and vigorous in particular, with a balanced amplification of the overall sense of poise, ease, confidence and well-being. Best of all, this practice sets the first (though necessary) foundation-tiles for succeeding months' instruction in which you'll learn to apply the Breath and its modifications for important work in rousing dormant faculties and functions, sparking higher agencies of psychic, emotional, mental and spiritual potential while speeding the harmonious integration of whole-Being systems and circuits for improved health and a deeper, more essential happiness. But you must keep up your practice daily. Maintain a diary or calendar to remind yourself, and to record your successes in meeting your schedule with the Power Breath. Also, leave helpful notes and messages around the house (taped to the refrigerator, wedged in the mirror-frame), in the car (visor, dashboard) and even at work (fixed to the file-cabinet, under the glass of the desktop). Such messages can simply remind you: BREATHE! Follow the instruction as it's given, and you can't help but feel the resultant Change. In order to know what the great Change is that we're talking about, you mast follow and do the practice. Don't forget: do your Charger Breathing daily. It's very important. Make the Power Breath more popular than jogging.
[First published in TNTC Vol. 1, No. 5 Dec. '89]
Lesson Two:
Whole Charger Breath
1. Do all new breathing exercises sitting down at least the first several sessions of practice, regardless whether you've already practiced the previous variations. This is because each modification of the basic breath, or each introduction of a supplemental technique, produces a different effect on the system (whether a strongly different or subtly different effect); even if you're thoroughly acclimated to the effects of previous exercises, this does not therefore "inoculate" you against the modified effects which each new lesson introduces. Always sit with spine straight, clothes loose (or none), feet flat on floor, hands relaxed on knees or in lap. Fix your gaze on a point straight ahead to aid in concentration while performing the Breath.
2. Perform a succession of three powerful Charger Breaths, as you should be by now accustomed. Inhale strongly and sharply, thoroughly through the nose, then exhale with similar vigor, evenness and maximum expulsion of air also through the nose—except, this time, on the last repetition of the Charger Breath, the exhalation is to be performed through the mouth. To do this correctly, the lips should be compressed leaving only a very slight gap, virtually imperceptible to vision, through which the air of the exhalation is allowed to escape. This has the effect of greatly slowing the last exhalation. The use of such scarcely-pursed lips regulates the flow of air much more dramatically and "voluntaristically" than can be done by breathing out through the nose. There are two basic ways of allowing this last exhalation of the series to take place: the breath may be expelled by a kind of deliberate pressure, i.e. actually blowing out through the slight gap of the lips; or it may be allowed to "ease" away as if on its own, the air being leaked very slowly and evenly by the natural contraction of the abdomen and consequent deflation of the diaphragm without any deliberate "blowing" on the part of the practitioner. This last breath makes the final series-exhalation especially slow; and it is only when the escaping air has left the lungs in their normally-relaxed state that deliberate expulsion of the remaining CO2 in the air sacs is called for, finishing off the final series-breath with a distinct, pressurized puff. It is recommended that the practitioner favor the method of deliberately (though slowly) blowing the air through the lips on the last exhalation, at the beginning of each Whole Charger Breath session; but that, during the numerical increase of breath-clusters and series-repetitions in which the Breath is performed, the practitioner should gradually switch to the much slower method of allowing the air to simply "leak out" the tiny labial opening (like the scarcely perceptible leak of air from a minutely punctured balloon) on the automatic deflation of the diaphragm.
The reason for this progression has to do with the greater comfort experienced while "relaxing" the breath out of your system, the more saturated in surplus oxygen the system becomes; the further into your Charger Breath session, the more deeply you will have succeeded in altering the ratio of oxygen to C02 in the blood in favor of oxygen; therefore the less likelihood there is of feeling that faint "panic" for air that might otherwise be felt if you tried "leaking" the last series-breath at the beginning of your session.
3. Perform several complete rounds of the three Whole-Charger-Breaths always breathing through the nose, in and out, except on the last series-breath where you breathe very slowly, evenly and thoroughly out the mouth, through scarcely pursed lips. Pause, relax completely (always keeping spine and head straight) and feel at the end of each round, before proceeding to the next cluster of three Whole-Charger-Breaths. Next, increase the number of breaths in a cluster (i.e., from 3 to 5, later from 5 to 7 etc); and then increase the number of rounds each amplified series of Breaths is performed (i.e., from 3 rounds to 5, later from 5 to 7 etc).
Remember: always breathe out through the mouth only on the last exhalation of the given series (for example, the three-breath series: in-nose, out-nose; in nose, out nose; in nose, out mouth—end of round). There is no "count", as in many breathing exercises, so don't worry about measuring the inhalations and exhalations against each other according to some standardized ratio (2 to 4 etc). After practicing in the seated position several times during each day, you will have succeeded in pushing back the threshold of possible hyperventilation to the degree that you can perform the Whole-Charger-Breath randomly, while walking, standing etc. You should resort to this random charge-up often.
You'll find it makes you feel better in general, more alert and vigorous in particular, with a balanced amplification of the overall sense of poise, ease, confidence and well-being. Best of all, this practice sets the first (though necessary) foundation-tiles for succeeding months' instruction in which you'll learn to apply the Breath and its modifications for important work in rousing dormant faculties and functions, sparking higher agencies of psychic, emotional, mental and spiritual potential while speeding the harmonious integration of whole-Being systems and circuits for improved health and a deeper, more essential happiness. But you must keep up your practice daily. Maintain a diary or calendar to remind yourself, and to record your successes in meeting your schedule with the Power Breath. Also, leave helpful notes and messages around the house (taped to the refrigerator, wedged in the mirror-frame), in the car (visor, dashboard) and even at work (fixed to the file-cabinet, under the glass of the desktop). Such messages can simply remind you: BREATHE! Follow the instruction as it's given, and you can't help but feel the resultant Change. In order to know what the great Change is that we're talking about, you mast follow and do the practice. Don't forget: do your Charger Breathing daily. It's very important. Make the Power Breath more popular than jogging.
[First published in TNTC Vol. 1, No. 5 Dec. '89]
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