Mr. Jacko: I was going to ask this question. I think that when you do the alternate breathing, the breath goes down one way and then changes. I'm not too clear about that.

Sri Chinmoy: What actually happens, when you do alternate breathing, you know, the breath, the prana, goes upward to give you realisation. And the apana, it comes down. One breath goes up; the other comes down. (Sri Chinmoy demonstrates the release of breath) This one tries to keep a firm hold on matter, the physical world, and this one (he indicates the intake of breath) goes up and touches the Highest. So, it is like the link between Heaven and earth. Prana goes up and the apana comes down. And then what you are saying about this breathing, when you do alternate breathing, you will see there are three or four kinds of breathing. Yesterday, someone said that she was seeing different breaths inside her. It is absolutely true. When you do this alternate breathing you will see four or five kinds of breath inside you, four or five. Now you are seeing only one. Here you will see breath; there you will see breath. It is just like children playing there, inside you. So, there are various breaths inside us. And this we get aware of only when we do alternate breathing. Prana goes up; apana comes down. One goes up and one goes down. So, the spiritual figures, what they do, they are conscious of it all the time. Each time they breathe in, they bring it up. Consciously they do it. And ordinary people, they do not breathe correctly. If, supposing twelve to fifteen times per minute we breathe in – between twelve and fifteen, it is said, human beings breathe – but there are people who breathe only four times per minute or three times. This is the thing that when we practise first normal breathing, without doing alternate breathing. (He demonstrates) Once, when you breathe in, you count four times the Name of your God. Four times you count. Then hold the breath there. Sixteen times you repeat the Name of God. Then, while breathing out, eight times you repeat. If you can do this – four, sixteen, eight – daily you can increase, increase, increase, then you will see, instead of fifteen times in a minute, you can breathe six times or seven times or five times. The turtle is a symbol of Immortality, the turtle, in India. Three times per minute it breathes. Three times, can you imagine, per minute!

Mr. Jacko: It is easier on the heart.

Sri Chinmoy: So, turtle lives for such a long time. And then, anything that you want to do, if you want to achieve success, if you can hold the breath comfortably, then you will be successful. I happened to be a good sportsman. In hundred metres, if you want to cover the distance — hundred metres — then it is said that once you breathe in, you have to complete, you have to cover the distance. If you breathe in two, three, four times, then you will be nowhere; you will be last. So, what we used to do: command used to come "Get on your mark!" (He breathes in deeply) Then "Go!" Sometimes, I could not do it with one breath. Sometimes I used to take second breath. Although I used to stand first, twelve years I stood, but I know I could have done far better if I could have retained my breath. So, anything you want to do, if you breathe in properly and hold it, you will achieve success. But it should be done comfortably, not against the power of the lungs. And very often what we are doing daily, not even three times, not even four times, we are utilising our lungs to have their proper function. Yogins have observed that during their practice, before they took to pranayama, that not even four times a day they had proper breathing. Then, when they discovered this proper breathing and when they started practising, they laughed at their ignorance and folly. Proper breathing is so important.


Mr. Jacko: I just wanted to mention that I had the privilege of knowing Robert Merrill, the Metropolitan Opera star. And he always was a great singer, but he has been practising the breathing that you speak of for the past five or six years. And he tells everybody that his singing has never been as good, it never came easier to him. And he attributes it to the breathing.

Sri Chinmoy: It gives success in all walks of life because it immediately takes us to inner realm, our inner world. Breathing immediately identifies us with the essence of our existence. We are touching the Source; we are reaching the Source. And, when we are in the Source, it is all success and fulfilment.