Often we ignore the most important thing.  Is it because we don’t know how important it really is?  Do I even know what it is?   I know it is not sex, though it ranks at the top even if it is only self love.   It is not water, we can survive a couple of days without water(not a pleasant survival mind you). We can survive even longer without food.  But the most important thing, the one that we take for granted, is breath and we can not survive long without it at all.

Breath is autonomic and for this reason we give it little thought.  But civilization has changed the way we breath and we did not even notice.  As children we used all of our lungs to breath but as we aged we got lazy.  Most of us only use the top portion of the lungs and then not even all of that.  Many people even breath through their mouths instead of through the nostrils which are there to filter and warm the air(ever notice how cold air burns your lungs).

“The Yogi Complete Breath is the fundamental breath of the entire Yogi Science of Breath, and the student must fully acquaint himself with it, and master it perfectly before he can hope to obtain results from the other forms of breath”(Science of Breath, by Yogi Ramacharaka, pseud. William Atkinson, [1904]).

The complete breath fills the lungs in one fluid motion from the bottom to the top.  The following exercise should help to obtain the Yogi Complete Breath.

1. Sit or stand erect.  Inhale, through the nostrils, steadily filling the lower parts of the lungs by bringing the diaphragm into play, which descending exerts a gentle pressure on the abdominal organs while pushing forward the front abdominal walls.  Then fill the middle pushing out the lower ribs, sternum and chest.  Then fill the higher portions of the lungs, lifting the upper ribs and chest, in the final movement the lower abdomen will be slightly drawn in supporting the lungs and helping fill the remainder of the lungs.
2. Hold the breath for a few seconds.
3. Exhale slowly.  Holding the chest firmly and pulling in slightly the abdomen and lifting it up as the air leaves the lungs.  When all of the air is out relax the abdomen and chest.

It sounds deceptively simple, and with practice it will be.  Remember, the inhalation is one movement not three as one may think at first glance.  With enough practice, I will do this exercise three times a day, all of the movements will be almost automatic.