# Spinal Breathing Pranayama - Journey to Inner Space  ## Metadata - Author: [[Yogani]] - Full Title: Spinal Breathing Pranayama - Journey to Inner Space - Category: #books ## Highlights - In the flowering of enlightenment, this narrow perception gives way to a much greater one – the direct recognition of the omnipresence of our inner silence, and its essential role in the dynamic play of life everywhere. ([Location 1038](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=1038)) - The end result of this process is an outpouring of love, compassion and service to others. When enabled by the flow of ecstatic conductivity, inner silence flows out to everyone and everything around us in an effortless embrace. It is natural enough – if we are filled with ecstatic bliss inside, we will also become filled with ecstatic bliss outside. This is the quality that has been observed in the great sages and teachers of all the world’s cultures and religions. It is the birthright of every human being. Spinal breathing pranayama is one of the key practices for activating the profound potential for good that exists within all of us. By taking full advantage of our inner capabilities, we can help ourselves and everyone on the earth move steadily along toward spiritual fulfillment. This is the natural expansion of what we are in our essential nature – divine love. ([Location 1043](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=1043)) ## New highlights added April 8, 2024 at 8:33 PM - The main thing is that we end up at the brow at the completion of inhalation and at the root at the completion of exhalation. How we get back and forth is less important than traveling from one end to the other without strain during our slow deep breathing. ([Location 146](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=146)) - continue the full yogic breath, once the diaphragm has reached its comfortable limit in expanding and filling the lungs, we expand the chest cavity as we normally do in chest breathing. We began with the abdomen. Now we expand the chest to bring in more air. Once we have reached a comfortable limit with that, then, finally, we do a slight lift of the collar bones to fill the last small space in the top of our lungs with air. And all of that, going from abdomen, through the chest to the collar bones, is the inhalation stage of a full yogic breath. ([Location 264](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=264)) - Then we do not think about it anymore. This goes for our full yogic breathing, opening and restricting in the throat, and the gentle lifting of the eyes. ([Location 318](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=318)) - In yoga, pranayama and meditation are regarded as two separate practices, and in this approach we do not combine them. First we do our spinal breathing pranayama, and then, after that, we do our deep meditation practice. Never the two shall be done at the same time. ([Location 462](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=462)) - Note: Reversed for kundalini self control - Pranayama is for cultivating the neurobiology for a smooth flow of prana, for opening to the inner realms of ecstatic conductivity in the nervous system. Meditation, particularly deep meditation, is for cultivating inner silence in the nervous system – that is, pure bliss consciousness. Pranayama is involved with prana and meditation is involved with consciousness, which is beyond prana. ([Location 492](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=492)) - In the ancient lore of pranayama, the cessation of breathing is regarded as a good thing. ([Location 540](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=540)) - Long term progress in spinal breathing is not dependent on breath cessation. It is dependent on a steady routine of slow deep breathing while tracing the spinal nerve. ([Location 547](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=547)) - Along these lines, during spinal breathing, if we are inclined to extend the tracing of our spinal nerve outward through the center of our brow and toward a distant point slightly above our brow, slightly above the horizon, then this can be helpful in our practice. Our spinal nerve does extend that far, and the vision of the tunnel and star is an indication of this. So we can use this knowledge in a practical way. It is an option, not a requirement. ([Location 794](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=794)) ## New highlights added April 9, 2024 at 8:33 AM - Our spinal nerve is conducting the ecstatic energy like an electric current. The third eye becomes like a switch and a volume control that can be used to increase or decrease the intensity of the ecstatic current. This is the beginning of ecstatic conductivity. ([Location 929](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=929)) - It is the marriage of our dynamic ecstatic conductivity with our immovable inner silence – and these two become One. ([Location 964](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=964)) - Deep meditation cultivates inner silence, which is also called pure bliss consciousness. ([Location 989](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=989)) - With both pranayama and meditation in our twice-daily routine of sitting practices, we are cultivating ecstatic conductivity (ecstasy) and inner silence (bliss) at the same time. One is active and moving around all the time – wanting to radiate. The other is pure awareness, content within itself, a silent witness to all that we experience. These two qualities are opposites. ([Location 993](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=993)) - ecstatic conductivity and inner silence merge to become one. This can be called the state of ecstatic bliss. ([Location 1010](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=1010)) ## New highlights added January 2, 2025 at 4:37 PM - We can gradually unwind all long-lingering internal influences with spinal breathing pranayama and related practices. ([Location 509](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=509)) ## New highlights added January 6, 2025 at 4:48 PM - When we begin spinal breathing pranayama practice, we imagine a tiny nerve going from our perineum to the center of our brow, and we trace that up and down with our attention as we breathe slowly and deeply in and out. ([Location 708](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=708)) - These two together, ecstasy and inner silence, are the lynch-pins of enlightenment. ([Location 912](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=912)) - Then we can stimulate that by moving our eyes gently upward and furrowing our center brow in an inward way – no big external physical movement. We can stimulate the feeling from there, from the region of the third eye. It is a connection. Our spinal nerve is conducting the ecstatic energy like an electric current. The third eye becomes like a switch and a volume control that can be used to increase or decrease the intensity of the ecstatic current. This is the beginning of ecstatic conductivity. ([Location 927](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B001L1RUVY&location=927))