Weakening. Most people, as a rule, cannot weaken. The man loses much energy because of constant straining, therefore it is important to learn controlling of weakening of muscles of the body and nerves. Many people know the state of nervousness: someone nibbles a pencil, another one knocks with his fingers or shakes his leg. All this indicates the inability to control one’s energy and to weaken. The uncontrolled escape of energy is absolutely inadmissible, so the ability to weaken is the most important part of Yoga exercises.

You need master all three kinds of respiration. After mastering those kinds of respiration you may set to the fourth one - the complete respiration, which units three previous kinds of respiration.

Sit down comfortably. Deep your back straight, without straining. Weaken yourself. Breathe air out and start to inhale air slowly and smoothly. Inhale with the help of the stomach (the abdominal respiration), then widen your ribs (the lateral respiration) and, at last, inhale with the whole pectoral (the pectoral respiration).

Every kind of respiration should smoothly be set to the next kind of respiration, you ought not to stop or to breath by jerks. The abdominal respiration should last four seconds, the lateral respiration - two seconds and the pectoral respiration - six seconds. The duration of breath may be increased, keeping proportions.

After the breath start to breathe out slowly in the same way, that is at first to breathe out with the stomach, then to narrow your sides and, finally, to sink the pectoral. The duration of exhalation and proportions should be the same as at the breath.

It will be pointed out the importance of the smooth breathing. There should be no jerks and sharp stops. The breath should smoothly be set to the stop of respiration, then smoothly be set to the exhalation. As far as one advanced the complete respiration he may prolong the breath and exhalation.

Perform this exercise two - three times a day in the first three days during five minutes, next three days during ten minutes. After that set to the rhythmical breathing.

It should be performed as complete respiration as well, but with increasing of duration of delays of breathing. Phases of breath, delay and exhalation should be identical in duration. Begin with the duration of the breath, equal ten seconds. The complete cycle should account thirty seconds. After exhalation don’t hurry to breathe at once, at first weaken yourself and, when you would have a wish to breathe, start to breath smoothly.

Perform this exercise two times a day: in the morning and in the evening. Especially useful are evening pranayamas. The duration of the exercise should be not less than twenty minutes in succession, only after that you could feel changes in your state. Follow your exercises being performed smoothly, without excessive straining, convulsive contractions and jerks. Don’t stopping exercises, gradually prolonging pranayamas and cycle of breathing.

The pranayama with rhythmical respiration gives you a chance to cure of many illnesses, rejuvenate your organism, become happy. All people, performing such pranayamas, feel burst of energy, weightlessness of their body and begin to shine from within. You experience feeling, as if you live in cloud-land.

Pranayama 1. It is performed sitting, accurately corresponding with rhythmical breathing. Close your eyes. While breathing, imagine, that the air, you inhaling, is shining. Imagine, how it slowly fills your lungs. If your breath holds attract attention to a shining cloud, which curls in your breast. Breathing air out, imagine, that the cloud slowly comes out into the open. Try to feel, that the air comes in you, that the energy accumulates in your breast and that the air comes out into the open. Feel the way, the air passes through.

Pranayama 2 (the respiratory meditation).

Take initial posture. Close your eyes. Start to breathe, imaging the prana coming through a large funnel, going into the endlessness, into interbrow (adjna chakra), passing the head and going into back of the head. When you let the energy through your head, concentrate it in the channel not more than five centimeters in diameter. Not allow touching your ears with energy. Accumulate energy in back of the head in form of a ball ten centimeters in diameter. At delaying of respiration concentrate yourself on that ball. Breathing out, direct energy as a thin current down through the spine into the coccyx (muladhara chakra). See if you can sense every centimeter of the spine, the energy has passed. Concentrate energy in the coccyx.

Take the next breath, imaging, that air is coming into a large funnel, going into the endlessness before you, in your coccyx (the funnel at the level of muladhara chakra). At the delay of breathing concentrate yourself on the energy of the coccyx. Breathing out, direct the prana upwards through the spine in the region of top of the head, accumulating energy in sahasrara chakra. Next inhalation - exhalations should take turns between each other.

Master this pranayama and perform it during some months two times a day: thirty minutes in the morning and forty-five minutes in the evening. With the help of it you could clean and widen central energy channel sushumna, which is in the spinal column, get rid of various illnesses, find strong energy, calm, pacification and also carry out diverse mystical tests, develop energy sensitiveness.

Pranayama 3 (respiratory meditation).

Take sitting posture (like previous pranayamas). Close your eyes. Having breathed out, start to inhale. Imagine a large funnel, going into the endlessness, above your head. The base of the funnel is set against the back of the head and is gone down through the spine into coccyx. While inhalating, direct the energy down through the spine into muladhara chakra. Imagine and feel, that world energy smoothly flows into your funnel above your head. Take the breath as thin as possible to feel the current of the energy. At the delay of breathing concentrate yourself on the coccyx, trying to feel as distinct as possible the energy in it. While breathing out direct the current of energy upwards, through the spine into sahasrara chakra.

The time, after which you can get good results from these pranayamas, depends directly on the duration and regularity of training. Performing respiratory meditation during some hours in succession, you could get results of practicing during some months.

You may take turns pranayamas 2 and 3. For example: twenty minutes pranayama 2, then twenty minutes pranayama 3. However, you shouldn’t pause very often. If you are going to take turns pranayamas, then perform one pranayama a half of time and other pranayama the second half of time. Don’t forget, that each pranayama should last not less than twenty minutes.

This is one of the most effective exercises, yielding rapid results. It can be performed after mastering rhythmical breathing.

Lie down. Strike an attitude of shavasana. Perform complete relaxation. Start to inhale air, imaging, that you inhale it through your skin with your whole body. The air is gone through your skin on every side: from below, from above, from each side, through the whole surface of your body, through all pores. You should inhale maximum slowly, for you could feel airflow, going through your skin, muscles, bones. Accumulate the air in your body, when you delay the breathing. Don’t keep the air for a long time. Breathing out, imagine, that air is going out from the center of your body, bones. Try to sense its passage as more realistic as possible. Imagine, that going out of your body, the air is spreading in the universe, merging with the world energy together.

If you perform this exercise correct, you would feel vibration in the whole body still in some exhalations, vital energy and merging with the universe. You can rapidly restore and strengthen energy and get rid of the tiredness with the help of this breathing.

Respiratory exercises are very useful for strengthening of organism, deliverance from many illnesses, development of energy. Pranayamas are used in many yogas for setting of a prana, cleaning of organism, awakening of mystical power Kundalini. Practicing respiratory meditations, you could be able to develop your will-power, strengthen concentration and near recognizing your true “I”. But don’t forget, that the efficiency of those pranayamas depend on duration of inhalation and exhalation. The more smooth and thin inhalation, the stronger your feelings are in he mood for the perception of thin vibrations, perception of energy. As soon as you feel, that you inhalate not the air, but the energy, your pranayama would find a qualitatively new importance. Remain in this energy, continuing the pranayama, and you could go in the thin world, feel your spiritual essence. It is impossible to describe those emotional experiences, but I assure you, that it is the most beautiful feeling you have ever experienced in your life.

Most people, as a rule, have weak will. A few people can boast, that they constantly achieve set objects. Still after first failures on the way to the object most people lose heart, they miss former enthusiasm and, as a result, they refuse to be interested in achieving their object. The will and the concentration are inseparably linked with each other. For achieving an object we must use the will- power and conceive a wish to achieve our object since we used the will to achieve our object, we must constantly concentrate it in the given direction. But so far as most people have no will then they have no concentration too. The concentration of attention is a volitional act therefore the strengthening of concentration leads to the strengthening of will and the strengthening of will leads to strong concentration.

It is said, that the man is master of the nature. But our internal nature is the most unstudied part of the universe. But in the final analysis, the mankind always was and will be plaything in hands of the elemental force - both inside and outside. If we speak about the man as the master of nature, then, what he has really done to assert it? We are even unable to forecast the weather for tomorrow, especially to change weather conditions or climate (in a bad sense, true, it still turned out well, but we call it thriftlessness), or to control our emotions. The man himself creates new troubles for his existence all the time and then struggles himself against them. The concentration of will-power would help you to seize your own nature and later outside nature too, because all in the world is interdepended.

If you practice rhythmical breathing and pranayamas, then it testifies a normal development of concentration and will-power. But you should not overestimate the fact, that you find an hour a day in duration of a whole month or more for your training. Will-power begins to became apparent, when you come across outside or inside troubles for a long period of time. For sure, you thirst for quick results of your training, but after you haven’t achieved any results for a long period of time or, having achieved, you seem to fail again, after you experience inner contradictions and conceive a wish to get rid of all, after all this your will-power and purposefulness become apparent. The inability to concentrate on one thing for a long period of time - is a natural state of a man, our intellect, our consciousness are unregulated and are constantly in chaotic movement, so the strengthening of will-power and concentration should be the first victory on the way of seizing of elemental force.

This exercise is the most simple and efficient in regulating of motions of the inner nature and strengthening of concentration.

It consists of continuous and unwinking look at one point. One can conclude the description of present exercise, but a lot of books are written with the purpose of inspiring of people by carrying out of some actions or else a few people only should set about yogical practice after reading the book in the spirit of famous “Yoga - sutra” of Patanjali, having room of some pages. The whole idea of the book, you are reading now, could have room of some sentences: “The death is inevitably. Is it worth to spend precious life on searching of delusive pleasures and aims, while there are all spiritual wealth of the world is inside of us and while we are incarnation of endlessness and eternity. The only aim, we have to aspire to, is merging with our eternal source, to which we would come back after all. With that end in view it is necessary to give up all layers of false “I”, to force on silence of the intellect, to stop all losses of energy, to merge with the divine strength and allow it to act”.

And nevertheless return to the persistent look. Eyes are mirror of soul. Our eyes are the most mobile part of the body. They are always on the move. Till our intellect and soul know rest, it shouldn’t be possible to rest our gaze on anything. But all is interdepended in the man, so, resting our gaze, we stop the move of the soul. It should be noted, that the resting of the look needs concentration our attention and will-power. As soon as we draw our attention away, the look becomes chaotic and wandering or, at the best, we begin to wink.

Thus, sit down comfortably for nothing could distract you. Find a point on the wall at some meters’ distance or look at your reflection on the mirror (the mirror should be not less than two meters from your eyes). If you look at the mirror, then look at your right or left eye in the reflection or between eyebrows. Weaken yourself. Try not to wink.

At first it will be difficult for you to concentrate on one point, moreover not to wink. To begin with concentrate on the immobility of your look, allowing seldom winking. The look would constantly wander, but you persistently return it to previous point. In ten minutes you would learn to fix your look on one point during some minutes, all depends on your purposefulness. After that begin to perfect the look without winking. You need some days for it. Your success in this exercise depends on the regularity of training and their duration. If you practice 30 minutes a day, then you can lead your unwinking look to ten minutes. It will be not complicated.

Many people could worry about drying up of their eyes. Really, at first it would cause unpleasant feelings, eyes quickly dry up, then they fill with tears or they begin to wink. But gradually these feelings will pass and your eyes constantly keep moist, from time to time appear a little tears, what will fully prevent from drying up without winking.

The main things in trataka are visual and lighting effects and also the state of meditation and immovable energy, descending on you. If you look in one point for a long time, then the space around you starts to shine, you may observe diverse articles and animals and later you would see the vibration of universe as well. If you look at your reflection, then it starts to change and you could even see your former incarnations. The consciousness stops to function, you are cloaked in energy of immobility and you go in the state of meditation. It should be noticed, that after fixation of the look the focusing could involuntary change, that does not matter, the main thing is to concentrate the look on one direction and not to wink. Gradually the immobility of your look would seize your consciousness and the whole your body, after that will begin all above-named mystical tests.

If you will correctly and persistently practice the trataka, then you could spontaneously near the main meditation, you are going to practice. The observing motions of eyes corresponds to mastering motions of intellect, in a simple version. After trataka we could go over to the meditation of silence of intellect, but we consider some more aspects of spiritual practicing.

The man is an intellectual animal by nature and he yields to other animals on his abilities in many respects. It is believed, that animals are perfect in their way, as they are ideal adapted to the environment, to getting their living, to severe conditions of life. The man possesses more flexible physical system, able to adapt to the changing environment, but he yields to animals on his specialization: he has not teeth like the teeth of animals, no claws, he is not crafty enough in tree-climbing, his body is bare and he is susceptible to the cold. If the man finds himself alone in the nature, then he would most likely perish. But we still know, that the object of evolution is not physical development and even not mental development, as the intellect, after all, is limited, you could be cleverer as you are. We also know, that the possesses not only his physical body, inner life and intellect. There is a huge universe of life in the thin plan, mental universe and physical universe as well. Existing in the physical world, we can observe the endless universe of substance, but if we develop energy sensitiveness and vision, then we could master the thin universe of life and universe of light.

It is believed, that in our physical world predominate grob vibrations, in astral world predominate more thin vibration of sound, in causal world - vibration of light. Our feeling organs are constantly disposed to grob vibrations, so we recognize the material world only, and if we attempt to feel not physical touchings and motions, but thin motions of energy in ourselves and around us, then it turns out to be simple enough, most of people master it during some days. There are also energy centers in our body, which are directly connected with nerve centers, centers of energy activity, such as coccyx, genitals, stomach, throat, brain, articulations in extremities, spine. It is believed, that these energy centers are sources of special forces and energies, a way out into corresponding worlds and measurements. You may develop these centers and open them to make assessable for universal strength of nature and to use it. The man, developing such abilities, expands his potentialities, he is still able to exist not only in material world, but also in more thin worlds, he is even able to be in this physical world at the same time and to be under the influence and be impressed with the help of more thin plans. He is able to seize unbelievable potentialities not only in thin worlds, but also use them in everyday life.

There are esoteric doctrines, specializing in development of such super-abilities. With the help of Kundalini - Yoga you can master these worlds and their powers. But it is a very perilous way for most people. If you awaken Kundalini, then you could injure your intellect, as your consciousness could at once get into other measuring, not being ready for it. Many people, being ill with schizophrenia, as a matter of fact, see astral worlds or hear voices of creatures of these worlds, but they are unable to distinguish the real world from the thin one, because they have a poor consciousness. Many people, performing Hatha - Yoga, open the third eye and give up the Yoga, as they begin to suffer from visions and suggestions. What is going on in this case? First, performing Yoga, you need constantly raise your spiritual standard and increase energy potential. If the spiritual standard of a man, who has had access to thin worlds, is keeping at the standard of an ordinary person, then he sees the thin world from his standard. He will see the ghosts and the deads, diverse astral vampires, he will hear voices of these creatures, their suggestions. If he starts to feel the energy of people, hear their thoughts and emotions and he himself keeps at the previous standard, then he feels, that he goes mad, he wants to close his ears, but it leads to nothing. He keeps unprotected. He wants to return to the usual human state. If a man has strong consciousness and energy, leads an irreproachable spiritual way of life, then such troubles don’t threaten him. Such a man will see gods, hear divine music, travel on the heaven…

Imagine, that you decided to achieve divine self-consciousness with the help of Kundalini - Yoga. First, if you have not awakened it in your former lives, then it would take, maybe, much time, about five - seven years, till you meet an enlightened teacher, practicing Kundalini -Yoga (but it is hardly probable). Provided you have awakened it, then it, in most cases, occurs very grob and badly. After that starts energy cleaning: you will develop a temperature till forty degrees, what your weak body could not bear, it may last some days, sometimes you would feel cold however warmly you dress, and it is the very outset. Almost all people believe, that the awakening of Kundalini is the main thing, but it is the beginning only, you have awakened the energy only with the help of which you may open chakras and develop mystical abilities, and how it to be done, nobody knows. There are, of course, writings and special literature, but most people have no access to it, and what is to purchase in bookshops is no good at all. So a practicing man starts to experiment with this power at his risk, but don’t trifle with Kundalini. All spiritual mentors warn practicing persons against performing Kundalini without an experienced mentor.

So, you have awakened Kundalini and start to clean your chakras with the help of this Yoga. For this purpose you need lead Kundalini to sahasrara chakra above your head, then you need perform the meditation of descending of divine nectar, which fills all chakras from top to bottom. You have to do it many times in a circle during five - six hours in succession every day (if you are going to get good results), during some months. During this meditation you clean chakras, open them and have access to diverse worlds. After that you perform various exercises, separately for each chakra to achieve their compete development, it could take much time, if you fully devote yourself to this practice. Developing each chakra to perfection, you gain stable mystical abilities, seize powerful energy, the ability to go in thin worlds of your own accord or to show your worth in this world in thin bodies. You become a superman, mystic, magician. But you still have a sensation of being a man in your consciousness, but radical changes have not come about. During meditation, upon influence of energy power you could imagine yourself a god, your consciousness is changed, but in everyday life you return to the human consciousness, you possess a strong energy, stable consciousness, delicate sensitiveness, but you lost the consciousness, you gained in meditation. In order to retain it you need go into nirvakalpa - samadhi, but it is difficult to retain it in the case you part your life and meditation.

You may also open chakras and mystical abilities without Kundalini, in any case it would be dangerous, if your energy has not been cleaned and you have a weak consciousness. your desires, affections, fears are pollutions in the spiritual world, you have to get rid of them. Your consciousness should progress and grow simultaneously with energy and occult powers. Therefore it is very dangerous, when occult abilities are opened at once without preliminary preparation, it could break a man down and crush him. Firstly you need prepare your body, consciousness to take this power or your body could be destroyed and consciousness not bear it. But, fortunately, occult powers don’t cone easily to anybody, you need gain them thanks to tenacious efforts and while a man is spiritually developed, his power and receptivity are also increased. In the end you gain occult powers and recognize, that it is not the object of spiritual development, that you are still a man, maybe, a superman, but a man for all that, then you recognize, that it does not matter. But, as a rule, only a few people come to such a conclusion, most of people get stuck on mystical powers, are seized by them and don’t want to get rid of them, as a result they could stop their spiritual development and should use their might for mercenary ends or indulge in their desires, in other words, they are faced with complete spiritual lapse, sinking to a lower level in comparison with the level you have begun with.

The aim of Yoga is the development of consciousness from the human one to the divine one. Developing mystical abilities, you assume power and overstop the limits of your universe, but it has nothing to do with the interference of the God. You need not occult powers to realize the divine consciousness, you need not open chakras, naturally, when you realize the divine consciousness, your chakras are opened, you assume occult powers, in spite of all this you don’t specially look for them, it occurs spontaneously, and if it does not occur, then you ignore them. Some religions attribute occult powers to devilish ones and it is really so in the sense, that people aspire to mystical abilities instead of aspiring to the God, or are drawn into occult worlds and forget their object. One can compare it with two ways to the God: one of them is strewed with jewelry and beauty things, the other one is more simple and leads straight to the God. If you follow the beauty path, then you may look at every jewel for hours, examine it and learn to handle it, you may, in general, leave the road half-way and turn aside, delving deeply into fields of beauty things, you can roam there for a long time, but we should not bring our object nearer - to the God. One can lose his way in the forest an all, in the forest, strewed with flowers, and forget the way back, and such things happen rather often. If we go straight, then we come to the God at once, stay with him some time, get to know him in full, then we gain all worlds and mystical abilities, if we want to have it, but all this belongs to the God and wee became a single whole with him. After that we, if we want, learn to use these abilities, get to know occult worlds or remain with the God and don’t want to leave him for the sake of his realm, for the sake of gaining of mystical abilities. If occult abilities showed, then we assume them, but we don’t abuse it, if these abilities don’t show, then we don’t want to use them. The man, having achieved the realization of the God, is still not a man in the true sense of the word. He didn’t retain any desires, except of the wish to be with God, to serve him, to carry out the task, entrusted to him by the God; such a man is not more a solitary person and becomes bearer of divine will. There is a danger to take into consideration: if a human ego has been destroyed unutterly, then, being in divine consciousness, a man can apprehend his previous fixed ideas and confound them with divine consciousness, glorify his ego up to divine dimensions, imagine himself to be the God. It is well known, that people, achieved highest realizations, went on following their previous fixed ideas, kept within the bounds of some religions or convictions. All means God. The Most High is above all religions, the only thing you need - merging with his consciousness and not try to act with the help of old methods of a solitary person, but perform divine work, being in the highest consciousness.

The method of Integral Yoga is the method of straight way to the God. There are three centers you may begin with. The first one might be as well to open, if you want to avoid dangers on your way, is anahata chakra or divine heart, the location of soul. The second one is in the head and the third one is sahasrara above your head. Opening anahata, you open your soul, gain the power of your soul, purity of your soul. That is the most easy and safe way to begin with, thanks to it you gain divine protection from strange suggestions and influences, you get to know divine love and compassion, you get to know the beauty of the whole world and gain the ability to delight the life. Concentrating in your head, you stop your thoughts, take under control your nature, destroy information in your subconsciousness, destroy your karma. Further, opening sahasrara above your head, you go into universal endlessness of time and space, you gain transcendent consciousness, broaden your soul, you recognize the eternity of the universe, recognize, that you have never been born and never would die, you become endless universe, you become endless time, you feel the unity of all essence, you merge with this unity, identifying yourself with it. Opening sahasrara, you become immortal. It is not worth to try opening other chakras before this moment.

In the beginning it is enough to open anahata and sahasrara. Anahata chakra is the location of our soul and sahasrara chakra is the location of pure transcendent spirit. Having opened these chakras, you go into identical World, gain the divine consciousness.

If we simplify the structure of consciousness, then it will look in the following way. Let us consider a pure transcendent spirit as a true ego (contrary to a false ego), then the difference will be an individual part of spirit, that is soul. These are parts, we have to unite with to achieve the release, for this purpose we need get rid of outward strata, stop to identify ourselves with the form - appearance, that is with the body, stop to identify ourselves with our feelings of the world around, get rid of all notions and fixed ideas, destroy experiences, formed in this world, in present and previous lives. In other words, it is necessary to unite with our source, and, if we want, we may destroy the difference too.

Let us consider the same inverse. What the consciousness gives us is a particle of divine spirit, this particle passes from a life to life in various worlds. There starts to form a conscious soul in the man, this soul is an individual evolutional particle, it gains experience in its regenerations, we also have an outward person, forming on the bases of gained experience in present material world, on the basis of this experience we form notions and fixed ideas. Moreover, we have feelings, organs of sense, we often identify ourselves with, and, at last, the form - appearance or our body we don’t imagine ourselves without it. In everyday life people identify themselves with all these strata, live in them. The only thing, necessary to achieve true consciousness is identification with it, having got rid of external covers. As a matter of fact it is not so easy to do.

In order to fulfill such a task you need completely change your internal life.

What is meditation? Some people say, that meditation is concentration on abstract ideas, others say, that meditation is opposite concentration, anyone could say, that it is impossible to meditate, it is possible to be in meditation, if you meditate, then it is not still meditation, one may also say, that meditation means complete unity with the object of concentration or meditation. One should not cling to words - everybody has an opinion of his own, it is necessary to know, what these words mean, what one is going to express. There a lot of levels of meditation: what your consciousness is concentrated on, what you live in - it is also a kind of meditation. If you have fallen in love, then you live for your love, delight in it, if you are angry, then all your consciousness is changed, for instance, if one is singing, then he goes into proper consciousness and emotions. All this could be named meditation. The controlling meditation is a conscious absorption in a proper level of consciousness, in a proper energy. To achieve this object, you need go into a proper state of consciousness and fix it. Meditation is a prolonged instant.

There are several staged of going into meditation: