Rishi Eric Infanti - Breath Becomes Life: Pranayama - The Yoga of Breathing

Breath Becomes Life
Pranayama: The Yoga of Breathing

Rishi Eric Infanti

Copyright 2018 by Rishi Eric Infanti.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the email address below.

eric@YogiPreneurs.biz
www.YogiPreneurs.biz

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the Special Sales Department at the email address above.

Breath Becomes Life
Pranayama: The Yoga of Breathing / Rishi Eric Infanti. 1st ed.

ISBN: 9781973190332

Contents

Disclaimer

Health Disclaimer, Liability,

and Indemnity

Health Disclaimer:

The book, or website, or training contains information intended to assist you in improving your health and overall well-being, however, the information presented herein is offered only as-is for informational and educational purposes and is not a substitute for the professional judgment of a medical professional.

Rishi Eric Infanti makes no warranty or representation whatsoever regarding the services or products provided through or in connection with the book, website, or training. Use your own discretion when performing any Yoga practices. Work at your own level and explore your own limits.

The reader and viewer of the information presented here assumes all risks when using the information provided herein. This book, and websites operators, authors, owners, and affiliates disclaim any and all liability from the information provided herein. Any medical, financial, legal, health, psychological or other information provided on this book or website is not intended as a replacement for professional consultations with qualified practitioners. If this book or website provides health-related or medical information, no such information provided by this site is intended to treat or cure any disease or to offer any specific diagnosis to any individual as we do not give medical advice, nor do we provide medical or diagnostic services.

We strongly recommend that you get professional medical advice before you perform any techniques, poses, postures or routines presented on this book or website or before using any of our text, video, audio, or products.

Disclaimer of Liability:

With respect to content available on the book or website, neither Rishi Eric Infanti nor any of its employees or agents makes any warranty, express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

Limit of Liability:

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Rishi Eric Infanti will not be liable for any loss or damages arising out of or in connection with your use of the book or website. In no event shall Rishi Eric Infanti be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from the statements or conduct of any third party or the interruption, suspension or termination of any services, whether such interruption, suspension or termination was justified or not, negligent or intentional, inadvertent or advertent.

Indemnity:

As a user of this book or website, you agree to indemnify us against any loss, damage or cost incurred by us arising out of any violation by you of these Terms of Use. You will also indemnify us against any claims that information or materials which you submit, post to or transmit through the book or website are in violation of any law or in breach of any third party right.

As a fire blazes brightly when the covering of ash over it is scattered by the wind, the divine fire within the body shines in all its majesty when the ashes of desire are scattered
by the practice of Pranayama.

~ B.K.S. Iyengar

CHAPTER 1

Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.
~ Tich Nhat Hanh

An Introduction
to Pranayama

PRANAYAMA IS AN IMPORTANT CONCEPT in the art of Yoga. On the most basic level, Pranayama is considered an effort directed by the Yogi towards controlling his breath. And this is the first understanding than anyone embarking on the process of Pranayama must have. Because the breath, a giver of life, is an art in itself in learning to control it and the entrance to other parts of the human existence, be it physical or mental.

However, Pranayama is an engagement that goes beyond breathing. It is the core of Yoga. The gateway to uniting the body, mind and spirit. This practice is therefore an investment of time and requires that the mind of the individual is adequately prepared to do all that matters.

God Creates Man and Gives Him, The Breath Of Life (Genesis Ii, 7) Marc Chagall

Rishis Path to Pranayama

In 2008, I took a very conscious decision to travel to South Asia; India to be precise. I wanted to become a better individual who understood his existence better, and I had discovered that a very efficient way to do this was through Yoga. My decision must have stemmed from the fact that the Indians are renowned for their discipline when it came to the art of Yoga.

I had picked Mysore as the city of destination after much research and nursing the idea of visiting the place for a long time, so that when the time came to finally embark on this long journey to find self, it was an easy decision.

During my time in India, where I spent months learning the art of Yoga and subsequently improve the health of my mind, the practice of breathing was especially core to everything I learned from the Yogis there. Before then, I had engaged the ability of breath properly on the surface, in as much as I was a proud member of the U.S. Marine Corps. We were tasked to train our system to breath heavy as we experimented with adapting to CS gas, a gas that served as a riot control agent. Once, I spazzed out because I lost control of my breath during training. Although in that moment, I realized how much breathing air meant to me staying alive and the detriments of its lack.

But what I had not understood, even when I rose with the help of my platoon members, was that there was a level of familiarity I needed to have with the way I took in air as a human. I had been oblivious to the fact that even though air entered my nostrils of its own accord, I needed to learn to consciously control it. It was a kind of energy I needed to harness and make a part of my being.

My Yoga training in India was much different from what I had experienced as a Marine, regardless of how rigorous it had been then. Here, it required a lot more intensity of our mental state rather than our physical conditioning even though it was yet important to our success in becoming a better Yogi.