Back to hypsoconsciousnessThere are many ways of raising our level of consciousness, one way is by breathing. When we breath consciously we establish a totally different psyche than when we breath mechanically or automatically.
Breathing and Levels of Consciousness
Concept
By voluntarily raising one’s level of consciousness, the individual attains a state of alertness. HypsoConsciousness is the term we use to refer to the essentials of this method . HypsoConsciousness implies raising one’s consciousness or LEVEL of CONSCIOUSNESS.
HypsoConsciousness exercises are designed to help the individual to awaken and to develop one’s “I.”
HypsoConsciousness exercises introduce the individual to a new state of consciousness, permitting him or her to thus be able to grasp:
- What is really happening to the individual
- What needs to be overcome to relieve his or her state of mind
- With what internal attitude the individual will face that circumstance
There are several ways to tackle these practices, but we will start by educating our breathing process through several breathing exercises.
Before we do that, let’s try to answer the following questions:
- What is breathing?
- How does breathing influence one’s mood or state of mind?
- What are the benefits of reeducating one’s breathing?
Breathing is organic life in motion. It is the only uninterrupted contact that we have with Mother Nature which, just like an umbilical cord, provides us with what we need to stay alive. When this link is broken, death occurs.
Our moods and imaginative states correspond to the way we breathe. A person who breathes deeply, always has more psychic and biological energy; someone who breathes superficially, is usually shy and is physically weaker.
Correct breathing is important for good health, a balanced nervous system, a serene emotional state, and an alert mind.
Breathing is the only vegetative (involuntary) function that can be influenced by our will. This means that when we voluntarily breathe deeply, we are imposing our will over the involuntary system.
The education and control of our breathing, permits us to extend our will’s influence to emotional and nervous reactions that are out of our control.
Our mental and emotional activity are connected to our breathing process. When we are calm, our breathing becomes more rhythmic, soft, and unhurried. When we are tense, our breathing becomes difficult arrhythmic and superficial. When we receive an emotional impact, our breathing tends to stop. When we are concentrating, we breathe slowly and imperceptibly, and when we let our minds wander, our breathing becomes irregular.
Exercises
What Do Breathing Exercises Do?
Breathing exercises help us do the following:
- Raise one’s level of consciousness.
- Give vital energy to the nervous system.
- Induce a state of relaxation, balance, calmness and tranquility.
- Change one’s psychic state.
Exercise Nº 1 - Morning Breathing Exercises
Do this exercise before you start your daily activities in order to increase your vitality:
Stage 1: Stand, with eyes closed, heels together, toes apart, back straight, chin raised. With your arms held out very straight, join the palms of your hands in front of you at the level of your stomach. Your finger-tips should touch each other.
Stage 2: Start breathing in, gently pushing your stomach out and gradually raising both arms as you breathe, until your thumbs are at chin level.
Stage 3: Continue the movement, opening your arms outwards until they are fully extended and a little behind you, this is the moment when your lungs should be completely filled.
Stage 4: Start breathing out through your mouth and at the same time, lowering your arms gently as you breathe out, until the palms of your hands touch the sides of your legs. In this position you should have totally emptied your lungs.
Stage 5: Pause for a rest before repeating the entire exercise from the beginning.
Exercise No. 2 Complete Breathing
Stand, with heels together, toes apart, back straight, chin raised. Start inhaling and projecting the abdomen forward until it seems to bulge slightly. Continue breathing in until the lungs are full; next dilate the thorax, which naturally makes the abdomen tighten. When breathing out be sure to tighten the abdomen slightly to help get rid of residual air.
To see an animated explanation of this exercise, click here
Exercise No. 3 - Imperceptible Breathing
Either standing, sitting or lying down, start to breathe and “feel” the flow of air, while remaining aware of the rise and fall of your chest. Feel how your lungs inflate and deflate, like a balloon. Continue until you feel identified with the rhythm of your breathing. Now, try to reduce the rate of your breathing until it becomes almost imperceptible and silent. Continue until you manage to relax completely or change your mental and emotional state. This exercise may be used at any time during the day when you wish to relax or attain a state of psychic ease. It is also recommended for people who suffer from insomnia to help them fall sleep. Remember that whenever one breathes consciously, as in the case of imperceptible breathing, one increases one’s capacity for self-control.
Training Program
In order to evaluate the results of this training better, please complete the first stage of the self-evaluation before beginning.
Objetives:
The student or practitioner should be able to feel:
- Increased attention span
- Peace and tranquility and less tension
- More energy
- An increase in one’s mental sharpness.
Stages:
First Week:
- Exercise: Morning Breathing
- Duration: 10 Minutes.
- Frequency: Every morning when you wake up
The purpose of this stage is for the individual to become voluntarily conscious at the beginning of the day about the amount of vital energy one takes from Nature through breathing.
This exercise raises one’s mental vibration and permits the individual to accumulate energy for the whole day.
Second Week:
- Exercise: Complete Breathing.
- Duration: 5 to 10 Minutes.
- Frequency: Once a day
In this period, the attention of the individual is focused on the movements of the thorax during breathing. The idea is to take complete advantage of breathing and of pulmonary ventilation to change negative or euphoric moods .
Third Week:
- Exercise: Imperceptible Breathing
- Duration: 5 to 10 Minutes.
- Frequency: Once a day
The aim of this stage is to achieve control over oneself, to relax and to be able to identify with one’s breathing rhythm.
Fourth Week:
Do all the exercises at any time during the day according to your needs . Always start with the Morning Breathing Exercise.
up
Self-Evaluation:
RAISING ONE'S LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS TO ATTAIN A BETTER LIFESTYLE.
To assist with the self-evaluation process, we will point out some characteristics that indicate a high level of consciousness:
- Self Control
- Voluntary Relaxation
- A permanent and stable attitude of peace and tranquility
- Improvement in one’s health and vitality
- Greater efficiency at work with less fatigue
- Freedom from disturbing ideas
- Isolation from the negative influences of the environment
- Delay in the aging process
- Self-determination
- Voluntary use of the mind to attain success
- A greater capacity to adapt, and improved intellectual flexibility
- Spiritual, moral, and intellectual betterment.
We recommend that you print this self-evaluation and complete it twice.
- Before you start on the training program, to get to know your starting point in each of the aspects.
- After the training program to evaluate the results based on the reference points of the first self-evaluation.
Evaluate these aspects and choose the appropriate answer:
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | Good | Average | Poor |
| Level of Vital Energy | High | Average | Low |
| Level of Relaxation | Good | Average | Low |
| Mental Peace | High | Average | Low |
| Ability to Concentrate | High | Average | Low |
| Creativity | High | Average | Low |
| Emotional Control | High | Average | Low |
| Level of Anguish | Low | Average | High |
| Level of Tolerance | High | Average | Low |
Come to your own conclusions about what you have achieved through your experience of practicing the exercise:
Check whether most of your answers were A, B, or C and according to the results read the corresponding paragraph.
If your final answers were mostly A, it means that you are carrying out a conscious and real work. Keep it up! Increase the frequency and impeccability of each of these exercises. You have discovered a new way to consolidate yourself as a person focused on forming an individual identity.
If your final answers were mostly B, it means that your level of achievement is moderate and it shows that perhaps you need to commit yourself more in order to be more constant. Even though you have been able to improve certain aspects, there is still room for further improvement.
If your final answers are mostly C, it implies a deficient level of achievement. . Remember that the unconscious mechanisms of our behavior are difficult to overcome unless we use a great deal of willpower and are highly motivated from within. Try again, becauses, while practicing these exercises you will surely discover that you actually did feel inner peace and harmony. The results that will improve your life are waiting for you. It is all up to you.
In any case: compare your results and notice where you improved and where you did not improve . This will give you an idea of the direction you must take from now on. We all have aspects that are more difficult for us to overcome. These are the things we are stuck on and that drain our vital energy.
Raising one's level of consciousness permits the individual to get closer to reality and face life's difficulties with power and firmness. When one raises one's level of consciousness, one can remain optimistic and full of "joie de vivre," understanding that all experiences can be used for one's spiritual, moral and intellectual improvement, in other words, for one's total and complete development.
