Common Misconceptions about Spirituality
In the science of Yoga, who is a learned fool?
Lately, a 'new age' technique called 'rebirthing' has found followers in the USA. This technique's main purpose is to heal the breathing mechanism, which they believe for most people is lost at birth due to the umbilical cord being cut prematurely. By controlling the breath and connecting the inhale with the exhale without any gap in between, this technique ensures people of becoming more beautiful, feeling younger and releasing the negative thoughts long held in the unconscious mind.
A being is alive and sustained due to breathing.
Hence, it is of utmost importance to breathe the correct way, or rather, refrain
from breathing the incorrect way. Control and regulation of breath is recognized
in Spirituality as a part of a pathway to Bliss and is called 'Pranayam'. ‘Pran’ means
vital energies that sustain our physical as well as subtle
body. One important
factor for pranayam to be successful and not cause ill effects, is that the pranayam
should be always 'tailor made' and not 'ready made'. That means it should be
specific to every individual, as character and personality are key factors for
the technique of pranayam to be adopted. As such, no spiritual
practice can harm
a seeker, but if pranayam is not performed in the correct way and without following
certain restraints and regulations, it can cause ill effects such as cough, headache,
indigestion etc. Due to this, a famous Saint from India, Gulabrao Maharaj has
said, “In the science of Yoga, who is a learned fool? The one who practices
postures (asan), pranayam, etc., without following the restraints
(yam) and regulations (niyam).”
*If one is not currently doing any spiritual practice, or to complement one's current spiritual practice, one can begin with the simple, but powerful spiritual practice of chanting or constantly remembering God's Name according to one's religion. Chanting also acts as a useful complement to any spiritual path one may be already following. It is a practice recommended for the current times by Holy texts and Saints of all religions.
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Seekers in the initial stages of spiritual practice (less than one year) can repeat The Name of the Lord as per their religion (refer to Issue 3 Clarification of Doubts section for details).
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Seekers who have been doing regular spiritual practice for over a year or so can determine the appropriate chant for them from the experiment given in Issue 124, Message to Seekers section.