The Miracle of the Breath Mastering Fear, Healing Illness, and
Experiencing the Divine
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The MIRACLE
of the
BREATH
I
I
The MIRACLE
of the
BREATH
Mastering Fear,
Healing Illness, and
Experiencing the Divine
Andy Caponigro
New World Library
Novato, Cahfornia
^\*^^ New World Library
_i^ 14 Pamaron Way
^JfJ^ Novate, California 94949
Copyright © 2005 by Andy Caponigro
All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or other without
written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a
review.
Portions of this book were previously published in early versions in "Healing with the Breath of
Life" by Andy Caponigro in Eternal Wellness, ed. Carol S. Lawson and Robert F. Lawson, © 2003
by Chrysalis Books, Swedenborg Foundation Publishers.
Miracle of the Breath, Healing with the Breath of Life and Pranic Energy Healing are service
marks of Andy Caponigro and may not be used without his written consent.
Pseudonyms have been used throughout this book to protect the privacy of individuals.
The material in this book is intended for education. It is not meant to take the place of diagno-
sis and treatment by a qualified medical practitioner or therapist. No expressed or impHed guar-
antee as to the effects of the use of the recommendations can be given nor liability taken.
Interior design and typesetting by Tona Pearce Myers
Illustrations on pages 139 and 141 by Yuliya Rotar
Illustrations on pages 30 and 31 by Bill Mifsud
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Caponigro, Andrew.
The miracle of the breath : mastering fear, healing illness, and experiencing the divine / by
Andy Caponigro. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-57731-478-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Breathing exercises. 2. Respiration —Religious aspects. 3. Meditation. 4. Healing. 5. Fear.
I. Title.
RA782.C28 2005
6i5.8'36 —dc22 2004021301
First printing, January 2005
ISBN 1-57731-478-6
Printed in Canada on 100% postconsumer waste recycled paper
New World Library is dedicated to preserving the earth and its resources. We are now printing
50% of our new titles on 100% chlorine-free postconsumer waste recycled paper. As members
of the Green Press Initiative (www.recycledproducts.org/gpi/), our goal is to use 100% recycled
paper for all of our titles by 2007.
Distributed to the trade by Publishers Group West
10 987654321
Dedicated
to
the healing of
the Human Family
May the knowledge of breath contained in this book
bring greater health and inner peace
to everyone who reads it.
May the spiritual knowledge this book offers bring greater
respect and understanding among the people
of all nations and all religious traditions.
CONTENTS
Introduction xi
How to Use This Book xv
PART ONE
The Miracle of the Breath
Chapter i The Breath of Life 3
Chapter 2 The Science of Breath 15
Chapter 3 Meditation on the Breath 27
Chapter 4 Breathing Blocks and Illness 41
Chapter 5 Breathing-Release Techniques 55
PART TWO
Mastering Fear
Chapter 6 Making Friends with Fear 73
Chapter 7 Grounding and Strengthening Techniques 83
Chapter 8 Breath-Balancing Techniques 97
Chapter 9 The Shield of Detachment 115
Chapter 10 Learning to Trust Your Breath 129
PART THREE
Healing Illness
Chapter ii The Invisible Man 135
Chapter 12 The Healing Triangle 151
Chapter 13 Healing Respiratory Problems 159
Chapter 14 Fear and Emotional Illness 177
Chapter 15 Fear and Emotional Healing 189
Chapter 16 Pranic Energy Healing 207
PART FOUR
Experiencing the Divine
Chapter 17 The Breath of Creation 221
Chapter 18 Samadhi: The Breathless State 231
Chapter 19 Breath-Retention Techniques 245
Chapter 20 The Gateway to Creation 257
Chapter 21 The Sacredness of the Breath 269
Chapter 22 The Path of the Breath 281
Notes 287
Bibliography 293
Recommended Reading 297
Acknowledgments 301
Index 303
About the Author 315
INTRODUCTION
Thousands of years ago, great Hindu yogis and Chinese
sages developed powerful systems of breath control, which they
used for mastering fear, healing illness, and attaining enlighten-
ment. These ancient sciences of breath possess remarkable
powers because they tap into the Breath of Life — the spiritual
life-force that gives our breath its life-sustaining powers.
The spiritual life-force that dwells in our breath is not the same
as the physical process of breathing or the air we take into our
lungs. Our breath is merely the vehicle through which the life-force
XI
xii The Miracle of the Breath
manifests out here in the physical world. The Hindus call this
life-force Prana; the Chinese named it Chi. The Hebrews call it
the Breath of Life; Christians call it the Holy Spirit.
Because our breath is so intimately linked with the Hfe-
force, it controls every mental and physical process that takes
place within our being. For example, all experiences of pain and
fear are directly controlled by the breath. Eastern martial artists
have known this fact for thousands of years. They used this
knowledge to develop highly sophisticated systems of breath
control for cultivating the virtues of strength, courage, and one-
pointedness of mind so essential to being a warrior.
Our breath not only controls all experiences of pain and
fear, it also contains some of the most powerful healing energies
in the universe. By mastering the forces that dwell in our breath,
we can gain some unique and remarkable powers for healing
ourselves in body, mind, and spirit. The Eastern scriptures and
yogic texts contain numerous references to the healing powers
of the breath. However, they provide Httle practical information
on how to develop these skills because the innermost secrets of
breath control have traditionally been considered esoteric
knowledge to be withheld from the uninitiated.
This book not only reveals those secrets, it also provides an
integral system of breathing techniques that will enable you to
immediately put this ancient knowledge to work. For example,
the basic techniques taught in Parts i and 2 of this book are easy
to learn and simple to use. Some of the techniques help us feel
calm and solid; others help us feel more refreshed and ener-
gized; still others help reduce pain and fear and alleviate symp-
toms of illness. You can begin by practicing these techniques in
the privacy of your home. As soon as you ve got the hang of
Introduction xiii
them, you can use them with great effectiveness in your daily
life while functioning out in the marketplace.
Buddha once said to his son, "Always practice mindfulness
of breathing, for when that is maintained it brings great fruits
and many blessings." The fruits and blessings you personally
gain from working with these techniques will depend mostly on
the strength of your commitment and the amount of quality
time you spend in making this knowledge your own.
HOW
to
USE THIS BOOK
The Miracle of the Breath is a complete and self-contained
instruction manual for learning to master the science of breath.
It is also a medical and sociological treatise that introduces
some new and very practical concepts about the nature of fear
and its critical role in the realms of psychology, religion, and
healing.
Part 1, "The Miracle of the Breath," describes the spiritual
basis and historical origins of the science of breath. It also pro-
vides specific meditation and breathing techniques that will
XV
xvi The Miracle of the Breath
immediately set you on the path to self-healing and spiritual
growth.
Part 2, "Mastering Fear," provides some simple techniques
for making friends with your fear and using its energies as your
ally. These techniques can also be used to heal mental and phys-
ical illnesses by cleansing the layers of subconscious fear that are
trapped in your mind and body.
Part 3, "Healing Illness " provides a set of advanced tech-
niques that will enable you to use your breath for healing a
broad spectrum of physical and emotional disorders, ranging
from headaches, respiratory problems, and intestinal difficul-
ties to anxiety attacks, insomnia, and conflicting emotions.
Part 4, "Experiencing the Divine," describes the transitions
our consciousness undergoes as we enter the inner dimensions
of Spirit. This part of the book also provides special meditation
and breathing techniques for cultivating the state of enlighten-
ment and entering into communion with God.
Read this book from beginning to end, as you would any
other book. On your first time through, simply read the chap-
ters that describe the breathing techniques without trying to
practice them. The object is to treat your practice of breathing
techniques as a project separate from reading the book.
For example, as soon as you Ve read chapter 3 ("Meditation
on the Breath"), you can set up a regular practice schedule as
described in that chapter and begin working with its meditation
techniques on a daily basis. No matter how Uttle or how much
you practice each day, continue reading the rest of the book to
gain an overview of the entire process involved in learning
to master the science of breath.
As soon as you ve become reasonably proficient with the
