Éiriú-Eolas - Breathing Program

[Seppo Ilmarinen]

My experiences with EE has been quite steady during the last six months. There's usually some experience with time going faster, where I realize that i just finished the whole pipe breath section, even it feels that it hasn't been that long time. There's sometimes experience of cramping in my legs, detox symptom I guess. After doing the full program, twice a week, everytime I feel refreshed and more in control of my actions. I usually let my mind wander during the breathing (except in the PotS I try to concentrate on the prayer), hoping that my unconscious knows what to do.

 

[Zadius Sky]

Just realized that I haven't report an update here.

It has been a staid experience where there's not much to report this past few months as I've been doing regular EE with two full programs with daily pipe-breathing/PotS before bed. In the last month, whenever I felt stress or fear (including the whole fraud incident), I immediately did some pipe-breathing/PotS, which calmed my nerves and I was able to think clearly. Other than that, no unusual experience occurred.

 

[daddycat]

Lately I have been doing EE more frequently, usually late at night after everyone is asleep.

I find pipe breathing to be the most difficult part of EE. Breathing that long and holding that long, is not easy. I find myself anticipating when Laura will say relax so I can stop.

I haven't had any experiences, though I am relatively new to this and I'm struggling to do the full program twice a week.

 

[monotonic]

That's funny, because to for me I want to draw out the pipe breathing several times longer than the counts. Before I started EE I had worked out my own breathing exercise where I simply breathed very slowly. I suppose I was really doing pipe breathing though because I was constricting my throat in order to do this. I did find however that I no longer needed to breathe so quickly, and my concentration and attention span improved. I think some of this has to do with the slow breathing part. I found that doing this I could achieve a very intense level of concentration. Now I have to breathe very very slowly to feel out of breath. I have sometimes wondered if this is good or bad.

Based on my experience, I think it will be good for you if you persist in the slowness (but not shallowness) of breathing. Before I discovered slow breathing I was constantly in nervous breathing and this made it more difficult to think.

 

[monotonic]

I received another copy of EE today, and like the first copy I got, the CD case all but disintegrated in transit. If I open it the CDs promptly fall out. I will have to find another case. The plastic just breaks apart.

Coincidentally, we also got a special edition version, signed by Laura, and that case survived perfectly fine! Hmm. :D

 

[mcb]

I received another copy of EE today, and like the first copy I got, the CD case all but disintegrated in transit. If I open it the CDs promptly fall out. I will have to find another case. The plastic just breaks apart.

Coincidentally, we also got a special edition version, signed by Laura, and that case survived perfectly fine! Hmm. :D

My original copy was lacking the breathing/meditation tracks themselves. It was very weird because I was rushing to copy the tracks to my phone because I was being hospitalized for a pulmonary embolism and had to leave, and I couldn't find them anywhere.

They sent me another and all was well. A message from the universe, perhaps, but I'm still not quite sure what it was. There had to be some symbolism in it somewhere. Your experience seems to contain that too.

 

[Alana]

Lately I have been doing EE more frequently, usually late at night after everyone is asleep.

I find pipe breathing to be the most difficult part of EE. Breathing that long and holding that long, is not easy. I find myself anticipating when Laura will say relax so I can stop.

I haven't had any experiences, though I am relatively new to this and I'm struggling to do the full program twice a week.

If you find the counting and holding uncomfortable at first, you can change it to something that is doable for you:

instead of inhale to 6 hold for 3 exhale to 9 etc, you can count inhale to 5 hold for 2 exhale to 7 etc.

You can do the new count on your own, or listening to Laura's counting, because even if she will count different from you, she can hold the pace for your counts, if that makes sense.

And then, after a while, you will see that your breathing capacity will expand, and you will be able to do the full count, like many people already experienced.

Two more things that also help is to do the gentle yoga stretches from the DVD before you do pipe-breathing, and to make sure that, whether you are siting, standing or lying down, you are in comfortable position during the breathing.

 

[SeekinTruth]

As you get more practice, your breathing capacity will definitely increase. After a couple of months, you may experience the opposite: you can go much longer than Laura's counts on the audio. At least that was my experience. So when you do pipe breathing on your own you can keep the same counts and just slow the count way down so you fully fill up the lungs and then fully exhale at that point. So, I'd say practice pipe breathing on your own a few times every day and you should soon get there.

By the way, to help get over this hump, lying down may be the best position to breathe with the diaphragm, but whatever you're most comfortable with. And I agree with Alana that the yoga stretches will help breath deeper and relax more overall during the program. Good luck. :)

 

[daddycat]

Before I have only done any of the EE components when I did the full program, which I start with the stretches on disc 1.

Last night I finally learned that I'm supposed to do the meditation portion every night before sleeping. So I did the meditation last night and will again tonight.

Yes, I should have read the entire EE FAQ before starting EE. That goes for the Life Without Bread too. Jumping in too quickly without the proper background work is not a good thing.

 

[mcb]

...Yes, I should have read the entire EE FAQ before starting EE. That goes for the Life Without Bread too. Jumping in too quickly without the proper background work is not a good thing.

I don't think you can really do it "wrong." (OK, if you are doing something that causes pain then maybe you are doing it wrong, or there might be a part that is too uncomfortable to do regularly at first.) You may, however, find that following the recommendations provides greater benefit.

Low carb/ketogenic diets are different matter. Lots of things can happen with those, and you do need to be prepared.

 

[Ollie]

Zen in the Art of Archery has a description of Zen breathing which has certain similarities with Pipe Breathing, and some interesting explanations.

’… Press the breath down gently after breathing in [no mention of a slight constriction] so that the abdomen wall is slightly stretched and hold it there for a while. Then breathe out as slowly and evenly as possible, and, after a short pause, draw a quick breath of air again – out and in continually in a rhythm that will gradually settle itself. … through this breathing you will not only discover the source of all spiritual strength but will also cause this source to flow more abundantly; and to pour more easily through your limbs the more relaxed you are. ...’

… breathing out as slowly and steadily as possible to the very end, that for better practice and control, … combine it with a humming note [as opposed to Haa – so does include a slightly constricted throat]. Only when the note died away with the last expiring breath were we allowed to draw in air again. The breathing in … binds and combines, by holding your breath you make everything go right, and the breathing out loosens and completes by overcoming all limitations. …

This may be of interest or not.

 

[Voyageur]

[quote author=Prodigal Son ]
This may be of interest or not.
[/quote]

"...after a short pause, draw a quick breath of air again – out and in continually in a rhythm that will gradually settle itself."

In round breathing (Ba-ha), the rhythm becomes like this, it settles itself. I've only had the opportunity, now twice, to practice within a group setting (very powerful), and noticed during approximately 3/4 of the way through the round breathing; although still following, i kind of zoned out, drifted, and then woke. It was likely just a fraction of a second, yet became aware of it both times.

Thanks PS for posting the above.

 

[Explorer]

Lots of anger releases from three-stage breathing. Feeling fatigued and irritable. Meditation is going okay, zoning out a bit. Sometimes I get tired of doing the breathing and just listen to the prayer.

 

[Buddy]

Lots of anger releases from three-stage breathing. Feeling fatigued and irritable.

Remember, this is anger from the past. In your daily life, try and stay centered in the moment at all times while acknowledging what you feel but not letting it fuel any new thoughts and behaviors and color your perceptions about the present. If it feels a bit schizophrenic to be acknowledging different stuff from different time periods in the same moment as now, then welcome to reality. I've read your writing. You'll be able to work it out. :)

 

[Explorer]

Lots of anger releases from three-stage breathing. Feeling fatigued and irritable.

Remember, this is anger from the past. In your daily life, try and stay centered in the moment at all times while acknowledging what you feel but not letting it fuel any new thoughts and behaviors and color your perceptions about the present. If it feels a bit schizophrenic to be acknowledging different stuff from different time periods in the same moment as now, then welcome to reality. I've read your writing. You'll be able to work it out. :)

Thanks, Buddy.

I am finding this a little hard at the moment. My thoughts are all over the place as it is. It will pass, though, I know. Its just gotten a little bit more intense.