SCIENCE OF BREATH. 2 



heard on all sides. Many persons who breathe in this 

 way become addicted to the disgusting practice of "mouth- 

 breathing" described in a preceding chapter. 



If the student has any doubts about what has been 

 said regarding this form of breathing, let him try the 

 experiment of expelling all the air from his lungs, then 

 standing erect, with hands at sides, let him raise the shoul- 

 ders and collar-bone and inhale. He will find that the 

 amount of air inhaled far below normal. Then let him 

 inhale a full breath, after dropping the shoulders and 

 collar-bone, and he will receive an object lesson in breath- 

 ing which he will be apt to remember much longer than 

 he would any words, printed or spoken. 



(2) MID BREATHING-. 



This method of respiration is known to Western stud- 

 ents as Rib Breathing, or Inter-Costal Breathing, and while 

 less objectionable than High Breathing, is far inferior to 

 either Low Breathing or to the Yogi Complete Breath. 

 In Mid Breathing the diaphragm is pushed upward, and 

 the abdomen drawn in. The ribs are raised somewhat, 

 and the chest is partially expanded. It is quite common 

 among men who have made no study of the subject. As 

 there are two better methods known, we give it only pass- 

 ing notice, and that principally to call your attention to 

 its short-comings. 



(3) LOW BREATHING. 



This form of respiration is far better than either of 

 the two preceding forms, and of recent years many West- 

 ern writers have extolled its merits, and have exploited 

 it under the names of "Abdominal Breathing," "Deep 

 Breathing," "Diaphragmic Breathing," etc., etc., and much 

 good has been accomplished by the attention of the public 

 naving been directed to the subject, and many having been 

 induced to substitute it for the inferior and injurious 

 methods above alluded to. Many "systems" of breathing 

 have been built around Low Breathing, and students have 

 paid high prices to learn the new (?) systems. But, as vv 

 have said, much good has resulted, and after all the^stud- 

 ents who paid high prices to learn revamped old systems 



