THE POWER OF THE PRANAYAMA YOGA.

What is Pranayama? It is the stepping stone of the Yogi, or in other words the foundation, the helpmate of the Yogi in controlling his enemies--freeing him from diseases. The Pranayama is the means by which the Yogi masters levitation, walks upon the water, and also the means of living buried alive for years. Pranayama is the Master Key by which Yogis open the door of liberation, and master all the forces.

Pranayama is the best method for suffering humanity to overcome diseases, conquer fear, overcome nervousness or despondency. It opens the door of Blessed Peace, it gives hope to the hopeless, power to the poor, faith to the faithless. There is no other way to control the mind, as mind is nothing without desire or thought; desires and thoughts are nothing without Prana.

What is Prana? Prana is everything. "Prana is Fire; Prana is the Sun; the Cloud; the Wind; Prana is the Killer of Demons;

[paragraph continues] Prana is the Earth. It is what is and is not, immortal. * * * Prana is the center of everything. "--Prasna Upanishad.

Prana is like the forces of electricity. Everything that moves is moved by Prana. Prana moves the lungs, then air goes in and out as breath. Prana is back of everything as force. The mind is lord of the senses and the organs--the Prana is lord of the mind: The mind is the motor--the Prana is the power that moves the motor.

The Prana is the great power of the Mother Kundalini. From the Prana there are born other Pranas, namely,--Apana, Samana, Vyana, and Udana. These are in the various parts of the body, but Prana is the power back of All and All.

How do Yogis control this power? By Pranayama. Prana is the Vital or life force--Yama, how to control it. This is why Yogis call Pranayama the stepping stone, or helpmate.

Let us see what H. Y. Pradipika, the most famous, says: "When the breath is irregular, the mind wanders, but when the breath is under control the mind is also under control. Because of this, Yogis live as long as they want to."

Everyone should learn to control the breath, by the practice of Pranayama. "Man lives as long as he has breath in his body. When the breath goes out he is said to be dead."

"As long as the Nadis (nerves) are not pure, the Prana can not go through the Sushumna, and as long as Prana does not go through the Sushumna there is no success for the Yogi. As soon as the Nadis are purified, the Yogi succeeds in doing Pranayama, and then his body becomes slender and light. This is the sign of Pranayama success, for then the Prana goes through the Sushumna.

"There is no success without purification of the Nadis, and there is no purification of the Nadis without Pranayama.

"The Brahma (God of Creation), devotes himself to the practice of Pranayama, and is free from the fear of death.