Disclaimer:
Bio-energetic Breathing (round breathing) is contra-indicated in pregnancy, epilepsy, bi-polar disorders or other chemical imbalances. All other portions of the Eíriú-Eolas Breathing and Meditation system may be utilized with these conditions.
Introduction
Welcome to the Eíriú-Eolas Breathing and Meditation System. By utilizing this 21st century revival of an ancient breathing and meditation technique, you are now embarking on an exciting journey of discovery. Eíriú-Eolas is the premiere tool of the age to help you relax and gently work through emotional and psychological trauma, releasing the repressed emotions and mental blocks that stand between you and a successful, fulfilling life.
It is important to perform the warm-up exercises as given on Disc 2. They increase lung capacity, circulation and will greatly enhance your Eíriú-Eolas experience. If you are already following a system of physical activity that incorporates stretching and flexibility, such as yoga, this portion may be modified to suit or can be skipped.
Pipe Breath
Pipe Breath is used to stimulate the vagus nerve and is performed in three stages to utilize your entire lungs. Stimulating the vagus nerve is like hitting the “off” switch for your stress response. The constricting of the glottis (voice box) almost yet not quite to the point of producing sound causes stimulation of the portion of the vagus nerve which passes between the trachea and esophagus. Practice so you can hold that glottal constriction while inhaling to achieve greater relaxation. The major stimulation of the vagus nerve occurs during exhalation and this is why Eíriú-Eolas Pipe Breath calls for an extended exhalation.
Warrior Breath
The Warrior Breath is intended to clear the lungs of old, stale air. It strengthens the muscles involved in making a good exhalation as preparation for the next part of the program. You may find your sides a little sore the first time you perform this exercise. The muscles will strengthen quickly and this will pass. Vocalizing “Ha!” helps make the exhalation more complete. It is also good for getting out frustration. Children love doing Warrior Breath!
Bio-energetic Breath
Bio-energetic Breathing, or round breathing, is used at the physical level for oxygenating your body to better process physical toxins. At the emotional level, it begins the process of gently releasing layers of emotional toxicity. As these layers clear, you will find yourself able to think more clearly and remain calm in stressful situations, allowing you to respond in an efficient and harmonious manner.
Meditation (Prayer of the Soul)
The breathing exercises are intended as preparation for the meditation, which is the heart of the Eíriú-Eolas system. The meditation is performed with “seed”, which means it is neither mindless nor without aim. The seed, entitled “Prayer of the Soul”, has been carefully composed to be unlimited in its application to life and to create a subconscious ground of positive, life-affirming thoughts in your quieted mind. The prayer addresses the Divine Cosmic Mind, which is existence in and of itself. If you wish to address the Divine Cosmic Mind in terms more familiar such as Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Krishna etc. that is also fine.
Should a divine personification not be part of your outlook, you may even look to your own “best self” as being addressed. The Prayer of the Soul is intended to be universally applicable to all personal philosophies.
It’s best to first practice exercising your diaphragm and perform Pipe Breath. Then add more to the program as you feel comfortable. Keep in mind that you breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. This applies to the entire program!
Common Questions
Generally it is recommended you complete the entire program twice per week and the meditation daily, preferably before sleeping. This allows your subconscious to process while you rest. Also, you may perform Pipe Breath daily, as desired. The worldwide Eíriú-Eolas community has chosen Monday and Thursday evenings for completing the whole program, each in their own time zone. If you are ill or dealing with a specific problem, you might want to complete the entire program daily for a while.
If the count is too long or too short for you, adjust to what is comfortable. As you become more proficient you will find it easier to keep to the count. The important thing when doing Pipe Breath is to make the exhalation longer than the inhalation, and to empty your lungs as completely as possible. The brief pauses between inhaling and exhaling are also important because they allow for full gas exchange within the lungs.
Laying down is fine. The point is to be as comfortable as possible.
The three arm positions for Pipe Breath allow you to progressively use the whole of the lungs.
Sure. You can try sitting in a chair, for example. The important thing is to find a position that is comfortable for you. The girls in the video practice yoga and even they sometimes do the program on a chair or lying down.
Check that you are moving your diaphragm correctly. It needs to push downwards when you breathe in while your ribs rise, then relax back up into a dome shape when you breathe out to expel old air. It should come naturally once you have practiced the breathing for a while and you have become used to the movement. View the images of the diaphragm on the introductory DVD and try to get the feeling of the position, action, and feel of your diaphragm. After a little practice, you should be able to feel your diaphragm press down and flatten out as you breathe in.
Another issue might be your posture. Try doing some simple breathing exercises while standing up. Remember to keep your shoulders relaxed.
If you feel overly tense in your ribcage, neck, back or other area while doing the breathing, this means you are doing more than your body can currently handle. If you have not done this sort of breathing before, you should take care and gently ease yourself into it.
If the count is not impossibly long for you then yes, try to breathe in for the full count. Otherwise do the best you can so that over time you can gradually work your way to the full count. Children, for example, have smaller lung capacity and may not be able to breathe in for the full count.
There are nerve endings at the top of the pharyngeal passage that, when stroked with air that travels in the same direction, will synchronize both halves of the brain. If you then breathe out and the air reverses through these nerve endings, it disrupts the synchrony. This is a technique used in hypnotherapy to calm and quiet the brain.
The benefits and effects of the Eíriú-Eolas system can be taking place under the surface for some time before things are processed, with or without your awareness. If you try to have “intent” other than assimilating the concepts of the prayer (which are designed not to constrain activity of the subconscious) or if you try to add “bells and whistles”, you could be circumventing the positive benefits of the Eíriú-Eolas breathing and meditation system.
Common Symptoms and Experiences
- Lessening of joint pain
- Lessening of muscle spasticity
- Refreshing and/or deep sleep
- Feeling energized
- Increased relaxation
- Experiencing sensation of heat
- Experiencing sensation of white light surrounding oneself
- Decreased heartbeat
- Intense and detailed dreams (see later for details)
- Zoning out, difficulty staying awake during breathing exercises and meditation (see
later for details) - Sensation in the solar plexus
- Ringing ears
- Tickling or numbness in arms, legs, lips (common side-effects of hyper-ventilation)
- Feelings of joy and elation
- Change in appetite (reduced desire for foods that are incompatible with your body)
- Hunger after the breathing and meditation
- Bursts of unanticipated laughter
- Abdominal pain, sharp pains in body (symptomatic of organs becoming more
functional again) - Increased heart rate
- External and internal interruptions during breathing and meditation
- Sweating
- Watery eyes
- Desire to cry (see later for details)
- Depression (can last a couple of weeks, only temporary)
- Anger, disproportionate to situations (see later for details)
- Feelings of disconnection from the world (temporary)
- Confusion, irritation (temporary)
- Perceiving images during meditation (try not to be too distracted by this, it is yourmind symbolically expressing what was suppressed in your subconscious)
- Sharper awareness, senses, thoughts; perception of actually being in the present.
Questions about symptoms and experiences
Pipe Breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which in turn affects your hunger. How the brain knows when eating must stop — vagus nerve responds differently to each nutrient to decode what and how much has been eaten : The vagus nerve, which carries two-way communication between the gut and the brain, transmits distinctly different patterns of electric signals in response to carbohydrates and to protein in the gut, finds Gary J. Schwartz of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore.
There’s another component of the vagus nerve’s reaction to protein. Schwartz suspects that hormone-like peptides produced by the gut in response to food are responsible for amplifying the signals triggered by the motions of the
stomach and small intestine. How the brain knows when eating must stop, Janet Raloff, Science News,
1996
You don’t need to restart the program. This is called “zoning”. It is perfectly normal and a good sign that something is happening. It is a positive sign that your subconscious is beginning to process and heal.
The program detoxes not just emotionally but physically. When you kick-start the vagus nerve and start putting things back in motion after years of the physical cesspool backing up, it can be like a hole in the dyke that gets very large very fast. If you are suffering physical symptoms it is likely to be a Herxheimer reaction. This occurs when your body is dislodging toxins at a faster rate than your body can eliminate them.
If you are experiencing symptoms that are too much for you to bear, then we recommend you undergo the program no more than twice per week and perform only the Pipe Breathing and meditation for now, omitting Warrior’s Breath and Bio-energetic Breath. As your diet and supplement intake will help with this process, we highly recommend the following Diet and Health books:
- The Ultra Simple Diet, Mark Hyman
- Detoxify or Die, Sherry Rogers
- What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Autoimmune Disorders, Stephen B. Edelson
and Deborah Mitchell - Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Rodger Murphree
This is quite normal and is a sign that the program is working. If you are experiencing anger, keep a pillow nearby while doing the program so you can punch it when you feel like it. Remember, you are bringing up and processing old emotions that are stuck in your subconscious and body tissues. Once they are released, they will no longer control your thinking and/or your life choices. Also, keep in mind that the Eíriú-Eolas breathing and meditation system is the most efficient, effective, and least painful way to deal with these things by retroactively utilizing the body’s own stress coping mechanism. You could spend years in psychotherapy and never have the same results that you can achieve with just a few months of practicing the Eíriú-Eolas system.
You can cry as much as you need to, then resume the program once you have finished crying.
It is your emotional center that dreams. Unpleasant or scary dreams are in fact your suppressed negative emotions rising to the surface. Quite often you will process this just by dreaming it away, but this is one of several ways in which it may be processed. What works best for one individual may differ from what works best for another. Everyone is different and has different stuff buried inside them.
Long term benefits
As you continue practicing the Eíriú-Eolas system, you will embrace a new quality of energy, range and initiative. You will become strong in areas where you were once weak. You will experience the constant guidance of your higher self. This guidance will be active in the work of your hands and the words of your mouth. You will feel this guidance in the form of protection, as you will also have the ability to perceive danger in greater capacity than before. Your higher self will guide you to acquire the knowledge you need on a practical level to protect yourself from unnecessary harm.