2. The Etheric Body

After the physical body, we now move on to the next subtler body, the so-called etheric body. The etheric body, which is associated with the so-called 'Pranamaya Kosha' in the Kosha system, is now the first body that can (normally) no longer be seen with the eyes, unless you have already opened yourself up to the ability of clairvoyance. He has roughly the same size and shape as the physical body and is the carrier of the formative forces of the physical body, as well as the vital life force and physical sensations. It also serves as an intermediary of information and energies from higher bodies to the physical body and vice versa. When weakened, this exchange of information and energy can be disrupted.Graphics Etheric Body and aura

The etheric body, which can also be referred to as the energy shell, functions on the basis of electricity (which is a partial aspect of the so-called ' Prana'), which, among other things, flows through the physical nerves and the subtle energy channels (=meridians or nadis).

The energies that the etheric body receives, through the Prana (=life force energy) from food, the air we breathe, through the solar plexus chakra from the sun, and through the root chakra from the earth, are, among other things, directed to the physical body and stored. Excess energy is radiated through chakras and pores.

This radiated energy forms a kind of protective coat around the physical body, which prevents pathogens from penetrating. Negative thoughts and emotions, as well as an unhealthy lifestyle, can consume the etheric life energy. This then leads to a reduction of natural energy being radiated, and as a result, gaps can appear in this protective layer. The etheric body is formed anew with every human rebirth and dissolves again after physical death (in contrary to the emotional, mental and causal bodies which continue to exist).

Ether (in Sanskrit: Akasha) is the subtlest of the 5 elements (the basic building blocks of the universe) and is associated with the fifth chakra (throat chakra). According to the Taittiriya Samhita, considered one of the most important sources of ancient Indian history and Vedic culture, space contains prana. Prana is the energy that nourishes forms. Ether tough must not only be seen as physical space that contains Prana as one of its main components, but it also stands for the immaterial, subtle medium that permeates and connects all things in the universe and which contains many components. It is often compared to concepts such as spacetime in modern physics.

Pranayama, Connected Breathing

Part of the energy that is supplied to the etheric body comes, as already mentioned, from the life force energy that is in the air we breathe, and that's exactly what we work with in the method of the section on the etheric body. After we have 'opened' the bodies with the Sun Salutation and the asanas in previous exercises, we will now, among other things, clear the energy channels and release blockages (or bring them more to the surface) in the etheric body with this exercise. Through the following breathing exercise we also become more aware of our etheric body, gain more mastery over our breathing, and we stimulate and strengthen internal organs and many muscles in the upper body.

In the following exercise, we work with Connected Breathing - which means that we neither take a break between inhaling and exhaling nor between exhaling and inhaling, but breathe out and in continuously. Like meditation and the Sun Salutation, Connected Breathing originally also comes from Eastern teachings and became known in the West primarily through Leonard Orr's 'Rebirthing'.

Recently, the popularity of the breathing technique of Connected Breathing has increased, especially thanks to Wim Hof. There are many names for breathing techniques that work with this Connected Breathing, they vary in the way they are performed but are based on the same method. I would like to introduce you to one of these exercises as practice for the etheric body; we thereby work with the version that is taught by Wim Hof.

Pranayama (breathing exercises, breath control), respectively, the importance of breathing in yoga, is also part of the 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga and is covered in the Yoga Sutras in Chapters 2.49- 2.53, as well as in Sutra 1.34. An important reason why one practices pranayama, among other things, is stated in Sutra 2.53: “The mind becomes open for concentration.”

What happens in your body during this exercise?

From a purely chemical perspective, the oxygen content in the blood increases from around 95% to up to 99% and the carbon dioxide content is reduced. During connected breathing, the PH level also goes up, making the blood more alkaline. But you also supply more energy to the body which can cause energetic blockages to be released.

Strong Yogic Breathing (where we work with Connected Breathing) strengthens the immune system and cleanses the lymphatic system; furthermore, it also helps with inflammation, chronic pain, stress, cardiovascular disease, and depression, among other things.

Contraindications

1. This breathing exercise should not be done or should only be done gently (depending on the severity of the illness) if you have certain medical conditions, such as:  
* High blood pressure
* Heart disease
* Severe lung problems
-> If you are unsure, please ask your physician if you can do this breathing exercise

2. This breathing exercise should not be done if you have:
* Anxiety
* Recent panic attacks
-> as this technique can trigger panic attacks and cause too much release of emotions
* Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD or PTSD)
* In situations where it would be dangerous in the event that you faint
* Pregnancy

In general, always listen to your body and don't force anything!

Instructions for Strong Yogic Breathing

1. You can do this breathing exercise either sitting or while lying down. If you're doing it sitting, keep your spine straight and tilt your chin slightly toward your chest. If possible, make sure you don't eat anything for some time before doing this exercise (approx. 2 hours).

2. Connected breathing: Actively breathe in firmly and deeply into your abdomen, chest, and head (=Yogic 3 Phase Breathing), and then let the air flow out of the lungs passively (so don't force the exhalation). Breathe in and out through your mouth. If you want to make the exercise less intense, you can alternatively breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Connect these inhales and exhales - so don't pause after inhaling and exhaling.

The optimal number of breaths per round can vary from person to person, approximately between 20 and 50. With Wim Hof breathing, you do 30 breaths per round, which can be used as a reference. If you have done enough repetitions, you will feel a more or less strong tingling or vibrating in the body after the round, depending on how intensely you did the exercise.

Important: There is a possibility, that in extreme cases, you may even briefly faint during this exercise, so please do not overdo it. This happens very rarely, but I would like to mention it anyway.

3. Breathe out most of the air after the last breath of the respective round, and stay without breathing until the impulse to breathe comes again. Just enjoy this state of total energetic nourishment and peace now, and try not to get caught up in thinking.

4. If you then want to breathe in again, take a deep breath and hold the breath for about 10-15 seconds. (You can perform so-called 'Bandhas' (locks) here for an additional effect.)

Picture Bandha

5. Take 1-3 normal breaths before you start the next round.

6. That's one round - do three rounds if possible.

After you have done the exercise, briefly observe again now how your body and your energy feel after having done this exercise!

You can learn more breathing exercises and how to perform Bandhas in my personal classes and the planned video course.

What does the science say about it?

The ether field:

In 1887, the so-called Michelson-Morley experiment was carried out to find out whether the ether field existed or not. The experiment seemed to say that the ether field does not exist. Because of this experiment, it has been believed since 1887 that the ether field does not exist. In 1986, this experiment was repeated by the American Air Force with better equipment, and now it has been proven that the ether field does exist! That changes everything for scientists, because all the textbooks say that the field doesn't exist.

But why don't we know about it?
This should normally be on the front page of every major newspaper, and on all the news channels on TV! The reason for this is that entire careers are based on the field not being there, and that's why it's kept secret from the public.

The video lecture by Gregg Braden: The ether field exists, and we have proof

Pranayama:

For studies regarding pranayama, I would like to refer again to the Yoga Vidya website (you will need your browser's internal translator, a translation add-on, or Google Translate as the site is in German): Scientific studies pranayama

In the next chapter we will now discuss the... emotional body