How Breathing, Yoga and Positive Thinking Can Increase Intelligence
First let’s define what it means to be smart.
There currently isn’t a universal way to measure intelligence. Some people use the standard benchmarks, for example, test scores and grade point averages to determine intelligence; however, such variables have proven inconsistent and biased. High scores can mainly be a result of studying for hours and hours. In our current educational system, these tests are sometimes a better indicator of a capacity to remember versus understand.
Although there seem to be several controversies in the field of measuring intelligence–some individuals take test scores as evidence that a person is “smart,” while others prefer to look at problem solving abilities–nearly everyone accepts that a well-developed brain promotes intelligence. But in the field of alternative therapy, where humans are studied from the perspective of their energy field and the chakras, intelligence has a clear indication which is actually measurable.
The human body is basically made up of two parts: the visible physical body and the invisible physical body, also known as the energy body or aura. In the energy body there exist energy channels and energy centers, called the chakras. Chakras are like power plants that are responsible for the proper functioning of different organs in the body. Every chakra is basically in charge of regulating and controlling certain vital internal organs.
The upper chakras, in this case including the Ajna (third eye); forehead; crown and back head, energize the whole head including the pituitary and pineal glands, and the brain. This means that in order for the brain to work at an optimal level, the upper chakras should be strong and activated.
Chakras also have psychological functions. The throat and third eye chakras, in this case, are believed to be the focal points for detailed thinking, abstract thinking and creativity. This implies that the healthier and stronger the human chakras, particularly the upper ones, the more intelligent the individual.
Here are four simple practices which can actually increase your intelligence:
- Combine Physical and Breathing Exercise
Body and mind are somehow connected to one another. Therefore, to have a sharp and intelligent mind, we need to have a healthy physical body. Regular physical exercises not only detoxifies the body from used up energies, toxins and waste materials, but it also helps to increase the blood and energy circulation. The effect is a healthier and stronger physical body.
Breathing exercises in yogic systems are known as pranayama, meaning extension of breath or life. These exercises refer to various rhythmic breathing techniques that are normally practiced as a part of one’s spiritual practice. In such techniques, abdominal versus chest breathing is often used, as it has cleansing and purifying effects on the chakras. This includes the solar plexus chakra. It also increases the energy levels in the body.
Breathing exercises in this case, because of their specific rhythmic pattern, help in relieving stress and calming emotions. The effect is more clarity, sharpness and awareness. Increased energy circulation in the body also improves the energy levels of the brain, therefore improving its various functions.
- Meditate
Meditation in general helps to calm emotions and clear thoughts. It increases both the clarity and sharpness of the mind. Based on research done using GDV and Kirlian cameras, meditation has been proven as an effective habit for cleansing the energy body and balancing the chakras.
Meditation is a very powerful technique that can flush out the clouds of unfavorable thoughts and emotions by bringing down tremendous amounts of divine energy to the system. It further activates the human energy centers, including the heart and the crown chakra, and in return improves both intuition and intellect. Meditation can create positive effects on the brain and nervous system by improving memory, focus and clarity.
- Think Positive
The more positive, blissful and happy we are, the more sharp and alert we become. Positive feelings nourish the soul. Negative emotions and thoughts clog the aura and contaminate our chakras, which in return clouds our perception and distracts our attention. Positive thoughts and emotions create a soothing and calming effect on the mind and body.
Have you noticed that whenever we are positive, our minds get clearer and our attention gets focused? We even become more productive. In order to think clearly and become smarter, it is very important to regulate emotions and think positive thoughts.
- Build Stronger Chakras
Certain chakras are basically gateways to greater levels of intelligence and intuition. When these chakras are activated and made stronger, our intelligence levels increase. The upper chakras that control and energize the brain have a direct influence on the brains ability to function.
There are many techniques, meditations and healing systems that can help us to achieve bigger and stronger chakras, including Pranic Healing, Reiki, Qigong and yoga. Such systems introduce simple yet very effective techniques for cleansing, energizing and strengthening the human chakras.
Consciously practicing these tips will improve functionality and intelligence.
About the Author
Soham: Wisdom You Can Access
I first learned to meditate over 40 years ago. Friends of mine learned Transcendental Meditation in high school, but I couldn’t afford the fee. I had friends in college who also learned the TM method, but again, I was unable to pay and no one was parting with any information about the process. Stubbornly, I took it upon myself to research meditation techniques in the library and learned as much as I could. This was my introduction to mantras. I chose a mantra and one beautiful day, sitting under a tree, I gave it a whirl. It changed my life.
Your first mediation is never forgotten.
Eventually, I learned the TM method from a certified teacher. Although the basic idea was the same, I was given my mantra and in my first experience, felt a great opening of consciousness that I hadn’t experienced before. It was different. With this in mind, I began experimenting with mantras. One day, I meditated with the Soham mantra, not knowing what to expect. I found it to be peaceful, relaxing and connective in a way that’s hard to explain.
One With the Universe
Soham is Sanskrit and essentially means, “He whom I am.” It could be translated as, “I am He,” implying, “I am one with everything,” The “He” in this case is the Universe and the singularity of the divine. Soham is an ancient mantra and one that has been used in different ways, by numerous groups and societies. Some believe that it can connect us to what are known as, “The Ascended Masters.”
A Human Tendency to Expand and Interpret
The term “Ascended Masters” was coined in the 1930s and used to define spiritual adepts whom, after their time on Earth, ascend to a place where they help guide humanity and commune, or merge, with those who seek their wisdom. This movement gained great popularity and had a vast following, one that still exists today. This wasn’t the first time such an idea had been put forth. Theosophy, through Madame Blavatsky, had “The Great White Brotherhood.”
Many have accused Blavatsky’s work as being discriminatory, or outright racist. Some have pointed to her writings as being instrumental in helping to design theories for the Nazi party. It’s hard to know the actual truth behind all of this, but I genuinely don’t believe that Blavatsky had any such thoughts about singling out one race, or type of people, as being “less” than others. I’m certainly not an expert on Theosophical philosophy, but I’ve read some of her works and can see both sides of the argument. The complexity of her writing style is open to a myriad of different interpretations, as is often the case with any spiritually based text.
This brings me to a point. One of the things that human beings tend to do, is take a basic thought and then expand upon it, often to fulfill our own philosophical ideals and agendas. A quick look at history should convince us of the power of this process.
Through rhetoric and dogma, it’s often possible to reinterpret the underlying purpose of a text, in order to rationalize our unique point of view.
This has been done again and again in religion and is also a powerful tool in politics, where interpretations of founding documents are hotly contested and reviewed. Perhaps this is one of the dangers of proclaiming a text to be sacred. They may, in fact, be sacred, but the interpretation of these texts and ideas are usually man-made. Some seek to overcome this ambiguity through an individual, a human channeling a specific source, one pure and spiritually unquestionable. Enter the Ascended Masters, or so say those who believe in the doctrine.
I’m wary of most spiritual systems. It’s not my desire to demean, nor cast doubt upon, any religion or philosophy. I’m a metaphysician and have been a seeker for most of my life, so I’m used to being left out, considered odd, deemed ignorant, thought simpleminded, or daft. I’ve experienced way too much not to believe, but I’ve also seen enough to realize that there has to be a standard of feasibility that allows us not to be deluded, or worse.
This amorphous, subjective realm exists somewhere between hard fact and faith.
It’s for this reason that I’ll discuss the Ascended Master concept a bit differently than some might. I’ve known individuals who consulted with an Ascended Master, through a channel, and received advice, only to have another channel of the exact same Master contradict the advice earlier given. It always amazes me that the seeker is able to rationalize the discrepancy, through some excuse or the other. It speaks to the unreliability of the process at the very least, and to much bigger problems, at worst.
Ascended Masters: A Conceptual Offering
I believe that anything can be mined for its positive, beneficial value and doesn’t have to be presented in a specific form to be of use. This doesn’t imply that the Ascended Master belief isn’t valid, or is unworthy of study. I’ve known many who have been followers of its doctrine and received value in their lives, some through personal work and others through relying on a Master being channeled. It simply isn’t my way of doing things.
To be direct, it seems overly religious and even though the Masters are purported to be from various cultures and eras, it strikes me as being a form of Saint worship. As I said, there’s nothing wrong with that; it just isn’t my thing, but it still has value. With that in mind, let’s look at what it can offer you.
We Are Never Alone
A common thread throughout spiritual cultures is a belief in a place to where our consciousness can ascend to and there share information and commune with fellow members, past, present and future. These locations have different names, appearances and purposes, but they all share one goal, to help those in need, or who seek truth. By this doctrine, we are never alone.
I do believe that there is an intelligence that seeks to guide us, one that is powerful and ancient.
I consider this intelligence to be the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of all humanity, from the beginning to the present. I don’t see a need to identify specific members of our species in this, as that quickly turns into a form of worship and defeats the purpose. This could be considered a form of ancestral guidance, since it depends upon people who have passed, their only agenda to better their progeny, namely us. Incidentally, I consider our time on this planet to be just as important and to have the same goal.
If we’re not doing something to better the human experience, then we’re missing the point of being human.
How then can we find this place and connect? The ability to receive this information, this wealth of humanity, is not only possible, but within your grasp. It takes concentration, determination, sincerity and the ability to listen to truth without fear, or prejudice. I believe that this has been one of the motives behind much of the ritual that we have been obsessed with over the millennia. Luckily, connecting is much simpler than it sounds and one method of doing so is the use of mantras, one of them being Soham.
I mentioned earlier that I’ve used different mantras over the years and can attest to the fact that each mantra has a definitive and unique energy. Some of these mantras have had influences that I was able to discern, while others are still a mystery to me. Each sound in Sanskrit has a specific energy and combining different sounds can be like putting together commands on a computer, accessing more information than seems possible.
The Soham Mantra: The Oneness of All
The Soham mantra, by the very nature of its meaning, “I am He whom I am,” indicates an association with the divine monad, the oneness of all.
As one meditates upon this word, it becomes a personal appeal, from us to the Universe, to unite with everything. By extension, we are then connected to the wisdom of all and can gain an inner understanding of ourselves, perhaps otherwise inaccessible to the conscious mind. This is something that you can do and benefit from.
Practice: Soham Meditation
As with anything, there are different opinions as to how the Soham mantra should be used. I find it to be aligned with natural breathing. When I inhale, I think, “So.” When I exhale, I think, “Ham.” There are masters who contradict this, insisting that Ham is the inhale and So the exhale. There are just as many masters who disagree with them. Many practitioners vocalize their mantras aloud. I prefer silent mantra repetition and personally feel silence to be more powerful, but in truth, it’s completely up to you.
A simple way of using the Soham meditation is to sit in a relaxed way that connects you to your process. For me, it’s a comfortable chair; for others it may be a yoga position. Do what you feel connects you to your source. Close your eyes, or leave them open if you prefer, and begin reciting the mantra, either out loud or to yourself, and forget about a goal. Breathe in, “So.” Breathe out, “Ham.” Let the words resonate in your mind, but don’t overthink it. Be in the moment and allow yourself to be devoid of motive or purpose of thought, other than to be.
Your mind will race, but never scold it. Instead, smile and return to the mantra.
I never ask for information or wisdom directly, but you may do so if you choose. I open my mind to whatever may come. Sometimes it takes a few minutes, other times information is there quickly. I have meditations where nothing comes through at all, except a deep and profound sense of calm and the conviction that something much more powerful than me is present. That’s good enough for me. Once again, determination, patience and sincerity will eventually deliver results, often spectacularly.
The information is out there and is designed to be accessed by every one of us, not just channels who speak for Ascended Masters. There is nothing supernatural about any of this. In fact, I believe that this is an important part of Humanity. It seeks to guide us in the way that will make us better than we are and can help to pave the way for the future. It reasserts our ethics and redefines our values in an ever-changing world.
I consider it to be a link in the chain of the spiritual evolution of our species and I pray that we will always listen. Tap into the source and listen to the voice. Everyone will benefit. Never forget, it begins with us.
I wish you all peace and love.
