Yogic Breathing  
 
    In 1936 a thirty-four-year old jewish housewife asked Edgar Cayce about the potential benefit of practicing yogic breathing exercises.  Edgar Cayce responded that such exercises are "most helpful."
    Earlier in the reading Cayce had noted that she was in good health and just needed to "keep physical fit."  His endorsement of yogic breathing stated that such exercises could have a therapeutic or healing effect upon varied organs, especially the glandular system.  Used cautiously ("not too strenuous"), yogic breathing was much preferably to regular medical interventions (such as drugs) for this particular woman.  Cayce even stated that she was unusually well suited for yogic breathing and would respond better to it than 98% of the general population.
    Cayce went on to suggest that soft music, certain odors, and yogic postures could all be coordinated during meditation to produce a synergistic effect.  No specific description of the yogic breathing exercises was given in the readings or background information.  Here is the relevant selection from the reading:
 
(Q)  What is the effect of the Yoga breathing exercises, as given by Dr. [866], on my body?
(A)  These, as we have given, are good; and should be maintained for the varied conditions that arise in the
experience of the body.
    It has been given before that these are most helpful.  There are specific exercises and breathings for the varied activities upon the various organs, the varied activities of the glandular system.  These, not too strenuous, are much preferable to outside influences.
    For EVERY influence for corrective measures is to create within the activating body the awareness of its deficiency or its over or superfluous activity, and to bring about a COORDINANT condition, a cooperate condition in the body.
    And this - that it may be done in this body in a much better way and manner than in ninety-eight percent of others that may be found, even that would use the same expressions or same activity - is much preferable to drug or mechanical appliances or applications!
(Q)  Should there be any additions or changes?
(A)  Rather the applications of that known, as has been indicated.
(Q)  What is the proper posture for my meditations?
(A)  As has been indicated before, each individual is an entity, each individual has had and IS - not a law unto itself, but - a development unto THE LAW!
    That then becomes rather that which is to the entity the more expressive of that being sought to be attained in the experience.  Thus as the entity has attained, as the entity has gained in itself, at times the pose or posture would be different.  As these vary, meet same.
    Remember, how was it given of old?  (which may never, never be improved upon!)  In the offering of that which would cleanse the body, in the offering of that which would roll away those influences in the experiences of an individual, varied forms and manners were given that they (the forms) might to the ENTITY in its inner self find that response of doing and being in accord with the SOURCES from which aid, help and understanding is sought.
    Hence to each there comes a change.  So to this entity.  Do not let it become as a rote only, nor as form only; but as chord answering to chord, as the vibrations from each portion of the body to the one purpose in self of being in accord with the divine within, in body, in mind.
    THUS it becomes the better.
    In some periods it will be found that soft music would aid, though the music may be made by the very activity OF the concording of the vibrations through the body.
    At other periods odors may aid, though these - too - may be as an emanation from the altars of sacrifice within self; or those postures that may bring into play the activity of them all.  (903-24)