Modern scientists are just now beginning to understand what yogis have known for centuries--that the life force animating our physical bodies is regulated by breath, and that the breath energy is controlled by the mind. The esoteric and practical science of Swar Yoga--presented in this book for the first time in English--teaches conscious observation and control of breathing patterns to maximize energy and vitality. Tantric Scholar and author of Tools for Tantra, Chakras, and The Healing Power of Gemstones, Harish Johari brings an in-depth knowledge of ancient Hindu sciences to this discussion of breath and the yoga of balanced living. His is the first guidebook for Westerners to offer a comprehensive treatment of the subject, providing information from Sanskrit texts otherwise unavailable in the English Language. He explains the sensory network of the nose and its effect on the subtle channels of energy throughout the body, showing the direct link between the practice of conscious breathing and the electrochemical balance of the brain and nervous system. He also shows how the breath, alternating between left and right nostrils, is influenced by solar and lunar forces and how one can attune to these natural rhythms and universal laws for greater health and well-being. Johari´s mastery of Swar Yoga techniques is apparent in the broad scope of Breath, Mind and Consciousness: included are a discussion of the phases of the five elements in the breathing cycle, exercises for physical and psychic healing, the means for determining which nostril is active, and instructions for conceiving a son or a daughter.