body, but as a
spirit, and of your body as but a shell, useful and comfortable, but
not a part of the real You. Think of yourself as an independent being,
using the body only as a convenience. While meditating, ignore the
body entirely, and you will find that you will often become almost
entirely unconscious of it, and will seem to be out of the body to
which you may return when you are through with the exercise.

This is the gist of the Yogi meditative breathing methods, and if
persisted in will give one a wonderful sense of the reality of the
Soul, and will make him seem almost independent of the body. The sense
of immortality will often come with this increased consciousness, and
the person will begin to show signs of spiritual development which
will be noticeable to himself and others. But he must not allow
himself to live too much in the upper regions, or to despise his body,
for he is here on this plane for a purpose, and he must not neglect
his opportunity to gain the experiences necessary to round him out,
nor must he fail to respect his body, which is the Temple of the
Spirit.

THE UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS.

The Spirit in man, which is the highest manifestation of his Soul, is
a drop in the ocean of Spirit, apparently separate and distinct, but
yet really in touch with the ocean itself, and with every other drop
in it. As man unfolds in spiritual consciousness he becomes more and
more aware of his relation to the Universal Spirit, or Universal Mind
as some term it. He feels at times as if he were almost at-one-ment
with it, and then again he loses the sense of contact and
relationship. The Yogis seek to attain this state of Universal
Consciousness by meditation and rhythmic breathing, and many have thus
attained the highest degree of spiritual attainment possible to man in
this stage of his existence. The student of this work will not need
the higher instruction regarding adeptship at this time, as he has
much to do and accomplish before he reaches that stage, but it may be
well to initiate him into the elementary stages of the Yogi exercises
for developing Universal Consciousness, and if he is in earnest he
will discover means and methods whereby he may progress. The way is
always opened to him who is ready to tread the path. The following
exercise will be found to do much toward developing the Universal
Consciousness in those who faithfully practice it.

EXERCISE.--Place your body in a reclining, relaxe