The next step to be taken is that of vitalizing the spiritual functioning of the thyroid gland. We revert to this gland occasionally because in it, especially in its spiritual functioning, lies the key to our continuing pro­gress. It is not the gland in its physical form that concerns us.

You would not think of improving the work of the heart by adding fat and tissue to it and increasing its size. If it were not functioning properly, you would want that changed rather than its form and size. Just so with the thyroid. Trying to build up its size by massaging the neck in order to correct the gland’s functioning has often caused detrimental enlargement of the gland without improving its functioning.

The exercises are solely for the purpose of stimulating the spiritual nature and functioning of the gland and have nothing to do with increasing its size.

Twice a day, preferably before arising and retiring, lie or sit, and when comfortably relaxed, place the second finger (the index) and the third and fourth fingers of each hand, but not the thumbs, over the thyroid, which is approximately in the region of the Adam’s apple. With the finger tips touching the area around the thyroid, take a deep breath, hold it as long as you comfortably can and exhale it slowly. While exhaling the breath, close the eyes and concentrate on the color orange — brilliant, as though it were a bright light behind an orange colored glass.

After this, pause for a moment or two in your normal breathing and then repeat the process — all this time keeping the finger tips on the throat. Do not remove the finger tips from the throat at any time from the first breath until you have finished with the third breath. After the third breath, remove your finger tips from the throat and bring them together in front of your abdomen, letting the fin­ger tips of one hand rest lightly against those of the other. Continue to breathe normally while you visualize a deep orange color surrounding you like an aura.

In a darkened room, it may be possible for you even to see this orange color, like a haze, emanating from your solar plexus or radiating from your finger tips. Remain for at least five minutes in this position while you continue your con­centration on the orange color. No sound should be made when exhaling the breath, for sounds have no part in this particular exercise. Practice this regularly during the coming week so that next week we may add sounds to this exercise and thus take another step in a slightly different direction.

 

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