Question: You mentioned the four obstacles to samadhi, and included the breath as one of them. Can you explain that further please?

Babaji:

Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras gives four major obstacles to the mind settling back into the Self. Bodily movement, breath, eyeballs jerking and the mind itself. If the breath is not settled, it jerks the mind. Both usually go together, one excites the other. Therefore we have shown you the pranayama breathing exercises which help to settle the breath. But we do not recommend to meditate on the breath. If one concentrates the mind, then the breath’s rhythm is automatically taken care of. The breathing exercises I’ve shown you at the morning sessions are good for the physical body, and are best performed in the midst of greenery and trees with fewer pollutants around. They are helpful in meditation.