Udja,
Lets begin with your statement: “I know that the emphasis is on understanding the transcedental teaching behind the symbols, rituals, and practices and that these practices are not to be understood dogmatically but are used to calm the mind and purify the body so that we can center our minds in the Self. “
I am highlighting this because it is the most important point really. This means that the principles are guidelines that have been seen to help others at resent and in the past so they are not rigid but rather guidelines you can adjust to whatever works best for you. Now, the practices are not seen as “separate” but rather complementary and consecutive, as one sets the environment for the next. There are variations of the breathing sequences and if that is found to be helpful in calming the mind they can be used. Otherwise, the ” general rhythmic practice is the best” especially if the mind is in a normal state of acticity since at that stage getting into the complications of varied breathing patterns may constitute backtracking.
HTP
