By holding the breath (vital force) as the self, one cannot get rid of the ignorance.+

Reality is simply the loss of ignorance. Till ignorance is there the body, ego and the world exist as a reality. When ignorance vanishes, then the Soul, the Self remains in its own nondual awareness. In Self - awareness there is unity in diversity, thus, there is only oneness.  

You and your world are within the illusion.  The experience of the birth, life, death, and the world are within the dualistic illusion. Whatever is to happen within the illusion will happen.

Till ignorance is there the dualistic illusion thrives. The illusion is as if the ready and a full movie of illusion, from the beginningless beginning to the endless end, is being projected continually.

Within the illusion, one may die at any moment. The dualistic illusory life has no guarantee because no one can know for certain what will happen the very next moment. Except for the Soul, the Self, which is God, everything is an illusion.

The practical life within the practical world is meaningless because it is happening within the illusion.

Thus,  it is to realize the soul, the only God is real and the world in which we exist is merely an illusion created out of God, which is present in the form of the Spirit. 

Sage Sankara says you must first know what is before you. If you cannot know that, what else can you know or understand? If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth. 

Even the Advaita Sage Sankara' gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the masses, but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence, the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd. 

The duality is present as reality till ignorance is there. Ignorance vanishes the soul remains in its own awareness. 

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit. Thus, the Spirit alone is. And everything is spirit.  The unreal(universe)  is created out of the real(Soul or Spirit). 

Everything is Atman, which Sage Sankara declared 1200 years ago –everything is Atman because Atman is in the form of consciousness. 

Sage Sankara:~  VC ~I65- 166 ~ The vital- air-Sheath cannot be the self because it is the modification of air (Vayu). Like air, it enters the body and goes out of it never knowing the joy and sorrow like others. It is ever dependent on the self.  

Breath, body, and the world are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. Consciousness (soul) is the Self.  Breath, body, and the world in which you and your body exist are part and parcel of the illusion. 

By holding the breath (vital force) as self, one cannot get rid of ignorance. Without getting rid of ignorance, Advaitic wisdom will not dawn. Advaitic Wisdom dawns only when one realizes that the illusory e form, time, and space are one in essence.  :~Santthosh Kumaar