In the beginning we are told was “the word." But behind the word, before the word, is an even greater power: the breath. In the end days it is said that all the secrets and mysteries will be revealed. The end days must be with us, because today the breath itself seems to be revealing those secrets to us. It turns out that the secret of life has been hidden right under our nose all the time!
Every great teacher in history pointed to the breath in some way. Every contemporary healer makes use of the breath in some way. Almost all the ancient languages use the same word for air, wind or breath as they do for life, vital energy, or spirit. This energy is also called “chi or “ki,” In German, the word “atman” means both soul and breath.
In Genesis, we read: "God took the dust of the earth and formed the body of man; and breathed into the nostrils of man the ‘breath of life;’ and man became a living soul." So, it is no wonder that we can find our way home, and we can contact the source of life within us by turning to the breath—or more specifically—to what is referred to in Hebrew as “neshemet ruach chayim: the spirit of life within the breath."
The Sufi Master Hazrat Inayat Kahn writes: "The healing power of Christ, the magnetism of Mohammed, the miraculous power of Moses, the charm of Krishna, and the inspiration of the Buddha—all these were attained by breath."
In the Nei Ching: Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Chinese Medicine, we read: "In ancient times there were the so-called spiritual men; they mastered the universe, and controlled yin and yang. They breathed the essence of life, and were independent in preserving the spirit. Their muscles and flesh remained unchanged, and they lived a long life, just as there is no end to heaven and earth.”
In his "Book of Secrets," Rajneesh/Osho writes: "If you can do something with breath, you will attain to the source of life. If you can do something with breath, you can transcend time and space. If you can do something with the breath, you will be in the world and also beyond it." He also said: "There are certain points in the breathing which you have never observed, and those points are the doors, the nearest doors to you, from where you can enter into a different world, a different being, a different consciousness..."
In the Songs of Solomon, we read "Breath restores me to my exact self." Maybe that's why spiritual breathing is becoming more and more popular. It is a modern method of spiritual awakening and spiritual purification. It offers us a direct experience of, and a return to, our “real true self.”
The Quakers have a wonderful teaching: "Now and then, you need to open all the doors and windows to your body and mind, your heart and soul. You need to invite and allow the spirit of God blow through you!” That’s exactly what happens in spiritual breathing!
The Course in Miracles teaches us that: "A universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible, it is necessary." I believe that this universal experience is the breath and breathing!
Spiritual Breathing allows us to discover that the life force that built our bodies in the womb is still available to us. We can access it to sustain and rebuild our body. Every breath we take can be a prayer. Every breath we take can express forgiveness and gratitude. Every breath we take can be a blessing in which we send love and peace and joy to ourselves and others.
Spiritual breathing gives us the power and courage to live a unique life, an inspired life, a truly extraordinary life. To be all that we were meant to be requires that we awaken to our own inner truth. That inner truth is expressed and reflected with every breath we take. Breathing is a language: the language of the soul. Through it, we can commune with our spirit.
I believe that spiritual breathing is to psychosomatic illness what penicillin was to infectious disease. Spiritual Breathing is the quickest way to clear your head, settle your stomach, calm your nerves, and open your heart. It will uplift you as well as ground you. Spiritual Breathing fills your body with light and life. It is a way to embody your “higher self.”
We are all breathing the same breath. The breath that is in me now was in someone else a few minutes ago. The breath that’s in me now will soon be in the bird flying overhead. It was in the dog walking down the street yesterday. This is not just a just a philosophy, it is a fact in reality! We are all sucking off the same bubble of air that surrounds this planet!
The breath connects us. Furthermore, some of the atoms and molecules of air that the Buddha breathed, that Jesus breathed, that Moses breathed—some of those very same molecules are actually flowing through our bodies right now!
You can begin to incorporate your spirit and natural divinity into your being with each conscious breath. You can begin to embody the divine with each breath! Breathe in a conscious way. Just breathe in a peaceful, loving, accepting, grateful, inviting way. Embodying these attributes with spiritual breathing makes manifesting them in the world natural and effortless!
Start by watching your breath. Do what the Buddha did at the moment of his enlightenment: witness the breath as it comes in and goes out, when it pauses and when begins to move again. Feel the detailed sensations of the breath, the subtle movements of breath. Be the watcher. Observe, notice, pay attention to what is happening inside of you in each moment.
Add to this the willingness to let go, to surrender, and you will begin to merge with the life force that surrounds and permeates everything in existence. Breathe consciously. Feel the expansion and relaxation of life in you. Celebrate this flow of life, and marvel at the mysteries that are revealed to you through the breath! Opening and relaxing into the power of the breath opens you to your soul.
When you breathe, allow every fiber of your being to be bathed in this life energy that flows from the source of life. Breathe into every cell of your body. Spiritual breathing has been called a biological experience of God, a physical experience of divine energy. And it’s true!
Seek out others who are committed to Breath Mastery. Share your experience. Compare notes. Exchange sessions. No one is free until we are all free. But if one of us can get free, everyone will be liberated in the process!
Breathe peace and joy, freedom and safety, energy and aliveness, breathe love and light. And watch the world within you and around you transform forever!
For more information about spiritual breathing, visit: w,ww.breathmastery.com. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter/breathing report and download the free e-book: “Introduction to Breathwork.”
Dan Brulé has studied and practiced breathwork with more than 80,000 people in over 40 countries since 1976. His travel and teaching schedule is posted at www.breathmastery.com.