by HIDAYAT INAYAT KHAN

In the East mysticism is understood as being the knowledge of the science of breath. Whether they be Buddhists, Vedantists or Sufis, all recognize this science as being the first and last lesson on the path of spirituality. A mystic is able to project prana to any path of the body, charging that part with radiance and magnetism. However, that phenomena only occurs when the breath has been developed and accordingly purified. The most beautiful music does not sound right on an untuned instrument. Breath is a channel through which all expressions from within are communicated; it is the magnetic current running between the everlasting and the mortal condition. All intuition, inspiration and even miraculous powers are experienced through the magic action of the breath.

The power of the breath, called kundalini by the Hindus, circulates within the spine along basic channels or ‘nadis’. This most important subject is incorrectly disregarded by some who imagine that distress might be the result of opening up the chakras through the use of breathing exercises. It is like saying that the eyes of a child should never be opened to reality for fear of being exposed to temptations. All virtue lies in self-control, not in ignorance. Life is only really worthwhile if it is lived fully.

Breath is the central theme to be considered in life since the breath governs the entire physical and mental mechanism of our being. Along with the importance of the purity of the breath channels, rhythm in breath is the magic key which can unlock all the treasures which the breath can offer. Rhythm is a natural tendency which is seen in all creation. No atom would move if it were not subject to the laws of rhythm. Orderliness in one’s life is a sign of rhythm. When the rhythm of the breath is in disorder, all things go wrong and one shows an appearance of an unbalanced state, either physical or mental or both.

Breath is our life. It is the breath which holds all the particles of our being together. Therefore, when this power fails, there is also a disturbance in our control over the various particles of our being. When the breath is in order, it has a revivifying function, absorbing out of space both spirit and substance required for our well being, while purifying us of all that is undesirable. When there is irregularity in the rhythm of breath, or deficiencies in the breathing organs, or the influence of noxious substances which pollute the breath flow, the entire mechanism is put out of balance.

Breath is the medium through which the outer life and the life within are connected. Through the channel of breath, all elements that the body requires are absorbed, as well as the subtle vibrations of prana, which the mind receives in the form of intuition, inspiration and magnetism. It is also with the help of breath that negative thought-waves and undesirable elements which have been absorbed can be neutralized.

When a breathing exercise is given, it is above all the rhythm in that exercise which is meant to be observed, and not only the breathing. The breathing is another aspect of the exercise. It can be either very dense (called Kasif by the Sufis) or fine (called Latif by the Sufis). The dense breath is used when making physical effort, whereas the fine breath is that which penetrates through all the chakras and the finest channels, reaching the innermost parts of our being.

Once one becomes conscious of the natural rhythm in the breath, which is like the movements of a swing, one can then add to it a chosen thought expressed in a word mentally repeated with each inhalation and exhalation. This is called Fikar by the Sufis. He who has not gained power over his breath is like a king who has no authority over his kingdom. However, even when the techniques of contraction (holding in or out) and of expansion (the exhalation) have been developed, all is still of no avail unless one knows what to absorb from the in-coming breath and what to expel in the outgoing breath.

This all explains why it is so important to really know something about the working of Fikar which, when practiced for some years, not only helps to regulate the rhythm of the breath (and in so doing insures an appropriate blood circulation with all the positive advantages related to health in general), but it also helps to develop concentration and thereby memory as well as the ability to free one’s mind from undesirable thoughts and feelings.

The more length and breadth or capacity in the breath, the more resource there is for creative thought. Length in breath denotes length in life. Some who have much volume in their breath may lack length in the exhalation. Others might have length in the exhalation but might lack capacity in the inhalation. It is the harmonious proportion of length and capacity which brings about the perfect balance in the breath and thereby also physical and mental balance.

When the breath is developed, becoming, so-to-speak, a magnetic current of higher consciousness, it is then projected as rays of light, which are perceptible as colors corresponding to the different proportions of the five elements manifesting in the exhalation. These rays fall upon the screen of the mind like the beams of a search light, helping the mind to see in all clarity the object of thought, which took form originally from the magnetic currents of the Prana in breath manifesting its radiance through the five senses.

The quality of intuition and inspiration is obviously dependent upon the intensity of those rays of light shining upon the mind and the ability of the breath to channel the inner call to the organs of expression. It is the subtle vibrations of the breath which could be called thought waves, transmitting thought from one mind to another as if two mirrors were placed behind each other. In experiences such as mind reading, it is the overlapping of the breath vibrations of one and the other which explains this phenomena.

It is the light in the breath and the intensity of the vibrations of the elements therein which is understood from the term aura. This explains why the Hindus call breath prana which means the light from within which has become exteriorized. This light is brought about when connecting the Jelal and Jemal forces at a mystical level of consciousness, just as the light in a lamp is only there when the positive and negative currents are appropriately connected. The vibrations of breath are the substance of all expression. The spoken word strikes upon the heart like a hammer on a gong, but the power of breath strikes even without the word. The breath of a spiritual person, which communicates love and sympathy, is vitalizing. It is not exaggeration to say that the phenomena of life and its mysteries are all to be found in the science of breath, which when mastered, offers great blessing and happiness.

 

“The macrobiotic way of life recommended by the ancient wise people and practiced widely for physical, mental and spiritual development consists of the following arts; the way of eating, the way of breathing, and the way of daily life. Because a human being is part of his environment, and has evolved through biological development covering more than three billion years on this planet, his physical, mental and spiritual conditions are based upon what he consumes from his natural environment and his food. The way of eating is the most essential factor for his development.”

Michio Kushi, THE BOOK OF DO-IN (ISBN 0-87040-382-6)

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