So How Does One Breathe Life Into Faith Again

March 17, 2022 Post a Comment

I recall I have forgotten how to breathe. Or, at least, I have forgotten how to exhale properly.

Perhaps it is a sign of how out of sync our lives are that so many of us have forgotten how to breathe. When I pay attention to my own breathing, I notice that my breaths are oftentimes shallow breaths. The jiff goes down to my throat, or somewhere in my upper chest, and comes out quickly, immediately followed past another breath.

It is non that I am brusk of breath. This is how I have learned to exhale now. It is every bit if a constant stress and pressure is with me, maybe the curse of what, some fourth dimension ago, I called the "disease of being busy."
Nosotros have to larn to exhale once again.

I am occasionally reminded of a beautiful line in the Bible, the Gospel according to St. Luke, eleven:1, where Jesus prays to God, asking to be taught how to pray. Jesus asks not what to pray for; he does not pray for this or that. He asks how to pray.

I call back we need like educational activity almost breathing.

Dear God: teach us how to breathe.

            Teach us how to breathe       beautifully.   Teach us how to breathe       truly.  Teach united states of america how to exhale      deeply. Teach united states how to breathe       in spirit.   Teach us to take in a breath       that is continued to a healing spirit.

In many languages, the words for breath and spirit are connected. I am reminded of this when I expect at our give-and-take: Respiration.
Re-spir-ation. In the middle of that word, respiration, the very process of breathing, is spirit. We cannot accept "inspiration" without the breath/spirit. Even our lives' "expiration" is the breath/spirit coming out of us. It'due south the breath that sustains united states of america, that inspires united states, and leaves us.

The Bible begins with the wind/breath/spirit hovering above the waters. We exercise not exhale air. Nosotros exhale in spirit.

In Standard arabic and Hebrew, languages that are then intimately continued with one another, the words for cocky and breath are linked: nafs, nafas.

We cannot be who nosotros are, we cannot get who we are intended to go, without breathing properly. We cannot get truly human until the breath of God enters us and permeates every bone in our being.

Oh, Lord, teach united states of america how to breathe again. Teach us how to breathe well.

Epitome past Chandler Christian/Flickr, Some Rights Reserved.

I of the oldest Muslim mystical sayings talks most the process of achieving a more than refined spiritual consciousness consisting of the post-obit steps:

Hoosh dar dam: To become mindful and aware of ane'south jiff.

Nazar bar qadam: To take one's optics on one'south feet. Literally, to sentinel where you are, and where you lot are heading.

Khalvat dar anjoman: To maintain a do of solitude and full presence, even and especially in the midst of the hustle and bustle of crowds.

It all begins with condign aware of the breath.

Ane of the great mystics of the 20th century, Hazrat Inayat Khan, elaborated on the mystery of the breath equally such:

"Seen from this point of view ane will realize that human being has never been separated from God; that with every breath, human being touches God. He is linked with God by the current of jiff. Just similar people cartoon h2o from a well, the rope in their hands and the jug of h2o in the well. The jug has the water, only the rope is in the hand. In so far every bit our soul is in the spirit of God, information technology is the ray of the divine sun, while the other end of it is what we call breath."

Information technology is non just enough to have teachings about peace, tranquillity. Nosotros need paths to those teachings. We demand spiritual techniques whereby these teachings are embodied. We need practices.

Our bodies need to exist vessels, receptacles that help bring these teachings to fruition. We need rituals where we can bring together body, mind, and spirit.

Here is one of the practices that many sages in the Islamic tradition recommend. It is a technique of learning to exhale, and exhale improve.

In the morning when you awake, rather than rushing to activity, begin past sitting up. If you can, sit down almost a window, or even better, outdoors.

Accept a breath through your olfactory organ. Invite the breath to fill your chest cavity. Experience your breath fill your centre.

          Welcome the breath.    Then,  slowly,       slowly    release the breath back through your olfactory organ.          Repeat this process a few times.   Discover the jiff inbound,   	expanding your chest, releasing the jiff.

In the beginning, you may even want to put your paw on your chest, to experience this jiff coming, expanding your chest, and leaving.

After a few breaths, you'll notice something dramatic. Your breaths volition get deeper, and slower. Your breathing slows down. Your eye rate slows downwards. You may brainstorm to become aware of the chirapsia of your own middle. The slowing downwards of the heart is linked to that awareness of peace and tranquillity.

Afterwards three to four cycles, continue to take in breath through your nose, just at present release information technology through your oral cavity.

Eventually you will notice that the breath is getting deeper, extending into the cavity below your chest. Your diaphragm, that muscular canvas that divides your chest crenel from your tum, gets involved in this deep animate.

Repeat this exercise a few times during the twenty-four hours. When you lot find feet setting in during the 24-hour interval, come up back to this amend breathing.

Breathe ameliorate. Breathe more fully. Exhale more beautifully.

Then you tin whisper to that Divine Honey: