ON BREATH AND BREATHING
Breathwork as a Spiritual Path.
I recently created a 7-week online course called: The 7 Essentials of Spiritual Breathing for an Authentic, Heart-Centered, Ecstatic Life. It is Launching on Aug 25. And it is being hosted by the Shift network. You can find out all about it at: spiritualbreathworkcourse.com
Every great spiritual teacher has reminded us of the importance of breath awareness and conscious breathing. Every genuine spiritual school or path initially or eventually involves breath and breathing.
Many spiritual teachers and schools speak of the breath in symbolic terms, often they speak of it metaphorically. And some simply pay lip service to the power and potential of what in the modern world we refer to as breathwork.
I venture to say that for most people, breathing is a seriously overlooked and underestimated aspect of spiritual awakening and spiritual development. In fact, if you have done any genuine breathwork, then you know first-hand that breathing is a natural form of spiritual purification!
Breathing transcends all differences in philosophy, theology, culture, and religion. And so, I invite you to put breathing exercises, techniques, and meditations up front and center when it comes to your spiritual practice, whatever form it takes.
The breathwork movement has grown so much in the past 40 years, and the popularity of breathwork around the world today is astounding! There are so many schools and styles and methods, and each has its own focus and purpose.
Breathwork is the leading trend in global wellness, and especially in the sports and fitness world, and mainstream medicine is beginning to accept and encourage the practice of conscious breathing. This is such a great sign! And it’s something many of us have been praying for and working toward since the early 70’s!
I celebrate the fact that the power and potential of breathwork is being recognized and promoted in the mainstream media, and that more and more people are tuning into it. However, many teachers and schools are promoting breathwork for everything except its spiritual benefits.
All of the physiological benefits and performance enhancing power of breathwork are worth celebrating. Yet, this month, I would like to remind you that breathwork is first and foremost about spiritual awakening, spiritual development, and spiritual purification.
It is for these reasons the modern breathwork movement was originally formed.
The excitement in the medical and scientific world has been growing as more studies prove the efficacy of breathwork. And the interest is only growing because of these studies and because of wearable technologies and the development of breathwork training devices and equipment.
Very often, when cutting edge practices are discovered, they must be watered down in order to gain acceptance by the mainstream. This is normal. It is human. For example, look at the growth in popularity of yoga over the past 40 years. Hundreds of millions of people now practice it—but mainly as another form of physical fitness.
So this month, I’d like to invite you to turn to your heart, and ask yourself what breathwork really means to you. I invite you to apply breathwork for your spiritual evolution, and not only to give you an edge over the competition in sports and business performance.
What do you feel is the most important thing in life? What is the sacred purpose of your life? Of all life? What is your heart’s grandest desire? What are your spiritual aspirations? What to you, are the highest applications and motivations for breathwork?
And I invite you to return to the roots of the modern breathwork movement. Read Rebirthing in the New Age and explore the work of Leonard Orr. I encourage you to enjoy and celebrate all the amazing health benefits of breathwork, and to focus on the deepest spiritual aspects, and the ultimate purpose of your practice.
This month, I invite you to remember that one of the fundamental principles of Spiritual breathing is that we are all connected, we are all one. Remember that genuine breathwork is heart based, not ego driven!
The Buddha once said that along the path to enlightenment and self-realization, there are ten thousand demons and ten thousand angels. Don’t get caught up or distracted by all this. Keep aiming higher, keep going deeper…
Enjoy all the benefits along the way, but don’t let them be the main purpose of your practice, and don’t let them distract you from the ultimate purpose of the practice, and for that matter, of your life!
Good luck in your practice and many blessings on your path!
