ON BREATH AND BREATHING
Breathwork and Consciousness
I believe that the consciousness movement is the most important movement on the planet today. And given the current state of affairs in the world, the study of consciousness is more important than ever.
I believe that growth in consciousness is the only way to lasting happiness and world peace. I believe that the next leap in human evolution will be a shift in consciousness. And I believe that breathwork can cause that shift.
And so, this month we have been focusing more deeply on consciousness and breathing. As breathworkers we find ourselves at the heart of the consciousness movement, and we also find ourselves at odds with the current scientific paradigm called materialism.
The materialist view is that we are all separate, finite, and limited. Materialism is the belief that consciousness somehow evolved out of matter—that the brain somehow produces consciousness. In fact, it is the other way around. Consciousness is primary.
Materialism is an unprovable belief system. Einstein even called it a religion. No one can prove that anything exists outside of consciousness, let alone that anything preceded it or produced it.
So much precious time, energy and money are being spent on studying the brain to understand how it produces consciousness. But this is like taking apart a cd player to understand music.
Humanity cannot survive scientific materialism. We desperately need a paradigm shift, for the sake of ethics and education, science and technology, medicine, business, politics, and for the sake of our children.
Spiritual breathing produces that shift. It teaches us that we are all connected, that we are one, and that consciousness is the source of our body and of the physical world. Spiritual breathing awakens us to the fact that all of reality exists within a single non-local, universal transcendent consciousness, that some might call God.
Through spiritual breathing we learn that consciousness is the essence of our being, and that breathing is the movement of that essence. Breathwork awakens us to the fact that most if not all of the world’s problems are caused or made worse by unconsciousness.
Breathwork teaches us that consciousness exists independent of the body. It shows us that everything is made of consciousness, that everything is consciousness. All of the great spiritual teachers have taught this and thank God a growing number of modern scientists and philosophers now share this view.
Leonard Orr once said that consciousness and breath are the king and queen of the spiritual kingdom. I say that spiritual breathing is the marriage of consciousness and breath. Leonard also said be careful what you think about when you breathe because the breath brings life to that which you hold in consciousness.
What happens, what is real in each moment depends on our consciousness. Our conscious and unconscious thoughts, beliefs, habits and patterns act to automatically mold and shape mind into matter. In every moment, all of the infinite possible futures collapse into one actual present moment.
The growth in consciousness that comes from Breathwork allows us to go beyond narrow self-serving, short term reactionary survival thinking. It helps us overcome conditioned, impulsive, addictive behaviors, fear, pain, jealousy, insecurity, ignorance, or denial of our real true self.
Breathwork goes beyond the effects of O2 and CO2, beyond endorphins, ketamine, DMT, ayahuasca, LSD, opioids, and so on. Breathwork awakens us to a pure non-local transcendental awareness, an infinite eternal and universal consciousness.
Breathwork helps us to wake up and grow up. It helps us clean up our emotional baggage, so that we can show up in life as our true selves. Breathwork wakes us up to our essence. And the more we breathe the more we realize that everything in existence shares that same essence.
Breathwork helps us overcome our deepest fears: fear of change, fear of the unknown, fear of risk, fear of conflict, failure, obstacles, judgment, and fear of uniqueness. And all of these things occur in consciousness.
Breathwork takes us on a journey back to our self—to our real true self. Breathwork teaches us that in essence we are existence, consciousness and bliss. The more we practice breathwork the more we experience our natural state of bliss. And once this bliss becomes normal, it is experienced simply as a sense of peace.
Breath energy is unlike any force known to science. It takes us deep into the field of pure consciousness. It transforms us and our lives, the world, and the lives of others. Through breathwork or spiritual breathing we discover that God is not a being. God is a state of being, and through breathwork we can awaken to and live in that state of being.
A simple exercise or meditation to begin with is infusing every cell of your body with breath energy. Get out of your head and get into your heart. Experience each breath from the vantage point of your cells. Breathe with your whole body.
Good luck in your practice, and many blessings on your path.
