I recently spent two days in Virginia with Michael Ryce. He is an Aramaic scholar and the author of Why is this happening to Me…Again! Connecting with him is like breathing ancient wisdom through fresh lungs.
He has been such an inspiration to me over the years, and it was a gift to be able to exchange sessions and spend some quality time with him. So, this month, I’d like to share with you some of the insights and lessons I took away from our meeting.
Not Spirit. Breath.
In Aramaic, which is the language (Yeshua) Jesus spoke, “spirit” isn’t some metaphysical ghost—it is literally the breath. And the Breath of Life is not the infusion of a soul into a clay body — it’s literally the awakening of consciousness. Breath is not what you do — it’s what you are.
Where Genesis says: “man became a living soul,” the original Aramaic scripture says something closer to: “Man became a speaking breath.” Let that sink in: Breath → Thought → Speech → Personhood.
Michael reminded me that breath is the thinking faculty of life. Thought is breath. Speech is breath. Prayer is breath.
About Pain
We usually think of pain as punishment or an enemy. But Michael reminds us that pain means there’s something lodged in our system that doesn’t belong there. And so, we need to breathe and let it go. Pain is like the breath: it is sacred feedback. It tells us when our inner world conflicts with the Truth of our Being.
Pain isn’t a punishment. It’s not a weakness. It’s not a drama. It’s the breath’s way of saying: something in your inner structure needs canceling. Pain invites us to return to “Rakhma” which is the Aramaic word for Love—which literally means a “filter.”
Love, in Aramaic, is a condition in the mind that everyone is responsible for maintaining. It is the fuel that empowers the human mind to function correctly. Love is a way of looking at ourselves, others, life and the world. It is seeing things in a way that aligns with God.
So when you’re angry or in pain, ask: What was I trying to get from this person? What goal did I attach to them? Then breathe… and cancel the inner contract. That’s forgiveness. That’s liberation.
Forgiveness isn’t about Them. It’s about You.
Michael also said that if we feel turmoil or pain, we don’t need justice, we need forgiveness. And forgiveness, in Aramaic, literally means “cancel the goal.” Not “let it go” or “move on.” It’s not something you do to another. It means cancel the inner demand you’ve made. Cancel the story you’ve been carrying about what someone should have done.
I love the expression in Aramaic that is found in no other language: “A mind without love is stupid!” No wonder Yeshua said, “Love is the first law of life.” Another great insight and reminder is: Anger means you have a goal that someone isn’t achieving for you. You need to identify it. Breathe. Cancel it. And return to Self—which is Love.
Breath as the Organ of Consciousness
In the oldest Syriac monastic texts, breath is described as the Organ of Consciousness, Clarity, Understanding, Emotional purification, Prayer, Communion with the Divine. And they go even further. They describe three levels of breath:
Natural breath → instinctive awareness
Clouded breath → distorted perception, reactive speech
Illuminated breath → conscious presence, clarity, love
In Aramaic thought, God’s breath doesn’t install a soul. God’s breath is consciousness. God’s breath is the source of speech. God’s breath is the presence of love in the human body. It’s not as Descartes said: “I think, therefore I am.” It’s: “I breathe the Breath of God — therefore I am love.”
Michael’s teachings remind us that breathwork is not a side practice. It’s not a healing tool or a stress reduction technique. It’s an ontological reality. Breath is how we think, how we speak, how we love, and it is how we remember who we really are.
And so, as I go forward with my teaching and breathing with others, I will be carrying some gems from Michael and this lineage. I’ll be reminding myself and others of the ancient whisper from Aramaic consciousness that says: “Return to breath. Return to love.”
Michael writes: “When the breath is pure, the mind is pure. As the breath clarifies, the heart understands. Speech arises from the heart through the breath.”
This is the pulse that runs through everything I teach. So, thank you, Michael. Thank you for reminding me — again — why I breathe!
I invite all of you to look more deeply into Michael’s work. Read his book, Why Is It Happening to Me Again? Visit his website. Tune into his podcast. And practice what he teaches!
And here’s some great news! I have arranged for Michael to zoom into our upcoming Breath Fest. So, now you have one more reason to attend! (breathmastery.com/breathfest)
All for now. Love to all.
Wishing you an abundance of holiday blessings!
Dan
December, 2025
Breathmastery.com
