This following article is written by Judith Kravitz, founder of Transformational Breathing.
Breath: The Dance Of Spirit -- "Breathing into the Divine"
by Judith Kravitz One of my favorite quotes about the Breath is, “The Breath is the Movement of Spirit in the Body”,
by Dr. Andrew Weil.
In many languages breath means, or is derived from, the root word Spirit. In Italian, it is respire, French is respiration, in Spanish, breath is respirare, in English to inspire is to breathe. All of these have at their core "to inspire" or "be filled with Spirit"... In Arabic, the term for the "One who takes the first and last breath" is ho, (pronounced who).
There are many Spiritual practices built around breathing. In all forms of yoga breathing is an an important component. Most meditation practices focus on the breath, and breath is at the heart of the Tantric rituals, Tai Chi and most martial arts work intensely with breathing as well.
Easterners have known forever that the breath is the key to accessing Spiritual realms. The Master Babaji has said, "Breathing is the gateway between the visible and invisible worlds." This is a time on the planet where we are shifting from human perception to spiritual consciousness...
... A great metaphor is that our lives are a dance. How is your dance? Chaotic and out of rhythm? Or are you stuck in the cha-cha-cha of the 70's? Maybe your dance is smooth and flowing" Would you like the dance of your life to be more open and flowing? Would you like the energy of Spirit to inspire your dance more?
So how does our breath become the dance of Spirit First of all it is important to have the intention of wanting more Spirit in our lives. We also need to make the connection that one of the most profound ways to do this is through our breathing. Then we can invoke that into our experience with our words and envision that it has already happened. Just declare it now with thanks and confidence.
Experiencing more Spirit through Transformational Breathing develops in steps. The first part is to open one's breath so that the air flow fully accesses the whole respiratory systems and the life-force energy then has the ability to flow through the whole body. This means breath flowing from the lowest part of the abdomen all the way to the upper chest. This is a process for some, as breathing patterns are formulated for most at birth and are traditionally constricted. With awareness and commitment most can begin to meaningfully open their breath with practice.
The next necessary step is to clear the energetic patterns that cause the breath to shut down in the first place. This represents negative emotions and thoughts, past traumas, and other suppressed negativity in the subconscious mind. First, these patterns are accessed by breathing into the previously closed areas. Then the high energy of the open connected breath raises the energy of the once lower energy blockages and thus creates an opening for the breath and the movement of life force to flow more freely. This opening of the breath allows the integration of one's body, mind and spirit. We can then welcome Spirit into our body while breathing and feel each cell ignite with its presence and know that the movement of breath is the movement of Spirit coming into form.
Judith speaks of this wonderful God given ability to heal ourselves through breath and mindfulness. It works best with another person observing and helping the client feel and acknowledge the obstructed areas, physically and emotionally. When we are able to dislodge and let go of those tightened and shut down areas, we have an opportunity to experience what the word Yes feels like. Yes to more breath, inspiration, life and possibilities.
