Wind, the breath of the Universe

Yesterday, I attended by chance a small expo about eolic (wind) energy, informing the public of this clean technology to harness electricity. There was a photographic display with beautiful images themed around the concept of wind. The title of the show was so beautiful and inspiring. Wind, the breath of the Universe. I am still thinking about it. It really gives the idea of this live, pulsing, conscious Beingness that is the Universe.

It is interesting how the words breath, wind, spirit, and soul, share a common root in many languages. The English word ’spirit’, comes from the Latin word ’spiritus’, which means breath. The Breath of Life, the internal wind, is the ki, or prana, the life force that penetrates all living things. Everything is in constant motion, and wind is what makes everything circulate.

The article The Relationship between Vital Breath and Dao describes this breath beautifully:

The entire universe is made up of perpetually circulating Pure Vital Breath, enabling billions of worlds of unlimited height to remain suspended in emptiness. This Vital Breath is like wind yet is not wind; like water yet is not water (it enables the world to remain afloat); it binds together the entire universe.

Breath and Consciousness

Just like the Breath of the Universe is an expression of Universal Consciousness, in our physical world breath is a vehicle for individual consciousness. The most obvious thing, is that when we breathe we are alive. When we are aware of our emotions (which is a reflection of thoughts, our reaction to them), we will notice that breathing changes according to our emotional state. Reversing the process, we can also affect consciousness through our breathing. When we are anxious, our breath is shallow and superficial, while deep breathing calms the mind. Wind is produced by energy in motion, and our e-motions are just that, energy in motion. Breathing and emotions are intricately connected.

By observing our breathing, we become aware. Breath is our connection to Mother Earth, every other living being, and All-That-Is. Breath regulates the flow of life force, while it is controlled by the Mind. Pranayama is a series of techniques for breath control, affecting the link between body and mind, and creating states of expanded consciousness, and an enhanced condition at the physical level. Not only at the level of our nervous system, but throughout the entire body. Life force penetrates and nourishes every cell of our physical body.

Conscious abdominal breathing

Most of the adults in the western word breathe only half way through. If you observe newborn babies, you will notice that they breathe with their bellies. They pull the air in through their abdominal cavity (belly goes up and down). Adults use mostly their thoracic cavity (shoulders/chest go up and down), and have lost part of their connection to our Source. The diaphragm remains inactive.

Sit in a quiet spot, with your eyes closed, and inhale by expanding your abdominal muscles, then expand upwards to include your chest. As you expand your belly, the initial inhaling of air will be automatic. Keep inhaling all the way up to the chest. Hold the breath for a few seconds. As you exhale, finish up by contracting your diaphragm and abdomen. A more detailed description, with the middle steps, can be found here.

Why is abdominal breathing so different and life giving? This way of breathing stimulates our diaphragm, just at the height of our solar plexus chakra. This is where the bridge to our subconscious resides, and therefore the gate to the Universal Mind.

Going back to clean eolic energy, harnessing the powerful and infinite breath of this Planet, will help us all breathe better too, by keeping the atmosphere clean and pristine. When we breathe clean air, we breathe the breath of the Universe. All the way from Universal Breath, to cosmic winds, to the winds of our Planet, our own breathing is the wind of individual consciousness, connected to the original breath, to the awareness of Being.